New Reasons

"10 Things You Don't Get Taught in Architecture School"

Notes to Self are longer journal entries from Seven Yrs Ago. Read Wicked for more on learning from architecture school. I was 21 in early 2014.

10 Things You Don't Get Taught in Architecture School

By Linda, Archi-Ninja

  1. Forget about Winning or Losing—with something so subjective, when you stop focusing on what other people do or think, then you will be able to focus on your individual design value and agenda. Ultimately, by ruling out the process of comparison, you begin to define your own standards and measures of success, which can be greater than the perceived expectations that someone else will place upon you.

  2. Your tutor is your client—You need to convince your tutor/client that your design is well-considered

    —Take time to know your tutor and you will get a greater understanding of their knowledge, values and motivations.

    —By understanding what their methodology and interest in arch is like, you can best gauge how they can help you, what you can learn from them and how to approach and pitch

  3. Play the momentum

    —Establish and maintain it. With momentum, it is difficult to stop, while without it, it is difficult to start. Incremental progress = development

    {all-nighter = quintessential anti-momentum}

  4. Break the Rules

    —Design brief = minimum expectations. Break rules successfully

    —Far more value in striving to find solutions that challenge status quo than simply meeting the rules without considering why they’ve been established and what they do

  5. Have broad influences + mentors

    —Learning from others with vastly different perspectives → broader forum for discussion + negotiation

    —Anarchy, arch, social + political agendas

    —Naturally broaden your skill-set, personal resources and way of thinking about arch

    —Limited influence = generic design because you are only imagining the reproduction of what you know or have seen

    —Broadness keeps others informed and engaged in your processes

  6. Have cause and conviction {Amen sista}

    —Be passionate. Game-changing Architects advocate a strong cause and with precise conviction.

    —Admittedly, you can find yourself dragging. As soon as you feel that you do not love what you’re doing, it’s time to stop, question why and re-evaluate.

    —Redirect your process or motivation and don’t let anything get in the way of your love affair.

    —Don’t feel like you are doing the work because you have to, rather you should do it because you want to and allow your energetic attitude to inspire and lift your peers. Why bother trying to drudge through any part of the process?

  7. Up-skill

    —Develop strong visual, verbal and written communication skills

    —concise yet relaxed storytelling of idea, process and resolution

    —Master the right tools to save time. Tools can be simple (Google, Lasercut, AutoCAD)

  8. Build meaningful relationships

    —The one you build both in and out of school, represent the beginning of defining your views and finding your own path

    —Events, happenings, conversations → grow and form new professional friendships and partnerships

    —Beyond keeping a reliable group of go-tos, think of everyone you encounter during school as a potential connection for the future

  9. Learn project management

    —Everything will take 3-5 times longer than you expected

    —Understand the perceived importance of a given task to effectively direct your focus on the right things, at the right time. Make smart decisions on effort, time, $, resources for max. gain

  10. Don’t expect the outcome

    —People often limit their projects by anticipating certain aspects or the outcome far too early on in process

    —If you are too focused on a fixed result, then you are denying yourself the opportunity to discover what you could not have expected

    —anticipated outcome=skew/bias on all research and process to meet anticipated solution

    —Set yourself up for the act of discovery → Surprise by your own idiosyncratic work

    • tap into subjective insights, intuitions and hunches of individual thought and expression

    • embrace serendipity

In short, find your own way, be engaged and proactive, no one can teach you The Answer, you need to discover and create.

“A lot of people never use their initiative because no one told them to.” —Banksy

For commentary seven years later, go here.

Nicole Rapatanarchitecture school, notes to self