How can an architecture student become an entrepreneur?

Architects are valued professionals, especially in India, where there’s always a high demand for innovative designs. Most students from architectural colleges in India fail to assess this and ignore their entrepreneurial abilities. They dismiss that they can do more than just work in a construction company, as an in-house junior architect.

To help these students understand their true calling, here are some cool ideas on kick-starting in the architecture business as an entrepreneur.

Get Started as an Architecture Consultant

After completing graduation or diploma in architecture, an Architectural Consultant is an ideal designation, where you can independently play a key role in developing innovative designs, planning structural renovations, and supervising the restoration for clients.

Take Up Landscape Designing

Students passionate about architecture for its artistic elements can begin as Landscape Designers. It is a great independent profession in practicing architecture with nature and culture. Selecting plants, drawing plans, installing walkways and on-site water features are some of the key responsibilities of designing landscapes. Each client demands a unique design for their gardens and open areas, which gives you enough artistic liberty for redefining a land space.

Build a Project Inception Consulting Startup

By partnering up with colleagues and seniors from colleges, students can start a project inception, planning and consulting service. It involves planning bespoke designs, optimizing resources and land use, and ensuring the client’s engagement in every step of the way.

Become a Bidding and Negotiation Expert

Organizing a bidding process is a crucial part of executing architectural designs. In few months, students can gain expertise in making the right selection of raw material vendors and contractors, negotiating terms in construction contracts and introducing contractors to the project through designs, drawings, and mock plans.

Work as an Industrial Designer

Industrial design architects have different job responsibilities. With a preliminary knowledge of product design, architect students can work as independent industrial designers to develop designs & concepts for manufactured products.

Take Part in Building Condition Audits

Safety is a primary function that defines the success of an architectural project. To assess safety, small to large construction companies appoint a group of students from prestigious architecture schools in India for monitoring building condition audits. Their job is to supervise the safety, along with the financial and constructional elements of a project. From inspecting materials to ensuring all contractual elements are validated, budding architects play a vital role in executing these audits.

Go for Green Architecture

Green design or green architecture is the latest trend in the industry. It is a breakthrough approach to minimizing the perils of construction projects on humans and the environment. As a Green Architect, students can design eco-friendly floor plans, use sustainable building materials, and safeguard the availability of earth, water, and air during land use.

Contribute to Urban Design & Masterplanning

A majority of students from architecture colleges in Delhi are aiming to start their own business firms. To do so, they voluntarily take part in urban development initiatives and volunteer as an architect in master planning and urban design.

Your contribution involves assisting senior architects, administrative authorities and large construction companies in creating a framework of streets, buildings, and sectors. From relationships of buildings to designing massings for predictable outcomes, the diversity in this volunteer work is incredible for your future.

Help in Drafting Construction Documents

For architecture students in India, becoming an expert in drafting construction documents can be attained during the studying days. If you’re well-versed with creating purposeful construction drawings, assessing geotechnical conditions and compiling requirements for resource & material procurement, start your entrepreneurship here.

Try Architectural Blogging & Vlogging

To showcase architectural skills, students can start blogging. Buy a website domain or a Blogspot and pen down each key step of your journey as a designer and architect. Share your experiences on previous projects, provide updates on your upcoming projects and generate value with your insights. You can support this by starting a YouTUBE channel where you vlog (video blogging) about your ideas and demonstrate working as an architect in action.

So, feel free to venture out as an architecture entrepreneur with these ten cool ideas. Stay ready to adapt, innovate and self-learn, and develop your architectural skills along the way. Good luck!