You speak really well into these issues. I would love to hear a voice like yours actively engaging with the decision makers of cultural/structural change of architectural education. Of course there’s lots to be grateful for in my education and also lots I could have done to make it a more profitable experience, however I do feel my education left me scarcely qualified or equipped to deal with the challenges and realities of real life practice. Feeling under qualified to actually know how to get a building built. Clueless in many ways. With mountains to climb in many subjects. I’ve also had to go away from the industry for a number of years to get a broader perspective on the harm that elements of my education caused, including the damaging habits that were normalised and celebrated at the time, also the complete lack of awareness or guidance around mental health issues. Got a few things to get off my chest clearly 😂. Thanks for sharing this
I'm on the other side of the world (New Zealand) and the story is almost identical here in terms of the education experience. I liked your tip about having friends outside of the school - by chance I had a strong group of friends outside the architecture school and maybe that's why I never really bought into the BS my lecturers were using to explain their behaviour. The existence of that Bartlett report is the best news I heard in a very long time - I hope the lesson spreads far and wide.
Neil, great video, thank you so much for the insights of the profession! I have Just been accepted into architecture school. After watching this amazing video, I'm looking forward with excitement to starting studing. You asked at the begging of the video wether after watching it "we", the viewers, would still want to pursuit architecture. For me, this video has sparked even more curiousity and desire to pursuit architecture. So i own you a big thank you and respect for your work! I will stay tuned for more educational content!
I’m 17 and got accepted into a college for architecture and design, these videos scare me but I have nothing else I want to do, I don’t know what I should do
Like Medicine, Architecture is a "closed shop", and minimal university enrollments keep competition low. 6 years of study does the same. I learned more architecture in junior high school art class, than later in life. Without any tertiary study, I was an Architectural Modelmaker for 30 years, and can't tell you how many times I had to correct their drawings.
We started with 100. 25 Graduated from fifth year with a Bachelor of Architecture. Less than half became registered architects. Half of them quit and went into another profession. One of my classmates lived in a small town in Arkansas. His salary was terrible. he ended working for Big Bob’s buying chicken.
the most abrupt realisation for me happened early on after my degree. We were taught how to design buildings - but when you arrive in practice the owners of the firm probably do that already, and think they are very good at it too. So you end up trying to implement their designs which is something you have just had no training in. Furthermore, the more interested you are in design, maybe the more talented you are? the more of a threat you are to the practice principal hence the less likely you are to succeed as an employee. .... one of the reasons for the high drop out/self/un employed stats. Now I cannot place your accent, an island Scottish? (the houses looked Scots) and I suspect and hope the brain-drain to London isn't so strong up there, but here in Northern England by far the majority of architects go to live and work in London, the result - superb buildings and design in London. Another result, a non-existent profession and culture up North in the small non-university towns, where the planners, unused to anything but Noddy houses and equipped with day-release, tick-box degrees, stifle the profession and strangle it. Here, it is FAR more cost effective to be an architectural technician 'designing' houses for Big Ears and P.C. Plod.. Though beautiful little extensions appear to be your meat and drink, they don't exist in my town, because of this and the fact that your clients - educated middle-class pros???? - don't exist in post-industrial Northern (English) towns either ...... I taught at 2 well-known architecture schools btw. I would also add that to be a successful architect, heading a firm, it doesn't half help to have come from a moneyed and connected background, probably based in S.E. England ..... I know it is different in Scotland because the class structure is (a bit) - but aren't nearly all well known architects STILL???? from moneyed families, i.e. they don't have to make much money from their offices at first??? Zaha (obviously), Richard Rogers (the most humane and friendly architect I have ever come across), Norman???? (I don't know ) but isn't the current generation (in London) more of the same? hence the success of graduates of the A.A. (a private architecture school). Nuff sed.
You raise so many great points. I am Irish but work in Edinburgh. There is a lot of money in the city and that encourages a small but thriving domestic architecture scene. I live 45 minutes outside the city, house prices and incomes are about half that of Edinburgh and almost no one hires an Architect to work on their home. I do know architects who came from wealthy and well connected backgrounds but I know plenty of others, myself included, who did not.
