Architecture!!! (3 Viewers)

[Pierotte]

Ok here is a thread for everything architecture related

current students and future students post your thoughts about EVERYTHING regarding architecture

im so confused as to what uni i want to go to, if i want to do straight architecture or maybe something along the lines of town planning

so many thoughts, so many decisions

i just need some small pointers, some other people opinions to help my perspective on this matter.

Cheers.

 

[Pierotte]

oh come on... 21 views, no comment or questions?

you must all be REALLY passionate

 

[cigazze]

i was looking at architecture too, actually, so i had a look at what unis offer... seems to be the two best are at UTS and Sydney, but what's new?

as far as i can make out (im younger than u, so im not sure my opinion's that weighty), UTS is internally recognised as the best UNI for design-related stuff (it also offers a really good Interior Design course), but i think Sydney carries more prestige

i rekon it comes down to whether you're sure you'll stick with it for life or not...

 

[cyko]

UTS HERE I COME!

LOL ... B Arts In Arch ... then B Arch ..

So whos coming along with me?

 

[axie]

I'm a third year architecture student, the only advice I have for first years is ... NoDoze is your best friend.

Seriously though, do some solid research on what architects actually do these days. If you have visions of designing the next Fallingwater or Magney House then you may be a little disappointed. Unfortunately quite a few architecture grads are no more than CAD monkeys, as shown by the small percentage that actually bothers to do the exams to become a registered Architect. My advice is to really think hard about your choice and get out there and talk to a few architects. Whatever you do, don't mention money though ... you'll never hear the end of it.

Sorry to be so harsh, there are plenty of positives about the degrees. I've really enjoyed the last couple of years, but I have severe doubts about my future in the profession. Post grad law sounds pretty good at the moment.

 

[Pierotte]

interesting.

cigazze of course your comments hold weight.

so UTS is more recognised that usyd??

i always thought usyd had the more design oriented arch course out of the 4 nsw unis,
i saw UNSW as having the most diverse course,
and Newy as having the highest postgrad employment rate.
UTS didnt factor into the equation in the least.
I guess ill give it another look.

Cyko: what drew you to UTS in the end?

Axie: im kindof crushed by ur comment, but appreciate ur brutal honesty!

i never really had any HUGE dreams about what architecture would entail.
I simply saw it as a client tells an architect what they want, and the architect brings the clients vision to live.
i mean thats a rather reasonable attitude wouldnt u say?
please dont tell me architecture is even less than that!

i seriously thought architecture to be a steady proffesion, with a much higher need for architects than for jobs with anything to do with law.

i ditched my whole media/advertising idea as i thought there was no real demand for that and the industry was way to cut throat and competitive.
i was hoping that wouldnt be the case with architecture.
damn.
Where did u get your ideas from? please say from a poor and biased source.

btw what uni are u currently studying at, and why did u make that choice

(hahah yeah alot of questions, but i know this thread will help others besides me, so please answer them all, thnx in advance)

 

[Ye Olde St Nick]

Pierot, you'll always be the architect of my heart.




I should go to sleep.

 

[axie]

Pierotte:

You are correct, an client will give the architect a brief and from there they create the design. However, what normally happens is that the firm is given the brief, the senior architect / partners will come up with a conceptual design then architecture grads (many are not architects) will then evolve that conceptual design into a functional schematic design. Once this is complete and the client / local govt is satisfied, the building is developed further until it reaches the construction drawing stage, which then has to processed by the local govt and finally built. In smaller firms you will be involved in the whole process, in the larger firms you'll specialise in certain areas like construction methods or even presentations for DA's. This is where the CAD monkey comment comes in as quite a few architecture grads are involved in drawing up the designs and have very little, if any involvement in the design process. Predominately architects will be working on larger scale buildings as only three percent of new houses have been designed by an architect.

After several months of consideration I finally selected Newcastle for my degree. I had the opportunity to speak with a few of the guys who oversee the statewide 5th year crit panel, including Glenn Murrcutt, Richard Leplastrier and at a later date I met up with Peter Stuchbury (through chance). All three stated that they believe the most employable students at the moment are coming out of Newcastle as the focus is more on design than at any other school from day one and the use of the Problem Based Learning system.

