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Architectural Designer scoring
Architectural Designer is a profession featured in The Sims 3: Ambitions. In this profession, Sims are given renovation requests from other neighbors throughout the neighborhood. The objective is rather straightforward: Renovate other Sims' houses with the required objects. Once a renovation is complete, it will be scored. High scores will benefit the Sim via a payment bonus and great overall review.
Getting high overall reviews is a key component of fulfilling the lifetime wish to become a Home Design Hotshot, which requires a total of 100 great reviews, which is very difficult to achieve. This tutorial will help players to understand the scoring system for renovation requests, as well as provide advice on earning great reviews.
There are 3 types of reviews: bad reviews, good reviews, and great reviews. A renovation request that earns a score lower than 0 will earn the Sim a bad review; a score between 0 and 1,000 will earn a good review; and a score higher than 1,000 will result in a great review. There are also score thresholds that determine how much a Sim will earn upon finishing a renovation, as shown in the table below:
| Score Threshold | Bonus | Review |
|---|---|---|
| less than 0 | None | 
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| less than 100 | None | 
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| 100+ | §50 | |
| 400+ | §100 | |
| 600+ | §250 | |
| 700+ | §500 | |
| 1,000+ | §1,000 | 
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| 1,700+ | §5,000 |
Upon telling the client that the renovation is complete, the renovation is given a starting score of 100. Each renovation is also automatically awarded a starting bonus, based on the Sim's Architectural Design career level. The higher the career level, the larger the starting score, as illustrated below:
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This means that Sims at level 10 will automatically get a great review upon finishing a renovation, as long as they don't get a penalty (due to an unfinished room, for example).
There are several ways to earn extra points on a renovation score. Sims at career level 5 and above have the option to measure the property before beginning a renovation. Although measuring the entire home takes time, doing so will give a score boost of 50, 100, or 125, based on how much time the Sim spends on taking measurements. Also, discussing the renovation with the client beforehand gives a score boost of 50, 100, or 125, again based on how long the Sim spends on the discussion. The Discuss Renovation interaction is available starting at career level 8. A third way to boost a renovation's score is by learning a client's traits and tailoring the renovation to suit those traits. Sims can learn about their clients' traits through normal social interactions, or through the Discuss Renovation interaction if their career level is high enough.
Special objects
Even though they are not required for the renovation, placing certain objects will yield extra renovation points. Each plant and rug placed gives an extra 10 points. (It's unclear if this refers to decorative plants, garden plants, or both.)
  
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Sims can get bonuses by placing homemade paintings, photographs, and sculptures during a renovation. Each homemade object adds 100 points to the score. An extra 100 points is awarded if the homemade object is a portrayal of the client, the client's partner, a member of the client's household, or a Sim whose partner is a member of the client's household, bringing the object's total up to 200 points. Another 10 points is awarded per environment score of the homemade objects.
Clients' traits
Learning a client's trait(s) before beginning a renovation is hugely beneficial for an architectural designer. If a Sim knows his/her client's traits, the renovation can be tailored to said traits, thus earning more renovation points. Below is a scoring chart detailing the various bonuses based on client traits:
| Trait | Effect |
|---|---|
| Artistic | 0.1 points awarded per environment point of decorative objects |
| Bookworm | 20 points awarded per bookshelf |
| Can't Stand Art | Adding artwork doesn't deduct points |
| Computer Whiz | 10 points awarded per non-cheap computer |
| Couch Potato | 1 point awarded per comfort point of objects |
| Easily Impressed | 10 point bonus, regardless of renovation content |
| Evil/Hates the Outdoors | 100 points awarded per room with no windows |
| Frugal | 0.1 points awarded per Simoleon not spent |
| Loves the Outdoors | 10 points awarded per window |
| Natural Cook |
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| Party Animal |
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| Snob | 0.01 points deducted per Simoleon not spent |
| Technophobe | Adding electronic devices doesn't deduct points |
| Virtuoso |
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| Workaholic |
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Scoring penalties
In addition to trait-based penalties, there are several factors that result in point deductions:
- 1,500 points are deducted for each unroutable object. An unroutable object is one that can't be accessed or properly interacted with due to improper placement—for example, a couch that isn't sittable because there is a bookshelf placed directly in front of it.
- 1,000 points are deducted per item on the renovation request that does not appear in the finished room.
- 500 points are deducted for each object placed on an unroutable surface.
- 500 points are deducted for each broken object placed by the player.
- 500 points are deducted for each dirty object placed by the player.
- 50 points are deducted for each object with blocked slots. For example, a dining table that is up against a wall on one side.
- 20 points are deducted for each unlit room.
- 20 points are deducted for each undecorated room.
- 0.5 points are deducted for each environment point lost during renovation.
Miscellaneous
- It's important to remember that colors, styles, patterns, etc., of objects don't affect the renovation's score.
- Buy both an easel and a drafting table (don't forget to buy the stool, as well). Each one has its advantages and disadvantages with regards to raising the Painting skill. Researching architectural design via the drafting table will raise a Sim's career experience faster than practicing painting on an easel. On top of that, once a Sim's Painting skill is maxed out, painting on the easel won't raise a Sim's career experience. A Sim can always gain career experience via the drafting table, even if his/her Painting skill is maxed out. Don't be too quick to get rid of the easel, though. Sims can get good money from selling their paintings, so it's a potential source of side income.
- Useful traits for architects:
- Artistic Sims will be able to raise their Painting skill more quickly, which will result in them getting promoted faster.
- Perceptive Sims will be able to learn clients' traits more quickly through socializing. This will lessen the time spent talking to the clients, allowing Sims to get more renovations done.
- The Savvy Sculptor and Photographer's Eye traits could be useful secondary traits. The two traits make it easier to increase their respective skills, which makes it easier for Sims to create expensive sculptures/photos to be placed in renovations.
- The Charismatic trait might also be useful as a secondary trait, as Sims will spend a lot of time talking to clients. Charismatic Sims also learn other Sims' traits faster.
- Once a Sim has completed a renovation, he/she will be given the option to take a picture for his/her portfolio. Do it right away—don't select the "Take Photo Later" option, because the Sim will lose the option to take the photo as soon as he/she leaves the lot. Don't worry if the photo doesn't really do a good job of capturing the renovation, though. A great photo that captures the entire room and a picture of a tiny section of the floor will both result in the same amount of progress for the Sim's portfolio.
- If you have The Sims 3: World Adventures installed, consider getting the "Inappropriate but in a Good Way" lifetime reward (not to be confused with the Inappropriate trait). "Inappropriate but in a Good Way" allows a Sim to act inappropriately (e.g., use another Sim's fridge or bed) without getting in trouble. This can be helpful during renovations if you want to exit Buy Mode and use your Sim to test out the positioning of objects.