Architecture schools should provide counter-cyclical second career training

by philg

A friend told me that his daughter had graduated from architecture school in June (eight months ago). I congratulated him. “Not so fast,” he responded. “Out of 46 graduates, only one has a job.”

Architecture has always gone through boom and bust cycles, though perhaps there will never be a bust quite as deep as the current one in the U.S. (we’ve built enough square footage to house 600 million Americans in a 1950s level of comfort; we’re also drowning in commercial real estate). Shouldn’t architecture schools train graduates to survive such cycles? An architect should also be trained and qualified to do a job that tends to be in high demand during recessions and depressions. How about bankruptcy lawyer or paralegal? A lot of bankruptcies are related to real estate purchases or construction and the architecture expertise could come in handy.

Any other ideas for career training that would complement architecture?

9 thoughts on “Architecture schools should provide counter-cyclical second career training”

  1. All my spending money while attending architecture school was from doing computer consulting. Back in the days when someone who knew how to type format c:/s was a skilled worker.

    Since leaving school I have earned more money with my computer knowledge than as an architect.

    The only reason I am involved in architecture is that it is the art which I need to create in order to express myself. That’s terrible, to need patrons to create your art, but that’s the architecture business.

  2. Demolitions, of course!

    Or, perhaps more conservatively, an emphasis on foreign languages and international business – someone, somewhere is building something.

  3. It’s not exactly counter-cyclical, but if you hang out with carpenters a consistent whine is that they wished architects actually knew something about building houses. And out here in California, even in the down market, building contractors and other folks in the trades aren’t doing too badly.

    Spending two years swinging a hammer and getting a contractor’s license would give her a marketable skill she didn’t pick up in college, and the background from college would make her extra knowledgeable and capable as a contractor.

  5. Datum: One of my friends is going through this and appears to be weathering the storm via teaching and (possibly) Etsy. Teaching at least is quite counter-cyclical. Etsy, less so.

  6. My father has been an architect since the late ’60s in France where building saturation is pretty high. His secret is diversification, he has done everything from high rises, to houses, to remodeling, to interior design. He’s also not adverse to working where building is growing, in Africa and the Middle east.

    The advice I would offer a graduating Architect is one go into actual building to learn the crafts associated with building (Dan Lyke’s suggestion), or go the other way, learn Maya and join a game company or CG-fx company where their skills will come in very handy.

    I hate it when I hear about people teaching as a last resort. I don’t think this makes for good teachers.

  7. Most states have building standards that are rarely enforced outside of metropolitan areas (and even then loosely), so I would say that they should qualify for a license to check upon the quality of construction in those parts of a state.

    Otherwise, how about Architecture for Humanity? They could become involved with projects around the world that would challenge their abilities, while improving their knowledge base.

  9. I read somewhere that architects, together with chefs and scientists are people for whom investment in education holds the smallest potential for payoff.

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