{"id":41544,"date":"2025-01-29T15:00:54","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T14:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architect-us.com\/blog\/?p=41544"},"modified":"2025-01-29T14:26:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T13:26:18","slug":"experience-my-country-vs-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architect-us.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/experience-my-country-vs-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Experience: My Country vs. the United States"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been living in the United States<\/strong> for eight months, and it has been a new and amazing experience that has opened my mind to new learnings and professional paths. Still, everything I am experiencing now is partly thanks to my background as an architect<\/strong> in my home country.<\/p>\n

In my country, construction is primarily done using concrete systems. Projects there typically take around a year and a half\u2014or even longer\u2014to complete (and I\u2019m referring to medium-sized projects, such as 11-story residential buildings). So, when I started working as an architect in New Jersey<\/strong> and got immersed in how things work here, I was shocked by how quickly projects are completed. Foundations that used to take 4 or 5 months back home are completed here in just two weeks! Wow\u2014my mind couldn\u2019t believe it.<\/p>\n

Of course, I came to understand that the United States has better geological conditions compared to my seismically active country, allowing for less robust foundations and significantly shorter construction times. Additionally, the codes for small-scale projects<\/strong>, like houses or low-rise buildings, allow for simpler structures.<\/p>\n

On another note, I was also surprised to see that many projects here are built with wood: Wood Frame Construction.<\/strong> Among the various reasons for this is that the climatic conditions in the region create a need for materials that are resistant to cold and provide good thermal insulation. Moreover, wood is much easier and faster to assemble due to its modularity, and the geological conditions are ideal for this type of system in low-rise residential projects.<\/p>\n

Similarly, I observed other systems, such as concrete and masonry,<\/strong> which are durable and resistant; steel structural construction,<\/strong> which is primarily used for skyscrapers and industrial buildings; and prefabricated panel construction,<\/strong> a very common method here that significantly speeds up the construction process on-site. What I found particularly impressive is that for all these systems, the workers you find in this country are certified professionals who have been trained for these tasks. This creates a more efficient and specialized workforce.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure that many of us, regardless of where we are from, studied these systems at university. However, in real life\u2014or at least in my case\u2014their application was very limited in the field, and I never got to see them used on-site. That\u2019s why this experience in the United States has been so special to me. I have learned a lot about how projects work in this country, which has significantly broadened my perspective and provided me with better tools for developing projects.<\/p>\n

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