Do buildings speak to you? Not literally, of course, but are you always admiring the curves, shape and body of architecture, imagining what the designer was trying to convey through its shape? If so, perhaps the study of architecture is something for you to pursue. But wait there is a lot more to studying architecture than admiration of amazing design, and some of these discoveries may make you turn and run far away from the idea of being an architecture student.
What is Architecture?
Architecture is an art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. It is defined as the method of designing and building into a usable, pleasing form. An example of architecture is the design and construction of the Eiffel Tower.
There are 7 things that every architecture student needs to know:
1. University Options Make sure that you choose the right university or institute. In order to choose the right university or institute, you need to do some research about the school which provides Architecture majors or ask your senior or someone who studies in the Architecture field.
2. Be Prepared to Study Hard Architecture requires a life-time commitment to continued education. Hence, you must be prepared before studying this major.
3. Does Architecture Requires Strong Math Skills? Universities still require excellent high school math scores because being good at math will certainly help you in studying this major. You can use math in your everyday working tasks to make it simple.
4. Be a Creative and Problem Solver You don’t need to have the math skills of Thomas Edison, and you also don’t need to have the drawing skills of Piscasso, but all you need to have is creative problem solving skills. The job of an architect is to design buildings and to be able to creatively solve problems. The Architecture Career Guide says: “The owner has a problem; they want to build something that will provide a certain function, and you are hired to solve that problem by designing the building.”
5. Learn the Great Architecture of the Past Students of architecture can learn alot about the famous historical buildings in their fields of study. Looking back in time can make you a better architect and can help you rediscover your passion for design, and reminding yourself of what has been gives you a foundation for the future. For example, Siem Reap is best place for you to learn about ancient architecture since there are more than 1000 temples, especially Angkor Wat.
6. Travel to Well-Designed Cities We suggest you travel to cities where amazing architecture and design is displayed. Of course, you are a student who has very little money to travel the world, but there may be some amazing architecture in Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville.
7. Students Need to Land an Internship An architecture internship is the formal training needed to become certified in the profession of Architecture, and is essential for gaining well-rounded experience, in the developmental and completed phases of design and construction projects. An architecture internship isn’t paid well, but you will gain a lot of experience in the architecture field.
The architects work in a team with other engineers and architects, who focus on function layout or aesthetics of building or a project.
Architects focus on several areas including:
- the structural integrity of buildings
- the design and analysis of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems,
- efficiency and design of plumbing, fire protection and electrical systems,
- acoustic and lighting planning, and
- energy conservation issues.
In short, to be an architect you need to possess a master’s degree or bachelor’s degree to start working as Architect. You need to possess some abilities such as: analytical skills, creativity, technical skills, Communication skills.