Career Path Of An Architect As An AIA Architect
Laurie's career path was initially unconventional, starting with an art major at UCLA despite a STEM aptitude, but a graduate-level architecture course ignited a passion, leading to a pursuit of architecture. The path involved bridging the gap between art and STEM through rigorous coursework, summer internships at architectural firms, and a determination to "catch up on math and physics," ultimately accumulating sufficient hours for licensing.
Career Exploration, Overcoming Challenges, Achieving Goals, Motivational Stories, Real-World Examples
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. Laurie's non-traditional path to architecture, starting with an art major and then transitioning to architecture after discovering her aptitude for math and science during her undergraduate studies. This highlights that diverse educational backgrounds can lead to successful careers in architecture.
2. Her proactive approach to gaining necessary skills by taking additional math and physics courses, along with working at an architectural firm during summers to gain practical experience, showcases determination and resourcefulness in pursuing her career goals.
3. The importance of internships or early career work experience in architecture, as evidenced by Laurie's summer jobs at an architectural firm which helped her accumulate the hours needed for the licensing exam. This emphasizes the value of practical application alongside formal education.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
I was always a STEM kid, very much into math and science. That was my thing, which was unusual for a girl in the time I grew up.
I really had no encouragement until maybe my third grade teacher set up a math table with 3D puzzles for me when I finished my work. Other than that, I didn't have any encouragement.
I went on to major in art at UCLA as an undergraduate. As an art major, we had to take a lot of art history, including contemporary and architectural history. In my junior year, I realized maybe I'm not that good of an artist. I couldn't imagine the lifestyle of living in a loft collecting food stamps in downtown LA.
I took a graduate-level course in Modern American Architecture at UCLA's School of Architecture and was convinced that architecture would be the perfect confluence of my love for art and my passion and abilities with math and science. I looked into the requirements for graduate work in architecture and realized I had to catch up on my math and physics. I became one of the only art majors running across campus in paint-stained clothing to take my physics and calculus courses.
I found a program for people with undergraduate degrees in something other than architecture and started that program. In the summers between my architecture curriculum, I would work at a local architectural firm doing basic drafting. I always worked while in graduate school, especially in the summers, with architectural firms.
By the time I graduated, I had accumulated enough hours to sit for the licensing exam.