The education from future architects should look again at the ‘thin sandwich’ course operated by Bath University in the late 1970s and 1980s. A four year BSc gave us all a good grounding in the academic and practice basics taught jointly with structural and services engineering students. The two year Part 2 ‘added’ the necessary depth to the architecture aspects. The course structure is not the issue, what is on the course to be learnt is. My Part 3 course was in effect an MBA for architects (Nottingham and DMU). The problem we saw as students was other courses emphasis on the Venustas, missing the Utilitas and Firmitas. The profession of an architect is an Art, a Science and a Technology not just one or two of them :-)
WOW -- 38,000LBS -- THAT'S SURPRISINGly low IMO . went into Architecture at University of Toronto in 1988 -- left in 1992 after 5yrs - having only completed 2yrs of Architecture and 3 of Landscape - with no degree -- after realising that residential design is my passion - and under Canadian Law - there is no legal requirement to be an Architect to do so.. SO .. I've been practicing "residential design" since 1993 -- this is my 30th year following an avocation (and getting paid for it) with a salary of $66,000 CAD. now. YOU described the process of schooling PERFECTLY -- and the reason I left was the greatly influenced by your description of the Bartlett report-- THIS was the norm for UoT in the late 80's - early 90's ... Principles become managers - and not designers -- reviewing juniors -- managing projects, offices &c. it can be the death of a passion .. so when you get a "choice" project- sink you teeth in and enjoy what you thought the career would be.. they come far and few between but are the cherry on a great profession. I am Wm Scott Turrall UE.. Quinte Designs - and thanks for the continued great videos ..
Great content, I stumbled upon this as im looking at getting into garden design I already have a building and Landscaping company and design my projects by just building them but I want to dive into it more to be able to show client before construction what advice would you give someone like myself? And what software would you recommend? Thanks
While the school environnement might bet better soon, do you think the actual work environnement will get better during our lifetime (from a 17 y/o point of view) ?
I study in the ETH, and most people doing all-nighters are inexperienced at time and project management. There is a huge emphasis on mental health, after there were some horrific stories that made a stir. I never experienced anything negative apart critics from some butthurt people. Now everybody is being super cautious with the whole "woke" trend from the USA.
Architecture is fun!! ….. I came from a poor Blacktown family (2003) went to Western Sydney (studied bachelor of construction 2004) got my first job 2008 …. Made my first million developing Blacktown 4-plex (2012) retired 2020 (Covid) decided what will be a fun way to end my life (pilot) or (Architecture)?? Choose UTS … Architecture for fun 🤩… if a designer called Prada puts her heart ❤️ into a design spends 90 hours making a custom piece BUT no one buys it!! THEN fffk it!! she will wear it herself!! SAME IDEOLOGY!! If I spend 200 hours designing my own duplex then … spend 12 months building it USING MY OWN builders licence!! if NO ONE wants to buy it!! THEN fffk it!! I will rent it out for the next 5 years ….. Like the “House of Prada” I am going to turn my 2 & 5yr old children into great designers, hopefully 🙏 50yrs from now!! Nabila Design Studio will be a well known design house!! if not me … my children and my grandchildren will have amazing life experiences 💋……I spend 3 hours every night 5 days per week teaching my children to draw ✍️………………(2024)
I want to puresue this major, But it takes so long ill be wasting my prime of my life not traveling and having much fun... but then Ill be doing a job I love and not a corprate job after the fact for most of my life... At what cost 🥲
Before you make your decesion, find someone who is further on in their architecture career and have a chat with them. Find out if they love their job. Maybe even shadow them at work for a few days.
"We get paid for implementation, not inspiration".👏👏👏👏
I wish I knew this in my first year as an architecture student.
