Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

User:Tomwaddington

2012-12-03T20:57:38Z

Tomwaddington: Created page with " Thomas Waddington twaddington@hotmail.co.uk University of Liverpool School of Architecture K100 Architecture 3rd Year Student"

Thomas Waddington

twaddington@hotmail.co.uk

University of Liverpool School of Architecture

K100 Architecture 3rd Year Student

The future of architectural education

2012-11-29T11:05:37Z

Tomwaddington:

'''In a rapidly changing world – what should the properties be for architectural education and training?'''

Architecture in education, practice or even as a general interest cannot be understood rationally as if it was a mathematical equation. Its boundaries are undefined, its contents and purpose perpetually changing through time. As we develop new technologies and advance through new ages man calls on architecture to provide solutions to the increasing number of problems we face. As a result of this constant change in society, science and technology, architecture students that enter the profession will have to develop and learn new skills throughout their careers, producing innovative ideas in response to the various fluctuating demands of our rapidly changing world. Change is imminent - thus architectural education should not just aim be to provide the necessary skills for practice, but ultimately prepare students to be optimistic about changes in the profession, the building industry and the way we live. This paper looks at why we call on architecture schools to prepare us for the uncertainty gravitating around the future of architecture. I’ll be Looking into problems surrounding climate change , population increase , and the use of natural resources. I will begin by considering how existing schools should prepare students of the future, leading onto the much bigger worldwide issues, and finishing with my own experience thus far, having almost completed my first year as an architecture student.

The future role of the architect is uncertain, his/her relationship within the built environment will undoubtedly change as it has done over previous decades. In the past, architects were almost alone in their field, their job would be to fully resolve building strategies single handily. As Robert Linton (1970) describes “Building technology was simple enough to be fully understood by the architect and there was little need for advice from other sources”.[[#edn1|[i]]] Today, however the structural elements of buildings have grown ever more complex, making it impossible for building projects to be cultivated by just one individual. Architects have made way for other services and building specialists to tackle more complicated design problems, therefore a great deal of teamwork and communication skills are definitive qualities that every architect should possess. When and how the role of the architect next changes is unknown, nevertheless schools of architecture should prepare students for this occurrence via a catalogue of underlying principals which can be learnt through projects and exercises, including; critiques, studio work, school projects (teamwork) and specialist lectures.

The studio has become at the forefront of architectural education proving to be one of the most useful elements for students, it gives them a chance to improve skills in communication, presentation and to understand and develop their own architectural process. Donald Schön (1987) describes the studio as a “Practicum”[[#edn2|[ii]]] whereas the studio acts as a ‘virtual world’ in which students learn by doings in a manner such that it becomes free of the pressures, distractions and restrictions found in the real world. However learning in this way isolates the student from engaging with clients and handling real life problems within the construction industry[[#edn3|[iii]]], I think schools should look into introducing real life situations into projects in order to prepare students for the ‘real’ world of work.

An important feature of architectural education is without doubt, teamwork. It is becoming more and more common that large groups of specialists and mixed professions will work in collaboration on building projects. ‘All School Projects’ should prepare students for working as part of a larger team, in order to enhance skills in communication, listening, discussion and questioning, persuading and respect. One of the major problems with ‘all school’ projects is that practicing architects have ever only used and developed these fundamental skills around other architects, and so there is lack natural ability to handle new situations with other professional’s views. Schools ought address this problem by what Pilling (2000) describes “schools should engender a more client-centred approach in the educational process and develop the necessary skills of listening, extracting the brief, negotiating agreements, making presentations and managing client relationships”

The Critique should be used in architectural education as a tool for development in presentation, communication, ‘selling skills’ and to improve relationships with the client. According to a survey done by the RIBA ‘''Strategic Study of the Profession’,'' it was found that “architects were generally not seen as good listeners, communicators or team players”.[[#edn4|[iv]]] The survey continues by addressing problems with the communication skills of architects - “They’ve [architects] got a vision in their head which we can’t see, it might be a fantastic vision and they might be able to draw it down in time and have a contractor produce it, but it’s no good if we can’t see it.”[[#edn5|[v]]] This draws on yet another problem schools must equip their students, and with the regular application of interim and final-critiques students will gradually be accustomed to engaging different audiences. Architects need to be able to explain their ideas and process to a number of target audiences, whether it be the client, the public, or engineers/advisors.

