Guten Tag!
The industry I will be working in is the architecture field. Architecture is an exciting field to be in because it has many components that go into its everyday dynamics. The firm I will be working for is bfstudio-architecken and they mostly specialize in projects that are associated around the social communication between the architect and the users. Communication and interaction are key to this specific industry this firm has created for themselves. It is a close-knit community and there are many resources that make the firm unique and competitive in Berlin.
Like in any industry, skills are important to apply and adapt. Each industry has their own set of skills that are required. Architecture is interesting though because depending on which area you want to pursue a career in (i.e., landscape, commercial, residential, health care, or institutional) the specific skill set needed would be different. However, generally speaking any type of architect needs to have a basic knowledge of architecture that is common to all architects that provides the starting foundation. On the technical side, an architect needs to be well rounded in the trending software that is being used in the industry. Yet not every firm uses the same software so that is why an architect should know the basics of each one. The most important program that is typically used worldwide is the Adobe Creative Cloud. Architects use this much of the time for many different things, so it is an important skill to master.
On the more general side, architects need to have great communication and teamwork skills. These are crucial because most of the time people work in teams on projects. It is very rare for one architect to oversee a whole project by themselves in today’s world. Also, architects work very closely with clients. Having good communication with clients will make their experience better as well as having a clear understanding of what the team needs to complete. Collaboration and project management are also good skills that architects need to have. Projects have deadlines and need to be completed before those deadlines or else it becomes a big problem.
Architecture is a design and creative based industry so having some sort of artistic input is necessary. This is a very visual industry because the client and viewers need to be able to understand the concept behind the design and why the architect chose to design the way they did. Every single drawing and plan need to be outlined and presented in great detail. Many incidents have happened because there has not been any attention to detail, and buildings have had structural issues with them, or something was not built the way the client wanted. Attention to detail in technical drawings is so important because that is what is handed over to the engineers and contractors.
Some competencies that are necessary in the industry in Berlin is researching and understanding the complexities of the culture that exists here. After this orientation week, I have noticed how much culture influences the architecture. There is so much history in Berlin and they really implemented it in the architecture. Having specific knowledge of material is also a skill that makes Berlin unique. Being eco-friendly is very big here and they like to develop that into every building. Reusing material and designing with local material and having specific historical meaning is important to that social communication that the community enjoys as well as my firm implementing.
The software I will be using here is slightly different than the software I learned and used at Pitt. It is an older program that is not used much anymore in the field or at least not really used in the United States anymore. I think that it is interesting that this firm does not use the trendy software programs because sometimes they are harder to pick up due to how complex they can get. I am not sure if using the older program is common in all of Berlin or just this firm, but I guess I will find out soon! Another strength that is necessary to have in the field in Berlin is always being on track and even ahead of the workload. The Germans are very timely people so if you show up already knowing and understanding what needs to be done, it is appreciated in the industry.
All the skills I mentioned above that an architect needs to be successful in the industry also apply to Berlin. Architects still need to have a great understanding and have a well-rounded knowledge of technical skills, collaboration, communication, time management, creative ability, and attention to detail. I am excited to obtain the new skills from Berlin but also to enhance the ones that I have already learned.
Ciao!