Architect: a description of the profession, what he does and how to become one?

The very word “architect” sounds attractive. But choosing a life path is useful to study a full description of the profession. Then it will become clear what the architect is doing and how to become one.

The history of architecture goes into the distant past. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to establish when exactly the first professionals appeared who thought out the general concept of various buildings and structures. One thing is certain: the specialists who built the pyramids and other impressive ancient structures relied on the long experience of their predecessors. Initially, architects tried not only to come up with the most beautiful house, as is often believed. They created the whole ensemble, trying to fit separate buildings into it..

Over the past centuries, work in the architectural field has changed significantly. Incredibly expanded tools that can be applied. The requirements for the quality of the finished project have also grown. But as before, the main activity of architects is to think over integral building complexes. This specialist differs from the engineer in that he works much more creatively. But the engineer can design various technical and utility structures, and the architect focuses solely on residential and public buildings. The difference separating the architect from the builder is even more transparent.

A conversation about the varieties of this field of activity is worth starting with urban architects. These are “rare birds”, besides “high flying”. They set the tone for the development of the industry for years and even decades. It is their names that come to the inhabitants of any country in the first place with the word "architect". The designers of large urban objects (urban dominants and simply impressive buildings) are only slightly inferior.

Exist design architects. They focus on the technical performance of the building and its infrastructure. Closely related to this specialty is not only a civil engineer, but also an electrical engineer, mechanical engineer. These specialists have to decide together what the thickness of the walls and floors will be. And how to do everything in order to get the desired result, fitting into the budget. Industrial Architectsalthough they can’t make a big name, like 50-100 years ago, they remain extremely popular. After all, any industrial enterprise should be carefully thought out and equipped. And one of the latest trends was the emergence of landscape architecture. They try to apply its approaches not only in cottages, but also in large cities. Changes a lot in the profession and the development of technology.

So, it has become a rather relevant direction virtual architecture. It aims to create the most realistic and user-friendly spaces. But experts in this field are no longer thinking so much in kilograms, meters and degrees, as in megabytes, the scrupulousness of detail and the thoughtfulness of algorithms. Architects of virtuality must do everything to create the effect of total immersion. But information systems architect has nothing to do with construction, even virtual, at all. He simply does everything possible to ensure that the software systems work clearly and are built in the most rational way.

The description itself shows that this is a very prestigious work. And its demand in the labor market is quite large. As long as people build at least something on a large scale, architects will be needed. Since the economy is moving forward, albeit at a slow pace, the need for their work will only expand.

Additionally, it can be noted:

• good career prospects;
• a fairly substantial salary;
• increased responsibility;
• the stressful nature of the work;
• increased responsibility;
• the need to constantly improve their skills;
• relatively low income, until the name and customer base have been developed.

Of course, in each job description their own standards and requirements for the architect are prescribed. But in general, this professional field has long been established. A specialist in the field of architectural design not only develops the project itself, but also directs the preparation of construction documentation in accordance with it. He will be busy with supervision. The tasks of the architect-town planner are somewhat different; you will have to develop master plans and apply them creatively.

Landscape architect is creating:

• gardens;
• large parks;
• personal plots around various cottages;
• landscaped house space near apartment buildings and non-residential buildings.

Also, the architect, depending on the specialization, does other types of important work:

• draws up legal acts in the professional sphere;
• monitors their implementation in construction practice;
• provides restoration of monuments of architecture, history and culture;
• Teaches and examines future architects
• carries out the examination of projects, finished and unfinished, destroyed in whole or in part of buildings;
• determines what the houses will be not only outside but also inside;
• achieves the comfort of finished buildings, compliance with sanitary-hygienic and fire safety standards in them.

It is important to take into account the latest Russian and foreign experience in the field of design, construction and reconstruction of buildings (facilities). Of course, the architect must be aware of current technologies and methods of construction work, features and capabilities of modern construction equipment. He is obliged to connect different parts of projects, to coordinate among themselves.

The rights of architects in most job descriptions are described as follows:

• familiarity with management decisionsaffecting their activities;
• appeal to management with suggestionsallowing to improve work;
• demand from superiors to assist in the performance of their functions, in the explanation of job responsibilities and practical tasks;
• involvement of specialists and other employees of structural divisions for consultations;
• reclamation of documents, materialswhich are necessary for normal operation.

