Thanks for this post. Architecture was my first major out of high school, but I wasn't quite ready to decide what I wanted to be, and change schools and majors after two years. I eventually graduated with a BS in Business and have worked in the financial services industry for 11+ years. When I was about to turn 30, I decided to return to school and become an architect after all. This fall, I'll be entering my 5th year of a 7 year night program. I sure picked the worst time to get into the field, but you know what, I don't care. I love it and I'm willing to wait a few more years until firms start hiring. Until then, I'll keep working in my current field and go to school at night.

Ever since graduating top of my class in 2008 with my Barch, I have contemplated this very topic. The only experience I have in the field of architecture was 2 years of sustainable consulting starting in 2006 (yes, I worked and went to school), and have since decided to get back into the design part of architecture. After almost two years of looking for an entry level position, it is hard not to think of other possibilities with my skills. I have created a freelance graphic design business, started three different blogs, took entry level chef courses, and dabbled in the world of social media. I have many, many other interests beyond architecture, so the hardest part is focusing my talent and energies on architecture without getting any results… for months and months…

Is it to late to start my career in architecture?

And if you want to know why I want to be an architect, see my latest blog post:

Thanks heaps for this post, I have been an architecture student for a year now. I have always wanted to be an architect, and this made me sacrifice a lot of things along the way. However, I don't regret anything at all. At first I thought it was all the extra caffeine affecting my judgment, but now I feel like I'm on the right track.

Thanks for the post. I just started my IDP, and I have 5 years of school left between my BSArch and MArch, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love what I'm doing.

Bob,

Great post, and one that resonates with most careers. A life's work consumes enormous time, the one thing we cannot restore. Do what you love, with energy, passion and zeal for personal excellence.

A quick tale: My wife and I were out strolling many years ago on a lazy summer evening. It was after dark, the air heavy with humidity. As we walked our aging Lab a pair approached briskly from behind, deep in the thoughtful conversation that only a father and daughter can have. To this day my wife and I, in raising our own children, recount the sage advice given by this father to his maturing child: “Do what you love as best you can and the rewards will follow.” Words to live by.

John (@phi162),

You are living proof that it is never too late to pursue the dream and that individuals should never waste a good recession.

Architecture is a difficult market at present, as are most areas of employment. One way or another the economy will recover and those who took advantage of the down time will be pleased with the results. Of this I am certain. The question is when!

Keep moving forward and be the best that you can be.

Cheers,

Mike

That old saying of “you can take so-and-so out of ___ but you can't take the ___ out of so-and-so” applies here, if the individual really really likes architecture. A guy I went to architecture school now builds famous buildings out of LEGOs, a quite unique example of shifting careers but staying within the realm of architecture in some way. He now has an exhibition at the NBM: http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhi...

Very interesting. I sometimes wonder if I should become an architect. It's a purely intellectual exercise — I'm 48, have a couple of kids and a doctorate in computer science. I went into computer science because I thought it was interesting and, frankly, I was good at it. But I don't love it.

Fast forward a couple of decades… I love architecture. Of course, that doesn't mean I could do it. I'm confident that I could get the degree but do I have the artistic spark necessary to do it well? I don't know. I'll never know unless I make significant progress on my time machine.

Until then, architecture makes a very pleasant avocation. I enjoy reading about it and writing about it. Come to think of it, architectural historian might be a better fit for me. Do they have groupies?

John,

I think you have the right attitude. I think it is great that you are going back working towards your degree. You are exactly the type of person I was referring to that is doing this because it calls to them. You could still do whatever you wanted and the skills you have acquired over the last 11+ years will most likely serve you very well once you start practicing architecture full time.

Thanks

Thanks, Bob. This is very inspiring, and this advice is relevant to all art forms. Trying to make a living creatively, that is to say, as a creative person, is hard regardless of the state of the economy. I think it's never too late to change your mind about anything, you just have to be sure, like you said, that you're changing it for the right reasons. I don't think need/want for groupies is a strong enough reason, but maybe that's because I'm a girl.

So cool that John is your pal, too! I dig his work.

The age with which one starts their architectural career is irrelevant other than being scary. We have a woman in our office who went back to architectural school in her – (she reads this and I would be mortified for guessing incorrectly) – let's just say she is probably the elder statesman in our office and she just received her license in 2009.

