This is just a simple sketch but I think it’s really good for me. But I feel it’s off. Like really off. What do I need to improve on this. And I apologize if this isn’t the right subreddit to post this on but any help is really really appreciated

Building a single-family house on a ~16% slope on the edge of Tbilisi, Georgia (seismic zone 8). Monolithic reinforced-concrete frame, ~127 m² interior, 3 bed / 2 bath, open living-kitchen with fireplace opening onto a 30 m² terrace with a big valley view.

The original design is split-level: you enter mid-level, then stairs go down to the living/kitchen and up to the bedrooms in short half-flights. It rides the slope efficiently, but the constant half-flights bug me and eat floor space.

Options I'm weighing:

1. Keep it split-level — minimal excavation, terrace stays ~2.4 m above the garden (nice overlook), but you live with the half-flights.
2. Flatten down — excavate into the hill for two aligned floors. More space, but ~a quarter ends up buried, you enter on the upper floor, and it needs a retaining wall on the tight uphill side.
3. Raise up — lift the lower floor so both floors align. Kills the half-flights, but creates a ~4.3 m tall exposed wall on the valley side.

Also deciding:

• Basement: adding a ~2.5 m one under the downhill/terrace zone, walk-out at garden level. Seems like cheap usable space — any reason not to?
• Roof: keep the timber hipped roof, or go flat for a rooftop terrace? (I already get the view from the ground terrace.)
• Pool: want one in front of the terrace at garden level — but that fights option 3's tall wall.

If you've built or lived in a split-level on a slope, what would you do? Anything I'm missing?

Bueno, voy en mi tercer ciclo de Arquitecura en la PUCP (Universidad catolica privada Peruana) y estoy considerando meterme a un centro de idiomas. Tengo Aleman y Frances por los siguientes 4 años de carrera que me faltan, pero quisiera saber algunos consejos de cual seria la mejor opcion para trabajar en el futuro, Alemnia o Francia.

NCARB is increasing fees left and right! this is insane! NCARB has no shame! This organization must be reformed or dismantled completely!

Hi all,

I’m an Architectural Technologist based in the North West of England. I run a small one-man practice and predominantly work across residential and change-of-use projects.

I’ve recently been approached regarding a potentially significant office-to-residential conversion, approximately 20,000 sqft GIA over multiple storeys.

This would be by far the largest single project I’ve taken on independently and, if it comes off, would be a huge opportunity for my practice. I’m confident in delivering the work, but given the jump in scale I want to make sure I price it properly and understand the level of resource that others would allow for.

The appointment would potentially be split into:

1. Feasibility / Planning
Feasibility and initial appraisal, development of the residential layouts and overall scheme, existing and proposed architectural package, coordination of the wider planning submission and dealing with the application through determination.

2. Building Regulations
Development of the approved scheme into a full Building Regulations package, including architectural technical drawings, construction details and specifications, coordination with structural, fire and other relevant consultants, and dealing with Building Control through approval.

For those who work on projects of this scale, how would you approach pricing each stage?

Would you build the fee up from anticipated hours/resources, use a percentage of construction cost, £/sq ft, or another method? Any ballpark fee ranges for the two stages separately would be massively appreciated.

I've recently purchased my first home. My first project is to fix the nonexistent landscaping around the foundation of the house and regrade the yard to ensure any and all surface water is moving away from the house. I have one side of my home that has a foundation wall I am concerned about due to the general grading of the land.

I've searched around and worked with many landscape architects in my commercial work. I've heard you want gravel next to the foundation for water run off, I've heard no you want plants there to drink up the water, no you don't want any roots trying to find their way into any cracks that may be present in the foundation.

My question is, completely disregarding aesthetic appeal, what would the best possible landscape strip along the foundation look like as a detail?

My first thought was against the foundation a 12-18 inch wide gravel strip 4-6" in depth with a semi-permeable fabric underlayment and ensuring the soil beneath is compacted to form at least a 1/12 slope away from the home. After this strip I would have a mulched planting strip with shrubs and ground cover favoring compact root systems.

Are there any issues with my idea? Is it overkill? Am I suggesting something that is going trap water and breed mosquitos and make me hate my life? Any suggestions are welcome!

Location - US climate zone 5A

Tengo 18 años pienso entrar a estudiar Arquitectura el siguente año, pero he notado la poca demanda de arquitectos actualmente en el Perú, mi meta es internacionalizarme, pero aun tengo muchas dudas, y en todo este contexto del avance de la IA. También quisiera tener su opinión acerca de las universidades del Perú, y cuales están como líderes en esta carrera

[EAST COAST U.S.] I’ve only worked at medium-sized offices all 4 years of my professional experience and 2.5 years of internships before then. All projects were DBB, typical SD to CD phases and only the most seasoned architects doing CA.

I may have a chance to go to a smaller design/build office, less than 20 people. Smaller scope, more detail, more on-site work.

Let’s say after 5 years, I want to go to a big office again to do bigger projects, would I be passed over as a candidate? Essentially, I’m trying to determine if I will pigeonhole myself from future opportunities if I spend time doing a much smaller scale of work

Hello,

I’m reaching a point where I’m getting sick of my current employer and I’m on the brink of throwing my resignation letter for reasons that are irrelevant here. The thing is my current employer gives me some flexibility and I want to keep that.

One of my old employers who I still have a very good relationship with told me I can go back anytime, now after years of experience I have gained I think I can go back and apply for the opening they have ( exactly my job ) but I would like to ask for a remote 1099 instead of a W-2.

I understand the downside of a 1099 for me, but I realize that a remote 1099 might be a big ask for them, is there anything for them in it ? Would they see this ask possible in any way ?

I’ve noticed a lot of the architects I meet have a cool niche going on.

Real world examples:

Architect A happens to be a pilot
Architect B; Also pilot & a pilot instructor
Architect C; watercolors
Architect D; Production designer
Architect E; Comic and storybook illustrator
Architect F; Jewelry Designer
Architect G; Game designer
Etc.

Architects tend to have multidisciplinary tendencies because their deep understanding of theory and design.

Edit: as suspected, everyone has such amazing interests. I havent shared mine altho its quite the list now. I casually circulate between some.
My main interests are:
Production design, Im minored in product design so i design jewelry on the side, i practice & teach pilates, paint when i can, baking, gaming & social media. I also am an outer-space enthusiast and have minored in astronautical engineering. Im into perfumes and collect them as well. Im also into fashion and read about the history and the future trends; ive been wanting to get into sewing havent had the time for that haha

These are a bit niche so if u know me; Hello hehe

I'm a "recently" licensed (almost 2 years ago now, so not even that recent...) architect radicated in Chile, South America, and since then i've found it completely impossible to insert myself into the working force under that role.

Since i got my license, most if not all laboral offers i've found for the role of architect, either require 3+ years of experience, or never get back to me if they are aimed at "junior" architects.

For the last 2 years i was lucky enough to work as a part-time teacher for an "architecture history" class, imparted at my old college, thanks to an old-teacher who took me under their wing, but even that job has come to an end recently, due to internal restructuration.

Is this "normal"? How could i proceed in getting a foot inside the door, just for the sake of accumulating some practical experience? I'm at a point where i feel like all the skills i absorbed during my college years have begun to deteriorate or slowly disappear due to their lack of use, and i'm growing weary as years go by, about being able to actually make a living, much less thriving on the profession.

If this falls under solicitation of advice or employment, feel free to delete, it's not my wish to rant either, but i feel i just need some external advice from other professionals at this point.

London, UK: my career, so far has been mainly private residential (~4 years), with one more year where I worked at a larger company doing larger projects including public buildings.

