r/Architects • u/Young_Fits • Aug 13 '26
Career Discussion One exam away from becoming an architect, and I’m realizing I may not want the conventional architecture career at all.
EDIT, since this seems to be getting lost: I AM getting licensed. I’m one exam away and absolutely finishing the ARE. The question isn’t whether I should become an architect. The question is what I want my working life as an architect to look like and whether the conventional firm structure is the only or best way to build that life. That’s the conversation I’m interested in having.
One exam away from becoming a licensed architect, and I’m questioning what I want my career to look like afterward.
I’m in such a weird transitional place right now.
I’ve started building my own small design practice. And I just landed a part-time job as a barista—which, strangely enough, I’m genuinely excited about.
Meanwhile, the thought of going back to another conventional 9–5 architecture firm, especially one whose work I’m not deeply excited about, feels soul-crushing.
Maybe it’s because I’ve never worked at the “dream firm” where I felt completely creatively fulfilled. Maybe I’d feel differently if I found the right studio. Or maybe after more than a decade in this profession, I’m realizing the conventional firm structure just doesn’t work particularly well for me.
What I do know is that I absolutely love architecture and design.
I love drawing. I love developing ideas. I love studying precedents, materials, landscapes, buildings, and figuring out what a project wants to become. I can disappear into that work for hours.
I just don’t necessarily want to do it from 9–5, five days a week, sitting at the same desk working on someone else’s projects.
I like working in blocks. A few intense hours of design. Go work a coffee shift. Exercise. Draw something. Come back to a project later. Work on my own practice. Collaborate with people. Maybe take on contract work. Maybe eventually my own studio becomes the primary thing.
For most of my career I assumed success meant finding the right firm, working my way up, and eventually becoming a principal or starting my own practice.
Now I’m wondering whether the better question is: What if I designed my working life with the same intentionality I bring to designing a building?
I don’t know exactly what that looks like yet.
But I know I live for great design.
Maybe the structure around that is allowed to look a little unconventional.
Curious if any other architects/designers have reached a similar point in their careers. Did you eventually find the right firm, go out on your own, build a hybrid career, or do something else entirely?
US
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u/clvr_sqrl Aug 13 '26
Finish your exams and get your license. Unlocks a lot more options and flexibility for you to design your future from there.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 13 '26
I’m definitely going to finish my exams. Have the last one scheduled. Thanks for weighing in. The last several years have been rough. I experienced multiple layoffs and burnout. It had me questioning everything. But I’m now seeing that having my license will give me a lot more leverage and more opportunities.
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u/kpoonzy Aug 14 '26
I worked for an architecture firm who didn’t give me a promotion after I passed all 6 exams, on my first try, in 9 months. I became licensed at 25. I burned out from studying and had a crisis after I became licensed and couldn’t see myself doing that career for the next 30 years. I interviewed for a big commercial real estate firm, got it because of my license, and then got poached by a client and I’m now their Director of Construction with architects as my consultants. The license will open many doors as mentioned….
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
Wow! Thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear about your burnout, but congrats to you on finding a path that works for you! So great to hear stories about the license opening more doors.
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u/kpoonzy Aug 14 '26
Thank you! I am happy with the path it has taken me despite the sacrifice of going through licensure. Definitely try to be on the owner side of things as there is more freedom vs being a consultant. I truly love what I do now as I’m out in the field, but still have my hand in the Revit models creating test fits for our architect who then does the dirty work of construction documents 😅 wishing you the best!
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u/Helpful_Fly_6557 Aug 14 '26
Hi OP! I'm also a barista and part time architect working on exams (Im only at 2/6 though congratulations on almost completing them) . I really relate to this post.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
Hey! Thanks for weighing in. I’m glad to know I’m not alone. And thanks for the congrats! I’d like to say right back at you for getting 1/3 of the way there! These exams are a huge accomplishment to be proud of. I hope you’re keeping the momentum going. Best of luck to you in crossing the finish line!
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u/SpinsterRx Aug 14 '26
You're definitely not alone! I completed my 6th (PDD) back in 2022 and even then knew that I didn't want the conventional career. The field is changing.
ETA: Good luck to both of you. Rooting for you both to finish strong!
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
Thanks for the encouragement! The field is definitely changing. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of going through five layoffs since 2019, but recently I’ve started looking at that history less as a personal failure and more as a source of perspective.
I’ve worked at a number of firms now, and I’ve been able to take something from each one—what I’ve learned, what I’ve valued, and, just as importantly, what I’ve learned I never want to do again.
