10 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Architecture: Insights from an Experienced Architect and Interior Designer

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10 reasons to become an architect

Welcome to the world of architecture—a profession that combines artistry, technical expertise, and a passion for shaping the built environment. Whether you’re already drawn to the idea of becoming an architect or you are curious about what this field has to offer, join me as I share 10 reasons why pursuing a career in architecture could be your ultimate calling.

10 Reasons To Become An Architect

As an architect (and interior designer) with 15+ years of experience, I’ve found immense fulfilment in this creative and dynamic field. Here’s why you too might find yourself captivated by the world of architecture:

10/ Ten: a great skillset

7 years of training gives you a load of different skills. Plus you get to immerse yourself in an intellectually stimulating environment and bond with your studio group.

9/ Nine: the Education

You train not only within Architecture but also in interiors, urban planning, art history, construction, psychology, storytelling, illustration, sculpture, presenting, and debater - you become a thinker, creator, and excuse maker.

8/ Eight: career options

These skills will prepare you for your career - whatever direction you take. You are not tied to Architecture.

7/ Seven: designing and creating

You get to draw out solutions and build models which are developed into real-scale things.

6/ Six: life long learning

You never stop learning and gaining skills. Architects learn something new every day. You will continue to learn way after university, i.e. you will understand and appreciate how things go together, come apart, function, etc.

 

5/ Five: making a difference

Architecture affects people’s lives, whether they realize it or not. Your work can, and should, improve their environment and make it safer. 

4/ Four: you designed that building

Passing a building and knowing that you are part of the reason it’s there or at least the reason it looks like that.

3/ Three: stay up to date

Architecture is evolving and you have to evolve with it. Technology changes, new materials are created, your ideas develop, new arguments are presented, perspectives change…and you are part of this evolution.

2/ Two: working with others & communication

You become a people person. You will work on your own but also in a team, collaboration is a big part of it. You become part of the ‘Design Team’. You need to be able to communicate through spoken presentations as well as your drawings and models. You need to stay motivated and motivate others.

You have the power to inspire.

1/ One:

Buildings stand the test of time, and so they will hopefully be here for longer than you are. How cool is that? - To think something up, draw it out, manage its build, and then walk through its front door.

It’s flipping cool.

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5 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Design: Insights from an Architect and Interior Designer

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5 reasons to become a designer

If you’re considering a career in design, whether it’s in architecture, interior design, or related fields, you’ve come to the right place. As an architect and interior designer with years of experience, I’m thrilled to share with you the top five reasons why embracing a career in design can be immensely rewarding and fulfilling.

Design is more than just aesthetics—it’s about problem-solving, creativity, and shaping environments that improve lives. I have always had an interest in design and the arts - drawing and making things so naturally, I took Art & Design at school, and my path to becoming a designer started.

5 Reasons Why I Became A Designer

Here are five compelling reasons why diving into the world of design might be your perfect fit:

1/ Do what you love

I love design, it’s that simple. It’s who I am, it’s what I think about. I see, analyze and critic it all the time. I surrounded myself with things that inspired me, and I found new ideas and projects everywhere.

2/ Think outside the box

I get to express my creativity in my work and what I do. I work with other like-minded, creative people. We collaborate, we problem-solve, we encourage and push each other, but most importantly, we think outside the box.

3/ Never stop learning

I am constantly learning. I design, redesign, test, redesign…It’s not easy, and it’s never 9-5 but I design things that are made, or built, and will hopefully be there for a very long time.

4/ Designing for the world around us, the spaces we live and work in

My job involves a lot of critical thinking and an understanding of psychology. I design for the end-user so it’s not about colour or fluffy decor but I design out spaces; homes and workplaces. It directly affects people’s daily lives.

5/ Give back with a passion for Design

I’m an Architect but I teach too so I get to give back. I’m truly passionate about what I do and love working with students and young designers in their studies and projects.

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Do you want to become a Designer, if so, why?

Architecture Students: Stationary & Software

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Architecture Students: Stationary & Software

Congratulations!! You’ve just accepted your place at University, College or Art School…now what?

Getting prepared for your course: stationery and stuff

You will likely receive a list of books and supplies for your course, watch your budget, and don’t get carried away. Art and designer students tend to have a love for stationery already so you might not need to get too many items before you start but if you do, below I'm sharing some of the more practical items for you to invest in.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Student Expenses

Becoming a student of higher education comes with a lot of different expenses. Fees are obviously a big one, and you might be looking at moving out and into student accommodation so rent and travel expenses come into it, food, bills, supplies, etc. Start to list out all your expected expenses so you can start to work ut your budget and how you will cover them.

Moving out, leaving home, and learning to live without the support of your folks or roommates. Of course, for some of you, student life still means living at home - slightly more awkward for all-nighters but possibly better on the budget. 

