Not all career changes from architecture require quitting a full-time job—and more importantly, the paycheck that accompanies it—for retraining or school. Myriad professions benefit from skills honed in architecture, such as design thinking, creative problem solving, and project management, which can ease and hasten the daunting transition and life decision. Expertise in architecture can even be desirable or a prerequisite in the new field.
If you are looking for a change, here are nine opportunities to consider and the stories of those who have successfully made the switch. For more ideas, see our 2016 article "Eight Alternative Careers for Architects."
1. EXHIBITION DESIGN
Designer: Hana Kim, Assoc. AIA, exhibit designer, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History
Education: B.S. in Architecture and M.Arch., University of Virginia
Architecture experience: 16 years at various firms, including Landscape Architecture Bureau, Washington, D.C., Streetsense, Bethesda, Md., and Glavé & Holmes Architecture, Richmond, Va.; lecturer, University of Virginia
Crossover skills: Iterative thinking, synthesizing information, project management, graphic design, 3D visualization, and presentation. Kim’s role requires an ability to absorb, organize, and communicate content—presented to her by scholars, curators, editors, and content developers—in an environment that is informative and visually compelling to museum visitors.
Skills to learn: Combining information design with 3D design; working with sensitive content related to social conscience and justice. “You need to be on top of current events and be open to learning through the process,” Kim says.
Advice: Gain experience at an architecture firm that also does exhibit design. Prior to working for Howard+Revis, a Washington, D.C.–based exhibit planning and design firm founded by two architects, Kim says she “was able to get experience with designing, conceptualizing, and detailing fabrication for exhibits through working at architecture firms."
2. TEACHING
Designer: Chris Humbert, technology and engineering teacher, grades 9–12, Park City High School, Park City, Utah
Education: B.Arch., University at Buffalo, the State University of New York; M.Arch., North Carolina State University
Architecture experience: 15 years at various firms, including Smith Lineberry, Raleigh, N.C., VCBO Architecture, Salt Lake City, FFKR Architects, Salt Lake City, and Renovation Design Group, Salt Lake City
Crossover skills: Creating thinking, project management, and communication. Humbert’s architectural training taught him how to translate abstract ideas into classroom instruction that appeals to students with different interests. His capstone engineering class designs, iterates, 3D models, 3D prints, and tests solutions in myriad applications, such as workforce housing, ultraviolet-light sensors, and bus ridership. Humbert says that his work experience increases buy-in from students “because they realize that what you say has legitimacy.”
Skills to acquire: Understanding of teaching theory and application. To become licensed in teaching, Humbert took five classes in pedagogy, one night a week, over two years. His industry experience fulfilled several requirements for teaching specific subjects, such as technology, drafting, and CAD. He met the rest through workshops, reading, and additional training.
Advice: Take classes on classroom management, which many school districts offer because of their need for teachers. Become a substitute teacher for an elementary school. “It’s a challenge to manage 25 little kids and keep them excited for a day,” Humbert says. “You quickly realize if you like it or not, and if you’re good at it.”
3. PRODUCT MANUFACTURING
Designer: Tiffany Coppock, AIA, commercial building systems specialist, Owens-Corning
Education: B. Environmental Design, Texas A&M University; M.Arch. with preservation certificate, University of Colorado
Architecture experience: Colorado Center of Preservation Research, one year; Isley Hawkins Architecture, three years; president, Construction Specifications Institute Raleigh-Durham Chapter chapter, one year
Crossover skills: Code research, graphic communication, creative problem solving, specification writing, and CAD. In her first job as a manufacturer’s representative, Coppock worked with several high-profile architects, including Santiago Calatrava, FAIA, to ensure their project drawings met code. Her current responsibilities include technical writing, coordinating product testing, website development, and sitting on code and standards review committees.
Skills to acquire: Business acumen and jargon, and a refresher in physics and chemistry to understand product properties, composition, and performance. Coppock learned these skills on the job and through reading, attending lectures, and joining industry organizations.
Advice: Talk to reps and manufacturers of products that you like, and look for companies with strong research and development departments. “It’s critical to make sure you’re working with someone who’s forward-thinking and working on whatever’s next,” Coppock says.
4. CONSULTING
Designer: Rena Klein, FAIA, small business consultant to design firms, Charrette Venture Group
Education: B.Arch., University of Oregon; M.S. in management, organizational development, Antioch University, Seattle
Architecture experience: Rena Klein Architect, 25 years, Seattle; instructor, University of Washington; executive editor, the AIA’s The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice, 15th edition (Wiley, 2013)
Crossover skills: Design thinking, planning, and analysis. Klein’s training and the experience of running her own practice give her special insight into how architects can better manage their firms. She encourages clients to approach firm development the same way they approach projects. Her work regularly involves “process mapping and strategic planning, all of which are very much like designing buildings.”
Skills to acquire: Interest in organizational systems and analysis, human interaction and collaboration in a work environment, and leadership. Also important is a thorough grounding in one or two business functions, such as marketing, finance, or operations.
