I am facing self confidence crisis in my third of architecture school. I feel like I'm not belong to this school and it is better for me to work in another field later. I feel like that I don't have enough potential to pursue architecture career, and only wanting to graduate without any ambitions.
So, I need to know fellow architecture friends' thought, do I need to be an architect, or do something else. I've already compiled my works in my third year (this is not my final portfolio), and I need your opinion to answer my thought before.
If the path does not suit you, by all means try a different one. And if that one doesn't work, try another. A path is only a path, what matters is if your heart is on it. I have spent most of my life trying different paths. It's been quite a journey!
The last thing you want to do is end up like this guy:
construction manager, Japanese timber framing, historic restoration, furniture design and fabrication, acting, machinist, mechanic, sculptor, literature, project management, architecture, graphic design ... probably a bunch more including some blind alleys I can't recall.
Duh, architecture.
archinine
Aug 4, 17 9:21 pm
The designs look good and seem quite on par with a third year student. I would reorganize the portfolio as some of the more interesting projects are tucked away at the end. I found the house competition to be the strongest. Maybe add in more about the conceptualization, some diagrams etc as there are a lot of renders and not many drawings other than plans. The about me page I find weird but that's an American perspective - I know it is very different in other countries. The layout is actually quite good - something a lot of people seem to struggle with.
If you've got a nasty studio teacher or something, always keep in mind those who can't do, teach. If it's that it feels like a chore, know that it's not going to be more fun later. Learn what you can and move on from whoever or whatever is eroding your confidence.
If you're truly passionate about architecture and feel after 4+ years of schooling that you're still very interested in learning and growing more in the profession then do it. If not then find what you do like and be grateful you didn't waste your whole life doing something you don't.
Architecture isn't about innate talent or 'promise' - contrary to what you may hear in school. It's about drive, curiosity, and persistence as is any profession. Take some time and think about you really want to do and follow that.
josie3396
Aug 4, 17 9:58 pm
Thank you for your opinion and advice. I truly appreciate it. First thing, things you've said about nasty studio teacher really got me. I got a bad grade from him so that it brings my confidence down. Still, I love architecture, and like you have said, architecture isn't about talent, it's about persistence. Thanks :)
Beepbeep
Aug 4, 17 10:24 pm
You have the skills... just need a little more guidance and exposure. None of us were amazing at 3 years.
l3wis
Aug 4, 17 11:58 pm
don't let the nasty prof get you down. everyone has one. they will tell you your work is bad but it's not. there's always some part that's good that emerges in a project when you put in hard work. pursue your own ideas and don't let your excitement and enthusiasm for architecture be affected by this jerk. Your portfolio is very solid and you definitely have a future in architecture.
by the way, grad schools don't care much about your grades. honestly they matter very little as long as you're in the 3.0-4.0 range. what your portfolio looks like is way more important, and you have 100% control over that. so don't stress about it.
randomised
Aug 5, 17 3:49 am
"do I need to be an architect"
Nobody needs to be an architect.
randomised
Aug 5, 17 5:40 am
And also, if you don't have what it takes you can still be a successful architect, there are plenty of practising architects out there with worse skills or portfolios, probably the majority of 'em.
BIMBlaster
Aug 7, 17 10:07 pm
Architecture is regressing for many reasons, but the lack of dialog between academic architecture and computer science is the main driver. Thus, find a way to leverage BIM automation, global market products/services in addition to traditional architecture to be positioned for the crash of the field in which transition you can survive with a faster adapting business intelligence model.
BIM automation and the plethora of technologies it makes accessible is the only way future architecture firms will innovate and grow. Architecture as you now know it is passing on for the final stage of programming evolution, first stage AI to become more dominant in the next decade.
Learn automation technologies you can direct as an "architect" of the digital systems as you would a real world development. You do not have to code to build BIM design systems literally 10 and 20 times faster and efficient than today's architecture design industry.
Open your mind now and you can ride the wave, architecture as a field is 17 years behind the technological curve and they are not yet seeing the light at the end of the tube. This is the new generation of architects who can ride this storm out and innovate automation system properly.
Good luck in your mission.
randomised
Aug 8, 17 2:39 am
There's not a lack of dialogue, it's the wrong dialogue. It's BIM and catalogues of standardised products that are dictating how architects should draw, rather than BIM adapting to what the architect needs it to do. So many details or stairs in BIM-designed projects look clumsy and ill resolved for example because the software doesn't allow what the architect actually wants or fresher architects can't even comprehend that it's the architect whom decides not the software. You'd be surprised how often I heard juniors say something is not possible simply because they hadn't figured out how to model it properly in BIM. And don't get me started about the preference for 90 degree angles and alignments for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g and repetition, always the repetition. You could also argue that the level of BIM knowledge of architects is lacking but in the end BIM is just a tool that should empower the architect yet currently too often it simply doesn't.
Nats
Aug 8, 17 7:05 am
You have talent. If you enjoy it, stick with it. If you dont go elsewhere after your degree, the degree can pretty much be used for any career after that not just architectural. But it has to be said that real work in architecture is very different to college and can be very frustrating and demoralising if you are very artistic thats what I found anyway. I personally wish I had gone into film set design, computer modelling, special effects, visualisation or something like that rather than architecture because most work you will do is very dull. You have to be with extremely talented creatively, or alternatively a strong leader and very practical to make it in architecture unless all you want to do is cad work for a large firm.
