Firstly thank you for clicking on my thread. I'll start things off with a bit of background.
I am a 22 year old male from southern England, I've never been the brightest student, as being hopeless at exams never helps, but I didn't find a subject at school that really excited me.
I first found architecture at college, studying a BTEC course which allowed me to do architectural/product/furniture design projects. But even then, studying a BTEC I thought I would be out of my depth at University studying alongside peers who got AAB or higher in A Levels (AAB was the entry requirements for my University), but getting that 1st really did boost my confidence. What I enjoyed and enjoy the most about architecture is its vast application to life, there are no constraints, only possibilities. I also love the way it can be multi-disciplinary. I love whacky projects from BIG and Archigram, and that's where I'd say my interests lie, a tutor once said to me "If its 51% believable, its doable".
Fast forwards to now, I spent all summer stressing over whether I would be unemployed over Christmas after countless rejections. But I did end up with a job at a small contemporary residential firm consisting of 7 employees. We do one off houses all over the UK, and we've currently got 2 chalets in the alps being designed for separate clients. But If I'm honest, that bores me. I want to be pushing boundaries and working towards stuff that helps more people than just the rich and famous. I've been working at this practise for around 6 months, and most mornings I sit there wishing I felt more excited, like I did at university when doing projects that were completely ludicrous...
I made a organ growing factory out of flesh and bones which proposed to supply organs to the people who needed transplants. I was pushed and encouraged to do this by my University tutors, this project captivated many whilst testing a myriad of imaginations including my own. All of my orthographic drawings were hand drawn, and were pinned up in the local gallery over summer.
Another thing that I miss and feel like I don't have now is being in an environment like at university, where you are surrounded by brains that do want to ask questions and push boundaries.
I want to be doing stuff which captures the same enthusiasm, excitement, originality, whether that be in film production, architecture, product design. I also get excited by stuff like the Antarctic research station and other buildings which harmonise themselves with extreme climates.
I sit here now with the plan to return to uni for my part 2 in September 2020, but that doesn't help me in my quest to find what I love. I'm finding it hard to commit to undertaking part 2 due to the money and time whilst being unsatisfied with my experience in the profession at this moment in time.
"I made a organ growing factory out of flesh and bones which proposed to supply organs to the people who needed transplants."
And you are bored designing alpine chalets? But you like buildings built for extreme conditions like Antarctica has.
Well since the Alps have had several fatal avalanches this year that might qualify as 'extreme' don't you think? Maybe someway to combine the frozen avalanche corpses as raw materials for your organ-growing factory? I sense a start-up here!
My answer will not help you much, but I find myself in a situation similar to yours.
I am a French student of 21 years old and I study in Switzerland. This year, I have to complete a 12-month internship. So I had the opportunity to travel, which I really liked, it was incredibly rewarding.
But the job of architect in itself does not please me. I am afraid, just like you, that at the end of my studies, I am no longer stimulated, I will adopt a certain rhythm of life, a routine. I love to study and learn every day.
So I think I am moving towards scientific research. But for that, it's necessary to redo studies and I am afraid of having studied architecture for five years without ever hearing about it again.
I allow myself to send you the link of my post, if ever we can advise each other:
Unfortunately, it’s hard finding a contractor who knows how to build with flesh and bones. My last guy did an ok job building a pavilion for gender fluid dance with yak penis and whale semen, but it was torn down because the dancers thought it was sexist.
So go be an artist. The world needs artists. Maybe look into game design or furniture (both fields are difficult to get into).
In the real world, buildings are designed by dozens of people, and constructed by hundreds. In other words, you're really just a small but important part of the process, and if that's not your style, then don't be an architect.
So, in many ways I feel like I'm too old (52) to weigh on on career paths for young architects anymore. I know the working world is very different from what it was like in my early 20s. Yesterday I was talking with another architect (40yo) and we have both had "alternative career paths", within architecture for the most part. And we talked about how many of our peers have also had non-traditional careers.
In my experience: a few trad firms, a boutique firm, university planning department, self-employed, teaching, facilities at a museum, and I tried to get hired as our local City Architect. I love where I work now but can also see myself taking another swerve (to use Michelle Obama's word) if the economy tanks again.
But again, I'm older than you all, and while I don't know what the current post-college job scene is like I do know this for sure: the first 5-8 years out of college are SO HARD no matter what. It's always really challenging and scary to realize the how the working world differs from school. the good thing is, architecture is a broad-ranging field, and you are young enough to make a few mistakes! Try other things, meet up with other people in similar circumstances, do competitions, explore non-architecture worlds too. If you try something else and hate it you can swerve again - you're young!
"I made a organ growing factory out of flesh and bones which proposed to supply organs to the people who needed transplants."
This is not that far fetched and in a way is already kinda happening. Research and Technology companies have been heavily investing into new facilities. There is a lot of work happening at least in north american market. But a lot of this is technical work that requires knowledge of clean rooms, laboratories, fume hoods, RF and radiation shielding, etc. It's pretty dry work, and you may be rewarded down the line when you hear that there was a major breakthrough for <insert disease> and it happened in one of facilities you worked at!
But I don't think this is what you had in mind. You want mental engagement that provokes. In this particular example of an organ farm, it's not that provoking and in a technical sense it is naive romanticization. Not that there is anything wrong with it! We could use next generation of futurists. And if money is of no concern then just go for it.
it is possible that building components will be grown from some biological matter in the more distant future. Possibly bone tissue. Gene editing is already becoming a reality. Will this eventually be an affordable and available option, probably not for a really long time, but possible. The problem with these pursuits in architecture is that they rely on breakthroughs in other disciplines. It’s good to do the experimental theoretical stuff, but what is often missing is the collaboration with these other disciplines. I would love to see a research collaborative that combines architecture with top minds in these other disciplines.
Feb 7, 19 10:59 am ·
·
x-jla
I’d also love to see more attention to the big philosophical questions. The “why” questions. Why advance anything? Why aren’t we content with the primitive hut? Why is sustainability “moral”? Why do we need novelty in architecture? Etc. these questions are almost entirely absent from the debate.
This post highlights the ill effects the illusion that architectural schools give current students of what a career in architecture is and the “skills” they train them with for a career that doesn’t exist. The fact that NCARB makes getting one of these useless degrees the only way to become an architect just blows my mind. I have a degree needed to provide very technical set of documents for construction in a confined budget. My degree taught me modeling with balsa wood.
The iterative problem solving skills is applicable in any number of fields, but you will need to develop complementary skill set to be able to market yourself. In high-end residential, there is a lot of mundane work (as with any other type of work), but there also are a lot of things you can obsessively design and detail that I find rewarding. One usually needs some experience to know where and how to spend that time, but high level thinking and design can be done - it may not necessarily be discussed as such outside the design team.
Software - user experience, gaming, graphics
Art - furniture, ID
There are a lot of things one can do, but is dependent on how valuable you can convince someone your work is. The thing with a field that ties itself to constructing a physical object is, is that there needs to be a vast amount of work necessary to get it done. This is to say, as others point out, a lot of work to be done as a team. You have big ideas, great, but you also need to be able to understand all the knowledge needed to push it beyond a late night bar sketch.
Feb 7, 19 4:36 pm ·
·
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What other routes can be taken after studying architecture?
Hi All,
Firstly thank you for clicking on my thread. I'll start things off with a bit of background.
I am a 22 year old male from southern England, I've never been the brightest student, as being hopeless at exams never helps, but I didn't find a subject at school that really excited me.
I first found architecture at college, studying a BTEC course which allowed me to do architectural/product/furniture design projects. But even then, studying a BTEC I thought I would be out of my depth at University studying alongside peers who got AAB or higher in A Levels (AAB was the entry requirements for my University), but getting that 1st really did boost my confidence. What I enjoyed and enjoy the most about architecture is its vast application to life, there are no constraints, only possibilities. I also love the way it can be multi-disciplinary. I love whacky projects from BIG and Archigram, and that's where I'd say my interests lie, a tutor once said to me "If its 51% believable, its doable".
Fast forwards to now, I spent all summer stressing over whether I would be unemployed over Christmas after countless rejections. But I did end up with a job at a small contemporary residential firm consisting of 7 employees. We do one off houses all over the UK, and we've currently got 2 chalets in the alps being designed for separate clients. But If I'm honest, that bores me. I want to be pushing boundaries and working towards stuff that helps more people than just the rich and famous. I've been working at this practise for around 6 months, and most mornings I sit there wishing I felt more excited, like I did at university when doing projects that were completely ludicrous...
I made a organ growing factory out of flesh and bones which proposed to supply organs to the people who needed transplants. I was pushed and encouraged to do this by my University tutors, this project captivated many whilst testing a myriad of imaginations including my own. All of my orthographic drawings were hand drawn, and were pinned up in the local gallery over summer.
Another thing that I miss and feel like I don't have now is being in an environment like at university, where you are surrounded by brains that do want to ask questions and push boundaries.
I want to be doing stuff which captures the same enthusiasm, excitement, originality, whether that be in film production, architecture, product design. I also get excited by stuff like the Antarctic research station and other buildings which harmonise themselves with extreme climates.
I sit here now with the plan to return to uni for my part 2 in September 2020, but that doesn't help me in my quest to find what I love. I'm finding it hard to commit to undertaking part 2 due to the money and time whilst being unsatisfied with my experience in the profession at this moment in time.
Thank you!
"I made a organ growing factory out of flesh and bones which proposed to supply organs to the people who needed transplants."
And you are bored designing alpine chalets? But you like buildings built for extreme conditions like Antarctica has.
Well since the Alps have had several fatal avalanches this year that might qualify as 'extreme' don't you think? Maybe someway to combine the frozen avalanche corpses as raw materials for your organ-growing factory? I sense a start-up here!
Good morning,
My answer will not help you much, but I find myself in a situation similar to yours.
I am a French student of 21 years old and I study in Switzerland. This year, I have to complete a 12-month internship. So I had the opportunity to travel, which I really liked, it was incredibly rewarding.
But the job of architect in itself does not please me. I am afraid, just like you, that at the end of my studies, I am no longer stimulated, I will adopt a certain rhythm of life, a routine. I love to study and learn every day.
So I think I am moving towards scientific research. But for that, it's necessary to redo studies and I am afraid of having studied architecture for five years without ever hearing about it again.
I allow myself to send you the link of my post, if ever we can advise each other:
https://archinect.com/forum/th...
Unfortunately, it’s hard finding a contractor who knows how to build with flesh and bones. My last guy did an ok job building a pavilion for gender fluid dance with yak penis and whale semen, but it was torn down because the dancers thought it was sexist.
So go be an artist. The world needs artists. Maybe look into game design or furniture (both fields are difficult to get into).
In the real world, buildings are designed by dozens of people, and constructed by hundreds. In other words, you're really just a small but important part of the process, and if that's not your style, then don't be an architect.
So, in many ways I feel like I'm too old (52) to weigh on on career paths for young architects anymore. I know the working world is very different from what it was like in my early 20s. Yesterday I was talking with another architect (40yo) and we have both had "alternative career paths", within architecture for the most part. And we talked about how many of our peers have also had non-traditional careers.
In my experience: a few trad firms, a boutique firm, university planning department, self-employed, teaching, facilities at a museum, and I tried to get hired as our local City Architect. I love where I work now but can also see myself taking another swerve (to use Michelle Obama's word) if the economy tanks again.
But again, I'm older than you all, and while I don't know what the current post-college job scene is like I do know this for sure: the first 5-8 years out of college are SO HARD no matter what. It's always really challenging and scary to realize the how the working world differs from school. the good thing is, architecture is a broad-ranging field, and you are young enough to make a few mistakes! Try other things, meet up with other people in similar circumstances, do competitions, explore non-architecture worlds too. If you try something else and hate it you can swerve again - you're young!
"I made a organ growing factory out of flesh and bones which proposed to supply organs to the people who needed transplants."
This is not that far fetched and in a way is already kinda happening. Research and Technology companies have been heavily investing into new facilities. There is a lot of work happening at least in north american market. But a lot of this is technical work that requires knowledge of clean rooms, laboratories, fume hoods, RF and radiation shielding, etc. It's pretty dry work, and you may be rewarded down the line when you hear that there was a major breakthrough for <insert disease> and it happened in one of facilities you worked at!
But I don't think this is what you had in mind. You want mental engagement that provokes. In this particular example of an organ farm, it's not that provoking and in a technical sense it is naive romanticization. Not that there is anything wrong with it! We could use next generation of futurists. And if money is of no concern then just go for it.
it is possible that building components will be grown from some biological matter in the more distant future. Possibly bone tissue. Gene editing is already becoming a reality. Will this eventually be an affordable and available option, probably not for a really long time, but possible. The problem with these pursuits in architecture is that they rely on breakthroughs in other disciplines. It’s good to do the experimental theoretical stuff, but what is often missing is the collaboration with these other disciplines. I would love to see a research collaborative that combines architecture with top minds in these other disciplines.
I’d also love to see more attention to the big philosophical questions. The “why” questions. Why advance anything? Why aren’t we content with the primitive hut? Why is sustainability “moral”? Why do we need novelty in architecture? Etc. these questions are almost entirely absent from the debate.
This post highlights the ill effects the illusion that architectural schools give current students of what a career in architecture is and the “skills” they train them with for a career that doesn’t exist. The fact that NCARB makes getting one of these useless degrees the only way to become an architect just blows my mind. I have a degree needed to provide very technical set of documents for construction in a confined budget. My degree taught me modeling with balsa wood.
Totally agree !
The iterative problem solving skills is applicable in any number of fields, but you will need to develop complementary skill set to be able to market yourself. In high-end residential, there is a lot of mundane work (as with any other type of work), but there also are a lot of things you can obsessively design and detail that I find rewarding. One usually needs some experience to know where and how to spend that time, but high level thinking and design can be done - it may not necessarily be discussed as such outside the design team.
Software - user experience, gaming, graphics
Art - furniture, ID
There are a lot of things one can do, but is dependent on how valuable you can convince someone your work is. The thing with a field that ties itself to constructing a physical object is, is that there needs to be a vast amount of work necessary to get it done. This is to say, as others point out, a lot of work to be done as a team. You have big ideas, great, but you also need to be able to understand all the knowledge needed to push it beyond a late night bar sketch.
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