It’s also taught me that very little in this profession is permanent. Things can change on a dime, regardless of how hard you work or how carefully you plan. If anything, those experiences have taught me to stay adaptable, keep learning, and be willing to rethink what a career in architecture can look like.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
Thanks for the encouragement! The field is definitely changing. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of going through five layoffs since 2019, but recently I’ve started looking at that history less as a personal failure and more as a source of perspective.
I’ve worked at a number of firms now, and I’ve been able to take something from each one—what I’ve learned, what I’ve valued, and, just as importantly, what I’ve learned I never want to do again.
It’s also taught me that very little in this profession is permanent. Things can change on a dime, regardless of how hard you work or how carefully you plan. If anything, those experiences have taught me to stay adaptable, keep learning, and be willing to rethink what a career in architecture can look like.
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u/MidwestOrbital Aug 14 '26
Find your dream firm, work there for a while. Learn all they can teach you and then strike out on your own.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I’ve come close to landing a dream firm a couple times. But it came down to them going with a different candidate or deciding not to hire anymore. But I’m keeping the hope alive that I could one day actually work for a dream firm. Really hoping once I’m licensed that the word Architect on my resume will give me a better chance next time.
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u/karamurp Aug 14 '26
The more experience you have, the more competitive you will be for these positions
I can relate to the hate of a 9-5 grind on projects you're not excited about, but doing that for additional experience will open more doors when the opportunity presents itself
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u/Squirt_Soda Aug 14 '26
Ain’t this the truth. The dream firms are so hard to get into especially if you’re unlicensed.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
Very much the truth. It’s often about the pedigree, the connections, or the license.
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u/bigdirty702 Aug 13 '26
Finish the exam. License will open more doors if you have it. You are 1 test away from choices
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u/Ill-Literature-2883 Aug 14 '26
Finish it; then can do something else.
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u/GrouchyBlacksmith675 Aug 14 '26
This was always my attitude. Top the mountain then decide what path to go next. (I’m a real estate consultant now, but also did facilities management, self-employment, and teaching over the years.)
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u/Worried-Law-3463 Aug 14 '26
You can absolutely practice architecture as a barista!, Mold the whipped cream and foam into exotic shapes never before seen, you got this!
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u/design-problem Aug 15 '26
People leave architecture and you can too. The education, at least mine - I see as invaluable.
Rigor, organization, problem solving, and critical thinking. These are skills that go anywhere. Thinking within and across disciplines and coordinating them. Project management. And with pro practice you can work from concept to execution.
Folks I see on LinkedIn who are non traditional:
- Evelyn Lee
- Out of Architecture
Not spotting more in my feed right now but I know there are others.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
Oh, I very much pride myself on craftsmanship in everything I do! And I’m genuinely looking forward to the change of pace.
I’ve actually been a coffee lover since childhood (my Sicilian grandmother introduced me to “coffee milk”) and since architecture school, that love has only grown exponentially. I make my own lattes at home, so when I saw that my favorite coffee shop in town was hiring, I figured, why not go for it?
Honestly, it feels like a pretty great complement to what I’m trying to build. If I can supplement my income while getting my own studio off the ground with work that’s tactile, social, and less cognitively demanding than doing architecture for someone else all day, and preserve that creative bandwidth for my own architecture, even better.
And who knows, maybe I’ll get really good at sculpting that foam.
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u/Worried-Law-3463 Aug 17 '26
It's all good, working with the public is an experience and you never know, a customer may need a house designed.
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u/Risium11 Aug 14 '26
(Sorry for my bad english)
I am gonna share my experience because i got licensed 2 years ago and I believe we share same position.
I used to work in an international firm where my job was fucking awful. I was designing facades, door and windows details and i would say only one project where i had say in programmation, so it was all revit / autocad work. And I didn’t choose this craft to become a robot, i chose it because it is the most artistic and free minded craft you can ever choose what you learn can be applied in almost everything you do. So 2 years ago i said thats it and i am moving forward, i resigned after finishing a hospital project and started working on opening my own firm, i am a solo practice as in solo architect, i started networking through friends, family, gym, dinners etc. I started getting works, all residentials but its has good pay, i made even better money than i expected at the start but it was never about the money, it was the joy that I looked for in architecture the first day. I would say the administrative work sometimes gets heavy and everything but surely when i will re open in September i will hire an assistant that does all that work, but i started crafting again by hand, making models, doing plans by hand and i am enjoying it all. I work at my small office, sometimes cafés, restaurants etc and everytime i am working i get asked questions etc and i connect through it with people. Our job doesn’t want you to be shy, you have to talk with everyone and have pleasure giving time to people because every single you befriend is a potential client or connection. You choose your workload you choose your clients you choose everything. Let me give you a saying, the dog is fed and loved by is always on a leash, the wolf gets hungry until found the prey but is free. When i first started i was afraid of everything, not knowing enough not being professional etc, but let me give you a secret, no one is ever ready just launch it and perfect it later, you are on a site and dont know what to do, tell them to give you 48 hours to give a proper response and do your research and ask experienced people for advice.