If you are planning on moving out and into your own place then start to prepare a box of basic; pots and pans, cups, plates, towels, bedding, etc. Charity shops and Facebook marketplace could be your best friend soon.

Making money whilst studying

You might need to look into a part-time job or freelance work whilst studying and learning to balance course work with paid work, and fitting in some downtime can be challenging. 

Well done if you already have this covered and can continue in a job you are in but if not then see if your chosen school has a ‘job shop’ (this is a place where you can find jobs suited to students, hours, semesters).

Once you are on campus, keep an eye out for shop/bar/restaurant with adverts in the windows, often places will be looking for Saturday help or evening shifts ideal for students. It is best to try and find out what your term schedule will be first as courses have classes and lectures at different times, not always every day, therefore you can pick up shifts to work around your classes and workload. 

Materials, Budget, DIY

Art students can spend a lot on materials but it is wise to collect materials as you go if you are not already doing this. Make life easier for yourself by making your own sketchbooks, storing cardboard sheets for models, and presenting on both sides of the mount board. Budget, try to buy materials as you go, and do not leave it to a day before a hand in. Get that printing credit on your card, pay off the Library fine, book your holiday travel and start to save money for that study trip. 

Stationery

As an art student, of any design course, you will be expected to come to class and tutorials prepared with your own equipment. 

The following is a list of what I would recommend for students of subjects like Interior Design, Architecture, Interior Architecture, and ModelMakihng - it’s a good idea to keep them all in a durable container (a small toolbox is commonly used): 

I advised to have the following at home:

Computers: Mac or PC?

It’s like an age-old question within the design community - PC or Mac? Personally, whilst studying and working as an Architect, I always worked on a PC due to the software I mainly used. These days, I love my Mac and work a lot on my iPad Pro. If you are planning to purchase a new machine, speak to your course team first.

Most courses will not require you to purchase a computer or laptop but it’s advisable in the long term and might make your life a lot easier. 

A lot of Universities and Colleges have computers for you to access on campus however this might not be convenient for working from, and more suited to group work. 

Your phone is perfectly adequate for notes and pictures, and you might find an iPad or surface a more user-friendly, lightweight option for working between classes, lecture theatres, libraries, and so on. 

Base tech purchases on your budget of course, and your working style. 

Design software

If you decide to work from your own computer (PC/Mac) then you'll need to look into getting hold of the appropriate software (student discounts often apply).

I recommend the following software, especially for Interior Design, Interior Arch and Architecture students, but please check with your course team for more info:

NOTE: It is worth waiting until you have been advised by your tutor as to which software they support and will be teaching you, and when.

Often you will not be on a computer until term 2 / 3 of a course.  

Architecture 'Additional Reading' List

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Architecture 'Additional Reading' List

Seen as you have all these spare half days, empty slots in your timetable, and possibly even a reading week, as if, I've taken the time to list out some of the books I think you will find interesting - let's be honest...even if it's just to look at the pictures.

So, as for a more general and inspirational collection, there is a huge selection to choose from regarding Design and Architecture, Furniture, and Product. It is a great idea to have a copy of the main books as recommended by your course however often there is not a huge selection to choose from when it comes to the Interior, here is a selection of additional book, perhaps for the Christmas and birthday lists:

  1. Brooker, G & Stone S. (2008) Context & Environment (Basics Interior Architecture Series 02), Lausanne: AVA Academia

  2. Ching, F D K, & Binggeli C. (2012) Interior Design Illustrated, Van Nostrand & Reinhold

  3. Frampton K, Modern Architecture, A Critical History, London: Thames & Hudson

  4. Gagg, R. (2011) Texture & Materials (Basics Interior Architecture Series 05), Lausanne: AVA Academia

  5. Massey, A. (2008) Interior Design Since 1900, London: Thames & Hudson

  6. Rasmussen, S. E. (1962) Experiencing Architecture, Boston: MIT Press

  7. Farrelly, L. (2014) Representational Techniques, (Basic Architecture Series 01), Lausanne: AVA Academia

  8. Aquilino, M J. (2011) Beyond Shelter: Architecture For Crisis, Thames & Hudson

Architecture Student's Booklist

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Architecture Student's Booklist

Whether you're heading to an Open Day, had your interview, got your place, or already started on a course, you will need to start thinking about the dreaded book list, and if you will actually spend any of your hard-earned cash purchasing any of them. My advice is if you have some pennies to spare, take advantage of this time and money to invest in the basic book list. I suggest the following books mainly for Interior Design/Architecture courses but you can adapt if you're studying another art and design course.

Library

Universities and Colleges have fantastic Libraries, with Librarians who are not only friendly but can and will, assist you in finding out what it is you are after. There are loads of books, e-books, magazines and journals, online links, and tutorials, plus they often have a large selection of DVDs and videos from educational documentaries to inspirational movies. And, do not forget your local library too, they are perfect for local historical information, maps, old photos, etc. 

