Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
University of Southern California (USC)
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Kansas State University
Question(s) for anyone who is an architect, city planner. Student or Professional.
For an English class I must interview a member of the discourse community that I wish to eventually be a part of. It's going to be part of an essay I need to write. Assuming multiple people answer the questions, those whose answers I will use for the essay will be cited as a source. Because of this I will require your full name if you answer the questions...You don't need to answer every question, but it would be appreciated if you can answer as many questions as you can! Thank you for your time and effort!
Questions
Again! Thank you for your time and effort! ^_^
Dyplo,
An interview is where you take the time to identify, contact, meet, and talk with someone... especially if you're hoping to become part of that person's professional community and culture. Posting questions for others to type in answers to, that you'll cut and paste into a document later, is the opposite of an interview.
I'm an architect and planner, and sat for an interview like this last year. I met a great student who's now in my class this term. I know more about him, and vice versa. I recommend that approach.
For fuck's sake kid, why don't you pick up a phone and call some local practising architects or even make a visit at an architecture school? You won't make it very far with such laziness.
Seriously, go read a few land use articles, pick up a few names and make a few phone calls. I bet you'll end up with a hit-rate of something like one out of every three.
Architects and planners rarely shy away from being cited in papers. An internet forum though, that's something else.
First of all, I was going to try to interview an professional, but MAYBE just MAYBE I don't have the time to do that. MAYBE I had no other alternative to posting on a forum! Instead of jumping to conclusions how about you think of the possible situations I'm stuck in? And for christ's sake I wasn't going to copy and paste the interview. It's a literacy narrative, not a news article. I was going to work it into my paper! I wouldn't be so stupid as to copy and paste the interview into a literacy narrative! C'mon! THINK FOR FIVE SECONDS! WHY are you making assumptions about what it even is I will do with the interview!
Second of all, you say laziness won't get me far. How do you even know it's laziness? Again, you're jumping to conclusions here. But I really won't get anywhere if the people whom I've been ASSIGNED to trust refuse to work with me and instead react with hostility and such rude behavior. THAT'S how I won't get far, because now you're wasting very precious time I have, and the only reason I'm even taking the time to write this reply is because you need to be told that you're being very rude!
Third of all, you people should be ashamed. I don't know who you think you are, but your profession does not put you above being contacted via internet. You're full grown adults who are at least a few years older than I am. And yet, your responses are extremely childish, especially since they're directed at, and completely alienating, a 20 year old college student who needs your help! It would be different if we were both professionals, and it's just a part of the etiquette, but we're not both professionals. Many other classmates used the internet to contact members of their discourse communities, and none of them were met with nearly as much hostility and rudeness as I was from you, let alone any hostility at all! ONE GUY EVEN USED FACEBOOK, You're the only ones whining about being contacted via internet. Congratulations, you're more stuck up than even the scientists. You're LUCKY and should be glad that anyone even cares to ask YOU about YOUR life! Because the truth is that most people dont give a damn about who you are or what you do. Now, I don't know what to think about architects in general. Now I may just want to change some of my interests and maybe you just lost a potential good architect or city planner. You shouldn't be so rude to students!
And Fourth of all, why are you even on here if you don't like questions? Business is conducted online these days, it's 2015, and as well as having almost no time to even schedule an interview, we live in a society where professionals and firms are very unapproachable. It would be rude of me to just walk into your building and ask up front to talk to someone who is busy doing their job! And if you would have been okay with that happening at least I thought about it!
i like how you separated your comments into first, second, etc. i was almost anticipating a fifth, but alas the suspense died out with the sudden conclusion.
also, your use of capitals and italics make a more attractive layout. text can become pretty blocky, but you used the tools you had, and kept them minimal and subdued so as to avoid becoming annoying.
well done.
Like curtkram, I'll compliment, too. Look at all the time and care that went into this robust defense. Now, take that level of attention and effort and actually do an interview!
Wait, this is not for some grade-9 highschool project but a for real college course?
I think we're all doomed if there are more kids out there like this one.
^ you took the words out my mouth. thought this was an 8th grader at first
There are lots of them (students) like this. Lots. I would volunteer but I'm not architecting any more, so I wouldn't be a good one to interview, but agree with others, you at least need to do this over the phone. Asking a busy professional to type up answers to questions is not interviewing, you are missing the point of your assignment.
I assumed high school too... community college I guess...
Definitely make time to at least do it over the phone! Interviewing is a skill, and you won't learn as much by doing it in this fashion. It takes practice to engage people.
