Options for Entering the Architectural Field

[Jeff Mottle]

Hi everyone.

 

I was sent an email from an acedemic couselor for student atheletes at the University of Carolina-Chapel hill who wanted to know what majors one of their students would benefit her the most. Apparently they do not have an architecure program but graduate school is an option.

 

Not being an architect, or living in the US, I thought I would pose the question to everyone here and pass along your suggestions. My only thoughts would be some sort of arts major, but I suspect anythign from Mathematics to Engineering would probably be applicable too.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Cheers,

Jef

[mbr]

I alway suggest getting a business degree and taking art/arch classes, possibly a minor (one should be able to use the minor credits to take care of general ed classes, you know, so you don't have to take advanced underwater basket weaving ;-) ! ). Art is fine, but won't help you all that much down the road. Mathematics/engineering would help a little too, but people greatly overestimate how much we use math and how much is required (I had to take calculus, but it's been dropped by a lot of schools). Just remember, anything bigger than a house and we've hired a structural engineer to do the calcs (even most decent sized homes will use them, if only for liability coverage).

 

What most architects have no knowledge of is business. It's a fundamental part of life, in any profession, and the knowledge will be applicable to anything one decides to pursue down the road (don't forget that 70% of the arch grads never get licensed). It's just good stuff to know and is rare in architecture, so if you know something it will be an asset that helps one get farther.

 

The best way, imho, is to get a undergrad professional degree (that's 5 years vs. 4 - UNC has this program, although I don't know it's quality). Then get a MBA. That way you can make money if you want, start a business with other architects and offer business skills (and get paid more), or go into architecture (although you'd be making less than 50%, depending on the calibre of the school - UCLA, where I went, grads start in architecture at about $40k or so, MBA's at about $80-90k).

 

That's my 2 cents. Go to http://www.archinect.com to hear all the other bitter/sweet tales. It's a love/hate profession, unless you come from money, marry into it, or win the lotto (I am still working on that one ;-).

 

 

Other ideas:

 

Graphic Design - you'll learn a profession, so you can always do that (they work less, generally make more than architects)

Take the time to learn 3D and web design and you'll be well prepared for grad school (if you do decide to go).

 

Personally, I love graphic design/web design/motion graphics, and a lot of the presentation skills would be very handy for architecture.

 

If you don't have it, buy Morphosis's latest book. Thom Mayne (my thesis advisor) is a great example of wonderful graphics combined with superb architecture, all presented with a unique (when it first came out) 3D flavor. He also just won the Pritzer. Great stuff. http://www.morphosis.net (site was designed by a former classmate that worked for him, and now does web design http://www.gardendigital.com).

 

Hope that helps a little.

[evanmoses]

I am currently preparing in the process of getting classes and applications and portfolios ready for architecture school, so though some of this may be helpful, it comes with the full disclaimer that almost everything I know about the industry is secondhead. First off, all the (graduate) architecture schools that I have looked at, both in Canada and the States, don't require that you have any certain kind of bachelor degree. Almost all do require, however, that you have taken at least one university-equivalent semester of calculus (sometimes two), physics and architectural theory. They also highly recommend that you have taken a freehand drawing course. But other than that, I think that technically even advanced pre-underwater basket-weaving would be okay. That said, I think that degrees that require you to think critically and creatively and to think around issues (sorry to anyone else out there, but it's my belief these are Arts or liberal arts degrees). I have to disagree with MBR and say that I don't think management (business) fits the bill. In my experience with management classes, and from the stories of friends who are doing/ have done undergraduate management degrees and MBAs, most management classes (except for things like accounting and finance, which most smart people can learn anyways) are common senses. Things such as how to communicate better, how to do powerpoints, different organizational types (hierarchical or non-hierarchical). In my obviously biased opinion, management classes are a waste of time unless you want to be a management consultant when you get out, in which case it's the degree and not the classes that count. I would personally advocate art history as it gets you acquainted with theory and critical thinking while at the same time giving you a visual vocabulary and way of seeing. I would also advocate trying to get a mix of as many different things as possible because life and architecture are like that, multidisciplinary. There's my two cents, but as a final warning, don't let her take political science. That's what I'm currently finishing and I wouldn't wish it on anybody!

 

Sorry for the long post,

 

Evan

[mbr]

99% of business is common sense. Unfortunately, 99% of the people out there don't think about it until it's all too late. That's precisely what business schools teach you - to think and solve problems. This is relevant to architecture, as ultimately we are problem solvers. Someone comes to us and says 'I need an office building', and we solve the programmatic problems.

