Mental Health in Architecture

It’s May! Flowers are blooming, the weather is warming up and it's also National Mental Health Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to reducing the stigma and sharing resources and tips. We are going to do the same by focusing on mental health in architecture. Mental health is extremely important and impacts how a person thinks, feels, interacts, and navigates life. The profession of architecture has a significant impact on the mental health of those who are pursuing and practicing within the industry. 

Unfortunately, mental health challenges in the field of architecture are rarely discussed, because the culture is typically a fast-paced competition that passively dismisses self-care.  Many have felt guilty about taking time for themselves because they believe they will be seen as someone who isn’t dedicated. This can make it difficult for architects and designers to openly discuss their mental health. Another unfortunate reality is that the culture of working long days into the night, and begins during the pursuit of architecture during architecture school.

Mental Health in the Pursuit of Architecture

Architecture school is a rigorous journey that teaches students how to think creatively to solve spatial problems. It is also an intense transition from high school into post-secondary education. Students are endowed with an enormous amount of responsibility only a few months after completing the twelfth grade. The first year of architecture school can present itself as an internal competition amongst all the other students that can add to the impact of mental health. There are external challenges like tuition, books, supplies, and philosophical challenges such as belonging and safety. The pressures are so high, that some students decide to leave their desire of pursuing architecture and establish a new path in an adjacent or unrelated degree program. 

5 Strategies for Navigating Architecture School

Next Great Architects was established to provide resources for those in pursuit of architecture. We have developed 5 strategies that also serve as the rules for participation in every charrette, workshop or program. These strategies support self-care and the mindset for strong mental health. 

1. Trust your creativity
   Everyone has a different way of solving problems. Creativity is the process of bringing your imagination into the world for others to experience. Some people express their creativity in drawing or sketching while others thrive in model making. If you want to improve your creativity, you should stay in a mode of practice, be willing to take risks and try new things and explore your environment for inspiration. 

2. Don’t compare yourself to others
   The world needs you and not a duplication of someone else. It is very easy to see someone’s work for the same project and make comparisons. When this happens it is never an accurate evaluation of skills, instead, it is just a perception of results. When you look at someone else’s work, use it as inspiration. Ask them how they achieved the element you are inspired by, and take some time to learn or practice that tactic. If you compare, you will begin to not trust your creativity and the impact can result in decreased self-esteem. You are in college to learn, so embrace every opportunity to do so. 

3. Ask Questions
   You are not expected to know everything. Most times the question you have is also a question someone else has, and even if it isn’t, you still need the answer. It is better to ask the question than to miss the opportunity to understand because clarity is best for problem-solving.   

4. Take Breaks
   Creative blocks are a sign that our minds may need to take a break. Breaks can become an avenue for inspiration. Sometimes frustration can cloud the creative process and a break allows the fog to clear. A break could be taking a walk, listening to music, or grabbing a snack. (If you find yourself frustrated and pulling an all-nighter, you may need to get some rest.) The most important element of taking a break is to return and not quit.

5. Have Fun
   You get to use your creativity to design spaces that enhance the quality of life for people. HAVE FUN DOING IT! Develop different options, try new concepts, and allow your art to shine through design. If you ever feel like you are not having fun, go back to strategy number four and take a break.

Prioritizing Mental Health in Architecture School

Students have to take care of themselves, and that could include diet and exercise as well as hobbies and social interaction. Self-care is not a blanket approach, and students will have to determine the best strategies for their mental health. If there are counseling services available at the school, students should take advantage of those services. Another strategy that could help protect mental health is to utilize time management skills to prioritize tasks and organize them into manageable items.  Architecture school is much different from high school, and the level of responsibility can a lot to adjust.

A big source of stress could be presentations and feedback. Students should remember that critiques are not an attack on your creativity but an opportunity to improve. Take notes on the comments you receive and implement them in the future. This is a way to take what feels negative and turn it into something positive. You may not get grades for projects as soon as you would have for an assignment in high school. If you are ever concerned about where you stand in your work, reach out to your professor and ask them to give you an idea of your progress and how you can improve if needed. 

