Travel is a powerful tool in shaping the perception of the modern world. It plays an ever-growing role in architectural and urban cultures. Inextricably linked to political and ideological issues, travel redefines places and landscapes through buildings and infrastructure.
We all have experienced memorable trips, ones we recall seeing the pictures or souvenirs stuck on our refrigerators. The art of travelling is exploring the city to its maximum, and by doing so one gets the essence of the city or place, which helps him to connect even better with the architecture, especially for the architects. Through visual and textual narratives, Architecture is reconstructed by modern travellers — including writers and artists along with architects themselves. In the age of the camera, and mobile phone, travel is bound up with new kinds of imaginaries and private records and the value of architectural heritage increasingly rests on the images. To learn architectural history, students often go through image collections.
Being an architect, imagination and exploration is the key of design. There are certain ways in which one can travel as an architect.
Architects can get a chance to travel instead of just sitting in an office and working for hours.
Here are 10 tips for architects to travel:
1. Learning From Forms and Style of Architecture:
History and architecture style are some of the interesting topics to learn while travelling and it helps to connect with the real-time experience in that place. The basic features of any structure or a building which are notable and historically identified characterises the architectural style. For example, colonial, gothic, baroque, ancient roman, neoclassical, Ismalic architecture are some of the most inspiring and timeless works of architecture.
2. Attain Knowledge:
Travel is the best way to gather knowledge about details like construction techniques, materials, different terrains and design concepts of the place. When one gets the idea of the place’s culture, it does definitely help in bringing in good design concepts and introducing new ideas to the projects architects are working on, expanding the knowledge.
3. Explore The Unexpected:
Giving the true sense of exposure, travelling widens up the knowledge with fresh ideas, one gets inspired by the place, landscape, culture, people and of course, the built spaces. Until and unless places are being explored, they won’t be known to the world, which an architect can opt for, be it extremes like people living in really hot deserts or cold mountains. Understanding the originality of the designs, making an architect an empathetic designer with whom clients can connect easily.
4. Save Money:
Setting priorities and saving money can help architects to achieve their dream to travel the world. Creating a savings plan and setting goals by committing to the dream is one of the ways to travel without worries. While travelling, spend less on fancy restaurants and stay places so that the cost can be recovered in the commute to explore other places.
5. Freelancer Jobs:
Being your own boss is the best thing, isn’t it? Writing architectural vlogs, taking up jobs that offer travel opportunities, doing freelancing architect’s jobs in various cities and countries can provide good opportunities to explore and travel places.
Below are a few websites you can refer for the same:
-Fiverr
-Upwork
-Freelancer.in
-Envato Studio
-PeoplePerHour
-Indeed.co.in
6. Travel Influencer:
Social media is trending these days, becoming an influencer can grow up your career as fast as possible. Sharing your experience and creating a blog or a travel page of the places you visit can eventually become an earning medium. Share with the world your travel story and experience and create unique content for your page on Instagram and Facebook, and even write about them for journals and publications.
Start to develop strong storytelling skills and influence your followers through your travel content.
7. Participate in Architectural Competitions in Different Countries:
There are many grounds which provide opportunities to participate in competitions that offer prized travel tours and student scholarships. This is a great chance to make international contacts and connections and you never know, you might end up having an international architectural job offer.
8. Architectural Photography And Sketches:
The best way to observe details in a building is to sketch it out. It’s tough to slow down in tourist places and popular tourist spots, but try to take a moment, find a spot, pull out your sketchbook and pen and learn to look at the building in a whole new way. On the other hand, if a camera is what you are good at, grab one and capture great architectural pictures on your trips. Document the trip by clicking beautiful pictures of creative spaces with various splendid angles and making videos of the journey, you never know you might end up working as a professional architectural photographer who can travel as much as possible and be hired for some great publications.
9. Experience The Building By Observing, Walking Around And The Sense Of Touch:
Walking around in the building, identifying spaces and routes, architectural elements, connects you more with the built space. Observing people and their response towards the building, and observing minute details while travelling can give you some thoughtful design ideas which can be applied in the projects. Materials and textures like hand-painted tiles in the Portuguese facade, rough engraved letters of the bronze doors at Sagrada Familia, cool marble threshold at Hagia Sophia, these textures will always remain with you when touched upon. Sometimes we mistakenly treat buildings like works of art, not touched and sensed upon.
10. Have A Bucket List Which Just To Keep You Motivated For Future Travel Plans:
To end it, all you have got is to explore our travel limits is to have a bucket list and try the best ways to mark each one of them and be motivated.
