It’s better than Christmas morning, seeing your favorite team win, any drug, night swim… Just sitting down on your desk, starting to do some work, carried away in your music, you notice you start sketching some great ideas and writing some great things, that will make your design special and the best thing is that you cannot stop.
You put the volume to max, start tapping your feet, smiling to yourself, getting up jumping, dancing, singing…it feels good, doesn’t it?!
Attending architecture schools is an unexpected challenge for many students. If you want to become an architect, prepare yourself for how grueling an architecture degree really is. Especially at top architecture schools, studio courses are a rite of passage and a lot of students drop out. For those that make it through, completing a degree in architecture is well worth it. Here are a few ways to cope.
Instructions Difficulty: Challenging
1. Be prepared to spend a good portion of your waking hours in the studio. You have to accept upfront that you are not going to have the ‘typical’ college experience of partying and hanging around the dorm. That said, you are trading it for something that is potentially even more rewarding. Studio work in architecture schools is often engaging and interesting, and you’ll form lifelong bonds with your classmates. But if you absolutely cannot be deprived of the opportunity to perfect your keg stand technique, maybe you need to reconsider your major.
2. Learn to manage your time. Many students don’t grasp this concept until too late, but some learn to treat their architecture courses like a job. Plan to be there at the same time every morning and work consistently. Make a schedule to assure you will complete all the requirements of the project in time for your critique. Keep lists on a daily basis of the items you must accomplish, but be realistic. If you follow this advice, you will avoid the extremely late nights that make architecture schools infamous. You will also avoid the stress involved with rushing to complete your project just in time for a deadline.
3. Set aside some time for yourself. Obviously deadlines are an exception, but try to set aside at least one evening a week to have some fun, and also allow yourself to catch up on some sleep. Take a little time occasionally to go on a walk, do yoga, or get some other form of exercise on a daily basis. You spend a lot of hours sitting in architecture school, so a little physical activity is important.
4. Spend time in your school library flipping through architectural publications. Designing can be intimidating even for an experienced architect, but remember, it’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel. Studying precedents is a great way to learn what works and what doesn’t and how you can apply this knowledge to your own projects.
5. Don’t neglect your other classes. It’s easy to get sucked into the world of architecture studio, but remember you’re getting grades for all those other required credits, too. Think of these other classes as a break from studio. Architectural schools can be very focused, but the best architects are knowledgeable about other subjects as well.
via eHow.com
+ some tips I’ve left a while back - 10 ways to make your life easier
Anonymous
I’ve first started with AutoCAD Architecture. First only 2D, but that turned out to be too much of a “long walk” process. Then went to AutoCAD 3D, it was nice, but I was never satisfied with the renderings. And I didn’t know how to use 3ds Max. Then I’ve discovered ArchiCAD and it turned out great. Fast work, fast renders, but you don’t have the freedom. I am convinced that Revit is based on ArchiCAD. And if you are using Revit, you know of the problem of creating curved surfaces and sort of sci architecture.
Then I’ve tried Revit and it was nice, but I’ve figured out that is more for a big team collaboration.
But then I’ve met Rhino. And it’s great. It has many plugins that ease your work, like Grasshopper, Armadillo, T-Splines etc. For creating floorplans, sections, elevations, I use the VisualARQ plug in. It add architectural futures, like walls, columns, beams, slabs, roofs, much like Revit. I get the stuff I need and then transfer them in AutoCAD to do some “makeup” on them, before plotting.
On the rendering engines - It supports Vray 1.5 (2.0 will come with Rhino5), Brazil (great quality, as Vray) and many more.
For construction details and some other line based drawings, I still use AutoCAD.
I’ve used 3ds Max + AutoCAD Architecture at one point, but It was time consuming.
And always use Photoshop for some other form of representation, or to add your final touches on your presentation.
My opinion on AutoCAD is that it’s great, but it will be relapsed by the BIM software like Revit, ArchiCAD and many others.
HOW TO GET IDEAS
Anonymous
Hey meanwhilesghost, good question,
Yep, I am an architect with a modest practice. Off the top of my head here’s a list of some of my likes and dislikes when receiving work applications:
That’s all I have for now….If I think of any others I’ll add them later.
Cheers.