 

evanmoses notes that many grad schools don't require an architecture under grad. That is true in most cases. There are MArch I's (first professional degree) and MArch II's (2nd professional degree). The common difference is the time spent in grad school.

 

I have a Bachelor's from UF in architecture, a minor in business from UF, and a Master's in Arch from UCLA. UF was a 4 year degree, so it's not a professional degree. This means you need to go to grad school to become licensed. I was granted advanced standing, though, so I essentially came in with about 30-40 less classes than the other MArch I's (UF is a superb undergrad school for architecture, not to mention a blast!).

 

I left the profession of architecture, in the traditional career path, to do the arch viz. This was simply because it pays more and allows more freedom. Almost half of my classmates from UCLA are pursuing other professions for similar reasons. Business experience and knowledge is essential to forming your own business and is very helpful in all monetary aspects of life.

 

I should note, I would not change a thing about my education. I was able to take graphic design classes, business classes, art classes, web design, motion graphics, etc., etc., and utilize all of those skills in architecture.

 

I think people don't realize the significance of turning the common sense into second nature. It's always easy to see things once they pass you, but to take advantage of them as they happen requires knowledge. I am not saying you have to love it, but understand how the economy works and you'll do better in your career, esp. architecture that is essentially run by how well the economy is doing.

 

Again, my 2 cents, but that's what I've learned and so far it's paying off.

[Ernest Burden III]

Business and art.

 

I recently shared a chairlift (otherwise too busy to snowboard this year) with a guy who's son was in college and wanted to be an architect, said the son loved art. But he was a business major. I told the father that his son would be on a god footing for architecture if he first learned business, and could draw.

[William Alexander]

No arch program

 

Fine Arts: Basic Drawing and painting classes. Focus very heavily on sculpture, jewelery & Metal Smithing, Furniture Building... real world tangibles, they are the 'bridge' from Art to Architecture.

 

Minor or at least take basic business principles, accounting and marketing classes. For very obvious reasons. Maybe toss in some criminal justice and law classes- you will be dealing with both in the field as an Architect LOL

 

My ten cents

WDA

[mbr]

Yeah, they not only disregard educating us about the business side, they neglect to tell us that we need outrageous insurance and have to hire lawyers for much of the bs (that's with any biz, I suppose).

 

I could have used a class on contract law. I know when I go to teach I'll make sure to incorporate all of this in the design process.

[Spidey]

Hi Jeff,

Not sure if this is relevant to your original question, but since I live in the Triangle area in North Carolina, I thought I would chime in. Of all the major colleges in this area, NC State is the only one that offers a full Architectural program. I'm not sure of the requirements in other states, but here, it is required that you obtain a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture, then a fifth year in a Bachelor of Architecture program or a two-year Master of Architecture program to be licensed. In addition to THAT, you are required to have 5 straight years of design studio classes. This is what dashed my hopes, I wanted to transfer from a 2 yr college into the architectural program, but, I just cant handle that much!

[Ernest Burden III]

Yeah, they not only disregard educating us about the business side, they neglect to tell us that we need outrageous insurance and have to hire lawyers for much of the bs (that's with any biz, I suppose).

 

I could have used a class on contract law. I know when I go to teach I'll make sure to incorporate all of this in the design process.

 

What a great idea!

 

When students get a design project they must also justify a budget (from a supplied list of costs to make it easier) perhaps show some management of the budget AND each student may get 'sued' by several other students for failed (or percieved failed) aspects of their proposal, and have to answer the suits.

 

I like it! Yoggi's profound "it ain't over 'till the fat lady sings" becomes 'it ain't over 'till the lawyers go home'. Now THERE'S an education!

[Christopher Nichols]

Well Fine Art for sure... That is always a good one. Art History too, I would say that is very important. But forget business, unless you really love business. I think you guys may be a little jaded. Let the person have some fun. I bet that most of you own your own business and wish you had taken a business class or two. I tell you what all you learn to do in business school is do powerpoint presentations and use terms like "thinking outside the box." OK... I'm beeing a little synical. Not all architects end up owning their own business right away... the most important part of going to school not learning, but learning HOW to learn. I would say, that if that is the case, learn stuff that you enjoy.

 

Myself, I did a double major in art/art history and math.

 

... then I did archtecture for my masters