Mark Trotter

Brisbane, Queensland

But why architecture??

Should your son or daughter choose architecture?

Mark Trotter

If you’re an architect, you’ll probably say Nooooo!, mainly because the profession has been under financial pressure ever since fee bidding for our services became a thing after the introduction of the Trade Practices Act in the 1970s (but that’s another story)

If you’re not an architect, the mystique of the job can be alluring.

It is amazing how many people you meet who profess that they they always wanted to be an architect!

Why?

Is it because we spend our lives in buildings and marvel at their effect on us?

Is it because we build towers with blocks as kids for some other kid to knock down.

Or is it because every second romantic comedy has an architect as one of the main characters.

Or maybe because you have a parent who is an architectural tragic.

One of my LinkedIn network contacts, Brent Turnbull, asked why did I do it? (given that this is a reflective series).

Drawing supplied by Mark Trotter

When you seem to go to a building site, or at least do a drive by, every time you go out with your father. When your holiday trips are dominated by visits to buildings. When parental conversations endlessly cover everything from cantilevers to contract administration, maybe you are just destined (maybe doomed) to go there.

That’s certainly my excuse. It’s Dads fault!!

However, the (good?) news is that it doesn’t seem to make it to three generations very often. My kids have avoided the temptation, probably because of my first comment about finances.

For me, somewhere along the line of parental example, followed by making model planes, to realising I could draw and solve problems, I got the bug.

I was young for my year so started at QIT in the old part time course at the ripe old age of 16 and finished in the regulation six years. With a year registration process, I was an architect at 22. The 1982 recession came along that first year with the result that I was sucked back into working for my fathers office , albeit starting a branch office in Tweed Heads (actually a very generous offer by Dad, knowing my desire for autonomy)

A bit of Louis Khan to finish: The Salk Institute at La Jolla, USA. Photography supplied by Mark Trotter.

The becoming of an architect and manager with huge opportunity and equally huge stress was complete.

As it turns out, I’ve loved being in this profession, designing things in your mind which a few years later you can walk though and marvel at the light in them / on them.

It hasn’t delivered riches, but it has delivered autonomy, creativity, invention, involvement in community, leadership, problem solving, and fun.

It is the great profession which it promises to be and is a wonderful thing to do.

Tell them to go for it!