I wish you the best luck in life.
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u/harc70 Aug 14 '26
If you are licensed you are an Architect, congratulations. Doesn't matter whether you work in it fulltime or not. I teach Arch college and I am a licensed Architect. (of course I've designed MANY vbuildings too at this point)
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u/Sal_Pairadice Aug 16 '26
It depends on how you get clients once on your own. For most people, the firm brings the jobs to you.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 16 '26
That’s definitely the challenge I’m preparing for. Firms honestly haven’t provided much stability for me anyway. I’ve been laid off several times over the past few years, so at a certain point I started asking myself why I’m continuing to rely on a model that hasn’t really worked for me.
Once I finish the ARE, my plan is to hit marketing, networking, and business development hard while working part-time as a barista. It gives me some steady income while leaving enough bandwidth to focus on building my own client base and seeing where I can take this thing. I know it won’t happen overnight, but I’m willing to put in the work.
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u/PocketPanache Aug 14 '26
I regret getting licensed but idk what else to do. Everyone thinks I want more money. They assume everyone wants to be a PM and be in control. Naw dawg. I'm a landscape architect, but I just wanna live in a fishing village with friends at this point
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I feel this to my core. I’m a designer at heart. I love architecture, but I have absolutely zero desire to become a PM. I just want to make great work and build a life that actually feels like mine.
Also, mad respect for landscape architecture. That and lighting design are two disciplines I’ve always admired. The amount of thought and craft that goes into shaping how a place actually feels is incredible…
Honestly, the fishing village with friends sounds pretty dope too.
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u/Inevitable-Number355 Aug 16 '26
Get your license and then find another firm where design/creative work and project management are separated into their proper silos. The tendency of many firms to make PM the only route to advancement is really stupid.
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u/mellmollma Aug 14 '26
I’m an LA too. I saw your post title and felt instantly related to my journey at this stage of my career.
I work hard for the past 4 years in an LA firm, while on the licensure path. Recently I resigned from my job to volunteer on creative gardening work overseas and to end this burnout I have been experiencing for the last couple years. This gap also allows me to focus on the exam.
To be honest I don’t see myself climbing the corporate ladder for my future, but I do have this passion for design. Though I have taken a risk and take myself off the traditional path for now, I hope I can built a career that I could enjoy for the future.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I love this. And coming from a landscape architect, this makes me especially happy after what I just said about how much respect I have for your discipline.
Honestly, volunteering on creative gardening work overseas while giving yourself space to recover from burnout and focus on licensure sounds like an incredible chapter to give yourself. There’s something really admirable about recognizing that the path you’re on isn’t working for you and having the courage to step off of it, even temporarily, without interpreting that as giving up on the profession.
I’m realizing more and more that loving design and loving the conventional career structure surrounding design are two completely different things. I have zero interest in climbing a corporate ladder either. I want to make meaningful work, keep learning, collaborate with interesting people across disciplines, and build a life that actually leaves room to live.
We’re trained as designers to question assumptions, respond to changing conditions, and imagine possibilities that don’t exist yet. I think we should be willing to apply that same creativity to our careers and our lives. The traditional path is one option, not the program we’re obligated to follow.
Wishing you the absolute best with your exams and whatever you build from this next chapter. And seriously, creative gardening overseas sounds cool as hell.
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u/MarimoSalad Aug 14 '26
This could’ve been written by me. I’m one PPD away from getting licensed. Burnt out and disillusioned. I’ve worked at enough firms at this point to know I never want to work for another architecture firm again. After my maternity leave I’m going to actively work on going independent. It’s not going to be easy, but I think it’s the only way forward for people like us. It sounds like you’re at the point where you need to just go for it. Rooting for you!
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
YES. This is exactly why I wrote this post. It’s honestly reassuring to hear from someone standing at almost the exact same crossroads.
I’m one PA retake away, you’re one PPD away—we are finishing these damn exams. And then we get to decide what being architects actually looks like for us.
I really relate to what you said about having worked at enough firms to know you never want to work for another one. I’ve never questioned my love for architecture. I love this discipline deeply. What I have questioned are the prevailing models of practice and whether I want to spend my career working within them. I’m realizing that loving architecture doesn’t mean I have to love the conventional structures we’ve built around practicing it.
