Professional Associations

I was wondering what are good programs/memberships to get into?  Such as AIAS and International Code Council.  Are there other ones out there that approach being LEED certified?  Besides internships what are other affordable ways to gain knowledge and experiences?  Would it be wise to participate in online competitions?  Could the competitions be damaging at all to my career?

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There are way too many professional associations/organizations to list, but rather search on Google keywords that you are interested - for example

http://www.architect.org/links/architecture_organizations.html

http://www.usgbc.org/ - US Green Building Council

While internships are certainly the best way to gain experience, you can certainly enter competitions (online or not) as well research with faculty (Are you in school?). 

Best.

Sustainable Design or Architecture

I have an undergraduate non-accredited degree in architecture. I wish to study further with specialization in Sustainable Design and Construction.  Could you give me some advice on which is a better option - M.Arch or M.S in Sustainable Design.  As I understand, M.Arch is a design oriented course culminating in a thesis while M.S is more research focused without thesis.  Is it correct?  Also what is the advantage of a NAAB accredited degree over a non-NAAB accredited one.  I do know that accredited degree is required for getting a license to practise in the US. But is there any other advantage as well.  Especially in terms of programs, curriculum, specialization and getting a job? 

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 IMHO, it all comes down to whether or not you wish to become an architect.  If so, the decision is simple as you will need the accredited Master of Architecture to pursue licensure.  Given that sustainable design is a hot topic, I am sure that you can find a Master of Architecture with a strong emphasis in sustainable design.  

The difference in the degrees does not hinge on thesis or not as there are MArch degrees with and without the requirement of a thesis.

If becoming an architect is not an issue, then pursue the MS Sustainable Design.  I do not know much about this degree, but again -- do you wish to become an architect?

Truth be told, you could always pursue the sustainable design degree at a later date.

Thanks!

Biology to Architecture

I've been embarking on the potential transition into the architecture field.  I'd be applying to 3 to 4 year first professional master's programs.  I have a B.S. in biology and have worked/volunteered in a myriad of different positions (hospital-oriented, research, industrial biology/agriculture, zoological park).  I currently work for a publishing company which publishes job leads for companies in the construction business which has given me an superficial overview of the construction field.  

 

Over the years, I felt like I was missing something from these pursuits.  I came to find that it was creativity which these ventures lacked, and I yearned for it in my work.  I started delving into my artistic side and have become increasingly fascinated with ecological/sustainable design movement in the built environment, both of which led me to architecture.  I'm currently taking an architectural drafting course at a community college, have taken a sustainable design course, and I'm enrolled in a summer program in environmental design.  I was fortunately granted a scholarship to attend.  

I am wondering if you could add any insight to whether or not sustainable hospital design would be a good route to focus my architectural studies.  I have years of experience working in hospitals and have volunteered abroad in undeserved medical clinics.  I thought my background may come into play with designing and might also be a way to distinguish myself from a crowd in the work force.  I have read that hospital design and sustainable development are the most widely researched areas in the architecture field now-a-days.  I'm concerned that narrowing my focus may not be a good idea though.  Is it important to make yourself unique in the architecture field and, if so, how would you suggest doing that?

Also, what are the most common portfolio pieces that are submitted to grad programs from people who have no experience in art or architecture?  This will be a challenge for me. 

Any advice would be appreciated.  

Thanks for your time,

____________

 

First, congrats on your decision to pursue architecture.

In one respect, I would caution you on too narrowly focusing your career at this early stage.  I do grant you that healthcare and sustainability are hot topics/markets that should continue for the near-term future.  You may wish to contact the following for your career path.

http://www.healtharchitects.org/ACHA/healthcare_architects.asp

With that said, I would suggest that you pursue a broad set of interests within architecture so you can react to any changes in the economy/market.

As for portfolios, submit creative work (not necessarily architecture).  This can include art, freehand drawing, painting, etc.  At minimum, contact the programs to which you are applying to gain insight from them.  Finally, review the book/website - http://www.portfoliodesign.com -.

Best!  Do contact me if you have further questions.

Sustainable Architecture

I wanted to know if choosing sustainable architecture for master degree is a good choice to find a job in the USA?  If it's not a good choice what field do you recommend?  I also like some other fields like site planning, interior design and architecture.  By the way at the moment I am living in Australia and will get my master here.  Thank you very much for your time and concern.

