ARCHITECTURE is the art and practice of designing and constructing built spaces or structures, and is a profession with long-lasting influences and consequences for both current and future generations.
Architects are primarily responsible for the design of state-of-the-art buildings, structural aesthetics and surrounding environments. However, the profession is evolving and includes other important forms of design, such as space planning, building materials and the integration of the built and ecological environments, among other prospects.
While a degree in architecture is the traditional goal in the discipline for many, the degree may open up numerous other career opportunities within the industry and sometimes in combination with further studies.
The career opportunities include:
•Architectural draughtsperson
•Interior designer
•Furniture designer/fabricator
•Urban designer
•A landscape designer/landscape architect
•Urban planner
•Architectural historian or researcher
•Lecturer or professor in architecture
Here are five popular types of architecture, according to the world’s leading architecture firms:
1. Commercial Architecture
Whether you are fascinated with skyscrapers, iconic tourist spots or high-end shopping malls that will be admired by millions of people – these kind of structures are designed by commercial architects.
Commercial architecture specialises in designing non-residential properties and building projects, such as office towers, hotels, museums, public buildings and corporate companies. Aside from having superb design skills, a commercial architect is required to have a full understanding of commercial building codes, safety regulations, and the financials involved in construction.
2. Residential Architecture
Residential architects design homes, and work with homeowners, developers or builders to custom-design homes or adjust existing home plans.
The architect will design the home, draw out plans with proper measurements, and even coming up with estimates for the cost of the materials and labour. Imagine a Top Billing home and all its aesthetics.
3. Landscape Architecture
Landscape architects focus on creating outdoor spaces for people such as parks, university campuses, garden areas, etc. At times, landscape architects will have a lot on their plate compared to other architects, as there will usually be a lot of ground to cover, and the architect will need to make things as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
They will need to have knowledge about plants, and what will work well in that environment. This adds a different layer of complexity to this type of architecture, when compared to the others that have been mentioned so far. Meticulous planning is needed around the location of every feature in the landscape.
4. Interior Architecture
This kind of architecture is just as important as the architects that design buildings, as it has the responsibility of ensuring that the interior elements of a building looks as good as possible. Sometimes people will turn to an interior designer to spruce up their existing home.
These interior specialists understand how to get the most out of your living space, and will be able to make changes to add to the overall aesthetic appeal of your home or building.
5. Urban Design Architecture
This is architecture on an even larger scale than just one building. An urban designer is tasked with something such as designing an entire neighbourhood. Urban design architects have to think about complex features such as street layouts and the skyline, and it requires having to think about things from many perspectives at once.
These type of architects design for an entire community of people, who will be living in and around the area that is being created.