Want to Change the World? Why not be an Architect

The perception of an architect usually comes in the form of beautiful buildings and intricate structures. Think Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother or Tom Hansen from (500) Days of Summer. And while this creative side is part of the job description, that’s only one piece of the puzzle. 

What architects build influences how communities live, people move, economies thrive, or even the environment improves. And with climate change and all, the industry kind of went through a reckoning. If you’re looking into a job that changes society for the better, this is a sign to consider taking up architecture. You can be the architect that not only builds buildings but shapes the future—a green one.

This was the main focus of Enderun’s webinar, called Redefining the Future through Architecture and Design, as part of their series on Jobs of the Future. If you’re considering the field, it’s definitely a daunting task, but if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that: We NEED to step up. And we NEED to evolve.

As Dr. Edgardo Rodriguez, President of Enderun Colleges, said in his opening remarks, “The architect and designer of tomorrow must live in the future and cannot afford to stay in the past.”

Architect Felino Palafox, Jr. of Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group, was the keynote speaker and had the same belief. He saw the need for a change. Bringing up a concept from his old Harvard professor, this century is seeing a “re-century,” especially now where we’re witnessing gaps in the system and restructuring from there.

Where there’s the need for change, there’s a need to make sure that change is something meaningful. And globally, green is in. Unsustainable practices on urbanism and architecture just aren’t going to fly anymore. Now, we have so much access to tools, materials, and technologies for green building. Architects have the ability to make use of it and create positive impacts. 

Arch. Palafox pointed out how we can (and we should!) move towards a future with smart cities that integrate social, environmental, and economic goals for all. Spaces that not only serve a minority, but where people can thrive. Away from just aesthetics or function, “Good architecture should uplift the spirit,” he says.

Architecture is hinged on a lot of looking forward and planning ahead, before the actual building. And that’s where you can come in! Why not be the architect that builds up towards a brighter future—a greener pasture, if you will. As they say, you have the power to be the change you want to see in the world. And if you’re looking for a place to start, Enderun has a pretty solid Architecture program from their College of Architecture and Design (CAD).

“We started the College of Architecture and Design in Enderun because we see the need, a matter of survival, to have a more sustainable, built environment. And architecture plays such a big role in this sustainability as we have the tools and ability to change the world around us,” says Architect Stephanie Tan-Branquinho, Program Head for the Architecture program.

At the end of the day, we all want better for the community and environment we live in. And with everything going on, it has forced us to see that we need to take action. Development starts with a solid foundation, but once something is built, the torch passes on. Today, you’re the student with the potential for something more. But tomorrow, you can be the architect that brings social reform and improves the state of society.