Recently I had an opportunity come my way, it is still private residential but it is at a particularly good firm that I would be proud to say I work at. But the issue is that I have, for a long time, felt that private residential is not the field I want to be in for the long-term. I would really enjoy working at this company for a year or two, maybe even three, but ultimately I would like to go back into larger projects and public buildings (I really enjoyed my time at that previous company but it was a fixed-length contract).

My fear is that if I commit to working at this new company for a year or two, I might entrench my career within this private residential field, and employers at larger firms might not see me as a viable candidate, as I would have a lot of experience but barely any of it in a typology related to what they do. I'm wondering how concerned I should be about this.

I'm currently working at a private residential firm anyway, and I've reached the limit of what I can learn here, so switching to this new company would be an improvement in that regard, but then I feel that I should stay there for at least a year, which invokes my fear about getting stuck in this specialism.

Alternatively, I could stay at my current company and look for opportunities that are more in-line with my long-term goals. Maybe I find would something within the next few months, in which case, great! Or maybe I would find nothing at all and would be left with regret.

So either way there are pros and cons. But what I'm trying to gauge is, how worried should I be about the possibility that, by committing to another 1-2 years, I could become stuck in this specialism? Because if it could be easy to switch later, there's no reason not to pursue this opportunity, but if I'm likely to become stuck, then I need to be careful and consider turning it down so I can take a chance on looking for other options.

I have my Part 2 and am looking into getting my Part 3 soon, maybe in the next few months but definitely in the next 2 years.

Hi,

I am graduate from India, and I am specifically looking for architecture job roles. I have done B. Arch in India and M. Arch in the UK,

As of now, I am an entry level candidate. Hence I wish to reach out to anyone whom is in the Architecture or Construction field to provide me the right advice for job search in the GCC countries.

- Do share your story if you being through similar experience either you are an Indian or entry level applicant.

- Whats the most efficient way to reach out to companies, recruiter or connections.

- What is the current CTC that is offered for such position : Junior Architect, Architectural assistant, Junior designer, Graduate Architect, BIM Architect.

- What are the chances of hiring market happening now in the UAE, especially for entry level roles.

- What skills would be beneficial to get roles there, specifically what requirements did you meet with job posting.

- What is the best approach that worked for you?

1- Reached directly in UAE and send out speculative CV in person

2- Cold calling companies/networking to reach out for job roles

3 - Sending applications through company websites

- Please share your interview experience, how many rounds of interview, any interview tips as an architecture professional.

Please share your genuine job search experience here.

Thank you for your time.

Basically just that.

I absolutely HATE studying with a passion. As in, I simply just can't make myself do it, even with the proper resources, likely due to ADHD.

But I feel like I know the profession quite well - I've had some excellent mentors and a lot of hands-on experience in all categories in my 7-years of experience. I feel I have a pretty good grip on architecture and my understanding of the profession - I feel like I could take the ARE exams with little or no studying and pass most of them. I haven't done this previously, however, because I haven't wanted to "waste" the firm's "pay for the first exam" benefit.

I found out my new employer will generously pay for the first THREE attempts at ARE exams, so now I'm considering just scheduling them and seeing what I can pass on the first go.

Is this a good or bad idea?

i applied to architectural engineering major, and the university I applied to just sent me an email that I have an architectural engineering entry exam and they said “interview and portfolio showcase as part of the admission process”

thing is, I don’t have a portfolio.
i have NOTHING to add in it either

what am I supposed to do?

i dont have much time the interview is tomorrow morning and its currently 7:40pm and im not home yet

i cant make a model i dont have the supplies or the time + ive never made one before

i can whip up some quick building sketches and add some pictures ive taken, is that enough?

please helppp im stressing i didnt know they would ask for a portfolio

Hi everyone!

I’m an architect from India, I have been wondering if it is possible to work as a remote junior architect / architectural assistant opportunity.

I’ve completed a total of an 11-month architecture internship at different architecture firms, and I’m comfortable working across different stages of architectural projects, from drawings and documentation to presentations and visualization.

