First Impressions of Design Studio 101 and Architecture

So you've chosen Architecture. (K100 for any UCAS applicants). You've been to the open days, done art for A-Level and maybe even done a foundation art or engineering year. You know how it all works, right?

Well, no. Not nearly close. Nothing can prepare you for the domination that is Architecture School. A million posts on this blog couldn't, but this is the best I can muster.

After the initial hectic fresher's week (or fortnight, for lucky students) comes your first 'proper' timetabled week. Often with a design meeting in the studio with your tutor for the next year. You'll be set a group task to get you all working together and know each other, and that's it. On the surface, you'll think that this studio-lark is easy, but it is all a struggle from here.

Studio time, timetabled with your tutor, is most likely to only be a few hours a week, 5 at the most. However, you are expected to spend around 20+ hours per week in the studio, working. This 'work' may be models to illustrate and represent your design proposal, drawings, CAD or maybe just some large format printing, but it is this extra studio time that will make up the bread and butter of Architecture School. At peak periods, such as before a submission, expect to spend entire days and nights in the studio.

Your tutor will seem friendly initially, but when they start to assess and criticise your work, it will seem like everything you've done is awful. Don't be disheartened, whilst they MAY rip your design which you spent the last 36 hours finalising to shreds, it doesn't mean they don't like it! Their job is to find what's wrong with your proposal. And they will find it. Along with a dozen other 'flaws'.

You will get an average-ish mark, and promise to improve next project. You won't.

I will re-iterate this a hundred times, but Architecture School is TOUGH. The lack of sleep, the kilometres of tracing paper used, the cost of tools, materials and printing and the sheer emotional rollercoaster of having your efforts shot down is bad at times, but if you chose to study Architecture - you're a different sort of human. Striving under pressure, not working until you get 'the fear' and constantly having to prove yourself make you stronger, and your studio-game will improve. You will improve.