As technological science constantly advances, so does the need for architects to equip themselves with the skills needed for computer aided design. Schools shouldn’t worry about teaching different software directly and though-roughly to students, but a brief understanding of how these kind of packages work will provide substantial knowledge for architecture students to easily adapt to new advances in the future. The head of Sheffield school of architecture, Prue Chiles, told the AJ in an interview that practices were complaining about the lack of CAD knowledge acquired by students, she responded saying “We send out these broad, intelligent students with an ability to think for themselves…How long does it take an intelligent person to learn that(CAD)?”[[#edn6|[vi]]] She stresses the point that future architecture students need to be educated in a ‘broader’ context in order to tackle this multidisciplinary and expanding field, rather than to be specialised in certain areas. Matthew Frederick summarises this with the quote “Architects know something about everything. An engineer knows everything about one thing”.[[#edn7|[vii]]] Providing students with a broad knowledge of the construction industry and basic skills in communication, presentation, will develop young architects in a way in which they can adapt effortlessly to many problems and alterations encountered throughout their architectural careers.

At a more fundamental, worldwide level what’s absent from schools of architecture is the necessity to stress the importance of how quickly our world is changing. Students should be aware how international issues will affect the future of architectural profession, and to give the architects of tomorrow an insight into how they can dictate the future of the planet and the way we live.

“Every year, nearly half (49%) of all energy produced in the U.S. is consumed by the Building Sector – about the same amount of energy consumed by both transportation (28%) and industry (23%) combined”[[#edn8|[viii]]] And in the UK, according to the RIBA “Architecture is responsible for about 45% of the carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) emissions”.[[#edn9|[ix]]] These high consumption and pollution figures document the huge part played by the building sector in relation to the world’s resources and climate change. Tomorrows architect will consequently have to provide the solution to population increase, and the strain on resources, in a way which responds to sustainable architecture, recycling, and zero-carbon, zero-waste cities. The RIBA believes that to achieve a minimum of an 80% cut in Carbon dioxide emissions by 2050[[#edn10|[x]]] that swift and significant reduction in global carbon emissions are necessary to reduce climate change. Schools of architecture should prepare students for this challenge of climate change that lies ahead, introducing more in-depth lectures providing the knowledge for projects that can generate their own electricity, and make use of natural resources to cheaply heat spaces (passivhaus).

An estimate by the United Nations suggests that by the year 2030 the proportion of people living in cities will be two-thirds that of the total population. At current UN predictions the world’s population will increase from around 6 to 8 billion, with 83%[[#edn11|[xi]]] of the population in developed countries living in cities. These garish figures leave architects of the future a great challenge in housing a very high population over a small, very dense landmass, in a way which doesn’t harm the environment but also one which is 100% self-sustainable.

A good example of the development of future sustainable cities is Masdar City, 17km south-east from the hype of Abu Dhabi. The ‘green’ city is being designed by British architects Foster + partners costing around $20billion US dollars, and is scheduled for completion around 2020-25. The city will be one of a kind, using only 100% renewable energy sources including solar, geothermal and waste. Masdar will be zero carbon, zero waste and fossil fuel free. If successful, the city will ignite similar projects around the world becoming a leading innovation in the world of construction, green living and sustainability. However creating an entire city from scratch will no doubtable have implications, maybe a majority of the population would feel as if they were placed in an unnatural scenario with no real history or culture. If Masdar is designed to its true potential, architects and construction professionals alike may have found the perfect solution to ‘clean’, sustainable cities. Students in architecture schools should be made aware of the underlying principals used to create Masdar, and re-use and re-invent them for purposes fit for other regions of the world.