It's never to late if it's really something you love – it's just harder to financially leave one environment of familiarity and go back to school but that would be true with anything and anybody.

No – architectural historians don't have groupies, followers maybe, but not groupies.

as a follow up, it wouldn't be very gentlemanly for me to reveal her age but I just asked her and she went back to school at 45 years old and received her license in her 60's.

Awesome

Kudos to you Jennifer. You'll probably get out of school and things will be back in full swing. That will go a long way towards helping you feel like you made the right decision.

Thanks for reading and for commenting, I appreciate it.

Andreea,

Being in school is great and your timing will most likely prove fortuitous. My friends would always ask me – “how can you stand being up at school ALL the time?” I loved being up there and never felt like I was missing out on what they were doing. Well, except for the parties and the girls. There weren't as many girls in architecture when I went…..

I really enjoyed this post, thank you so much for sharing what´s in your mind! I have been an architect for almost 2 years and it took me a long time to become one because of my responsabilities as a mother and wife, i wanted to become an architect because of the artistic part of it, i always loved painting! and design. Now that i have my degree things look different from the idea i had in my mind when i was a student. It seems hard to find a balance between the thecnical part of the profession and the artistic part of it at least for me. Things are difficult here in Costa Rica for architects as well and sometimes i feel this wasnt a good time to graduade, but here i am, and now i have to deal with the reality. Maybe i am a little bit like you friend, i love painting but i like architecture as well and i hope i can find that balance between architecture, art and the crisis. Thank you again!

What a great Blog post! I feel the same way, and that was always my reason for becoming an architect. I still love what I do, and I would never think of doing anything else. I know my track has taken me in a little bit different direction (accessibility consulting), but I still dabble on the architectural design when asked to. I hope you are feeling better!

P.S. I don't remember John…must not have been in any of the same studios with him

No groupies is a deal breaker. Back to work on my time machine.

Seriously, I agree that it's never too late. But as you point out, there's a certain amount of inertia that comes with responsibility. I've spent my entire adult life on college campuses, as student and faculty. Honestly, I don't know if I want to be a student again. Not in the formal sense anyway.

I agree with your comments completely. You really have to have a love for it or the time commitment and the (comparatively) low pay will eat you up. Personally, I have wanted to be an architect since I was a teenager and have loved the process of becoming one and now just being one. That is not to say that there aren't days when you hate the profession, or wish it were a more respected field, or want more money (or groupies), but overall there is still nothing but love in my heart.

On a related note, I feel like we as architects need to do a better job of informing the public about our relevancy. Architects offer invaluable benefits to clients and society at large and yet we do a poor job communicating those benefits to the community (a.k.a. potential future clients).

Bob, this was an excellent and perfectly articulated post. I do completely believe that the successful architects are more often than not, the ones who always wanted to be one. I am not one of those people. I started in Mechanical Engineering and switched into Architecture. The idea of DESIGNING buildings and helping to create a better, more sustainable environment was so alluring, that I completed my education, IDP and 2 exams. Now, I write to you as someone who is beginning to get out of the profession. The long hours, high stress, high responsibility, large level of coordination, paperwork, detailed drawings, and constant complaining from engineers, contractors, clients and plan reviewers has finally broken me. I can honestly say that I don't remember the last time I designed anything outside an academic environment. I really thought that I was going to make a difference, and help shape communities, but instead I compromised all my ideals, design instincts, and sense of self in order to placate clients, contractors, and my supervisor. Architects are responsible for every aspect of the building, even those parts and pieces they don't necessarily care about. I have worked for 12 years, and I see now that it just isn't for me. I wish everyone who becomes an architect good luck, and give you the up most respect for dealing with all you do.

Bob, I am currently an Architecture student in Portland, OR, and went back to school at the age of 48 – that woman in your office is an inspiration. And your correct-if you love what you do or aspire to do, it's never too late.

I just found this blog it has so many answers for me! I want to thank you for this post. I’m about to graduate architecture, and for some time now I’ve been thinking if I should after all try to find a job as an architect (it’s not exactly easy these days) or search for something else. College was not easy to go through (a lot of nights studying and designing, hard critisism from the professors, not much partying after all) but I enjoyed the process most of the time and I don’t regret my choice. I even think my studies made me a better person, if that makes any sense. And yes, it’s the only thing I always wanted to be, so now I know what to do.