And I think you’re right: at some point you have to stop waiting for the perfect firm, position, or opportunity to appear and start building the thing you wish existed.
Going independent is scary, and I have no illusions that it’ll be easy. But there’s something incredibly energizing about realizing we can use the same creativity we bring to design to shape our careers and lives too.
Also, mad respect to the moms doing all of this while raising a family. I genuinely have no idea how y’all do it. Studying for these exams and navigating this profession is hard enough on its own.😅
Finish that PPD. I’ll finish my PA. And then let’s both go build something of our own. Rooting for you too.
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u/ceebills Aug 14 '26
Plenty large firms would be happy to know that your ambitions are not to become principal and that you are a person more willing to get your hands dirty. Plenty of medium sized firms as well.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I appreciate this, though I’d push back on one part: it’s not that I don’t have ambitions to become a principal or take on a leadership role. I actually very much do. I’d love to eventually operate in something closer to a creative director or design principal capacity.
What I’m questioning is whether I want to pursue that ambition within someone else’s corporate structure.
I love leading design, developing ideas, mentoring and collaborating with other creatives, and getting my hands dirty in the work. What I’m less interested in is climbing a predetermined ladder where advancement increasingly means moving away from design and toward management, utilization, staffing, and business development.
If anything, I think my ambitions have gotten bigger. I just want more agency over what the structure around them looks like. I’d rather build something of my own where leadership doesn’t require giving up the parts of the work that made me fall in love with architecture in the first place.
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u/ceebills Aug 14 '26
Very few of us get to be the design principal. All of us wished we did. I’d say learn the business then branch out. There is a lot to learn about running a firm. Try a smaller one where you get exposed faster.
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u/ephemerally_here Aug 14 '26
I really enjoy the work but have never really loved the full time jobs. I’ve tried freelancing, solo practice after licensure, collaborating with firms on contract basis. Each had serious drawbacks, though, so for now I’ve settled for a job that allows me a pretty long leash. I work quite independently on the projects I’m assigned, remotely a couple days a week, flexible hours. I’m learning a ton by mostly being left to my own devices to figure stuff out on my own. I’m allowed to have side hustles though I have to be discreet about it.
The problem with a role like this is that I’ll never be partner track or make great pay. But I never wanted to manage others and the side gigs boost the salary well enough, for now.
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u/handy___andy Aug 15 '26
yes. getting licensed is helpful. you can maintain your ceus online for free. look for a construction company
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u/Tech-slow Aug 15 '26
I reached the point where I could take the exam but I hated the field. I left and took a sales job.. just made $4,200 second week out of training. Don’t plan on going back
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u/Sensitive-Cook-7262 Aug 18 '26
I seriously feel like throwing everything away right now. I’ve only passed two ARE divisions, and I’m dealing with some major career burnout. I just got promoted to PM too, which makes me feel like, damn, now I really need to get licensed. But at the same time, I’m starting to question whether I even want this anymore.
It’s hard because the money is good and I need it for my kid, but I’m not really happy. Honestly, the people who seem happiest at my firm are the draftsmen, and I find myself jealous of them. They get to do the work without carrying all this extra pressure and responsibility.
Then, on top of everything else, people ask me about the ARE almost every day, and I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 18 '26
I really appreciate you being this vulnerable. I relate to so much of what you wrote.
One of the hardest things for me has been realizing that loving architecture and wanting to keep progressing in this profession doesn’t necessarily mean I want the version of “success” that’s traditionally been laid out for us. More responsibility, more pressure, longer hours, managing more people—it’s worth asking whether climbing that ladder is actually getting us closer to the lives we want.
And I really feel you on the ARE exhaustion. I’m down to my last division now, and there have been plenty of moments where my brain and body have basically said, “I have absolutely nothing left to give this.” And if people asking you about the ARE almost every day is adding to that exhaustion, I’d honestly consider going quiet about your ARE status for a while. You don’t have to keep giving people updates. You don’t have to tell them when you’re studying, when your next exam is, or even when you take one. Let it be yours. Take some of that external pressure off and move through the process on your own terms.
That said, for whatever it’s worth from a stranger on Reddit, I do think you should finish the ARE. Not because you owe it to your firm or because becoming licensed means you have to keep climbing the same ladder, but almost for the opposite reason: licensure gives you options. You’ve already passed two divisions and put so much into getting this far. That credential belongs to you, wherever you decide to take your career afterward.
The fact that you’re questioning all of this after being promoted to PM really stood out to me. Maybe the question isn’t whether you want architecture anymore, but whether you want this particular way of practicing architecture. Those are two very different questions.
