The Omnia Group Blog So you want to be an architect? It starts with education.

What is so special about an architect? Let us begin at the beginning, architectural school and the architectural student. The amount of work that an architectural student endures, the sleepless hours, using strange new architectural jargon and the nerve wracking design presentations characterize the intensity of the architectural programs. Check out some of the quotes and memes created by architectural students.The architectural student frequently charrettes, which means to work many hours, sometimes days in a feverish attempt to finish the design process required by the professors and the curriculum. Caffeine and the endless search for ways to stay awake, while being creative, are all part of the process. According to an article published by Dezeen.com, "Architecture students work hardest of all US college majors." But it is most likely second behind the medical school curriculum in intensity of the demanding curriculum. The first year of school weeds out the least passionate students. According to partner, Gene Grimaldi, his class at Temple University, began with over 300 students. By graduation time, a long five (5) years later, there were less than 40 students. But graduation from architectural colleges and universities creates a professionally trained student who sees the "Parti", the big picture; to use all the latest technological advances and tools; to become communicators and public presenters and to learn an appreciation of art history and the history of some of the most famous architects. It also teaches that architecture matters!Recent Graduate, and current associate, Nick Grimaldi speaks about life during and after architecture school. "The hardest part about architecture school is that there is never a set "right" answer and never enough time to explore what a "right" answer is or could be. Every design is subjective and critique responses will vary from person to personality and by culture to vernacular. This continues as you leave school and enter into the client market. It is like trying to create a harmonious song with the "right" melodies synched with the "right" words. Then there is the follow up question of what does the "right song" look like? Just as people have their own taste in music and genres, the same is amplified with architecture. We are working with real objects that have a direct physical relationship to the real world (and you have to pay for it). So naturally there are an extremely broad range of opinions that need to be absorbed, interpreted, and constructed in an overall collaboration of form and building systems, all combined to construct a design that is pleasing, or that is "perfected" for a particular purpose." So at the finish of your schooling you seemingly finish the endless pursuit involving stress and gratification, it takes awhile to destress and enjoy your passion. But passion for architect is what you graduate with in the end. For further reading check out the website, Life of an Architecture student.And Hug your favorite architect today!