Biggest Challenges Faced By An Architect At AIA
Laurie's biggest challenge as an architect is balancing creative design with stringent life safety codes, stating that "people's lives are dependent on it," a responsibility underscored by the rigorous licensing process. This challenge is further complicated by the historical underrepresentation of women in the profession, making advancement and establishing credibility a significant hurdle in their career.
Overcoming Challenges, Workplace Challenges, Industry Realities, Career Development, Achieving Goals
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Laurie Friedman
Architect
AIA Architect
University of California, Los Angeles and University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Master of Architecture
Architecture, Interior Design, Fine Arts, Music
Architecture, Construction & Design, Consulting & Related Professional Services
Creative
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. The importance of life safety codes and regulations in architectural design and the challenge of balancing creative design with safety requirements.
2. The rigorous process of becoming a licensed architect, including education, internships, apprenticeships, and examinations, and the significance of licensure for credibility and professional practice.
3. The historical and ongoing challenges faced by women in the architecture profession, including overcoming gender bias and achieving recognition for their skills and expertise.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
As an architect, one of my biggest challenges and responsibilities is ensuring that the buildings I design meet life safety standards and codes. It's crucial to synthesize these requirements, as they are a priority.
When you're tested for your license, your design skills aren't the main focus. You must deeply understand or know how to find the life safety codes. The real challenge is creating a clever, creative, and beautiful design that also conforms to these codes, because people's lives depend on it.
This is why becoming a licensed architect involves so many requirements. We need a professional degree, either a five-year bachelor of architecture or a two- or two-and-a-half-year master of architecture.
At my time, this also included several years of internships and apprenticeships. Now, this is still required, but you need to meticulously track hours and specific aspects of the profession. We also face numerous exams covering topics like structural engineering, lateral earthquake loads, mechanical systems, and contract documents.
When I took my licensing exam, it was four days long. The final day was a 12-hour design project. Again, the appearance of the building was secondary. They assessed whether you incorporated the proper means of egress and fire ratings.
It's good to be a licensed architect because you've navigated these rigorous challenges.
Specifically, in the past, a significant hurdle for me was gaining opportunities to advance within a firm and take on more responsibility. I was often one of the few women in the profession.
When I began studying architecture, only about 7% of licensed architects were women. That number has since risen to around 18%. Trying to get ahead and establish credibility in this environment was difficult. That’s why, if I were to study architecture again, I would certainly pursue my license for the credibility it offers.