Arch Daily |
- House in Valldoreix / 05AM Arquitectura
- Anticlimax: A Report on The Metabolist Dream. Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo 1972-2013 / Fala Atelier
- Evening Radisnce / LCGA Design
- CAAT Studio Transforms Bridge into Museum in Iran
- Rafael Viñoly Adds to Miami's Luxury Residential Boom with New Tower Design
- Navid Pharmacy / Led Architects
- Vincent Callebaut Architectures' Plans for Eco-Neighbourhood in Brussels
- Harvard Announces Free Online Architecture Course
- 5 Architects Who Turned to Selling Products, Not Architecture
- House in Pasárgada / MASV - Amália Vieira Arquitetura
- 7 Things I Learned While Getting My Master's in Architecture
| House in Valldoreix / 05AM Arquitectura Posted: 21 Jan 2017 09:00 PM PST  © Adrià Goula
 © Adrià Goula From the architect. This project is half a home and half an exhibition space for contemporary artwork. The house is set in a way that avoids the presence of any neighbouring constructions, liberating an open space on the south side with a larger visual amplitude.  © Adrià Goula It is composed by four volumes, disposed in two specific and alternate directions that define three interstitial double-height spaces that visually communicate the two floors, allowing the understanding the volumes as a whole without any physical separation between them.  © Adrià Goula These four bodies are resolved according to the structure, granting a clear and coherent functionality of the interior spaces. The ground floor stores the exhibition rooms that in unison with the corridors and the double-height spaces allow exploring many exposition possibilities. The stairs are placed in one of these tall spaces, communicating the exhibition floor and the living floor, where each one of these four volumes will serve for a specific use, granting a functional clarity.  Ground Floor  Section The four bodies have different heights depending on the interior programme, allowing daylight to enter in the house from windows above.  © Adrià Goula The project is a volumetric response to the setting, protected from the presence of adjacent buildings, and enclosing an exterior sunlit space, creating an interesting relationship with its interior exhibition spaces at the same time.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Anticlimax: A Report on The Metabolist Dream. Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo 1972-2013 / Fala Atelier Posted: 21 Jan 2017 06:00 PM PST  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
 © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  Section Finding a place to live in Tokyo isn't easy. Most of the available options are expensive and usually located far from the center. Typologically, the Nakagin Capsule Tower continues to prove that it makes sense. Designed by Kisho Kurokawa and built in 1972, it represented a new typology and a different approach to the idea of urban renewal.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG Nevertheless, forty years later, it is clear that something went wrong along the way. The building is getting emptier and several of the capsules are abandoned, rotten, leaking. Some of the owners want to demolish it; a few offer resistance. Each capsule was supposed to last 20 years but twice the time has passed.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG Metabolism’s biggest icon is sick and stands today only as a remembrance of a future that never happened.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  Axonometric Anticlimax was an exhibition about the contemporary routine of a fallen hero. While presenting its current condition, the exhibition intended to illustrate the contemporary daily life of one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th Century.  Courtesy of Fala Atelier Exhibiting the former metabolist superstar in Portugal was also a provocation and the layout for the exhibition was a necessary curatorial dead-end: presenting the Nakagin in a traditional way would be conceptually wrong. The exhibition happens in an almost negligent way, reflecting the condition of the building, bringing its sense of scale and repetition to the Sinel de Cordes Palace.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  Floor Plans  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Evening Radisnce / LCGA Design Posted: 21 Jan 2017 12:00 PM PST  © Hey! Cheese
 © Hey! Cheese From the architect. A design project aside the riverside of the Tamsui River makes the river scene available to the viewers in the living room, the dining room and the master bedroom. To keep the interior room wide and open, the spatial see-through exceptionally highlights the riverside scenery and advantageous lighting. To include utmost daylight in public room, a see-through L-shape metal rack of the TV wall that segments the master bedroom and the living room visually separates the TV back wall from the ceiling and the column.  © Hey! Cheese A window partition that segments the bedroom and the living room makes the both share natural daylight without dialogues and dally routines with lamps on and off and curtains open and close.On one hand, a change of light and shade in a long run is a natural melody. On the other hand, a change of light and shade in a short run is a manmade melody.  © Hey! Cheese The furnishing follows the interior decoration in a gray hue with an orange color locally stressed. Alteration is managed by heterogeneous materials. A slope ceiling begins at the entrance and ends at the living room. The large-size cement-style tiles apply to the whole elevation. A continuous pavement applies to the end. A magnificent concept is actualized with continuation in design.  © Hey! Cheese The display rack in the living room functional as a screen and a sofa side table as well as a lounge for the Jack Russell Terrier one of the owners makes the pet and its owner enjoy spending time together in the living room.'  Plan  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| CAAT Studio Transforms Bridge into Museum in Iran Posted: 21 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST  Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO CAAT STUDIO has unveiled Organizing the Forgotten Urban Spaces, a design that revitalizes the Mirdamad Bridge in Tehran, Iran through the creation of an open anthropology museum. Developed by studying the existing 7-meter-high and 14.1-meter-wide bridge, the design focuses on improving the pedestrian nature of the space. For example, in order to address issues of noise under the bridge, the project utilizes an arch- and dome-like geometry to create "an acoustic mode in the roof […] and body," along with covered pillars.  Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO  Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO Similarly, to catch viewers' attention in the space—where pedestrians tend not to stop—showcases are placed in commonly used pathways at eye level.  Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO  Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO
 Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO  Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO  Courtesy of CAAT STUDIO Architect in Charge: Mahdi Kamboozia  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Rafael Viñoly Adds to Miami's Luxury Residential Boom with New Tower Design Posted: 21 Jan 2017 06:00 AM PST  Side View. Image Courtesy of KAR Properties Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, 'One River Point' is set to be the latest addition to Miami's ever-growing luxury real estate market. Comprised of two 65-story-tall towers, the project is a mixed-use residential development situated along the Miami River, in the city's downtown core.  View from Waterfront. Image Courtesy of KAR Properties The complex accommodates resident facilities, commercial offices and retail spaces, a hotel and four levels of covered parking, all while maximizing the surrounding views of the waterfront. Though separated, the pair of offset residential towers are connected at two points; an elevated plinth at the base from which the aforementioned programs stem, and a three-story 'skybridge' on the 56th floor. The buildings are purposely set back from the waterfront, allowing for a seamless continuation of Miami River Walk at the edge of the site. This, along with reflecting pools, a palm tree court, and an 85 foot (26 meter) high waterfall combine to create a unique experience for both residents and the public below.  View of Palm Court and Waterfall. Image Courtesy of KAR Properties Nearly all 350 condominiums have their own elevator landings as well as private terraces, providing ample views of the Miami skyline. In addition to the numerous resident amenities, the Sky Club offers hotel suites, dining, business facilities and exercise rooms. Capping the towers with two 'sky villa' penthouses, the elevated plinth at the foot of the complex eliminates any barriers that may have inherently been created, providing extensive views and an open public plane.  Eagle Eye View. Image Courtesy of KAR Properties Viñoly's latest endeavor is phase four of the six-step Miami Riverfront Development. It holds a prime location in the city, affording easy access to the Arts and Cultural District, Design District, Brickell City Centre and the airport. News via: Viñoly.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Navid Pharmacy / Led Architects Posted: 21 Jan 2017 05:00 AM PST  Courtesy of Led Architects
 Courtesy of Led Architects The client is an old pharmacists who live in pirouzi district one of low-level one in Tehran .the old pharmacy has established in the year 1332 (63 years ago – 1953). Due to the placement of pharmacies in the municipality and widening the intersection, a neighboring property assign to the client to construct a new pharmacy. The purpose of the client was full transition to the new location and correction of shortage of old pharmacy. Within area limitation of new property than the old pharmacy was the most important challenge in meeting the needs of the client.  Courtesy of Led Architects  Section The required levels in pharmacy 1332 were taken and the medicine cabinet in new pharmacy and consequent layout of the shelves were designed to provide the space which is needed. The interior space were divided into two distinct, the wooden part assign to sales of cosmetics and the white part assign to medicine . To achieve the client's requirements, providing visibility and limitation of construction in each levels due to maximum construction of 60% of area the, a void was designed to providing visual communication between different parts of Pharmacy.  