I'm currently a high school student and I'm interested in architecture, but I don't know where to start. For current architects or architecture students: is there any advice you wish you had known before starting out? What are things I can do as a high school student to bulk up my résumé for internships and jobs pertaining to architecture? Truthfully, I'm completely lost so it would mean a lot if I could get some advice about starting out. Thanks so much!!
SneakyPete
Jan 4, 19 8:25 pm
Seek out a local practice in your hometown. Write them an email or give them a call. Ask if you can stop by for a visit. See whether they would be amenable for you to shadow. Perhaps inquire if they are in need of someone to work during the summers. Beware of advice given on the internet.
Oh, and don't work for free. Ever.
b3tadine[sutures]
Jan 3, 20 1:54 pm
Come on Pete! They are interested in Architecture, don't scare them away and suggest a local firm visit!
That's an intro to architecture school, not architecture. Two very different things.
justavisual
Jan 6, 19 10:25 am
If you don't like the summer course then you can't survive the schooling it takes to become an architect in the first place. I'd say it was a worthwhile investment and a huge leg up getting into colleges after...should one wish to continue.
Miles Jaffe
Jan 6, 19 10:58 am
Before deciding on architecture as an education and career one should first explore the realities of the profession. Architecture school is fantasy land. Architecture preschool is just a sales pitch for architecture school.
justavisual
Jan 6, 19 11:46 am
Everyone has their own opinion...thats fine. She asked for recommendations on what to do. If she stumbled upon a shitty office by accident and shadowed a moron there she wouldn't getting the insight she desires...
archi_dude
Jan 6, 19 11:51 am
So wait until after she invests her college years and potentially 100k?
justavisual
Jan 6, 19 12:17 pm
13k for the summer program is better than ending up in the wrong major later...anyway the credits transfer. I'd say its super handy to see the profession from both sides - the professional side as mentioned above/below and the educational side...good luck Megan!
justavisual
Jan 6, 19 12:17 pm
.
archi_dude
Jan 6, 19 9:59 am
“If my children said that they wanted to do this career I’d stop them from that terrible mistake.” - multiple of my past bosses
“So why did you do architecture?......it’s boring.” - First comment by a coworker to me my first day out of college. Figured out what he meant an hour later into my CAD career.
The idea of architect as master project visionary is a myth. It’s very low paid. It consists of hours of drafting blueprints and maybe minutes a week of creativity (look around you, do you see much besides copy paste strip malls and tract homes) There’s a few threads down that talks about how people mid-40’s and up usually get fired and can’t find another job because firms want cheap drafting power.
BulgarBlogger
Jan 6, 19 10:52 am
CAD career ; copy paste strip malls. If that is your career, I really pity you. You should put as much attention, rigor, and effort into the design your career as you would when designing a building. If drafting is all you have done, especially drafting strip malls- maybe you were juat not cut out to be an architect.
BulgarBlogger
Jan 6, 19 10:52 am
CAD career ; copy paste strip malls. If that is your career, I really pity you. You should put as much attention, rigor, and effort into the design your career as you would when designing a building. If drafting is all you have done, especially drafting strip malls- maybe you were juat not cut out to be an architect.
archi_dude
Jan 6, 19 11:26 am
I had worked in hospitality, retail, mixed use and education. The reality is 5% design 95% drafting. I had more creativity and independent decisions in my first week in CM than I had in 7 years of practicing architecture. There
are other careers much more rewarding than architecture and many related to it with many more options and higher demand. So I guess no, I wasn’t cut out to play the starving creative role.
BulgarBlogger
Jan 6, 19 11:51 am
it is inly 5% if you are copying and pasting shit over and over again. Tell that to Louis Khan. And even if there is a situation where there is only 5% design- it is probably the most important 5%. Anyone can draft, not many can design... So the moral of the story- if you can design, you probably will have many more opportinities than being a CAD monkey.
