The moment the editor in chief approached me and informed me about the first issue of the new magazine, I realized I should write about the architect as a person, rather than going on and on about architecture. I thought to myself this would give this magazine a different flavor, a more human one actually, in dialogue with the numerous young architects and students who are confident of they want, but who are still lost out there ‘in the wilderness’.

You see, I still remember those days when I was lost too. It was a long time ago, but the memories are way too vivid for me to forget them. These were the architecture school days. One word ruled over my life back then: endurance. That was it. No organization, no routine, not even discipline actually, in the true sense of the word. Just endurance. Keep on working, all the time, day and night. I mean, who would want to live like that for five straight years? Only architects really. Before I joined the school, I went to ask the senior students questions on the studies and what’s it like to be an architecture student – there was no internet back then. Obviously enough, they told that I would spent my study years watching the sun setting and then rising back again. Didn’t matter to me, I knew what I wanted to do!

Soon enough though, I realized that’s how it was going to be for the rest of my life! Up until now, I still dream of the day I would be able to organize all my projects and tasks, that day I would be able to set everything straight and take a little break. I knew I missed on a lot of events my friends attended or organized. But that didn’t matter either; I knew what I wanted to do. And I did it. I learned to appreciate the arts of life, from photography to music, painting to sculpture, and there’s no better satisfaction than being able to infuse all these elements in the building you construct for the public – that same public that will appreciate the spaces you create without really understanding why, and most of the times without even noticing it.

Indeed those days weren’t easy. The very first remark a professor ever gave me was: “I see you don’t know how to hold your pen. An architect communicates his ideas with his pen, and nothing else.” – I had years of drawing practice, so you can imagine the look on my face when he said that to me! I still remember when I had to run straight to the library after the beginning of the studio project, in order to start researching – remember, no internet back then! – Only to find out that the shelves were already emptied by my peers..And I still can’t see how they got there before me! I also remember the day the janitor of the dorms threw out all my sketches thinking they were garbage, or the numerous times my roommate complained about the light, or even the sound of the pencil when I drew on Canson paper. “I need to sleep”, she used to say… And who would ever forget the number of times the professors would say that our best designs are the ones we did in university. Deep down, we knew that wasn’t true. We knew that clients, regulations, budgets, and engineering considerations are all elements that would enrich the project’s concept, pushing us to be more creative, but also more real. ‘Real’, that was the

objective. Not one of us wasn’t rushing these school days. We all wanted to build ‘real’ projects, we all wanted a job – and that’s another thing.

What a surprise it is to discover that all what you had learned in school is actually completely different from what you do in an architecture firm. DESIGN, that’s barely 10% of what you do at work, and that’s if you lucky! I still remember my first day as an architect. I still remember how cumbersome it was for me to carry all my pens and pencils, my rulers and tracing paper – remember no laptop at that time, only Rotrings and Steadlers. I had all my sketches and drawings piled up on my arms : I didn’t care if I looked ridiculous or anything, I was so proud I felt nothing could stop me! I had to carry everything around to show them to architects. Today, things are different.

Numerous writers are actually tackling this matter by writing ‘objective’ guides for freshly graduated students all over the world, trying to weigh between pros and cons of having to work for well established firms, or governments, or even contractor companies. Many develop of list of what not to do. I must say, it really depends on your personality and how you do away with your work. I personally chose to work for a small firm, as I thought this would allow me to develop my leadership skills -smaller firms do tend to offer access to different types of tasks, a lot more contact with the clients, and more freedom in taking bigger decisions. In other words, you have to take things -usually everything – in your own hands and lead your way through.

Whatever you want to do, work your resume with care, and don’t hesitate in enriching it with personal content that would reveal your most human side. After all, that’s what architecture is all about. Let life take you where it wants to sometimes, as you’ll soon see that it mostly is a matter of opportunity

And after you do all that, you get your first job. You discover at that moment that you know nothing yet. You’ll find out that each project is whole new adventure, in which you shall learn about people’s lives, about their jobs, their habits, their beliefs etc… When you design a hospital, you’ll learn about doctors, nurses, and patients. When you draw a laboratory, you’ll see how scientists behave, how researchers interact etc… I can’t think of any other profession that is as inter-disciplinary as architecture.

Soon enough, as you start working on your own little projects, and you realize that architecture is not a job for the weak. It’s rather a restless battle. Its battle for the values you hold dearest to yourself, for the world you want to build for your children. Trust me when I say this, even Lords of the Rings seem trivial compared to this job. Don’t worry though, it’s an enriching journey, with people that will be there for you, and with projects that will take one every minute of every day of your life. All you need is the right mixture of confidence, passion, and talent.