Customer Reviews

Becoming an Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design

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My son knew at an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in architecture. Lacking first-hand experience I tried to help him research what the career was all about. I wish I had this book early in the process. We ended up interviewing architects on our own, reading articles, college rankings, etc. Going in I assumed the CAD/CAM / math / physics aspect would dominate; while important, I soon found out that the artistic / sketching / creative aspect is equally important. As this book so beautiully points out however, the value of intangibles such as "creative problem-solving" and "ability to communicate abstract ideas" outweigh pure technical or artistic skills. Dr. Waldrep skillfully weaves the thoughts and experiences of 49 professionals from diverse backgrounds in architecture to help fill in the knowledge gaps about the career - and may I say - what a broad career! After reading the book you will be impressed with the fact that a career in architecture is a never-ending learning experience with a myriad of "career spokes" springing from the hub of the core disciplines. We owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Waldrep for artfully constructing this launching pad of thought-provoking gems from the bright lights of the architecture industry.

Have you ever been frustrated with the lack of knowledge about architectural careers out there? Does everyone you speak to seem to have no idea where to start or what to do to end up where you picture yourself being? Unfortunately, this is one of the many pitfalls of architecture and until recently prospective architecture students have been left to fend for themselves and blaze a trail over and over again. However, things may be about to change for the better! For over twenty years Professor Lee Waldrep has been conceptualizing this all encompassing guide to Becoming an Architect. Now, finally here, this book serves as the ultimate counselor in pursuing the ever elusive career in architecture!
From his days as a freshman in high school Prof. Waldrep had fantasized about becoming an architect. After years of hard study through high school and college, he graduated with two degrees in architecture and moved on to work in a firm for three months before he realized that the career he had spent over 10 essential years of his life working towards was not right for him. At this point he decided to dedicate his life to helping prospective architecture students achieve their goals by one day becoming eligible to sit for a licensing exam. Thus, this guide came about.
This book is a MUST for anyone even half considering pursuing a career in architecture. Waldrep acts as a personal mentor guiding you though the many paths that could lead to becoming a licensed architect. He does this by starting early, setting you on the right path and keeping you there from your pre-high school days into college and continues to guide you towards your licensing exam after graduation.
Emphasis is placed on the high school and college years as the decisions made and courses taken will have the most impact on one's future. Helpful tips and insights such as "...take art, drawing, and design classes rather than architectural drafting or CAD. Your interest in architecture may surface due to a drafting course, but drafting is not as helpful in your skill development as art classes." (p.73) and "...seek out architects and ask them for their opinion about the schools you are considering for admission." (p.103) line the pages and practically force feed you a one way ticket to the profession of your dreams. In addition, many resources are explained and made available for those looking into the career. Summer and after school opportunities are highlighted, and a constant feed of advice from young men and women well on their way to becoming architects provides the prospective student with real world, first hand experience.
However, Waldrep's guidance does not terminate after graduation. This book is almost relentless in ensuring you a position in the field! Prof. Waldrep goes on to present ideas for post-graduate students and make sure they are absolutely certain at picking the right job, internship, or work opportunity for them.
It is made clear that there are numerous ways to reaching the students overall goal. The hard part is selecting the proper path for the individual. Useful acronyms such as A.R.C.H.I.T.E.C.T. assist in the decision making process and lay a floor plan to be built upon and extended later.
When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, Waldrep is there to offer first hand experience on what to do. He writes and lists exactly what is needed to get things done. What he does not directly explain is covered by the numerous contributions and interviews from the nation's top architects. The insight of so many architects and graduate students makes this book an absolutely essential resource to all who seek a position in the field of architecture.
So why blaze a trail that has been grown over so many times before? This book is a bike path sure to speed you through the thick and confusing vegetation towards your destination. The secrets of architecture are revealed! My only regret is that I hadn't found it sooner!

One of my daughters is very interested in becoming an architect and this is an ideal book for her. I think any young person of even an undergraduate college student considering this career path will find this book very helpful.

I appreciate that the book asks and answers the most likely questions a young person will ask or should ask about the career. Even more I appreciate that the author has brought in a broad range of practicing architects to answer than and share their views. This range of opinions and suggestions is quite helpful. It also has the benefit of being interesting.

There are five chapters, the first provides some definition of what an architect is by talking about the wide range of things architects do, and helps the prospective architect think through if such a career is for them. The important skills of architects are also discussed.

