The path to becoming one of the best architects in the Philippines is long and winding. Aspiring professionals considering starting a career in architecture or making a career change to become architects should evaluate important personality features of architects before deciding whether this is the correct vocation for them. From a passion for nature to formidable negotiating abilities, great architects exhibit a variety of distinct attributes in addition to their math and scientific expertise daily.
In the Philippines alone, the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), the country’s Integrated and Accredited Professional Organization of Architects (IAPOA), has a growing roster of over 42,000 members. Its bi-annual board examinations resumed after a lengthy postponement, so a new set of batches will continue. There is a prediction that the architect population will rise dramatically over the next decade. Expect a high level of competition for architecture employment, but this will also increase opportunities.
How do you establish yourself apart from many equally competent architects working in the industry?
Apart from superior drawing abilities, an eye for detail and an appreciation for contemporary design, the finest architects worldwide possess various additional characteristics that distinguish them from their competitors.
1. Embracing A “Jack Of All Trades” Mentality
As the architectural profession has become more specialized, many designers focus on a single component of the building rather than the entire architecture. When we direct all of our efforts toward a single goal, we isolate ourselves from other experiences. Our lives are captivated by a single affair. Becoming a well-rounded person requires exposure to a variety of experiences in life.
Retaining a firm knowledge of various concepts or a reasonable level of expertise in multiple talents enables flexibility in one’s life and career. Flexibility may benefit both the clients and the architect. Likewise, broader knowledge results in increased comprehension and the ability to assist stakeholders across many disciplines.
Accept all forms of experiences with inquisitiveness. Specializing and ignoring other influences is never sufficient. On the other hand, bringing curiosity to every task improves discovery and performance.
Having a specialty tends to make one wait for the right opportunity. However, being a master of multiple disciplines increases the likelihood that your work will reach a wider audience. Possessing functional expertise in various fields is preferred, and those who hire you may feel as though they have struck gold.
2. Read To Advance
Don’t undervalue the importance of reading in your professional development. Knowing what’s going on in the world is essential for becoming one of the best architects in the Philippines. Attempt to stay current with the most recent projects, emerging architects and firms, open competitions, and the likes.
Reading would be a potent practice for personal growth when we remember what we study and integrate it into our lives. However, if the material you read is not a conscious decision, you will not get anything from it. When you choose the content, you consume it consciously. It will offer more value to your life. Consume knowledge relevant to your living circumstances or architectural interests to see where you can apply them. Consider your personal history, personality, social situation, aspirations, and age.
Start by making a reading list of all the topics you think would be helpful or intriguing. They can be about architecture’s history, future technologies, social behavior, case studies, urban design, and philosophies or the art and science of design. Subject matters may include memoirs or self-development guides, or they can be on world history, geography, demographics, cultures, and politics. Nothing you read, even fiction, will ever go to waste. The more you read, the more your mind expands, and your horizons extend.
3. Best Architects In The Philippines: Mastery vs. Style
Following in the footsteps of media-driven “starchitecture,” the architect’s unhealthy quest for “style” can lead to confusion and discontent. On the other hand, achieving mastery provides unequivocal clarity and gives way to greatness.
The notions of practice and mastery apply to acquiring ideas and talents. To effectively learn a philosophical concept, you must practice until you reach proficiency, at which point it will no longer need much attention to executing. For instance, some individuals can detect certain logical flaws instinctively, without thinking about it, indicating that they have mastered that understanding.
The mastery of creative skills lies at the heart of every great architect (and architecture, for that matter). The thousands of hours they’ve spent drawing, making models, correcting, and repeatedly re-doing on their drawing board.
A critical concept for successful practice is dividing things into smaller components and practicing each part independently. It’s more manageable to study small portions and then practice merging them into small groups before attempting the whole task. You may learn anything significantly more quickly and with a greater likelihood of success if you know numerous little things rather than trying to accomplish them all at once.
Instead of seeking happiness, seek criticism, and make sure you’re improving your talents wherever you work.
4. Find Your Muse
It is easy to lose motivation due to the obstacles you might encounter as you venture into the architecture profession. This fortitude shows the importance of finding your muse, may it be a hobby, structure, belief, or art form that you can continuously use as an inspiration in your future projects.
