my question is: what's the best way to develop your technical skills and increase your knowledge base without working in an architecture office? better yet, what's the best way to do that if you have practically no experience?
i worked hardcore on my academics through ungrad (4 year unaccredited from a good school), spent my summers taking classes, did some work-study to pay the bills, and was able to graduate early with some solid work for my portfolio... but for some reason interning at an arch office while in school never really crossed my mind. i graduated fall of '07, spent two months traveling, had a short stint at an office, and then... nothing.
like a lot of people i've been scraping by ever since with the hope of landing an arch job. but the humbling truth is that the skills i developed in school just aren't very marketable or relevant in this type of job market. i can put together some pretty pictures and nice diagrams and come up with kick ass concepts, but forget about anything fundamental. full cds, building codes, ... unfortunately, these are things i never touched in school and that i've hardly skimmed professionally.
so the question again is: what does someone do in this position?
---
my novel idea is to work on a new project for my portfolio and to develop a full set of cds for it. easier said than done. i bought and read andrew watts' modern construction handbook and recently got a hold of a building code manual, but it's all a bit overwhelming and sprawling. is there an ideal way to learn this material, particularly building codes? and once i learn it, how would i communicate my knowledge in a job application in a serious way, since i wouldn't have learned it in an office?
---
if you've made it this far i really appreciate it. hopefuly this thread can be useful to others in a similar position.
you know something, as you are unemployed, one thing that could be particularly useful to you would be to go to http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=assistance_home
and download whatever programs you are interested in, especially revit 2010, and start learning them.
both of these books have been infinitely helpful to me in learning the software:
this is not a silver bullet, but it would give you some marketable skills that would certainly help in at least landing an internship.
another thing i would recommend would be habitat for humanity. right now, with the construction industry in the tank, you're probably not going to land a construction job (which is how myself and many other designers started out) but, habitat would give you the skills to learn how to build (and thus design) one. volunteer work on your resume also isn't a bad thing when you are searching for a job. employers tend to understand that if you are willing to work for free, you will certainly be a good employee when you are earning a salary.
things are unbelievably difficult right now. i know a lot of great people who are out of work. but you need to exploit whatever resources are available to you to get ahead.
TJC is correct. grab revit, ecotect and learn them.
also, moadtive recently had a blog post of things you could do to gain experience (although, not necc. geared towards unemployed architects on a very limited income)
If you only read the book it will be boring and you'll forget what you learned quickly.This is what I'm planning to do: I'll search for construction projects online and go visit the sites.I just hope they will allow me in.Maybe if I show a student card or an alumni card them will allow me in.I want to do some sketching at the site or I can take photos and trace them over later on.Then go to the construction books and read the details because even if the book has detailed drawings,sections etc. I had a difficult time visualizing them.
I'll keep improving my portfolio because all I have is CD sets.No graphics,3D whatsoever.It looks very DULL.You can actually re-design your buildings by referring to the construction book you have.Look at the details,materials etc.I have "Fundamentals in Building Construction".Not bad for starters.
Join a professional organization.Maybe if you ask the members they may allow you to shadow them and take you to sites.
a friend of mine took an intensive class on revit recently and was kind enough to lend me his class materials, though i haven't touched them yet. people have been telling me bim is the future for years now and unfortunately i didn't take it to heart. i guess it's about time. as for volunteer work, i did some a few years back for architecture for humanity (did some 3d models) and haven't been in touch with them since. i should see what they're up to and offer any help i can. i'd like to get my hands dirty too, so habitat seems good as well.
oh and thankfully i'm employed, just not in architecture at the moment.
---
holz.box:
certainly after nothing but paper architecture, i've been excited about the idea of designing and building small spaces for a while. i've been particularly inspired by small structures by fujimori, kuma, and the many projects in your currently dead "small projects" thread (please revive it!). thankfully there seems to be a lot of places here in san francisco to get a hold of cheap/surplus/recycled building material that i can turn into something too. now if i can just find a place to put it...
---
parad0xx86:
that's one exhaustive list. i think the hardest part of this all is continuing to hustle when it's been fruitless thus far, but i guess it'll always pay dividends later on.
it seems like our respective schools are complete opposites too. i've got nothing but graphics and you have nothing but cds. it's interesting though that you've done so many drawings but you had a "difficult time visualizing" what you were drawing. where did you go to school, if you don't mind me asking? seems like architecture schools should stake out some nice middle ground between design and construction.
