Architecture School can be a lonely place at times despite being surround by your friends and colleagues. I know from personal experience that at times, it easy to question your drive, dedication, talent, or ability. Maybe you shouldn’t be in architecture school … you don’t have what it takes. You spend a million hours in design studio learning new skills and techniques – always looking for that great idea – something that will help guide you through your design problem and leave you feeling good about the end result …
and it doesn’t ever come.
Every now and then I get an email or a comment that makes me think I need to write a post on the subject. It used to happen far more frequently but since I’ve been at this blog thing for a while, I think I’ve hit all the typical questions in some form or fashion. Earlier this week, I had an exchange with an architecture student that was both happy and sad at the same time. This persons situation and comment wasn’t entirely unique, many people have emailed me asking for advice on finding their place in the world of architecture, but for some reason this one struck me slightly different from the others.
I have inserted a screen grab of the original comment exchange below:
There are few architects that haven’t had moments of insecurity, where they questioned their abilities, or even if after practicing architecture for a while, didn’t wonder if they didn’t make a wrong decision somewhere along the line. I don’t really think this experience is unique to architects but that doesn’t mean we don’t grab and hold on to it as our own.
It is fairly well documented on this site that I knew I wanted to be an architect from the age of 5. When I finally made it to architecture school, I quickly realized that I wasn’t as great as I thought I was. I looked at the work the geniuses around me were creating and had a fairly sizable panic attack when it dawned on my that all I ever wanted to be was an architect and I was terrible at it. (You can read more about that moment in the post ‘ Do you want to be an Architect? The College Years‘)
My father gave me a piece of advice back then that has stuck with me and I have shared many times over :
“People go to college to learn how to learn …”
This has turned out to be a great piece of advice – particularly when you find yourself sitting on the couch at night responding to the worried emails of young people who haven’t had enough time to find their way in life or figure out who they are … yet. I think it’s important that college architecture students hear that it’s okay that they haven’t got it all figured out.
“You are still incredibly young so try not to spend too much time figuring yourself out or limiting what you think you are capable of. As a student, you spend a lot of time on the proverbial island and all you can do is look across the way at what other people are doing on their island. Real life isn’t like this so relax…”
I’d like to say that despite my architectural career not following the path I planned, I’m pretty happy with where I’ve landed. If I had paid too much attention to those moments of self-doubt, who knows where I’d be. The same thing holds true for everybody – things that are the hardest become the most worthwhile. Show up, work hard, and relax … everything is probably going to be just fine.
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Mr Borson! I`m quite impresed from your articles and the hole blog. I love it. I mostly like the fact that it is written on available way so even foreigners like me can use it. Thank you for that.
I would like to ask you a few questions and i`ll be thankful just to give mesome pieces of advice, Im 16 years old and im really interested for studing architecture abroad… Im good at maths and i like solving problems but my fear is aboyt the drawing! I had been drawing since the kinder garden but then when i was 3 grade i give up and now after about 8 years after i started it again. But im not sure if i will be able to handle in university mostly because of drawing. Im really ambitious but im not sure in my abillity. So, if you can tell me what actually I need to be a good architecture student …. I wiil be grateful…. thank you in advance!
I wouldn’t worry about how well you draw heading into college – most programs are designed so that there are plenty of drawing courses as part of the core curriculum. I couldn’t really draw at all when I started and while I still don’t think I’m great, I am at least effective at drawing.
Thank you Mr Borson! Your answer was very useful for my motivation.
thanks for the hopeful advice,
your words ring true and hopeful
you are a special one,
rjb
I haven’t even started with Architecture school and I’m already having these insecurities. I have always wanted to be an Architect and now I find myself doubting if I have what it takes. But now I know that I will always have that insecurity and that I can never be driven without it. I know its a competitive field and i don’t need to be the best at everything, all I want to do is what I know I will love. Thanks for the advice Sir and thank you for this brilliant blog.
Hey , first of all, your blog is really informative, personal and inspiring for those of us who don’t know where to turn for an inside voice of architecture. I am currently a college student and have always wanted to study architecture. I am currently in a film production program but I am really considering either switching to architecture or doing a master. I have a few questions:
– Does one need to have a bachelor in a related field in order to apply for a master in architecture?
-In terms of problem solving skills, understanding space, visualizing and creating I think I have potential (I’m also good in math), however I do not really know how to draw. This might be a stupid question but do you think that an architect must be naturally a good drawer or is that a skill that he/she can acquire if he/she has the creative/conceptual mind?
-Do you believe that there are good job prospects in the architecture field nowadays?
These may seem like silly questions but I’d rather not rely on random forums and university brochures when it comes to something that I am truly interested in.