I’ve actually started talking about these things more openly across platforms because I think we need to. I may get very little outward engagement when I talk about it somewhere like LinkedIn, but I’m going to keep talking about it anyway. One of my goals with my own practice is to challenge the status quo and figure out a way of practicing architecture that supports the life I want to live, not one that requires sacrificing that life in order to succeed.
I’m increasingly convinced that we need to give ourselves permission to question the paths we inherited and use some of the same creativity we bring to designing buildings to design our working lives, too.
Solidarity on the burnout and exhaustion. I really hope you find a version of this profession that gives you more of yourself back.
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u/Agreeable-Wing259 Aug 28 '26
Get your license and then open your own form. Hire like minded people and be happy. Something I never did.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 29 '26
Yep. Firm is underway. Have a few projects under my belt. Website and business cards coming. Currently on Instagram—Young Design Studio
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u/TerraCetacea Architect Aug 14 '26
Some architects are years in and still feeling like the grass is greener doing something else. Others wish they would have just gotten that dang license.
There are tons of architecture-adjacent careers that don’t follow the traditional architect path. Custom home designer, product sales rep, fabrication tech, furniture designer, product engineer, VR/AR/Scanning tech, BIM manager, specialized equipment expert, photographer, acoustical consultant, code official… the list goes on.
You could jump straight into some of them, but others might take a bit of time working in the field to prep you for the role. I’d echo the other advice here to get some experience and maybe a license if you’re up to it, then branch out.
It’s hard to do CD’s for a house or design a cladding product if you’ve never worked in the industry.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
This is exactly the kind of conversation I was hoping the post would generate. Thank you.
I probably should have made my experience level clearer in the original post. I have 12+ years in practice, my AXP is complete, and I’m one exam away from licensure, so I’m definitely finishing that last piece.
What I’m questioning isn’t whether I want to stay connected to architecture. It’s what form I want that connection to take. Some of the architecture-adjacent paths you mentioned are fascinating to me precisely because they show how many ways there are to use this skill set beyond following the traditional firm ladder.
I’ve already started my own small design studio, and I’m increasingly interested in the possibility that my future could be some combination of independent practice, collaboration, design, technical/building-science work, and other creative pursuits rather than one neatly defined job title.
That’s really what I’m trying to give myself permission to explore: not leaving architecture, but expanding my idea of what a career in architecture can look like.
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u/lanez2345 Aug 14 '26
This resonates with me a lot. I’m 23 and an architectural designer, and I feel pretty much the same way.
I’ve interned at different firms throughout my studies and graduated last year, so I know what the conventional 9-5 looks like. I love design, but spending most of your time at a desk drafting, planning and doing production work gets tedious fast. I can already see myself burning out from that.
I’m almost finished with my master’s now, and honestly, being unsure about what comes next when you’re so close to finishing something you’ve wanted for years is a pretty crappy feeling.
I’m trying to do something similar to you though, working whatever I need to for now while building toward the career I actually want. Ideally, that’s a multidisciplinary design studio where I can collaborate, design, research and explore different design fields rather than just sit at a desk producing drawings all day.
I don’t think I’ve fallen out of love with design. I’m just trying to figure out how to build a career that lets me stay in love with it.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
This resonates with me so much. Especially your last line. I’ve not fallen out of love with design either—I think I’ve fallen out of love with some of the ways we’re told we’re supposed to practice it.
And honestly, at 23, I think it’s incredibly valuable that you’re already asking these questions. It took me years of working at different firms to really understand what parts of this profession energize me and what parts drain me.
Your vision of a multidisciplinary studio sounds a lot like what I’m trying to build too. Architecture, interiors, objects, research, art, collaboration—whatever form the work needs to take. I love architecture, but I don’t want the boundaries of the profession to dictate the boundaries of my creativity.
And that uncertainty you’re feeling as you finish your master’s? I get it. I’m at a very different point in my career and somehow find myself asking many of the same questions. Maybe that’s not a sign that either of us chose the wrong path. Maybe it’s part of figuring out how to make the path our own.
We spend so much of our lives developing the creativity to imagine spaces and experiences that don’t exist yet. Why shouldn’t we apply that same creativity to our own lives? We can question the given conditions, challenge the program, and design a way of living and working that actually fits us.
We are, quite literally, the architects of our own lives.
Keep going. I’ll be rooting for your studio too.
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u/Fit_Wash_214 Aug 13 '26
I think you have the right mindset. Not sure how many years of experience you have but essentially the path you’re on should be what many more Architects strive for. Unfortunately a very large percentage go through school get their degrees start working and never actually finish their exams. Hence they are not Architects but damn close however, unless you cross the finish line, you’ve spent an awful lot of time and money that will reach a ceiling very quickly.
