Week in the life of a 24-year old Part 1 Architectural Assistant in Cambridge, England on £24,000 a year
Written by Adel Hussein, Edited by Aliya @archistudentnotes
This ArchiWeek we have a week in the life submission from a 24-year old Part 1 Architectural Assistant living and studying in Cambridge, England on £24,000 a year.
Introduction from the Writer:
I am a 24 y/o Part 1 Architectural Assistant who graduated from Arts University Bournemouth in 2023. I came to the UK from Sweden to study and now I'm working here. It took contacting 400 firms in two countries spanning between April and August in order to land my current role. I hope this gives anyone hope to continue searching and applying!
Instagram: @GhostArchitecture
Monday
Earlier this month, during my 3-month review meeting with both residential directors, constructive feedback was provided, highlighting areas for improvement. Hence why a plan was created to address these concerns through weekly mini-meetings to assess progress and discuss any challenges.
Taking this feedback to heart, I approached my responsibilities with a renewed focus today.
While contributing to the technical aspects of a major residential project in Cambridgeshire, I couldn't help but reflect on my prolonged engagement with technical drawings. While I value the proficiency gained in this area, I found myself yearning for the creative dimension inherent in project design.
Luckily for me later that day, I was informed about my involvement in a new project alongside the associate architect. In this role, I would be tasked with generating contextual 3D models using Revit. Despite the modest nature of this shift, it offered a necessary break from the routine of technical drawings and presented an opportunity to enhance my proficiency in Revit.
I communicated my shift in focus to the architectural technologist. This change not only introduced a refreshing variety to my tasks but also allowed me to make valuable contributions to a different project throughout the week.
Tuesday
Anticipation filled me as I looked forward to the day when I would delve into more "design" work. The Associate Architect provided a briefing on the project, revealing its current phase in the feasibility study. Additionally, I was guided on the specific steps required to replicate a comparable context, utilizing both Google Maps and OS Map.
This exciting opportunity was reminiscent of my days at Arts University Bournemouth, where I had full creative control associated with design work. Beyond the thrill of returning to that design experience, this task presented a chance to refine my Revit modeling skills, transcending the routine of producing sheets and updating drawings.
After all, Revit is 5% design and the remaining 95% is just playing with sheets and revisions. If you know, you know!
Wednesday
I dedicated my efforts to refining the contextual models, meticulously mirroring the information from Google Maps and OS Map. While the task's completion wasn't explicitly mandated for the week, my proactive approach led me to ask about the Associate Architect's preferred deadline, set for the following Tuesday.
Realising the potential to overdeliver, I devised a plan to complete the task this week, providing a positive highlight for our Friday catch-up mini meeting - an ideal strategy.
With determination, I successfully modeled the entire surrounding context, an aspect overseen by the Associate Architect himself. Excitement brewed in my mind, contemplating the possibility of finishing the task ahead of schedule. However, the unforeseen challenge emerged: the existence of intricate details beyond the scope of Google Maps necessitated delving into The Planning Portal's existing drawings. The task, it seemed, was more intricate than initially expected. In other words, I will need more time to complete this task.
As the day concluded, the Residential Director informed me that I would transition to the education team after this task. Without hesitation, I embraced the news with enthusiasm, recognizing it as a promising opportunity.
Mid Week Plug
Enjoying this weeks ArchiWeek? Interested in sharing your own week?
Thursday
Somehow, I successfully modeled the intricate school structure, navigating through its complex roofs with determination, by hook or by crook, as the saying goes.
Once I told the Associate Architect I was done, he expressed satisfaction with the results. He did however present one final task: to print a staggering 228 drawings for another project. The added challenge involved manually organising each drawing in accordance with the drawing issue sheets, all to be compiled into a folder for a crucial Monday meeting.
God forbid I do something like this again. I aimed to complete this assignment as quickly as possible. But it seemed like those drawings never ended.
Friday
Continuing on my lovely organising task, I updated the Associate Architect on its completion. With that behind me, I finally transitioned to the education sector, marking the beginning of a new and exciting chapter.
Upon arrival, I was warmly welcomed into the team, gaining insights into their ongoing and upcoming projects, understanding my designated role, and receiving guidance on the anticipated experiences ahead. To my delight, it became clear that I would finally have the opportunity to engage in proper design work, visualisation and site visits—something I had eagerly anticipated. The Education Director played a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth transition, extending a welcoming embrace and providing comprehensive details about the projects on my plate.
Notably, he was the individual who interviewed me for the Part 1 role and advocated for me to the Residential Director who needed a Part 1 at the time.
On reflection, the sheer volume of projects in the residential sector often led to my involvement without thorough briefings, resulting in many of them existing as mere job numbers in my head. Perhaps that was why the projects didn't mean as much and hence why they became so repetitive.
I immediately started working with the Project Architect on a special need school that is currently in RIBA Stage 3 where we are preparing it for planning. As I was working on the plans and elevation, I realised that designing schools was so far more fun than large housing schemes. That was unexpected.
The prospect of contributing to this stage marked the beginning of an engaging and hands-on journey in the education sector. I will update you guys on this new chapter!
NOTE FROM THE WRITER
As a Part 1, make sure to try to gain as much exposure as possible in terms of tasks. If not, try to change sectors. Sometimes it takes to work in a sector in order to know whether you like it or not!
Lastly, I'm happy to help anyone on instagram with CV, portfolio, LinkedIn etc!
Instagram: @GhostArchitecture
And that’s the week!
Any tips or advice for our writer, please leave them in the comment section below!
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