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Archinect's tips for students preparing for thesis reviews and studio critiques

2022-04-22T17:59:00-04:00

What comes to mind when thinking about studio crits, guest juries, thesis reviews, and final presentations? For some, it's a blend of adrenaline, panic, fatigue, and perhaps a hint of excitement. Of course, everyone prepares differently and has their own "method to their madness," but it's important to realize that crafting a strong presentation is a mental and physical balancing act.

Academic coverage is an essential aspect of Archinect's editorial lineup. Beyond our exclusive interviews with education leaders and showcases of student work, our special Archinect Tips section consists of an array of handy guides that can help you feel prepared for your presentation.

Previously featured on Archinect: Archinect's Guide to Presentations

So, students, whether this is your first presentation as an undergrad or a seasoned fifth-year moving on autopilot, it's easy to forget a few things. Below, we have gathered a list of tips and references to get you through the next few weeks.

Before we ...

“Is studio culture for everyone?” asks Virginia Tech's architecture director

2022-02-01T12:00:00-05:00

Architectural educator, critic, and author Aaron Betsky has published an editorial reflecting on the value and failings of the studio culture in architecture schools. Betsky, who is Director of the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech, published the piece on Architect Magazine, the journal of the American Institute of Architects, under the title “Don’t Kill the Design Studio — Make It Better.”

From the Archinect podcast archive: Banal Sex Mansion: talking about sex and architecture with Aaron Betsky, on Archinect Sessions #62

Betsky’s piece explores the question of whether the studio culture in architecture schools is “productive, efficient, or even fair” in its current format; a question to which Betsky categorically answers “no.” Much of Betsky’s argument centers on the high financial cost of an architectural education relative to many other degree programs, including the need to high-spec laptops, drawing and model material, and travel expenses.

Archinect Feature:...

Studio culture goes online at Taubman College

2020-03-10T18:08:00-04:00

As the spread of the novel coronavirus prompts a cascade of event cancellations and school closures, the rest of the Spring 2020 semester hangs in the balance for many design students and educators.

Just this week, Columbia University, Princeton University, Harvard University, The Ohio State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and University of California, Berkeley and others have announced school closures to varying degrees as these institutions formulate plans for moving instruction out of the classroom and onto the internet for (at least) the remainder of the semester. At many universities, mid-reviews are just around the corner or have just taken place, leaving the remaining half-semester in limbo for students and professors, alike.

As educational institutions transition toward a yet-to-be-determined period of all-remote coursework, the deeply social culture of design studio is being challenged from multiple angles, as well.

Anyone who has been through architecture scho...

Managing back-to-school stress

2019-09-06T16:15:00-04:00

With the back-to-school bustle underway for the fall, many students have hit the ground running. As the work load begins to pile up and studio projects commence, anxiety and stress also sneak their way into the forefront. How can the architecture student tackle this intrusion?

Nicole LeBlanc, MA. and Luana Marques, Ph.D. have some insights. In their Harvard Health article, the pair delineate the current research concerning anxiety in college. Some findings are:

It's quite common. A 2018 study conducted by the American College Health Association showed that "63% of college students in the U.S. felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year." The study also found that 23% of students "reported being diagnosed or treated by a mental health professional for anxiety in the past year." LeBlanc and Marques highlight the fact that the bulk of anxiety amongst students tends to be during the initial transition into college. For the design student, first year does indeed prove to be a formidable a...

YouTuber documents life in architecture school

2019-08-27T18:00:00-04:00

Ever wonder what life is like in architecture school? RISD graduate, Joseph Echavarria has chronicled his entire graduate program experience, documenting everything from studio life, crits, Rhino hacks, to thesis reviews, modeling tips, and preparing for a presentation. He employs an authentic range of characters (his studio mates) and presents the uniqueness and rawness of life as an architecture student.

Joseph started his YouTube channel back in 2015 when he decided to begin logging his journey in architecture. "My main reason for starting the YouTube channel was just to have a reason to film. I’ve always wanted to make videos and I loved YouTube," Joseph told Archinect. Soon, the young student's passion for filming grew into a valuable resource for those seeking to learn more about architecture school. Many of his videos display comments from curious viewers expressing their gratitude for the consistent documentation of the college experience in architecture.

