Schools

[ConcreteSchoolyard]

Hello. I was just wondering, as far as architecture and design are concerned, what colleges people attended/ what they thought of it/ experiences/ thoughts, as I am considering pursuing a career in architecture, and would really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

[wolverine]

Does colleges attending right now count? Right now I'm a junior in the University of Michigan's architecture program, and I absolutely love it. What specifically do you want to know about it? There's a lot of areas to talk about.

[ConcreteSchoolyard]

Well, what kinds of things you do, what classes you take, the workload, the people , the professors, anything. I just wanted to know firsthand from architects and designers about their profession and the type of schooling necessary and all that because I am extremely interested in pursuing it and specifically I want to know whether to go for the 5 year plan, the 4 year and 2 years grad school plan, what are the best schools and about internships, etc. Anything you can tell me would be great.

[Allan]

You will be taking classes on the history of design, structure, physics, and design - mostly architectural design, but you will also spend time on interior design, lighting design, & site design. The studio class will be your main component...I spend most of my time working in the studio on my architecture projects.

The work load is pretty heavy at times. At midterms and at finals I find myself living in the architecture studio and sleeping under my desk. Most of the time the work load is manageable though. Most studio professors will ask you to have something new...a new idea, a new concept, or a new model to talk about every class.

Not many colleges offer the 5 year program anymore because there is so much to learn. Most have moved to the 4 + 2 year program. I know here they phased out the five year program a few years ago.

[Miesian Corners]

I would like to ask all of you architecture types out there a question along these lines. Why is it that most all architecture programs sequester their students? At UNCC, those of us in other disciplines NEVER see an architecture student on campus. Its like they lock the door at the College of Arch and don't allow them to leave or mingle with the rest of the student body.

[dimebag1980]

If I could go to school for architectue, I would go to Louisiana Tech School of Architecture. I've been over there to talk with the head of the school about attending, but my full-time job and the fact that the campus is 45 minutes from my home hinder me from being able to fulfill the requirements.

Architecture has always been my dream... always. The problem is, I was a screw-off in school and my parents were poor. Not a good combination. Had I not been a screw-off, I could have probably received a scholarship. Since I was a screw-off, and would have had to pay for it outright, there was no way because my parents were (and still are) very poor.

Fortunately for me I am very skilled in design, and over the last 8 years, have obtained the experience necessary to become a residential designer. I had 2 years of school in basic drafting and some design, and have learned the rest in the 6 years I've been employed in a design/estimator position.

[intcvlcphlga]

Well, what kinds of things you do, what classes you take, the workload, the people , the professors, anything. I just wanted to know firsthand from architects and designers about their profession and the type of schooling necessary and all that because I am extremely interested in pursuing it and specifically I want to know whether to go for the 5 year plan, the 4 year and 2 years grad school plan, what are the best schools and about internships, etc. Anything you can tell me would be great.

I would recommend a 4 + 2 plan because it allows you to get a more well-rounded education as an undergraduate. In either a 4 or 5 year program, studio is the basis of your education. It will be supplemented by history and theory classes as well as structures, building systems, computer classes, etc. Going into any program, you need to know you will pull a lot of all-nighters for studio class which generally meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. A good undergraduate program will teach you the fundamentals of design and how to be a competent architect.

Grad school is completely different from undergraduate. It is more intense as the level of discourse tends to be much more elevated than an undergraduate program.

As far as school recommendations, while it depends on your interests and what you want to get out of a program, for undergrad, among the schools I would recommend include:

University of Virginia, University of Michigan, Berkeley, Rice, Washington University in St Louis, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Univerity of Texas, etc. - also Cornell (which is a 5 year program)

grad schools:

Columbia, Princeton, Harvard, Penn, Yale, MIT, Sci-Arc, UCLA + most of the schools listed above.

It all depends on what you're looking for, your grades, how far away from home you're willing to go, how much financial aid you can get, etc. But, if you have good grades, good SATs/GREs, etc. these are the best schools in the country.

[cityboi]

I would like to ask all of you architecture types out there a question along these lines. Why is it that most all architecture programs sequester their students? At UNCC, those of us in other disciplines NEVER see an architecture student on campus. Its like they lock the door at the College of Arch and don't allow them to leave or mingle with the rest of the student body.

I attended the College of Architecture at UNC Charlotte. I wonder if John Nelson is still teaching there.

[TBurban]

Ive heard from many that Virginia Tech has a good architecture program

[ConcreteSchoolyard]

I have actually heard that too. Thing is, VT is in the middle of nowhere by all accounts, and I need to be near or in a city. Plus, a lot of the tech schools' architecture programs are geared more towards science and engineering than the more artistic aspects of it, and I am more of the artsy type.

[TBurban]

Virginia Commonwealth University

-Located in the Midtown of Richmond, Virginia (The Fan District)

-Huge Engineering program

-One of the busiest areas of Richmond

-Close to many restaurants, retail, parks, and houses in the Fan District