One of the most vivid memories that I possess from the research that I have done before entering the world of architecture is one of Zaha Hadid’s highly acclaimed quotes that states the following: ‘if you want an easy life, don’t be an architect’. The challenge in her words were particularly compelling to me, to the point where I had based my entire career on them. I have learnt numerous things in architecture college, things that are beyond the technicalities of producing a set of floor plans, sections and elevations.
During my first-year, I would experience waves of doubt because of how difficult I found it to accept any criticism of my work. I had a mere idea of what studying architecture would be like from the media and some family members, but there are so many challenges that a typical architecture student experiences that are not addressed enough for the sake of aspiring architects.
One of the many presumptions that I had during my first time working in the studio was how dangerous and hazardous the machinery that we had to deal with was. In a room almost full of men, I somehow convinced myself that it would be pathetic of me as a woman to attempt to handle such complex and heavy machines. Initially, understanding how to use the nail-gun, sawing and sanding machines was a breeze but I found difficulty in bringing myself to apply the skills that I learnt into practice because of how risky I thought it would be to do so. With perseverance and my utter fear of failure, I found myself asking for the assistance that I needed. Architecture college teaches you that it is perfectly fine to admit that you are struggling in a specific area in the field because of the emphasis that the major puts on moving past your errors and creating something that you are proud of. I can contently say today that I no longer feel as lost as I did on my first day in the studio, I feel like I wholeheartedly belong there.
Zaha Hadid’s words would always find their way back to me during my sleepless nights of working on my essays, sketches and models, which mainly stemmed from the competitive nature of architecture college and my constant need of receiving validation for my work… I slowly learnt how to use the competitiveness in the world of architecture to my advantage without overwhelming myself with the need to stand out. This was a skill that took a long time to acquire because it is not exactly easy to come into terms with the work that you create as an architect. Learning to accept criticism can be incredibly challenging in any field, but in architecture college, it is the core foundation of assessing our progress. I had to learn how to welcome all of the judgments made by the jury, the good, the bad and the ugly. More often than not the jury will find something negative to say and will not shy away from pointing out the errors in the work of an aspiring architect. In my first year, this had to be the most difficult challenge that I had to overcome. I truly understood what Zaha Hadid meant, listening to my work being critiqued by architects was completely nerve wracking and soul-crushing sometimes to the point where I contemplated changing my career path. However, I learnt that there was a purpose for it all. Without the suggestions and advice that I have received from the jury during my presentations, I would not have models and sketches that I now pride myself in and consider extraordinary.
Another crucial lesson that I learnt from architecture college is the power of communication. Communication is key in almost all fields but the group projects assigned to us in college solely depended on our ability to communicate. Communication is what keeps the group work in production, from sharing the different set of skills each member has to managing time by delegating work, reducing the amount of pressure on the individual.
Having different deadlines on different projects can be pressuring and a stress booster, it can be dangerous with its long-term effects, like anxiety if it is not dealt with the right way. It is important to know that your health is as important as your studies and taking a break between work is essential, hand in hand with time management, it can be a motivating for the students to finish and develop their work at a better psychological state of mind.
Overall it is a journey that I do not regret embarking on, full of lessons and experience that filled me with the urge to further develop my skills and knowledge, pursuing the career path I have always dreamed of.
Never give up and let the urge to build a better world drive you through your journey !
