Architect
Design new buildings and restore old ones. You'll give people attractive, energy-efficient and safe places to live and work.
About the job
A day in the life – Architect
What it's like
The sketches and plans made by architects help create the world we see every day. From the Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramids of Giza to your home and school building – they all look the way they do because architects dreamt them up.
If you have an eye for design and enjoy thinking big to bring an idea to life, you might have a future in this career. Building projects would hinge on your leadership, planning and vision. You'd see them through from blueprint to brickwork.
Your work would give people practical, attractive, energy-efficient and safe places to live and work. To do this, you'd design new buildings or make changes to existing ones, such as an adding an extension to someone's home. You can work with all kinds of structures though. Why not restore old buildings to their former glory or give them a new purpose? Or maybe you'd get a thrill from helping design rollercoasters for a theme park?
In this job, you would:
design low carbon, energy efficient buildings
draw designs for clients to see and approve
make detailed technical plans using computer aided design software (CAD)
check construction work progress, controlling budgets and dealing with planning issues
make sure building work meets safety standards, building regulations and planning laws
work as part of a team of architects and architectural technicians or technologists
Green jobÂ
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs.
Hours
You'll usually work standard office hours, from Monday to Friday.
You may need to work longer hours, depending on deadlines and workload.
In some organisations, you may be expected to be part of an on-call rota.
Environment
You'll be based at an office but may also visit sites and attend external meetings.
When visiting sites, you'll wear protective clothing, such as a hard hat and boots.
Travel
You may spend some time travelling to sites.
Explore more information about this job
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Construction and built environment
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- autodesk revit
- autocad
- archicad
- architectural design
- sketchup (3d modeling software)
- architecture strategy
- the open group architecture framework (togaf)
- technology strategies
- design portfolio
- planning permission
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- working with numbers
- innovative
- designing
- creative
- working with technology
- verbal communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Art and Design
Art and Design (Expressive)
Design and Manufacture
Design and Technology
Graphic Communication
Maths (Mathematics)
Applications of Mathematics
University
Becoming an architect takes a lot of dedication, involving years of study at university. There are three qualifications you need to complete to become a registered architect in the UK. These are set out by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and known as Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Part 1: an accredited undergraduate honours degree course
Part 2: an accredited postgraduate degree course
Part 3: two years of documented work experience and completion of the RIBA Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture
To legally call yourself an architect, you need to hold all three qualifications and register with the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
You can find more detail about the routes into this career on the RIBA website.
For information about Scottish architectural schools, check out the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you get into a degree course. You could study Architectural Technology. Other subjects related to construction and the built environment may be useful too.
Courses may ask for a portfolio of work as part of your application.
Once qualified, you must complete 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain RIBA membership.
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