Comments on: Architect’s Low Pay – the RIBA responds http://www.justpractising.com/whatgoodarchitectsdo/architect%e2%80%99s-low-pay-%e2%80%93-the-riba-responds/ So what do those architect types do then eh? Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:26:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sheldon http://www.justpractising.com/whatgoodarchitectsdo/architect%e2%80%99s-low-pay-%e2%80%93-the-riba-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-5499 Sheldon Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:44:47 +0000 http://www.justpractising.com/?p=1073#comment-5499 I think the Martin Chuzzlewit reference is very appropriate. The culture of architecture is selfish and greedy. Most of the architects I have worked with value themselves enormously and very few have even a smattering of talent. 10% of the profession are very good - many of the the others are surplus to requirements. The profession loses sight of ideals and taste when it can smell the money. It certainly wont pay the staff a wage. It has gone beyond a joke with the rise in house prices, to doom a generation of architects to design buildings for a living when they will NEVER be able to afford a house of their own on the wages on offer? To caricature an architect imagine a hunched man wandering around an office repeating 'were not making any money on that job' to everyone who catches his eye, and then running away if someone asks a question expecting him to have any answers.The building contractors are the power houses now, and the architectural staff musty old farts lingering in the background somewhere, fighting each other over fees. Take a look at University courses - I have spent time with a great many graduates who have been heartbroken to spend months on electrical layouts, or door schedules. They have been lied to by the Universities (and so have their parents who have finacially contributed thinking architecture is a 'respectable profession') that they will get a job on graduation. In reality 50% are needed, the rest can get a job in a supermarket packing shelves, if they are lucky. It is time to put the pretensions away, most of UK architecture is nasty, boring poorly paid and unappreciated work. Send the kids to college - they will earn double the wages as a plasterer. I think the Martin Chuzzlewit reference is very appropriate. The culture of architecture is selfish and greedy. Most of the architects I have worked with value themselves enormously and very few have even a smattering of talent. 10% of the profession are very good – many of the the others are surplus to requirements. The profession loses sight of ideals and taste when it can smell the money. It certainly wont pay the staff a wage. It has gone beyond a joke with the rise in house prices, to doom a generation of architects to design buildings for a living when they will NEVER be able to afford a house of their own on the wages on offer? To caricature an architect imagine a hunched man wandering around an office repeating ‘were not making any money on that job’ to everyone who catches his eye, and then running away if someone asks a question expecting him to have any answers.The building contractors are the power houses now, and the architectural staff musty old farts lingering in the background somewhere, fighting each other over fees. Take a look at University courses – I have spent time with a great many graduates who have been heartbroken to spend months on electrical layouts, or door schedules. They have been lied to by the Universities (and so have their parents who have finacially contributed thinking architecture is a ‘respectable profession’) that they will get a job on graduation. In reality 50% are needed, the rest can get a job in a supermarket packing shelves, if they are lucky. It is time to put the pretensions away, most of UK architecture is nasty, boring poorly paid and unappreciated work. Send the kids to college – they will earn double the wages as a plasterer.

]]> By: Dan http://www.justpractising.com/whatgoodarchitectsdo/architect%e2%80%99s-low-pay-%e2%80%93-the-riba-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-3683 Dan Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:18:19 +0000 http://www.justpractising.com/?p=1073#comment-3683 Exasperation may be appropriate but it is never (ever) helpful. Architecture school needs to educate students for the reality that if they want to apply their imagination and creativity to the physical world they are going to need to learn how to turn a profit. That means learning how to run a business and get jobs. Its already happening! They should also learn how to take part in the design of the built environment in different ways: landscape urbanism, interaction design, communication design, etc. It was never easy and it never will be; stop crying and think about the possibilities! Exasperation may be appropriate but it is never (ever) helpful. Architecture school needs to educate students for the reality that if they want to apply their imagination and creativity to the physical world they are going to need to learn how to turn a profit. That means learning how to run a business and get jobs. Its already happening! They should also learn how to take part in the design of the built environment in different ways: landscape urbanism, interaction design, communication design, etc. It was never easy and it never will be; stop crying and think about the possibilities!

]]> By: Pat Ford http://www.justpractising.com/whatgoodarchitectsdo/architect%e2%80%99s-low-pay-%e2%80%93-the-riba-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-3679 Pat Ford Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:59:19 +0000 http://www.justpractising.com/?p=1073#comment-3679 Face it, Architecture was never a secure career and now it is in a death spin. CADD/BIM is reducing the Architects job to standardised solutions and instant graphics generation. Much of the intensive work is increasingly being outsourced to low wage countries. The people who actually pay for the buildings don't want to pat for too much in the way of "architectural values" - they like inappropriate and ugly. So what do Architects have left, apart from the fact they are desperately willing to work long hours for low pay and no job security? What? Face it, Architecture was never a secure career and now it is in a death spin. CADD/BIM is reducing the Architects job to standardised solutions and instant graphics generation. Much of the intensive work is increasingly being outsourced to low wage countries. The people who actually pay for the buildings don’t want to pat for too much in the way of “architectural values” – they like inappropriate and ugly. So what do Architects have left, apart from the fact they are desperately willing to work long hours for low pay and no job security? What?

]]> By: Tweets that mention Architect’s Low Pay – the RIBA responds — Just Practising -- Topsy.com http://www.justpractising.com/whatgoodarchitectsdo/architect%e2%80%99s-low-pay-%e2%80%93-the-riba-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-1589 Tweets that mention Architect’s Low Pay – the RIBA responds — Just Practising -- Topsy.com Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:14:12 +0000 http://www.justpractising.com/?p=1073#comment-1589 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Su Butcher. Su Butcher said: RT @ArchitectLeague: "A young man works for a talentless, greedy, pseudo-pious poseur..." http://bit.ly/as3a8Z [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Su Butcher. Su Butcher said: RT @ArchitectLeague: "A young man works for a talentless, greedy, pseudo-pious poseur…" http://bit.ly/as3a8Z [...]

]]> By: Francis http://www.justpractising.com/whatgoodarchitectsdo/architect%e2%80%99s-low-pay-%e2%80%93-the-riba-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-1588 Francis Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:12:19 +0000 http://www.justpractising.com/?p=1073#comment-1588 "...a young man works for a talentless, greedy, pseudo-pious poseur who periodically takes in students to teach them architecture, while actually teaching them nothing, treating them badly, living grandly off their tuition fees, and having them do draughting work that he passes off as his own." this is not a story of architectur student's hardship in 2010 - but part fo the plot from a Charles Dickens novel from the early 1840s. Change is overdue. Perhaps the RIBA should abolish the plan of work now that the fee scale is gone. Architects would be encouraged to apply creativity in designing their service to suite each individual client's needs, thus adding value and differentiating themselves from their competitors. Surely, while it has helped architects plan and manager their work, the plan of work has also contributed to the commoditization of architects' services and thus the race to the lowest fee. “…a young man works for a talentless, greedy, pseudo-pious poseur who periodically takes in students to teach them architecture, while actually teaching them nothing, treating them badly, living grandly off their tuition fees, and having them do draughting work that he passes off as his own.” this is not a story of architectur student’s hardship in 2010 – but part fo the plot from a Charles Dickens novel from the early 1840s. Change is overdue.

Perhaps the RIBA should abolish the plan of work now that the fee scale is gone. Architects would be encouraged to apply creativity in designing their service to suite each individual client’s needs, thus adding value and differentiating themselves from their competitors. Surely, while it has helped architects plan and manager their work, the plan of work has also contributed to the commoditization of architects’ services and thus the race to the lowest fee.

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