Architect?, third edition: A Candid Guide to the Profession

by Roger K. Lewis

The new edition of an essential text offers an informative, engaging view of the architectural profession from education through practice. Since 1985, Architect? has been an essential text for aspiring architects, offering the best basic guide to the profession available. This third edition has been substantially revised and rewritten, with new material covering the latest developments in architectural and construction technologies, digital methodologies, new areas of focus in teaching and practice, evolving aesthetic philosophies, sustainability and green architecture, and alternatives to traditional practice. Architect? tells the inside story of architectural education and practice; it is realistic, unvarnished, and insightful. Chapter 1 asks “Why Be an Architect?” and chapter 2 offers reasons “Why Not to Be an Architect.” After this provocative beginning, Architect? goes on to explain and critique architectural education, covering admission, degree and curriculum types, and workload as well as such post-degree options as internship, teaching, and work in related fields. It offers a detailed discussion of professors and practitioners and the “-isms” and “-ologies” most prevalent in teaching and practicing architecture. It explains how an architect works and gets work, and describes architectural services from initial client contact to construction oversight. The new edition also includes a generous selection of drawings and cartoons from the author's Washington Post column, “Shaping the City,” offering teachable moments wittily in graphic form. The author, Roger Lewis, has taught, practiced, and written extensively about architecture for many years. In Architect? he explains—for students, professors, practitioners, and even prospective clients—how architects think and work and what they care about as they strive to make the built environment more commodious, more beautiful, and more sustainable.

Genres: Architecture, Unfinished, Nonfiction, Design

345 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1985

About the author

Roger Kutnow Lewis was an American architect and urban planner, and a professor of architecture at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he taught architectural design and other courses for 37 years, retiring in 2006. Also an author, journalist and cartoonist, Lewis wrote about architecture and urban design, and about how public policy shapes the built environment.

Reviews

[Zachari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone considering a future in architecture.It tells you what to expect, the realities of the profession and the types of people you will encounter. Its a must read for pre-architecture students!

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I read this book before I started architecture school.

[Terra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is either incredibly fascinating or incredibly boring... I still can't decide.

[baubleblob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that it took me three months to read this is definitely not this book's fault, (not me procrastinating thinking about my future ahahahaa). This is a really great book for anyone who's interested in architecture as a career but like most people, probably has a vague understanding of what 'architect' really means. The title is pretty self explanatory. If you've ever asked yourself, 'architect?', then it is worth reading this book.

Every aspect of the architecture career is covered, from education to first job to climbing the career ladder to every nuance of the profession, both the good and the bad, in incredible detail and honesty. Most importantly for me, I feel this book gave me a real sense of the atmosphere of architecture, the type of people you might work with, and the environments you might be in.

Everything about this book is great. It's very organized, so you don't have to do what I did and read it cover to cover (woops). It's well written, with humor, passion, and a genuine desire to help out us young clueless folks. There's even cartoons! What else can one ask for.

Perhaps the only downsides I could mention are that firstly, this book is a little old, and secondly, written primarily for the US. While for the most part I don't think this matters that much, since the general vibe of architecture is probably more or less the same, when it came down to details like what software is used, or what kind of education to pursue, what certifications to get, I mostly ignored it.

I will also warn you that if you had your head in the clouds fantasizing about architecture as this grand heroic profession with little to no downsides and just a world of possibilities, man will this book shatter your hopes and dreams. There's a blurb on the back from Architect's Journal that says "The book is written with a degree of realism and genuine love of the subject which should both enthuse the cynic and bring the dreamer down to earth." I think that about sums up the effect this book had on me, which may be a hard lesson to appreciate but is of course extremely valuable.

[Camilasc · Rating 4 out of 5]

It accomplishes what it sets out to do. I'm deducting a star because the "candid" in the title suggested a book with a more humorous approach, but the writing is rarely properly funny.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why this is ever assigned to an architecture class to read. .. but I'm reading it.

[Kellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a worthwhile exercise for anyone considering architecture as a profession.

[Juan C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una presentación cruda y real de lo que es la vida de un arquitecto: las aspiraciones e inquietudes que la motivan; los retos y desafíos que se presentan a lo largo del camino y la tenacidad requerida para destacar y mantenerse a flote en una profesión exigente, caprichosa, competida y apasionante.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estoy casi dormida cuando termine el libro pero básicamente es que es ser arquitecto antes durante y después de estudiar la licenciatura, cómics chistosos como chiste de papá tbh

[Jaleny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has very reasonable questions and thoughts and I really liked the pictures

[Catherine Louw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant overview and insight with fun illustrations. Very informative and detailed about different aspects of the profession.

(geared towards American architects, but useful to all architects)

[Arnaglys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fue un libro asignado para una clase, y para mi sorpresa me gustó; no siento que me aportó una perspectiva distinta hacia la arquitectura puesto a que ya gran parte del contenido lo sabía.

Sin embargo lo considero un gran libro para un aspirante a estudiar arquitectura (como lo es mi caso), ya que muestra el lado disney y brillante de la arquitectura, y su lado negativo; lo cual me agrada pues aporta el realismo que el estudiante necesita conocer. Aunque considero que no se puede vivir la vida por las experiencias de los demás, este libro es de gran ayuda.

4/5 ****
Es un buen libro para un aspirante a arquitectura o para alguien que quiera indagar en el tema.
PD: Es un libro que se lee realmente rápido, lo cual es un aspecto positivo para esta lectura.
:)

[Oscar Chavez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este es totalmente recomendable para todos los que tienen curiosidad de como es la carrera arquitectura y el campo laboral, nada como ser el estudiante en carne propia pero al menos el libro te dará más o menos una idea o un retrato de que puedes esperar a lo largo de de la carrera ya con los aspectos que tienes que considerar soy estudiante de arquitectura

[mahatmanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

ini buku komplit bener dalam menjelaskan profesi arsitek karena
ditulis buat calon arsitek atau mahasiswa arsitektur.
penjelasan sejak dari apa yang diajarkan dalam sekolah arsitektur sampai gimana caranya arsitek menjalankan profesinya, ada semua.
gaya bahasanya enak, kadang lucu.
asyik dah...

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

answers a lot of fundamental questions in terms of architecture school, the profession, money, success rate, competition, and really, whether architecture is a career fit to the reader. a recommendation to any student.

[Đức Anh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big help for me

[Joei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Very useful book. It helps you with your future career. Architects are the key to drawing and making things happen.

[Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rare miss for MIT Press. Not a lot of new information here nor boundaries pushed.

[Hiatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first third of the book. It was informative about the architect profession and the training it requires. Definitely give it a read if you are thinking of becoming an architect.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a great job of describing the architecture school and details of architectural practice. A great introductory text for everyone interested in the field.