Chapter two talks about the education of an architect and even gets back into childhood toys, books and activities. For the high school student considering this career they suggest which courses are most beneficial for the student. They also discuss the licensing, paths to various degrees and what they are needed for. Appendix B also gives a list of accredited architecture programs. There is also information about the application programs and academic enrichment.

Chapter three talks about how to gain experience as a student, how to get noticed, what hiring companies look for, and moving towards licensure. Chapter four helps the student design her career and what the options are. Chapter five lets the participants in this book speak about their wide range of views of the future of architecture. Appendix A provides a resource list for architects - professional organizations, institutions, community service, recommended reading, and websites.

All great stuff, very readable, and with lots of interesting illustrations and photographs.

Very good!

Being a graduate student in my second and final year of Architecture School, you'd think that I would have a clear understanding of what architecture is, what it means to become an architect and why I chose this profession in the first place. I however, had not really taken the time to think about any of these topics until rather recently. Not until I read this book and was given an opportunity to discuss it with high school students in a summer program did I realize that I had an infinite number of questions about the profession I have chosen and will enter in a year.

Reading this book (especially the interviews with both students and professionals) helped me to answer some of these questions and offered resources for obtaining even more information on the topic of Architecture and the profession. Piggybacking on what another reviewer mentioned, I couldn't agree more, that this book is extremely appropriate for people of all ages and levels - from kids who have just begun to play with legos and Lincoln logs, to high school students who have taken an active interest in architecture or design, to professionals who may still have some questions about the path they have chosen and the future of the profession.

I applaud Dr. Waldrep for all the work he has done to make this book possible and make the information available to people like myself, who are seeking answers. I cannot thank Lee enough for his efforts in ensuring that students and architects alike stay informed about what architecture as a profession is, how other people view the profession and where the profession is headed. His dedication to students and passion about the profession is completely clear in this book through the research and the interviews and therefore, I would highly recommend it to anyone who has even the slightest interest in the field.

If you are exploring design careers for the first time, this book is a must read! Waldrep skillfully coalesces insights from various faculty, students, and practitioners in order to provide a depth and breadth that is normally missing from typical career guides. There is advice on everything from the definition of architecture to establishing a design career, and everything in between; this advice cemented my intent to apply to a graduate program in architecture and urban planning.

I really loved the diversity of viewpoints expressed in the book. Modernists, neo-traditionalists, nontraditional students, traditional students, deans, and admissions professionals all have their own ideas about what attributes are necessary for a good architect, how to choose an academic program, and what employers look for. Finally, the text was so fun to read that I finished it the same day I received it and plan to read it again.

If you know anyone who is an aspiring architect, they need to have this book. It does a wonderful job of explaining what becoming an Architect entails from beginning education, through college, the Intern Development Program, and beyond. It not only covers the fundamentals of becoming/being an Architect, but also gives different views Architects have on the art and profession of architecture. This book was glued to my side while filling out my college applications and it will still be with me throughout my college education, graduate school, and beyond. You are not going to find another book out on the market like this one. There is a new edition out so I would strongly recommend getting the more updated version: Becoming an Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design This is an invaluable resource for both the aspiring and accomplished architect and no bookshelf is complete without it.

A coffee table book; This is not a "cover-to-cover" read that teaches one how to become an architect. It does, however, provide a range of possibilities for the futures of aspiring architects. It is compiled of interviews with different professionals, preceded and concluded with resourceful information about schooling, exams, licenture, etc. It does present "answers" in a way, through examples of different paths and interests that lead to the varied careers in architecture. I would recommend this to students, in particular, who are considering an education/career in architecture: at moments while reading the book I felt insecure about my contrary approach to architecture; at other points while reading, I felt confident in the ability to relate my approach. It is reassuring to read the first-hand experiences of persons who are already at the point where I may be some day.

I have been thinking about being an architect since 3rd grade. My parents bought me this book for obvious reasons. The book has been great. It shows how there are many many paths to architecture and made me feel more confident about the process.

Before I start, I should mention I am one of the architects featured in the book. When I read the final copy, I was very impressed with it. It is very well organized and is interesting to read. I wish I had it when I was starting out in architecture school! It is also great to see the wide range of areas that a degree in architecture can lead someone, all of which seem rewarding.

As an incoming master of architecture student from a non-architectural background, I found this book well-structured and informative. Dr. Waldrep interviews with 49 individuals involved in architecture, and in doing so he unfolds various paths to professional and academic occupations. This approach provides insight into scores of unexpected qualities and experiences that have shaped their professional careers, including many I had not thought of as related to architecture. Dr. Waldrep's book is a tremendous resource for anyone who is involved or has ever considered a career in architecture.