How To Be An Effective Project Architect

To be clear, the Project Architect works in an architectural design firm. They are typically licensed by the state in which they practice, though each state's requirements are different.

Effective Project Architects (PA) have a combination of skills and use their right and left brains equally well. They must have a design awareness yet be methodical as an engineer. They must be good listeners, good at delegating and managing people, good at reaching established goals and good at multi-tasking. Technically, they must understand every component of a building, have more than a cursory understanding of the building codes, be competent with computer aided drawing (CAD) and be able to sufficiently explain every decision they have made for their projects.

PAs have to anticipate what is coming next in their project so they prepare near-term goals and make assignment for their team. Not only do they have to feel confident in their work, they must also project that same confidence to their team. This includes the production team, the specification writer, the Principal in Charge, the Project Manager, the engineers, the owner, product vendors, and anyone else who will have contact with them during the course of the project.

There is much, much more to being an effective Project Architect. Look for future postings to continue learning about the role of the Project Architect.