Do You Have An Arkitekt Aptitude?

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9511
Comment this article

A lot of people get the inspiration to become arkitekter from counselors, family, friends, books, chance encounters, movies and buildings and structures around them. Most architecture students start out with a lot of gusto and enthusiasm and then lose steam in the face of challenges. College environments can sometimes be hyper-competitive and another fact may be that they are just not socially or emotionally ready. It can be very inspiring to be an architect but perception can be very far removed from reality. If you are contemplating taking up architecture as a profession, first consider whether you have the aptitude for it.
Today there are several sites and learning institutes that conduct psychometric and aptitude tests and you can always choose to take any of these before you actually sign up for a full-time architecture course. Colleges can prove to be an expensive gamble if you are not fully prepared and it is best to at least do a self-assessment before taking a final decision. As an architect you will have to have proficiency in five things- math, drawing, creativity, language and hard work, not necessarily in ...
... that order. Not every arkitekt will be good at all these things, but it is necessary for you to be good at most. So ask yourself a few more questions.
Check whether you fall in the category of introverts or extroverts. Of course there are architects of both categories. However, to a large extent, being an introvert sort of lends itself to the role. Self employed arkitekter spend a large amount of their time drafting, making models, writing and thinking. In contrast, architects have to deal with clients, peers and employees and have to attend a lot of meetings. Some even work in with offices where there is a lot of commotion. You have the choice to work towards your job preference in tandem with your personality and mental make-up. But learning the art of independence is important.
A good architect will always think before acting and impulse will never work in this field, except when you are creating designs and innovating. It takes time for ideas to evolve and be reciprocated and finding solutions that are feasible and practical take time. Your success will depend largely on your ability o think out solutions in a methodical manner and incorporate them into your work. You also have to be a good listener. Clients tend to pour their hearts out while discussing building plans with their arkitekt. They will talk about their habits and needs, the colors they prefer and a hoard of other things. If you are not listening, chances are that you will have very unhappy clients on hand and will have a lot of re-work to do.
Above all, an architect has to be creative and realistic. You will have to think outside the box and be willing to compromise on your designing ideas and customize as per client needs. Above all, be accommodating and willing to evolve and learn from peers and clients alike.
Resource box:

arkitekter who work at Arkitema are well-equipped when it comes to dealing with clients. Every arkitekt should be able to customize their work as per client requirement and needs.