Knowing to start
The task to start is a necessary step to get the work done. The approach to finding the perfect concept would delay the entire process. With rigid deadlines in architecture school, students learn the key fact that to improvise their piece of work the students need to begin.
A balance between work and social life
With the diversified subjects and engaging assignments, the social life of an architecture student remains confined within the boundaries of the studio, the case studies, and the site visits, most of the time. To have a life, other than that, the students learn to master the art of time-management. Setting the priorities, working on a schedule, and meeting the deadlines leaves a few hours to while away.
The art of appreciation
This skill is a must in everyone’s life. There are two sides to a coin. Everyone knows, yet they forget to look at what is there on the other side. Five years in architecture school does not teach you skills to implement in designing a building but also to learn and understand the language of the inanimate objects around us. They teach you that every element existing has a value. It may not be monetary, but in other ways, it holds meaning.
Learning that you cannot know every single thing
From the very first day of your studio, every faculty would tell you that architecture is not something that can be taught or learned within the confinement of the walls. It is all about exploration and observation. The act of exploration triggers the curiosity of knowing all that exists. Different people have a different set of skills and ethical stances. To be at par with every single one of them is not an option. The only way out is to discover your own set of values and skills and work towards them and accepting that you cannot know everything that the world must teach.
Developing a sense of moral conscience
The role of an architect is not just to design buildings but to understand the whole of biodiversity and the relationship of the species to create a habitable space which caters to the need of every organism in that respective context. The school helps in letting go of the egoistic approach towards designing.
Filtered the criticisms and immuned to unnecessary opinions (the famous “log kya kahenge“)
The remarks of the jurors prove to be, at times, constructive, but that is not always the case. Sometimes it is humiliating and hurtful. The task of the school is not just to polish your skills but also to help you gain an insight into the situations you would have to face in real life. Not every human would like what you do and be nice about it. Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions and ideas, and they would drop it whenever they may please. With the constant criticisms from peers and faculty helps develop an interactive approach and to eliminate any opinions of others that may not serve any purpose to you.
Expression
You learn to express not only in terms of words but also in the form of art and design. You study the language of the unheard and the stories behind a particular place without googling it first. You see things that go unnoticed by someone from a non-architectural background, and you speak on behalf of all of them who cannot tell tales.
Branding and selling your idea
An idea or a concept, does not work till it is implemented. Convincing the jurors about your design concept is the primary focus of the exercise. The design needs to sell itself. Along with the graphical representation, the expression of the idea is a requirement. Students focus mostly on the design and disregard the importance of developing communication skills. The architectural design is a graphics on a sheet of paper if not sold. The art of convincing the audience becomes an essential skill set for an architecture student.
Thinking from the perspective of a user
Like a writer, the architect too, unconsciously, includes elements of his or her fantasy in the design. The task, however, is to design for the user of the space who may have a different idea of the spatial designing that the person wants to inhabit. To make the dream of the client come true, is the task of the architect.
Embracing your failures
From the first day in school, students are given redos, not to demotivate but to realize that the first thing that you make is not necessarily going to be your best work. To know where the person is lagging and to work towards it, is the main objective of the program. To accept the setbacks that come in the way and keep moving forward.
Be yourself
In the process, many tend to project their dream personalities and different approaches that they may not benefit from. You are unique in your way. Figure your ideas, goals, and ethics, and stick to it. That would help in your evolution from the present to the future. Projecting dream personalities would not bring out the best in you if that is not you. Embrace your identity and define your style.
