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- 🏛️ Architecture and Design
Here are a few things you should know before reading:
This newsletter is for everyone who has no idea what they want to do or wants to shift careers.
All of the tools and information we provide are backed up by research and statistics.
We mainly focus on lucrative and rewarding fields with a high growth rate over the next 10 years.
Surprise Letter: Reply to any of our emails with your birthday so that we can send you a surprise on your birthday. 🙃
ENJOY!
'The Zaha Hadid Effect'
The Glasgow Museum of Transport, Guangzhou Opera House, & the London Aquatics Center.
An array of global masterpieces.
A true artist that was great at marketing.
Not surprisingly, many people have been taking up architecture after seeing her as an example, but when it comes down to employment?
Many are shifting careers.
Unfortunately, real estate prices are rising and architects are confused about what to do next,
but what if you prepared for it all in advance?
Here's the headstart you need:
Required Skills:
1) Communication.
2) Technical design and CAD software.
3) Knowledge of building codes, zoning laws, and other regulatory requirements.
4) Strong visualization skills to create compelling presentations for clients and stakeholders.
5) Project management (including budgeting and scheduling).
6) Knowledge of construction materials and techniques to ensure structural integrity and durability of the building design.
Becoming a Great Architect:
Target high-paying professionals who'll pay you for being the best at what you do (doctors, lawyers, etc.).
Aim for a leadership position at a firm.
Specialize in a lucrative, but non-competitive field. (Hone your spatial-thinking abilities, too.)
Instead of finding new clients, optimize your previous clients' experiences so they give you repeated work.
Join consultancy.
And of course,
Figure out the best marketing and networking techniques for you.
Getting Projects (For Students & Architects):
Referrals from realtors, contractors, and other architects: Show them how you can save them time & provide value simultaneously. For example: reach out and do sample-side analyses.
Make yourself a website. Google 'architects near me' to get inspiration and check the visibility of your site.
Create a piece of content answering the questions your clients might have. Mention benefits, pain points, etc.
Don't include every project in your portfolio. 2-3 niched-down projects that focus on a particular theme have a higher success rate than 6 different projects that might create confusion.
Reach out and submit proposals regularly.
This Week's Podcast Episode:
Lessons for Young Architects with Frank Harmon:
Frank Harmon is an American architect renowned for his sustainable and contextually sensitive designs. He is also a professor at the North Carolina State University College of Design who won F. Carter Williams Gold Medal from AIA NC in 2013.
Harmon founded his own firm, Frank Harmon Architect PA, in 1985 after working with several others in North Carolina, and has been unstoppable since.
Pulling through a recession:
Every 8-10 years, a recession occurs, and while there are ways to defend yourself against a major loss, Harmon believes that persistence and stubbornness are the essence of survival.
'But the sky is falling!'
No, it's not.
You gotta ditch those overly-pessimistic beliefs.
🏠
On the topic of projects, he recalls his mentor's words: "A good building is a good client, and if you don't have a good client, turn them into one." That basically means to educate your clients about your work and ask them what do they truly desire.
For example:
"What was your favorite childhood place?"
Not everyone can answer that, but your job as an architect is to figure it out and give them a 'this is what I wanted' moment.
To connect with clients, Harmon prefers meeting them at places they really like. If it's a house, Harmon assesses the home's current situation for inspiration.
Advice about the business end of things:
Have a good lawyer and accountant. It's difficult to focus on design when you're stressed about cash flow.
Hire people with better skills and networks than you.
Marry a landscape architect. They have the ability to analyze a site effectively.
**Credits: Business of Architecture
Extra Resources:
A short documentary for those who want to re-think their decision:
A channel for those who have finished deciding:
Q&A with the woman, the myth, & the legend:
Lastly, stay stubborn and never compromise on your goals🏋️ .
Peace out,
The Rundown Team.
No wait, it was signing out.
. . .
You know what,
we'll let our strategist have her way this time.
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