#46 Never underestimate the power of design.
Will I become an architect after I graduate? Is this really what you want to do? Am I ready for the commitment, the all-nighters, and the sacrifices I will have to make to become an architect? Will this all be worth it?
Who knows?
But one thing that is undeniable is that the power of design is getting more noticed and more substantial every day. Architecture school teaches you more than just how to design space and how to make drawings and models, it teaches you how to think like a designer. It teaches you how to look deeply into things and create something from absolutely nothing. You learn how look at the world in a different way, and being able to see the world through the eyes of a designer is such a powerful tool in life. You get to expand your imagination and the experiences and things you will learn through school will open up so many avenues for you later in life.
Yes, the end goal of architecture school is to become an architect, but there is so much more to it. A keen sense of design, especially in a world driven by an aesthetic platform such as the internet, will allow you to pursue more than just architecture.
It is almost as if we become doctors of the visual realm to make the world a beautiful place to live.
Its pretty cool. :)
“Life of a designer is a life of fight, fight against the ugliness, just like a doctor fights against disease. For us, the visual disease is what we have around, and what we try to do is to cure it somehow with design.” - Massimo Vignelli
EURO TRIP!!! I’M GOING AWAY! but i’ll be back :) …I think?
I am studying abroad in Amsterdam with my school of architecture. I will be out of my country (USA) for 7 weeks. I am very excited to go, but I do not know how much I will be able to post on here. Just giving a heads up in case you think I stopped the blog.
I would also like to use this post to say that I am so glad that people like this blog. I started this as a little thing to help my fellow peers and students, but it has become a tool internationally and I get to communicate with some of the most amazingly talented people on the planet. It is a joy to write these little tips for all of you and I just wanted to say thank you for following my blog.
That is the update! If you find yourself looking for more blogs like this one to follow, here are some I follow personally and you should too. (If you don’t already)
life-of-an-architecture-student.tumblr.com
#45 Help other people for no reason.
It is a difficult concept to do something for someone without some kind of personal gain, but the gain is inevitable when helping from the heart. If you make this a personal lifestyle of helping people out as much as you can without any motive, other than to just be helpful, this idea of selfless facilitation and compassion for the human condition will yield many positive results. You will have stronger friendships, build your reputation of reliability, and if you ever need help yourself one day, you will be overwhelmed by the amount of people willing to help you out as you had done so for them in the past.
Imagine if everyone in your studio followed this as a personal motto. The positive efficiency would elevate to a new level and it actually feels great to be helpful. If you do not do this already you should give it a shot, the outcome could be quite remarkable.
Answer for B. Arch Question
Also be sure to talk about the Bachelor of Architecture, which is a five-year program that allows one to start interning right after as opposed to getting an M.Arch.
Via: archstar.tumblr.com
Q:I'm not sure there is a difference between a BA and a BS in architecture. There used to be a B. Arch which was a 5 year professional program, but it has been phased out in the field. Most programs are 4 + 2 (4 years pre-professional--BS Arch-- and then a 2 year MArch). What's most important is making sure your program is accredited as a professional degree by NAAB.
Great feedback!! Thank you!
#44 Don’t cut your fingers off.
Cutting yourself while in architecture school is a common occurrence considering how much time you spend with a blade, but if you take the proper precautions, you can minimize or even prevent yourself from injury while in studio.
Here are some safety tips while cutting:
- Always use a sharp blade. You don’t want any “snags” for the blade to jump.
- Use a Ruler with a cutting edge.
- Develop a personal cutting technique which is comfortable for you.
- Don’t use yourself as a cutting mat.
- Take one extra second to make sure your fingers are out of the line of cutting.
- Always use a hard surface and a cutting mat.
There are many more, but these are a few that may seem like common sense, but you would be surprised how much these little things will help. (Especially the one about having the proper Ruler.)
Been super busy!!
Hey everybody!
Sorry again for the lack of posts, this month has been crazy. I have my finals this week and next week, plus I just spent a week in Ohio at a convention selling a book I got published this year.
Needless to say, I didn’t exactly have time to post!
I am also leaving to study abroad in Amsterdam this summer for my M.Arch Degree. I will try to post while I am out of my country, but if not, I will definitely continue posting the tips when I return. Until then I will try to set up some in que so you can still get them while I am away.
Thank you for all the support and I hope school, design, and life is treating you very well.
Happy Designing!
-Mark, tipsforarchitectureschool
Q:What's the difference between BS Architecture and BA Architercture? Which one do you prefer?