Jjds, good questions.
Yes you can get an M.Arch, without a B.Arch or a BSArch. In fact, I believe that will make you a stronger architect.
No you don’t need to be able to draw to be a good architect. It helps and depending on what you focus on can help a lot, but plenty of great architects tend towards the myriad aspects of architecture other than design or design in other media. Just look at some of the crummy napkin sketches of the “starchitects” and maybe you will get over it. And yes, you absolutely can learn how to draw.
The job prospects are great in my view, depending on where you are and how broadly intelligent you are with a good work ethic. There are always other fields with better prospects, then none that offer better opportunities to use your whole brain.
Personally i think pursuing a career based on what you get A’s isnt going to lead to a happy life. I am a big fan of the saying “find a job you love and never work a day in your life”. If i followed your advice I would be some sort of mathematician, rather than an architect with a greater than required knowledge of algebra and geometry.
When i started studying Architecture at University, one of the first lectures they said to us, look at the person to your right, and the person to your left; next semester, one of you wont be here. I think this, and what you have described above, rings true for most course, in most Universities. Having the love and drive for what you are studying allows you to overcome this and persevere.
Another thought provoking post by Mr. Bob Borson.
Thanks Enoch
Extravagance. I hope the student and their more extravagant peers will learn that is not a characteristic of quality architecture. Nor is excellence in the use of any illustrative medium other than the architecture itself.
Unfortunately the schools teach what I call ‘capital A’ architecture: good for some, but not for most; Its a pity that such a mystique surrounds the design aspect of architecture because that too can be taught, but most studio obsessed schools wouldn’t know how.
But the good news for the middling students. I was one; but when I was earning 6 figure salary in retail projects (I coordinated design, construction documentation and site), one of the stars in my year was in a two person firm doing little alts and adds for half what I was earning. Now, its not about money, but the guy selling you a house doesn’t know that.
Extravagance is a great word. Great comment Scott!
Great post, Bob. There’s always a moment when we look at the people around us and feel that everybody is better than us. Insecurities, as you say, are common- regardless of what field one is in.
Also realize that school in incredibly competitive. I see a lot of myself in this guy, and when I started working in actual firms, it turns out I was the best in the office at Photoshop and Revit. Getting out of a competitive school is like the opposite of being a big fish in a small pond. You’ll be able to contribute a lot to an office who might not be as up to date on technology, or have had the time to teach their employees new things.
i like this,, as im a 3d visualizer.. ( hobbie).. something i picked from doing a multimedia and special effects degree at uni.. im 30 now no children no mortgage as of yet.. i work in finance but it doesnt make me happy.. i would prefer to be paid to design houses and create beautiful buildings,, . i dont use autocad and thats probably what has prevented me getting into the industry.. i am now thinking the route of an architect could hit two birds with one stone..i just wonder is too late considering i havent even begun to pay my previous student loans..im all the way in the UK so it may be different with regards to funding..i gota 2:1 BSC Combined Hounours in my field its been 3 years since i graduated … any thoughts from Bob or current architects would be appreciated
Great post. My comment to the student who wrote, and to other students, is this: Your questioning will take you far, but don’t let self-critique limit you. You sound very well suited to working out there in the world, whether in an office or on site. There is more to life and to the profession than architecture school. You’ll get through and you’ll gain skills along the way. Learn from the people around you who seem to “know more” but don’t compare yourself; just be comfortable on your own track. It takes all kinds to make up our profession, and some of the most average in school become the most successful in business. Stick with it, that’s the key.
I think part of the problem is that architecture education focuses so intently on big-picture design, it’s easy to lose track of how many paths there are to success with a degree in architecture. If you don’t shine in design studio, it doesn’t mean there is no spot for you in the profession. You may become a code official, an ADA consultant, work in marketing, specialize in air barrier detailing, become a sales associate for a curtain wall manufacturer, be a project manager for a signage and graphics manufacturer, or develop new carpet weave patterns for a large textile manufacturer. I have known architects that pursued all of these paths, and there are innumerable others. I guess my message would be to get a well-rounded, expansive education and then keep your mind open to all the opportunities that may come your way.
“People go to college to learn how to learn …”
boy that took me back. I had a studio professor who once told us that most of what an architecture degree was about was knowing which book to reference. when I think about how many reference books I look in every day it really rings true today.
Great Post Bob. I am a recent MArch graduate from Michigan and can relate to all of this so much. I have been working all my summers of graduate school in LA and find that i have learned more about the realities of architecture working for a firm then i ever did in school. That being said, i also know the power of academia in the discipline and am actually going to the GSD this fall to explore more issues in depth.
