bump

anything you take on as an exploratory effort will help you become a better architect, whether it's sculpture or chemistry. it won't automatically and by-itself make you a good architect, but it adds arrows to your quiver.

continuous learning, being curious, being willing to take chances and fail, and rolling with the punches are all essential to being a good architect and any challenging and exploratory activity that you undertake helps grow these characteristics. 

Thank you! Very wise words sir!

No, it won't.  Like SW points out, anything, particularly creative endeavors, will help stimulate your mind.  Jogging stimulates my mind as well, as does a good wine (to keep things in perspective).

You would be better served spending the time learning other, more valuable things, imho.  That could be graphics (you will always have to communicate in a graphic manner, you will never, ever, use a sculpture), software, business, construction, finance, etc.

If you do it, do it for fun and personal enjoyment (if you are looking for justification), not a career booster.

sculpting once upon a time was part of the trade work used in construction. During the renaissance, as you point out, would be a good guess. (i didn't do so well in Arch history) So if you want to learn a construction trade that is hundreds of years out of date go for it, but I think you would be better served to learn the modern day version if you are really trying to improve your skill set as architect. The majority of "sculpting" is done by cnc machines.

That being said, I would suggest working for a GC to learn how all the trades interact with each other rather than specialize in one specific trade. That would give you a diverse back ground to understand the methods of construction that are critical to architecture. 

1 minute bump lol seriouslee!

It all contributes to a better understanding of your profession, My personal resume not limited to but includes;

- Framing contractor

- Planning official in a public agency

- Working as a Landscape Architect

- Course in Welding

- Building houses for myself and acting as my own contractor

All those past experiences ( in my opinion ) have contributed in some way to me having a more comprehensive knowledge of the profession and improved my skill set as an Architect. So limiting your selection to one other discipline my not be as complete  as someone who has a broader background. Its one of the reasons many architects don't hit their stride till later in their career.

Thank you all for the comments! They have been insightful in one way or another (yes that includes the "1min bump lol" comment haha).

One question though; what's GC? Government Contractor?

I say go for Sculpting...I have over the years dabbled in sculpting. Casting in Bronze, Clay, and Stone along with some constructive sculpture.  I have been dying to start Welding steel, but I think I will wait  until I retire from Architecture.  Sculpting will make you a better Architect and Architecture will  make you a better Sculptor.  I have also dabbled in Lithography and serigraphy which I also enjoy a great deal of the time. In later Life Corbu was rummored to spend his morings up until about  11:00Am in his art studio.  It didn't seem to hurt him.

I'll second whistler. Working in the trades, seeing how buildings are actually constructed, learning the properties of materials in the real world, seeing the translation from abstract (plans) to reality (a building) are invaluable and should be part of the basic required training for every architecture student.

In my opinion, having spent most of my career as a carpenter, cabinetmaker and in the general trades having hands on experience working in the field is drastically needed for an architect.  I honestly think one or two years mandatory construction experience should be required before getting licensed.  It is one thing to come up with a plan or vision, another this to understand how to implement said plan.  I just noticed that Miles has already said this, so I'll second that.

Todd

I guess I have to ask the question?  What did you learn during those first two years of working in the general trades....How to push a broom, fill a dumpster, cut a stud, or some other highly technical aspect of construction. 

I grew up in construction and well I never thought it was the end all to being a good architect.  I say those creative endevors are far more useful to one considering architecture.

In case you are still figuring it out SeriousLee, GC is General Contractor.

i agree with snook.   spending 2 years learning to be moderately incompetent at a construction trade is not necessarily a good preparation for designing skyscraper or school or hospital, nor even for overseeing construction.

I would honestly not worry if any job/life experience is going to be directly related to later career or not.  the broader the better, but if welding objets is interesting or if you wanna spend some time banging and bolting sections of steel structure together then why not.

in the end the best way to become a good architect is to get experience doing architecture (design is also a skill that takes years of practice to build up).

Wow! Love the insightful comments! Keep em coming! I'm now trying to source for courses in plumbing so that when i go to the Uni I might be able to make some extra pocket money and also learn how to perhaps design buildings that ease repair work? 

I've got another question though! I've got 3 paths that i'm considering:

1. Try to enter Architects Association and survive the 5 years

2. Try to enter Uni of Melbourne (or any uni in AU), get my Ba then enter a good graduate school

3. Try to enter Unitec Archi, get my Ba then enter a good graduate school

Which would be ideal? Does a good Undergrad school matter much? Thank you all for helping me out! It would be an indirect contribution to humanity haha

Serious Lee, your and an Aussie.....well that is one good reason to not go into construction. Carpenter Tools are extremely expensive in Australia. An Architect friend of mine when he visits the US, has a shopping list for his carpenter friends.  It is pretty funny to go to a Lumber and Hardware store with him.  He is like a kid in a candy store.

Seriously Lee,   You  should just toss a coin and go where your destiny takes you.

Seriously Lee,

I spent the weekend in the Middle of our Winter here in New England  taking apart  the back wall of my garage. The wooden sill plates were pretty much shot, so they had to come out. It is one of those miserable carpenter experiences I do not wish upon anyone who is an Architect.  I do it myself because I like the physical labor,   So I ripped out 20 feet of a double sill plate, ripped of  8" exposed Cedar Clapboard siding, shored up the wall as going along. Installed new  sill anchor bolts, a double pressue treated lumber sill plate and  two foot tall  sheets of pressure treated plywood cause I never want to to do this project again.   I started the project yesterday and  finished  this phase of the project today.  I only decided to undertake this project this weekend because it was very warm for this time of the year and the sun was shining.  I plan to keep picking away at it  the rest of the winter, when we have decent weather.  

The biggest thing you learn when doing a job like this is patients....don't get in a hurry....measure twice cut once.  Clean up as you go, cause then you will not be to tired to clean up at the end of the day.....Oh ya and go drink some, "Kicking Chicken" when the day is done to unthaw those frozen muscles.

Architecture school is one of the most stressful environments for anyone to work in.  If you don't love it, then you'll think you're wasting all of your time and energy on boring material and if you love it then every critique and comment has the potential to break your heart and send you into an uncontrollable depression. (Mild exaggeration here.)

This being the case, it is incredibly helpful to have hobbies to take your mind off of school.  Therefore, I think you should immediately start sculpting if you are really passionate about it.  That way, once you are in school, you have the fluency and craft to truly enjoy sculpting as a hobby and not just a career developer.

Secondly, anyone who says sculpting is unrelated to design is crazy.  Buildings are essentially giant, habitable, sculptures.  Sculpting will give you a good feel for aesthetic principles and values, material qualities, figure-ground relationships, and the list goes on.

You will learn more practical information once you are in school and when you intern after graduation so don't worry too much about pragmatic studies at this point.