Courtesy of Led Architects The void and arrangement of spaces at the ground floor were combined in such a way that the two cosmetics and medicine parts were emphasized. Two separate section dealing with different materials, one white and the other wood surfaces which is combined with whole volumes and integrated with space. The gap between these two parts to form a glowing crack in the ceiling of the ground floor, first floor walls and eventually extends to the façade of the project. 1. The simple and silent architecture in the bustling traffic intersections.  Courtesy of Led Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Vincent Callebaut Architectures' Plans for Eco-Neighbourhood in Brussels Posted: 21 Jan 2017 04:00 AM PST  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures Vincent Callebaut Architectures has released plans for the development of a radical eco-neighborhood at Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium. Covering an area of 135,000 square meters, the proposal will see the redevelopment of the early twentieth-century Gare Maritime, and the construction of three residential "vertical forests" reaching 100 meters in height. The architect's ultimate vision is a neighborhood which embraces technological progress, sustainable building principles, and renewal of the built heritage. Situated northwest of Brussels city center, and constructed in 1907, the industrial park at Tour & Taxis originally operated as a shipping and customs complex. Whilst the lifting of European customs borders has rendered its original function obsolete, the Gare Maritime (Marine Terminal) still embodies the architecture of the industrial era.  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures Under the proposed masterplan, the 40,000 square meter terminal is set to be transformed into an eco-campus for work and relaxation. The five parallel cast iron and glass 'vessels' of the Gare Maritime will each host their own architectural identities. The contemporary interventions within the five spaces are detached from the existing building, highlighting the project's adaptability. Contrasting with the industrial wrought iron of the existing structure, the eco-campus will be constructed of solid wood and cross-laminated timber, reducing the scheme's carbon footprint.  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures When brought together, the five individual elements create a versatile mixed-use campus with open-space offices, sports and leisure spaces, retail, bars, restaurants, and greenhouses. A public park and canal will be brought inside the Gare Maritime, creating tropical and continental gardens across the terminal, and establishing a dialogue between innovation, nature, and heritage.  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures To the north of the Gare Maritime, the architect proposes 85,000 square meters of multiple-scale housing contained in three "Vertical Forests." The three structures align along the width of the Gare Maritime, varying between 24 and 100 meters in height. Large rooftops with elegant curves contain fruit and vegetable balconies, and an abundance of solar panels. The goal of the architect is to create "Sky Villas" surrounded by vertical gardens above the urban context of Brussels; merging the benefits of rural and urban living.  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures The Gare Maritime and "Vertical Forests" will be linked by three distinct urban components. A large marsh pond will attract Brussel's biodiversity. A former fish and oil covered market, the 'Halle aux Poissons et Huille', will be converted into a bar and restaurant. Finally, a giant 'lillypad' amongst the marsh pond will provide space for events, exhibits, and an open-air auditorium.  Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures
News via: Vincent Callebaut Architectures.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Harvard Announces Free Online Architecture Course Posted: 21 Jan 2017 03:00 AM PST  The Trays at Harvard GSD. Image © Kris Snibbe/Harvard University News Office The Harvard Graduate School of Design has announced a new, free online course entitled "The Architectural Imagination." Taught by the school's Eliot Noyes Professor of Architectural Theory K. Michael Hays alongside Professor of Architectural History Erika Naginski and G. Ware Travelstead Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology Antoine Picon, the course is advertised as "introductory" level and described as teaching "how to 'read' architecture as a cultural expression as well as a technical achievement." It will be delivered through edX, a platform for high-quality massive open online courses (MOOCs) which was founded by Harvard and MIT in 2012. "Architecture is one of the most complexly negotiated and globally recognized cultural practices, both as an academic subject and a professional career," explains the course description. "Its production involves all of the technical, aesthetic, political, and economic issues at play within a given society. Over the course of ten modules, we'll examine some of history's most important examples that show how architecture engages, mediates, and expresses a culture's complex aspirations." The course from Harvard GSD will join other architectural courses hosted on edX from institutions including MIT, ETH Zurich, and the University of Tokyo. Starting on February 28th, the course is free, but students can receive a verified certificate of completion of the course for an additional $99. Those interested in the course can enroll here, or see other courses offered through edX here. News via Harvard GSD.