Architecture graduates face fewer jobs

As the architecture industry faces reduced billings and declining business in the midst of the nation's economic difficulties, Drury University's Hammons School of Architecture is seeing the same number of students, and it's harder to find work for them after graduation.

Jobs are harder to find in the architecture field now due to the shrinking number of billings; the Architecture Billings Index, the main industry indicator released monthly by the American Institute of Architects, hit a record low in November.

And industry leaders aren't looking for a quick turnaround.

An AIA survey connected with the Architecture Billings Index finds that two-thirds of firms are projecting a revenue decline in 2009, with more than 40 percent "anticipating revenue to be off by 10 percent or more from generally weak levels in 2008."

Despite the gloomy outlook, Michael Buono, director of Hammons School of Architecture, said enrollment numbers are basically holding steady; the school had 78 declared majors this fall, compared to 79 last year.

The industry's appeal could be in compensation, as salaries have risen at a rate much faster than the overall job market. At the beginning of 2008, AIA reported that the national average for architects' salaries was $72,600; that's up 36 percent in six years, and well above the 20 percent increase for the private work force.

Still, Buono said current economic conditions can be a double-edged sword.

"It can reduce your enrollment, as it would reduce any programs at a university because of the cost incurred," Buono said. "But it could also increase enrollment because you have people who have been in other fields or disciplines who had thought about architecture and now find themselves without employment, and here's an opportunity to go back to school."

Changing business

Salaries are just one area where the business has changed in recent years, according to Buono. He said computer technology such as AutoCAD has taken over architecture in the last decade, helping designers develop projects and present design to clients.

"It's an amazing revolution that has taken hold, and it's been very successful allowing some of the more time-intensive activities like model-building to be greatly reduced," Buono said, noting that Drury just purchased a new laser-cutting machine for students to construct models.

"The students are thrilled because they can knock out portions of a building in 30 seconds that would have taken three or four hours," he added.

Changes have also come in the degree programs themselves.

Buono noted that Drury follows the traditional model: The school offers a five-year Bachelor of Architecture program, at which point graduates sign on with firms as interns en route to taking their licensing exams.

Buono said some schools offer a "4+2" system, taking four years to get a bachelor's degree and then an additional two years to get a master's degree in architecture.

A third option, however, has taken root in the last 15 years: a five-year master's degree program. Buono said University of Kansas and Kansas State University offer the five-year degree, and Drury is awaiting accreditation approval for its own program.

Looking ahead

Despite industry changes and the relative strength of enrollment numbers, most in the architecture industry agree that finding jobs for those new graduates will be tough in the coming months.

"I would guess that there are a lot of firms out there that don't plan to do a lot of hiring, if any," said Chris Swan, an architect with Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. and 2008 president of AIA Springfield. He noted that all but the smallest firms - those with $250,000 or less in revenue, equating roughly to two employees - are predicting an off year.

The tight market struck the area's largest firm first.

Butler, Rosenbury & Partners laid off nearly 20 full-time employees in two rounds of cuts, in March and October.

Buono said market weakness will translate to a rough job hunt for recent graduates.

"From 1990 to about a year ago, all of our graduates had a fairly easy time finding placement as interns throughout the region," he said.

"At this point, there have been significant layoffs in the industry, so I'd imagine for a year or so graduates will have far more trouble finding positions."