Tips for Architecture School

#95 PHOTOGRAPHY IS CRUCIAL

You spend MOST of your time designing, brainstorming, creating models, drawings, and of course the occasional coffee break, but then it is time to present your ideas to your peers and Jury Judges and you have to put everything you have thought about into a simple format for everyone to understand. While Graphics are crucial to explaining your design, and 3D Models/Renderings are also key in giving people perspective of your project, becoming a great photographer of your project is another tool you can use to tell your story.

Great lighting, Composition, Color, Balance, all of these are points of interest that can be explained with a simple photograph. You can actually save some time creating content for your pin-up by taking high quality photos of your model and choosing angles that help explain the main talking points of your project. AND if you want to get fancy, you can trace those pictures and now you have really nice perspective drawings that you can sketch and draw diagrams on top of.

So start studying the art of photography and experiment with each of your project taking photos in different settings. 

PURCHASING A CAMERA:

You will hear every photographer tell you that equipment doesn't matter, and they are right. Even simply using the “Rule Of Thirds” on an iPhone will up your production value. However, having a nice DSLR can come in handy when you want to enlarge photos or edit them in post production. 

If you are on a budget, use your phone camera and do some edits with apps like VSCO Cam and Here are the camera I currently own and use every day:

CAMERAS

CANON 7D (Great for photos)

CANON 70D (Great for video)

LENSES

EF 17-40 (Wide Angle)

EF 50mm

Sony recently has been killing it, and If I wasn’t already invested in the Canon Brand I would probably switch, but Canon is great too. Do some research before purchasing anything!

And again, it doesn’t matter what camera you use, BUT if you are going to invest in a camera GET ONE WITH VIDEO RECORDING CAPABILITIES!!!!!! My first camera when I started architecture school was a Canon Rebel EOS, and I didn’t have video recording until years later when I got a new camera. Just a friendly tip!

I hope you found some of this information useful! Experiment, Have some fun, and as always KEEP LEARNING! There is so much more to learn and it might be worth your time investing in some Photography Knowledge. Eventually you will be photographing your build spaces and will have had lots of practice.

Keep crushing it fam!

Love,

Back in 2013 we had an Intro Student at the USF School of Architecture (Rachael Dippel) ask questions to a Thesis Student (Brennen Huller) to gain some perspective from both sides. Here are the answers from that interview:

Enjoy!

Q&A FROM INTRO TO THESIS

What would be one thing you would tell an incoming architecture student to prepare?

I can’t tell you anything. I would ask you to ask yourself, “Are you passionate enough about the subject to be fully committed to a life of design?” If the answer is yes, then you will thrive.

What architecture books do you recommend incoming students to buy/read?

In terms of social understanding and space, Herman Hertzberger’s, Lessons for Students in Architecture is a must. From a compositional and formal understanding you will never stop purchasing variations of books. The books purchased should never be limited to architecture and should act as a catalyst to gain access to a broader library of design.

Besides your own instructor to go to for questions, who would you feel most comfortable asking questions to? Whose opinion do you value the most?

First, you need to know what kind of information you want to embark on. Whether it be concepts, structure, or design functionality, those who you gear the question toward will give you the best possible outcome. Know what conversation you want to spark. 

Your peers are the most valuable source of receiving honest critiques. Everyone is going to give their critique, from there you must pick and choose the opinion you value the most. Then, you utilize it.

On a 100 point scale, weigh craft verses concept.

In process, craft should always come secondary to concept. Although, craft should be our stable, design should never be limited. I encourage all to master a craft. Then, go outside their comfort zone and push this ability.

How would you better your time management skills throughout the program? Any tips on what to do or not to do?

Spend less time thinking, setting goals, and simply procrastinating. Just produce! Going back to craft, don’t let the assembly of an object deter you from quickly building the object. The faster you evolve, the more time you will have to produce “crafted” work.

How early do you recommend people start thinking about their thesis and getting information for it?

Your thesis will be a culmination of a wide range of personal interests including your architectural prerogative. Unknowingly, you will begin to mold an idea of a thesis or a study that you become obsessed over. Around the Design B Level (midway through a degree program), you will start to realize sorts of a “personal project.” This idea will continuously change until your final thesis presentation and will evolve for the duration of your career.

Are there any tips for saving money on supplies?

Utilize “junk” and learn how to do it well to discover a wide range of differences in materiality and usability. This will begin to prepare you for the reality of the material use versus its aesthetic intention for a model/construct. Discovery is key to realization.

What inspires you to keep going? It seems like all we’ve done so far is not sleep, get cranky, and barely eat.

Passion. The reason why you enjoy such torture is because when that project is completed, and you have succeeded, you have deserved the reward of feeding your passion.

Tips on not choking when presenting your project in front of the jury and remembering what you want to talk about? 

