As an architecture student, you need more than just imagination to create great buildings. In addition to your creativity, you also need a growing stock of physical and virtual tools like sketchbooks, cutting tools, modeling materials, software, and hardware, which can quickly add up to a lot of money over a number of years.
Of course, you don’t need to buy all the tools at once. First, build up the tools you need for your current studies, then look for other tools that make your work easier. In the end, some tools will also be useful in the long run.
Start With the Tools You Actually Use
Many tools that students are introduced to in architecture school are better than others, but most schools expect students to purchase the same tools that the school is using, often even though some of them are not very useful for daily studio work and therefore are likely to be left in a corner of the student’s apartment after a semester.
Start with the most fundamental items for your current courses, then add more only if you need them regularly. For example, for basic drawing, you might need a scale ruler, a cutting mat, a knife, a pencil, and a sketchbook. Most other drawing tools are less important, and you won’t use them as often.
Once you know you regularly use your basic tools (scale ruler, cutting mat, precision knife, pencil, and sketchbook), you can start looking for higher-quality versions of them. All the other materials you use for architecture will most likely be used only once, borrowed from someone else, or even rented.
Many students have tools very similar to the ones listed above. Just because you see someone else using something doesn’t mean you have to get it too. Your toolkit should consist of the tools that you find most useful for your way of working.
Think in Terms of Cost Per Project
Expensive tools aren’t always the best choice. Many things will go wrong, wear out quickly, or lose precision in a short time.
It is also worth noting that seemingly very expensive items (specialist tools) are used only once for a single project and therefore aren’t worth the investment.
This especially applies to cutting tools, storage solutions, and digital accessories that you’ll use many times over the course of your studies.
However, other materials such as cards, adhesives, etc. can be bought cheaply for preliminary studies and early models. These don’t have to be as high quality as materials for later studies and models.
Spend thoughtfully, not cheaply.
Use University Resources Before Buying Your Own Equipment
Many architecture schools have a wide array of tools and equipment that would cost too much to buy individually. In addition to fabrication lab resources (such as laser cutters and 3D printers), schools also have photography studios, large-format printers, and specialized computer labs for architecture-specific software. Find out what facilities your university already has, and whether you can use them from time to time.
In addition to hardware, many architecture schools provide students with access to a variety of software packages, such as CAD, BIM, rendering, editing/image, and layout programs. These are often available under student licenses or through the university’s institutional subscription.
Using shared resources doesn’t mean you have to settle for less professional tools; in many cases, sharing access to specialist equipment is the most cost-effective way to use it.
Make Necessary Spending Work a Little Harder
Some architecture-related costs you simply cannot avoid. Printing your presentation boards, occasionally replacing your external hard drives, the models for your studies, the small amount of materials you need for that.
Use your necessary spending to work a little harder for you throughout the year. Take advantage of student discounts, collect and use loyalty points, receive cash back, and use membership rewards for recurring architecture studio expenses.
This can also include reviewing whether a financial rewards program offers useful benefits for qualifying activity. For example, students comparing available options may look at a rewards program and consider whether its membership rewards or other benefits fit spending they were already planning to make.
The key is to treat rewards as an added benefit, not a reason to spend more. Small savings can still be useful when architecture students face repeated costs over several semesters.
Build Your Digital Toolkit Gradually
A major cost for architecture students is the cost of their computer. Many design programs are extremely demanding, and it is not unusual for students to purchase the newest computer on the market when they start school.
It is wrong to assume that you immediately need more powerful computer equipment as a student of architecture. While two-dimensional work and page layout can easily be done on low-end computers, 3D modeling, rendering as well as BIM require more powerful hardware.
Even problems that seem to require you to buy new computer hardware can often be solved with more memory, more storage, or a better monitor, for a fraction of the cost of a new computer.
Having reliable backups of your work is also very important. Depending on the size of the files you work with, you will need a way to store them externally (such as a USB drive) and possibly in the cloud as well (such as with SugarSync or CrashPlan).
Treat Model-Making Materials as a Working Inventory
Physical models can be very expensive, especially if you have to buy all new materials for each project. However, you can save these same materials for future studies and even use them for small parts of larger models.
You can save offcuts of card, foam, acrylic, and wood for future studies, for example, making components for dollhouses or small building models.
Similarly, for an early prototype of a model, you don’t need the most expensive materials to test the scale, the overall proportions of a model, and how the model will come apart for storage.
This also applies when many students in a studio course need the same materials and can split the costs and have them delivered to school.
By carefully managing your model-making materials, you can save money and become a more considered and reduced fabricator of your work.
Invest in the Tools That Help Build Your Portfolio
Good model photography, reliable file storage, careful printing, and consistent layout tools can all contribute to a stronger portfolio that continues to bring value.
Many of these tools become more valuable as you near graduation and move into internships and jobs, where they help document and present your work professionally.
A good portfolio does not have to cost money. The most important thing is that it clearly shows your design process and your way of thinking.
Let Your Toolkit Evolve With Your Architecture
Architecture students may not know exactly what they want to do when they start school. Their interests can change over time, so a good architecture toolkit can change with the student.
By the time a student has moved on from making physical models of buildings, they will have acquired tools to support other aspects of architecture, such as visualization, computational design, and environmental analysis. You can sell, trade, or give these tools to other students.
By selling, giving away, or passing on tools you no longer need for architecture studies, you can save money and avoid getting duped into buying something your classmate already has.
The best architecture toolbox is one that is flexible to your needs and helps you complete your work.
Build Capability, Not Just a Collection of Tools
A professional architecture toolkit is built up over time and thus can be bought over several years. Use the tools at your university, reuse as much as possible, and buy the latest software only when you need it.
Buying products that offer some form of discount, signing up for rewards, and purchasing thoughtfully can help to reduce costs and maximize value from each purchase.
Having the right tools to sketch ideas, test ideas, make models, print work, and present work to others is crucial to an architect’s work. It’s relatively easy to measure the value of a collection of tools over time; they enable you to work effectively.
