A person doesn’t simply wake up and start working as an architect, as becoming one is typically a long and arduous process. The New School Of Architecture And Design pointed out that it can take an average of 11 years to become a licensed architect with independent or contracted practices within the industry. 

It usually includes five years allotted to getting a professional undergraduate architecture degree, and a few more years of professional internships in order to complete the Architecture Experience Program requirements.

“Architects have gone through years of college and passed rigorous exams to create safe and (hopefully) enjoyable environments,” reads the description of the ‘You Should Have Hired an Architect’ Facebook group, emphasizing the long path aspiring architects have to take to become professionals in their field.

Started just a couple of years ago, in 2021, the group has gathered nearly 53 thousand members in its short existence. It’s dedicated to showing what architects do and what it means to be one, in addition to sharing examples of why it’s not great that, as was mentioned in the description as well, “Much of the built environment in the US, though, is not designed by architects”.

In a previous interview with Bored Panda, the group’s administrator, Allison Beer McKenzie, said there are two main reasons people refrain from turning to professionals for help. “One is definitely that they are cost-conscious or think they can’t afford an architect,” she said. “The other, I believe, is they don’t know about or appreciate the value that an architect can bring to their house design.

“This value can certainly include beautiful design but can also include things like a house that fits seamlessly onto the site it is on and is ideally designed for the climate it’s being built on,” Allison added.

The administrator of the Facebook group also pointed out that without proper training, people typically have trouble thinking in three dimensions, which is something architects must know how to do. “This often leads to houses with weird proportions or awkward connections between materials and elements,” she told Bored Panda. And there’s more than enough proof on this list showing exactly what she means.

The ability to visualize the space that Allison Beer McKenzie emphasized is just one of the numerous skills architects have to possess in order to provide excellent results. Indeed suggested that in addition to that, they also have to be able to combine creativity with knowledge in design and construction, as well as be attentive to details. Moreover, architects have to have great numerical and communication skills, as both can be necessary in their day-to-day activities.

Professional architects can help avoid such unfortunate situations as those in the pictures shared on the Facebook group. According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, their number increased slightly over the last decade, reaching 116,242 licensed architects in the US in 2019. As for the global statistics, Architizer pointed out that the International Union of Architects, comprising the national architectural associations of 124 countries, claims a membership of 1.3 million professionals.

When it comes to what’s considered good architecture itself, there are three main things professionals have to bear in mind—the building has to be structurally sound, functional, and visually appealing. It is believed that the Roman architect Vitruvius Pollio was the first one to set these basic principles back in the first century B.C.E, by using three Latin words—firmitas (strength), utilitas (utility), and venustas (beauty)—to describe them.

None of the buildings in these pictures seem to follow all three of the requirements comprising exemplary architectural work. And they’re far from the only disastrous examples out there. If you’ve enjoyed browsing this list, check out Bored Panda’s previous collections of similar work here, here, or here.

However, if you feel like you need to recover from the atrocities you’ve just witnessed, check out the architectural eye-candy on this list right here or browse these examples of architects simply outdoing themselves.