After near completion of my first academic year in architecture school, I’ve experienced a taste of what architectural education has to offer. My own interpretation of how the school is run and whether I imagine it as either successful or unsuccessful is somewhat a little short of the truth, simply due to lack of experience and understanding of how all schools operate. From the first, almost tedious, elevation exercises at the begging of year, to the more in-depth studio projects, I’ve learnt that architecture is a continuous learning ‘marathon’. As each project draws to a close, you tend to subconsciously gather more and more abilities, building up a catalogue of ideas and processes. I think the most important aspect of the school is that it prepares students for the future by providing the vital skills necessary for the profession. The experience gained in studio work, critiques and teamwork exercises all coalesce into a diverse range of skills which can be adapted to the ‘multidisciplinary’ field of architecture. In simpler terms, architecture schools should prioritize in giving students the skills to adapt and change to resolve many of the problems they’ll encounter within their careers. The global situations including population increase, climate change and depleting resources cannot be resolved by the work of architects alone, they must work in coherence with other trades, the general public, governments and world leaders to steer the growth of man-kind in the right direction. Students of architecture should be educated in a broad knowledge so that they can play an influential role within this ‘team’ to help create a better built environment for future generations.

Thomas.J.Waddington
<div><br/>
----
<div id="edn1">
[[#ednref1|[i]]] Linton, Ronald, ''Transitions in Architecture and Architectural Education,'' (The External Architectural Students Association, London, 1970), p 5.12.
</div><div id="edn2">
[[#ednref2|[ii]]] Pilling, Simon, ''Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism ''(Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 7.
</div><div id="edn3">
= [[#ednref3|[iii]]] As Simon Pilling mentions in his book: ''Pilling, Simon, Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism ''(Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 7 =
</div><div id="edn4">
[[#ednref4|[iv]]] (Unknown author) RIBA survey ‘''Strategic Study of the Profession’ ''(RIBA, London 1992)
</div><div id="edn5">
[v] Pilling, Simon, Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism (Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 4.
</div><div id="edn6">
[vi] Chiles, Prue, ''The Architects Journal,'' issue 12, volume 228. (2008), P 10.
</div><div id="edn7">
[vii] Frederick, Matthews, ''101 things I learnt in architecture school”, ''(MIT Press, London, 2007), P. 21.
</div><div id="edn8">
[viii] Quote sourced from: [http://architecture2030.org/the_problem/problem_energy http://architecture2030.org/the_problem/problem_energy] (04/04/11).
</div><div id="edn9">
[[#ednref9|[ix]]] Quote sourced from: [http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/Sustainabilityandclimatechange.aspx http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/Sustainabilityandclimatechange.aspx] (04/04/11)
</div><div id="edn10">
[x] Figures found at: [http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/ClimateChange/ClimateChange.aspx http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/ClimateChange/ClimateChange.aspx] (04/04/11)
</div><div id="edn11">
[xi] Data sourced from: [http://www.research-horizons.cam.ac.uk/features/designing-sustainable-cities-of-the-future.aspx http://www.research-horizons.cam.ac.uk/features/designing-sustainable-cities-of-the-future.aspx] (0404/11)
</div></div>

[[Category:Student_architect_essay_competition]]

The future of architectural education

2012-11-29T11:04:25Z

Tomwaddington: Protected "Architectural education in a rapidly changing world" ([edit=author] (indefinite))

'''In a rapidly changing world – what should the properties be for architectural education and training?'''

Architecture in education, practice or even as a general interest cannot be understood rationally as if it was a mathematical equation. Its boundaries are undefined, its contents and purpose perpetually changing through time. As we develop new technologies and advance through new ages man calls on architecture to provide solutions to the increasing number of problems we face. As a result of this constant change in society, science and technology, architecture students that enter the profession will have to develop and learn new skills throughout their careers, producing innovative ideas in response to the various fluctuating demands of our rapidly changing world. Change is imminent - thus architectural education should not just aim be to provide the necessary skills for practice, but ultimately prepare students to be optimistic about changes in the profession, the building industry and the way we live. This paper looks at why we call on architecture schools to prepare us for the uncertainty gravitating around the future of architecture. I’ll be Looking into problems surrounding climate change , population increase , and the use of natural resources. I will begin by considering how existing schools should prepare students of the future, leading onto the much bigger worldwide issues, and finishing with my own experience thus far, having almost completed my first year as an architecture student.