Books

If you are planning to study the interior, be it Interior Design or Interior Architecture and Design, I have listed some great books to help get you started and feed into your studies. The start of term is when students tend to have a little bit of money and therefore there is far more chance they will spend it on course supplies than any other student spending. With this in mind, I recommended the following four books:

  1. Ching, F D K. Architectural Graphics, Van Nostrand & Reinhold

  2. Littlefield, D. (2012) Metric Handbook: Planning & Design Data, London: Routledge

  3. Ross, A., Hatreed, J. & Baden-Powell, C. (2011) Architects Pocket Book, London: Architectural Press

  4. Architecture For Humanity. (2006) Design Like You Give A Damn, Thames & Hudson

  5. Pile, J. (2013) A History of Interior Design, London: Laurence King

  6. Plunkett, D. (2010) Construction and Detailing for Interior Design, Laurence King

  7. Brown, R. (2012) Materials and Interior Design, Laurence King

  8. McLeod V. (2012)Detail in Contemporary Residential Architecture, Laurence King [with CD of drawings] full series also available

PDF downloads:

Metric Handbook | Architect's Pocket Book 

Most of the books listed above will be used by both Interior Design and Architecture students alike, and are often a good investment as they will stay with you from student life to the working world. 

British Moving to Iceland - YouTube vlog

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Relocating to Reykjavík

On a cold and dreary evening here in the UK, I share some exciting news with you...I'm off on another adventure!! 

I've travelled for many reasons before - for adventure, for education, for career, and have had some great opportunities through my current job as a senior lecturer. And this time, I'm following my heart and moving to Reykjavik in Iceland.

A leap of faith…following my heart

My boyfriend, Ingimar (who is Icelandic), and I have thought about this for months, we've discussed it - often overthought it - but it all came down to one thing, we want to be together, living and sharing a life. Long-distance relationships are challenging. Seeing each other in 2D on a screen can be hard at times but it also forces you to talk a lot more and discover so much about the other person. When you finally meet again, in 3D, every minute is so precious. 

So, as much as I joke about how I will be spending my days bathing in hot springs and conquering glaciers, I will be focussing on my creativity again and have lots of ideas up my thermal sleeve. But for now, there is a super long To-Do list to start checking off before I leave my job at University and fly home to Edinburgh for a magical Christmas with family and friends.

Week one

British, Living in Iceland

The sun is finally up and it's still snowing outside, thank goodness for my lumie lamp. I have a nice warm cup of tea and I'm ready to tell you more about my very exciting relocation news. 

Welcome to week one in Reykjavik

I arrived a week ago and was met at the airport by my fiancé plus a red rose - what a romantic. It was a complete blizzard outside so we made a run for the car park, it's been white outside ever since. First impressions...well, it feels a little like Christmas pretty much every day with the dark mornings, snowing landscape, and twinkling fairy lights BUT PLEASE ICELAND, put down some grit - I think (and hope) I will have amazing core strength by Spring. 

The next day we had a slow morning catching up and making pancakes. I had signed up to deliver a lecture the following day so had to finish preparing that. I felt quite at home with Ingimar pottering around whilst I worked away on my laptop. The next day he dropped me off at the venue and we met the team. I gave a lecture on 'Preparing a portfolio for Art College' and then met with some students to answer their questions. It was my first day of work in Iceland and it was going well - that feels like a month ago now. 

Moving and living abroad

Back to the move. Having relocated a few times now, to Japan and India, I should be an expert on this but of course, I stressed, I over-worried, I left things to the last minute, there were hiccups and letdowns, but I got here and it's all worked out just fine. 

I couldn't have done it without my mum and my fiancé, so a massive thank you goes to them. My mum flew down to Bournemouth to help me pack up the flat, get my boxes shipped, and say my final goodbyes before I flew home for Christmas. My fiancé, Ingimar, has been so supportive from the start. He knew when to help and when I needed time. He bugged me on some things and got me organized on others. He didn't worry too much when he was excited and I was, well, just plain stressed. 

It's only been a week and I'm already 3 boxes down...7 to go, but I have a good feeling about this. I've spent the week relaxing, napping, adjusting, and doing some interior planning. I have lots of ideas and have been working on education-related blog posts, my upcoming e-courses, and also recording some footage for a video diary I am now editing so will try to post it over the weekend (let's see). Yes, it's daunting to move again, and to a cold, dark country where I can't speak the language but that's just a challenge, right?...filled with potential, yeah!? Ha. But seriously, I feel very happy and lucky to be here in Reykjavik, with Ingimar, and having the time to get settled in, together.

So here we go. Surrounded by packing boxes and ideas lists…welcome to Chapter Iceland. 

have you ever relocated to a different city or country?