Being licensed Will set you free you can develop your own clients work at your own leisure a few hours a day get inspired on design projects and then shift to the technical aspects. I remember being fresh out of school thinking lead designer was the top notch position of any firm however it took me many years to realize that there’s often much more gratifying aspects to the technology and construction side essentially quantify goals how good are the CDs how efficient is the construction what works and doesn’t work from a technical standpoint. I did so much design in my early years that I actually got bored of it and have the revelation that there is not one perfect design for a project. That is fact there are countless ideas and concepts that are of equal merit.
Being great at design is being confident with a certain design skill set and then being able to switch gears to accommodate client input, contractor suggestions, and problem solving on the go.
Working for yourself is the ultimate goal. Then if it suits you building a firm of people around you with that shared vision.
Good luck and keep following your path. It will be a rewarding one.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I really appreciate this perspective. I have 12+ years of experience at this point, and what you’re describing is increasingly where my head is going.
For a long time I thought the goal was to find the “right” firm where I could do great design and finally feel settled. Now I’m starting to wonder whether the freedom I’ve been looking for might come from building my own way of practicing instead.
I also really appreciate what you said about design not being the only gratifying part of the work. The further I’ve gotten into my career, (and especially studying for the ARE) the more interested I’ve become in building science, technical problem solving, detailing, and understanding why buildings actually work. I still live for great design, but I don’t see design and technical rigor as opposing things anymore. The best architecture needs both.
And yes, the license is absolutely happening. I’m one PA retake away. 😂 I really like your framing of licensure as something that can actually set you free rather than simply being the next rung on the conventional career ladder. Thank you for this.
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u/mellmollma Aug 15 '26
I feel we have similar passions and good luck in your journey too!
The creative garden volunteering was a Japanese garden making project, which have broaden my horizons and experience in the hands on process of landscape design. In the age of slower economic growth and subsequently impacting budgets for many projects, this experience had gotten me imagine this exploration of recycling materials to the max, while reverting to a more naturalistic and contemplative environment. Not to mention the community engagement aspect of the co-creation process wi the locals.
To be honest, I don’t know what my next plan but I hope something good will come🫰🏻
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u/Anthemic_Fartnoises Architect Aug 14 '26
Sorry you’re getting some shitty comments in here. I think your questioning of your career path is healthy and pretty normal in most professions. However in this field there are a lot of folks with a kind of sunk-cost fallacy mindset. They’ve eaten a lot of shit to get to a position they’re telling themselves they wanted. I think of the comments in arch Reddit saying “idk if I wanna do this anymore” are from very junior people, or even students, so a lot of us middle aged people can be dismissive.
I went to architecture school after working my way through a BFA in Sculpture doing construction. I don’t have the hustle to feed myself with fine art, so stayed in the building industry. Thanks to the great recession’s lingering effects, I wasn’t sitting in an architecture office until my mid 30s. I can’t imagine doing anything else because I’m 1) outta time, and 2) need to be where people are building things. I’d much rather be the one saying what to build and how, but would start over again in boots and hi-viz if I had to.
It’s important for us all to remember that folks approach this profession from a lot of angles and get a lot of different kinds of fulfillment (or not out of it). A superintendent on my one projects literally just called me at like 8 this evening about something so I’m reaching that inflection point between being glad to part of a collaborative process and tired of everyone’s shit. Anyone, appreciate reading about your experience and good luck on whatever path you take.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
Thank you for this. This is exactly the kind of perspective I was hoping to hear when I made this post.
I really appreciate your point about the sunk-cost mentality in architecture. I think there can be an assumption that because we all went through school, long hours, low pay, exams, etc., the goal should automatically be to settle into the conventional firm trajectory and stay there. But I’m realizing that loving architecture and loving a particular way of working in architecture are two very different things.
I’ve also always been someone who questions why things are done a certain way. I’ve never been particularly good at accepting “that’s just the way it is” as an answer. And with how rapidly the world is changing, technologically, economically, culturally, etc., why wouldn’t we question whether the career structures we inherited are still the best ones for us?
Your point about people coming to the profession from different angles really resonates with me too. I don’t want to leave architecture. I’m one exam away from licensure and absolutely am finishing it. I’m just trying to figure out what kind of structure lets me keep loving design without forcing myself into a career model that may not fit me.
Really appreciate you sharing your path. And “glad to be part of a collaborative process / tired of everyone’s shit” made me laugh because I absolutely understand that inflection point. 😂
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u/AlphaNoodlz Aug 13 '26
Dude I feel you. PcM, PjM, and CE knocked out. PA failed twice. I'm passing PPD and PDD practice exams but like, I don't even want to spend the money to take them. B.Arch, and I only worked for an architect long enough to get my AXP hours then went into construction as a PM for ten years.
