A Day In The Life Of An Architect At Boston Architecture Firm
A day in the life of an architect at a Boston firm is "fairly dynamic," shifting from coordinating meetings and reviewing construction documents to hands-on model-making and budget evaluation. This variety, encompassing both "intellectually challenging" coordination and creative design phases, reflects the multifaceted nature of the profession.
Project Management, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Communication, Technology
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nima Shariat
Architect
Boston Architecture Firm
University of California, Santa Cruz
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Master of Architecture 2022
Computer Science, Economics, Fine Arts, Music
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Architecture, Construction & Design
Creative
Video Highlights
1. The day-to-day work of an architect is dynamic and varies depending on the project and its phase.
2. Architects spend time on various tasks, including reviewing documents, evaluating budgets, creating models (both digital and physical), and coordinating with different disciplines.
3. Early design phases involve significant model making and exploring design options, while later phases focus on coordination and problem-solving as construction begins.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of an architect look like?
It's fairly dynamic, and that's why I wanted to go into this profession. I think, in the same way that previous answers align with a multitude of interests, the day-to-day really changes. The project type also makes a difference.
On any given day, there's the standard beginning: sending emails and joining meetings for coordination between team members. But the same day can also involve reviewing dry documents of submissions for what is about to go into construction, handling that level of intensity. You might also be in spreadsheets, evaluating various options against the budget or schedule.
Yet, in that very same day, you can go to the model shop and start building a large topography out of foam core, cutting out wooden models and testing things in design. So, moment to moment, it really changes, as well as project to project and the different phases.
You go from early design phases, where most of your day is spent on model making, either digitally or physically, testing many options. You then zoom in over time and get into more cut-and-dry things. But also, in some ways, the more intellectually challenging items involve coordinating difficult moments as various disciplines come together. Reality starts building up and kicking in a lot more.