EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 2

E XC L U S IVE F EAT U RE Top 5 reasons to be an architect 1. You can be your own boss 2. Personal expression and artistic freedom 3. Job is rapidly and constantly evolving You can be your own ﬁrm of one and still be a viable service provider on almost any project. You can enter contests and win commissions for major projects by yourself. Think Foster and Partners by Sir Norman Foster, a highly renowned British architect whose famous works include “the Gherkin” in London and Hearst Tower in New York City. You are given certain project parameters that help guide the direction of your projects. You are then given the freedom to pursue the artistic embodiment of those parameters. Ten architects with the same client and the same project parameters will provide ten different solutions. Every time. With that amount of freedom and expression, you could unleash the inner you for the entire world to see. Architects are scientiﬁc artists – you have to address building technology and programming. Materials and construction methods are constantly evolving out there and you are required to address the demands of the public at large (building performance, energy consumption, incorporating recycled materials, etc.). Architects create new design concepts that push how modern-day construction is executed; it is never static. 4. Most people dig architects! 5. It is not a job; it is a lifestyle Even if they don’t really understand what you do, there is a perception that architects are ethical and responsible and will endeavour to make the right decision to their own detriment. It is partly why some title characters in movie and TV roles choose ‘architect’ as a vocation. Architects are not generally viewed as driven by ﬁnancial rewards like doctors or as scurrilous as lawyers (can be). Architects typically tend to think about architecture all the time. Not just the big ‘A’ type of buildings or projects, but also every little thing from everywhere you go. Try going somewhere and start looking at materials, form, massing, lighting, etc. If you take a trip somewhere, chances are you’re going to start by planning it around the buildings you want to visit. Does that not sound like what a true architect would do? All in all, getting a head start towards your dream matters. But don’t get discouraged if you are lacking in experience. There are plenty of ways to be admitted to an architecture school. Follow the guide given. And if you could consult with an admissions counsellor, do so. Check out some of the top colleges and universities that offer architecture? Check out http://bit.ly/ArchitectureCourses Some Fun Facts Things you won’t learn in ANY architecture school: • No matter how highly you may think of yourself, you may still be a minion in the eyes of others who hold more power and talent than you. • The rush and exhilaration you experience in the studio may be contrary to how much you will enjoy working for a ﬁrm. • Being smart and having advanced degrees can make you a better designer. • Get the biggest monitor you can while you work on a project. • Understand how your ofﬁce is run as a business and how they go after projects. • In proportion to their pay, architects require the most education, most training, and the most exams to become licensed professionals. • Do not take design strategies or operations learned in the studio too seriously. • Architects who do not build things also have important things to say and should be listened to. • When trying to decide if an architecture theory book is good, check the bibliography ﬁrst. • If you already have a B.Arch, consider further education in a different ﬁeld. Your M.Arch. can’t make a real contribution to the ﬁeld if you’re just showing off software skills. • Always back up your hard drive. • When the economy is good architects can rely on experience to run ﬁrms, but when the economy is bad they need advanced business skills they may not possess. easyuni Guide 2013 Issue 2 47

EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 2 | Page 49