Architects are a special breed - an eclectic contradiction of artist and engineer, dreamer and realizer, Simon and Garfunkel. They have the visionary foundation of knowledge and perfectionism that allows them to orchestrate a massive team of consultants and contractors to give birth to the world’s shelters - and as such, present a very unique collection of character traits the opposite sex tends to find very appealing.

Don’t be fooled, though, because it takes an equally special kind of partner to match wits and be the perfect yin to the architect’s yang. This article should give you a bit of insight into who the architect is, and why dating them can be incredibly rewarding. But, may it also act as a warning to those who might not be sure if they can walk hand-in-hand into the sunset with the professional realm’s most ego-driven control freak.

Here are 7 reasons you should (or shouldn’t) date an architect.

1 | They Are Planners

It’s pretty much what they do for a living and the need to control any and all things in the office bleeds heavily into their personal lives, too. This is great if you’re the kind of person that enjoys having your partner handle the dinner reservations, vacation activities, and insist on your children's names. However, if you consider yourself to be the planning type, getting two of you in the same room together could result in a small black hole tearing a rift into space-time.

2 | They Are Great At Parties

If you’re the type of person who likes to show off your arm candy at parties to your skeptical friends and family, you could do a lot worse than an architect. Not only do they love to hear themselves talk, they even have a few neat party tricks up their sleeves like sketching out your parents’ dream home on a white cocktail napkin. They can hold their liquor and keep your loved ones chuckling about grade beams and the incompetence of contractors into the wee hours of the night.

3 | They Are Smart

A certain kind of smart, anyway. It’s a rare thing to have a dull conversation with an architect, and you can rest assured they will always have an answer for something in the face of an impending problem to solve. Being an architect means embracing the ‘hold my beer’ mentality of proving people wrong and exceeding expectations. It’s a quality many people find attractive, unless you have been known to describe others as ‘insufferable.’

4 | They Are Ambitious

And they have to be. In order to make it through the gauntlet that is architecture training and testing you have to be driven to succeed. Most architects know in their bones they were put on the planet to do one thing, and they’ll climb - t-square in hand - over any jagged mountain they come across to strive for it. This kind of ambitious can be infectious, but it can also be discouraging if you aren’t willing to strap in, suit up, and join your partner on the ride to the top.

5 | They Give Great Back Massages

Architects are makers, tinkerers, and builders. They might wear skinny black suits to work in an office full of neatly organized right angles, but underneath that soft exterior are a pair of hands that have logged plenty of hard-earned miles. Put those puppies to good use and reap the benefits of the best back massage you’ve ever had from someone not named Sven. The attention to detail and determination to relieve any and all bodily stress will make it easier to put up with the critique they insist you give them at the end.

6 | They Dream Big

So be ready for it. Architects rarely settle for anything other than the American Dream (or the European Dream, or wherever dream you might be located in). If you represent the Jay-Z to the architects’ Beyonce, get ready for a life fit for Hip Hop royalty. However, if you don’t stack up to the highest of standards you are getting yourself into, don’t be surprised if you get tossed aside with the other inadequate or failed design ideas. You’ve been warned.

7 | They Stay Up All Night

If there’s one thing architects learn in school it’s how to go for days without sleep on a steady diet of Red Bull and convenient store hot dogs. This can translate well into the dating world if you’re looking for something more than just a goodnight kiss (and who isn’t?). And if you can somehow pry them away from their dimly lit studio and trusty glass of scotch, they might even help tend to a crying baby who won’t go to sleep. Although, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

. . . . .

Hopefully this gave you a bit of insight into the dating mind of the architect. If I had to put it simply, dating an architect is a high risk, high reward endeavor. But, if you know what you are getting yourself into ahead of time, you could do a lot worse than building a life with a driven, obsessive, and unconditionally loving weirdo.