In the light of recent issues of internships, training of architects etc., not all NCARB does should be complained about. These are small but nicely written, practical, useful and motivational grants.
In the light of recent issues of internships, training of architects etc., not all NCARB does should be complained about. These are small but nicely written practical, useful and motivational grants. NCARB
"2010 Grant Recipients
The proposal submitted by the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, pairs teams of students with architects and city officials through a joint venture between the school's department of architecture, the architectural firm of HMC Architects based in Los Angeles, the city of San Diego, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Students will design, assist in construction planning, and then analyze the performance of two dwellings to replace those destroyed by raging wildfires on public land in San Diego County in 2007. Goals for the structures are reduced environmental impact and maintenance costs, greater durability, and fire resistance.
By engaging an architectural firm already providing services on its campus, the School of Architecture at North Carolina State University plans to expose students to numerous professional practice experiences. The firm—Pearce Brinkley Cease & Lee, based in Raleigh, NC—is designing the new home for the university's library, and will provide students a meeting space in its office and will appoint a non-faculty architect to be the firm's "instructor" once a week. Twelve students will study best practices of campus design, observe the library's design and construction, and design an addition to their own College of Design.
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa's proposal will give students the opportunity to work alongside architects who specialize in honoring and preserving the rich history and culture of Hawaii. Students will work with practitioners, actual clients, consultants, and community and government officials to provide architectural services with a strong emphasis on sustainability for various projects. One project will determine the potential for restoring 113 houses at an abandoned pineapple plantation. Two of the participating firms are WCIT Architecture and Minatoishi Architects, both based in Honolulu."
4 Comments
"The NCARB Grant program builds upon the NCARB Prize, now in its tenth and final year."
Well that's disappointing.
After reading what each of the 3 award-wining schools proposed, I couldn't help but think "Shouldn't that be what Professional Practice courses teach anyway?" I know my experience in ProPractice was a complete waste of time... I think we made a mock-proposal for a job, a graphic of what we would want a project management tool/software to look/function like (without actually making a functioning program) and did hands-off studies of existing buildings. The rest of the course covered material that frankly, anyone who had worked a month in an office, already knew. And this was at Grad. School and from what I understand, most of the curriculum was dictated by NCARB.
ProPractice really should be a course that allows students to see and experience the full extent of working in an office, including seeing construction on-site. It's probably the only opportunity that students have to get full-exposure to the profession in a risk-free environment and most schools squander that opportunity. I'm often embarrassed to admit that I learn more watching Danny Forster on Build It Bigger than I did in school.
cc, if enough people write to NCARB and they made aware of the demand, they might consider of continuing the prize program and maybe even expand on it. that would be a great cause. i know a lot of students benefit from these type of programs. it is different than being a celebrity slave and more on the real life practice of the large portion of the profession. it also makes the society aware of the architectural profession via the students in the field.
i think this particular grant is different than the prize program being terminated, but i might be wrong or misunderstood the info. are you sure?
i go to architecture school in San Diego... wtf?
NCARB should only function as a clearinghouse for records pertaining to architectural licensing. Their prizes, grants, and publications are an expensive sideshow that only serve to raise the costs of their basic services such as council records, IDP, etc. Architectural charity is better left to organizations such as the Graham Foundation, Van Alen Institute, etc.
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