7 Things to Know Before Architecture School

Architecture Student at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West

“Architecture” is neither defined as a scientific career nor as an engineering profession; it blends creativity, talent, and hard work altogether. On top of that, it is also a passion. For most students, Architecture school is challenging, but despite how exhausting obtaining that degree can be, school can actually be fun. Here are a few tips for architecture students about to begin their course.

1. The Basics: What is Architecture?

This is a question you will be asked over and over again during your career. As each architect approaches and understands the discipline in a personal way, each architect will also have different beliefs about the profession’s significance. 

Conventionally, the science of architecture is meant to be the science of designing and constructing buildings to cover different needs, such as housing. Protection, security, and safety are important features architecture provides by using appropriate construction techniques. 

2. The Educational Environment

Architecture requires a lot of studying and a lifetime commitment to continued education. At school, the environment is fun as you will always be sharing and discussing creative ideas with colleagues. But it is also among the most challenging degrees – with long hours, a huge workload, and a focus on detail – so it’s essential to understand what you’re signing yourself in for. 

Many students find it hard to do all that work and seek professional writing service help. Do my homework for me is a common request, especially when it comes to architecture history research papers. The educational environment includes workshops, laboratories, visiting different sites, and using computers to design using architecture-specific applications such as engineering & 3D drawing programs.

3. Useful Skills for Architecture Students

Among the most important and popular skills required to join architecture school are the following:

  • Drawing skills: Drawing will be your best tool
  • Technical skills: Nowadays, architects use computer applications, so technical skills are necessary.
  • Communication skills: You would not be able to explain your ideas without good communication skills.
  • Administrative skills: Architects need to gather a lot of information and connect all the dots to design functional yet beautiful structures.
  • Analytical skills: Architects must analyze the site, the climate, the topography, and all related information. They must thoroughly study the construction site in which they set up a project and whether the characteristics are suitable.

If you don’t have these skills, don’t worry. You can develop them by learning and practicing. For instance, taking some interior design courses. Some of the qualities you will definitely need are:

  • Be Imaginative and Creative
  • Excited and receptive to intransigence.
  • Enjoy art
  • Good with planning
  • Careful and attentive to details
  • Good knowledge of physics and mathematics
  • Familiarity with computer programs
  • Ability to write research papers and reports

4. Explore and Travel 

In addition to studying, travel and explore cities where you can see the work of great architects. As a student, you won’t always have the money to travel globally, but you can still explore your proximity areas. Wherever you are based, thousands of unfamiliar neighborhoods and landscapes will be within easy reach. Make it a habit to visit historical sites and areas with interesting geography, which help you relax.

5. Draw!

Draw everything within sight and draw by hand. Drawing isn’t just a way of communicating with others; it’s a way of thinking. From Alvaro Siza’s messy sketches to Frank Lloyd Wright’s vast paintings, drawing is essential to architecture’s practice, culture, and progress.

6. Expand your Education

As we said earlier, architecture is not just an art, but it also has an important technical part. The more you learn about related fields, the better architect you will become:

  • Interior design: Specializing in interior decoration.
  • Civil engineering: It is connected with civil buildings and structures. 
  • City planning: Designing and planning urban environments.

7. University Options

There is no way around it; if you want to become an architect, you have to study for a degree. Students applying to an Architecture School are usually required to pass an admission exam different from the entrance exams that engineering students take. The admission exam for architects has a practical and a theoretical section designed to measure the students’ drawing and visualization skills level. 

Overall, suppose you are interested in studying architecture. In that case, we recommend reading “Complexity and Contradictions in Architecture” by Robert Venturi, one of the few architecture books that genuinely shifted the course of architecture to understand better what all this is about.