Architect

Architects plan and design buildings such as homes, schools, and other structures. They also manage resources to keep projects on time and on budget.

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$50,000 - $100,000+

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University Degree

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High Demand

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Karima Peermohammad

Intern Architect

I was born and raised (mostly) in Karachi, Pakistan. I moved to Toronto in 2009 for my undergrad and decided to stay on for my masters as well at the University of Toronto. Since a very young age, I have been a generalist and believe in being good at everything I work on. Consequently, I found myself interested in pursuing both art and science, and architecture is just that: the blend of both with the room to lean more on which ever one prefers.

What is your educational background?
I went to U of T to pursue my undergrad at the Faculty of Arts in Science. I graduated with a Hons. B.A (Double Majors in Architectural History, Theory and Criticism; and Urban Studies; and a minor in GIS). Next I studied for a summer at the Harvard School of Design at their Career Discovery Program, where I realized I wanted to return for my Masters to U of T. I recently completed my Masters in Architecture from the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at U of T.

What are your daily responsibilities?
I am currently working with Design professionals to start a steering committee for designers in the Aga Khan Community.

What hurdles did you face?
I never thought about quitting, for me it is not an option: a less satisfactory result is better than an unfinished result. I have a few health conditions, that make working in structured environments, or timelines particularly hard, and so many a time I have had to lean on friends and family for support, and fortunately they have been very kind.

What advice would you give the 15-18 year old version of yourself?
Don’t be afraid to lean on others. It doesn’t mean that you are insufficient on your own, it means that you have ambitions that need a little more than you can put in and if it helps accomplish the end goal, then don’t be afraid to ask. There is only one way to learn. Do it, do anything, do everything. In the end the journey is as important as the end.