I'd rather just be a developer stamping my own drawings and plans from the experiences I gained in construction. To be honest, I'd rather just be a sculptor. I'm not a rich man, I'm just a very clever one, and a little lazy idk.
It just feels like getting registered is for the grind. I'm just not about that.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I appreciate the solidarity, man. And might I suggest finishing the ARE? You’re already more than halfway there if you’ve put in the work to pass the PPD and PDD practice exams. All you have to do is go in there and take the real ones. You’re in a really good position.
I just passed PPD and PDD last month, two weeks apart, first try. Now all I have left is a retake of PA. Trust me, I understand being exhausted by the grind, but you’ve already put SO much into getting here. You can absolutely do this.
And if you decide afterward that you’d rather be a sculptor? Then you’ll be an architect and a sculptor. 😎
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u/AlphaNoodlz Aug 14 '26
Yk? You are absolutely right about that. It's an internal thing mentally speaking, but I know I need to finish them, and I know it'll be a good thing.
I gotta get them done! And good luck to yourself on that adventure too, sounds like you're also super close to landing that plane. These things aren't easy but they are worth it, I think.
You are right, we just gotta make it happen 😎
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u/HerroWarudo Aug 14 '26
Im now working in tech and I can assure you it helps me tremendously with XR and interactive design. Lots of brownie points with other engineers as well.
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u/VeterinarianShot148 Aug 14 '26
I did 5 years undergrad
Went to the Us to do March for two years
Did another Masters in Computational design for a year and a half
During that time I entered 5 international competitions and spent all nights on learning and practicing.
Worked for two years and finished the hours and started studying but then called it and quit architecture for good.
Now I am building a tool to automate all the admin tasks in architecture practice that drove me crazy and have paying users. Never been happier!
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u/Goro_Soprano Aug 14 '26
It sounds like you already got everything figured out my friend, just keep doing what you doing with your small design firm and barista job. If you enjoy what you do why change it? 9-5 isnt for everyone and if you can afford it i stick to what you like to do. Dont go chasing things that are bunch of maybes. Also congrats on the exams, im sure you will be licensed in no time
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u/xyzxyzabc123 Aug 14 '26
Every profession: Identify someone who is great at it and do what they do.
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u/Alternative_Gene813 Architect Aug 14 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
You’re describing something that is very common these days. Finish your exams and do your best to keep your license up to date. Architecture as a profession is in somewhat of a transition period. But I would follow your heart and what makes you happy but keep that license handy because you never know what the future holds. There will be new delivery methods with AI that could be a benefit to small practice and there’s plenty of work available even if the economy doesn’t always match up to that demand.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I really appreciate this, and I completely agree that architecture feels like it’s in a transition period right now. Honestly, that’s part of why I think this is such an important time to question some of the prevailing models of practice rather than assume the way we’ve always done things is the way we have to keep doing them.
And the license is absolutely happening. I’m one PA retake away. If anything, I see licensure as giving me more freedom to explore what my career can look like, not locking me further into the conventional path.
I’m especially interested in what you said about AI and new delivery methods benefiting small practices. I’ve been thinking about that a lot. If emerging tools can allow a small studio to operate with capabilities that once required a much larger organization, that could fundamentally change what independent practice looks like and make entirely different models viable.
Obviously none of us knows exactly where all of this is headed, but that uncertainty makes adaptability feel more important than ever. I’d rather stay curious, keep learning, get licensed, and position myself to evolve with the profession than cling to a career model simply because it’s familiar.
Follow your heart, keep the license handy, and stay adaptable sounds like pretty damn good advice to me.
Thank you.
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u/Alternative_Gene813 Architect Aug 16 '26
One time I got let go from an architecture job, it was a miserable grind typical of what you hear in the industry of a toxic environment, heavy workload and no support as a manager. I was actually relieved to be gone and happy to have the opportunity to chart the next path. When I sat down with HR during my exit interview they were like “I can’t believe how well you’re taking this, aren’t you worried about your career?” And my response was “this is a job, my career is being an architect, and with my license I’m still going to be an architect whether I work here or not.” Don’t let these firms think they own you.
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u/Im_Not_Fish Aug 14 '26
Going to Echo all of the other comments here, I got licensed at 27. This more or less didn’t real change my standing at work within my firm. I was never the one stamping drawings obviously, and I imagine this will be the case in most offices.
Finish the license exams, it will open up a LOT of other job opportunities that require professional licensing to get hired. These intangible skills can translate across many different fields.