The future role of the architect is uncertain, his/her relationship within the built environment will undoubtedly change as it has done over previous decades. In the past, architects were almost alone in their field, their job would be to fully resolve building strategies single handily. As Robert Linton (1970) describes “Building technology was simple enough to be fully understood by the architect and there was little need for advice from other sources”.[[#_edn1|[i]]] Today, however the structural elements of buildings have grown ever more complex, making it impossible for building projects to be cultivated by just one individual. Architects have made way for other services and building specialists to tackle more complicated design problems, therefore a great deal of teamwork and communication skills are definitive qualities that every architect should possess. When and how the role of the architect next changes is unknown, nevertheless schools of architecture should prepare students for this occurrence via a catalogue of underlying principals which can be learnt through projects and exercises, including; critiques, studio work, school projects (teamwork) and specialist lectures.

The studio has become at the forefront of architectural education proving to be one of the most useful elements for students, it gives them a chance to improve skills in communication, presentation and to understand and develop their own architectural process. Donald Schön (1987) describes the studio as a “Practicum”[[#_edn2|[ii]]] whereas the studio acts as a ‘virtual world’ in which students learn by doings in a manner such that it becomes free of the pressures, distractions and restrictions found in the real world. However learning in this way isolates the student from engaging with clients and handling real life problems within the construction industry[[#_edn3|[iii]]], I think schools should look into introducing real life situations into projects in order to prepare students for the ‘real’ world of work.

An important feature of architectural education is without doubt, teamwork. It is becoming more and more common that large groups of specialists and mixed professions will work in collaboration on building projects. ‘All School Projects’ should prepare students for working as part of a larger team, in order to enhance skills in communication, listening, discussion and questioning, persuading and respect. One of the major problems with ‘all school’ projects is that practicing architects have ever only used and developed these fundamental skills around other architects, and so there is lack natural ability to handle new situations with other professional’s views. Schools ought address this problem by what Pilling (2000) describes “schools should engender a more client-centred approach in the educational process and develop the necessary skills of listening, extracting the brief, negotiating agreements, making presentations and managing client relationships”

The Critique should be used in architectural education as a tool for development in presentation, communication, ‘selling skills’ and to improve relationships with the client. According to a survey done by the RIBA ‘''Strategic Study of the Profession’,'' it was found that “architects were generally not seen as good listeners, communicators or team players”.[[#_edn4|[iv]]] The survey continues by addressing problems with the communication skills of architects - “They’ve [architects] got a vision in their head which we can’t see, it might be a fantastic vision and they might be able to draw it down in time and have a contractor produce it, but it’s no good if we can’t see it.”[[#_edn5|[v]]] This draws on yet another problem schools must equip their students, and with the regular application of interim and final-critiques students will gradually be accustomed to engaging different audiences. Architects need to be able to explain their ideas and process to a number of target audiences, whether it be the client, the public, or engineers/advisors.

As technological science constantly advances, so does the need for architects to equip themselves with the skills needed for computer aided design. Schools shouldn’t worry about teaching different software directly and though-roughly to students, but a brief understanding of how these kind of packages work will provide substantial knowledge for architecture students to easily adapt to new advances in the future. The head of Sheffield school of architecture, Prue Chiles, told the AJ in an interview that practices were complaining about the lack of CAD knowledge acquired by students, she responded saying “We send out these broad, intelligent students with an ability to think for themselves…How long does it take an intelligent person to learn that(CAD)?”[[#_edn6|[vi]]] She stresses the point that future architecture students need to be educated in a ‘broader’ context in order to tackle this multidisciplinary and expanding field, rather than to be specialised in certain areas. Matthew Frederick summarises this with the quote “Architects know something about everything. An engineer knows everything about one thing”.[[#_edn7|[vii]]] Providing students with a broad knowledge of the construction industry and basic skills in communication, presentation, will develop young architects in a way in which they can adapt effortlessly to many problems and alterations encountered throughout their architectural careers.

