Anyone into architecture/ studying it?

[Lukasss]

I'm currently a student at my local university, and I am about 10 credits away from entering the Nursing program at my school.

The further it goes on the more I know, financially, this could be a good route for the future, since health care jobs are always going to be around etc etc.
But lately, I have been loosing interest in it significantly.

But, topic in question; My passion is art, and I also really enjoy different kind of creations, architecture, buildings, homes, really just about anything.

I'm really big on the whole modern and contemporary look.
I've taken some basic drafting classes but thats really about it.

I was really just wondering what good routes there are to go to have a successful career in this field ( mainly some good pointers to help me out)

Really, just any good general advice you'd like to share about architecture or design!

[killer240]

BUMP i need this too

im taking basic classes right now, as soon as im done i can get in an agency in San Diego.

its really cool, i like what im learning everyday.

[w0nderbr3ad]

From what I hear its a lot of mathematics and not so much art. However I imagine you can exercise your artistic license into it. My cousin is taking up some architecture classes, but so far its been a tough road.

[ZilviaKid]

i get all my architecture needs from playing minecraft

[weirdchris555]

I am a civil engineer student almost done. My brother wanted to be an architect, but as mentioned there is a lot of math. More than you would think. So instead digital arts was his choice. I just read an article though that architects are not in high demand.

Sent from my SCH-I405 using Tapatalk

[HalveBlue]

So you want to be an architect, eh?

Let me give you some advice...

DON'T DO IT!!!

You know that wonderful recession which we're currently dealing with? Yeah, that started out as a real estate bubble.

As a result, half of all registered architects are unemployed. That's right, 50% unemployment!

And that's just registered architects.

Before you can register yourself as an architect you have to spend at least 5 years at an accredited school (You'll need at least a B.Arch; 4-year degrees in architecture are worthless), then you're looking at another 3-5 interning (sometimes without getting paid) before you can sit for the exams. After getting licensed you can officially call yourself an architect and open up your own firm.

Of course, what good is owning your own firm, when you don't have any clients or contracts? You'll be competing with the big firms (the 20% of companies that get 80% of the work) as well as all the 50% of unemployed architects who already have practical work experience.

That's assuming you'll make it through architecture school. Plan on spending at least 2 all-nighters a week in the studio working on your designs.

But just because you spend a lot of time on your designs don't think you'll have something that will garner praise and reward. Instead, expect to get vague design parameters from your professor, then work your ass off designing something you think meets these requirements, all to have your design completely ridiculed and shit on during review time because it didn't meet your professor's preferred esoteric design philosophy.

On the upside, architecture isn't THAT math intensive. Architects tend to concentrate on the pretty pictures and models, leaving most of the math to the engineers (which will happily take a generous percentage of your commission checking your work to make sure your building doesn't fall apart and kill somebody).

Even if you're a gifted designer you still have to deal with the clients, which tend to be more concerned with their bottom line than your glorious expression of architectural genius.

If all this hasn't discouraged you and you want more information check out the forums at Archinect.com (http://archinect.com/)

Good Luck!

[Quail]

^ This man is absolutely 100% on the money.

I have a BA Honours degree in Architecture. To be a qualified architect, I'd need to do another 4 years of study (atleast). Afterwards, I'd be on the same or less salary that I'm on now, with much fewer job prospects.

Although in Uni we mostly focused on design, history, and construction theory, in the real world an architectural career consists of 5% design, 95% bureaucracy and paperwork. Architecture has one of the highest job dissatisfaction rates in the world.

I'm very glad I didn't persue it further after my degree. University was also hell (whilst everyone was out partying, we were spending a fortune on pens and modelling materials, and doing regular allnighters on CAD (which actually killed my eyes, so I now wear glasses).

But just because you spend a lot of time on your designs don't think you'll have something that will garner praise and reward. Instead, expect to get vague design parameters from your professor, then work your ass off designing something you think meets these requirements, all to have your design completely ridiculed and shit on during review time because it didn't meet your professor's preferred esoteric design philosophy.

This is so painfully true. Architecture, being so subjective, means that after months of working on a project, if your review tutor doesn't like your design, you're fucked.

[hotrodjoseph]

^Iv heard that from a lot of people I know that are in architecture. I applied for architecture out of high school bc just like the OP I was really good at art and like the design aspect. I was able to get accepted, but I was convinced that it would be too much work/hard (a lot of math and physics). Instead I'm in Urban and Regional Planning program (second year), so far its been ok (not a heavy workload). There is a big design aspect in this program, designing city areas, parks and communities.. so if anyone is looking for something along the lines of architecture this is a pretty good alternative.

[fliprayzin240sx]

First thing that popped in my head when i saw this thread...
http://www.how-i-met-your-mother.nl/wp-content/gallery/wallpapers/tv_how_i_met_your_mother08.jpg

[initial_jc]

Don't do it, there isn't very many jobs. And you will never get to build any of the dumbs hit they make you design in class.

[Silverbullet]

First thing that popped in my head when i saw this thread...
http://www.how-i-met-your-mother.nl/wp-content/gallery/wallpapers/tv_how_i_met_your_mother08.jpg

Don't do it, there isn't very many jobs. And you will never get to build any of the dumbs hit they make you design in class.


I have a friend also who said the exact same thing as the OP. He was into art and wanted to express it into buildings designs. There are very little demand for architechs these days.

I highly recommend a Civil Engineering degree. It is the closest to Architecture and they actually do things and get paid.

[Nissansota240]

If you get you Architectural Technician Degree you can design single and two family homes if that's what you would be interested in. Actually you can do pretty much everything that the Architect does and really just need the Architects signature to issue plan sets. There are plenty of guys in are office that do everything from design ideas to completing construction documents with very minimal involvement of the Architect. Plus that would only take a two year degree.

[TheWolf]

I am about 10 credits away from entering the Nursing program at my school.


I'm about 8 weeks from my graduation from nursing school. My advice.

You don't goto nursing school because "it sounds nice". You go there because you want to be a nurse. It's quite a physically demanding job. Don't go into it for job security. There is quite an overabundance of nurses in florida. That whole nurses are in short supply thing is bogus unless your willing to relocate. The only move worse than going into nursing school half hearted though is going into architecture. That's for people who wanted to be civies but sucked at math. Yes they're all unemployed. Be a civ engineer or don't bother with all that jazz.

[Lukasss]

This thread isnt that old, but there have been some definite changes in what im going into.
I finished getting my AA in medical science and am now attending a program this fall at SCAD in GA to get my masters in anatomical/medical illustration.

Seems sort of weird to some people, but it fits what i love into a pretty big ball.
Ill be designing, ilutrating, increasingly computer stuff, but they need people with a keen sense of the subject matter as a computer cant make certain things a surgeon would want diagramed. ie new or more efficient ways to come about conducting a particular surgery or procedure.
Ill medical journals published use them. Text books, magazines, video games, movies, etc etc.
Mainly going for this because its what i love.
Call me stupid but i dont want to be one of those people stuck in a box the rest of their lives.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Honestly, since you're already in medical field...you thought about being a Pharmacist?

[Lukasss]

I have actually, but I'm really not into jobs like that. A few of my parents friends are pharmacist and its really not for me, on the phone and comp all day isn't really my thing

[dawnattack]

come to California as a nurse...there is a hiring freeze but there are positions as long as you know people from the inside...