It is clear that in order to fulfill his duties, an architect needs to know quite a lot of different things. It is enough to say that in one of the lists there are 325 characteristics that this professional must meet. A mandatory feature for him is the so-called figurative visualization. It's about skill:

• to represent a vivid image of the object mentally;
• rotate at different angles;
• peek inside;
• split the object into parts;
• change and rearrange, remove and add these parts.

But the requirements cannot end there. A good architect can quickly propose a vast array of ideas.. Even if its volume will seem frightening - gradually he and other specialists will figure out what is really valuable and important, and what is not. At the early stage of the work, neither quality, nor content, nor originality of ideas is evaluated. Interested only and exclusively in that there were a lot of them for subsequent screenings.

The designer of residential and public buildings must also be a master of deduction. Only flawless application of general rules to specific cases allows to achieve success.

At least a professional architect needs to own:

• the basics of its configuration and debugging for individual needs;
• the ability to select, install, update and delete programs;
• graphic editors;
• special software for visualization;
• design programs;
• information retrieval skills;
• text editors (to prepare extensive documents and to familiarize yourself with documents received from someone else).

Modern houses and public buildings are saturated with technical infrastructure, and you have to consider that everything is debugged properly, so that it works without failures. But sometimes it is necessary to take into account the chemical properties of individual materials and substances. Without the natural sciences and mathematics, it is difficult to deal with such crucial points as:

• strength of materials;
• resistance to fire;
• bearing capacity of structures;
• specific heat;
• soil structure features;
• pressure distribution on underlying structures;
• characteristics of ventilation, water supply, elevators;
• optimal level of illumination in various places.

In architecture, there is nothing to do for those who can not draw. And not only on the computer, but also physically. However, you will not have to draw anything, but subjecting your pencil to the strict requirements of compromise and safety.

The list of subjects that must be passed in order to enter the profession of an architect can vary greatly depending on the particular educational institution and its program. In any case, you need to focus on higher education. Only universities and institutes provide the necessary quality of training. Professionals will not seriously consider graduates of a secondary educational institution.

Architects of designers and landscape architects will have to take the most often:

• Russian language;
• Literature
• a story;
• creative competition.

Admission is possible after the 9th and after the 11th grade. But a “full-fledged” architecture (residential and industrial, public buildings, restoration) will require a different preparation. For such specialties:

• Russian language;
• math
• history (in other cases, computer science);
• creative tests.

Future architects are trained in a variety of higher educational institutions. Studying lasts five years.

This kind of specialty is in the following institutions:

• Volgograd Technical University;
• Sevastopol State University;
• State South Ural University;
• Moscow State University of Land Management;
• Federal University of the Far East;
• UrFU;
• RUDN University;
• Surikov Moscow Art Institute;
• Saint-Petersburg Institute of Painting named after Repin;
• Moscow Civil Engineering University;
• Moscow University of Geodesy and Cartography;
• State University of Kuban;
• Pacific State University;
• Voronezh Technical University;
• Siberian Federal University;
• Smolensk State University;
• Astrakhan Technical University;
• Southwestern State University;
• Vologda State University.

It is enough to name a few positions:

• preparation of technical documentation;
• familiarization with it;
• calculation formulas;
• environmental standards;
• sanitary requirements.

The average salary per month for an architect in Russia is from 30 to 180 thousand rubles. The specific figures depend, of course, not only on the region, but also on the length of service, level of training, field of activity, and current economic conditions. In Moscow, the architect receives a minimum of 40,000 rubles. It should be prepared that at the very beginning of a career they pay a noticeably smaller amount. In process of professional development and increase of authority the income will gradually grow.

Recent data show the following income distribution of architects by region (average):

• Moscow - 60 thousand;
• Voronezh, St. Petersburg about 50 thousand;
• Novosibirsk, Krasnodar - from 40,000.

You can take an architect position not only in a construction company. Similar specialists, and even without experience, are in demand in such structures:

• organizations involved in restoration and overhaul;
• organizations involved in the examination of buildings and structures, the quality of construction and repair;
• architectural bureaus;
• design studios;
• freelance and private entrepreneurship (usually work on private orders);
• bodies of state power and local self-government;
• special educational institutions.

To become an architect, receiving education in such a profile, it is useful to have a design or construction training. The way from an assistant to a respected specialist usually takes 5-7 years.

Not only vertical, but also “horizontal” mobility is possible, that is, moving to a larger company or moving to places where there are more interesting projects.