Jobs kind of like Architecture, but not?

[TwigTheWonderKid]

DS is in Year 12. He's thought a lot about architecture but he suspects that he may not get the necessary UCAS points for these very competitive courses and that the degree is a massive slog that he's probably not cut out for it.

His A levels are History, Geography and 3D Design and he's now thinking about doing a Geography degree, possibly combined with Urban Planning.

He's not arty but he enjoys his 3D design course and I think it's the creative side of architecture which appeals to him.

I can't help thinking there must be loads of jobs out there which might combine his skills and interests but not sure where to look.

He's got to organise a few days' work experience soon and so this could be really good opportunity for him to learn about a job or field that might inspire him but I'm unsure where to start. Any ideas?

I work in commercial space, but the creative aspect, the design, there is a lot of different jobs with a design agency or you can work in-house for a brand on occasions. We are not architecture. So restaurants, stores, shops, showrooms. Lots of stuff is hybrid these days places have to become more experiential to draw people offline. It combines furniture design, space design, fixtures, store fronts. Lots of roles use CAD, various 3D modeling software, then there are jobs like account management.

Your Ds results seem very academic for an arts pathway though. They did a 3D design degree at my college, although I didn't do that BA funnily enough.

Landscape architecture sounds like it might suit him with a geography background, possibly a Geog degree and then a master. I'll PM you something as it's a bit outing.

@TwigTheWonderKid what has he designed in 3D? I think a design agency would be interesting for work experience, as long as it's one that's not too dry. So a London one ideally.

@TwigTheWonderKid what has he designed in 3D? I think a design agency would be interesting for work experience, as long as it's one that's not too dry. So a London one ideally.

Landscape architecture
Urban/Town planning - a lot of these courses are nowadays mixed with environmental issues/sustainability/climate change courses

Some sort of cultural heritage slant may be interesting? More third sector/possibly English Heritage opportunities?

GIS is going to go massive, particularly using geographic information + environmental data to map out future environmental vulnerabilities (flood risk, water shortages and drought, erosion, opportunities for renewable energies).

Urban design brings in a lot of town planning plus less mathematical aspects of architecture which may be of interest to him.

I always thought cartography would be amazing to do but there's less call for hand drawn maps these days!

Look at courses at Heriot-Watt, Dundee and Strathclyde University too - not necessarily to go there but to have an idea of what to look for!

If he is doing any degree related to these areas make sure they are accredited by the appropriate body
RIBA - architecture
RTPI - Planning
RICSS - any form of surveying etc

Surveying/real estate can lead to so many things. You have quantity surveying, building surveyors, land surveyors, surveyors working in finance doing investment deals and development surveyors. A great option which opens lots of doors. Reading and Oxford Brooks are good places to study.

Real Estate in general is a great profession to be in. Planning and architecture in my own personal view are fascinating to study but there are related career options which are vastly better paid and also include design and development, but as the client.

Have a look at the Urban Land Institute website and the RICS.

Is he interested in historic buildings and architecture? Heritage consultancy might be a pathway. It basically involves analysing the history and development of protected buildings, advising clients and architects on what changes would and wouldn’t be appropriate, coming up with design solutions, and helping clients gain listed building consent and planning permission.

Undergrad degree can be in history or something architecture-related, and an MA in conservation, architectural history or archaeology helps. You can probably go straight into a graduate assistant/architectural researcher job and gain experience there rather than getting an MA. There’s plenty of HC jobs about and they’re often surprisingly difficult to fill for something that is so interesting (and pays fairly well too).

Project Management tied in with any sort of housing/urban development etc would work.

Dyslexia is apparently very common among architect types.

My son wanted to do architecture but sounds a bit similar to yours, ecept he ave up working before 'a' levels even. We're going back 28 years though so dyslexia wasn't really accepted as a thing in the way it is now.

He has gone on to be an architectural technician and loves the work. Suits him perfectly and he's earning good money, which isn't everything but it helps.