I love that saying bob. I had never heard it before but it is pretty accurate. In architecture school it seems like they are trying to teach every student to be a Starchitect. In reality 99.9% of architects do not become the Starchitect. Problem solvers are what is needed for most clients especially in the commercial world. If in the end of a project you have some gorgeous building that doesn’t address any of the programmatic or functional needs, than what is the point.
One of my wise professors cautioned us to examine our decision every year, if we want to continue. He would remind us that our program was excruciating, that architecture has hard, but if at the beginning of the day, we wake up and still love architecture, that we’ll make it through. In the end, it’s about doing what you love.
I too am a problem solver by nature and not a designer extraordinaire. I often felt less than my studio mates in school. But out here, in the real world, I find that my problem solving abilities come in to play and get me recognized more than most people’s design abilities. Your design can only go as far as your client will let it, but problem solving has infinite possibilities.
Spot on.
There are glass ceilings everywhere and in every profession – people coming out of architecture school think that if they aren’t the world’s greatest designers they are doomed. Most practicing architects do not make their living by designing – it is only a very small part of the process. I tell people know that the most important skill you can develop is as a communicator. The person who talks with the clients has the most important role because they sell the work and keep everyone else employed. Nobody should underestimate the role of the problem solver – we need those people.
Good advice, and sometimes I think the schools intentionally try to drive out those who don’t meet the ‘academic version’ of an architect too aggressively. The world needs problem-solvers! Plus, in my 25+ years of experience, I’ve seen MANY people who were not ‘stars’ in school realize that out here…in the real world…they have a combination of design skill and common sense that many people want in their firms and their projects.
There is an old adage that someone once told me about architecture students and their future in the profession: “The A’s work for the C’s…and the B’s work for the government”. I’m not so sure about that last part in today’s political climate…but I was far more of a C than an A in studio… and maybe I’ll just have to ask our staff of 60 what kinds of grades they got – just to test that old adage.
I wish I had known that when I was an architecture student!
I heard a similar adage when I was younger: “The A’s become architecture professors, the B’s become designers, and the C’s become firm owners”
…and the D’s are really the smartest ones, because they become contractors and make more money than all the rest”.
Then there are the E’s who branch out and do other things but who also become important advocates for the profession…
What grade did Architectural bloggers get? 😉
They’re a limited edition, a special blend of E’s and any other grade above…?
As an architecture student, it feels so good to read that kind of article. After spending 5 months on my last school project, I wasn’t satisfied by the result. I started (once again) worrying “An I really meant to be an architect ?” “Will I ever be good at it ?” When I look around, the other students just look so confident ! I’m glad not to be alone on a island. Thank you for this article !
When I started work on my portfolio after college, I realized that some of my design work was not correct or good enough – so I revised it and put those changes in the presentation page. I pointed that out during an interview or two, and always got positive feedback. I think that’s why I was hired over 36 years ago – the flexibility and courage to question and revise. In practice, we would prepare a Chevy, a Cadillac, and a Buick version of a project solution. I think the boss had a thing for cars (he drove a Monte Carlo, and then a Buick, but probably would have enjoyed a Triumph or sporty British ragtop).
This is one of my favourite.
I thought I was the only one in Architecture school who feels unworthy of pursuing the major. This is what I wanted to do with my life but sometimes I feel pathetic. I’m in second year and I’m yet to develop Architecture lingo. I can’t describe architectural works with jargon statements like I’ve seen other people doing it. I’ll look at a building and think “It’s beautiful, cool or spectacular” but I never sound profound, the furthest I can go is “That does not function, or the ventilation is poor.”
I don’t think I can do anything else besides this and so when I feel inadequate I get worried. Some students are so good, I wonder if I can ever match their abilities and skills.
My workmanship in modelling is good but that’s just it, and it’s shallow.
There are plenty of impractical, un-maintainable, and yet impressive “statement” designs out there. Some of us make a fine career at taking what’s given and fixing it. And, you’ll find the words you need by listening to the recipient. That listening thing – it’s a fine skill. Cannot even think of how many times what I’ve just said was turned around and fed back to me like “they just thought it up”.
And, in one of my favourite expressions: “Our plagiarism is limited only by our faulty technique, and lack of library resources.” Another good one is: “If you put the joists close enough together, you don’t need deck.” And, one last thought, since real work situations are time-driven: “In by 9, out by 5”; which we started using because our neighboring business was a dry cleaning firm.
You feel pathetic because you haven’t developed architecture lingo?!
That’s why people use architecture lingo, to mask their feelings of pathetic-ness.
Beauty, function and ventilation are good points to stay focused on.