Newcastle has several flaws, while the use of computers is accepted from second year and above (like most unis) the teaching of CAD is very second rate. Unlike other schools, we spend only two semesters learning how to use a CAD package (Archicad), the rest is to be learned through experience (Problem Based Learning). While this doesn't bother me as I have a background in 3D animation and some drafting experience, many other students are struggling to complete relatively simple designs on the computer for the first few years. Honestly, at times I get the feeling that if the RAIA didn't stipulate that students must have a certain level of proficiency in CAD prior to graduating then Newcastle would scrap the IT units (all two of them) from the course. Of course, the up side of this is compared to friends (all of us have a high GPA) who are studying at UNSW, UTS and several Queensland unis, I have a greater understanding of construction principles, designed larger scale projects from an earlier stage and my knowledge of environmental control systems is slightly more in-depth as well. They all have learnt more in regards to CAD and historical precedents.

Employment for architectural grads is quite good at the moment, but this obviously can change if the building market continues to dry up in the next few years. I've heard stories of just how competitive architecture jobs can become at different times, hell even the guys who created Troppo Architects in the Northern Territory spent several years without a paying client earlier in their careers. When a recession hits the building industry normally suffers the worst and, unfortunately, architects will always be the first to go.

Grads from Australian unis are sought after in other parts of the world, I have friends (recent grads) who are currently working on major scale projects in Beijing, Dubai and Germany at the moment who have risen to senior positions much quicker than their counterparts.

One last thing, builders, engineers, clients and government officials all hate architects with a passion, it's the downside of working in an industry full of artsy arrogant egomaniacs.

 

[The_highwayman]

Go for town planning pierotte! Good luck with ur decision in any case!

 

[Timmay]

pssh, architecture, do civil engineering

 

[Pierotte]

Thnx Axie. !

Alot of usefull info in that post.
Finally someone who tells it like it is! without bias, and with reserached, established and relevant information!

seriously u have no idea how greatfull i am for that post.

but unfortunately the more i know the more confused i become. ha!

three percent? Sheesh.
If thats the case civil engineering is infact looking like a smarter option.
3? wow... i always figured it was closer to 50, then again i had no credible reason to think this.

I doubt id continue living in Aus if i did architecture.
As sad as that makes me i realised there to be no real future in it here.
Im planning on learning a language at uni, maybe german or ill pick up japanese again. (yeah, im going to have no life...)
Ill see what language compliemnts the course better, whats better for the future, and hopefully where it would be best for me to spend a semester or two.
And if its a nice fit, and the opportunity arises i guess thats where ill be off to.

So with all the risks and uncertainties about being a future architect why are you still doing it?
If you had your chance again would u steer clear?
Would u advise future students to stay away? Save them selves the hassle?
I know i can count on you to be blunt. So yeah, dish me out some brutal honesty baby! Even if its what i dont want to hear.

Well well well... a lot to process.

That being said i still have many romantic notions about being an architect that just wont die...

 

[axie]

Unfortunately, like most countries, the vast majority of new houses built in Australia are off-the-shelf project homes. The sheer volume of houses produced by these companies result in a house that can be produced for about $500 per square metre, while most architecturally designed houses are in excess of $1500 with the top architects like Murcutt coming in closer to $3500. In the last few years the RAIA has had a victory with the government and there's now legislation which states that all buildings over two stories tall must be designed by architects. This won't change the current housing situation, but it will stop the larger project home companies from getting into the lucrative medium to high-density markets. As I stated previously, the residential markets in most countries are very similar to this, most of the work in architecture is in larger scale projects. There is still a lot of work in architecture, just not so much in the housing market.

>> So with all the risks and uncertainties about being a future architect why are >> you still doing it?
>> If you had your chance again would u steer clear?


The risks and uncertainties in architecture and no worse than in every other profession. There's very little chance that once I graduate that I won't be able to find a good job in the industry.

