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How hard is it to get into residential architecture after college?

I know that most people after majoring in civil engineering or architecture tend to go into commerical architecture building targets and walmarts, but how hard would it relatively be in order to get into residential architecture and to find a job that would pay a lot?

college architecture architect interior-design building drawing interior architectural housing interior-architecture affordable-housing residential-homes
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Brent’s Answer

Hi Bryson. Good question. Note there are MANY more architects engaged in commercial construction than there are engaged in residential architecture. The reason for this is multifold, but primarily it's because commercial architecture is more plentiful, the projects are typically much larger & more complex (bigger fees and requiring more staff), and the majority of residential design can be legally completed by unlicensed individuals (such as drafting professionals, building designers, and even home owners themselves). That all being said, I would suggest the following:
1. Find & explore the websites of several local architecture firms (both commercial and residential) along with the websites of several local design-build general contractors and/or developers. From this research, develop a list of their projects that intrigue you as well as a list of well thought out questions.
2. Contact the businesses via phone and/or email and ask whether you might be able to take them out to coffee in order to ask them about their profession.
3. At the end of the coffee meeting, ask them whether they might be willing to let you "job shadow" sometime.
4. Prepare for your job shadow(s) by bringing a notepad & pen (or equivalent) as well as a list of questions including ones about salary, benefits, work hours, etc.
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Kevin’s Answer

Hi Bryson, my name is Kevin. Civil engineering and architecture are great fields to be in! I believe that right now this country is in great in of residential housing. I live in Maine. They recently did an assessment here on housing needs. The result was that we need to build 84,000 homes in the next ten years to keep up with demand . Maine only has a population of approximately 1,250,000 people. The should give you an idea of population growth in the United States right now.
There probably could be more money in commercial real estate. However since Covid, right now in New York, a lot of people have remained working remotely. This has caused a lot of empty buildings in the larger cities. They are now considering turning them into residential apartments.
I am new to this program and I hope my information is helpful to you. Architecture is always in demand . Rising to the occasion of building “ greener “ , is paramount to our survival! I commend you on your journey and hope to see your input and creativity in this field!
Best Kevin
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Melinda’s Answer

Hi Bryson,

I am in the Dallas Ft. Worth area and the residential construction industry is booming which means they need architects. There are a lot of intern positions at architectural firms that you can do while in school to get you in the door. Also, they hire a lot at entry level for CAD designers and that can be a good way to get started. Getting actual construction experience would make you a better architect and could be a good way to spend your summers.
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