Architect In Training

So I was perusing the internet and came across this article on Inside Higher Ed about the changing landscape of architecture schools.  I'm sure all the architecture students that come across my blog can cosign for me about my next statement but I will solely speak for myself.  Architecture school is demanding, alienating, frustrating, and finally physically, mentally, and emotionally draining.  I don't know many other majors that have students who brag on how many all-nighters they have spent in the same space working on a project.  I don't know how many college students who could endure pouring hours upon hours on what could be torn apart in an instant by a professor.  I know my motto was, 'I'm not done with this project until I bleed on the model.'  And that not a metaphorical bleeding of the soul or anything, I literally mean I bleed on the model.

Now with all that said, this article I just finished reading speaks about a new 'blueprint' for Archies everywhere in which I agree with.  More and more, architecture is not what some call an 'artsy-fartsy' degree.  Like everything else in this world that makes money, Architecture is a business and it needs to be addressed as such.  Spending limitless hours on designs, buildings and details upon details is a great skill to have, but it shouldn't be the only skill set acquired in Architecture of school. 

For me, there was little to no inclusion of how to put together a full set of construction documents, how to estimate costs, what spec sheets should consist of, and a multitude of other things that are REALLY necessary to be successful in obtaining work in the beginning of one's profession.  Another thing that I found to be odd is the fact that there are little to no psychology or sociology classes required in order to graduate.  Our profession deals with people on both a very basic and complicated level.  Some of those classes in the aforementioned fields would help us aspiring architects out a great deal. 

With all that being said, I applaud said schools that are trying to make their students more ready for what is going to actually be out in the real world.  And for those that haven't totally adapted yet, I hope you start soon because you'll be doing your students a disservice to not help them in every way possible.  I mean we are paying tuition to invest in you to assist us invest in ourselves.  Help us (by us, I mean architecture students) out! 

Thomas Bowman Out.