I think the best way to learn construction is to actually do it. It would be great to contribute to habitat for humanity - but, if you can't find one of their projects to contribute to, try to find a job working for a small construction company. You could work as a laborer assisting a carpenter and learn a lot. You don't actually have to be involved in large projects to learn either. You could contribute to a small bathroom remodel and learn loads.
You will also be surprised how forthcoming contractors are once they learn that you are studying architecture. Every contractor has had a riff with an architect that did something wrong and they love the opportunity to teach an up and coming architect "the right way."
Another good way to learn is to take trace paper to floor plans and try to figure out how the building is constructed. Which way does the framing run in your house? Where are the structural beams? Where are the columns?
You can start with a simple house and gradually move to more complicated projects, like a Zaha building. You will be surprised, once you start dissecting buildings, how much you learn.
the problem with getting an actual job in construction though is that contractors are as much out of work as architects. right now it isn't as likely that they will hire someone without any experience as it is that they will hire someone with a ton of experience for the same compensation.
Job Captain, you may be right - which is why I would suggest trying to find a laborer position, which is as entry level as you can get.
I work for design-build company and we generally have a lot of turn-over at this position. It is a hard position to fill because - a) the job kind of sucks, b) it doesn't pay much and c) once you learn some trade skills, you generally move on to something better.
I'm about to be in a similar position. I still have Thesis left, but a lot of my friends just graduated this year. Thanks a lot for all of your suggestions. I will pass it on to all of my friends looking for internships, construction jobs and anything else they can find out there. Also, I know someone in my class who got a paid internship, so they are out there.
phivphan, good luck with the job search. You might also want to check out Freedom by Design for some free-volunteer construction experience. It's a student organization, but our chapter would be lost if Alumni didn't continue to help out.
Also, College Career Centers usually help out Alumni, and check with family friends, and friends of friends of friends.
Yes, Revit is your ticket out of unemployment and to a career in architecture, I've seen it myself. I just finished freelancing at a well established firm in NY, I was hired to do couple of renderings for competition project. I talked to couple of guys there, they are a few who survived the lay offs, mainly because they know some revit 2 years ago, and now they are like senior revit managers or something. Anyway, my point is, making companies are now almost revit proof, they use cad only for quick floor plan and then the revit guys pick up all the rest. I am trying to learn revit myself now because I am starting to see the full potential of that program, it also does nice renderings with built-in mental ray renderer, so someday my 3dmax skills will not be necessary.
Kid (says the old fatkat basterd while chompin' on a cigar), you need to get out & build something. If you can design it, great, if not, then work on as many small, handyman & up type of projects as you can.
When you do this, a few things will happen:
1) You'll learn about the implications that your design has on the actual design & build process - you'll learn why things are done & not done. And, you'll appreciate what everyone in the whole process has to do.
2) You'll see how hard ACTUAL work really is. After that, sittin' behind one of them fancy RIBBIT, oh, REVIT computrons is. You'll appreciate what you've got.
3) You'll get in better physical shape...plus, you'll love showing the chicks that farmer's tan. Once you get chained back onto one of them compulators, you'll miss how good you used to feel.
4) You'll have fun & maybe get to operate a Bobcat or a jackhammer.
Another thing I'd recommend: Do some Expatriate work if you can find it. Architects aren't in any demand right now, but Construction Mgrs & other lesser occupations are to some extent. It's a great way to get your employer to pay your living expenses, higher salary than US (usually) & the chance to travel on their dime.
Either way, since you've only been out of school for a couple-3 years, you'll be OK. Be happy that you haven't spent the last 20 yrs at the same firm, thinking that you'll be rewarded for your longevity...then have to go out & do handyman projects to bridge the gaps. Lotsa guys/gals did stuff like that.
Phivphan,I went to NYIT.I can't say the school gives a good construction knowledge but I guess it is doing a slightly better job compared to lots of other schools.
P.S. I had another interview yesterday for an internship position.It was so stressful.They intervieved a lot of people,about 20 I guess.There is just too much competition.Their main complaint was lots of people had claimed they had an understanding of how things went together but they found out these people actually didn't have a clue.Of course there was the AutoCAD test with a time limit.They gave me 30 minutes for the test and the guy cut me off at the 28th minute.I guess a couple of my hair went white in the whole interviewing process...
