Alternate titles:
- 15 Career Paths You Can Pursue As An Architect
- 15 Types Of Architects And What They Do
- Becoming An Architect: 15 Career Paths You Can Pursue
Meta-description: An architect is someone who is licensed to develop structures that are functional and aesthetic. As an architect, there are a lot of career paths you can pursue. Here are fifteen types of architects and what they do.
An architect plans and designs buildings and structures with the aim to make them functional and aesthetic. Architects need to complete their formal education and be licensed before they can practice. Once you do have your license, however, there is a lot you can do with it.
From architects that focus on interior structures to those that restore historic buildings, here are fifteen types of architects you should know:
Municipal Architect
Also known as city architects or council architects, they work closely together with the local government. The role of a municipal architect is to help create guidelines, as well as plans that cover the expanse of the whole city. To that end, a municipal architect works closely with the city development authorities to review, as well as approve, any designs regarding the town.
The actual job of a municipal architect can vary from state to state since it depends closely on what the local government wants from them. Essentially, a municipal architect provides technical assistant to the city development authorities regarding city plans and designs.
Urban Architect
An urban architect is someone who creates designs and plans that cover a whole neighborhood, district, and sometimes even the city. Their job is to design the functionality and aesthetics of the space that they’ve been commissioned with by the client.
It’s essential for an urban architect to consider the cultural, demographic, political, and social layout of the area before developing their designs for it. Urban architects work to establish or enhance dynamic environments and must understand how that environment is intended to work before they create it.
Commercial Architect
Commercial architecture is often a popular choice among architects, as this profession can be very lucrative. As a commercial architect, you’ll need to design public structures and buildings intended for commercial use. These include anything from shopping malls to office buildings. The buildings they create are intended for general use and must satisfy the needs of the public.
To create successful commercial plans and projects, a commercial architect needs to develop a user-centric approach. The style of the building can also change, depending on the architects in charge of the project. Since commercial architecture projects are often large in scale, teams of architects and consultants often work together on them.
Residential Architect
A residential architect is someone who exclusively develops customized buildings for their clients. These buildings are only intended for residential use, and their functionality and style are designed to provide comfort. Residential architects need to work closely with their clients, so they can bring their client’s vision to life.
Residential architects also need to understand local housing regulations and ensure that they follow the standards set. The perk of being a residential architect is that you can explore your creative side in this career path. No two projects will ever be the same.
Landscape Architect
A landscape architect is someone who works exclusively with outdoor spaces. They need to understand how to integrate the environment with structures so that they exist harmoniously. A landscape architect designs pathways, water systems, gardens, as well as facilities. These structures can include anything from a Gazebo to a park bench.
Landscape artists need to have a stronghold over horticulture and understand environmental restoration as well. They also need to understand stormwater management, how to design recreational areas and more. Parks, as well as golf courses, are examples of the kinds of designs landscape architects work on.
Interior Architect
Unlike a landscape architect, an interior architect deals exclusively with interiors. They work to develop and enhance the interior of buildings. They ensure that all essential utilities, such as electricity as well as running water, are available. They can also work to create aesthetics for the interior.
An interior architect can work on commercial as well as residential projects.
Housing Architect
Housing architects develop large-scale or community housings. They need to create floor plans, as well as schemes that include layouts for multiple homes. They also need to generate Master plans that take into account everything from utilities to public health. A housing architect needs to understand the community they’ll be working for. This is to provide that community with the housing best suited to them.
Industrial Architect
Industrial architects mainly work on designing industries and factories. They need to understand what the industry will be manufacturing, as well as input and output processes that contribute to success. Armed with this knowledge, they’ll have to design structures that can provide the highest amount of productivity.
Lighting Architecture
A lighting architect designs the lighting and ambiance of existing structures. They need to take into account how natural light, as well as artificial light, will play on the space. As a lighting architect, you’ll need to understand light, as well as how light distribution works. You’ll also need to know how humans respond to different kinds of light.
You’ll be adding lighting and ambiance and even creating designs for windows in your plans.
Restoration Architect
A restoration architect primarily works to restore and maintain historical and cultural structures. They’ll need to understand the history and the cultural significance of the buildings they are restoring. They then need to do careful research and use scientific techniques to restore buildings.
Developer Architect
Architects who don’t want to work for anyone else, but develop their own projects, choose to become developer architects. As a developer architect, you’ll need to have strong business skills and know-how to secure assignments for yourself.
Research Architect
A research architect spends time researching and analyzing information, as well as coming up with new techniques. They offer their skills through academia, by writing books, or even in the form of lectures. They’re responsible for ensuring that the standards in architecture continue to evolve and that all architects are informed about these innovations.
Sustainable/ Green Architect
A sustainable architect is responsible for ensuring that structures are environmentally friendly and ecologically sound. They use sustainable materials, as well as new building techniques, to create ecologically sound designs.
Extreme Architects
If you like to find solutions to problems that are new and don’t have primary sources to work off from, then choose this career. You’ll be hired to build structures in places with extreme climates. This can be incredibly challenging, given the effect of global warming on the environment today.
Political Architect
Architects who go on to enter the political arena have a lot to offer when it comes to changing housing practices. They work within the government to ensure that the standards for architecture are improved upon.
Conclusion
As an architect, you can also leverage your skills to do other things, like the set design or even work on video game level design. However, these are the fifteen career paths that are most recognized when it comes to the field of architecture.
When you become an architect, you should consider protecting yourself against common career risks. You can do this with the help of architects errors and omissions insurance. If you want to learn about a&e insurance, then click here.