Anonymous
Well, I know one is Bachelor of Science and one is Bachelor of Arts, but I am not positive which is more “significant”. I just researched it online and it seems that the BS requires more credentials and prepares you more for the field of architecture, while the BA is more geared towards Architectural History and teaching. (But this is all from forum reading so it may be a bit skewed.)
I personally went directly from my A.A. directly to a Master’s Degree Program and skipped over the Bachelor’s Degree completely.
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If anyone has a better answer for this question please send it to me and I will post it.
Hope this helps!
Always Save a PSD Version
Always save a psd version (with layers) of your work. You might want to go back in the future and change a few things.
I learned the hard way, now i have to re-do all my perspectives. :(
Via: flyingintotheblue
#43 Know the power of scanning your sketchbook.
As you may know, documentation of your work as you move through school is essential in capturing all of the hard work you put in everyday. This however, is not the only reason why you should scan your sketchbook.
You can make a quick, small drawing in your sketchbook, scan it into the computer, enlarge the image in Photoshop, and begin to render it directly on the computer. This is especially helpful in a time crunch, or when trying to sketch something quickly.
Try this technique and see your small sketchbook drawings really evolve and come to life. Then add your own twist to it!
#42 Master the way you speak as you would master the way you design.
We spend so much time with mastering our craft of designing and building, but when it comes to presenting or even chatting about our projects with a friend over lunch, we are not as prepared as we should be.
To be a great designer you must be able to speak well about your work. This is especially important when entering the professional field. You have to be able to speak to clients and the way you speak to them will dictate how much they believe in you to make them happy.
Communication is the key to success.
If you find yourself unconfident in the way you present, here are a few ways you can practice how to speak well:
- Watch presentations and lectures. You will subconsciously pick up on how people speak and communicate with their audience.
- Read. The more you read, the more you will pick up on sentence structure and hierarchy of information. Books are written to capture and organize an originally scattered idea.
- Talk to people about your projects. If the only time you talk about your project to someone else is during a jury, you’re doing it wrong.
- Write about your project. I’m not saying write a book, but even writing a little about your project will allow you to think in a different direction. Instead of asking “should I glue this here?” you ask “Is this what I mean to say?” There is a difference.
* I wrote this one in honor of finals month. Good luck with finals everybody!! I know its getting close!! :)
Sorry for the lack of posts!!
Hey everybody,
I know that I have not been posting as much, but I am in the middle of some really big projects right now, as I know many of you are too. I will try my best to keep posting more frequently, but don’t expect too much this month. :)
Its go time.
Good luck on your projects and finals!!
-Mark, tipsforarchitectureschool
Q:Hey, My tutor at uni said something to me the other day. "Don't use auto cad blocks, or had drawn diagrams to visual portray the uses of your rooms in plan. Any ideas what is left to use?
Anonymous
I am not sure what your tutor is asking? You can use many other methods other than AutoCad and hand drawing to show floor plans, but I am not sure if that is what you are asking.
There are many other digital programs that will allow you to translate your ideas, but here is a list of 5 widely used programs people use in architecture school.
Google SketchUp, Rhino, Revit, 3ds Max, and Photoshop.
If anyone else has more programs you think will help let me know and I will post them!
#41 Utilize Facebook to it’s full potential.
So we all have and use Facebook on what I would assume is a daily basis, but are you maxing out it’s full potential? Facebook is a superior form of communication with others and can help you organize, schedule, and collaborate with your friends and peers.
One big example of how to use Facebook to its full potential is utilizing the “Group” app. Creating groups with your classmates, for example, will allow you to share ideas, assignments, cool things you find on the internet, pictures, links, you name it!
I personally use a group for almost everything in my life right now and it is a great way to organize my information and it is available anywhere in the world where I have access to Facebook at anytime.
You can even make groups secret so none of the posts and even the group itself is completely hidden and private from everyone.
The event page is great for keeping things like Jury Dates, Final Paper Due Dates, Getting together after crits, etc. At one time, Facebook was a distraction for me, but now that I have found a way to utilize what it has to offer me on a scholastic level, it has been much more useful as a tool for success.
Be smart, be innovative, and make it your own. Take a look into all Facebook can offer you and make the best of what you find.
I guarantee if you use this idea of analyzing the things in your life and pulling the best from them, you will find yourself in a better position in everything you do.
Find the good in everything and use it to make you a stronger individual, then help others. :)
Do-it-yourself Architectural Dialog
Completely ridiculous and I love it.