Be prepared. Not by practicing what you want to speak about, rather laying out a process of a pin up that allows you to talk about the project as if you were reading a book.  Utilize what is on the wall as a datum of sorts to walk them through your project. Short and sweet, relax, and remember that you are in an informal setting.

Who is your favorite architect and why?

Well, I would say for a monumental figure in architecture I have always studied and will continue to research Le Corbusier’s work.  Leaning towards my style and passion, is Wolf D. Prix of Coop Himmelblau His theory is simply, architecture cannot be taught. Prix’s impact in the avant-garde contemporary movement should be utilized as great precedence. The trick is, to study historical architecture for its reasoning and apply it to avant-garde approaches at your own will. 

*note: avant-garde should not be confused for a particular style; it merely means “out-of-the-box.”

Can you provide any added insight to a rigorous studio setting? 

Learn to set rules and restrictions to your concepts. How does A touch B and when do they react to C? If your designs can follow a set of personally developed rulings, then the rest can simply become a playground to explore within on a project to project basis. 

Dieter Rams: “ten principles for good design”

Enjoy friends,

visualizingarchitecture.com

Everything you need to know all in one place, by Alex Hogrefe

“WHAT TO DO WITH MY LIFE: I say yes, mom says no.”

This is a tough one, but let’s take a ride together.

Picture yourself 10 years from now. You listened to everything your mom has said without reservation. You followed her every suggestion without question or putting up reasons of your own for why you want to do something that goes against her wishes.

You could be in a really good place, you might have a house and kids working a really well paying job somewhere… And hating every minute of it.

The people who love us sometimes can really be the most influential in making us give up our passion. I’m not sure why your mom doesn’t want you to do architecture, but what I do know is that whatever else she wants you to do it is because she thinks it is a better route for you. Maybe she thinks you won’t be as successful in architecture as you could be in something else, and as a parent, that has to be one of the scariest things about having children. Making sure you guide them safely into a successful future. The problem with that is there is no risk involved, and it is almost impossible to do something you love without risk.

I could go on and on about making decisions for yourself, but I really just want to tell you a story…

When I was in High School, over 10 years ago, I wanted to be a Music Educator. I loved music more than anything and I knew in my heart it was for me. I was intoxicated by music, the very sound of marching band got my heart going and I was good at playing and teaching too. It wasn’t just a passion, it was something I saw myself doing for the rest of my life. Others would kill for this kind of conviction in a life path as a High School student. But then something happened.

Everyone told me not to pursue this path.

Every influential person in my life told me that being a “Band teacher” or doing “Music” for a living was “not practical” or “I could be so much more!!” And so I listened. I had people left and right telling me I was amazing and could be something so great, my potential was so much more than just being a music teacher.

So I quit.

I quit the garage band I was in (which that band actually broke up and reformed as a popular band now called “A Day To Remember”) and I quit marching band, symphonic band, jazz band, piano class, EVERYTHING. I quit cold turkey and decided to get into Architecture School.

Everyone told me that was the way to go! “You’re so good at drawing and Architects make a lot of money! More than teachers make!” So why wouldn’t I get into Architecture? It sounds like I could draw a lot and get paid well, I’m in!

And off I go into the next 7 years of my life. I helped with a few band camps here and there, but my life became consumed by architecture. AND HOW WONDERFUL IT WAS OMG!! I learned so many things, I traveled the world, I met some of the most creative and intelligent people I’ve ever know in my life, and I became the person I am today.

But something was missing…

Life for me was great. I graduated with a Master’s in Architecture, My thesis made the judges cry and the crowd stand and cheer, I was inducted into the Alpha Rho Chi architecture fraternity, and seen among my peers as one of the most influential designers to ever come out of our program. I mean hell I even made a blog called “Tips for Architecture School” that is now over 150,000 followers strong, recognized world-wide, and still holds a position as a Tumblr Spotlight Blog for last 4 years.

But I was never in love with Architecture as I was with music. I thought it would change, but sometimes you can’t control what you love.

I got out of school and while all of my friends were going off to join firms and continue their paths towards becoming an architect I did not. I couldn’t shake the urge to teach music. It was something inside of me that was now screaming and kicking its way out. So I went and got a job teaching at a local band program.

After 2 years working as a percussion instructor, our band went and competed in the Bands Of America Grand National Championships.

…and we WON.

We got first place in the Nation. And I am only saying that first because it is a credential that reflects what really happened behind the scenes. The real magic was in the lives I was able to change, the people I was able to push to new limits, the adversity I helped people overcome, and the family I became a part of to accomplish all of these great things. My heart has found its home and every day I get to change the world in my own little way through my students.

Since then I have published 4 books about drumming, which have been accepted into the percussion community and are purchased and shipped to over 10 countries worldwide. And I now teach music for a living. I wake up every day excited to live my life. And it may not pay as much (not even close) as what I would be making at an architecture firm right now with my degree. But I couldn’t see myself hiding anymore from my true passion.

