I'm an architecture student in the middle of my undergrad and I am a bit worried that it isn't preparing me for the real world.
Don't get me wrong, I love school. We're encouraged to think like "starchitects" and there's a lot of room to be creative. However, I can't help but think this is too different from reality. In school, we work alone on our own ideas. In a firm, there's more collaboration. In school, there are few requirements/hard boundaries for a project. In real life, there are many. So far, I haven't had to use physics or rarely math to determine if my designs are practical.
In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if the only thing school prepares me for is architorture: the practice of working long hours and sacrificing sleep. (Though for me, this is often by choice at this point because I like what I'm doing.)
So I guess that's my longwinded approach to my question: what are some differences between architecture school and interships/a job in architecture?
Non Sequitur
May 28, 18 4:26 pm
95% of the stuff you're asked to work on while in school equals less than 5% of our profession and even at that, the fun design stuff is very often never given to junior staff.
The broad design and creative process is very short compared the length of the construction document phase however, figuring out how something is detailed or assembled is itself a design problem. If you can understand this, you'll be ahead of your peers once you start working.
Now, in practice, you'll rarely need to use physics/math to determine design feasibility as that is often in the realm of your structural engineers. What is important is that you understand practical limitations of material and attribute reasonable depths or thickness when in the concept phase of a project.
If you're asked to work 12hr+ days consistently or - gasp - pull allnighters in the real world, change offices.
randomised
May 29, 18 2:58 am
It both depends on the school and where you end up working and in what capacity. Some offices are very hierarchical and have people specialise, doing the same thing all the time, like an assembly line... while at other places you'll be part of a team from concept until realisation. So be sure to know what you'd like to do and what your strengths are and ask during interviews how the office operates.
joseffischer
May 29, 18 9:18 am
Remember that one day you spent playing around with IBC to confirm that your stairs fit? Expand that exponentially as you are tasked to confirm that every change to the design still meets all code requirements. This will eventually become second nature to you, but for a while you head will be stuffed in code books.
Also, a lot of your time will be picking up redlines and confirming that engineers also picked up the redlines, because you know, revit doesn't move families for you, copy monitoring only goes so far.
archi_dude
May 29, 18 9:46 am
Yeah it’s an art degree. About as useful and transferable to other industries as an....art degree. My advice would be to really research the construction industry and find a niche you want to head into, figure out what courses or personal study you need to do to head that direction. If you think your degree will help you on your first day of work you’ll be sorely disappointed.
SneakyPete
May 29, 18 12:06 pm
My experience has been different than Non's. I've worked in a couple places that the initial concepts were roughed out by the PIC, then Juniors got to play with the fun stuff, then the senior folks had to go in and make it buildable.
Upside down, but they justify it with billing rates.
Wilma Buttfit
May 29, 18 12:40 pm
Whatever you don't learn in school you will just need to learn outside of school. School is a foundation. You build the rest.
bennyc
May 29, 18 2:43 pm
In School you learn : Theory, design and grinding deadlines. In Real world, you will learn that in order to get to a design or space, you need to understand in much more depth and seriousness the code and zoning laws effecting design, client needs and budget and the realization that architecture is a service to a client. Your creativity can have a positive effect on what you design, but in the end, you are paid to get a building built in the shortest amount of time and the smallest possible budget.
I'm an architecture student in the middle of my undergrad and I am a bit worried that it isn't preparing me for the real world.
Don't get me wrong, I love school. We're encouraged to think like "starchitects" and there's a lot of room to be creative. However, I can't help but think this is too different from reality. In school, we work alone on our own ideas. In a firm, there's more collaboration. In school, there are few requirements/hard boundaries for a project. In real life, there are many. So far, I haven't had to use physics or rarely math to determine if my designs are practical.
In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if the only thing school prepares me for is architorture: the practice of working long hours and sacrificing sleep. (Though for me, this is often by choice at this point because I like what I'm doing.)
So I guess that's my longwinded approach to my question: what are some differences between architecture school and interships/a job in architecture?
95% of the stuff you're asked to work on while in school equals less than 5% of our profession and even at that, the fun design stuff is very often never given to junior staff.
The broad design and creative process is very short compared the length of the construction document phase however, figuring out how something is detailed or assembled is itself a design problem. If you can understand this, you'll be ahead of your peers once you start working.
Now, in practice, you'll rarely need to use physics/math to determine design feasibility as that is often in the realm of your structural engineers. What is important is that you understand practical limitations of material and attribute reasonable depths or thickness when in the concept phase of a project.
If you're asked to work 12hr+ days consistently or - gasp - pull allnighters in the real world, change offices.
It both depends on the school and where you end up working and in what capacity. Some offices are very hierarchical and have people specialise, doing the same thing all the time, like an assembly line... while at other places you'll be part of a team from concept until realisation. So be sure to know what you'd like to do and what your strengths are and ask during interviews how the office operates.
Remember that one day you spent playing around with IBC to confirm that your stairs fit? Expand that exponentially as you are tasked to confirm that every change to the design still meets all code requirements. This will eventually become second nature to you, but for a while you head will be stuffed in code books.
Also, a lot of your time will be picking up redlines and confirming that engineers also picked up the redlines, because you know, revit doesn't move families for you, copy monitoring only goes so far.
Yeah it’s an art degree. About as useful and transferable to other industries as an....art degree. My advice would be to really research the construction industry and find a niche you want to head into, figure out what courses or personal study you need to do to head that direction. If you think your degree will help you on your first day of work you’ll be sorely disappointed.
My experience has been different than Non's. I've worked in a couple places that the initial concepts were roughed out by the PIC, then Juniors got to play with the fun stuff, then the senior folks had to go in and make it buildable.
Upside down, but they justify it with billing rates.
Whatever you don't learn in school you will just need to learn outside of school. School is a foundation. You build the rest.
In School you learn : Theory, design and grinding deadlines.
In Real world, you will learn that in order to get to a design or space, you need to understand in much more depth and seriousness the code and zoning laws effecting design, client needs and budget and the realization that architecture is a service to a client. Your creativity can have a positive effect on what you design, but in the end, you are paid to get a building built in the shortest amount of time and the smallest possible budget.