I am 25 y/o international in London who has an MA degree in Interior Architecture and BA in Interior and Furniture Design. For the past couple of years as I have been maturing and perceiving space around me and realized that I want to become an architect, as I believe I am passionate about inventing structures and building and giving the space more social and cultural context.
Considering that I cannot afford to stay here and study 3 years and pay international fees, I have searched for different pathways for becoming an architect. There is RIBA studio at Oxford Brookes and part-time studies at a few other universities, such as the Cass at London Met. They both take longer than 4 years to finish, by which time I will be around 30. Therefore my question is next: is that too late to become an architectural assistant, providing I will continue working in the field of interiors during that time. Would that count as some relevant experience, it is not like I would be switching from Drama to Architecture. I am, of course, aware that responsibilities of an architect and designer are different and require different things.
And just to put out a few facts. I had to escape my country due to living conditions, therefore at the time I had to pick my masters as I could only pay for one year of studying, I had to enroll at Interior Architecture ,despite wanting to pursue BArch, because paying for 3 years and not being able to work part time here was not an option. So leaving London is not possible, nor is quitting work.
Also, the reason that I want to make this change is my overall experience in this field. During most of my free time while I was studying, I spent a great deal attending arch. workshops, hanging out with architects and learning about urban design etc. Besides I find that my knowledge of designing furniture would be a great foundation for architecture studies, as its principles are stability, form and function. I am good at model making, proficient in CAD, 3ds Max, Adobe Suit, Sketch-Up and want to learn Revit as well.
Would extremely appreciate both professional and friendly advice, and would like to avoid being judged for wanting to be an architect or for mastering something that was not my ultimate goal. Growing up in a developing country I never thought of becoming an architect, as building industry did not exist there.
thisisnotmyname
Jun 17, 20 11:40 am
I don't know about the UK, but in the USA age 30 would not a problem for an entry-level architect, especially since you have work experience in a related field.
newbie.Phronesis
Jun 17, 20 3:50 pm
Definitely not too late, just be aware once you're working you probably won't be doing nearly as much design work as at the workshops and in interior design. But sounds like you already have some advantages to get started in architecture, good luck eh :)
atelier nobody
Jun 17, 20 5:49 pm
DO EET!
RIBA Studio
Jun 19, 20 7:55 am
Hello natasaduric.
I am responding to your post from the RIBA Studio at Oxford Brookes University. The RIBA Studio comprises a suite of courses to help people attain their architectural qualifications, from Foundation to Part 2. If you are committed to becoming a registered architect, it is certainly not too late to follow your dreams; our students include a wide range of ages, all at different stages in the journey.
It seems you have already looked at our website: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/architecture/riba-studio/ I would encourage you to sign up for our forthcoming webinar (25th July), which you can do through the website.
If you require any further information, or would like to speak to one of us, please feel free to contact us at: [email protected].
Best wishes,
Sam Hughes
Gypsiesarecrying
Jul 19, 22 8:22 am
You know, the field of architecture and design has no age limits, so feel free to become an assistant architect. If you have spatial thinking and thoughtfulness, you need to learn from the experience of foreign colleagues - watch and study projects on the Internet. The main thing is to learn drawing programs and programs for 3D modeling and try to make your own projects. Watch YouTube to understand how the project is created, you can also look at companies such as onstage-online.com. You can get 2 educations and never become an architect, or you can create unique projects on your own without education at all.
Hi everyone,
I am 25 y/o international in London who has an MA degree in Interior Architecture and BA in Interior and Furniture Design. For the past couple of years as I have been maturing and perceiving space around me and realized that I want to become an architect, as I believe I am passionate about inventing structures and building and giving the space more social and cultural context.
Considering that I cannot afford to stay here and study 3 years and pay international fees, I have searched for different pathways for becoming an architect. There is RIBA studio at Oxford Brookes and part-time studies at a few other universities, such as the Cass at London Met. They both take longer than 4 years to finish, by which time I will be around 30. Therefore my question is next: is that too late to become an architectural assistant, providing I will continue working in the field of interiors during that time. Would that count as some relevant experience, it is not like I would be switching from Drama to Architecture. I am, of course, aware that responsibilities of an architect and designer are different and require different things.
And just to put out a few facts. I had to escape my country due to living conditions, therefore at the time I had to pick my masters as I could only pay for one year of studying, I had to enroll at Interior Architecture ,despite wanting to pursue BArch, because paying for 3 years and not being able to work part time here was not an option. So leaving London is not possible, nor is quitting work.
Also, the reason that I want to make this change is my overall experience in this field. During most of my free time while I was studying, I spent a great deal attending arch. workshops, hanging out with architects and learning about urban design etc. Besides I find that my knowledge of designing furniture would be a great foundation for architecture studies, as its principles are stability, form and function. I am good at model making, proficient in CAD, 3ds Max, Adobe Suit, Sketch-Up and want to learn Revit as well.
Would extremely appreciate both professional and friendly advice, and would like to avoid being judged for wanting to be an architect or for mastering something that was not my ultimate goal. Growing up in a developing country I never thought of becoming an architect, as building industry did not exist there.
I don't know about the UK, but in the USA age 30 would not a problem for an entry-level architect, especially since you have work experience in a related field.
Definitely not too late, just be aware once you're working you probably won't be doing nearly as much design work as at the workshops and in interior design. But sounds like you already have some advantages to get started in architecture, good luck eh :)
DO EET!
Hello natasaduric.
I am responding to your post from the RIBA Studio at Oxford Brookes University. The RIBA Studio comprises a suite of courses to help people attain their architectural qualifications, from Foundation to Part 2. If you are committed to becoming a registered architect, it is certainly not too late to follow your dreams; our students include a wide range of ages, all at different stages in the journey.
It seems you have already looked at our website: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/architecture/riba-studio/ I would encourage you to sign up for our forthcoming webinar (25th July), which you can do through the website.
If you require any further information, or would like to speak to one of us, please feel free to contact us at: [email protected].
Best wishes,
Sam Hughes
You know, the field of architecture and design has no age limits, so feel free to become an assistant architect. If you have spatial thinking and thoughtfulness, you need to learn from the experience of foreign colleagues - watch and study projects on the Internet. The main thing is to learn drawing programs and programs for 3D modeling and try to make your own projects. Watch YouTube to understand how the project is created, you can also look at companies such as onstage-online.com. You can get 2 educations and never become an architect, or you can create unique projects on your own without education at all.