Architecture

Architecture is a field that captures both the structural thinking and creative thinking styles of any student interested in designing spaces. Skyrise buildings, landscapes, houses, office spaces, and more fall under the domain of architectural professionals, and India is currently in dire need of trained architects to accommodate its exponentially-growing needs. A career in architecture offers the following benefits:

  • A Dynamic Career: Architects are often involved in a range of activities, from meeting clients and designing their buildings, to researching materials and following new trends in design. This demanding job requires an eye for detail and a passion for drawing, creating, and innovating.
  • Visible Results: The satisfaction of viewing and experiencing a completed project is known all too well to successful architects. This field has direct, accessible results.
  • Impact: The recent trends of architecture encourage students to use their acumen for two important areas- sustainable housing and affordable housing. The first kind involves environmentally intelligent design, while the second aims to provide cost-effective design for poorer individuals and families.

This, however, comes with the following concerns:

  • Instability: The demands of this career are exciting, but also inconsistent. Due to a high reliance on a strong, stable economy, the field is often unable to engage architects consistently and wealthily in their jobs.
  • Medium Pay: On average, an architect in India will earn Rs. 35,000 per month, while an architect in the US will earn $6200 (PayScale).
  • Overtime Work: Architects are likely to spend long hours on their projects.

 

The path towards a successful career in Architecture in India will often involve the following steps:

  1. Students are advised to pursue mathematics in their +2 education. Physics, Chemistry, and drawing classes will also come useful, and tutoring for the entrance examinations may also be pursued at this stage.
  2. After passing the +2 examinations, students opt for the entrance examinations to schools that offer a B.Arch (Bachelor of Architecture) degree. The most common entrance examination taken is NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture), but information on other available exams can be found here.
  3. Students will spend 5 years in the B.Arch course. Hiring by private architectural firms is likely to take place in college, provided the students have a strong portfolio of architectural sketches and ideas, and sufficient experience with the field. This can be built through practice in internships, while tips for building a competent portfolio are also available here.

 

If you are interested in pursuing architecture in India, the following colleges are worth looking into:

If you’re looking for top colleges worldwide for architecture, consider the requirements for each of the following: