TL;DR Career change? Is it a good or bad thing to do a career change into architecture?
Hey all. I know this kind of thread pops up once in a while, but I'm still looking to pick some brains regardless.
I've viewed a few threads here trying to determine if a career change is right for me. I'm an early-30 something Canadian and I have a Bachelor of Music (so I'd apply for a 3 year M Arch program somewhere) and a few years in my industry (audio production just to keep it general). However, architecture has always been in the back of my mind since the end of high school. I admit that my math skills are a little eh, which is why I never pursued architecture earlier, but now that I've had some years under my belt I've seen the Masters's programs that are artistic and those that are technical.
As to the whys of architecture, I have two reasons:
- I grew up in rural Canada, and I want to design/build for rural cases and projects. How we can design for rural areas, build there, and more. - With a background in music and sound, I want to design and think of how sound affects our living spaces. Of course, I've heard the "become an acoustician", but those areas don't grab me as much as the design aspects around sound. Not just our concert halls and sound-reinforced spaces, but our parks, our atriums, our homes, our places of work, etc.
As mentioned earlier, I have a Bachelor of Music, so I've been looking at Masters programs that cater better to those who are interested in a career change (Dal, Carlton, Manitoba, etc).
You've all been here longer than me (both on the forums and in the industry!) and you've seen threads like this several times I'm sure (the 30 something looking to change careers and wondering if it's a good move, etc) but I still want to see where I can go with this.
Questions:
- Is it "too late" to change careers? I'm okay with starting again at a firm in my mid-thirties. - What are good schools in Canada that might help with someone looking to change careers (or have better supports for those thinking about it). - Related to my "Whys", what firms/schools would be right up my alley in terms of like-mindedness? - As a Canadian, I don't mind working internationally, but would it be better to get a degree here and then work overseas, or get an education overseas and work where I'd graduate?
If you've made it this far, thanks for giving it a read! If our paths ever cross I'll buy you a beer/coffe/tea/etc!
Music into architecture? Iannis Xenakis was a musician who went into architecture and worked for Le Corbusier. Libeskind also went from music into architecture - architecture is often referred to as "frozen music"
I hadn't seen this video, it's really really good! I had to study Xenakis in music history courses but I don't know much about his architectural connections (aside from the Philips Pavilion). I'll into him more!
didn’t Steven Holl do something at Columbia about architectonics of music?
what kind of music you’re into actually, knew a guy that was very much into hip hop, rap, breakdance and graffiti who ended up designing 3D buildable graffiti representing hip hop culture in built form...
and then there’s this entire phenomenological aspect of sound and architecture etc. check out Juhani Pallasmaa’s writing for that...
Advice for a Second Career (Music Background)
TL;DR Career change? Is it a good or bad thing to do a career change into architecture?
Hey all. I know this kind of thread pops up once in a while, but I'm still looking to pick some brains regardless.
I've viewed a few threads here trying to determine if a career change is right for me. I'm an early-30 something Canadian and I have a Bachelor of Music (so I'd apply for a 3 year M Arch program somewhere) and a few years in my industry (audio production just to keep it general). However, architecture has always been in the back of my mind since the end of high school. I admit that my math skills are a little eh, which is why I never pursued architecture earlier, but now that I've had some years under my belt I've seen the Masters's programs that are artistic and those that are technical.
As to the whys of architecture, I have two reasons:
- I grew up in rural Canada, and I want to design/build for rural cases and projects. How we can design for rural areas, build there, and more.
- With a background in music and sound, I want to design and think of how sound affects our living spaces. Of course, I've heard the "become an acoustician", but those areas don't grab me as much as the design aspects around sound. Not just our concert halls and sound-reinforced spaces, but our parks, our atriums, our homes, our places of work, etc.
As mentioned earlier, I have a Bachelor of Music, so I've been looking at Masters programs that cater better to those who are interested in a career change (Dal, Carlton, Manitoba, etc).
You've all been here longer than me (both on the forums and in the industry!) and you've seen threads like this several times I'm sure (the 30 something looking to change careers and wondering if it's a good move, etc) but I still want to see where I can go with this.
Questions:
- Is it "too late" to change careers? I'm okay with starting again at a firm in my mid-thirties.
- What are good schools in Canada that might help with someone looking to change careers (or have better supports for those thinking about it).
- Related to my "Whys", what firms/schools would be right up my alley in terms of like-mindedness?
- As a Canadian, I don't mind working internationally, but would it be better to get a degree here and then work overseas, or get an education overseas and work where I'd graduate?
If you've made it this far, thanks for giving it a read! If our paths ever cross I'll buy you a beer/coffe/tea/etc!
Music into architecture? Iannis Xenakis was a musician who went into architecture and worked for Le Corbusier. Libeskind also went from music into architecture - architecture is often referred to as "frozen music"
I hadn't seen this video, it's really really good! I had to study Xenakis in music history courses but I don't know much about his architectural connections (aside from the Philips Pavilion). I'll into him more!
didn’t Steven Holl do something at Columbia about architectonics of music?
what kind of music you’re into actually, knew a guy that was very much into hip hop, rap, breakdance and graffiti who ended up designing 3D buildable graffiti representing hip hop culture in built form...
and then there’s this entire phenomenological aspect of sound and architecture etc. check out Juhani Pallasmaa’s writing for that...
Radio show Hearts of Space. Host Stephen Hill used to be an architect.
https://www.kimmelcenter.org/about-us/building-the-center/an-interview-with-rafael-vinoly/
it's a surprisingly common background for architects, and your reasoning for choosing it is a good basis. i have no advice on canadian schools.
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