Joseph participa...

Esther Sperber argues that to end abuse in architecture, stop believing in the creative genius myth

2018-08-07T18:23:00-04:00

But gender bias is not the most dangerous consequence of the lone-wolf image: It is the unspoken permission to abuse that should worry us. For the privilege of working alongside this aggressive and uncompromising genius, we are asked to tolerate his erratic, harsh, and selfish behavior. [...] To fight sexual abuse and abusers, we must first let go of this simplistic and fictitious image of the lone wolf.

In this short opinion piece, Studio ST Architects founder Esther Sperber argues that, in light of the ongoing #MeToo movement, rejecting the prevalent “lone wolf”/creative genius myth and emphasizing a collaborative culture instead are important steps to stopping abuse in architecture.

Happy with your employer's architecture labor practices? Nominate your firm in the JustDesign.Us initiative

2017-05-05T15:44:00-04:00

Working toward fairer professional architectural practice is an ongoing uphill climb in the industry, but which practices are already getting it right? The Architecture Lobby recently co-launched an initiative called JustDesign.Us, a certification process to distinguish architecture firms with exemplary labor practices, including fair pay, family-friendly policies, diversity, transparency, and agency.

Certification is a two-stage process. In Stage I, employees who want to nominate their firm will answer an online questionnaire — which The Architecture Lobby, the Yale School of Architecture’s Equity in Design, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Women in Design developed. Submissions will remain anonymous.

Image via justdesign.us.

In the second stage, JustDesign.Us will ask the nominated firms corresponding questions that may lead to certification (endorsed by the JustDesign.Us partners and affiliated organizations like SEED, ArchiteXX, and the American Colleges and Schools ...

UK architecture students seeking mental health care is on the rise, according to Architects' Journal survey

2016-07-29T13:57:00-04:00

Nearly 90% of the 447 respondents said they had had to work through the night at some point. Almost one-third said they have to do it regularly. Two-thirds of undergraduates said their debt at the end of their course would be £30,000 or above. Despite that, almost a third said they had been asked to work in practice for free... [One student respondent] said: “A culture of suffering for your art is promoted within education.”

Editor's Picks #423

2015-07-13T00:47:00-04:00

Julia Ingalls explored how a firm the size of Gensler manages to maintain a cohesive studio culture. midlander wondered "when did Gensler get so big? I feel like I never heard of them until 10 years ago, then suddenly they were everywhere? Was it organic growth or have they been buying up local firms to expand?"

News
The NYT reported the Studio Museum in Harlem, will construct a new $122 million home designed by the British architect David Adjaye on West 125th Street.

SALT released Global Tools 1973-1975 (a free downloadable book) which compiles/archives the lessons of the "non-school", founded by members of a radical Italian pedagogy group from the 1970s.

One year after Operation Protective Edge, Haaretz examined what (if anything) has changed since the 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas, and asks "If we don't learn from our wars, are we doomed to repeat them?" +A ziz thinks "Gaza might as well be the saddest place on Earth…"

Anna Daugherty penned a eulogy for Francis Tsai, previo...

When the pressure is on, dedicated architecture students show how to power nap like a pro

2015-05-04T14:48:00-04:00

With final crits creeping up for many architecture students, there's no doubt that the agenda includes sleepless nights in the studio and personal health becomes second priority. Sad but true. In recent years, some students turned to social media sites like Tumblr to post snapshots of their peers seizing the chance to catch up on some ZZZs -- whether as a way to share their woes with fellow architecture students, poke a little fun at their friends, to procrastinate, or maybe even as a cry for help. The widespread social-media trend is nothing new (neither is sleep deprivation among aspiring architects), but what it reflects of architectural education and studio culture is certainly still up for debate.

As anyone who has gone through architecture school may already know, the studio provides plenty of room — and materials — to get some form of shut-eye while working on big presentations:

To any students going through this at the moment: Hang in there.

More photos here, here, and here.

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