Wilma Buttfit
Jan 7, 19 7:46 am
Everybody can't draft. CanNOT. This here might be one of the problems. Drafting is an art. It isn't just slopping something down to get done with it but I guess there are plenty who think it is.
archi_dude
Jan 6, 19 11:54 am
Write a letter of intent to get a professional interview. Google how to do that. Send it to multiple firms near you asking to learn more about the career. Try and get mix of positions and people to interview so you can get an honest opinion of the career and steps you should take.
ArchNyen
Jan 7, 19 7:22 am
Get the book “Architect?” By Roger k Lewis. It explains everything you need to know about the schooling, process and profession.
Wilma Buttfit
Jan 7, 19 7:48 am
I would definitely spend some time in an office first. As a friend (grapic designer) told me, architecture offices look to be full of angry people with headphones and look like terrible places to work, and I can't disagree.
randomised
Jan 7, 19 8:30 am
Congrats Megan on finding something that interests you! What is it in architecture that you find particularly interesting?
David Bruce Lee
Jan 7, 19 12:37 pm
+1 for architecture summer program/camp hosted by a reputable university. Arch summer programs are a great way to get introduced to what architecture is really about.
you will find that Architecture is a broad field, there are many different ways to practice.
Do not be deterred by practicing architects who tell you it's a dead end profession.
randomised
Jan 7, 19 12:50 pm
"Do not be deterred by practicing architects who tell you it's a dead end profession."
Because it's not a dead end profession at all, it's alive and kickin', they just can't see the light at the end of their tunnel vision :)
Steeplechase
Jan 7, 19 4:07 pm
I work in a somewhat niche market and wish I was more aware that I could just get a job doing it. Definitely go visit offices, but not to be discouraged. Find what it is more specifically that you want to work on.
thatsthat
Jan 7, 19 4:38 pm
What I wish I knew before going in: not everyone is going to be a designer, and that's ok! Yes you may be designing, but you may find you are better suited for project management or marketing or some other area of the profession. There is room here for more than just the stereotypical Designer.
Before I started my architecture program, I took two summer sessions of CAD at a community college nearby. The tuition was relatively cheap and I went into school already knowing more than a lot of my classmates in terms of drafting. (My university required students to know CAD coming in and did not teach it.) If you have the time/money to do something like this, I highly recommend it. Additionally, my high school had a mentorship program where I spent 10 hours per week shadowing someone in a field of interest. This pushed me to experience something I wouldn't have otherwise. If you can find someone to shadow, even if its a few hours per week, the exposure will be worth it.
sgmardini
Jan 8, 19 1:30 am
what i wish i had known before uni:
- try to get some training or at least hang out at local offices just to get a sense of the profession, which is ultimately more important than your education.
- lots of architects i know did not excel at school, yet are now successful or have at least surpassed their peers because they accumulated the right experience during university years while the rest of us were too busy being nerds!
- join some sort of organization and build a network of people from different professions that could help out later on in life. making friends at uni is fine but these will soon be your competitors!
- architecture is a broad field. although these days it's one of those professions that students jump into because they don't know what else to do, you can still take certain measures to have a good career. make sure you research the future trends within architecture and try to specialize/go into those specific fields.
- this is an obvious one: keep pictures of all your models (i took that for granted) and make sure you have a great portfolio at the end of your studies.
- you will spend at least 80% of your time in front of the computer screen (during studies and profession), and sleeping will become a luxury.
- after uni, you might choose to not be a designer, which is fine.
all in all i recommend STUDYING architecture simply because it broadens your horizons, trains your mind to think logically and flexes your design muscles. whether you decide to PRACTICE it or not is completely up to you, your work opportunities, how bent you are on (not) making money and how willing you are to put in the effort/crazy hours.
jmat
Sep 25, 19 11:24 am
Play around with hands-on design tools like the 3-D Home Kit, Home Quick Planner and Architect's Drawing Kit, all available on Amazon, to see if you truly like applying the skills involved in this profession. There are demo videos on YouTube of these as well.
