This is a very important distinction to appreciate-social interaction can drain their energy. They get their energy from going within they value solitude and order. And yes, the vast majority of architects are introverts. The Architect is brilliant, ambitious, and can be a workaholic. This may explain why my introverted peers often feel misunderstood by clients and consultants and the like in their day to day work. It’s worth noting that INTJ, which is actually referred to as “The Architect”, is one of the rarest personality types. All the same, they do capture common threads that those who share a personality type can relate to. And of course, no personality test is without generalizations that glaze over distinct nuances that make us all individuals. The INTJ Architectįor those of you who aren’t personality test aficionados like me and haven’t gone through the MBTI, Myers-Briggs assigns individuals to one of sixteen personality types based on a self-assessment of preferences:ĭo you focus on the facts or lean toward ideas and concepts?ĭo you make decisions through logical reasoning or base them on personal values?ĭo you prefer to have matters settled and clear or leave options open? The sole person with her hand in the air. Who is ENTJ? This person is the extrovert and often the commander of the group.” And there I was. He asked the group of 30 or so professionals, “Who here is INTJ? That’s introverted, intuitive, thinking, judging” About three-quarters of my colleagues raised their hands. A few days later, we went on a daylong retreat with a consultant who gave us our results. I completed it joyfully because if there’s one thing I love in this world, it’s a personality test. Only, just as it had been in grad school, I didn’t quite fit in.Ī few weeks into my internship, everyone on the team completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). I was learning the profession from a brilliant group of folks doing exactly the kind of projects I wanted to do. I got to try my hand at everything, from blue sky concepts to final details. Many moons ago, the summer after my first year in graduate school, I interned in the Seattle office of a large multinational architectural firm.

Architect personality