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 5 Architects Who Turned to Selling Products, Not Architecture Posted: 21 Jan 2017 01:30 AM PST  This article was originally published by Archipreneur as "Turning Ideas into Products: 5 Architects who Successfully Sell their Designs." The emergence of interconnectivity, smart and sensor-driven designs, home automation, clean energy, shared knowledge, and efficient software have created numerous opportunities for those looking to build their businesses around products. This includes architects who, by design, have a large skill set that allows them to engage with a wide variety of business models. The idea of automating or productizing architectural design services is a contentious one and it trickles down to the very definition of architecture. But when it comes to the business aspect of the profession, it becomes clear that many among today's most renowned architects owe their success to the idea of productizing their services. Instead of reinventing their work with every new client and repeating the same time-consuming processes, these architects have reoriented their businesses towards creating products. Customer-driven business strategies and the necessity of staying competitive are pushing AEC professionals to become faster, more efficient and convey their work to clients in the most succinct and clear way possible. The latter is particularly relevant to architects, since the nature of the profession has long suffered from the inability to translate services into tangible values that clients can recognize. For too long architectural services have been seen as a cost, rather than value. Thanks to the huge technological advancements of the late 20th century, the scope of "problems" architects can address has become wider. This freedom allows them to not only expand their field of professional interests, but also choose new, more efficient business models. Designing and selling plan sets, creating apps, generating libraries of BIM components, designing software and project management tools, optimizing manufacturing processes, self-publishing and creating online courses are among the most common methods for architects going into product development.  Detail of Bullenberg's Desk. Image © Bullenberg Albrecht von Alvensleben, founder of BullenbergAlbrecht von Alvensleben is an architect and founder of Bullenberg, a furniture label based in Berlin. Bullenberg manufactures handcrafted wooden tables using wood sourced from von Alvensleben's family estate in Saxony, near Berlin. The idea of creating a business had a humble beginning – a friend was looking for a solid oak tabletop. Being a trained architect enabled Albrecht to do a lot of the work himself, including designing the website and taking photos of the finished products. Bullenberg is currently planning to move from direct sales to retail and expand the brand's work to include other types of products. If you want to learn more about Bullenberg, check out the interview with Archipreneur.  The series Desk follows Bullenberg's first product the table Arx. Highly customizable, the desk can be designed to suit your needs and complement your home or office. Image © Bullenberg Seth Grizzle and Jonathan Junker, founders of GraypantsArchitects Seth Grizzle and Jonathan Junker founded Graypants as a company dedicated to making pendant lights made entirely of repurposed corrugated cardboard. Their flagship line Scraplights embodies the team's interest in repurposing and environmentally responsible design. In 2012, they set up their European office in Amsterdam, from where they started distribution to over forty countries, while the Seattle studio still provides local production for North America and functions as a prototyping shop. Their portfolio includes public artworks, architectural installations and several lines of lighting, furniture, packaging designs sold throughout the world. Their debut architecture project Garage won the coveted AIA Seattle's Award of Honor in 2013.  Scraplight white pendants are handmade in The Netherlands where Graypants has partnered with a social works program to provide craft-based careers to the local community. Image © Scraplights – White series Michael Kohn, founder of StickyworldUK-based architect Michael Kohn has recognized the need for a closer and more interactive collaboration between all the stakeholders in the process of building. He left the practice he worked in and created Stickyworld, a web- and mobile-based tool that enables sharing of projects and multimedia with the possibility of commenting and posting virtual sticky notes directly on images. The software allows more voices to be heard during the design and construction process. Before creating his business, Kohn collected insights from customers and managed to pinpoint the problems they needed solving. Organizers are offered a suite of tools to prepare and publish interactive content websites called "rooms," supporting different formats of engagement such as ideas forums, consultations or design reviews. Organizers can set the time frame for opening participation, automatically publish invites and also close participation at a set time. It allows interactive content including images, maps, 360 panoramas, videos, PDFs, and Powerpoints.  