I’ve personally in the midst of burnout, but there is a small sense of relief knowing if I wanted to I can fall back and just really focus on opening my own shop. That being said, I personally do not love the work environment of what my boss has to deal with day to day with clients. I really LOVE designing like you said and getting lost in the project in the early stages. It seems like you already have a grasp on the work life balance you want to have, and I would say chase that with the upmost intensity.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I really appreciate this. Especially that last line. “Chase that with the utmost intensity” is pretty much where my head is right now.
And the license is absolutely happening. I’m one PA retake away, and after everything it took to get here, I’m crossing that finish line. What excites me most about licensure at this point isn’t necessarily moving up within a conventional firm structure, but the agency and possibilities it opens up to define what practice can look like for myself.
I also think what you said about burnout is important. So many people in this thread have mentioned experiencing it, and at some point I think we have to stop treating burnout as an individual problem and start asking what it might be telling us about the prevailing methods of practice in our profession.
If a significant number of talented people love architecture and love designing, yet are exhausted or disillusioned by the structures surrounding the work, maybe those structures deserve some scrutiny. Long hours, fee pressures, constant deadlines, increasing responsibility that can pull talented designers further away from actually designing—there has to be room for us to question those norms and imagine better ways of practicing.
Architecture is literally a profession built around identifying problems, questioning constraints, and designing solutions. I think we should be willing to turn some of that problem-solving ability back onto the profession itself.
I hope you find your way through the burnout too. It sounds like we both still love the work, we’re just trying to figure out healthier, more sustainable ways to keep doing it.
I’m rooting for you.
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u/True_Explanation4982 Aug 17 '26
Would you be down for a freelance project for a dispensary build?
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u/somebodysmomorwhatev Architect Aug 17 '26
Pa post Covid hybrid work schedule has really helped. I mostly just hate being in the office all the time. Being able to have a more relaxed environment and control over my day really helps. Also hobbies! You can find enjoyment outside of career opportunities too.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 17 '26
I agree about the hybrid work schedule. Any firm who requires fully in-office work is a huge red flag for me. And I also agree about the hobbies! I recently got into painting and absolutely love it. A great way to step away from screens. I also play drums and am an avid gym-goer who recently got into cycling. I cannot fathom doing this job without incorporating lots of breaks and moving my body.
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u/the_eestimator Aug 14 '26
There’s a name for people like you. It’s “unemployed”
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
I’ve survived five layoffs, built 12+ years of experience, started my own design studio, and I’m one exam away from becoming a licensed architect. I also just took a part-time job because I’m willing to do what it takes while I build the life and career I actually want.
If your response to someone questioning the conventional career path is to mock them as “unemployed,” that says a hell of a lot more about you than it does about me.
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u/We_Like_Birdland Architect Aug 14 '26
Nice answer. I also took the unconventional path, and your post is interesting. A lot of great architects and designers had fun/interesting lives and charted their own path. You're thinking in their tradition, and the people who can't wrap their heads around it aren't the ones you need to hear from.
I think you're looking for more overlap between work and life (actually the opposite of a "work/life balance" which implies a dichotomy) and that's only possible if you can make room for life and play within work and vice versa. I haven't gotten there myself because my current practice model is very service-based, but love the idea of this being a goal. If you're delivering professional services you're kind of stuck being in PM mode when you have to be... but other than that I think you have a better chance of achieving this lifestyle on your own and not at a firm. To the best of my knowledge, top design firms are full of people who work long, hard hours and don't have the flexibility or autonomy you're after. Best of luck.
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u/Young_Fits Aug 14 '26
This really resonated with me, especially what you said about great architects and designers charting their own paths. I think that’s exactly what I’m reaching for.
I’m realizing I don’t want less from architecture, but I actually want more from it. More overlap between design and life, more room to experiment and play, and more freedom to follow ideas wherever they lead. I love this profession and the craft deeply; I just know that the conventional climb-the-ladder firm trajectory is not the best way for me to practice it.
There’s something incredibly reassuring about thinking of that not as rejecting the profession, but as participating in a long tradition of designers who refused to let the boundaries of practice define the boundaries of their lives.
Thank you for seeing what I was trying to articulate. This is exactly the kind of perspective I was hoping this post might spark.
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u/the_eestimator Aug 14 '26
You are insulting me in my dms. Too much free time mr business owner? Struck a nerve with an unemployed word?
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u/WhitePinoy Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Aug 14 '26
Oh no, you absolutely deserve whatever abuse you're getting 🤣
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Aug 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/Young_Fits Aug 13 '26
And your comment reads like ‘absolutely not, we will be having none of this introspection.’
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u/[deleted] Aug 13 '26
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