Architecture College extend much beyond the course curriculum. There is much to learn apart from the mandate which the council has prescribed. Architecture has rewired me to adopt a fresh perspective in life, which has chiseled and shaped me in ways I could not imagine being done by anything else. It is only ironic to think how little I thought there was to learn when in reality I have not only expanded my knowledge in the concerned subjects but also in numerous other areas of intersection.
Architecture has taught me to be proactive
As students, we constantly try to keep ourselves abreast with the changes happening around the world and utilize that information by incorporating it into our design to the best of our abilities. Many a time we are required to go out into the streets, conduct surveys and question people to better understand the problems being faced in society, hoping to become a part of the solution by understanding them via first-hand interactions. Through this process, we strive to contribute to the making of a world that is responsive to the needs of its people.
This endeavor pushes us to find out more about the changes happening across the globe, making us eager to understand and thus resolve them, all the while making us proactive beings. Architecture cannot be practiced by sitting inside a room, isolated from the world we aspire to create in. If we want to become a part of the solution, we have to become a participant in experiencing the problems we wish to solve.
Architecture has taught me to adopt a problem-solving attitude
One of the traits that I had picked up very early on in architecture was a problem-solving attitude that permeated right through my architectural sphere onto other areas in my life. In college, we are often given a problem and asked to resolve it by way of creative thinking, which is then applied in our designs.
Although we are guided by teachers along the way, the innate solution must come from us and this process of thinking has helped me develop a more objective outlook in life. It helped me tune out the unnecessary elements and harness a solution-driven approach in life.
Architecture has taught me organisational skills | Architecture 101
Organisational skills such as multitasking and prioritising come into play big-time during the span of our course. Whether it is preparing a presentation or making a model or rendering a sheet or handling software- it is naïve to think that they can be accomplished without juggling them simultaneously. The nature of our assignments is so diverse that one is bound to learn to multitask and so have I. There are times, however, when it just becomes too difficult to multi-task and what I learnt as a result of those situations is the art of prioritising. I have come to learn that I thrive well in high-pressure environments but for those who do not it is only skills such as these that will help them walk the tightrope of timely submissions.
How my presumptions about architecture have changed over time
My understanding of the term architecture has changed significantly over time. I used to think that it was concerned with the design of buildings and that that was it. It is with time that I have realised that architecture is interspersed with every aspect of our lives as it frames the very spaces we live and breathe in. It unites and divides us at the same time, showcasing how different communities coexist next to each other. It reveals the genius and marvel of human civilization that has transcended through the ages, thereby giving character and personality to those very places. It conveys a story through every detail that comprises its being. It holds the power to unite people and develop a sense of togetherness and do so with such creative intellect that can stop a person in their tracks makes me realise just how compelling this very subject is.
Crucial technical skills I learnt in college
Towards the latter years of architecture college, I learnt to dabble in software. It becomes necessary for securing a position in a firm during the period of training as well as after. The standard requirement being proficiency in AutoCAD, Sketch Up and Photoshop, but with time I developed my areas of expertise in other software such as Twinmotion, etc. These skills become important to market oneself post-graduation and build a portfolio- the quality of which decides our future in the field concerned.
What Architecture has taught me | Architecture 101
Architecture has always taught me to think outside of the regular. It has taught me to break stereotypes and widen my horizon of knowledge. It has opened me up in so many ways that make me more accepting of others. I find myself putting the needs of others before mine, making me more sensitive as a human being and a better person at the end of it all.
