puzzles and problem solving in your head — structures
- requires a solid math background, but more than that, a visceral understanding of basic physics.
- No need to focus on the theoretical maths like calculus unless you’re more interested in architectural engineering or diverting into something like a specialty in acoustics.
- architects typically hire engineers to actually solve the problems of structural, electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling, and envelope sciences, but they need to understand the theory behind it so they can manage, direct & incorporate the various solutions into a holistic design
puzzles and problem solving in your head — programming
- programming is how a place meets the needs of the people using it
- requires a love of nature and people and cities, why things operate the way they do. Includes wayfinding, relative sizes and shapes and volume and character of spaces. Watch how people act in different spaces (or how dogs act in a yard vs. on a trail or on a walk). Sometimes the differences are social constructs, but sometimes they have to do with the spaces they’re in.
puzzles and problem solving with your hands — assembly
- modern buildings often purposely hide their secrets (systems like structure & plumbing) behind sheetrock and other surfaces. If you want to learn how buildings are put together, visit older, more traditional buildings. Watch This Old House on PBS.
- build things yourself! Learn carpentry or welding or pottery or fence-making; or, build your own treehouse or tricked-out blanket fort. Learn what keeps things together and what falls down. When anything breaks at your house, help fix it. Door hinges, toilet mechanics, weatherstripping, tree care… all of it serves your knowledge of how things work.
- assembling volumes — in a sense, architecture is really just place-making. Creating a volume and dressing it up as a certain character. You can create a “room” outside where the tree branches are the “ceiling.” It typically only takes two walls for us to get the impression of a room, and a “wall” can be a hung sheet or a hedge or a fence or the side of a house. You can create a room outside with no ceiling but three or four building sides gathered together into a plaza. Contrast is always a wow-factor: put a tiny space next to a big one and they both seem more tiny or big.
soak up good buildings through travel, shows, and online “travel”
- learn what you like — what you think is beautiful or fun or cool — and don’t leave anything out. Where I grew up in southern Louisiana, the only buildings I thought were well done were the plantation homes. And at the time, those were all private and I didn’t socialize with those people. Every thing else was worn out strip malls and warehouses (or so I thought). Now that I see more, there were also amazing French-inspired Acadian cabins in the woods, shotgun houses, and all kinds of super cool churches and farm buildings and even some old industrial sugar cane factories. I could have asked to go to New Orleans more often, where the architecture (both new and old) is world class. It was only an hour away!
- learn what you like — do you like impressive buildings or humble ones? Skyscrapers or main streets? Mansions or apartment buildings? Modern or traditional buildings? I remember thinking I was supposed to like skyscrapers, because that’s what all the architecture books seemed to be about in the 80’s. Other than as an enormous city sculpture (the bit on top), they never really inspired me. Step 1, learn what inspires you and develop your own sense of taste. Step 2, figure out why! For example, I love Victorian mansions, but the part I love is not their massive size — I actually love the smaller turrets and nooks and crannies where you can hide to read a book for hours.
- learn what you are like — do you want to design for genius/wealthy/egocentric people or perhaps-less-educated/poor people? Or maybe you want to be a developer and design projects that you get built yourself (that would require a better background in finance)? Would you like to be a boss or a worker bee or a solo worker? Do you like to be outside or inside or a combination? Do you like to climb heights or crawl into tight tunnels or be safe at a desk?
- Many of the best places are private —so ask people to see their buildings! Knock on a door and tell them you think their home/office/garden is beautiful and ask them about it. They might invite you in, or maybe they won’t, but it won’t hurt to ask.
learn to communicate visually
- learn to draw — not to make the most beautiful painting in the world, but to communicate. Illustrate ideas from your head, and learn to draw what you see (sit on a sidewalk and draw what’s in front of you). Practice, practice. The more you do it, the more comfortable it gets. Use parents, friends and siblings as your critics, asking if they can understand what you have drawn or illustrated (not if they think it’s beautiful). Draw city streets and buildings and building details. Use drawing to figure out how things are put together. Use it to see better. Here’s a book I’ve been thinking of getting, that might get you started. Learn the rules of perspective.
- learn to use visual image and modeling software — SketchUp is a good one that has many applications. Photoshop can also be a very interesting design tool. Most will require you take an online course to get started.
- learn to do more with photos than just making a pretty picture. Communicate with them. What is the story you are telling with your image?
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