Architecture is an intricate practice, requiring loads of knowledge and creativity, as well as a good eye for detail. It entails not only coming up with the right design for a building, but overlooking its construction as well. Both of these phases are equally important for the overall architectural integrity of the completed structure.

Taking care of responsibilities from the very first draft on a napkin to the final result on the street might be a handful. And that’s why this art form is not for everyone. However, according to 2019 data, there were over 115,000 licensed architects in the US. The same year, the number of architects' businesses reached nearly 70,000, while now it’s getting close to 75,000.

Architecture is a multifaceted field; those who seek a career in it have options in what they want to narrow their focus on. However, no matter which path they choose, some rules apply to all of them—structures have to be visually appealing yet safe and functional as well.

Roman architect Vitruvius Pollio is believed to be the first one to emphasize these requirements. In the first century B.C.E. he used the Latin words firmitas (strength), utilitas (utility), and venustas (beauty) to indicate the crucial elements of a well-designed building.

When it comes to possible career paths, Arch20 has indicated seven types of architects. There are residential and commercial architects, responsible for creating reliable dwellings as well as office buildings, shopping centers, and similar profit-generating properties. Then there’s also interior designers, who have the know-how as well as an excellent eye for what goes well together (when it comes to shapes, colors, materials and other subtleties).

Architecture takes into account people’s lifestyle, values, and needs. As we start to pay attention to eco-friendly and energy-efficient housing, creating constructions with such properties falls on the shoulders of green design architects. Other professions that are closely linked to people’s needs are landscape architects and urban designers, who make our environment a more convenient place to live. Last but not least—industrial architects, who boast specific knowledge enabling them to come up with the most suitable industry-based decisions.

You don’t have to be an architect to appreciate a beautiful design, though. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 19th-century Victorian-style house, an urban blocklike dwelling, or something else completely. And if there are no examples of your favored architectural style nearby, you can always go online—as with most topics, the internet is brimming with content showcasing all sorts of marvelous buildings. (Check out the amazing architecture posts on this Instagram account, for instance.)

When it comes to attention-worthy online content, lovers of all things architecture might appreciate ‘Architecture Hunter’, a digital media project focusing on construction and design. They shed light on extraordinary examples of human creativity that they believe have to be witnessed by the world. Deservingly so. Scroll through their Instagram if you want to see some of the visuals yourself.

To balance out the beautiful architecture-related content on social media, designs on the other end of the spectrum are covered online as well. Ugly Belgian Houses is an excellent example of such counterweights. 

In a previous interview with Bored Panda, the mastermind behind the account, Hannes Coudenys, said: “Normally, if you like architecture, you like good houses, but in Belgium, there’s a lot of ugly architecture. So I started taking pictures of it.” (Make sure to read the full interview here.)

The way we distinguish the appealing from the appalling is very subjective. However, when it comes to architecture, people can be split into two camps—architects and designers versus the rest of the folk. This idea was analyzed by the founding director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, professor of neurology, psychology, and architecture, Anjan Chatterjee, in his article for Psychology Today.

In a previous study, he covered how the brain responds to architecture. The professor revealed that the way people experience beauty in certain interiors can correlate with neural activity responsible for the feeling of reward. “The aesthetic experience of architectural interiors draws on the same reward systems that are associated with the pleasure we experience in gazing at beautiful faces as well as in satisfying primary appetites such as food and sex,” he wrote.

Some architectural gems ought to evoke a feeling of reward simply by marveling at them; the works of Antoni Gaudí, for instance. The intricate, colorful designs of the renowned Catalan architect are considered some of the world’s most exceptional examples of architectural heritage. Unsurprisingly, they gather thousands of people to Barcelona to witness them firsthand. (Make sure to add Park Güell, La Casa Vicens, Casa Batlló, and, of course, the iconic Sagrada Família to your itinerary, if you’re planning a visit yourself.)

If architectural wonders are your cup of tea, browsing participants (and the winners, especially) of related contests might just become your new favorite pastime. The annual Architecture MasterPrize, for instance, presents an abundance of eye-candy-like designs. If you need proof, just take a look at Bored Panda’s list of architectural masterpieces from all over the world that won the award in 2020.