Survey of Design Economics Students, 4th Year Class, Carleton University School of Architecture, Ottawa, Canada. October 10, 2002.

A. Why do you want to be your own boss and run your own Architectural Practice?

• Develop your own style.
• More Responsibility sooner.
• Choose your own projects.
• Work at your own pace.
• Set your own deadlines.
• Rewards are proportional to effort.
• Set your own goals.
• Choose your own team.
• Be your own boss.
• Your name on the building.
• More challenging.
• Make more money.
• Create more interesting work for yourself than others can create for you.

B. Why do you want to work for someone else?

• Less responsibility
• Less likely to get sued.
• Less risky.
• Better lifestyle.
• More time for other endeavours-- a chance to become a renaissance person with interests outside of work.
• Regular pay cheque.
• More vacations.
• Less stress.
• Regular 9 to 5 hours.
• Benefits package available.
• Pension plan.
• More mentoring.
• Less administration.
• Family friendly.
• Get away with more.
• Work within existing, established systems.

About 40% of the students want to have their own practice one day; the remainder want to get a JOB. Class enrollment is about 50 students.

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