Anne's blog: From the architect's notebook

What I do from day to day First things first. Initial meetings and conversations with clients help us both decide if I’m the right architect for their project. Once we’ve agreed that, I might spend the day measuring an existing building so I have accurate dimensions to work from. That’s quite an important part of the process, not just to get the lengths and widths but because I get a really close understanding of the space, which sparks off ideas and thoughts about the design. Other days I might be working with my client to get a deep understanding of how they live and want to live. And there’s a lot to talk about. I ask about what they like about their current home, the sort of furniture they have and want to accommodate in a new space, their preferred style. I find out what a typical day in the building consists of –do they work in the home, do they have children to think about or elderly parents who visit often or are moving in?  The next day, I might not talk to anyone...

It’s probably not what you think  Everyone has heard of an architect as a title of a job, but when you ask people what they think I do, I get a raft of different answers. When I go to a party and meet someone for the first time, in conversation people often ask what I do as a job. They always say “Wow, that’s interesting!” (or cool, or arty or other positive descriptions that I’m happy to hear!) but when we get talking about twhat it entails, it turns out that’s a lot to do with what they’ve seen in the movies – a sexy man with directional specs standing at a drawing board with a cardboard model beside him on the table or striding around a building site with a blueprint in hand. In fact, my big drawing board now lives in my loft, gathering dust, cardboard models are more often than not replaced by 3D computer imagery… and while I do have my own hard hat for site visits, the plans in my hand aren’t blueprints, they’re just as likely to be on my iPad! So, what do I r...