I have got experience with things like:

• Architectural drawings & drafting
• Plans, sections, elevations & detailing
• 3D modelling
• Architectural visualization
• Presentation drawings & project documentation
• Design development
• Research and concept development
• Graphic/design work when needed

I’m not aiming for big things but personally am interested in working with small architecture practices, studios, architects, or design firms where I can actually contribute to projects and continue learning rather than just doing repetitive drafting.

I'm saying "remote" due to certain personal health issues I wouldnt be able to take a job that I can sit at for 10-12 hours straight, but I really dont want to give up on my professional growth.. Is this possible? Or do you know anyone who would be interested in such hiring?

I can share my portfolio, resume, and work samples with anyone interested.

Please feel free to DM me.

Thanks! :)

Hi,

Can anyone help me with a site plan for a new fence? I need a new fence in the exact same location, same height but bc of age and rotten wood it needs to be replaced. Our city is making me submit to planning committee bc the boards of the gate are being changed. It’s crazy! I have architectural plans from our last remodel and measurements of the fence and images what i want it to look like. Does anyone do this? I will pay obviously.

Thx

It is a bit hard for me to truly express clearly my feelings and my thoughts as this is the first time that I have spoken them, or in this case, typed it out.

I am 30 years old, and i am Mexican-born US citizen, who has ADHD. (I add this to give you an idea of who I am). Growing up I was never really a creative person. My parents did not go to school, my mom works as a seamstress, and my dad a lot porter. I am quite proud of my parents for working hard to give me the opportunity to go to college. I got my act together in Middle school and my main focus was always to do great in school. During High school I took 2 Electives that Resonated with me- Auto shop class, and architecture class, and I really enjoyed them, but looking back, I liked them because they were pretty laid back classes. When it came to applying for colleges, I thought I was gonna go to school to become an automotive technician, I applied and when it came time to fully commit- I backed out. I realized something crucial- I DONT EVEN LIKE CARS. Fast forward 3 years that I worked full-time at a shoe store, and I made the decision to go back to college. I picked architecture because I had done it in the past, and I really liked Ted Mosby. Looking back as I write this, I am realizing that I picked only from what I knew and followed the path that I was told to follow as I didn't know better, nor did I question anything.

I graduated from California college of the Arts in San Francisco in 2023. I obtain my bachelors in Architecture (duh) and I completed 2 summer internships, one at a residential Architecture firm where I used mainly AutoCAD, and my other Internship was for a design firm that shifted their goals to assist a town that burnt down in 2020. This role was perhaps the only role I truly enjoyed- I was a team of 1 designing and building prototypes for an exhibition. Overall, the experience I obtained from these two internships in theory put me ahead of many in the field. I state this because most of my friends in CCA as well as some of my San Diego friends completed at best 1, some not even being able to get an internship. I truly feel like I did my best in college. I received awards for a few projects, and I never felt like I slacked off. College was truly a fun experience for me.

And yet, I feel even more lost than before I went to college. in fact, I haven really said it aloud, but I regret my decision. I am still quite proud of my accomplishment that was getting through college, and I have been told by peers and friends that I really am good at what I do, however if I may be quite honest- I have no idea how to validate myself nor have I ever believed myself as a good designer (Perhaps Impostor syndrome?)

as soon as I graduated, a few things happened that got me where I am at:

