The way to become a Freelance Architect

As an freelance architect, you will be responsible for the design and to an extent the development of

residential, commercial and in some cases structures of civic welfare. Architects are a well-respected bunch

and, whether you are a fulltime employee, looking to earn a few extra bucks by the side, or you are a self-

employed architect, simply trying to get your business up and running, there is money to be earned in

freelance work as an architect.

The reasons why you chose to become an architect will differ, no doubt, for some of you it might be the extra

income, for others , the wish to work from home might be the reason. You may even consider the

independence associated with a career as a freelancer; the list continues. Your preferences dictate your main

reason for choosing the option. However, you can rest assured that Freelance Architecture is a career that will

give you a comfortable life and a low-stress working environment like your home.

Job Duties for Freelance Architect:

Your duties as an freelance architect, will include being able to work with construction crews and other junior

engineers to build residential or commercial structures. You may even design something groundbreaking and

even awe inspiring. To elaborate, let us have an in-depth look at some of the duties that will fall under your

purview, as a freelance Architect:

Resolving design and development problems

Managing budgets and project resources

Creating building designs and highly detailed drawings both by hand and by using specialist computer-

aided design (CAD) applications

Liaising with construction professionals about the feasibility of potential projects

Working around constraining factors such as town planning legislation, environmental impact and

project budget

Working closely with a team of other professionals such as building service engineers, construction

managers, quantity surveyors and architectural technologists

Applying for planning permission and advice from governmental new build and legal departments

Writing and presenting reports, proposals, applications and contracts

Choosing the materials to be used and specifying the requirements for the project

Adapting plans according to circumstances and resolving any problems that may arise during

construction

Making sure the project is running according to schedule and budget

Playing a part in project and team management

Travelling regularly to building sites, proposed locations and client meetings

Scheduling material and equipment purchases and delivery

Ensuring projects run smoothly and structures are completed within budget and on time

Working as an architect, you may be required to work away from home for periods. Frequent visits to sites

may also be necessary, especially for new graduates. Travel abroad may be possible with a large consultancy

company. However, as a freelance architect, you may be working a healthy mix of both site visits as well as

virtual engagements with fellow professionals. While regular visits will be the norm, sometimes you may have

to work long days and some weekends close to project deadlines as well. Overnight and weekend stays may be

required for site inspections. Site engineers and managers may be on call 24 hours a day.

Skills:

To be a good architect, there are some skills that you should consider mastering. You should be able to design,

implement, and even test equipment, but the job role will often demand more from you than a simple

implementation and design process. You need to develop some skills to do well; some of them include:

Mathematical skills

Complex Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Scientific Skills

Decision Making

Operations Research

Operations Analysis

Co-ordination

Active Learning

Self-motivated

Able to work remotely

Systems Analysis

Quality control

Deductive Reasoning

Equipment selection

Social Perceptiveness

Working with all materials

Art and Design skills

Architecture is a graduate level course, often requiring four years of intensive study. E-learning websites will

help you develop the skills you will need as an architect; MIT Opencourseware, Boston Architectural College,

Academy of Art and Lynda offer many options to learn these skills online, either in course or self training video

formats.

Being Successful as a Freelance Architect:

More often than not, talent is not a single determinant of success in any sphere. It is possibly truer for

engineers, with the freelance market insisting that talent combined with the relevant experience attracts

generous prospective employers.

Hence, to be successful initially, you could:

Offer to do projects for minimum fees, sometimes for free

Bid the lowest for a project on freelancer portals

Get good testimonials for guest blogs, recommendations for work

Start a blog, back link it to more visible blogs

Create a website, or at the very least, a web page

Advertise your services on social media platforms

Understand the engineering requirement intimately

Sharpen your Communication skills, as it would help you get more jobs

Master Architectural Basics and also build up recommendations and tie-up with construction

organisations

Average Remunerations:

Most of the revenue generated by you will depend solely on your ability to market your services and your

credibility with previous employees.

Usually freelance portals offer various kinds of payment models. In the fixed-price model, the price is usually

pre-determined. The hourly model is the most popular and employers usually pay a predetermined sum per

hour. Finally, in the project-budget based model, you often need to auction for such projects. Usually a fixed

price model may range from $20- $200 and upwards, while you have to pitch for hourly projects, and budget

payments, which usually range from $5- $35 an hour, with average payments at $22 per hour.

Finding Work:

Architecture is one of the core sciences. There is a dearth of websites, forums, blogs, and portals offering jobs.

Elance, Odesk, Peopleperhour and Guru offer many opportunities to freelance architects around the globe.

Resources:

Architecture is a graduate level course, often requiring four years of intensive study. E-learning websites will

help you develop the skills you will need as an architect; MIT Opencourseware, Boston Architectural College,

Academy of Art and Lynda offer many options to learn these skills online, either in course or self training video

formats.

For more about freelance architect please visit www.careerlancer.net