The way you care for your mental health in the pursuit of architecture is the foundation of how you care for yourself in the practice of architecture.

Mental Health in the Practice of Architecture

When a new graduate enters the practice of architecture, they may have the same awakening they experienced at the start of architecture school. There is the pressure to secure an internship, and once you land a position, you realize you are not doing anything close to what you thought you would be doing. You made sure your portfolio was perfect only to discover that as an intern some of your time is spent working on door and frame elevations, answering phones, and refilling the plotter and printer with ink and paper. That can be frustrating. 

The young professional that has worked for a few years, and has been promoted to the Building Information Modeling (BIM) Coordinator, may feel a little burned out because they are still not designing buildings the way they thought they would in college. They are also studying tirelessly to complete each division of the Architecture Registration Exam, and a failed test can be devastating. 

Then there is the experienced leader who gets to design but because they have a strong skillset of putting together drawings they take on the design, management, and production of the project and that can be overwhelming. 

There are many other scenarios within the practice of architecture that impact the mental health of design professionals. Similar to the strategies of navigating architecture school, there are five strategies to navigate a career in architecture.

5 Strategies for Navigating a Career in Architecture

1. Trust the Process
   Architecture school taught you how to think and solve spatial problems. The internship experience is the transition from theory to business. There are many things that aren’t taught in school that you learn hands-on in the field. Your expertise might be able to design an amazing structure, but your experience may cost a client double their budget. In school, you probably hated group projects, but in the field, it is ALWAYS a group project. One of the best ways to advance in the profession is to absorb as much as you can, be open to direction, and be strategic with your initiative. Answering phones is a way to start understanding who the key players are. Filling the paper in the plotter and printer helps you to understand the overhead of the profession and what keeps the business going. Door and Frame elevations are the beginning of understanding egress and life safety which is what helps protect the people architecture serves.

2.  Advocate for yourself
   You are the only one responsible for your career path, which means you need to know the path and milestones associated with your advancement. When you are offered a job make sure the pay matches your experience level and location. If you see that you are not getting enough opportunities associated with the documentation of the divisions of the Architectural Experience Program, reach out to your supervisor/mentor to request that experience. Don’t compare your path to others because it is never an indication of how well or poorly you are doing. Everyone’s goals and path are different. 

3. Be Coachable
   If you don’t have a mentor, you should find one. The best way to gather knowledge when you don’t have the experience is through the experience of others. Everyone has something valuable that they can teach, but you have to be open to those lessons. Valuable lessons may not always come from positive experiences. Shift your mindset to see everything as an opportunity to learn, grow and improve. 

4. Take your Paid Time Off (PTO)
   The only reward you get from overwork is burnout and an impacted mental health. Your PTO is not a reward for hardwork. It is part of your salary in exchange for your work. It already belongs to you. To operate at your highest productivity, you have to take time to recharge. This is also true for daily work-life balance. If you feel like taking time off would be detrimental to your job, then revisit rule number 2 and reach out to your supervisor or department chair to create a solution.

5. Build Relationships
   The best thing you can do for your career is to get involved and network. Connections can lead to opportunities that you may not have had access to otherwise. It also allows you to build a community of support and avoid self isolation.

Promoting Mental Well-being in Architecture

There are many firms that are implementing mental health strategies because taking care of the people who work for the firm will benefit the business. If your employer provides an Employee Assistance Program for therapy sessions, take advantage of those resources if you need to seek a professional for mental health. It is confidential and prevents you from suffering in silence. You can also request human resources to provide mental health workshops or lunch-and-learns to start the conversations and remove the stigma of mental health. Prioritize your self-care by establishing boundaries to prevent burnout and enhance your productivity. 

The path to nurturing mental health in architecture requires a collective effort from individuals, educational institutions, firm leadership, and professional organizations. By shedding light on the challenges and promoting open dialogue, we can work together to create a profession that designs for and WITH consideration for the well-being of others.

Next Great Architects is an award-winning teaching studio that introduces architecture to students as early as kindergarten and nurtures them through college and licensure. Contact us if you are interested in bringing our programs to your children, schools, or organizations.