This Stickyworld template is for pre-planning consultation and it allows participants to view a proposals in plans, fly-through videos, 360 CGI renders and leave their feedback. Image © Stickyworld Edwin Heathcote, founder of IzéArchitect Edwin Heathcote set up Izé in 2001 as a manufacturer of a wide range door handles and fittings in collaboration with different designers and architecture firms. Heathcote has been the architecture and design critic of The Financial Times and author of several books on architecture and design. Izé has licensed Lina Bo Bardi's famous horn-shaped door handle design from the Lina Bo Bardi Foundation and received rights to produce them commercially 62 years after they were designed. "It turned out that the door handle was, proportionate to its size, the most influential piece of the building that I could think of that I could get into manufacture," Heathcote has said.  Door handles created by late Modernist architect Lina Bo Bardi for her home in São Paulo in 1951 are now available at Izé. Image © Izé Igor Siddiqui, founder of ISSSStudioIgor Siddiqui, another architect-turned-product designer, worked as a practicing architect before setting up his own office ISSSStudio in 2006. The firm designs and manufactures everything from product prototypes to single-family houses using digital techniques and fabrication technologies. The team explores materials properties, flexibility, mobility and performance-driven design. Their Tessellated Floorscape is a prototypical mass-customized rug originally produced for Aronson's Floor Covering. It is based on a digital animation from which a different key-frame is extracted each time a new piece is commissioned or sold. The material is cut in a way that maximizes the intricacy of the contoured shape of each tile, while minimizing waste throughout the fabrication. Protoplastic is made from biodegradable plastic and the acrylic formwork, while Ceramic Tesssseltile tiles are manufactured through conventional methods of mass-production as a single tile shape that produces the greatest degree of variation when multiplied across the larger field.  Although ISSSStudio's Tessellated Floorscape is always based on the same digital file, each rug in the series is completely unique in shape, material, and color. Image © ISSSStudio While these five examples showcase design collectives or architects that have dedicated their work entirely to creating products, those who want to keep offering mainstream architectural services can also start by adding products to their existing offering. Turning ideas into products is fun, creative and can be a fantastic, scalable business model.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House in Pasárgada / MASV - Amália Vieira Arquitetura Posted: 21 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST  © Daniel Mansur
 © Daniel Mansur From the architect. The site is located in a condominium of Nova Lima, on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, surrounded by privileged natural resources such as a vast tropical Savanna eco region of Brazil and the Atlantic forest. The plot plan was very challenging as the land was presented with a sloping topography, which showed an elevation up to 25 metres. The idea was to create a flatter topography to meet the client’s needs who wanted the house to be built at the same level and the bedroom and bathroom’s floor planted on a higher section of the land. Higher level in relation to the rest of the other sections of the house. In order to solve this problem and have an ideal access to the garage level, but at the same time benefit from the beautiful landscape, a careful plan had to be designed. Several slopes of earth have been created to retain the walls of stones called “escrava” and reduce the level differences of the site.  © Daniel Mansur  Sections  © Daniel Mansur The house was seated on a slab suspended from the ground and projecting out of the perimeter of the plant. This technique, besides protecting the house from the ground, gives lightness to the construction by releasing it from the ground. It was also a client's request for a project with roof house, but with the freedom to do it in a less traditional, more contemporary way.  © Daniel Mansur  Diagram - Roof  © Daniel Mansur The large balcony / gourmet without the use of intermediate pillars was solved with the use of structural pressed eucalyptus with laminated beams placed besides being an ecological alternative. This same eucalyptus will be used in pergola at the entrance but has not yet been performed. The interior design, created with the collaboration of the designer Nara Cunha, should approach the same architectural design, with a more contemporary look.  © Daniel Mansur  Plan  © Daniel Mansur The fundamental point for this partnership to be successful is the mutual agreement and the sense of responsibility in creating a space that in its own would be not only consistent in terms of architectural design but also in its interior, preserving the environment as well. Program of the house is, four semi-suites, a master suite, two toilets, gourmet area, sauna, sports centre, kitchen, dining-room, living-room and the kitchen integrated, a study room, laundry, service room, bathroom service, garage and storage room.  © Daniel Mansur  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 7 Things I Learned While Getting My Master's in Architecture Posted: 21 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST  © Image © Alex Watkins, via Flickr. License CC BY 2.0 Graduation often leaves a void in a new architect's life. After five years or more (lets face it, usually more) of being with the same friends, colleagues and teachers, it's only natural that the transition from academic to professional life is accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia for long discussions in college corridors, late nights designing together, parties, and, above all, a student routine. The most common route after receiving a degree is facing the (savage) job market. Finding an internship and becoming an architect, finding a job in a new office, and spending some time getting to know the insides of studios, offices, and architectural firms seems to be one of the options that most interests new architects. The idea of starting your own business in the long-term future seems to be adequate compensation for those years of dedication to projects that are not always tasteful or aligned with the ideals of those who have just left college. There are, however, other possible paths for a new graduate, and for those already in college involved in research projects and scientific investigation, a master's degree can be an interesting alternative. As a broad and multi-dimensional field, young architects have many options for lines of research that are within the remit of architecture. Technology, housing, design, landscaping, urban design, urban politics and environmental comfort are just some of the most established areas within the discipline that offer themselves to research. However, if the goal is to distance oneself from the most consecrated paths, architecture is open to other fields, such as set design, theater, photography, and cinema. That is exactly what I did. After graduating in March 2013, I began to split my time between working for ArchDaily, designing projects with friends and fellow architects, and video production—an interest I've had since college and which was part of my Course Completion Work. A year away from academia was enough to arouse my interest in starting a masters course, and in mid-2014 I entered a selection process with a research project that sought to merge my interests in cinema and architecture. It worked! Or, I thought it did. Now, after almost two years of post-graduation and close to completing my dissertation, I'd like to share some lessons I have learned on this journey that may be useful to those who wish to go back to studying. 1. You Cannot Research Something That You Are Not Interested InIt may seem obvious, but it isn't. To begin any type of research (either central to or on the edges of the architecture field), the theme in question needs to be of some interest to you. This applies to everyone, from students already involved in research fields to those who have never been involved in academic research: if there is no interest, you cannot complete the research.  FAU USP. Image © Image © Gabriel de Andrade Fernandes, via Flickr. CC BY-SA License 2.0 Thinking about something requires being open to that thing, vulnerable to it, that is, sensitive to the object in question. Only then can there be some reflection on the subject and therefore research. With that said, the next step is to identify whether the interest is really something internal or whether there are other issues involved—for example, if the research project is the continuation of a boring scientific inquiry. Believe me, your research will be much more fruitful if your interest comes from some internal motivation. 2. Nobody Will Tell You What to DoThere's a common idea that the only task of a master's student is to carry out their research. However, just as when you are an undergraduate, there is a range of subjects to be studied. It may vary between institutions, but there are usually no scheduled requirements, and it is up to you to choose which courses to take. No one will tell a graduate student which disciplines to choose; a counselor may give suggestions but the responsibility is all yours.  FAUP. Image © Image © Forgemind ArchiMedia, via Flickr. CC BY 2.0 License This is an important point and one that took time for me to adapt to. This time around I had much greater autonomy than as an undergraduate, and this applies not only to study but also to research. The advisor participates in the process from beginning to end, discussing and suggesting readings, but if you do not do what is to be done, no one else will. Which brings us to another topic: proactivity. 