Jun 30, 10 6:27 pm ·
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skill development for the particularly unlucky
so i screwed up a bit.
my question is: what's the best way to develop your technical skills and increase your knowledge base without working in an architecture office? better yet, what's the best way to do that if you have practically no experience?
i worked hardcore on my academics through ungrad (4 year unaccredited from a good school), spent my summers taking classes, did some work-study to pay the bills, and was able to graduate early with some solid work for my portfolio... but for some reason interning at an arch office while in school never really crossed my mind. i graduated fall of '07, spent two months traveling, had a short stint at an office, and then... nothing.
like a lot of people i've been scraping by ever since with the hope of landing an arch job. but the humbling truth is that the skills i developed in school just aren't very marketable or relevant in this type of job market. i can put together some pretty pictures and nice diagrams and come up with kick ass concepts, but forget about anything fundamental. full cds, building codes, ... unfortunately, these are things i never touched in school and that i've hardly skimmed professionally.
so the question again is: what does someone do in this position?
---
my novel idea is to work on a new project for my portfolio and to develop a full set of cds for it. easier said than done. i bought and read andrew watts' modern construction handbook and recently got a hold of a building code manual, but it's all a bit overwhelming and sprawling. is there an ideal way to learn this material, particularly building codes? and once i learn it, how would i communicate my knowledge in a job application in a serious way, since i wouldn't have learned it in an office?
---
if you've made it this far i really appreciate it. hopefuly this thread can be useful to others in a similar position.
you know something, as you are unemployed, one thing that could be particularly useful to you would be to go to http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=assistance_home
and download whatever programs you are interested in, especially revit 2010, and start learning them.
both of these books have been infinitely helpful to me in learning the software:
Revit Architecture 2010 No Experience Required
Mastering Revit Architecture 2010
this is not a silver bullet, but it would give you some marketable skills that would certainly help in at least landing an internship.
another thing i would recommend would be habitat for humanity. right now, with the construction industry in the tank, you're probably not going to land a construction job (which is how myself and many other designers started out) but, habitat would give you the skills to learn how to build (and thus design) one. volunteer work on your resume also isn't a bad thing when you are searching for a job. employers tend to understand that if you are willing to work for free, you will certainly be a good employee when you are earning a salary.
things are unbelievably difficult right now. i know a lot of great people who are out of work. but you need to exploit whatever resources are available to you to get ahead.
TJC is correct. grab revit, ecotect and learn them.
also, moadtive recently had a blog post of things you could do to gain experience (although, not necc. geared towards unemployed architects on a very limited income)
I'm kinda in same situation.
If you only read the book it will be boring and you'll forget what you learned quickly.This is what I'm planning to do: I'll search for construction projects online and go visit the sites.I just hope they will allow me in.Maybe if I show a student card or an alumni card them will allow me in.I want to do some sketching at the site or I can take photos and trace them over later on.Then go to the construction books and read the details because even if the book has detailed drawings,sections etc. I had a difficult time visualizing them.
I'll keep improving my portfolio because all I have is CD sets.No graphics,3D whatsoever.It looks very DULL.You can actually re-design your buildings by referring to the construction book you have.Look at the details,materials etc.I have "Fundamentals in Building Construction".Not bad for starters.
Join a professional organization.Maybe if you ask the members they may allow you to shadow them and take you to sites.
Volunteer..for Habitat for Humanity for example.
Also read this: http://urbanverse.posterous.com/dear-architecture-graduates-be-more-prepared
hey thanks for the responses guys...
---
the job captain:
a friend of mine took an intensive class on revit recently and was kind enough to lend me his class materials, though i haven't touched them yet. people have been telling me bim is the future for years now and unfortunately i didn't take it to heart. i guess it's about time. as for volunteer work, i did some a few years back for architecture for humanity (did some 3d models) and haven't been in touch with them since. i should see what they're up to and offer any help i can. i'd like to get my hands dirty too, so habitat seems good as well.
oh and thankfully i'm employed, just not in architecture at the moment.
---
holz.box:
certainly after nothing but paper architecture, i've been excited about the idea of designing and building small spaces for a while. i've been particularly inspired by small structures by fujimori, kuma, and the many projects in your currently dead "small projects" thread (please revive it!). thankfully there seems to be a lot of places here in san francisco to get a hold of cheap/surplus/recycled building material that i can turn into something too. now if i can just find a place to put it...
---
parad0xx86:
that's one exhaustive list. i think the hardest part of this all is continuing to hustle when it's been fruitless thus far, but i guess it'll always pay dividends later on.
it seems like our respective schools are complete opposites too. i've got nothing but graphics and you have nothing but cds. it's interesting though that you've done so many drawings but you had a "difficult time visualizing" what you were drawing. where did you go to school, if you don't mind me asking? seems like architecture schools should stake out some nice middle ground between design and construction.
06/21/10 14:41
Also read this: http://urbanverse.posterous.com/dear-architecture-graduates-be-more-prepared
solution: BLOG
it makes sense that everyone suggests learning bim--except for this: chances still are the office you get a job with won't have it.
and why is that guy calling BIM, Green Tech, and Revit "the big three"??
I think the best way to learn construction is to actually do it. It would be great to contribute to habitat for humanity - but, if you can't find one of their projects to contribute to, try to find a job working for a small construction company. You could work as a laborer assisting a carpenter and learn a lot. You don't actually have to be involved in large projects to learn either. You could contribute to a small bathroom remodel and learn loads.
You will also be surprised how forthcoming contractors are once they learn that you are studying architecture. Every contractor has had a riff with an architect that did something wrong and they love the opportunity to teach an up and coming architect "the right way."
Another good way to learn is to take trace paper to floor plans and try to figure out how the building is constructed. Which way does the framing run in your house? Where are the structural beams? Where are the columns?
You can start with a simple house and gradually move to more complicated projects, like a Zaha building. You will be surprised, once you start dissecting buildings, how much you learn.
the problem with getting an actual job in construction though is that contractors are as much out of work as architects. right now it isn't as likely that they will hire someone without any experience as it is that they will hire someone with a ton of experience for the same compensation.
Job Captain, you may be right - which is why I would suggest trying to find a laborer position, which is as entry level as you can get.
I work for design-build company and we generally have a lot of turn-over at this position. It is a hard position to fill because - a) the job kind of sucks, b) it doesn't pay much and c) once you learn some trade skills, you generally move on to something better.
I'm about to be in a similar position. I still have Thesis left, but a lot of my friends just graduated this year. Thanks a lot for all of your suggestions. I will pass it on to all of my friends looking for internships, construction jobs and anything else they can find out there. Also, I know someone in my class who got a paid internship, so they are out there.
phivphan, good luck with the job search. You might also want to check out Freedom by Design for some free-volunteer construction experience. It's a student organization, but our chapter would be lost if Alumni didn't continue to help out.
Also, College Career Centers usually help out Alumni, and check with family friends, and friends of friends of friends.
Yes, Revit is your ticket out of unemployment and to a career in architecture, I've seen it myself. I just finished freelancing at a well established firm in NY, I was hired to do couple of renderings for competition project. I talked to couple of guys there, they are a few who survived the lay offs, mainly because they know some revit 2 years ago, and now they are like senior revit managers or something. Anyway, my point is, making companies are now almost revit proof, they use cad only for quick floor plan and then the revit guys pick up all the rest. I am trying to learn revit myself now because I am starting to see the full potential of that program, it also does nice renderings with built-in mental ray renderer, so someday my 3dmax skills will not be necessary.
Kid (says the old fatkat basterd while chompin' on a cigar), you need to get out & build something. If you can design it, great, if not, then work on as many small, handyman & up type of projects as you can.
When you do this, a few things will happen:
1) You'll learn about the implications that your design has on the actual design & build process - you'll learn why things are done & not done. And, you'll appreciate what everyone in the whole process has to do.
2) You'll see how hard ACTUAL work really is. After that, sittin' behind one of them fancy RIBBIT, oh, REVIT computrons is. You'll appreciate what you've got.
3) You'll get in better physical shape...plus, you'll love showing the chicks that farmer's tan. Once you get chained back onto one of them compulators, you'll miss how good you used to feel.
4) You'll have fun & maybe get to operate a Bobcat or a jackhammer.
Another thing I'd recommend: Do some Expatriate work if you can find it. Architects aren't in any demand right now, but Construction Mgrs & other lesser occupations are to some extent. It's a great way to get your employer to pay your living expenses, higher salary than US (usually) & the chance to travel on their dime.
Either way, since you've only been out of school for a couple-3 years, you'll be OK. Be happy that you haven't spent the last 20 yrs at the same firm, thinking that you'll be rewarded for your longevity...then have to go out & do handyman projects to bridge the gaps. Lotsa guys/gals did stuff like that.
Good luck to ya. Let us know what you do.
Phivphan,I went to NYIT.I can't say the school gives a good construction knowledge but I guess it is doing a slightly better job compared to lots of other schools.
P.S. I had another interview yesterday for an internship position.It was so stressful.They intervieved a lot of people,about 20 I guess.There is just too much competition.Their main complaint was lots of people had claimed they had an understanding of how things went together but they found out these people actually didn't have a clue.Of course there was the AutoCAD test with a time limit.They gave me 30 minutes for the test and the guy cut me off at the 28th minute.I guess a couple of my hair went white in the whole interviewing process...
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