At a more fundamental, worldwide level what’s absent from schools of architecture is the necessity to stress the importance of how quickly our world is changing. Students should be aware how international issues will affect the future of architectural profession, and to give the architects of tomorrow an insight into how they can dictate the future of the planet and the way we live.

“Every year, nearly half (49%) of all energy produced in the U.S. is consumed by the Building Sector – about the same amount of energy consumed by both transportation (28%) and industry (23%) combined”[[#_edn8|[viii]]] And in the UK, according to the RIBA “Architecture is responsible for about 45% of the carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) emissions”.[[#_edn9|[ix]]] These high consumption and pollution figures document the huge part played by the building sector in relation to the world’s resources and climate change. Tomorrows architect will consequently have to provide the solution to population increase, and the strain on resources, in a way which responds to sustainable architecture, recycling, and zero-carbon, zero-waste cities. The RIBA believes that to achieve a minimum of an 80% cut in Carbon dioxide emissions by 2050[[#_edn10|[x]]] that swift and significant reduction in global carbon emissions are necessary to reduce climate change. Schools of architecture should prepare students for this challenge of climate change that lies ahead, introducing more in-depth lectures providing the knowledge for projects that can generate their own electricity, and make use of natural resources to cheaply heat spaces (passivhaus).

An estimate by the United Nations suggests that by the year 2030 the proportion of people living in cities will be two-thirds that of the total population. At current UN predictions the world’s population will increase from around 6 to 8 billion, with 83%[[#_edn11|[xi]]] of the population in developed countries living in cities. These garish figures leave architects of the future a great challenge in housing a very high population over a small, very dense landmass, in a way which doesn’t harm the environment but also one which is 100% self-sustainable.

A good example of the development of future sustainable cities is Masdar City, 17km south-east from the hype of Abu Dhabi. The ‘green’ city is being designed by British architects Foster + partners costing around $20billion US dollars, and is scheduled for completion around 2020-25. The city will be one of a kind, using only 100% renewable energy sources including solar, geothermal and waste. Masdar will be zero carbon, zero waste and fossil fuel free. If successful, the city will ignite similar projects around the world becoming a leading innovation in the world of construction, green living and sustainability. However creating an entire city from scratch will no doubtable have implications, maybe a majority of the population would feel as if they were placed in an unnatural scenario with no real history or culture. If Masdar is designed to its true potential, architects and construction professionals alike may have found the perfect solution to ‘clean’, sustainable cities. Students in architecture schools should be made aware of the underlying principals used to create Masdar, and re-use and re-invent them for purposes fit for other regions of the world.

After near completion of my first academic year in architecture school, I’ve experienced a taste of what architectural education has to offer. My own interpretation of how the school is run and whether I imagine it as either successful or unsuccessful is somewhat a little short of the truth, simply due to lack of experience and understanding of how all schools operate. From the first, almost tedious, elevation exercises at the begging of year, to the more in-depth studio projects, I’ve learnt that architecture is a continuous learning ‘marathon’. As each project draws to a close, you tend to subconsciously gather more and more abilities, building up a catalogue of ideas and processes. I think the most important aspect of the school is that it prepares students for the future by providing the vital skills necessary for the profession. The experience gained in studio work, critiques and teamwork exercises all coalesce into a diverse range of skills which can be adapted to the ‘multidisciplinary’ field of architecture. In simpler terms, architecture schools should prioritize in giving students the skills to adapt and change to resolve many of the problems they’ll encounter within their careers. The global situations including population increase, climate change and depleting resources cannot be resolved by the work of architects alone, they must work in coherence with other trades, the general public, governments and world leaders to steer the growth of man-kind in the right direction. Students of architecture should be educated in a broad knowledge so that they can play an influential role within this ‘team’ to help create a better built environment for future generations.
<div><br/>
----
<div id="edn1">
[[#_ednref1|[i]]] Linton, Ronald, ''Transitions in Architecture and Architectural Education,'' (The External Architectural Students Association, London, 1970), p 5.12.

