Is Architecture a Good Career if You Want to Travel? Architecture is a good career if you are creative, love a challenge, and are very, very good at math. However, if you are looking to travel (and that’s all you really care about), there are probably better jobs out there than being an architect.
Because there are so many factors that go into it, it should be made clear that saying “architects do or do not travel a lot” is a tough thing to claim.
Therefore, for the rest of the article, we are using information based on a few select testimonies of architects who do travel for work or travel for fun to become inspired for their designs.
How Much do Architects Travel Per Year?
Large firms or firms that work on projects either nationally or internationally are more likely to send their architects all over to oversee and design buildings and houses.
An architect will travel no matter what to and from their project site if they are in a supervising or consulting position after the initial design of the build – unless they work remotely, of course.
This can mean traveling down the street from the office, into the next town, or even into another state or country to help oversee the project and make sure things are running smoothly with clients.
There are some architects who have stated that they travel nearly four out of the five days they are working at the office, either to an upstate location or to another part of the world altogether.
Others claim that they would travel two days a week, or even not at all, depending on where the project is or what their role is in the build.
If that’s the case, it is safe to say that a well-traveled architect will be out and about over half of the year, while others will only travel a total of a few months out of the year.
This is entirely a case-by-case basis.
Some architects will often travel with a small firm, while others may never travel with a large firm. Some architects work remotely and never even go into the office.
If you want to be an architect for the travel aspect, you have to make sure that you are finding a firm that sends their architects places often and that they are aware that that is your goal in the first place.
Do Architects Always Oversee?
Some firms will require architects to simply finish a design and move on to the next project, while most will require that the architect is on staff during the construction of the building itself.
If the architect is helping a team to design the building, they may not be asked to go to the location, rather finish the design and move on to the next one.
If that’s the case, the architect will most likely not travel.
What About Traveling for Fun?
A common trait that we have noticed with architects is how they love to travel and see new cultures, buildings, architecture, and styles while abroad.
Creative minds gather inspiration from exploration, trying new things, and meeting new people.
If this is you, you may find that traveling for fun while living as an architect is more exciting than trying to travel for work all the time.
How Often do Architects get to Work on Buildings Abroad?
Architects who work for international companies will often travel to different locations all the time in order to design and complete a project.
Depending on which company you work for, you could be traveling most of the year to new and exciting places, or you could be traveling to one place for months until the building project is complete.
However, if you work for a small firm, a strictly national one, or a local one, then you would very rarely get to work on international building projects.
Do Landscape Architects Travel a Lot?
Landscape architects have their work cut out for them.
As we mentioned in our article, Do Architects Design Roads? Landscape architecture incorporates civil engineering, urban and industrial design, ecology, and regular architecture in order to bring a project to life.
This means that many people are working on a project at different times in many different places.
If you are landscape architecture, you are most likely also considered a civil engineer, and that may require a lot of travel to many different places, offices, buildings, and meetings all year long.
Can You be an Architect Without Traveling?
Working remotely as an architect is one of the more popular, modern methods of the job.
Architecture has come so far from 2-D sketches and hundreds of blueprints.
Now, 3-D modeling, CAD Files (Computer-Aided Design), high-tech software, and the 3-D printing of small-scale models are the future of the design industry.
With these tools at modern architects’ disposal, it is no wonder why remote working has become so popular.
Not only that, but an architect can design at home off-the-clock if they wanted to, building their dream homes and buildings that they can present later to their firm with the simple ease of just using their home desktop.
Finally, drawing tablets and stylus pens make the architecture even easier to translate to the digital screen.
So, no, you don’t have to travel at all to be an architect.
When considering your next career move, plan proactively and create Portfolios that include your best work. Consider looking into finding a mentor with Architect-US, and improving your Portfolios with our Portfolio Plans and Career Advice Program. We provide coaching and personalized mentorship, so you can have a professional and experienced take on your next steps in your career, as well as a great team to confide in.
Add comment