Me too…
You speak really well into these issues. I would love to hear a voice like yours actively engaging with the decision makers of cultural/structural change of architectural education. Of course there’s lots to be grateful for in my education and also lots I could have done to make it a more profitable experience, however I do feel my education left me scarcely qualified or equipped to deal with the challenges and realities of real life practice. Feeling under qualified to actually know how to get a building built. Clueless in many ways. With mountains to climb in many subjects. I’ve also had to go away from the industry for a number of years to get a broader perspective on the harm that elements of my education caused, including the damaging habits that were normalised and celebrated at the time, also the complete lack of awareness or guidance around mental health issues. Got a few things to get off my chest clearly 😂. Thanks for sharing this
Thank you for sharing your own experience. I hope things change
I'm on the other side of the world (New Zealand) and the story is almost identical here in terms of the education experience. I liked your tip about having friends outside of the school - by chance I had a strong group of friends outside the architecture school and maybe that's why I never really bought into the BS my lecturers were using to explain their behaviour. The existence of that Bartlett report is the best news I heard in a very long time - I hope the lesson spreads far and wide.
👍
I had no idea how much time was spent on logistics. I'd assumed it was about blueprints and models.
It's given me some hope.
👍
Neil, great video, thank you so much for the insights of the profession! I have Just been accepted into architecture school. After watching this amazing video, I'm looking forward with excitement to starting studing. You asked at the begging of the video wether after watching it "we", the viewers, would still want to pursuit architecture. For me, this video has sparked even more curiousity and desire to pursuit architecture. So i own you a big thank you and respect for your work!
I will stay tuned for more educational content!
I’m 17 and got accepted into a college for architecture and design, these videos scare me but I have nothing else I want to do, I don’t know what I should do
Oh man, I feel bad for doing this but I also feel someone should tell you this stuff.
For more, and better info on the architecture profession, check out The Broke Architect podcast, it’s really good
Like Medicine, Architecture is a "closed shop", and minimal university enrollments keep competition low. 6 years of study does the same. I learned more architecture in junior high school art class, than later in life. Without any tertiary study, I was an Architectural Modelmaker for 30 years, and can't tell you how many times I had to correct their drawings.
Cheers, that was really informative! I did Engineering and wish I'd had more courses / experience in Business and Project Management at Uni.
How many of your classmates run businesses?
@@RealLifeArchitecture Sadly I'm not really in touch with any of them. And somehow I ended up running a charity!
We started with 100. 25 Graduated from fifth year with a Bachelor of Architecture. Less than half became registered architects. Half of them quit and went into another profession. One of my classmates lived in a small town in Arkansas. His salary was terrible. he ended working for Big Bob’s buying chicken.
the most abrupt realisation for me happened early on after my degree. We were taught how to design buildings - but when you arrive in practice the owners of the firm probably do that already, and think they are very good at it too. So you end up trying to implement their designs which is something you have just had no training in.
Furthermore, the more interested you are in design, maybe the more talented you are? the more of a threat you are to the practice principal hence the less likely you are to succeed as an employee. .... one of the reasons for the high drop out/self/un employed stats.
Now I cannot place your accent, an island Scottish? (the houses looked Scots) and I suspect and hope the brain-drain to London isn't so strong up there, but here in Northern England by far the majority of architects go to live and work in London, the result - superb buildings and design in London.
Another result, a non-existent profession and culture up North in the small non-university towns, where the planners, unused to anything but Noddy houses and equipped with day-release, tick-box degrees, stifle the profession and strangle it. Here, it is FAR more cost effective to be an architectural technician 'designing' houses for Big Ears and P.C. Plod..
Though beautiful little extensions appear to be your meat and drink, they don't exist in my town, because of this and the fact that your clients - educated middle-class pros???? - don't exist in post-industrial Northern (English) towns either ......
I taught at 2 well-known architecture schools btw.
I would also add that to be a successful architect, heading a firm, it doesn't half help to have come from a moneyed and connected background, probably based in S.E. England ..... I know it is different in Scotland because the class structure is (a bit) - but aren't nearly all well known architects STILL???? from moneyed families, i.e. they don't have to make much money from their offices at first??? Zaha (obviously), Richard Rogers (the most humane and friendly architect I have ever come across), Norman???? (I don't know ) but isn't the current generation (in London) more of the same? hence the success of graduates of the A.A. (a private architecture school). Nuff sed.
You raise so many great points.
I am Irish but work in Edinburgh. There is a lot of money in the city and that encourages a small but thriving domestic architecture scene. I live 45 minutes outside the city, house prices and incomes are about half that of Edinburgh and almost no one hires an Architect to work on their home.
