Architecture Student Chronicles

Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and other physical structures.

Architecture is about the making of places where people spend their lives. Architects are not just concerned with the exterior and interior design of a building, but the environment as a whole. Architecture is mostly about human beings living in a “better” way then before. Social sciences and psychology is as important as nanotechnology in sustainable materials…

There is an important questions that needs to be asked. Why study Architecture in the first place? What are the merits of choosing Architecture as a career over other professions? And what could be the compromises and trade-offs an Architecture student might have to make to achieve success?

Here are the 7 reasons that could convince anyone to take up Architecture as a profession…

1. An Architect is a sort of an inventor. Like an inventor who goes about making and designing new gadgets, you go around designing new buildings. Architecture is a very satisfying profession You’ll get a tremendous sense of delight after your concepts on paper transform into real buildings. You’ll know the joy of creation in this field of Architecture…

2. A course in Architecture is a lot of fun. Unlike traditional colleges where you must slog yourself in study halls and libraries, reading and writing all the time, a course in Architecture gives you the liberty to use the right side of your brain, the creative part. You get a lot of opportunities to showcase your creativity and ingenuity while designing structures.

3. Architecture is a very high paying field. Once you get through the course and pass out with good grades, you’d be pursued by large firms looking for fresh talent and new ideas. And compared to most other fields, Architects make a lot more money.

4. It is easy to define Architecture but the word has far deeper meaning than it implies. While you study Architecture, you get to study various fields of human endeavor, including Art, History, Material Science, Physics, Engineering… anything and everything that can help improve the living environment of human beings. It is the most diverse subject you can find. And yet, this field attracts the most creative and romantic minds in the world.

5. The work of an Architect one of the most challenging and enjoyable imaginable. Every building is different. Every project is different. There is absolutely no monotony in life. The thrill and the challenge of work is exhilarating to say the least.

6. If you’re the kind of guy (or gal) who likes to work with his (or her) hands, then Architecture is the right profession for you.  In Architecture study course, you get to work with your hands. Its not just about reading and writing all the time, but you must have a hands-on approach on many assignments. Building scale models, making surveys, talking to people… its a very active field.

7. Architecture may sound like a 9 to 5 office job, but its not. Its a lot more than that. Even as a student of Architecture, you get to work on real-life problems of designing functional buildings. If you like to hit the road every now and then, you’re in for some luck. In this profession, you get to travel a lot. You have to put your feet on the ground, and visit construction sites.

Counter-Argument

Times Online in UK has published a very thought-provoking and interesting article about the perils of choosing Architecture. It is titled “Who would want to be an architecture student?“ A very interesting read indeed.

In that article, Tom Dyckhoff has laid down in detail the problems faced by architecture students after they graduate. Architecture is a high profile field. We see the symbols of architecture everywhere around us. It is a “cool” career choice. But there isn’t enough demand for Architects. Due to the current housing recession, salaries have dropped, and they are considerably lower than those in the Medical or Dental fields.

It is true that architecture students work very hard to get that “edge” over others. They work day and night, often with little sleep, just so they can design the best project portfolio. But it doesn’t really pay off. Life of an architecture student is hard.

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