All was not in vein though. It might not seem like it, but Architecture School was one of the best things I could have ever done. I have even taken my design knowledge and mixed it with my passion for music to help Co-found a design and innovation non-profit organization called “The Urban Conga”. One of my designs incorporates public space design with the marimba instrument. We have created a form of hybrid architecture. In fact, our most recent client was the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball Team. We helped remodel part of their stadium (Tropicana Field) with a design that uses my musical bench idea.

So I made it all work. I took a 7 year detour from a path everyone told me not to take. And you know what, it wasn’t really a bad detour at all. In fact, it was pretty amazing.

So back to you and your mom. She says don’t do architecture, but you say yes. The real question is, does architecture intoxicate you? Does the very thought of design make you weak at the knees? Because at the end of the day, your decision has nothing to do with your mom, and everything to do with what you love. That is the hardest part. Find out what you love, it doesn’t matter what it is, but find something that you can’t live without and do that. And if you can’t find that thing, it’s ok, because if there is anything I have learned from making the “wrong decision” about my life path when I was coming out of high school it is this:

What you do day to day makes you who you are.

So whatever you decide to do, just make sure you are doing it better than you were the day before and you will always be successful. Then, one day you will wake up and realize where you are supposed to be, but you have been successful every day until then, and that is what really matters.

I wish you the best of luck in your decision making. I know it is overwhelming right now but you are strong and will make the best of everything. Just keep swimming.

The latest picture you posted regarding the “Personal Qualities Not Measured By Tests” explain the definition of Emotional Intelligence (aka EQ). 

Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. It describes abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence, the purely cognitive capacities measured by IQ. 

Emotional Intelligence defined in terms of being able to monitor and regulate one’s own and other’s feelings, and to use feelings to guide thought and action. Here is a version to help understand how these talents matter in work life. The five basic emotional and social competencies:

1. Self-Awareness: Knowing what we are feeling at the moment, and using those preferences to guide our decision making; having a realistic assessment for our own abilities and well-grounded sense of self-confidence.

2. Self-Regulation: Handling our emotions so that they facilitate rather than interfere with the task at hand; being conscientious and delaying gratification to pursue goals; recovering well from emotional distress.

3. Motivation: Using our deepest preferences to move and guide us toward our goals, to help us take initiative and strive to improve, and to preserve in the face of setbacks and frustrations.

4. Empathy: Sensing what people are feeling, being able to take their perspective, and cultivating rapport and attunement with broad diversity of people.

5. Social Skills: Handling emotions in relationships well and accurately reading social situations and networks; interacting smoothly; using these skills to persuade and lead, negotiate and settle dispute, for cooperation and teamwork.

Let us create an environment that is conscious and appreciative for its surrounding, for a more successful and cooperative atmosphere. I hope I was able to raise a little bit of awareness regarding the subject.

All the best.

--

I feel like no one prepares you or can summon what to expect when you go to architecture school. society has a perception of what an “architect” does, but no one really sees the depth behind the structure, they only see the aesthetic sense of being. What many do not realize is that in architecture school everything you produce is a reflection of your mind and creativity, so that is why the blow is ten times harder when you get rejected by a crit, because they have not shut down words from a book that you learned but rather they have dug deep into your identity. We grow thick skin because we constantly have to repel criticism, architecture school challenges every bit of you from your mental state to your physical being. It’s rough and I wish we could enlighten society to see the depth of what it takes to make it in this industry.

Who knows maybe I’m a frustrated architecture student on a rant, or I’m truly trying to open this subject of conversation so people can look in, cause I know I never had a clue until I entered this subjective world myself.

STAYING FOCUSED IN STUDIO

There are many ways to do this, but something that helps me is music. I will put on a mix that is 1-3 hours long and work until the mix is over. Then I take a break, leave the room, get a snack/coffee/fresh air, whatever. Then get back on it with another mix. If you want to see some of the music I listen to check out my soundcloud page. 

https://soundcloud.com/markperrettsoundtrack

I have all of my playlists named and categorized. Makes it easy to find everything. You want to look for the “Baller Mixes” playlist. I have gotten so many projects done to that music omg.

And maybe it isn’t music, maybe it is just a timer, or you stop when the sun goes down, but you have to give yourself shorter timelines of working. I know it can get nuts when there is a deadline staring you in the face, but working for more than 3 hours straight can really break your concentration. Believe it or not, shorter, more concentrated periods of focus with breaks in between are much more productive than marathon sessions. But then you have to be able to “Flip the Switch” when you come back from break or it all falls apart.

Stay focused friends!

Honestly I would find some sweet plans and just trace them with a straight edge. I have practiced COUNTLESS hours of using the drafting equipment while tracing other floor plans. This helps you get used tot he tools without taking all of the time it takes to make design decisions. Some great books for that are the 10X10 Architecture series books. They are HUGE pages (good for tracing) and have great projects. 

Or the internet might have a few things. ;) Anyone else have some ideas for practicing drafting floor plans?