I do know architects who came from wealthy and well connected backgrounds but I know plenty of others, myself included, who did not.
The education from future architects should look again at the ‘thin sandwich’ course operated by Bath University in the late 1970s and 1980s. A four year BSc gave us all a good grounding in the academic and practice basics taught jointly with structural and services engineering students. The two year Part 2 ‘added’ the necessary depth to the architecture aspects. The course structure is not the issue, what is on the course to be learnt is. My Part 3 course was in effect an MBA for architects (Nottingham and DMU). The problem we saw as students was other courses emphasis on the Venustas, missing the Utilitas and Firmitas. The profession of an architect is an Art, a Science and a Technology not just one or two of them :-)
Why did Bath University stop offering the ‘thin sandwich’ course?
@@RealLifeArchitecture I have no idea. It gave me a very good grounding for the career though.
WOW -- 38,000LBS -- THAT'S SURPRISINGly low IMO . went into Architecture at University of Toronto in 1988 -- left in 1992 after 5yrs - having only completed 2yrs of Architecture and 3 of Landscape - with no degree -- after realising that residential design is my passion - and under Canadian Law - there is no legal requirement to be an Architect to do so.. SO .. I've been practicing "residential design" since 1993 -- this is my 30th year following an avocation (and getting paid for it) with a salary of $66,000 CAD. now. YOU described the process of schooling PERFECTLY -- and the reason I left was the greatly influenced by your description of the Bartlett report-- THIS was the norm for UoT in the late 80's - early 90's ... Principles become managers - and not designers -- reviewing juniors -- managing projects, offices &c. it can be the death of a passion .. so when you get a "choice" project- sink you teeth in and enjoy what you thought the career would be.. they come far and few between but are the cherry on a great profession. I am Wm Scott Turrall UE.. Quinte Designs - and thanks for the continued great videos ..
Thanks for sharing your experience
Great content, I stumbled upon this as im looking at getting into garden design I already have a building and Landscaping company and design my projects by just building them but I want to dive into it more to be able to show client before construction what advice would you give someone like myself? And what software would you recommend? Thanks
I want to study Architecture
While the school environnement might bet better soon, do you think the actual work environnement will get better during our lifetime (from a 17 y/o point of view) ?
You are looking decades into the future, I don’t think it’s possible to tell
it takes 5 years for architecture undergraduate in south korea
I study in the ETH, and most people doing all-nighters are inexperienced at time and project management. There is a huge emphasis on mental health, after there were some horrific stories that made a stir. I never experienced anything negative apart critics from some butthurt people. Now everybody is being super cautious with the whole "woke" trend from the USA.
Hello sir I need you help sir 😢😢
What’s up?
❤❤❤❤
Architecture is fun!! ….. I came from a poor Blacktown family (2003) went to Western Sydney (studied bachelor of construction 2004) got my first job 2008 …. Made my first million developing Blacktown 4-plex (2012) retired 2020 (Covid) decided what will be a fun way to end my life (pilot) or (Architecture)?? Choose UTS … Architecture for fun 🤩… if a designer called Prada puts her heart ❤️ into a design spends 90 hours making a custom piece BUT no one buys it!! THEN fffk it!! she will wear it herself!! SAME IDEOLOGY!! If I spend 200 hours designing my own duplex then … spend 12 months building it USING MY OWN builders licence!! if NO ONE wants to buy it!! THEN fffk it!! I will rent it out for the next 5 years ….. Like the “House of Prada” I am going to turn my 2 & 5yr old children into great designers, hopefully 🙏 50yrs from now!! Nabila Design Studio will be a well known design house!! if not me … my children and my grandchildren will have amazing life experiences 💋……I spend 3 hours every night 5 days per week teaching my children to draw ✍️………………(2024)
I want to puresue this major, But it takes so long ill be wasting my prime of my life not traveling and having much fun... but then Ill be doing a job I love and not a corprate job after the fact for most of my life... At what cost 🥲
Before you make your decesion, find someone who is further on in their architecture career and have a chat with them. Find out if they love their job. Maybe even shadow them at work for a few days.