I would like some life advice please. I shall explain my current situation, and would appreciate some of your thoughts.
I current have completed my RIBA part 1, and had my year in industry signed off. I am working at a major developers office and have been here for 3 years. I joined here to gain some experience after my degree, but ended up working as a technician, with various duties - mostly cad (little design work) some site visits, planning meetings etc. I am on 22k a year.
I have been offered a place at Liverpool University UK to start my Part 2 in 3 weeks time.
When I informed my employer of my intentions they offered to fund me to do a Msc in planning and urban design part time, and work with them 4 days a week, on the basis I will be with them for 2 years whilist I am learning. After my Msc I will be on about 30k which is about 5k better off then I will be if i did my part 2.
My dilema is this - everybody at my office (a range of planners and civils engineers) keep telling me I am absolutely crazy to go back to architecture. Their opinion is that architects are probably in less demand then before and urban design is going to be huge in future. (i accept they are biased - we dont have an architect in house)
My employer also maintains that architects do a lot of overtime for very little pay, and it is very likely to be a career in which I remain a Cad monkey for the forseable future.
I would like to hear from some architects whether they think urban design is a sensible choice? Is this something you would consider doing instead of architecture?
My personal opinion is that I would drive me mad to not quite be an architect, and the sort of mass housing projects that urban designers/planners produce is pretty soul destroying.
i have always thought I would become an architect and find the thought of smaller scale projects appealing. However, I hated doing my part one and find the prospect of doing part 2 quite worrying. - i do however envisage being an architect as something I could do happily - just hated the uni side of it.
Heads a mess, I'm waffling -
Am i romanticizing architecture? Has an architecture degree become an expensive novelty and is the reality of being an architect anything like it is presented? would being an urban designer/planner be much different?
I would appreciate some thoughts from architects. I have the weekend to let my employer know.
Wow, pressure from the firm, huh? Do you want to stay with this firm? If so, it's potentially worth taking the deal. But I wouldn't let them pressure you.
If you want to be an architect, go do the Part 2. But what did you hate about your Part 1? Are you applying to schools that address what it is you didn't like?
Currently there is a boom in construction as all the recession held projects are coming back online. But architecture is a fickle field and there will be good times and bad always.
I worked as an urban designer for an architecture practice in London for 6 years. But I'm also an architect. I prefer urban design, but that's a decision I made sort of later- to finish architecture and then have a specialism. Most urban designers I know have an architecture background. Most are also architects, but a very good friend of mine did the equivalent of a part 2 (in the states) and never proceeded on to registration and is now a successful urban designer.
Also, an urban designer working in an architecture practice (or multidisciplinary engineering practice) will be more design based whereas an urban designer working in a planning practice may end up being... less dynamic lets say.
Have you looked at architecture jobs in your area or spoken to firms about potential post graduate jobs? It sounds to me like you need to do some more research about what jobs are available and what it is you really want to do.
Sep 9, 14 7:46 am ·
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Architecture RIBA Part 2 Vs Planning and Urban Design Msc
Hello all,
I would like some life advice please. I shall explain my current situation, and would appreciate some of your thoughts.
I current have completed my RIBA part 1, and had my year in industry signed off. I am working at a major developers office and have been here for 3 years. I joined here to gain some experience after my degree, but ended up working as a technician, with various duties - mostly cad (little design work) some site visits, planning meetings etc. I am on 22k a year.
I have been offered a place at Liverpool University UK to start my Part 2 in 3 weeks time.
When I informed my employer of my intentions they offered to fund me to do a Msc in planning and urban design part time, and work with them 4 days a week, on the basis I will be with them for 2 years whilist I am learning. After my Msc I will be on about 30k which is about 5k better off then I will be if i did my part 2.
My dilema is this - everybody at my office (a range of planners and civils engineers) keep telling me I am absolutely crazy to go back to architecture. Their opinion is that architects are probably in less demand then before and urban design is going to be huge in future. (i accept they are biased - we dont have an architect in house)
My employer also maintains that architects do a lot of overtime for very little pay, and it is very likely to be a career in which I remain a Cad monkey for the forseable future.
I would like to hear from some architects whether they think urban design is a sensible choice? Is this something you would consider doing instead of architecture?
My personal opinion is that I would drive me mad to not quite be an architect, and the sort of mass housing projects that urban designers/planners produce is pretty soul destroying.
i have always thought I would become an architect and find the thought of smaller scale projects appealing. However, I hated doing my part one and find the prospect of doing part 2 quite worrying. - i do however envisage being an architect as something I could do happily - just hated the uni side of it.
Heads a mess, I'm waffling -
Am i romanticizing architecture? Has an architecture degree become an expensive novelty and is the reality of being an architect anything like it is presented? would being an urban designer/planner be much different?
I would appreciate some thoughts from architects. I have the weekend to let my employer know.
Thanks
No thoughts?
Wow, pressure from the firm, huh? Do you want to stay with this firm? If so, it's potentially worth taking the deal. But I wouldn't let them pressure you.
If you want to be an architect, go do the Part 2. But what did you hate about your Part 1? Are you applying to schools that address what it is you didn't like?
Currently there is a boom in construction as all the recession held projects are coming back online. But architecture is a fickle field and there will be good times and bad always.
I worked as an urban designer for an architecture practice in London for 6 years. But I'm also an architect. I prefer urban design, but that's a decision I made sort of later- to finish architecture and then have a specialism. Most urban designers I know have an architecture background. Most are also architects, but a very good friend of mine did the equivalent of a part 2 (in the states) and never proceeded on to registration and is now a successful urban designer.
Also, an urban designer working in an architecture practice (or multidisciplinary engineering practice) will be more design based whereas an urban designer working in a planning practice may end up being... less dynamic lets say.
Have you looked at architecture jobs in your area or spoken to firms about potential post graduate jobs? It sounds to me like you need to do some more research about what jobs are available and what it is you really want to do.
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