<p>Hi. My daughter loves Art, History and English. Her Art teacher told her Art is her calling. She has also taken quite a few science courses Bio, Chem, and Physics (5 courses so far as a Junior in High School). She likes science but she really dislikes Physics. She heard that Architecture is like a marriage of science, Art and History which appeals to her. She is interested in studying Architecture but with more of an Art focus vs. engineering or computer focus. </p>
<p>Would any of you know if any of the following schools are more Art focused? For example, she likes the fact that Rice doesn't offer any computer courses for a 5 year BArch. She'd rather learn Architecture by drawing, designing, etc. by hand first and would rather use a computer much later after she has learned it. Some schools expect you to use CAD or Arch. computer programs immediately and she dislikes that very much. Thanks!</p>
<p>University of Miami
Washington University at St. Louis
University of Texas at Austin
Rice University
Carnegie Mellon
Tulane University</p>
<p>I don’t know about Miami, but all the other schools listed are very strong design oriented programs. Because of the national accreditation requirements you will find that there is a lot of consistency in the different programs when it comes to the required courses. The differences lie in how these courses are taught.</p>
<p>Let me be a little blunt about one of your other concerns. If your daughter does not want to work on the computer to do her design work in school she should major in art. The most interesting new work out there is in computational design and digital fabrication. Even if the school does not offer a computer course you need to learn to use it. The best schools offer a strong balance between learning to draw and model by hand, and developing strong computer skills. I would never consider hiring someone without strong computer skills.</p>
<p>Rick12 - thank you so much for your advice. Sorry, I didn’t mean that she doesn’t like computers. Her dad is a computer genius and he would be appalled if she didn’t like or use computers! Funny. </p>
<p>She’d rather learn design by hand first and then apply what she’s learned using computers. She really likes Rice’s or even University Notre Dame’s approach where they design by hand first and then use the computer later. I believe ND uses computers their 4th year. She likes that style better. I was just trying to find other schools like that for her. Would you consider ND very strong in design orientation too?</p>
<p>I’m in a BS program right now. We have an intro year where we’re taught how to think in terms of design and then lots of design related projects. No computers. Lots of writing and drawing. However, I’m in my second year and now I have to learn illustrator and rhino. Try looking into schools with a BS program where you get that intro year before you dive into everything head-on.</p>
<p>Norte Dame does have a strong reputation, though they are focused on classical/traditional design. They might actually have less computer use than other schools since classical architecture is more of a challenge on a computer. </p>
<p>It is interesting to see how hand drawing is being romanticized in this age of computers. When I was in school we did not have computers, yet I bet no more than one in ten students could really draw when they graduated ( though they could all draft). It is one of the most challenging skills to acquire and requires the kind of continuous practice that most are not willing to put in. The computer has been a tremendous help for most students and has elevated the level of work dramatically.</p>
<p>When I hear some old fart lament the lack of drawing skills among today’s graduates I want to put a sketch pad in front of him and tell him to draw the room he is in. Most could not do any better than a recent grad. </p>
<p>Every time DD1 complains about Rhino being slow and all that, I chuckle and remind her of my days. We actually took Descriptive Geometry for a semester. I’ve had root canals that were more enjoyable…</p>
<p>I would suggest a visit during studio hours to observe how things are done. And visit different studio levels if possible, not just 1st or 2nd year only. </p>
<p>A lot of schools have Social Media or their own pages on the web where they post review pictures from every year. As much as the board standards have ‘flattened’ the curriculum, you’d be surprised to see what a 2nd year project is in school X versus school Y.</p>
<p>If you’re considering WUSTL (BA/BS) and Carnegie Mellon (BArch) (Midwest schools), you should also take a look at Miami University (BA) (not University of Miami, but Miami University in Oxford, Ohio). </p>
<p>I’m the parent of a prospective architect, not an architect myself, but my impression is that the field is far more focused on design and creativity than it is on science or engineering. Having said that I would add that a lot of design these days is done on computers, so while it may be possible to entirely avoid hand drawing, it wouldn’t be possible to avoid computer aided design. Computers have become an integral part of creating and expressing architectural concepts, and it would be difficult to put hand drawing and CAD in sequential order. </p>
<p>My impression is that all of the top architecture programs are design driven and that a facility for hand drawing, while not necessary, is a definite plus.</p>
<p>Going directly from high school to a B.Arch program is a big commitment. I’d suggest that your daughter try to take a summer introduction to architecture program to make sure of her direction. If she’s undecided she can always get a BA in art (or anything else that attracts her) and follow up with an M.Arch. That path takes longer – and is consequently more costly – but it allows a broader undergraduate experience, which may be a good idea for a student with a wide range of interests.</p>
<p>I’m just a lowly high school senior but I’ve worked at two architecture firms this year, and I can tell you that a vast, vast majority of architects do not get to do drawn-by-hand design work in professional practice. In my current firm there is one designer in every team of around 5-8 architects. Learning computer skills will be very important in school, and I think it’s important that your daughter know that going into the field of architecture. I think many people that I work with enrolled in school picturing a far more design-focused career, when really only the best of the best do design work. </p>
<p>That said, most of the nation’s top programs are very design and theory focused. DesignIntelligence (which ranks programs based on employer surveys) ranks the top programs and many of them stress art and studio work along with very good CAD literacy. Cornell, the #1 program in the country, is almost entirely studio-driven. Sci-Arch is another school that is widely recognized as one of the most creative architecture schools in the nation. Almost any good architecture school these days will ensure that graduates have good computer literacy by graduation, but I wouldn’t encourage your daughter to apply to an entirely theory-based school. Hearing other architects talk, students from these schools often have trouble adjusting to the career once they leave school. </p>
</p>