Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession
by By Lewis, Roger K.
Category: Architecture , General

The first edition of Architect?, published in 1985, quickly became known as the bestbasic guide to the architectural profession. More than a decade later, it is a standard text forintroductory courses on architecture and recommended reading on the application forms of manyschools of architecture. This revised edition includes new information pertinent to currenteducation and practice and addresses issues and concerns of great interest to students choosingamong different types of programs, schools, firms, and architectural career paths.Roger K. Lewis, apracticing architect and educator, takes a hard look at the education of the architect as he coverssuch topics as curriculum content, pedagogical theories and methods, program and faculty types, theadmission process, internship, compensation, computer-aided design, and the culture of small andlarge firms. He tells how an architect works and gets work, and explains all aspects ofarchitectural services, from initial client contact to construction oversight.The author describesthe benefits of becoming an architect, including the opportunity to express oneself creatively, toimprove the environment, and to achieve notoriety. But he doesn't hesitate to show the otherside--the lack of steady work and appropriate compensation, the intensity of competition, therestrictions imposed by clients, and the high degree of anxiety and disillusionment among youngarchitects. Written in a clear, accessible style, the book is accompanied by the authorsoften-humorous illustrations and a valuable appendix.