On ThE JOB
What Employers Want

BRoAd-BAsEd skILLs
“architecture is a blend of art and science,” says
kip daniel, a principal architect at the beck group,
a firm based in dallas that does both architecture
and construction. The firm has designed and built
major projects as varied as airport terminals and
churches, corporate offices and theaters. “what we
look for at beck is people with a broad background
who can work in both areas, architecture and
construction,” he says. “we require a professional
degree in architecture for our architects, but there
are different areas of expertise. I do conceptual
creative design, for example, but other people in
the company are more technical. and some have
administrative skills. on the construction side,
Building
Pride
most of our people come from an engineering
background,” he says.
TECHnICAL skILLs
josh guerra, a designer with a master’s degree
Professionals in Architecture & Construction sHARE
in architecture in the dallas office of rTkl, an
architecture, engineering, and planning firm, says THE sATIsfACTIon
of creating their communities.
that prospective architects should take rigorous
classes in science and math, including physics.
“when you design buildings, you have to deal with
gravity and with the way loads are carried,” he
W
hen you think about what it’s like to Design and Planning
work in Architecture & Construction, Building projects usually start with an
imagine a team of people all pushing architect and project planners.
observes. computer literacy is a must, he says,
toward a single goal. The group includes “Architecture is a lot more complex than
particularly the ability to use three-dimensional
workers with a wide variety of talents—building most people believe. It’s not just putting lines
computer programs. and, of course, specialized
design, interior design, landscape design, on paper,” notes architect Lynne Cagle, now
skills such as framing, roofing, plumbing, and wiring
project management, cost estimation, roofing, a project coordinator for trade and industrial
are essential for construction workers.
plumbing, electrical work, bricklaying, heating education at the University of North Texas in
TEAMWoRk And LEAdERsHIP
and air conditioning, building maintenance, Denton. “It’s the ability to translate what those
and many other talents. Everyone plays a part in lines will look like once a building is built.
evidence that a job applicant has the drive to finish
bringing a building project to completion. Architects envision what no one else has seen.
a project and can work with a team is critical.
Charlene Anthony, executive director of This is the largest form of visual arts.”
“architects need a sense of leadership,” says
Houston’s chapter of Associated General But architecture is not just about art, she’s
ed soltero, a practicing architect who oversees
Contractors of America, notes that the quick to explain. It’s also about function.
planning and construction at the university of Texas
team is united by a common sense of Designers must understand structural
at el paso. “They need self-motivation, self-starter
accomplishment. “There’s a level of pride engineering, electrical engineering, and every
attitudes, and the ability to work with a team. You
in the industry, driving around your other aspect of what goes into a building.
typically deal with other consultants.”
community and knowing you’ve helped build “It gets quite involved,” Cagle notes.
ed mcguire, senior vice president for
it,” she observes. “That’s the “Designing systems gets pretty sophisticated,
construction at bob moore construction, a mid-
resounding thing I hear, especially in commercial buildings.”
sized construction company based in arlington,
whether it’s building a place Planning and design is not just about
says that his company, too, looks for technical and
of worship or homes or putting up single structures, either. Architects
leadership skills. “The construction business has
shopping centers—there’s a who go into urban planning think even
come a long way from the hammer-and-nails
sense of satisfaction in having bigger—they plan communities, roadways,
image,” he observes. “everyone
helped build your community.” landscaping, and more. “They have to decide
here is an overachiever, and we
where to build the schools, the gas stations,
go for the self-motivated, gung-
the parks, right down to the municipal
ho person who is willing to work
parking lots,” Cagle explains.
long hours.”
The decisions that take place inside
buildings can be just as complicated and
important as those made on the larger
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