If you’re a creative thinker who is also technical and practical then a career as an Architect could be for you.
Career Overview
An Architect is responsible for the design and longevity of buildings, structures and other spatial developments. You design and project a vision your clients may have for a building or site development, and then ensure the project is managed from the beginning to the end. You work together with other professionals in the building industry as well.
Required School Subjects
You will need to have taken the following subjects at high school:
- English (Home Language or First Additional Language)
- Pure Mathematics
- Physical Science
- Technical Drawing, Art or Design
Recommended subjects:
- Geography
- History
Institution and APS
In general, you will need an APS of between 30 and 34+ in order to get in at one of these institutions:
- University of Johannesburg (UJ) – APS of 25
- University of Cape Town (UCT) – Faculty Point Score (FPS) of 348 (at minimum)
- University of Witwatersrand (Wits) – APS of 34+
- University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN) – APS of 30
- Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) – APS of 34
Required Qualification/s
In order to register as an Architect in South Africa, you will need to study a BSc Degree at one of our awesome universities or you’ll need to achieve a National Diploma from a university or technikon. Once your degree or diploma is complete you’ll need to register with the South African Council for Architecture.
Required Skills
You will need to have the following skills to succeed as an Architect:
- an ability to work with people
- strategic thinking
- out-of-the-box thinking
- creative
- practicality
- able to implement and project manage
- technical developmental and communication skills
- problem solving
- IT proficiency
- adaptability
- attention to detail and accuracy
- time management
- management of multiple projects and portfolios (discipline)
Where you can work
As an Architect, you can work in a variety of environments:
- Private architectural companies
- Building and developmental companies
- Government
- Private clients
Working Hours
Regular working hours would be between 40 – 45 hours per week but if your projects are highly demanding, you may be required to work overtime on any given day. It really depends on your projects.
Expected Salary
The average salary per year as an Architect in South Africa is around R291 551 and an hourly rate of about R140.
What to expect
Here are a few things you can expect from a career as an Architect:
- As an Architect, you’ll spend many hours based in an office with the potential to make trips to sites and to visit clients outside of your office space.
- Expect to balance a creative, out-of-the-box mindset with a technical and practical strategic mindset.
- Expect to work with other industry professionals like quantity surveyors, builders, electrical and government companies as well.
- You’ll need to know the legal parameters to buildings, and building designs.
- Expect to manage projects from start to finish and to potentially work overtime.
Related Articles
Pros and Cons of Distance Learning in South Africa
Distance learning is a great way to study from the comfort of your own
Build Your Way to Architecture
Are you interested in architecture but not exactly sure whether you want to launch
Pros and Cons of Distance Learning in South Africa
Distance learning is a great way to study from the comfort of your own
Grade 9 – How to Choose the Right High School Subjects?
The time has come. You are in high school and need to decide which subjects you will take. But how do you know which subjects to choose?