</div><div id="edn2">
[[#_ednref2|[ii]]] Pilling, Simon, ''Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism ''(Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 7.
</div><div id="edn3">
= [[#_ednref3|[iii]]] As Simon Pilling mentions in his book: ''Pilling, Simon, Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism ''(Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 7 =

</div><div id="edn4">
[[#_ednref4|[iv]]] (Unknown author) RIBA survey ‘''Strategic Study of the Profession’ ''(RIBA, London 1992)
</div><div id="edn5">

[v] Pilling, Simon, Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism (Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 4.
</div><div id="edn6">

[vi] Chiles, Prue, ''The Architects Journal,'' issue 12, volume 228. (2008), P 10.
</div><div id="edn7">

[vii] Frederick, Matthews, ''101 things I learnt in architecture school”, ''(MIT Press, London, 2007), P. 21.
</div><div id="edn8">

[viii] Quote sourced from: http://architecture2030.org/the_problem/problem_energy (04/04/11).

</div><div id="edn9">
[[#_ednref9|[ix]]] Quote sourced from: http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/Sustainabilityandclimatechange.aspx (04/04/11)
</div><div id="edn10">

[x] Figures found at: http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/ClimateChange/ClimateChange.aspx (04/04/11)
</div><div id="edn11">

[xi] Data sourced from: http://www.research-horizons.cam.ac.uk/features/designing-sustainable-cities-of-the-future.aspx (0404/11)
</div></div>

[[Category:Student_architect_essay_competition]]

The future of architectural education

2012-11-29T10:59:22Z

Tomwaddington: Created page with " '''In a rapidly changing world – what should the properties be for architectural education and training?''' Architecture in education, practice or even as a general interest..."

'''In a rapidly changing world – what should the properties be for architectural education and training?'''

Architecture in education, practice or even as a general interest cannot be understood rationally as if it was a mathematical equation. Its boundaries are undefined, its contents and purpose perpetually changing through time. As we develop new technologies and advance through new ages man calls on architecture to provide solutions to the increasing number of problems we face. As a result of this constant change in society, science and technology, architecture students that enter the profession will have to develop and learn new skills throughout their careers, producing innovative ideas in response to the various fluctuating demands of our rapidly changing world. Change is imminent - thus architectural education should not just aim be to provide the necessary skills for practice, but ultimately prepare students to be optimistic about changes in the profession, the building industry and the way we live. This paper looks at why we call on architecture schools to prepare us for the uncertainty gravitating around the future of architecture. I’ll be Looking into problems surrounding climate change , population increase , and the use of natural resources. I will begin by considering how existing schools should prepare students of the future, leading onto the much bigger worldwide issues, and finishing with my own experience thus far, having almost completed my first year as an architecture student.

The future role of the architect is uncertain, his/her relationship within the built environment will undoubtedly change as it has done over previous decades. In the past, architects were almost alone in their field, their job would be to fully resolve building strategies single handily. As Robert Linton (1970) describes “Building technology was simple enough to be fully understood by the architect and there was little need for advice from other sources”.[[#_edn1|[i]]] Today, however the structural elements of buildings have grown ever more complex, making it impossible for building projects to be cultivated by just one individual. Architects have made way for other services and building specialists to tackle more complicated design problems, therefore a great deal of teamwork and communication skills are definitive qualities that every architect should possess. When and how the role of the architect next changes is unknown, nevertheless schools of architecture should prepare students for this occurrence via a catalogue of underlying principals which can be learnt through projects and exercises, including; critiques, studio work, school projects (teamwork) and specialist lectures.

The studio has become at the forefront of architectural education proving to be one of the most useful elements for students, it gives them a chance to improve skills in communication, presentation and to understand and develop their own architectural process. Donald Schön (1987) describes the studio as a “Practicum”[[#_edn2|[ii]]] whereas the studio acts as a ‘virtual world’ in which students learn by doings in a manner such that it becomes free of the pressures, distractions and restrictions found in the real world. However learning in this way isolates the student from engaging with clients and handling real life problems within the construction industry[[#_edn3|[iii]]], I think schools should look into introducing real life situations into projects in order to prepare students for the ‘real’ world of work.

