5 characteristics successful architects should have

Awhile back, Afterschool.my’s team went to Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia’s (PAM) Office Talk, lead by one of the most prolific Malaysian Architects, AR, Norzaini Mufti.

As an entrepreneur and an experienced architect, he shared his personal point of view on the characteristics that successful architectsshould possess.

1. Choose architecturefor the right reasons!

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If you are planning to become an architect, you should never choose it for the glam, because if fame is what motivates you to study architecture, you might not survive the challenging learning process of becoming an architect.

On the other hand, if you choose to study architecture purely based on passion and appreciation for designs, you will likely be more motivated to strive for excellence.

2. Have excellent social skills

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Who says becoming an architect is all about designing buildings only? Architecture is indeed more than that. Successful architects need to have social skills such as communicationskills, tolerance and patience.

All these skills will be highly useful when dealing with clients so that the process of communicating ideas can run smoothly, without any misconceptions.

Intonation and body language when dealing with clients are also the determining factors in ensuring an effective proposal presentation.

3. Retain balance between artsand science

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Architectsshould not be too caught up in designing amazing buildings and end up neglecting the functional aspects of the building. In contrast, successful architects should have an amusing design, topped with outstanding structure calculations and stability.

A keynote advise shared by AR Norzaini Mufti during the talk was, successful architects have the ability to incorporate what the era offers and take control on how the designlooks like.

4. Be inspired, not jealous

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Being in the design world, the competition is surely high. Sometimes your designs might turn out to be similar with other architects’ or other architects’ designs may be more ‘powerful’ than yours.

To be successful, you have to take such situations as an inspiration and a challenge for you to improve and develop more as an architect. Never be spiteful and try your best not to make enemies.

According to AR Norzaini, the best way to learn is to learn from others. Be inspired by the design by others and do your best to create your own signature building designs.

5. Punctual

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Architectsneed to have respect for time as well as be able to complete tasks on time. The reason is because architects need to adhere to deadlines and cater to the needs of the clients. Punctuality is indeed the key to gain trust from others and it also acts as a ticket to land big projects.