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As you are probably aware, the topic of sustainable architecture / green buildings is a hot one.  There are many resources for architects and the building industry on the topic.

One in particular deals with South Australia

http://bimandintegrateddesign.com/2012/01/20/an-integrated-design-strategy-for-every-man-woman-and-child/

Now, the question as to whether it is a good choice for securing a position in the U.S.  In general, I would say yes, but I would suggest you research firms in which you are interested to see if their commitment to sustainable architecture makes your choice a good one.

Another resource to consider is the Committee on the Environment of the AIA (see below)

http://network.aia.org/committeeontheenvironment/home/

Ultimately, firms hire individuals for many different reasons - skills, experience, fit, etc.  Is an expertise in sustainable architecture one of them?

Best!

Art History to Architecture - Graduate Program Search

As I've  been looking for information about MArch programs, I've been referred to your blog by other websites on multiple occasions and found your responses to be very helpful. I decided to send you a personal email after I saw a post from archcareers.org that listed your email address. I am an art history major from DePauw University, a small liberal arts college not too far from University of Illinois, seeking help with refining my MArch school search.

 

I am searching for a program that includes constructablity and sustainability in their curriculum, and focuses less on theory.  As I've been looking at different programs, I am drawn to the schools that have their students working on community projects as a part of the curriculum. For example, the University of Washington, one of their student's studios focused on an "urban village," which looked at a section of land in an up and coming section of Seattle and created a school that responded to the community's needs.  Ultimately, after I graduate I want to work in disaster areas, rebuilding communities that were destroyed. I've looked into what people are rebuilding the Joplin communities, but only could find references to funding and the EPA. I found an organization called "Make It Right," which is an organization working to rebuild the lower 9th ward in New Orleans (http://www.makeitrightnola.org/index.php).

 

I am just wondering if I am on the right track because I'm a little stuck. I have been researching programs but not sure how to advance my search and narrow it down to the schools that will emphasize the area of architecture I'm interested in pursuing. I know University of Texas- Austin, has electives that focus on low cost housing, sustainability and other topics that would be helpful. Can you offer any suggestions on refining my search? Am I on the right track? Do you have any programs that would match my interests?  I noticed that some programs focus primarily on design, but I would like a program that focuses on the social and environmental implications of building as well. Lastly, I've read about the design-build theories that link construction and design very closely. Are there any programs that focus on this model more than others?

 

 

Thanks for your time and I'm looking forward to hearing back from you. I really appreciate any advice or suggestions that you can give! 

_______

Thanks for your detailed question; I will do what I can to provide you some assistance.

First, I applaud that you have a very good idea of what you are seeking; this will help a great deal.  Now to some suggestions.

Probably your best source to help narrow the search of graduate program is ARCHSchools.org.  Compiled by ACSA, ARCHSchools.org is a searchable database of all accredited programs in architecture.  It allows you to search by location, degrees, population, and curriculum including specialization.  I did a quick search on Community Design and 67 programs were returned.

I found the following from a search of low-cost housing + sustainability + architecture school.

North Carolina State University
http://design.ncsu.edu/research/hhd/hedi-projects/affordable-housing-sustainability

Interesting Symposium at Iowa State University
http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2011/apr/CoDHousingSymp

Univ. of Virginia
http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=2597

Rose Enterprise Fellowship - Learn about this professional opportunity
http://www.rosefellowship.org/index.php/fellows/detail/joshua_galloway/

Univ. of Minnesota
http://www.csbr.umn.edu/

You could continue to use additional search to see what comes up.  However, the best way which will take the longest effort but have the best results is to search and review each program's website to discover if the program fits your needs.

For programs in Design-Build, refer to the following: http://www.architectmagazine.com/education/design-build.aspx --

NAAB maintains an updated list of accredited programs with their website and contact information - http://www.naab.org/architecture_programs/ -- Ultimately, you will wish to be on the phone with faculty and directors of the programs.  I have attached the list from November 2010

Finally, because you are in Chicago, I will encourage you to attend the Chicago Architecture + Design College Day on Saturday, October 15 on the campus of IIT -- www.chicagocareerday.org -- (see attached).

 

Dr. Architecture