The Architecture Course

Imagine yourselves being shut inside a room and asked to explore! Not much exposure, monotonous, and you tend to look at the same old thing. Only when you are let out free into the open do you get to experience and explore the wild. Well, that’s exactly how architecture is; not just creative, but also has a multi-disciplinary approach towards it. And also, learning never happens from one medium but is always diverse. Formal education in universities is sometimes never adequate for the students, and that’s when online workshops come into play. Easier to attend from the comfort of our homes, they not only keep us up to date with the ongoing trends and issues but also provide us solutions for the same.  

Role of Online Workshops

In a rapidly evolving and changing architectural environment, we, as architects do have certain responsibilities to look after it and contribute to its development. Informal education becomes a necessity for the vocational training of students. At present, the traditional education system offers very little or almost no educational opportunities for students. One of the primary aims of architecture is to broaden the student’s perspectives and design skills which can never be possible within the college atmosphere since students gain only theoretical knowledge and fail to gain any practical knowledge that is required for the field.        

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet1
Online Workshops_ ©blog.academyart.edu

Workshops are considered to be methods to work, teach, learn and create tools and make decisions in a very imaginative and creative way far away from restrictions and other formal processes. 

The advantages of the online workshops are enlisted below:

Flexibility

Online workshops are always in high demand due to their flexible nature. Learning can happen anywhere, anytime, according to the user’s comfort. There is no necessity to commute to a physical campus. Certain courses require registration and attending live lectures; else, there is a possibility of structuring the coursework to our pace.

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet2
Flexibility of Online Workshops_©unischolarz.com

Career Options | Online workshops

When we keep moving around in the same circle, we never tend to look at the opportunities beyond. Venturing into the vast ocean of online workshops, students and professionals also indulge in a very different and unique perspective of the world and tend to understand where they are and what they would want to do. 

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet3
Architecture Jobs_©kiiky.com

Wider Range of Course and Programs

Before advancing into a career option, one should know which one is best suitable for them. Sadly, a lot of them remain unknown during their initial university days. It is the online workshops that introduce a lot of new courses and ascertain the fact that there are umpteen career options that could be taken up after graduation and one could sustain through with decent pay. 

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet
Alternate Career Options_©designability.org.uk

Varied Perspectives 

Online workshops always involve the meeting up of students and professionals from various parts of the world. There are very high chances of how an individual has different solutions to the same problem which makes understanding better. Online learners usually have a wider range of goals and it could help one gain insights into the methods and techniques one follows in their place for the same issue. 

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet5
Different Perpsectives_©archisoup.com

Immediately Applicable | Online workshops

This is applicable and useful to professionals who take up courses to upskill their portfolios and skills. After undertaking the course, they can immediately apply it to their jobs and it can yield great results. It would also enhance greater efficiency in their work. 

Affordability

Online workshops come with various prices based on the results they differ and the professionals involved with them. However, there is an option that the users could always choose based on their professional needs and the price range comfortable to them. This saves a lot of money that goes into accommodation and travel expenses. At times, even stipends are granted by the employers if the course is going to help benefit the firm in any way.  

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Less Cost_©archdaily.com

Time Management Skill

Time management is an important skill that needs to be learned and taken on irrespective of the profession we are in. In the case of online workshops, there is a strong need to juggle between work and education. Multiple errands need to be carried out whilst taking up the course. Thus, the assignments have to be broken down into smaller chunks and completed.  

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet7
Time Management_©trainingexpress.org.uk

Virtual Collaborations | Online workshops

As discussed in the early sections, we understand that online workshops meant the gathering of a lot of individuals belonging to the same or varied fields. There is an opportunity created for collaboration, to discuss and analyze others’ viewpoints, hire teams, train people, etc. Skills like group discussions and team management are thus developed.   

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet8
Group Work_©wplms.io

Technical Skills 

In the case of technical knowledge for the field of architecture, software skills are very important for the presentation of ideas. Dependence on somebody to guide will never help, be it the start or for any clarification. The best way would be to attend online classes or to watch tutorials to master them. 

Why should students and professionals indulge in online workshops? - Sheet9
Architecture Softwares_©land8.com

Easy Locations | Online workshops

The course can be completed from anywhere! While traditional learning can happen only inside classrooms, these are not restricted and can be attended from anywhere in a comfortable setting with just internet access.

Comfortable Setting_©eater.com

Conclusion

Online workshops are not compulsory, but they are extremely important as they bridge the gap between the theoretical knowledge we gain from college and the practical knowledge that is expected on site. They mould us into better individuals, both personally and professionally.  

References:

  1. Orhan, M., 2022. The Role and Importance of Workshops in the Architectural Design Education; Case of &quot;Self Made Architecture İ-İI&quot;. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: <https://www.academia.edu/42799551/The_Role_and_Importance_of_Workshops_in_the_Architectural_Design_Education_Case_of_Self_Made_Architecture_I_II> [Accessed 21 August 2022].
  2. Mcnamee, J. and Mcnamee, J., 2022. 12 Benefits of Online Learning for Working Professionals. [online] Emeritus – Online Certificate Courses | Diploma Programs. Available at: <https://emeritus.org/blog/benefits-to-online-learning/> [Accessed 21 August 2022].
Author

Alamu Priya is a budding conservation architect pursuing her final year of masters from SPA, Vijayawada. An avid reader and writer, she believes that words create a profound impact on people and can be used as a weapon to unveil the magic behind architecture.