For example, renowned architect Renzo Piano goes sailing for a month. He also makes sure to dine at Pompidou Centre, his first significant commission, at least once a month.
Inspiration comes in an infinite variety of forms found almost everywhere. However, like with most things that have true significance in our lives, we must accept some responsibility for seeking it out. It is not the role of the world or your employer or anybody else to inspire you. If you choose to look at the world with an open mind and an active eye, you can practically find it everywhere.
Often, our most excellent source of inspiration comes from ourselves. Whether you choose to set aside your vulnerabilities and record your true thoughts, commit to a new daily habit, host a workshop, visit an art show, or take a day off and do something you like. Each of us has abundant resources that may propel us farther than anticipated. Sometimes we need to seek them in a renewed perspective.
5. No Man Is An Island
To become one of the best architects in the Philippines, one must also become an active member of the locally available architectural societies. Maintain contact with colleague architects in your community and discuss the problems and wants of your organization and how you can cope with them professionally. You can also participate in online forums to contact other designers worldwide and share your knowledge and experience.
Aside from your professional circle, make time for your friends and get involved in the community. Attend social functions and neighborhood get-togethers. Learn more about your social sphere since the architecture you supply them with should reflect that. Spend time with your family, and keep in mind that they are part of the world you will create as an architect.
Volunteerism is also an exceptional value to have. You can help renovate your old school or design a small addition for the orphanage in your area. You can teach young children to read and draw, or you can assist high school students in deciding on a professional path or preparing for architecture school.
6. The Importance Of Mentorship By Prizewinning Architects in the Philippines
Greatness breeds greatness, and the ideal way to pass on the art of architecture is through a mentor-pupil relationship. It’s no surprise that Mies Van Der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Walter Gropius, all pioneers of modern architecture, worked under Peter Behrens. Behrens was one of the first to break away from the dogmatic approach to building design at the turn of the century.
One approach to spot them is to look for the “cutting-edge”, who keep up with the times and aren’t scared to go against the grain. This championship is usually through a design school or a design firm. Only by being on a breakthrough paradigm will you be able to conquer the most prominent ideas.
Aside from looking for the “cutting-edge,” it is also critical to find a mentor who shares your goals and approach to architecture and can provide you with guidance, encouragement, and the freedom to experiment independently.
Fulgar Architects is pioneering as one of the best architecture firms in the Philippines. They specialize in unique and meta-modern architectural designs and master planning for various ventures such as hotels, resorts, condominium towers, township developments, commercial centers, subdivision development, museums, and other specialty real estate projects. The firm also provides strategies and design potentials for each project considering competitive environments, life-cycle costs, and project branding with a business orientation.
7. Giving Back
Once you have concluded becoming the receiving end of the mentor-pupil relationship in the profession, now is your turn to share your expertise, ideas, and experiences with the next generation of architects.
A good starting point is teaching at a university or workshops, which will improve your professional practice and establish your slot in specific academic communities. For example, take architect Daniel Libeskind, who taught for two decades before designing a building. His passion for learning shows the profession’s flexibility that involves the construction field itself and transcends the academe, the arts, and the sciences.
Volunteering can help anyone grow confidence by providing an opportunity to try something new and develop a genuine feeling of accomplishment. The activities may assist in developing new abilities, gaining experience, and in some instances, obtaining credentials. Contributing to a common cause can help enterprising architects meet new people and form new friendships.
To become one of the best architects in the Philippines, architects must continually upgrade their abilities and face new problems regularly. When it comes to picking a profession, there are some considerations that we must make. To begin, it should be something about which you are enthusiastic. Second, the work guarantees a secure future. Thirdly, the practice provides financial and psychological well-being. You may choose which route to take by keeping these points in mind. Those who choose to become architects must recognize that taking the lead in their field will be both challenging and fruitful.
Star Qualities Of Best Architects In The Philippines
If you decide to follow an architectural career, you must give your best efforts. It is a golden principle that all exemplary architects adhere to in their professional practice. From aspirants seeking tactics to ensure success to new architectural firms attempting to thrive in the market, some of these essential qualities will help you enhance your game in becoming one of the best architects in the Philippines.
