BEING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE ARCHITECT
Let’s talk about being an architect. So you got your degree, license and now you work as an architect. But are you totally efficient and an effective architect? Yes/No. Of course you are. Otherwise you would have done something about it. Or maybe you feel something lacking and you don’t know what it is (Trust me you are not alone in this- a lot of people feel like that).
So here I am talking about some points I feel should be there to be the most efficient and effective architect.
- Be Professional
- Be Responsive
- Be Detailed or thorough or technical
Now before you think that I am a professional and responsive and duh! I provide working and construction drawings. Please read below what I mean by these.
BEING PROFESSIONAL
Being professional not only means being in that profession. It is much more than that. So you can be a great professional when you –
- Work within time slots: It’s like preparing a schedule. Have a time slot for your clients, employees, work and site visits. This may vary from person to person, projects, on weekly basis and daily basis. So the best way to plan it is to plan it daily before you start the work next day. And most important thing is no matter what stick to it.
- Have daily goals: Here you need to know that what you are going to achieve today. It’s a new project you are going to start or it’s an old project you are going to finish. Make a list and prioritize. Try to achieve those tasks within some time frame. And don’t over task yourself as you always know what you can do and in how much time. Make your goals according to that and try to achieve them as much as possible in the time frame provided to you by yourself.
- Work within deadlines and in sequence: Give deadlines to your clients, employees and even to yourself and work within them. Here, not only deadlines matter but also you have to work in a sequence. If you work in sequence, it will never be messy. Complete this first and then this. Don’t give anyone a deadline they can’t or you can’t achieve. Be honest at that moment with yourself and your client or employee or boss.
- Be prepared for emergencies: We are into a profession that have any emergency visit or work included. Disturb your goals or schedule to the minimum. Be prepared in a way that you could make it back to schedule easily and effectively. For e.g. an emergency site visit came up and you have to complete this project as today’s goal. What you can do is either overtime and complete it or distribute it in next day and few days’ slots in a manner that it does not stress you and disturb goals of other days to minimum.
- Open to ideas: Whether it is from a client, junior, senior, anyone just be open to ideas from all. We are in a field where we all always keep learning. Don’t think you know it all. Work as a team. You may get something great you never thought of.
- Do as you say or say what you can do: Never ever make any false commitment with your client, boss or employee. You know what you are capable of and you know what you are not. Making false commitments wastes time, energy and trust. So be professional and think when you give your words.
BEING RESPONSIVE
I am here going to talk about being responsive and responsible both. By responsive I want you to be according to their needs. I suggest you to be client responsive, environment responsive, technology responsive.
By saying you to be responsible I want you to hold the account of what you are going to provide.
It’s our duty to guide our client for wrong and right, what is new, what is good and bad. It is our duty to incorporate in our design things that are important like giving openings in a way to minimise the use of electricity and to maximise the comfort of client, material and technology to be used, etc.
So you not only need to be responsive and responsible to just one thing. You have to be multitasking in being responsive. This is the point where architects show their humanity towards people and earth. Being an effective architect has a lot to do with being responsible with these.
BE DETAILED OR THOROUGH OR TECHNICAL
I am not talking about the working drawings or construction drawings that we provide. I am talking about the theoretical part too.
You should know the pros and cons of everything that you are providing to you client. Is it good for them? Can they afford it? Can they understand it? Will they be able to manage and maintain it?
For e.g. you cannot provide a residence full of technology to old people because you think it will make their life easier. You have to understand first if they are capable to learn it or is it going to make their living more complicated. There you need to give them a simple living according to their needs.
And also be detailed when you guide your client about what you are providing them. Be detailed in yourself of what you are providing to anyone. You should know it. Don’t come up with something you don’t know or they don’t know. It brings difficulties.
A professional should know what he is providing and user should be able to accept it with all the pros and cons. This is the duty of professional to guide its user. This makes you efficient and effective architect before designing as it gives you a clarity of what to incorporate and what to avoid.
I guess above mentioned points are enough to be an efficient and effective architect. This is something we need to incorporate in our routine. Rest all is achieved by experience. Keep doing architecture guys! 🙂
