To practice
architecture it takes 5 years to earn an architectural degree at a
university and from all the years of practicing here in Samoa, locals
don't understand the value that is provided by architects or what
they do. A case in point is the Samoan word for architect; "tusiata"
which translates to "picture drawer". The builder is
afforded a greater status in the Samoan culture as "tufuga fai
fale" or artisan house builder. I should be offended, but hey
it's the market I practice architecture in so win the "hearts
and minds" one person at a time using this blog.
The Stewart Architecture logo you might see on the blog is based on origami and the Polynesian art of weaving, it's this weaving or folding that leads to a creation. So too is the practice of architecture. An architect provides leadership in the weaving or folding of skills, teams, group dynamics, processes, 3-dimensional and graphical thinking, time, information technology, construction, environment and micro-climate site assessments, negotiation, management, building and environmental codes interpretation etc. which leads to the creation of a building. So, yes I can draw and be artistic, but as an architect I am multidimensional and multi-skilled to help clients get to the end product, their building.
Here are some of the skills beyond the "picture drawer" that are needed as an architect:
Communication skills or "gift of the gab". You need to be able to elicit a brief from the client or end users to design the building to specific requirements, negotiating tenders and contracts with builders and sub-consultants or the subtle art of persuasion to sell or get a project approved. You have to be able to communicate with a range of people from potential clients, engineering consultants, builders and trades, local authorities and understand their various patois. Moreover, you need ensure that you are all communicating on the same wavelength. I would of thought this one would be easily understood in Samoa as our highest art form is Oratory.
Visual/graphic thinking and thinking outside of the box. This is the "tusiata" part. Architects create varied types of pictures for differing purposes. They can be works of art, but the primary purpose is to solve problems and communicate effectively. I use it to graphically express an idea, quickly create alternatives, record my design thoughts in abstract form, explain visually processes or how something will look, or convey contractual instructions in graphic form in how something is to be constructed. “A picture is worth a thousand words” and architects are trained in this skill.
Information Technology - it helps if you're bit of a computer jock, basic computing skills is a must, typing, email, spreadsheets, databases. Then you need computer aided design skills to translate your "picture drawing" into a 3-dimensional model preferably a Building Information Model (BIM) in which you can extract building data and quantities about the proposed building, use the BIM to create realistic presentations of a building and produce construction drawings for contract purposes. As a solo architect, I troubleshoot software and hardware issues myself to ensure my Dell Precisions and HP Z workstations run as fast as possible with little downtime. It helps to understand from a management perspective, the implementation of IT in your practice to increase efficiency, minimize risk of data loss (especially your clients current project), minimize the life-cycle cost of your hardware and software IT investments.
You have to have some writing skills for:
The Stewart Architecture logo you might see on the blog is based on origami and the Polynesian art of weaving, it's this weaving or folding that leads to a creation. So too is the practice of architecture. An architect provides leadership in the weaving or folding of skills, teams, group dynamics, processes, 3-dimensional and graphical thinking, time, information technology, construction, environment and micro-climate site assessments, negotiation, management, building and environmental codes interpretation etc. which leads to the creation of a building. So, yes I can draw and be artistic, but as an architect I am multidimensional and multi-skilled to help clients get to the end product, their building.
Here are some of the skills beyond the "picture drawer" that are needed as an architect:
Communication skills or "gift of the gab". You need to be able to elicit a brief from the client or end users to design the building to specific requirements, negotiating tenders and contracts with builders and sub-consultants or the subtle art of persuasion to sell or get a project approved. You have to be able to communicate with a range of people from potential clients, engineering consultants, builders and trades, local authorities and understand their various patois. Moreover, you need ensure that you are all communicating on the same wavelength. I would of thought this one would be easily understood in Samoa as our highest art form is Oratory.
Visual/graphic thinking and thinking outside of the box. This is the "tusiata" part. Architects create varied types of pictures for differing purposes. They can be works of art, but the primary purpose is to solve problems and communicate effectively. I use it to graphically express an idea, quickly create alternatives, record my design thoughts in abstract form, explain visually processes or how something will look, or convey contractual instructions in graphic form in how something is to be constructed. “A picture is worth a thousand words” and architects are trained in this skill.
Information Technology - it helps if you're bit of a computer jock, basic computing skills is a must, typing, email, spreadsheets, databases. Then you need computer aided design skills to translate your "picture drawing" into a 3-dimensional model preferably a Building Information Model (BIM) in which you can extract building data and quantities about the proposed building, use the BIM to create realistic presentations of a building and produce construction drawings for contract purposes. As a solo architect, I troubleshoot software and hardware issues myself to ensure my Dell Precisions and HP Z workstations run as fast as possible with little downtime. It helps to understand from a management perspective, the implementation of IT in your practice to increase efficiency, minimize risk of data loss (especially your clients current project), minimize the life-cycle cost of your hardware and software IT investments.
You have to have some writing skills for:
- Specification writing
- Report writing
- Contract administration and construction contracts
- Basic ability to estimate project costs and material quantities
- Setup a basic construction contracts or tender documents by creating, construction drawings, technical specifications and utilize template General Conditions of Contract
- Character traits leadership, analytical, flexible, strategic and then decisive,
- Project management for delivery of design services or reviewing and interpreting construction delivery schedules,
- Business management, you can't practice architecture if you're not earning fees,
- Negotiating skills both for your fees, sub-consultant fees and construction tenders etc., fore requirements with local authorities,
- Administrative skills for tenders, prequalification of builders, contracts
- Basic understanding of contract law, tort, negligence
- Understanding group dynamics
- Risk management and mitigation strategies how it applies to your practice and during the project from design to construction.
Technical knowledge to understand construction to ensure that you can convey accurate instructions to the builder through words and drawings on how the building is to be constructed. Architects have to continuosly read to keep their technical knowledge updated with the latest building construction or design techniques.
As you can see from the non-exhaustive list, these are just some of the skills needed to be an architect, so please don't call me a "tusiata". I'm more than just a "picture drawer". However, I'm all ears for a Samoan-ized alternative for architect.
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