Great tips on a good job hunts
If Architects designed highways, they would be straight, scenic, and would take you somewhat close to your destination. I mean, you’d arrive where you probably should be, even though it might not be where you thought you wanted to go. Ah, but the view….
If Architects designed cruise ships they would be sleek, and dynamic, and inspire awe as they drifted aimlessly ashore into the rocks.
If Architects taught kindergarten kids, Kindergarten kids would be more sullen.
If Architects ran the National Parks, geysers would be more predictable, and bears would probably die.
If Architects designed artificial limbs, they would only be available in pairs, regardless of the needs of the patient.
If Architects liked birds, birds would be considered more cool.
If Architects dug holes, the holes would be perfectly square, and filled with concrete. The concrete would be polished to a fine luster. Architects would get upset if you told them they look like tombstones.
If Architects were given stars on Hollywood Blvd., they would want to use a straight edge when they write their name, and they wouldn’t want to put their hands in the wet concrete.
If Architects were to solve global warming, it would be surprising, and strikingly elegant.
If Architects made cookies, they would be perfectly round, appealing in texture and color, and inedible.
If Architects took vacations in the south of France, they’d keep business cards in the mesh pocket inside their swim trunks.
If Architects flew airplanes, the windows would be operable, and the top would be glazed and retractable. The seats would be made of 90% recycled materials. The barf bags would be the same.
If Architects helped you move into your new house, they would leave half of your furniture in the truck, and stubbornly refuse to “release” it.
If Architects reworked the tax code, there would be incentives for minimalism, however, the forms would be more complicated.
If Architects started wars, they would stick with them until they forgot why they were fighting, then they would blame their Structural Engineer.
If Architects ran the federal reserve, a small hole would appear in the fabric of time, all of the coins under our couch cushions would slip into this hole. Seven hours later Carl Sagan would come back to life and instantly suffer an aneurysm.
If Architects wrote blogs, they would….
.
Alright, back to work!!
via coffeewithanarchitect.com
Construction diagrams for those exploded houses I posted the other day. This is super cool.
(via archidose)
ARCHIMESS IS ON FACEBOOK NOW - LIKE THE PAGE
- Firstly, I’d like to welcome all my new followers. Since the Gathering the Architecture Community post came out, I’ve gain so many followers and I’d like to say am very thankful for you all. I can’t browse through all your blogs right now, but I will, just to show my appreciation.
I’m also glad that some of my tumblr pips also got many new supporters. This actually worked. “Architects supporting each other”.
I figured out, in a couple of days, if that picture goes 1000+ notes, to gather all the reblogs (because I can’t know if the “likes” are actually architects, or just someone that liked the picture) and add a page on my blog where all of you will be gathered, so that there will be a list for the newbies, to get to know the architecture people and blogs.
- My second note on the agenda is the Facebook Page I’ve made. I though I could use a facebook page, so that other people, that are not on Tumblr, can see the posts, talk to each other, intecarct and also I would like to make some diversity and share some inspirational stuff form the pages I follow on Facebook.
So, people, LIKE THE ARCHIMESS PAGE and SHARE IT with your friends. Thank you and cheers
(via archimess)
Behind the STARCHITECT
Really Angie?? You are thinking of quitting just for the stupid monochromatic class. Come on … buckle up and do some fucked up art, or steal something form the internet :). It’s a 2h a week work, max, nothing more.
The mechanical drawing class … well that’s a little bit more serious. You have to get serious and learn how to draw. Architecture is not about - if you can draw a pretty picture, lets leave that to the painters. In architecture drawing is a technique. And every technique can be learned. Good drafting doesn’t make a good architect. It just makes a good drafter. Good architect is the one that can “see” a great idea in his mind. Putting the idea on paper is the technique that needs to be learned. The greatest architectural drawings I’ve seen are nothing more than a few continuous lines that capture the facts of the idea.
Mechanical/technical drawing or drafting, is what you will do all your life and in our profession is called “architectural drawing” and this is a must! It will be your tool of expressing your ideas.
So, you need to get serious for a moment and start working hard, get some help if you need, just don’t quit because of this. If you truly love architecture.
I’ve failed “History of Architecture - Old century”, TWICE and that never stopped me. Even though, I’ve passed all my architecture, design, engineering … and any kind of subject you can think of, the department still fails me on this subject, but, the hell with them, who are they to step on my dreams :))
Cheers
