What Is The Day In the Life of An Architect?

The truth is there is no such thing as a regular Sun Valley Idaho architect. Depending on where the architect is in their project, whether it’s planning, construction, team meetings, or unveiling a new design, a day in the life could fluctuate greatly. 

This is one of the more attractive elements of the career field. It’s not monotonous; every day is different because every project is different from the previous one. According to an annual survey conducted by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, there were 116,242 architects in the United States in 2019. Chances are, not one of them had the same day twice.

While every day can vary greatly, common activities for an architect include: 

• Communication (either with team members, clients, potential clients, management, etc.) 

• Conducting research

• Planning, developing, or managing projects 

• Drafting ideas for certain projects 

• Answering phone calls and emails 

• Meetings with clients or fellow architects 

Some days can dictate a lot of phone calls and emails with potential clients. Other days might demand several job site visits and meetings. Some days are half and half. For instance, MBA Architects excel in blending these daily activities seamlessly to deliver top-notch architectural solutions.

How often an architect is in their office depends on the size and scale of the current project they’re working on. 

For example, if their current job is redesigning Grand Central Station in downtown New York, an architect may spend days in the site studying the space, and more days holed up in the office doing research and calculations. A project of that size can take months or even years, which would make the days very diverse. 

Zippia detailed what an average day of an architect—should that idea exist—might look like, as detailed below. 

• Emails, texts, calls - 2 hours per day 

• Team meeting - 1 hour per day 

• Coordination work, review drawings - 2 hours per day 

• Statutory compliance work - 30 minutes to 1 hour per day

• Design, research, architectural detailing - 2 hours per day 

• Job site visit - 2 hours per day 

• Paperwork, prep, organization - 30 minutes per day

These figures will move depending on the project and demand. For example, an architect might have junior architects working beneath them that require more training or time in meetings to discuss a plan of attack for a project. 

Also, an architecture firm may juggle more than one project at once. This could change how their days are planned out and how much time they have for certain tasks. Prioritizing and schedule planning are essential for architects considering different projects are operating on different timelines. 

Depending on the type of architect a person is, their day can vary as well. A sustainable or green design architect may spend more time researching how to make a project more energy-efficient than a residential architect. A commercial architect may be held to a company’s timeline that they agreed on upon signing, which could dictate their day in a certain phase of a project. 

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no such thing as an average day for an architect, especially when comparing one architect's schedule to another. There are equal amounts of planning, research, meeting, site visits, and collaboration involved. Jobs often happen in phases, and the days that go into those phases could vary greatly. 

For those interested in a job that breaks up the status quo on a daily basis, consider joining the world of architecture. It can be inspiring, fulfilling, and exciting as no two days on the job are the same. 

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