3. You Must Be ProactiveDefinition: In short, proactivity is a quality that will help you a lot by avoiding, among other things, the accumulation of tasks at the end of the course. (Incidentally, this is a useful quality as a student and in any job.) 4. Academia Is About More Than Just Becoming a ProfessorThis topic is not often discussed as it discourages architects to return to academia. I have heard from several architects, recent graduates or experienced designers, who have no interest in a master's degree because they do not want to teach. Well, though it is true that a master's and a doctorate are steps along the journey to becoming a university professor, a grad student isn't limited to just that. In my case, the prospect of teaching in the future is very pleasing to me, however, I see the master's degree as an opportunity to work on matters of interest that can also be applied in the job market. Studying the relationship between cinema and architecture could, if it were my interest, give me the necessary input to work with scenography, for example. Someone focused on research into materials that improve thermal comfort in homes, in turn, would also find a promising niche in the market.  Harvard GSD. Image © Image © Peter Alfred Hess, via Flickr. CC BY 2.0 License The message in both examples is the same: doing a master's or a PhD doesn't necessarily mean that your future will be the classroom. 5. You Have to Follow Your IntuitionThis is something I learned the hard way and writing out the whole story would take way too long. Briefly, I entered my master's program with the idea of studying the relation between cinema and architecture. Today I have to try to think of something more comprehensive than that. In my own defense, the idea was to specifically address the production of architectural videos. But since I had a personal interest in the subject as I said earlier, there was a potential for research regardless. At some point during my studies my advisor suggested, for various reasons, a shift not only in the focus of my research (architectural videos) but in the entire structure of my research—meaning practically everything that I'd done up to that point was essentially useless. For several reasons, I accepted the change and spent about three months dedicating myself to this "new research," however, there was no longer any interest on my part, so, as you may guess, there was no further research. It was difficult to decide to return to the previous subject, that is, to redirect the research to what I was really interested in. However, it was just as difficult as it was important because this decision not only helped me find more specific resources but also helped to identify an incompatibility between my mentor's vision and my ideas. 6. There Is Always Time for ChangeDo not take this tip seriously. There is not always enough time for change. However, it serves to summarize the story I was telling. In identifying the incompatibility between my mentor's ideas and mine, my first impulse was to expose my uneasiness and try to convince him that resuming original research—only more clearly specified—was the most efficient way to complete my master's degree. This strategy ended up not working and instead of resuming the original research with my advisor, I presented my ideas to another teacher, who became interested in the research and ended up taking over as my advisor. As you can see, just as the interest of the student is essential, the professor also needs to be interested in the subject in question. 7. It's a Long Journey. Try to Enjoy the RideTwo years isn't much time to dive into any one subject and at the same time do your other classes (which usually means preparing articles and presentations), so a valuable tip is to move away from the idea of trying to make the best dissertation in the world or the best master's of the year. It may seem frustrating to read this but it's just the opposite. By avoiding the idea of reaching the highest academic level with your dissertation, it takes a huge weight off your back and you can work without pressure (or at least without this particular pressure)—reducing your frustration.  © © KenC1983, via Flickr. CC BY-ND 2.0 License One of the most valuable lessons I learned while getting my Master's in Architecture was to try and have fun while I worked, and I can only have fun working if the focus of my work is in my personal interest. This does not mean that the work is easy or that the only thing that matters in a master's degree is to have fun, or that the opinion of your advisor (or any other teacher or colleague) can't go against yours. On the contrary, academia is a place of conflict, and from that conflict of ideas, research can arise, as it did for me. These tips come from my personal experience and I must state that I am yet to complete my master's degree. I firmly believe that my experiences so far are useful to anyone who is thinking about entering post-graduate studies for architecture (or even in other fields). However, everyone is different and my experiences do not necessarily apply to everyone—although they have helped me time and time again in this complex environment called academia.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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