College Experiences That Helped an Architect, Partner at Frederick Fisher and Partners Succeed
Marisa, an architect and partner at Frederick Fisher and Partners, credits a liberal arts education, emphasizing "lots of research, lots of writing," and strong communication skills—including public speaking and even acting—for career success. While artistic ability is helpful, the belief that strong math skills are essential is, according to Marisa, a misconception.
Communication Skills, Public Speaking, Presentation Skills, Research, Writing
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Marisa Kurtzman
Architect, Partner
Frederick Fisher and Partners
Wesleyan University, BA 1999
Yale School of Architecture, B.Arch 2006
History, Art History
Architecture, Construction & Design
Creative
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Develop strong communication and presentation skills, as architects frequently interact with clients and teams.
2. A liberal arts background can provide a valuable perspective in the field of architecture.
3. While artistic skills are helpful, mathematical abilities are less critical than often perceived; strong communication is key.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
Lots of research, lots of writing. Going to a liberal arts college gave me a particular perspective that, at least at my firm, proved to be very valuable.
Certainly, anything related to communication skills is important, including public speaking. In a weird way, acting sometimes helps, because a lot of what architects do is presenting in front of clients, people, other people, and other internal teams.
If you're comfortable standing up in front of a crowd, that's a good skill. Of course, art is useful. Everybody thinks that architects are good at math. I was actually lousy at it, so I would say the math thing is less critical.
People often tell me, "I wanted to be an architect, but I was never any good at math." And I said, "Well, if that's really what kept you from being an architect, then maybe you should have already thought that."