Amanda Welsh almost disappeared off the face of the Earth when she worked
as an architectural technician for the United States National Park Service.
Well, that is perhaps an exaggeration. But there is no question Anaktuvuk
Pass in northern Alaska is one of the most remote and isolated spots on the
globe.
Located high above the Arctic Circle and close to the Bering Sea, Anaktuvuk
Pass is home to less than 300 people. They live off the barren land by hunting
caribou and carving souvenir ornaments for tourists against the rugged background
of the Brooks Range.
Its climate is harsh in the winter and in the summer. The only contact
the town has with the outside world is through a satellite system -- and bush
pilots who deliver everything from mail to jars of mayonnaise.
Anaktuvuk Pass is also the last remaining settlement of the Nunamiut. And
that is why Welsh had to spend a total of two weeks there.
Her job was to preserve the architectural legacy of the Nunamiut for the
Library of Congress by making detailed and measured drawings of their semi-subterranean
sod houses.
They were made out of sod squares placed onto a frame of logs lowered into
a shallow hole. And while they were only 50 years old, they had enormous historical
value.
Nunamiuts were nomads until the late 19th century, living in tents made
out of wood and fur. But by the late 1950s, almost all had given up that existence
to settle near Anaktuvuk Pass. Those sod houses therefore capture a moment
of profound and deep change in the history of a culture and a people.
"So this was pretty important to me," says Welsh. "It was also a lot of
fun if you enjoy detailed drawing."
Welsh had so much fun she stayed up north, and now works for an architecture
firm in Ketchikan, a small community along the Alaska panhandle. So you never
know where your career will take you.
Her story also makes a broader point about architectural technicians. They
are not limited to working for architecture and construction firms, although
many do.
Consider Andrew Bennett. He is the secretary for an association of architectural
technologists.
For years, he has worked with and for architects. But he recently shifted
his professional focus to private consulting. He now spends most of his time
and energy on his work as a private building inspector.
Most recently, he helped a homeowner reach a legal settlement with a shady
contractor whose workmanship left much to be desired.
The homeowner asked Bennett if he could take a look at the new addition
to her home and suggest a possible course of action. Bennett was appalled
by the poor quality of the work. And it got worse when the contractor sued
the homeowner, asking her for more money.
"She had paid the agreed-upon [amount], but he was trying to get some extra,"
says Bennett.
The matter ended up in court, where Bennett appeared as an expert witness.
He submitted a report that certainly made an impression with the judge. "After
having reviewed the [blueprints] and my report, we were able to save her about
$6,000," says Bennett.
The woman was, of course, quite happy, Bennett says.
Bennett also appears content with his professional life. Indeed, he has
no regrets about becoming an architectural technician instead of an architect.
"I thought that being an architectural technologist would be more hands-on,"
he says. "I thought architects would end up more on the management side of
things. And that's not what I wanted to do."
Welsh has a different opinion. She is planning to become a fully certified
architect. "Being an architectural technician was just a stop on the way,"
says Welsh, who attended the University of Oregon. "It wasn't like that was
my goal, and then I decided to go on. I was already on track to becoming an
architect."
One reason for her decision is the fact architectural technicians do not
get to make final design decisions. But that does not mean that they do not
have any creative input.
Beth Globe works for a small architecture firm. She says she has a considerable
amount of design input, and the professional boundaries between architects
and architectural technicians often disappear during a project.
"It is really a team effort," she says. "Everybody works together. And
if you don't work together, the project doesn't work."
If it works, the results can be seen for a long time. And it is this aspect
that attracted Globe to this career.
"I like seeing something that I have created on paper become reality,"
she says.