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Types of Architect and How to Become One?

An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that have human occupancy or use as their principal purpose.


What are The Different Types of Architects?


Residential Architect
They deal with clients who would like to have their own customized houses designed. They take note of their spatial and functional requirements; then they start to design the plans, layouts, and elevations. They estimate the costs of materials and services, as well as the time needed to complete the construction and finishing.

Commercial Architect
A well-designed building is aesthetically pleasing as well as functional, and the functionality varies according to the type of space that is being designed. A successful design of a commercial or public building is highly dependent on a flowing and self-guiding circulation that optimize the experience for the building users.

Interior Designer
Designing and styling the interior of an apartment, an office, or a restaurant requires artistic sense and technical knowledge. Interior Designers have a deep knowledge of materials, fabrics, colors, and basics of furniture design.

Green Design Architect
With the recent changes in climate and the remarkable decline in non-renewable energy resources, the role of Green Design Architects has become essential.
Green Design Architects are responsible for making eco-friendly and energy efficient architectural designs.

Landscape Architect
Landscape architecture is concerned with outdoor spaces like parks, gardens, neighborhoods, campuses, and public spaces. Landscape architects design these spaces to be efficient, engaging, and harmonious with the environment. They decide the locations for buildings, walkways, greenery, and other hardscape elements accordingly.

Urban Designer
Urban Design is a broad subject that employs other specializations like building architecture, landscape design, and green design. It deals with the scales of neighborhoods, districts, and cities. Urban designers are in charge of grouping buildings, designing nodes, paths, and street networks.

Industrial Architect
The architecture of an industrial facility can be vital to its functionality. They need a suitable envelope that aids the flow of the industrial process taking place inside, and that is what Industrial Architects specialize in.


How to be an Architect (In Malaysia)


The Malaysian architects are required to possess a certain degree of qualification as governed by LAM (Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia). It’s known as LAM Part I, Part II, and Part III.

For LAM I, you may either:
  • Obtain a fully recognized degree in Architecture (3 years approx.), or
  • Sit for individual LAM I exam if you’ve an unacknowledged degree in Architecture.

But then, you’re not an architect yet. By completing Part I, you can just become an assistant architect.

The minimum requirements for being a recognized architect is to sit for the LAM Part II examination. Here, you must study for at least 2 more years.

And then, if you want to write an “Ar.” before your name, you must go for the LAM Part III. To obtain this, you will have to practice as an architect for a minimum of 2 years, and should be fulfilling all project requirements as set by the LAM.

What is LAM?
Also known as the Board of Architects Malaysia in English term. Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM) is a statutory authority established under the Architect Act 1967 regulating the practice of architecture and the registration of architechs in Malaysia.



Skills Needed


Architects should also possess the following specific qualities:

Analytical skills. Architects must understand the content of designs and the context in which they were created. For example, architects must understand the locations of mechanical systems and how those systems affect building operations.

Communication skills. Architects share their ideas, both in oral presentations and in writing, with clients, other architects, and workers who help prepare drawings. Many also give presentations to explain their designs.

Creativity. Architects design the overall look of houses, buildings, and other structures. Therefore, the final product should be attractive and functional.

Organizational skills. Architects often manage contracts. Therefore, they must keep records related to the details of a project, including total cost, materials used, and progress.

Technical skills. Architects use computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) technology to create plans as part of integrated building information modeling (BIM).

Visualization skills. Architects must be able to see how the parts of a structure relate to each other. They also must be able to visualize how the overall building will look once completed.


If you like to view tertiary programs related to this article, click here to go to the list of recommendation. If you are not sure which path you want to pursue for your tertiary education,  you should find this psychometric test here to be helpful in providing some aptitude breakdown and course suggestions upon completion of the test. Feel free to proceed to the test, it's free after all. 


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