An important feature of architectural education is without doubt, teamwork. It is becoming more and more common that large groups of specialists and mixed professions will work in collaboration on building projects. ‘All School Projects’ should prepare students for working as part of a larger team, in order to enhance skills in communication, listening, discussion and questioning, persuading and respect. One of the major problems with ‘all school’ projects is that practicing architects have ever only used and developed these fundamental skills around other architects, and so there is lack natural ability to handle new situations with other professional’s views. Schools ought address this problem by what Pilling (2000) describes “schools should engender a more client-centred approach in the educational process and develop the necessary skills of listening, extracting the brief, negotiating agreements, making presentations and managing client relationships”

The Critique should be used in architectural education as a tool for development in presentation, communication, ‘selling skills’ and to improve relationships with the client. According to a survey done by the RIBA ‘''Strategic Study of the Profession’,'' it was found that “architects were generally not seen as good listeners, communicators or team players”.[[#_edn4|[iv]]] The survey continues by addressing problems with the communication skills of architects - “They’ve [architects] got a vision in their head which we can’t see, it might be a fantastic vision and they might be able to draw it down in time and have a contractor produce it, but it’s no good if we can’t see it.”[[#_edn5|[v]]] This draws on yet another problem schools must equip their students, and with the regular application of interim and final-critiques students will gradually be accustomed to engaging different audiences. Architects need to be able to explain their ideas and process to a number of target audiences, whether it be the client, the public, or engineers/advisors.

As technological science constantly advances, so does the need for architects to equip themselves with the skills needed for computer aided design. Schools shouldn’t worry about teaching different software directly and though-roughly to students, but a brief understanding of how these kind of packages work will provide substantial knowledge for architecture students to easily adapt to new advances in the future. The head of Sheffield school of architecture, Prue Chiles, told the AJ in an interview that practices were complaining about the lack of CAD knowledge acquired by students, she responded saying “We send out these broad, intelligent students with an ability to think for themselves…How long does it take an intelligent person to learn that(CAD)?”[[#_edn6|[vi]]] She stresses the point that future architecture students need to be educated in a ‘broader’ context in order to tackle this multidisciplinary and expanding field, rather than to be specialised in certain areas. Matthew Frederick summarises this with the quote “Architects know something about everything. An engineer knows everything about one thing”.[[#_edn7|[vii]]] Providing students with a broad knowledge of the construction industry and basic skills in communication, presentation, will develop young architects in a way in which they can adapt effortlessly to many problems and alterations encountered throughout their architectural careers.

At a more fundamental, worldwide level what’s absent from schools of architecture is the necessity to stress the importance of how quickly our world is changing. Students should be aware how international issues will affect the future of architectural profession, and to give the architects of tomorrow an insight into how they can dictate the future of the planet and the way we live.

“Every year, nearly half (49%) of all energy produced in the U.S. is consumed by the Building Sector – about the same amount of energy consumed by both transportation (28%) and industry (23%) combined”[[#_edn8|[viii]]] And in the UK, according to the RIBA “Architecture is responsible for about 45% of the carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) emissions”.[[#_edn9|[ix]]] These high consumption and pollution figures document the huge part played by the building sector in relation to the world’s resources and climate change. Tomorrows architect will consequently have to provide the solution to population increase, and the strain on resources, in a way which responds to sustainable architecture, recycling, and zero-carbon, zero-waste cities. The RIBA believes that to achieve a minimum of an 80% cut in Carbon dioxide emissions by 2050[[#_edn10|[x]]] that swift and significant reduction in global carbon emissions are necessary to reduce climate change. Schools of architecture should prepare students for this challenge of climate change that lies ahead, introducing more in-depth lectures providing the knowledge for projects that can generate their own electricity, and make use of natural resources to cheaply heat spaces (passivhaus).

An estimate by the United Nations suggests that by the year 2030 the proportion of people living in cities will be two-thirds that of the total population. At current UN predictions the world’s population will increase from around 6 to 8 billion, with 83%[[#_edn11|[xi]]] of the population in developed countries living in cities. These garish figures leave architects of the future a great challenge in housing a very high population over a small, very dense landmass, in a way which doesn’t harm the environment but also one which is 100% self-sustainable.