Hello.
I am facing self confidence crisis in my third of architecture school. I feel like I'm not belong to this school and it is better for me to work in another field later. I feel like that I don't have enough potential to pursue architecture career, and only wanting to graduate without any ambitions.
So, I need to know fellow architecture friends' thought, do I need to be an architect, or do something else. I've already compiled my works in my third year (this is not my final portfolio), and I need your opinion to answer my thought before.
https://issuu.com/josephineama...
thanks before :)
If the path does not suit you, by all means try a different one. And if that one doesn't work, try another. A path is only a path, what matters is if your heart is on it. I have spent most of my life trying different paths. It's been quite a journey!
The last thing you want to do is end up like this guy:
http://archinect.com/forum/thr...
Miles, what have you tried?
carpentry
construction manager, Japanese timber framing, historic restoration, furniture design and fabrication, acting, machinist, mechanic, sculptor, literature, project management, architecture, graphic design ... probably a bunch more including some blind alleys I can't recall.
Duh, architecture.
The designs look good and seem quite on par with a third year student. I would reorganize the portfolio as some of the more interesting projects are tucked away at the end. I found the house competition to be the strongest. Maybe add in more about the conceptualization, some diagrams etc as there are a lot of renders and not many drawings other than plans. The about me page I find weird but that's an American perspective - I know it is very different in other countries. The layout is actually quite good - something a lot of people seem to struggle with.
If you've got a nasty studio teacher or something, always keep in mind those who can't do, teach. If it's that it feels like a chore, know that it's not going to be more fun later. Learn what you can and move on from whoever or whatever is eroding your confidence.
If you're truly passionate about architecture and feel after 4+ years of schooling that you're still very interested in learning and growing more in the profession then do it. If not then find what you do like and be grateful you didn't waste your whole life doing something you don't.
Architecture isn't about innate talent or 'promise' - contrary to what you may hear in school. It's about drive, curiosity, and persistence as is any profession. Take some time and think about you really want to do and follow that.
Thank you for your opinion and advice. I truly appreciate it. First thing, things you've said about nasty studio teacher really got me. I got a bad grade from him so that it brings my confidence down. Still, I love architecture, and like you have said, architecture isn't about talent, it's about persistence. Thanks :)
You have the skills... just need a little more guidance and exposure. None of us were amazing at 3 years.
don't let the nasty prof get you down. everyone has one. they will tell you your work is bad but it's not. there's always some part that's good that emerges in a project when you put in hard work. pursue your own ideas and don't let your excitement and enthusiasm for architecture be affected by this jerk. Your portfolio is very solid and you definitely have a future in architecture.
by the way, grad schools don't care much about your grades. honestly they matter very little as long as you're in the 3.0-4.0 range. what your portfolio looks like is way more important, and you have 100% control over that. so don't stress about it.
"do I need to be an architect"
Nobody needs to be an architect.
And also, if you don't have what it takes you can still be a successful architect, there are plenty of practising architects out there with worse skills or portfolios, probably the majority of 'em.
Architecture is regressing for many reasons, but the lack of dialog between academic architecture and computer science is the main driver. Thus, find a way to leverage BIM automation, global market products/services in addition to traditional architecture to be positioned for the crash of the field in which transition you can survive with a faster adapting business intelligence model.
BIM automation and the plethora of technologies it makes accessible is the only way future architecture firms will innovate and grow. Architecture as you now know it is passing on for the final stage of programming evolution, first stage AI to become more dominant in the next decade.
Learn automation technologies you can direct as an "architect" of the digital systems as you would a real world development. You do not have to code to build BIM design systems literally 10 and 20 times faster and efficient than today's architecture design industry.
Open your mind now and you can ride the wave, architecture as a field is 17 years behind the technological curve and they are not yet seeing the light at the end of the tube. This is the new generation of architects who can ride this storm out and innovate automation system properly.
Good luck in your mission.
There's not a lack of dialogue, it's the wrong dialogue. It's BIM and catalogues of standardised products that are dictating how architects should draw, rather than BIM adapting to what the architect needs it to do. So many details or stairs in BIM-designed projects look clumsy and ill resolved for example because the software doesn't allow what the architect actually wants or fresher architects can't even comprehend that it's the architect whom decides not the software. You'd be surprised how often I heard juniors say something is not possible simply because they hadn't figured out how to model it properly in BIM. And don't get me started about the preference for 90 degree angles and alignments for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g and repetition, always the repetition. You could also argue that the level of BIM knowledge of architects is lacking but in the end BIM is just a tool that should empower the architect yet currently too often it simply doesn't.
You have talent. If you enjoy it, stick with it. If you dont go elsewhere after your degree, the degree can pretty much be used for any career after that not just architectural. But it has to be said that real work in architecture is very different to college and can be very frustrating and demoralising if you are very artistic thats what I found anyway. I personally wish I had gone into film set design, computer modelling, special effects, visualisation or something like that rather than architecture because most work you will do is very dull. You have to be with extremely talented creatively, or alternatively a strong leader and very practical to make it in architecture unless all you want to do is cad work for a large firm.