BrendaJK
Jan 3, 20 1:44 pm
The two keys are to explore career options and gain experience. You can do this in high school in a few ways:
Take classes that are relevant to architecture – drawing and art, physics, and math are all helpful in architecture; even if your school doesn’t offer an architecture class
Summer architecture programs – there are many out there including this one at University of Pennsylvania School of Design. These are a great option to see what college will be like as an architecture major and give you some hands-on experience in architecture
Shadow an architect/ Architecture Internship – contact some local architecture firms and see if you can shadow them or even do a few week internship in the summer
Research – there is so much information you can find on the internet to make sure it’s a career that will work for you. Things like salaries, kinds of jobs you can get with a degree in architecture, how long does it take to become an architect? There are a lot more details in this article, How to Become an Architect.
Hi!
I'm currently a high school student and I'm interested in architecture, but I don't know where to start. For current architects or architecture students: is there any advice you wish you had known before starting out? What are things I can do as a high school student to bulk up my résumé for internships and jobs pertaining to architecture? Truthfully, I'm completely lost so it would mean a lot if I could get some advice about starting out. Thanks so much!!
Seek out a local practice in your hometown. Write them an email or give them a call. Ask if you can stop by for a visit. See whether they would be amenable for you to shadow. Perhaps inquire if they are in need of someone to work during the summers. Beware of advice given on the internet.
Oh, and don't work for free. Ever.
Come on Pete! They are interested in Architecture, don't scare them away and suggest a local firm visit!
Cornell summer intro to architecture:
https://sce.cornell.edu/precol...
That's an intro to architecture school, not architecture. Two very different things.
If you don't like the summer course then you can't survive the schooling it takes to become an architect in the first place. I'd say it was a worthwhile investment and a huge leg up getting into colleges after...should one wish to continue.
Before deciding on architecture as an education and career one should first explore the realities of the profession. Architecture school is fantasy land. Architecture preschool is just a sales pitch for architecture school.
Everyone has their own opinion...thats fine. She asked for recommendations on what to do. If she stumbled upon a shitty office by accident and shadowed a moron there she wouldn't getting the insight she desires...
So wait until after she invests her college years and potentially 100k?
13k for the summer program is better than ending up in the wrong major later...anyway the credits transfer. I'd say its super handy to see the profession from both sides - the professional side as mentioned above/below and the educational side...good luck Megan!
.
“If my children said that they wanted to do this career I’d stop them from that terrible mistake.” - multiple of my past bosses
“So why did you do architecture?......it’s boring.” - First comment by a coworker to me my first day out of college. Figured out what he meant an hour later into my CAD career.
The idea of architect as master project visionary is a myth. It’s very low paid. It consists of hours of drafting blueprints and maybe minutes a week of creativity (look around you, do you see much besides copy paste strip malls and tract homes) There’s a few threads down that talks about how people mid-40’s and up usually get fired and can’t find another job because firms want cheap drafting power.
CAD career ; copy paste strip malls. If that is your career, I really pity you. You should put as much attention, rigor, and effort into the design your career as you would when designing a building. If drafting is all you have done, especially drafting strip malls- maybe you were juat not cut out to be an architect.
CAD career ; copy paste strip malls. If that is your career, I really pity you. You should put as much attention, rigor, and effort into the design your career as you would when designing a building. If drafting is all you have done, especially drafting strip malls- maybe you were juat not cut out to be an architect.
I had worked in hospitality, retail, mixed use and education. The reality is 5% design 95% drafting. I had more creativity and independent decisions in my first week in CM than I had in 7 years of practicing architecture. There
are other careers much more rewarding than architecture and many related to it with many more options and higher demand. So I guess no, I wasn’t cut out to play the starving creative role.
it is inly 5% if you are copying and pasting shit over and over again. Tell that to Louis Khan. And even if there is a situation where there is only 5% design- it is probably the most important 5%. Anyone can draft, not many can design... So the moral of the story- if you can design, you probably will have many more opportinities than being a CAD monkey.
Everybody can't draft. CanNOT. This here might be one of the problems. Drafting is an art. It isn't just slopping something down to get done with it but I guess there are plenty who think it is.
