“Architecture starts when you carefully put two bricks together. There it begins.”
As rightly said by American – German architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; architecture, as a practice of designing and constructing buildings, starts essentially with bricks and mortar. But if we put things into perspective, one begins to put together the big picture of practising architecture right with their choice of studying this distinguished course. Architecture as a course of study is a veritable mixture of gruelling and compelling experiences best accompanied with your favourite brew of coffee. At least then you will have something to like.
My late experience of 2 years as a student of architecture has not been different either. Since the very beginning, I too was misled into believing the idea of a sophisticated lifestyle existed comfortably within the reach for every architect. All thanks to popular fiction and cliched blockbusters, I thought I could get a degree by just doodling my way through college and land myself a job in an opulent glass building that looks over Sydney.
With the onset of my classes, I was soon aware of what reality had in store for the next 5 years, and was nothing close to those pretentious narratives on the big screen. But one thing did remain the same, the sheer creative visionary that was expected from each student. Often people reduce the strenuous, 5-year course to just sketching vivid landscapes and painting abstracts. There is no one better than Josh Radnor with a board in a classroom, who plays Ted Mosby, a not so convincing real-world architect from How I met your Mother, to make you believe that we have theory courses too. And at times it’s harder to get through these theory subjects than comparatively leisured studio hours. Although what’s expected of an architect are well thought and carefully curated designs, none of that would be possible without the knowledge of these theory courses. At times, even when they bore you with the basics of Physics and fundamentals of Math, keep your heads up! Because with just devoting the right amount of time and a teeny bit of interest in these subjects, you could have a knack for these tacky things.
With that being said, don’t frown if you aren’t a prodigy in Physics or if those equations just don’t make sense, all those years of scribbling and sketching have not gone down the drain. Truth be told, you don’t have to be either Einstein or Picasso to get this right, none of them were even architects! Sure, having prior knowledge in either of these disciplines come handy, but for the long run, you would just have to find the sweet spot in between artistic expression and scientific reasoning that helps you stride through.
The Jury calls for predictable chaos and a dozen unwanted reality checks being thrown over. Creative composition of perfectly drafted sheets and a healthy state of mind with adequate sleep, two equally luxurious feats that are oscillating ends dictated by a disoriented schedule. After an unhealthy amount of procrastination and caffeine, the model I have started working on has gifted me band-aids and fussy adhesive stains. The Jury presents a herculean task of selling your design to skeptical clients who never have the intention to buy. Every student has their narrative of Jury that is far from a positive experience unless you are Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Nevertheless, all that’s being said and done in a Jury are crucial ideas that need focus and attention, which you might have missed out.
Soon, it becomes harder for us to view the course with rose coloured lenses; because not a class would go without being taught that the course might not always reward you monetarily. While that is far from pleasing, it is a constant reminder of how skilled one must aspire to be. There is always something to unlearn and learn, no one is born with vital knowledge, and one must acquire knowledge by simply tapping resources. Read more! The church by your street might have a compelling history as to why their glasses were stained a certain colour. Try learning a new skill, chances are it might be your calling. And if it all goes the other way, it still counts for a good story!
Architecture is everything from philosophy to science to art to theory. And the best that the course can offer is the wide variety of options it encourages one to explore. If you have a way with words, and firmly believe “the pen is mightier than the sword“, then Architecture Journalism might just be the field for you. Do stories of old Gothic cathedrals, Roman market places intrigue you? Or have you always wanted to know how the Eiffel Tower built? Pursuing a major in European History and Architecture could be an apt choice. Graphic design and Animation are just one of the few domains for all creative geeks that can bring to life their version of Hogwarts or a mythical utopian character. But how am I supposed to know what architecture has in store for you? That’s your call to make and that dictates your narrative of this 5-year saga.
