How to Thrive at Architecture School

A Student Guide

Neil Spiller

• Publisher: RIBA Publishing
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781000033182
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture General

Studying architecture is hugely exciting and rewarding. It entails developing design skills, problem-solving abilities and tapping into creativity, as well as acquiring cultural, technical and professional knowledge. This book is the go-to guide for students throughout their architectural education. It introduces architecture students to all they need to know to get on an architecture course, thrive at school and be prepared for the realities of becoming a practising architect. Split into three main sections – Part I (BA or BSC in Architecture), Part II (Masters or Diploma) and Part III (Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice) – it offers direction on all aspects of an architectural education. These range from initial tutorials, the first crit and essay-writing through to the development of final project and thesis work. Covering all bases, it is a comprehensive guide for a student's passage from university preparation through to undergraduate and graduate study and out into the profession. It features RIBA UK architecture schools and those validated overseas, as well as a short, final chapter on architectural education elsewhere in the world.

1
UNDERGRADUATE

Getting to school

First year

Second and third year

Getting to school

1.1 University of Dundee Year 1 study trip to Villa Savoye, Poissy, France.
Architecture students should experience a wide range of buildings around the world. The field trip is a vitally important element of architecture school. It is also good for student cohort bonding, and it can be a lot of fun.

1.2 University of Brighton, Edmund Morgan, Experiencing Architecture, Year 1.
First-year architectural courses get students to consider the body in relation to architectural space, and this can involve making and experimenting with all sorts of measuring and recording devices, and even clothing.

You already know who you are. You might like making your own clothes, drawing, modelling, painting, writing prose or poetry, or a mixture of all these. You might already be creative with computers, or wonder about buildings and cities and how they are made. You might wonder about the impact they have on people. You might have an architect in your family, or you might never have met one. Perhaps numerous members of your family and friends have been to university, or you may have no immediate friends and family who’ve been in higher education.

Whatever else is true, the first thing is you must do is actively decide to study as an architect. Then, you can begin planning. As Dr Harriet Harriss, Dean of Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York, reminds us: ‘The first year of an architecture degree isn’t simply the first step towards a career in architectural practice, but the ultimate multidisciplinary experience offered in higher education, exposing students to the natural, formal, social and applied sciences, not just the humanities.’

What is architectural practice?

Architectural practice is providing professional services in connection with the design, construction, extension, conservation, restoration or alteration of a building or group of buildings. This includes (but is not limited to):

• preliminary studies
• planning and land-use planning to ensure proposals are in line with planning regulations and urban plans, and urban design
• designs including models and drawings
• detailed construction drawings, written specifications of materials, and technical documentation
• coordination of technical documentation prepared by others (consulting engineers, urban planners, landscape architects and other specialist consultants)
• construction economics
• contract administration
• inspection of construction
• project management.

Pre-application: modes of study and alternative routes

Before applying to architecture school, you should research the various avenues into practice and speak to people already practising to ensure you’re prepared and informed when making that decision.

A common piece of advice given to those interested in pursuing architecture is to undertake A Levels in physics, chemistry and maths. Victoria Farrow, course leader for BA Architecture at Birmingham School of Architecture and Design, and first-year leader, says this advice is still pervasive and misguided: ‘I continue to strive to disentangle the myth that you need maths and physics to be an architect or to study architecture. This is not the case – or at least, not any more. To study architecture you need energy, enthusiasm, a passion for design and exploration of your ideas and a drive to discover.’

In reality, it doesn’t matter what qualifications you take pre-architecture school – the key is to do well. Universities like you to be able to prove you are competent in maths and English at GCSE level. Some universities like you to have a second language qualification at GCSE level. For architectural education, it is wise to have studied art, which is more appreciated by most universities than design technology. Try to pick a broad range of GCSEs, and sixth-form study encompassing creative as well as more empirical and humanities subjects.

