Choices after passing your RIBA Part 3 and qualifying as an Architect
Intro
As an architecture student on social media recently, you may have seen a number of congratulation posts about students passing their RIBA part 3.
If you don’t know, this means they have completed RIBA Part 1 - your undergraduate degree (Bachelors) typically a 3 year course, RIBA Part 2 - your postgraduate degree (Masters), typically a 2 year course and the RIBA Part 3 which is typically a 9-12 month course depending on where you study.
This last part teaches you what you need to know to practice as an Architect. It’s not about design, it’s about knowing how to properly communicate with clients, what you need to do if something goes wrong, what you need to be prepared for - here is the curriculum if you’re interested.
When I qualified (Just over a year ago) I was conflicted with what to do next, whether it was the stress of studying, the stress of my then work situation knowing the lead architect was leaving on a big project or because I wasn’t as passionate about architecture as I once was.. I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue as an Architect.
I am now in a completely different practice, sector and city and am happy I qualified but I’m 100% sure a lot of students once qualified, wonder what to do.
I would say you have 4 solid choices, staying in your practice, moving practice, moving within the construction industry or leaving architecture all together.
Stay in your current practice
If you are happy working for your current practice or want to see a particular project to the end or to a particular stage, this is an excellent option. After years of studying and the intensity of your Part 3 course, there’s a lot of value in stability, especially and I guess, only if you’re in a supportive environment where you can continue to learn and grow.
This allows you to continue on with the same team, same projects but with the knowledge gained from completing your Part 3.
You’ll find that your role will naturally evolve, taking on more responsibility in projects you have worked on in earlier stages, you will have a greater say in design and project decisions, or become the point of contact for clients and consultants. This also allows you to continue to build relationships within the practice and with external consultants and clients, effectively maintaining the network around you.
This, in theory, makes promotions up to Associate Level and higher quicker and easier and you’ll find that a lot of the Directors or Partners and Associates of a practice, have been with the practice since their Part 1 or Part 2 placement. This means they know the pratice inside and out, have watched it evolve and have most likely had significant input in what the pratice is today. If this is something you want to build on, stay in the same practice.
MOVE TO A DIFFERENT PRACTICE
From what I have seen on LinkedIn and talking to various newly qualified Architects, this is a lot more common that you think. I have seen countless newly qualified architects move practice as soon within the first year, or just after their first year anniversary.
For me, and I assume a lot of others, it’s because the Part 3 course actively encourages you to assess your practice against what is best practice. You start to realise that qualifying as an Architect brings liability and if you’re in a practice where you don’t feel supported or protected, you might feel the need to leave.
This assessment of your practice comes from completing the case study section of the Part 3 course.
To explain, you basically spend maybe 75% of the RIBA Part 3 course learning how to be an Architect. Looking at what is best practice, what you should and shouldn’t do and the remaining 25% completing the assignments which include your case study and career appraisal.
Your career appraisal is very personal, looking back and forward on your architectural education and career, your case study however is focused on the project you’re working on. How you think it and the practice is run and you assess and reflect on whether the practice is running the project is line with the ARB or RIBA code of conduct. This case study, along with other documents, is then read by your examinars who the make notes and use it as a baseline for your interview questions.
It might be as you’re writing your case study or in the interview where the types of questions you’re asked or, just blatant suggestions to protect yourself and leave the practice that might give you the nudge to find other opportunities.
Move to project management or similar
This is or has been becoming more and more popular over the years. You may have seen various articles or posts on LinkedIn from people:
‘I’ve moved to the contractor side’
‘Talented people are leaving the profession’ or,
the ever-present ‘Where’s the motivation to qualify?’
These posts spark conversations that reflect the growing reality that many architects are choosing to pivot into project management, development, or client-side roles where their skills are not only transferable but often more highly valued..
For example, through your education and in practice you learn to manage a variety of projects projects, coordinate multi-disciplinary teams, understand contracts, interpret regulations, and communicate your ideas clearly, all of which are skills used in project management, development management, and other roles within the built environment.
To put it simply, the architecture profession is losing qualified architects because other jobs, that Architects can also do, offer more money, in some cases more flexibility and more respect.
This sounds like an absolute win/win, but there are things to consider. This route, from what I know but happy to be proven wrong, doesn’t include much creative or design work, it is mostly focused on the the management side of construction, managing budgets and deadlines etc with a much higher level of responsibility.
If that is what you are into, the shift makes sense, if however you are still interested in the design and creativity of architecture, it might not be the move for you.
Quitting architecture
Let’s be real. We have all thought about it at least once.. but thinking about it during the week before a final deadline where you haven’t even started your final drawings, is very different from actually qualifying years of studying and then going … actually… architecture, construction, the whole built environment… not for me!
If that is what you want, there is no real issue there. After the minimum 7 years of study, you are not only qualified to practice as an Architect, you have also picked up a huge amount of skills insert skills that can be used in completely different fields.
Some skills might need to be developed further to make you more valuable in the jobs that you are after, maybe an additional qualification, but after your Bachelors, Masters and an additional certificate… what’s another qualification!
I do get at this point why some may question why you study for so long and then get to the end and leave.
It’s a fair question, but my response is that even if it took you 10 years to qualify, if you’re looking at your ARB certificate, walking into work and not enjoying yourself or looking at another profession and it feels like it might be a better fit.. what’s is the point of wasting another 30-40 years doing something you don’t love?
Let me summarise
If have just qualified, first of all, congratulations! Finishing your Part 3 is a huge achievement, and you should take a moment to genuinely celebrate it no matter what thoughts are flying about in your head about what to do next.
Once the dust settles however, stop, have a think and rememeber, t’s completely normal to have no idea what to do next.
My advice is simple: take as much time as you can.
Don’t rush into a decision because you feel you should follow a particular path. Whether you stay in your current practice, moving to a different practice, shifting into project management, or stepping away from architecture altogether, make sure it’s a choice that feels right for you (That being said, there is no reason you can’t choose one path and then switch!)
Think about what makes you happy, what kind of work environment helps you feel fullfilled, and what you want your life to look like, beyond the job title. Architecture will always be there, and so will the skills you’ve built along the way, so don’t be afraid to explore, to change direction, or to redefine what being an Architect means for you.
If you got this far, thank you for reading! I hope you found this weeks issue helpful to you or for a friend or colleague. Feel free to reply or message me on any of the social handles below with your thoughts or any questions you have.
Signing off,
Aliya