If I had my time over again I would most likely not to architecture, but I think this is more to do with me realising I would be more suited law than architecture then not enjoying my studies. In fact, while there has been a shitload of work which results in MANY sleepless nights, I've enjoyed every minute of the course. Just don't ask me if I'm enjoying myself the night before a major submission. Chances are I'll kill, cook your body and feed it to whatever bastard made the assignment.

>> Would u advise future students to stay away? Save them selves the hassle?

I certainly wouldn't advise future students to stay away from architecture, people should make their own decisions, but to do that they must hear both sides of the argument. Unfortunately everyone I spoke to about architecture prior to commencing my degree were extremely positive about their experiences, I guess this was since they were all right at the top of their game, I didn't speak to those people in the trenches. It wasn't until this year when I had some more exposure to real architecture grads that I discovered that there are unsettling aspects of the career. The main gripes I am hearing is the lack of pay for the hours worked, but, once again, you can hear these grumbling in many industries. I've heard a few architects ramble on about the profession being "soul destroying" but, I think most of the time it's just their ego's starting to realise that they will never be the next Frank Lloyd Wright ...

Ahhh, I'm rambling a bit again, but I'm too freaking tired to read of this stuff ... Pierotte, if you wish add me on msn if you want to chat some more.

Finally, I'd just like to add that ARCHITECTURE IS NOT FINE ART! So many people dropped out in the first semester when they realised they would have to do more than drawing pretty buildings ... Construction? Can't I just get the engineers do all of that stuff?!

 

[mikki16]

lol ive been reading all of this. Thanks Axie. its nice to get a look at the industry... from the inside. But i wont venture to say that it is 'unbiased' because that is a load of BULL. lol, any one who studied 'telling the truth' in Advanced English this year would agree. Every representation is biased (including my own.)

It concerns me to here your opinion of architecture of course... i mean, you say all you heard before you started uni were good accounts... while all i hear are bad ones!!! however, i have only asked my uncles (who are builders and work in contruction) and my father (an electrical ENGINEER) and all of his fellow engineer friends... none of them think i can complete the course... i suppose perhaps it has something to do with me being a girl. I got a uai of 94.35, but im not the brightest or most academic button and i had to work like a zombie on speed to get that mark.... so im wondering... would i find an architecture course at syd uni too hard?

also, i did general maths (but im doing a bridging course soon to compensate.) will i, after doing this course, still be disadvantaged??

*dying for a quick response* .... be honest... but dont be too brutal

 

[mikki16]

also... do you have to be really aggressive/assertive in the industry? Everyone tells me that im too shy/nice.... *grumbles*

 

[axie]

It concerns me to here your opinion of architecture of course... i mean, you say all you heard before you started uni were good accounts... while all i hear are bad ones!!! however, i have only asked my uncles (who are builders and work in contruction) and my father (an electrical ENGINEER) and all of his fellow engineer friends... none of them think i can complete the course... i suppose perhaps it has something to do with me being a girl. I got a uai of 94.35, but im not the brightest or most academic button and i had to work like a zombie on speed to get that mark....

so im wondering... would i find an architecture course at syd uni too hard?

There's a surprisingly high number of female architects, I'd say about 45% of my year are girls. However like most industries it's still a bit of a boys club at the top, but females like Zaha Hadid and others are more than giving the boys a run for their money. Don't let people tell you shouldn't do architecture 'cause your a chick ...

I have a few friends who scored poorly UAI wise, but are absolutely kicking arse in architecture. Really, it comes down to how hard you are willing to work as long as you have above average intelligence, which, based on your UAI, you certainly have.

There's not that much in the way of advanced maths required to study architecture so I wouldn't worry about that. As long as you have the basic ability to add up some measurements, or use a simple table to work out structural loads you won't have any problems.

 

[mikki16]

thanks again axie. *still freakin out a little* lol... im really excited about starting this new course but at the same time wetting my pants haha.

Its nice to hear your views again (and to be complemented on top of that ^___^ ) but yeah... i suppose of course i wont know if im cut out for it until i at least try first year... I HATE WAITING! ITS SO BLOODY FRUSTRATING! anyway one last question.