Advice: Experience in managing a firm is a plus for business consultants, but Klein also recommends enrolling in an executive MBA program for working professionals. She attended a three-day weekend class every month for two years. Online programs are also available.
5. BUILDING SAFETY
Designer: Ronald Piester, AIA, vice president of membership and certification, International Code Council
Education: B.Arch., Syracuse University
Architecture experience: New York City Housing Authority, six years; Angerame Architects, Old Chatham, N.Y., two years; director, Division of Building Standards and Codes, New York State Department of State, 24 years
Crossover skills: Creative problem solving and understanding architectural design methodology and philosophy, building codes, and the construction process. One of Piester’s first responsibilities in the building safety industry was helping noncompliant construction projects find alternative solutions to meet code.
Skills to acquire: Understanding the building regulatory system and the relationship between good design and construction practices. High-level positions in building departments typically require a professional license in architecture or engineering. Many municipalities also require building and fire officials to receive national certification.
Advice: A career in building safety can be very satisfying, Piester says, as it requires “translating your creativity in a different way to the construction process.”
6. ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Designer: Jeffrey Totaro, photographer, Jeffrey Totaro Architectural Photographer
Education: B.S. in architectural engineering, Drexel University
Architecture experience: EwingCole, Philadelphia, five years
Crossover skills: Architectural vocabulary and understanding the design and construction process. Totaro’s design background helps him determine how best to tell the story of his clients’ projects through photography.
Skills to acquire: Technical skills in photography, lighting, and postproduction. Facility with Adobe Photoshop is a must, as each architectural photograph is a composite of several exposures and can take anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours in postproduction.
Advice: Architectural photography requires “a lot of the same visual and aesthetic skills that an architect is already familiar with,” Totaro says. Speak to your firm’s roster of professional photographers. While still working in architecture, Totaro spent nights and weekends assisting on photo shoots. Research shooting and postproduction techniques online and on YouTube.
7. BAKING
Designer: Scott French, baker, Mister French’s Gourmet Bakery
Education: B.Arch. and M.Arch., Montana State University
Architecture experience: Albertsons, Boise, Idaho, five years; Abeloe & Associates, Medford, Ore., two years
Crossover skills: Project management, organization, and design. French creates custom cookies by hand for special events and as gifts. His architecture training enables him to produce freestanding, “structural” cookies, some as tall as 4 feet.
Skills to acquire: Business management and accounting. After being laid off, French started a 10-year career in the restaurant industry, which taught him about customer service, time management, and staffing.
Advice: If baking is your passion, start by sharing your creations with friends or at parties. French’s bakery grew out of a side business that he ran in his home for 10 years. “I worked eight hours [during the day] and eight hours baking,” he says. “It was like my yoga.”
8. USER EXPERIENCE (UX)
Designer: Matt Storus, UX designer, 21.co
Education: B.Arch, University of Waterloo; M.Arch., Harvard Graduate School of Design
Architecture experience: RVTR, Toronto, one year; KVA MATx, Boston, five months; Preston Scott Cohen, Boston, one year
Crossover skills: Iterative thinking, parametric design, rendering, 3D modeling, and presentation. Although architecture and UX design overlap quite a bit, the latter requires considerable user input to drive development. Even after an app has launched, Storus notes, “We’re getting feedback on day one and can change it as needed.”
Skills to acquire: Awareness of usage patterns, commonality of platforms, and “how people interact with things,” Storus says. Facility with Sketch and Invision, and the ability to elicit user input. Storus suggests studying two or three favorite apps by diagramming their wire frames and trying to re-create them in Sketch, a conceptual process he learned in school; he learned the software on the job.
Advice: UX design’s particular conventions, approaches, and techniques “genuinely require your time and attention,” Storus says. “It’s not as simple as saying, ‘I’ve designed a building, so I can design an app.’ You have to take the craft seriously.”
9. FINE ART
Designer: Jennifer Ivory, artist, Insectworks
Education: B.Arch., Oregon State University; M.Arch., University of Oregon
Architecture experience: 14 years at various firms, including Bennett Shuman, Pensacola, Fla., and B.E.C.I., Pilot Mountain, N.C.
Crossover skills: Project management, illustration, and model building. Ivory turned her childhood love for insects into handmade paper sculptures using rendering and model-building skills honed in architecture school “before everything was computerized,” she says. Her project management experience taught her to budget for contingencies.
Skills to acquire: Knowledge of the art show industry, small business management, and accounting. “The biggest thing for me was being completely responsible for all of my supply lines and travel organization,” says Ivory, who files sales taxes in 20 states. Artists also have to be able to view their artwork critically and price it appropriately—many either undervalue or overcharge for it.
Advice: Attend an art show to network with exhibitors and learn how the industry works. Be prepared to budget roughly $1,500 to $2,000 per show, some of which has to be paid up front to cover booth and jury fees, as well as travel and accommodations.
