+/- of arch graduates working for construction firm (ie mortenson)instead of design firm right of out undergrad:
how does this look to grad schools? is the structural knowledge worth the time in a cubicle or will a typical design firm educate as well? any experiences/insight?
oh yea one more -is the extremely high pay worth it
I didn't do architecture undergrad (a minor that obviously doesn't count) but I am working in a construction firm now before going to grad school and it sucks ass. most of that is due to the ineffiency of my particular company but i'm sure for some it is very beneficial. it really depends on the structure of the company, whether they do CM or GC jobs, whether they have their own skilled labor or do they sub everything (like my company), and more importantly for you, how much responsibility will you get with your current knowledge and experience. Question your interviewer alot about their company structure and hopefully you will get a really good idea of what they want and what you DON'T want to do and you won't make a bad choice. like i did.
Fogey -- are you using BIM on you own projects? Myself and another guy in the firm are off on a tangent from the rest of the office using BIM to create CD's -- I'd be interested in your (or others) experience with it thus far. (We are digging it -- and it's been eye-opening for us, to say the least.)
thanks fogey
it seems that the job would entail working mostly with developing BIM and other 3D visual techniques. to me it sounds very interesting, however I could definitely understand how the lack of design experience would hurt my chances of acceptance to my choice of grad school.
thank fogey. i greatly appreciate your insight. ive always been more intrigued by craft than design (ha sorry tcaup) and this seems like it might be a chance to get involved with some very interesting work.
If you have any links to further information about latest BIM technology i'd love to check out .. might want to read up before an interview
I interviewed with mortenson a year ago, made me an offer, but could not see myself leaving design. I will say they are willing to be much more cutting edge than many architectural practices, their sentiment was they will use whatever software to solve the problem and will throw whatever resources (they have a lot) necessary behind the project. They also work with some of the most innovative practices in the nation in a variety of roles. the division I was looking at models the entire building in the computer, architecture, mechanical, structural . . . identifies problem areas (clash detection) and can also help generate schedules depending on where they were engaged in the process.
They indicated on a lot of projects they are brought on before the architect.
Sep 28, 06 7:21 pm ·
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vs design firm
+/- of arch graduates working for construction firm (ie mortenson)instead of design firm right of out undergrad:
how does this look to grad schools? is the structural knowledge worth the time in a cubicle or will a typical design firm educate as well? any experiences/insight?
oh yea one more -is the extremely high pay worth it
hey,
I didn't do architecture undergrad (a minor that obviously doesn't count) but I am working in a construction firm now before going to grad school and it sucks ass. most of that is due to the ineffiency of my particular company but i'm sure for some it is very beneficial. it really depends on the structure of the company, whether they do CM or GC jobs, whether they have their own skilled labor or do they sub everything (like my company), and more importantly for you, how much responsibility will you get with your current knowledge and experience. Question your interviewer alot about their company structure and hopefully you will get a really good idea of what they want and what you DON'T want to do and you won't make a bad choice. like i did.
Fogey -- are you using BIM on you own projects? Myself and another guy in the firm are off on a tangent from the rest of the office using BIM to create CD's -- I'd be interested in your (or others) experience with it thus far. (We are digging it -- and it's been eye-opening for us, to say the least.)
thanks fogey
it seems that the job would entail working mostly with developing BIM and other 3D visual techniques. to me it sounds very interesting, however I could definitely understand how the lack of design experience would hurt my chances of acceptance to my choice of grad school.
thank fogey. i greatly appreciate your insight. ive always been more intrigued by craft than design (ha sorry tcaup) and this seems like it might be a chance to get involved with some very interesting work.
If you have any links to further information about latest BIM technology i'd love to check out .. might want to read up before an interview
I interviewed with mortenson a year ago, made me an offer, but could not see myself leaving design. I will say they are willing to be much more cutting edge than many architectural practices, their sentiment was they will use whatever software to solve the problem and will throw whatever resources (they have a lot) necessary behind the project. They also work with some of the most innovative practices in the nation in a variety of roles. the division I was looking at models the entire building in the computer, architecture, mechanical, structural . . . identifies problem areas (clash detection) and can also help generate schedules depending on where they were engaged in the process.
They indicated on a lot of projects they are brought on before the architect.
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