General Chat / The Future Architects' Thread

Trav,

For GCSE i don't think you can choose any 'wrong' subjects because it is at A level where you can branch out. For example I read GCSE Art, French and a GNVQ in Manufacturing going onto AS maths, A level Graphics design with resistant materials and a AVCE in Engineering. I'm now at plymouth studying BA (hons) Architecture which is the full 7yr course alongside students from many different backgrounds.

I guess the two distinct paths to choose is the 'artsy' way (art, product design, graphics design, etc) or the 'technical' way (physics, maths, etc).

As for the best university's, it all rather depends on what you want. There are a lot of courses that branch off, integrate and merge with 'Architecture' and i recommend you do a lot of research when it comes to the end of college. Rule of thumb though Bath, Loughborough and liverpool are also highly recommended...........oh and Plymouth of course

Ah ok. Do you need to do the AVCE in Engineering and GNVQ in Manufacturing? Or is that just additional to help get into the university or whatever?

You don't need to do them, but it will be beneficial to do something design related. Don't do anything you don't want to though, it's not worth the hassle.

Right, ok.
Thanks for all the info!

Cardiff Uni has the best architecture school in the UK, highly rated with Liverpool, but Cardiff is a much nicer place

I think that the US has more generous financial aid packages, though (both via the government and the institution). I mean I'm paying about a quarter of what the actual tuition is here. I guess elsewhere more government funding goes directly into funding the university and not to students.

More is given to help the little people in the US. I however, was told my family could spend 1/3 of our income on my schooling($40,000) which left with me going to the state school. I don't mind it because UT has a great program for Architecture. Yet, I think expecting anyone to pay $40,000 is ridiculous.

With college, if you're in the upper middle class, you're screwed, because you're too rich to get financial aid, yet not wealthy enough to pay out of pocket. I've been fortunate to get a ton of financial aid, but it's been in part due to my family's financial situation.

Regardless of everything, I do think college costs way too much money, and it'll only get worse from here on out. And there's no such thing as a "hybrid college" to make up for it.

I have a mass model due on Thursday; what's the best way to represent glass, support free standing walls, do landscaping, and any other tips?

For a mass model, how detailed is it supposed to be? I have always heard the term mass model as more of a preliminary, simple, get the geometry down quick sort of thing.... I use notecards and tape. Even with final models, I normally just leave windows open and do the mullion work, but you could use transparency paper or something like that if you want to add windows. Freestanding walls should be able to support themselves if you glue it down, what material are you using for the walls? Worst case, maybe cut a slit into your base and stick it down into there to get it to stand. I recommend leaving them open though, think it tends to look better. As for landscaping, I have never had to get that detailed, just add trees. For those there are little kits you can buy, you can make em out of wire, you can use dowel rods, you can buy model trees, you can use certain bits of real trees... it really all depends on the look you are going for. