Locally, architects are trained by the Caribbean School of Architecture at the University of Technology, the only one of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Contracting economies globally, and especially in Barbados and Trinidad, have meant reduced demand for direct architectural services.

However, the CSA programmes offer a full gamut of courses to international standards and according to Mark Taylor, the CSA's head, trained architects will be able to use a very broad-based education in pursuit of employment.

Skill areas within architecture include a knowledge of construction, design, computer skills, furniture manufacturing, drawing and animation skills. Teaching is another option.

In spite of what appears to be flat prospects in the field, Taylor notes that the school has been receiving more applicants than ever with 350 applicants now in hand for 40 spaces in September 2009.

Architecture, he notes is highly competitive with graduates finding work in the Middle East, China, the United Kingdom and the English-speaking Caribbean.

The applicants themselves "come from everywhere" including Belize, India, Guyana and the United Kingdom.

various degrees

The Caribbean School of Architecture offers both bachelor's degrees and master's which, in addtion to required internships, are basic requirements for registration as an architect.

It takes nine years to become an architect. The undergraduate degree is a four-year programme and this is followed by a one-year internship. The student is then expected to do a two-year master's degree followed, in turn, by two years' working experience with a registered firm.

At the end of this period, the professional practice examination is sat with the Architects Registration Board in Jamaica.

There are currently more than 180 registered architects. Marl Taylor notes, "It's a very small profession and it takes a long time to train."

Graduates with a master's degree can expect to earn $1.5 million and upwards annually if he or she has some experience.

The career is said to be a very long-lived one with few retirees because of the level of job satisfaction. "It's an old man's profession," Taylor states.

The school head notes that, locally, problems with the built environment prevail because both public and private entities neglect the role of this professional.

roads without sidewalks

"In Jamaica, we have constructed roads without sidewalks and sidewalks without shade. The Government is responsible for roadways, parks, monuments, airports, courthouses, post offices, schools and museums, all projects in which architects should be consulted.

Taylor states, "as Lord Norman Foster puts it , architecture is not something extra. It frames our lives. It's a shaper of our environment and we live inside it. It is inhabited sculpture. It allows us to frame our entire lives and dreams inside. A well-designed building fits like a good coat."

avia.collinder@gleanerjm.com

The Caribbean School of Architecture offers both bachelor's degrees and master's which, in addition to required internships, are basic requirements for registration as an architect.