SPHS MAT & Math Club: Careers in Math

Architecture

Do you like building models? Drawing?

Are you creative? Good with details? Numbers?

Then architecture may be the career for you. With salaries ranging from $65,000 to $120,000, architects not only design structures, but they work with other people such as engineers and economists to make their blueprints come to life. So what does architecture have to do with math?

It may come as a surprise that in the past, architects were once considered mathematicians, and vice versa. It takes a lot of skill with numbers to create something as complex and amazing as the Guggenheim or the Eiffel Tower. Delving into the life of an architect, one will see that architects create drafts using ratios and geometry. Ever heard of Pythagoras? Using the Pythagorean theorem allows architects to determine the dimensions of triangles used in their designs. Furthermore, architects use the golden number (1.618) as a building technique for more precise structures. Of all the several applications math has in the field of architecture, architects are able to truly create awe-inspiring works of art.

The following are just a few masterpieces created by renown architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Ieoh Ming Pei, and Frank Gehry.