The architectural profession is very diverse, varying according to situation, scale of work, commerciality, ethical beliefs, conceptual dogmatic preoccupations and often stylistic habits. It is important to understand this diversity of practice and ideas. Practices include a wide range of scales, from small offices working in a countryside setting on house extensions or conservation projects, to – at the other end of the spectrum – large international firms working on big commercial towers, airports and cultural buildings. Practices can range in size from one-person ‘sole practitioners’ to large corporations with over a thousand employees. It can be valuable to understand the experiences in different types of architectural office at differing scales. Talk to architects about what they do on a daily basis, as well as talking to them about their architectural education.

Architectural education is about building the ability to solve spatial problems, and the nature of these problems and opportunities will change over the years. A good architectural education gives a student the confidence, skills and intellectual dexterity to operate as an architect, no matter how practice, technology and the procurement of architecture changes. This mental agility and the ability to laterally think through an architectural solution are crucial.

Talking to architectural educators and academics often provides an alternative insight, as their take on studying to be an architect can differ radically from a mid-career architect in a commercial office. Dr Harriet Harriss describes the wider benefits of an education as an architect: ‘Rather than thinking the only goal of architecture is to design buildings, students should be encouraged to experiment with the processes as much as the outcomes, and to see all aspects of the curriculum (from lectures and seminars to live projects and studio work) as intrinsically connected and of equal value and importance.’

1.3 University of Strathclyde, Law Yik Yung, The Fun Complex, Year 4.
Architectural students are encouraged to develop projects that become more complex as their training advances. By the time they get to postgraduate/master’s level they should be testing the limits of the discipline.

1.4 University of Greenwich, Sarah Brooke, Repository for the Unclaimed Dead, Year 2.
Students are encouraged to use all different types of media and become proficient in analogue as well as digital techniques. The physical model is vitally important as a method of design, but also as a means of communication with laypeople.

Schools of architecture tend to be incredibly open institutions and should welcome any approach by a future architecture student. Make contact with your local school of architecture and, if you’re interested in what a lesson might look like, you can even ask to sit in on tutorials or attend a lecture. Schools of architecture will hold open days or taster days, which are worth attending. These events will help you get a feel for a school and help you decide where to apply. Taster days enable prospective students to experience studio teaching, view and use facilities and work with staff, which helps applicants understand the feeling of being in, and contributing to, design studio and the culture of the school generally.

In June most UK architecture schools have an end-of-year show, showcasing the best student work of that academic year, and these are open to attend. They provide insight into the differences between schools and their signature styles. In particular, observing the first-year work can reveal how skills are taught and embedded. Schools often produce extravagant catalogues to accompany their end-of-year show. If you compare these, you’ll notice that some are more technical, while others are more artful and speculative. Consider what sort of architect you might wish to be, and whether any of the schools notably match your interests.

All universities and architecture schools have websites and social media feeds. The vitality and contemporaneity with which they broadcast events

1.5 University of Strathclyde end-of-year show.
The shows held at the end of the academic year in June or July are great opportunities to see the best output from a school’s students – you can tell a lot about a school from its end-of-year show.

and lectures can reflect the ambition and liveliness of a school. Public lectures are often made freely available online and offer invaluable insights into the latest trends and ideas being explored at schools. Many students also understand the importance of social media and feature their studio work online. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have become common places for students to record and showcase their activities on the course, including the design development process, work placements and also studio projects for final presentation. Some universities use student blogs on their websites to market their course to prospective students. These can be great tools for inspiration and getting an idea of the work you could go on to produce at architecture school.

While it may seem daunting, try to talk to current architectural students at these events, as most will be more than willing to share their experiences. Ask them about their workload, studio conditions, technical support, computing provision and tutors’ attitudes – and, most importantly, how the course is taught. This will give you an idea of day-to-day life and what to expect.

All universities, including architecture schools, are subject to a growing...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Copyright Page
• Title Page
• CONTENTS
• About the Author
• INTRODUCTION
• PART 1: UNDERGRADUATE
• PART 2: POSTGRADUATE
• PART 3: PART 3
• Appendix 1 (Useful resources for financial matters, mental wellbeing, diversity, professional development and others)
• Appendix 2 (RIBA Plan of Work)
• Image Credits
• Index