Getting through architecture school is one of the most difficult things I’ve endured. It would have been challenging under any circumstances, but, thanks to a series of bad habits and poor decisions, it was more painful than necessary. Hindsight is 20/20, and if I had a life redo-button (which, by the way, I’m anxiously waiting…
Software in Architecture
As an architecture student, you’ll inevitably need to become familiar with a wide range of computer programs. As a professional, architects do most of their work on a computer; so it’s helpful to be computer-savvy, generally, and fluent with the particular software you’ll need to do your job. Different tasks require different software. Broadly speaking,…
The Architecture School All-Nighter: A Hypocritical Case Against it
Architecture school has a reputation for having a uniquely time-consuming curriculum. In my own experience, the stigma held true: the workload was insane. Indiana University’s 2016 “National Study of Student Engagement” concluded that architecture is the single most time-consuming major in the galaxy. Architecture students spend, on average, 22 hours a week on schoolwork outside…
9 Reasons Sketching is an Essential Tool in Architecture
1. It’s a problem solving tool. Architecture is a problem-solving profession. You actually think through drawing. When you sketch, you’re making a physical manifestation of your thoughts. There’s a direct link between your mind and your hand. You have a thought, you make a mark. In a way, you’re dumping your brain onto a piece…
The Top 10 Reasons NOT to be an Architect:
In a previous post, we looked at the TOP 10 REASONS TO BE AN ARCHITECT. As we established, architecture can be a wonderful, fun, fulfilling career; but it’s not always rainbows and sunshine. In this post, we’ll peer into the dark side: the top 10 reasons not to be an architect. They are (in no…
A Day in the Life of an Architect
What’s a day in the life of an architect like? When I was in school, one of my most burning questions was “what do real architects do on a daily basis at work?” Throughout school I had the sneaking suspicion that a lot of the stuff we were doing in the classroom would not be…
Top 10 Reasons to be an Architect
Top 10 Reasons to be an architect
Do you have to be good at math to be an architect?
In this post, I’ll address the age-old question: “Do you have to be good at math to be an architect?” In a word: No. In three words: No you don’t. The myth that you must be “good” at math to be an architect has been floating around for as long as I can remember. But…
Do you have to be good at drawing to be an architect?
In this post, I’ll address the age-old question: “Do you have to be good at drawing to be an architect?” (Skip to the summary at the end if you want the super succinct answer without all the mumbo-jumbo) To avoid confusion, first let’s define two broad categories of architectural drawing: 1: TECHNICAL DRAWINGS. These are…
How do you become a licensed architect?
To become an architect in the United States, you must have a license from a U.S. jurisdiction. To obtain your license, you need to do 3 things: 1. Education Obtain a professional architecture degree from a program that’s accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) The vast majority of licensing jurisdictions require that you…