Hi. I’m Doug Patt and this is So you want to be an architect, a seven part series about the profession of architect. This is part 3.

What does an architect learn? Architecture is an amazingly complex field and an incredible education in itself. There’s a lot that goes into any building and the architect should know their way around every inch. The architect also needs to understand people and for that matter society. So, let’s take a look at some interesting opinions about the spectrum of subjects an architect learns about in a lifetime of practice.

Plutarch, a Greek historian and writer once said, Philosophy is the art of living. Architecture surrounds us all and in a way dictates or reflects our way of life. Weather it’s a TeePee or a mansion, buildings represent what we believe is truth.

Mark Twain said, clothes make the man. Naked people have no influence in society. This is funny but also true. Just as we need clothing, we need buildings that clothe us. The sociology of man is reflected in our buildings in what we believe, how we work and how we live.

Albert Schweitzer said, Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile. Now, we all know we’ve got good sides and bad, but the reality is the psychology of man is manifest in architecture from prisons to massive stadiums. We make what we need to accommodate who we are.

Stephen Nachmanovitch a musician, author, computer artist, and educator once said, Creative work is play, it is free speculation using materials of one's chosen form. Material Science is a critical part of the architect’s repertoire. Were free to choose our palate, but it must be chosen wisely. From the challenges that natural forces impose to the possibilities of all things unique.

Henry G. Stott once said. Engineering is the art of organizing and directing men and controlling the forces and materials of nature for the benefit of the human race. Although architects don’t have to be engineers they must think like one as well as understand in the engineering principals behind the calculations.

Albert Einstein said, do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater. This is no doubt true when it comes to the calculations of an architect. That being said, all buildings are described in numbers in order to be constructed, making mathematics a cornerstone of architecture.

George Croly, an Irish preacher once said, all history is but a romance, unless it is studied as an example. The quote implies that one must truly understand history in order to make it more than an idea. Architects must also know their history of both art and architecture. They do this in order to make it a part of the work they are doing as well as part of making great work.

Noelie Altito once said, the shortest distance between two points is under construction. Simply put, Most of the architect’s career is spent during construction and this is where the architect can learn the most.

And finally, Frank Zappa said, Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. While the quote is a bit tongue in cheek this is what architects do. Only their art is architecture and at the end of the day it’s all about making something out of nothing. Using their creative skills to sketch, draw, paint, model, render, create and design. So, if your wondering what you might learn as an architect, its probably about Philosophy, Sociology, psychology, material science, engineering, mathematics, History, construction, and in the end making something out of nothing.

So thanks for checking out so you want to be an architect, part 3. I’m Doug Patt. See you next time. Also be sure to check out www.abirdfeeder.com for the most unlikely invention created by this architect.