<p>larationalist-yeah haha that's who i am. yikes...that means i spend way too much time on this thing...hope it doesn't take time away from my studio classes this coming fall. but w/e, i enjoy any architecture-related discussion.</p>
<p>I posted awhile back about looking into careers that I thought would fit my interests: art, science, the outdoors- even imagineering. You all gave me some good advice about looking into architecture. I am a rising junior in high school. I have been investigating the area of Landscape Architecture. It seems like it would be a career that involves all of those areas. I have emailed an area architecture firm and they have been kind enough to give me the opportunity to talk with one of their landscape architects next week. Besides the questions I have in mind, what do you all think would be some good questions to ask? </p>
<p>One thing that I am worried about as well. From reading through posts on this forum and <a href="http://www.archinect.com%5B/url%5D">www.archinect.com</a> I know that architecture requires a huge amount of time. I swim competitively (year round) and could be able to swim in college. My worry is that I couldn't do it if I studied architecture. My other concern is that I looked at the top rated landscape architecture schools: UGA, Va. Tech, etc. All are DI which I am not fast enough for. So even if I wanted to swim at a DII or DIII, I wouldn't be able to because they wouldn't have what I needed to help me prepare me for a career in architecture. Any thoughts from all of you veterans would be really appreciated.</p>
<p>unfortunately, its pretty much one or the other. i am about to enter Cornell's architecture school this fall and while there are VERY FEW varsity athletes/architects, there are not many and for good reason. architecture does get the rep as one of the most demanding majors in terms of time committment and work load. if you are someone who knows how to manage their time REALLY WELL, then you MIGHT be able to pull off a career as an architecture student/varsity athlete. otherwise, i would continue swimming through high school and retire from there if you're really serious about architecture.</p>
<p>you should also consider enrolling in a summer program for next year dealing with architecture just to make sure you like it. Cornell has an excellent one. there are also great programs run by Carnegie Mellon, USC, and most other schools that offer undergraduate architecture programs. definitely check them out before you commit.</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughts. I did see in one of the landscape architecture sites I was reading through that Eddie George (of OSU and the Tennessee Titans fame)was a landscape architect. Pretty cool. I would love to be able to attend one of those pre-architecture programs but the problems will be 1. they are pretty expensive and 2. I am committed to swimming through the summer except for the last two weeks of August. (it costs me and my folks about 2 grand a year for me to swim in itself- I work when I don't swim) I guess I am going to have some big decisions and things to think about over the next couple of years. Keep the advice coming!</p>
<p>Ladm</p>
<p>I must take exception with your comment about structural education. I do not understand how you can want to be an architect if you think society can live without aesthetics? If you have not been taught how to think conceptually, you will never make it into a good design firm. Without the overall vision that an architect brings to the process of actually bulding a building, the entire world would look like communist housing bunkers. With that vision, an architect only needs a general idea of how the whole building works. Learning about structure is relatively simplistic. You don't need to learn the calculus of how a beam deflects under different loadings to know that you will hire a structural engineer to make those calculations under your basic guidance. Same thing for HVAC and electrical work. If for no other reason than shedding liability, you will not perform any of this work. </p>
<p>After learning about the vision thing, your next area of expertise ishould be project management. Most architects will not be given the chance to be great designers regardless of their skill. There is not enough room for all of them or you will need to have great marketing skills. If you have the marketing skills, your design will not matter much or you will hire the design skills. The profession always has a great need for project managers. I don't think many schools put much emphasis on this. You should make it your business to internship in an office and learn these skills.</p>
<p>Sorry to go off like this but without the desire to be a great designer, it is not a very high paying profession to go into to make buildings that just stand up. And yes, I am an R.A.</p>
<p>AlanArch- I think ladm was just taking a more literal view of it than you are...</p>
<p>Yeah. I don't mean that society will ever dispense with aesthetics - that would never be allowed to happen. But aesthetics are unnecessary for the actual functioning of society - buildings can technically be built without any consideration of them. In certain times in American history, we have seen aesthetics dispensed with to get buildings built quickly and cheaply. i.e. Quonset huts during World War II, and much of the earliest GI housing right after the war. Society has, at times, lived without architects. And during those times, architects need something to fall back upon. A good structural education is a good way to go. Many architecture schools don't offer that.</p>
<p>Architecture is notorious for being at the whims of the economic tide. Architects need other skills to turn to during those times. For me, that will be a M.SE. as well as a B.Arch.</p>
<p>the guggenheim museum at bilbao, spain played a functional role in society because of its aesthetics. It generated a lot of revenue for the town because people were interested in how the museum looked and flocked to the city to visit the museum. I think in the society we live in, symbolism, icons, and image play an important role so although as shallow as it may sound (and depressing as well), people base their status off on the image. This certainly applies to architecture as well.</p>
<p>heyyy!!! im new to this one and probably wayyyyyyy too old to keep on conversing about.. but im really looking into architecture i have taken classes b4 maybe mean nothing to the other tougher programs but i love it..</p>
<p>soo yeah =)</p>