Most Important Skills For An Architect At Boston Architecture Firm
Nima, a Boston architect, emphasizes the importance of "intensity" and "perfectionism" in the field, describing it as a demanding career requiring significant education and rigorous exams. The iterative design process necessitates a willingness to repeatedly refine work, demanding a level of commitment that only a "perfectionist attitude" can sustain, leading to more fulfilling and ultimately successful projects.
Passion, Perfectionism, Resilience, Problem-solving, Hard work
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. High intensity and passion are crucial for success in architecture. The field demands significant time and effort, requiring extensive education and rigorous examinations. This self-selects individuals with a deep commitment to the profession.
2. A perfectionist attitude is surprisingly beneficial in architecture. The iterative design process necessitates continuous refinement, requiring architects to critically evaluate and improve upon their work, even if it means discarding previous designs.
3. While math skills are helpful, architecture involves a variety of disciplines. Architects can find their niche by exploring different areas within the field and engaging with the medium deeply enough to find what feels right for them.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
I'd say there's a mix. One of them is intensity. I haven't really met a successful architect who isn't really intense about their discipline. This intensity shows up in different ways; there's no single way of being intense.
It's not something you can casually do. There's a huge barrier to entry in terms of education, requiring a B.Arch in five years or a master's after that for three or four years. Then there are exams, six exams in three years of study. It's a lot to do just to get into this field, which is also pretty intense once you're in.
This process self-selects for people who are truly passionate about it. On top of that, I've always heard people say they can't do architecture because they aren't good at math. While I'm fairly good at math, that's not the best example. Math isn't abundant in the day-to-day.
There are so many different ways to get into the field. It's a rich medium that handles many disciplines, allowing you to find your forte and niche, as long as you've engaged with it enough to know it feels right.
The other piece I've noticed across the board is some kind of perfectionism. In any other context, it would be almost to a fault, but here it's really useful. At each stage, the biggest value in design is presenting something and then realizing it's not quite there yet.
You can't just say yes and move forward. It's so close, and you have to iterate, almost kill previous designs, and come up with new ones. This is a psychically and emotionally involved process that requires a perfectionist attitude to keep propelling you forward.
Intensity also keeps you moving forward. If you were to settle early on, I think it not only leads to a worse design but is also not as fulfilling or nourishing. This is one of the few things I've seen that everyone in the field really has, especially those who are excelling and getting a lot of good projects.