Write a letter of intent to get a professional interview. Google how to do that. Send it to multiple firms near you asking to learn more about the career. Try and get mix of positions and people to interview so you can get an honest opinion of the career and steps you should take.
Get the book “Architect?” By Roger k Lewis. It explains everything you need to know about the schooling, process and profession.
I would definitely spend some time in an office first. As a friend (grapic designer) told me, architecture offices look to be full of angry people with headphones and look like terrible places to work, and I can't disagree.
Congrats Megan on finding something that interests you! What is it in architecture that you find particularly interesting?
+1 for architecture summer program/camp hosted by a reputable university. Arch summer programs are a great way to get introduced to what architecture is really about.
you will find that Architecture is a broad field, there are many different ways to practice.
Do not be deterred by practicing architects who tell you it's a dead end profession.
"Do not be deterred by practicing architects who tell you it's a dead end profession."
Because it's not a dead end profession at all, it's alive and kickin', they just can't see the light at the end of their tunnel vision :)
I work in a somewhat niche market and wish I was more aware that I could just get a job doing it. Definitely go visit offices, but not to be discouraged. Find what it is more specifically that you want to work on.
What I wish I knew before going in: not everyone is going to be a designer, and that's ok! Yes you may be designing, but you may find you are better suited for project management or marketing or some other area of the profession. There is room here for more than just the stereotypical Designer.
Before I started my architecture program, I took two summer sessions of CAD at a community college nearby. The tuition was relatively cheap and I went into school already knowing more than a lot of my classmates in terms of drafting. (My university required students to know CAD coming in and did not teach it.) If you have the time/money to do something like this, I highly recommend it. Additionally, my high school had a mentorship program where I spent 10 hours per week shadowing someone in a field of interest. This pushed me to experience something I wouldn't have otherwise. If you can find someone to shadow, even if its a few hours per week, the exposure will be worth it.
what i wish i had known before uni:
- try to get some training or at least hang out at local offices just to get a sense of the profession, which is ultimately more important than your education.
- lots of architects i know did not excel at school, yet are now successful or have at least surpassed their peers because they accumulated the right experience during university years while the rest of us were too busy being nerds!
- join some sort of organization and build a network of people from different professions that could help out later on in life. making friends at uni is fine but these will soon be your competitors!
- architecture is a broad field. although these days it's one of those professions that students jump into because they don't know what else to do, you can still take certain measures to have a good career. make sure you research the future trends within architecture and try to specialize/go into those specific fields.
- this is an obvious one: keep pictures of all your models (i took that for granted) and make sure you have a great portfolio at the end of your studies.
- you will spend at least 80% of your time in front of the computer screen (during studies and profession), and sleeping will become a luxury.
- after uni, you might choose to not be a designer, which is fine.
all in all i recommend STUDYING architecture simply because it broadens your horizons, trains your mind to think logically and flexes your design muscles. whether you decide to PRACTICE it or not is completely up to you, your work opportunities, how bent you are on (not) making money and how willing you are to put in the effort/crazy hours.
Play around with hands-on design tools like the 3-D Home Kit, Home Quick Planner and Architect's Drawing Kit, all available on Amazon, to see if you truly like applying the skills involved in this profession. There are demo videos on YouTube of these as well.
The two keys are to explore career options and gain experience. You can do this in high school in a few ways:
Take classes that are relevant to architecture – drawing and art, physics, and math are all helpful in architecture; even if your school doesn’t offer an architecture class
Summer architecture programs – there are many out there including this one at University of Pennsylvania School of Design. These are a great option to see what college will be like as an architecture major and give you some hands-on experience in architecture
Shadow an architect/ Architecture Internship – contact some local architecture firms and see if you can shadow them or even do a few week internship in the summer
Research – there is so much information you can find on the internet to make sure it’s a career that will work for you. Things like salaries, kinds of jobs you can get with a degree in architecture, how long does it take to become an architect? There are a lot more details in this article, How to Become an Architect.
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