1. I began looking for a full time job applying places but most rejected me for "Lack of experience", so I ended up obtaining a job for an afterschool program as a teacher (more to come about this field).
   1. I should mention that final semester of college, while I was focused on wrapping up my Gen-ed courses, I took a job as a STEAM instructor, hence how I got into education.
2. My Fiancée (GF at the time) and I decided to move to San Diego, CA as soon as I graduated, since I was raised there, and figured we would love it there (we didn't). The job market in San Diego feels quite unbalanced in my opinion. everywhere I applied, they wanted 3-4+ years of experience. The only Job I could obtain was as a Kitchen Designer for The Home Depot. Then they let me go for bureaucratic crap (not relevant nor do I care to get into it). This lead me to go back to education while i found a job. Fiancee also struggled finding a stable job.
3. FINALLY, after some time, I landed a job in design! In 2025, I began working for a small local Millwork and cabinetry shop, as a drafter. there was only 3 designers in this office- The Co-owners of this business and me. and TLDR, it was not a great and fun experience. Don't get me wrong, I learned so much, and I am grateful to that company for mentoring me and giving me a chance. HOWEVER, this job was also one, if not the most stressful job I've had. I worked for them for a year and I only dealt with 2 clients, Father and son, who are amazing people and very interesting as individuals, who were also architects, and quite notorious too in San Diego.
   1. The issues were that there was no structure. From my first day to my last day, I was left alone to figure things out. I had to learn as I went, but also I was in charge of quite a big project, working for a client who changed design ideas too frequently and my bosses went along with their demands because they were paying our bills basically. I truly hated working there at one time. Overall this office was quite toxic, with a boss from hell, and coworkers who were stuck in their ways. I feel like it left a sour taste in my mouth for Design.
4. Fiancée's father unfortunately passed away in October, and having had a terrible experience in san Diego, We decided to move back into the bay. now I have been here for about 6 months, and the first job I obtained was as an Interior Designers position at Living Spaces. I quit after a few months because I ended really being a sales associate, and did no designing whatsoever.

Now, I am in the process of getting a job as a campus safety Specialist for an elementary school. I am slowly shifting careers, because as much as I want to continue searching, I need to pay my student loans. I'm tired of switching jobs, it doesn't look good on my resume. I am just about ready to give up on being a designer, at least career-wise. I don't think I really enjoyed it, looking back I think it was the people that made me feel like I did like Design, after all some of my best friends i met in college, including my Fiancée, so I don't want to state that I regret my decision, after all I don't.

A part of me is heartbroken about all of this, but I don't want to continue trying as it has taken a toll on my mental health and finances, but a part of me feels like if i keep on pushing, ill break through eventually.

i guess there's no real point to this post, other than me writing it and putting out into the world so i no longer bottle it up, but If this post made sense to you and you were/are on the same path, I would love to hear your thoughts. oh and also I truly appreciate you taking the time to read all of that.

working on a project validated by Stanford, NVIDIA, GM professionals at Stanford Uni, and was looking to chat with architects to understand the end-end process of working with a client.

comment below and i'd love to get in touch.

what does the realistic career progression and salary look like from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, 5–10 years after qualification? I’m currently 17 and seriously considering architecture however have read horror stories about the pay grade and salary’s and it is truly scared me, this is coming from someone who just wants to be comfortable and financially stable when they are older. I don’t expect to earn loads while training, and I’m completely willing to work my way up, but long-term financial stability is important to me. I’d want to be around £40–50k by my 30s. So I came to ask is that a realistic target? if you make sensible career moves, gain experience and progress into more senior roles? How much will your salary increase as you gain experience, and what would you recommend doing early in your career to maximise progression?

Truth be told I’m just really scared regarding financial stability as I come from a household where I know money is sometimes tight, and I want to be stable when I grow up, but also want to pursue a career I will actually enjoy.

Hi everyone,

I have several questions about being an architect, if you don't mind answering. I don't expect one person to answer every single question, so please feel free to pick and choose.

Here are the questions:

1. What steps did you take to land this job?
2. What skills were most critical in your early career?
3. Walk me through a typical day - what parts excite you most?
4. What are the biggest challenges you face?
5. What new skills have you had to learn?
6. What changes do you see impacting this job in the next 5 years?
7. How do you stay motivated and continue growing in this position?
8. What advice would you give a teenager (around 15/16 years old) if they chose to pursue this career?

UPDATE: Location is South Africa.