I would also take a second look at some of your questions before starting. Some of them could be worded better. Like rather than asking how do you become an architect, it might be good for you to look that up yourself. Then ask a more open ended question like
That gets you a much bigger more in-depth/personal response.
The lingo question is interesting. But don't tell them what terms you already know. Instead ask them how that helps them day to day. Maybe ask if it ever gets in the way when communicating ideas to the public or to clients...etc.
Allow me to respond to a few of your points:
"It's a literacy narrative, not a news article."
I actually googled "literacy narrative" (it's not part of our lingo). I still don't know how it applies to this situation.
"people whom I've been ASSIGNED to trust refuse to work with me and instead react with hostility"
You're thinking of politicians. And cops. And priests. But not architects.
" you're more stuck up than even the scientists"
I've never been compared to a scientist before. Your insult might be the highlight of my week, even though I think you have fundamentally misjudged the social standing of scientists.
"your profession does not put you above being contacted via internet"
Is there a person left on this planet that falls short of this threshold? That's like believing I'm too literate to get junk mail.
"Now, I don't know what to think about architects in general"
This is actually the one thing you got a straight answer on. We're assholes. Ask any contractor, they'll back me up on this.
"at least I thought about it!"
This is a rewording of the basic GI Joe defense. That knowing is half the battle. The unspoken second part of this is that you still half to fight the other half of the battle. Otherwise you still lose. This is just one of the ways our nations children continue to be failed by their cartoon education.
dyplo,
You need to conduct interviews in person. Have you checked you universities policy regarding research involving interviewing human subject.
Here is University of Oregon's policy:
http://orcr.uoregon.edu/
http://orcr.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?action=irb
Your institution should have something similar. Check your institution's policy on this.
You can take a look at the links provided and the links at the site to get an idea. Your college/university probably is going to have something similar.
Thank you for the compliments, and for even paying attention to this thread, I didn't even think any of you would read it.
to jp22
I see what you mean about the wording of the questions. Thanks.
And to Frit.
Actually, you misunderstood, I never said literacy narratives were a part of the lingo. What I did say though was that I was writing a literacy narrative, and a part of the assignment was to discuss lingo with a member of the discourse community you're required to interview (I know, it's kind of weird...).
Also when I say "at least I thought about it" it wasn't about me, I was once more implying the same message that one should think about the circumstances before they jump to conclusions.
it wasn't "well, at least I thought about it!"
it was "at least I thought about it! Unlike some people who don't take the time to think in general."
And while I would agree with you on who one is assigned to trust, here I don't agree. Because actually yes, I AM assigned to trust you, the architect, because that's what the professor wants of me. And if I am let down by the discourse community, then I am going to get a bad grade which will hinder my efforts to transfer. So yes, I am thinking of architects in that sense.
Thank you for the compliments, and for even paying attention to this thread, I didn't even think any of you would read it. Although I see now I need to interview in person.
to jp22
I see what you mean about the wording of the questions. Thanks.
And to Frit.
Actually, you misunderstood, I never said literacy narratives were a part of the lingo. What I did say though was that I was writing a literacy narrative, and a part of the assignment was to discuss lingo with a member of the discourse community you're required to interview (I know, it's kind of weird...).
Also when I say "at least I thought about it" it wasn't about me, I was once more implying the same message that one should think about the circumstances before they jump to conclusions.
it wasn't "well, at least I thought about it!"
it was "at least I thought about it! Unlike some people who don't take the time to think in general."
And while I would agree with you on who one is assigned to trust, here I don't agree. Because actually yes, I AM assigned to trust you, the architect, because that's what the professor wants of me. And if I am let down by the discourse community, then I am going to get a bad grade which will hinder my efforts to transfer. So yes, I am thinking of architects in that sense.
dyplo, you always have the time and the means and if you don't then you don't do it. No excuse. If you are doing this for an accredited (general academic accredited... not necessarily NAAB) university then you need to follow your college's policy.
Check with your institutions review board policy of research paper which this is if you are interviewing people. At UO, I wouldn't get a shred of sympathy for laziness, unwillingness to do what it takes to get the assignment done. Talk to your instructor.
In fact, whether you are interviewing or using photographs containing a person, you need to follow these human subjects policy and protect their rights.
I wouldn't want to partake in an interview with you the way you are going about it. You say this is a literacy narrative? Is this a research paper? Yes or no? If no then you wouldn't be involving interviewing because it would be like any other creative literature but if this is an academic paper, it is going to be a research paper because otherwise it is likely to not be academic. To be academic, it needs to be grounded in research because that is what academia is about.
You need to identify yourself, your academic institution and your instructor.
To Richard,
Okay I understand what you're saying. But two things.
1. I'm not being lazy. I've been busy trying to manage my other classes. It's a question of time management. Not laziness. I have my own workload I have to deal with.
2. I didn't even think that there would be such a policy regarding interviewing people. Now that I know that there may be a policy on interviews involving humans, I will take a different approach.
But life isn't so simple that if "there is no time, then you didn't do the work." That's just not the case. I have been doing a lot of work. There are exceptions to the rule.
And if you don't agree, then we're going to have to agree to disagree. I know my full work situation, and you don't. There is almost never no exception to almost any rule.
In the time you have spent arguing/checking this thread, you probably could have called/contacted by email at least 5 architects to set up at least one phone interview.
Also, information from internet forums is not a reliable source for a college paper. You could get some completely random person here giving you made up answers and you would never be the wiser.
There is reasons for policies... it relates to ethics and protecting the rights of the persons being interviewed. I've had times where what needs to be done required me to be up for several days straight with little to no sleep. That is part of being in college. If I have to forego going to a party or watching a movie then damn it, that is what it takes.
What exactly is your assignment. When I read up on literacy narrative... I'm not sure you need to interview.
"For an English class I must interview a member of the discourse community that I wish to eventually be a part of. It's going to be part of an essay I need to write. Assuming multiple people answer the questions, those whose answers I will use for the essay will be cited as a source. Because of this I will require your full name if you answer the questions...You don't need to answer every question, but it would be appreciated if you can answer as many questions as you can! Thank you for your time and effort!
Questions
Again! Thank you for your time and effort! ^_^"
A discourse community... ok Interesting you want to pick architecture.
I'll try to answer your questions but keep in mind that what is answered is not to be commercialized on like in making money. Since the questions are not exactly personal in my opinion. I'll answer as a building designer as that is what I am and it is in many ways similar to architects.
The rant was better than the post. Humans are not scary. They can be approached in person or via a live voice interactive device formerly known as a telephone. REAL business is still done offline by the way. To answer all your questions in one sentence: it's a fuckin hard profession and is unclearly defined with many levels and places to work from, there will be no straight answers and the fuckin discourse can be absurd so you therefore need at minimum 5 torturous years of design study or a masters and you laugh at people who say they don't have time....you are not an architect yet, trust me you don't understand. Time? You sleeping? You have time.
This is serious entertainment.
I especially like the argument "I'm not lazy, I'm just too busy to do this right". That's a classic. I'm sure my clients will appreciate it when I give them the same explanation.
**sits back to watch**
I have no idea why the humans are being mean to me? Why can't my phone do all the work, damnit!
For an English class I must interview a member of the discourse community that I wish to eventually be a part of. It's going to be part of an essay I need to write. Assuming multiple people answer the questions, those whose answers I will use for the essay will be cited as a source. Because of this I will require your full name if you answer the questions...You don't need to answer every question, but it would be appreciated if you can answer as many questions as you can! Thank you for your time and effort!
Questions
I'll start with my first and last name. y name is Richard Balkins. I am a building designer among other things. what made me choose to become a building designer is quite a bit complex but it started somewhat when I met my fellow friend and now late architect Thomas Dwight Potter and also late architects Ernest and Ebba Brown. It also coincided in a time when my local community college was in a time period where they were deciding whether to build a new campus or renovate and redevelop its current main campus. My particular story is not quite the trite story as a "I always wanted to be an architect when I was a kid".
How you enter an architecture school program is up to the particular school. It is best to consult the application / enrollment requirements of each school of architecture or related programs. There are NAAB (National Architectural Accreditation Board) accredited architecture programs. There are non-accredited (as in not NAAB accredited) architecture programs and there are related programs.
I am a building designer. In many ways, a building designer's role is similar to an architect which is basically a state licensed building designer under the title Architect. All states in the U.S. has an architectural licensing laws and regulations. However, most states have exemptions to the licensing requirements for someone preparing plans, drawings, specifications and other documents for the design & construction of certain types of buildings or portions of certain types of buildings or non-structural alterations.
Since my work involves exempted building types as I am not licensed as an "Architect", I can not engage work on non-exempted buildings/projects unless supervised by a licensed architect. However, on exempt buildings, I can do so without requiring to have my work supervised by an architect. However, on those projects, my role is essentially the same as a licensed architect.
To become a licensed architect, the education requirement is defined by state law. Often it would require an NAAB accredited degree or any architecture or related degree or experience as approved by the state in which you would pursue licensure. A building designer, however, does not have a defined education requirement but there is practical requirements. Just like there is no law that says you have to have a specific degree like a B.S. in Computer science to become a computer programmer, there is none for "Building Designer" in most states. However, to do the work you need the knowledge and skills to perform the work as with any occupation. However, to be a licensed architect, there is often more stricter rules on what kinds of degrees and internship requirements that is accepted. Most states uses the standards set forth by NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) as the basis of the education, internship/experience and examination requirements.
As you pursue your career in the architectural field, you have many paths and avenues and sometimes it is not to be a licensed architect. In my case, I am a building designer and there is also an option in this path to become a CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL BUILDING DESIGNER (CPBD). A CPBD is a building designer that has undergone a peer based certification by the NCBDC (National Council of Building Designer Certification) which is an independent council of the AIBD (American Institute of Building Designers) which is an organization that represents building designers similar to the AIA (American Institute of Architects) that is founded to primarily represent architects. To become a CPBD, you need to have a certain level of education/experience (knowledge and skills) to qualify for the certification exam and pass the exams.
In either paths, be it an architect or a building designer, you need the education/knowledge and skills to perform your work competently.
That is difficult to gauge. It depends on the individual. Although there is no minimum requirements defined by law to be a building designer, you need to know what you are doing competently or you'll be sued. It isn't always easy. To become trusted in the profession takes time and proven quality.
Absolutely. But to do so must comply with local zoning. Most of the time, it is not an issue but if you have employees than you may need a proper office.
Biggest challenges that I see and often many see is clients valuing your work in financial terms and the client willing to pay what your services are worth without having to underprice your services so much you don't break even. It is the current supply/demand environment that is tough business.
Ultimately, it isn't the degrees that matters as much as proving yourself. A degree doesn't make you a successful person, architect, building designer, etc. A degree is a tool that helps you but it isn't the end goal or necessarily what will get you employed. There is a myriad of soft skills and just how you present or portray yourself. That is people and relationship skills that does more at the end of the day and ultimately being trusted and that comes from establishing a good reputation.
Yes... not only that but also multiple career paths in this field. I only referenced a few but there is alot more than being an "Architect" (or licensed). There are many choices you can go that it would be difficult to elaborate on it all and I'll let others elaborate.
Was going to answer all his questions until he lost his shit. Now it's just hillarious
Im moving to china
Wait was this post generated by Chinese bot?
I need some good karma today so I'll give you some answers! But I don't want to use my real name, sorry. Promise everything I say is totally sincere.
Questions
What made you want to become an architect or city planner?
I just wanted to. I don't really know why.
How can you enter an educational program to become an architect or city planner (As there are no city planning courses at my city college, so I have never taken a class in city planning)
You have to apply according to the requirements of each school. Generally requires submitting a creative portfolio plus SAT scores and high school transcripts. Also letters of recommendation and some personal essay.
Define your profession.
Architecture. I work in the commercial sector on things like shopping centers, apartment buildings and offices.
What kind of education does it take to become an architect or city planner?
Well, to be licensed as an architect you have to study architecture at an accredited university. No idea about city planning.
How difficult was it for you to become a member of your profession, let alone your discourse community?
No more difficult than anything in life - just takes time and commitment. I have no idea what a discourse community is. If Archinect counts, that was easy, I just signed up and started posting stuff.
Is it possible to work from home?
No, I have a young baby at home and I'd rather play with him than do my work.
What is some of the lingo used by architects and/or urban designers/planners? (Note: I am already aware of the terms Infill, Population Density Gradient, CSA's, MSA's, Metroplex, Walkability, Food Desert, Urban Footprint, and Urban Area.)
Porosity, parametric, pseudointellectual, paradigm, pragmatism, matchy-matchy, gentrification, greenwashing, tabula-rasa, BIM, CAD, cad-monkey, GFA, FAR, ADA, IBC, NFPA, UL listed, code compliant, accessibility, sustainability, life cycle costing, core and shell, interiors, transparency, formalism, historicism, new urbanism, post modernism, modernism, deconstructivism, minimalism, RFI, RFQ, PUD, TIF, walkability, waterproofing, rain screen, CEU, AIA
What are some of the challenges of your profession? What are some of the most boring parts?
Challenge: everything, especially finding good work. Boring: organizing documents.
What kinds of degrees would you recommend in order to gain employment as an architect or city planner?
Architect: B.Arch, M.Arch. City planner: no idea
Are there higher and lower "levels" of positions within your profession?
Yes of course.
Late to the party again. Alas, all the good comebacks have been posted.
++ gruen.
mid, wtf, why are you spoon feeding this SPRICK (spoiled rich kid)? Are you going to change his diaper too?
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