Project Ideas for an Architect

Popular Building Types

• The most popular projects in architecture schools and for architects are buildings where people interact with one another or an environment. Some examples include cafes, museums, gardens, hotels, parks, and memorials. These projects allow the architect to explore themes or ideas defined by the architect or society. For example, a popular contemporary theme in architecture is the use of computers and other media to create spaces and structure. Other projects may study and respond to phenomena in nature or humanity, such as fog or class systems.

Institutional Buildings

• Institutional buildings, such as courthouses, hospitals, and schools, are responsible for the separation and intersection of different groups of people, creating a very rich environment and a very complex structure. Many of these buildings do not allow certain groups to interact, except in special locations, such as judges, juries, plaintiffs, and defendants in courtrooms of a courthouse. Although an institutional building's use may be easy to understand, the structure and circulation of this building type is extremely complicated.

Urban Issues

• Many architects enjoy working at a much larger scale--the scale of the city. The populations, structures, and modes of transportation of a city make urban design an interesting and very difficult specialty. Some architectural projects attempt to improve a city's infrastructure, while others try to solve societal problems, such as obesity in walkable cities or homelessness in urban centers.

Furniture and Objects

• Traditionally, architects design many of the objects that go inside a structure. For example, many architects design tables, chairs, and lamps for interior spaces. Furthermore, many architects design objects such as utensils, tools, or even clothing. As environmental and societal pressures increase, many contemporary architects are creating products that attempt to solve some aspect of a global problem, such as potable water, alternative energy, or healthcare.