From the Ground Floor Up: How to Learn Architecture

Alongside law and healthcare, a career in architecture seems like a similarly high-status profession for good reason: it takes a lot of work. To become a certified architect you’ll generally need a tailored five-year bachelor’s degree, around three years of work-specific training, and a state license. Because state architecture boards usually require that demanding bachelor’s (and ensuing certification), there’s really no way of landing a job as a licensed architect without the regimented training. Even worse, architecture is an all-the-while crowded field, enough so that in 2012 the Washington Post reported that recent architect grads suffered a 13.9% rate of unemployment. While many architecture firms staff droves of unlicensed architects—they might not be able to sign off on plans officially, but interns can still complete difficult design work itself—there’s almost no way of breaking into the field without at least some formal training.

Still, there are other ways of entering the field or at least feeding your passion for design, and there are plenty of resources to help you learn architecture. While we might think of architects in a dreamy setting—sipping coffee and drawing intricate plans at a drafting board—a big part of the job involves less exciting work. Especially for self-employed architects, the realities of running a business will eat up more time than design itself. But for that reason, there’s also room in the industry for non-architects working alongside the designers themselves.

The first step in learning about architecture depends on what you want to accomplish. As outlined above, if you want to become an architect, there’s no way around the arduous schooling, experience, and certification process. But if you’re just looking to learn about design and architecture, there are plenty of resources out there for passionate hobbyists. Believe it or not, one of the best starting points for learning about architecture is a well-compiled Wikiversity. “Architecture is one of the traditional fine arts, and has existed since the beginnings of recorded time,” the site notes. In addition to providing a solid background on the field in general, the site also lists helpful resources for further learning.

If you’d like to read more about what it takes to become a licensed architect, Ryan Hansanuwat’s Beginner’s Guide: How to Become an Architect covers every base imaginable, with the most recent update offering insight on state-by-state licensing requirements.

As with all things, one of the best ways of learning about architecture starts by just looking it up online. But if you live in a city, sometimes all you have to do is look up at the sky and admire.