I have spent the better part of my life studying architecture and drafting. As a boy, I used to pester the daylights out of a local architect who had an office close to my home. I would offer to clean and take out the garbage just to get a chance to watch him work. He was a good and patient man and allowed me to learn everything a thirteen year old could absorb.
While in the navy, I took every course I could in drafting since the military offered continuing education to those that wanted it. Drawing, specifically drafting was a passion with me and after my time on active duty, I learned all that I could about the profession. This included vocational school and part time apprenticeship with local architects and designers.
By the time I was in my thirties, I was already an accomplished draftsman both in architecture and mechanical drafting. When I landed a job with a modular home plant, the architect for the factory took me under his wing and began my training as an architectural designer. The goal was to train under him for seven years and then take the test to become a licensed architect myself. However, as luck would have it, the state changed the rules just before I received the required years of training and would not allow me to take the test. Such is life my friend.
The process I went through can best be described as apprenticeship training and it’s a time honored method. I call it the school of hard knocks. There are other methods however. I could have entered college starting with a total of seven to eight years of higher education and then the mandatory post college internship.
No regrets though! I believe my own education and training was more than ample for the career I’ve chosen. During all this time over the years, I have owned my own drafting and design office and have worked with several fine architects, designers, surveyors, and engineers, and have completed more residential and commercial building projects than I dreamed I would as a young boy.
Tim Davis is a veteran Architectural Designer who also teaches architecture and drafting over the internet at http://houseplandrafting.us.