What thingies do i need for first year? i know each uni would be slightly different and you are going to Newwy... but i heard from someone that it would be roughly $800 for text books and other 'materials' - which i guessed to be model making equipment... quick drying glue.. cardboard etc etc. $___$ sooo pricey. i like my aunts comment about university: "you'll be dirt poor but you'll be enriched." My question really is, axie, will i need to invest in any software throughout uni? should i start saving now? man.. i dont even have a car yet... bleuh.

what did you have to buy exactly in your first few years?

 

[axie]

Textbooks ... well, so far I have purchased a whole two books, I bought one on the first day about architectural drawing which I think I looked at twice, and one last year that was a collection of tossers ranting on about architectural theory which to me is the most boring thing in the world. We have been encouraged to spend our money on books relevant to our projects, such as small buildings in first year, houses in second and so on. I can't really comment on what you'll need for other unis, but I would recommend you purchase some good, relevant books on contemporary architecture to assist your design projects. Also, start buying good architecture mags such as AR, Houses, AA and Detail (mostly German, but you'll learn more from the drawings that the rest of the mags combined). Architext is a good place to start when looking for books and harder to find magazines.

Since most unis won't let you touch a computer for your design projects for at least the first year, you will need a drawing table. The best are ones that come equipped with some form of drawing machine that allows you to rotate and slide the rulers around the board. These are quite large (you want at least a A1 sized board, A0 is perfect) and can be expensive at times. The alternative is a desk mounted parrel ruler board that you can find at most art stores. You should be able to find several of these for sale on notice boards at uni. The cheapest alternative is to use an A1 sized piece of plywood with a standard T-Square, but there's no way I'd recommend this method.

You will also need a couple of clutch pencils (2mm leads, not the ultra thin pieces of crap) with a few leads of different hardness’s ($20), a set of ink pens such as a Rotring Drafting Set ($90) a good ruler with the underside cut away at the edges so there's a gap between the edges and the paper for avoid "bleeding" when using ink, plus the normal art stuff like erasers, eraser shields, 30/45 rulers, masking tape etc. If your like me and would rather use a mouse than a pencil and a ruler, most of this stuff will just collect dust after the first year. But it's all pretty much essential for that first year.

Finally you will need some model making equipment sometime in your first year. A good craft mat (A2 sized is perfect) is essential, but look around at reject shops and stuff like that for the cheapest one you can find. There's bugger all difference between a $70 mat and the $15 version of the same size. You will also need a good metal ruler with rubber stoppers to stop it slipping, I recommend one with a handle of some sort as it will save you from cutting your fucking fingers off. I bought one in first year for $60 and I'm yet to cut myself, everyone else I know had at least one "slip" before buying one with a handle. If you don't get a good ruler I would recommend going out and buying $50 worth of bandaids. You'll also need little tools like Balsa Strippers ($25) and Planers ($20), a balsa saw and other little tools that WILL save you several hours at times. Don’t worry about all these stuff for now, you’ll get a good list of what your school recommends in the first week or two.

good luck~

 

[mikki16]

*bursts out laughing* wow you've put alot of work into these replies havent you?! i mean, i dont even know what some of that stuff is! Thanks a heap. i owe you big time.. now wait a moment while i fax you some chocolate

ok. i dont cherish the prospect of showing my parents this list that will come out.

 

[Pierotte]

ok.

one question.

a simple question.

WHAT UNI SHOULD I GO TO!?

thats all.

 

[bonniejjj]

Is anyone else studying architecture at the University of Queensland next year??
Thats where I'm going, and looking forward to it!! My Opa (Grandfather) was a draughtsman before he retired and is giving me all his technical drawing equipment. Unfortunately he sold his drawing board about 10 years ago... but he gave me $100 towards buying one. I've been working hard and saving for Uni, but that extra assistance sure goes a long way.
Reading everyones messages has been really quite helpful and insightful... especially Axie, advice from a current Architecture student is just wonderful.
Mikki- You just need to have faith in yourself! From what you've posted you obviously have the neccessary drive and talent, confidence is all thats lacking.
Pierotte- Love the name. Love the sad clown. No idea where you should study because I don't know enough about the Sydney Universities... although if you're going to Brisbane (which it doesn't sound like you are) UQ of course!