Every problem has a solution!

The best thing about being an architect is using your mind in a unique way to solve real problems. It is called thinking conceptually. Conceptual thinking starts with understanding the problem. The problem can be defined by two fundamental things:
1. The character and needs of the building owner and end user (the client).
2. The good points and bad points of the land on which the building is to be built (the site).

Buildings are a complex arrangement of rooms or spaces whose uses may conflict with each other, especially as you consider light, ventilation, noise, views, access and privacy.

Maths, Music and Mandatory Manners

Like a carpenter's hammer or a brickies trowel, an architect's tools range from mathematics to music. The logic of maths and the structure, layering and rhythms of music can be found in fine buildings.

Local government regulations represent good manners between neighbours while the Building Code keeps everyone healthy and safe.

Bringing it all together - The Concept

To pull all the issues together into a unified whole takes a concept. Conceptual thinking involves broadly and loosely considering the important parts of any problem and coming up with a unified artistic expression for the building. Discovering a concept for a building gives you an overall vision that helps you to make decisions in a structured way further down the track.

Why go to University?

The university course gives you the opportunity to develop the conceptual way of thinking. The university environment allows you the freedom to think broadly without concerning yourself initially with the complex science and law surrounding building. Gradually the understanding of energy efficiency, of construction methods, of local government rules and construction law is included in the course, however it does take time. This is why the course is five to six years long.

Adding Value to a Building

The training and experience of an architect enables problems to be solved in ways that often cost much less, in particular, by making everything that is built 'fit for use', without wasted space. Apart from making your garden smaller, wasted space costs money to build. Good planning results in energy efficient buildings that also save time, making day to day living simpler and less expensive.

Good design ensures that a site's positive attributes are emphasised while the negative points are overcome. The end result is a building that is worth much more to both the owner and to future buyers.