A good example of the development of future sustainable cities is Masdar City, 17km south-east from the hype of Abu Dhabi. The ‘green’ city is being designed by British architects Foster + partners costing around $20billion US dollars, and is scheduled for completion around 2020-25. The city will be one of a kind, using only 100% renewable energy sources including solar, geothermal and waste. Masdar will be zero carbon, zero waste and fossil fuel free. If successful, the city will ignite similar projects around the world becoming a leading innovation in the world of construction, green living and sustainability. However creating an entire city from scratch will no doubtable have implications, maybe a majority of the population would feel as if they were placed in an unnatural scenario with no real history or culture. If Masdar is designed to its true potential, architects and construction professionals alike may have found the perfect solution to ‘clean’, sustainable cities. Students in architecture schools should be made aware of the underlying principals used to create Masdar, and re-use and re-invent them for purposes fit for other regions of the world.

After near completion of my first academic year in architecture school, I’ve experienced a taste of what architectural education has to offer. My own interpretation of how the school is run and whether I imagine it as either successful or unsuccessful is somewhat a little short of the truth, simply due to lack of experience and understanding of how all schools operate. From the first, almost tedious, elevation exercises at the begging of year, to the more in-depth studio projects, I’ve learnt that architecture is a continuous learning ‘marathon’. As each project draws to a close, you tend to subconsciously gather more and more abilities, building up a catalogue of ideas and processes. I think the most important aspect of the school is that it prepares students for the future by providing the vital skills necessary for the profession. The experience gained in studio work, critiques and teamwork exercises all coalesce into a diverse range of skills which can be adapted to the ‘multidisciplinary’ field of architecture. In simpler terms, architecture schools should prioritize in giving students the skills to adapt and change to resolve many of the problems they’ll encounter within their careers. The global situations including population increase, climate change and depleting resources cannot be resolved by the work of architects alone, they must work in coherence with other trades, the general public, governments and world leaders to steer the growth of man-kind in the right direction. Students of architecture should be educated in a broad knowledge so that they can play an influential role within this ‘team’ to help create a better built environment for future generations.
<div><br/>
----
<div id="edn1">
[[#_ednref1|[i]]] Linton, Ronald, ''Transitions in Architecture and Architectural Education,'' (The External Architectural Students Association, London, 1970), p 5.12.

</div><div id="edn2">
[[#_ednref2|[ii]]] Pilling, Simon, ''Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism ''(Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 7.
</div><div id="edn3">
= [[#_ednref3|[iii]]] As Simon Pilling mentions in his book: ''Pilling, Simon, Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism ''(Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 7 =

</div><div id="edn4">
[[#_ednref4|[iv]]] (Unknown author) RIBA survey ‘''Strategic Study of the Profession’ ''(RIBA, London 1992)
</div><div id="edn5">

[v] Pilling, Simon, Changing Architectural Education: Towards a New Professionalism (Taylor & Francis, London, 2000), p. 4.
</div><div id="edn6">

[vi] Chiles, Prue, ''The Architects Journal,'' issue 12, volume 228. (2008), P 10.
</div><div id="edn7">

[vii] Frederick, Matthews, ''101 things I learnt in architecture school”, ''(MIT Press, London, 2007), P. 21.
</div><div id="edn8">

[viii] Quote sourced from: http://architecture2030.org/the_problem/problem_energy (04/04/11).

</div><div id="edn9">
[[#_ednref9|[ix]]] Quote sourced from: http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/Sustainabilityandclimatechange.aspx (04/04/11)
</div><div id="edn10">

[x] Figures found at: http://www.architecture.com/FindOutAbout/Sustainabilityandclimatechange/ClimateChange/ClimateChange.aspx (04/04/11)
</div><div id="edn11">

[xi] Data sourced from: http://www.research-horizons.cam.ac.uk/features/designing-sustainable-cities-of-the-future.aspx (0404/11)
</div></div>

[[Category:Student_architect_essay_competition]]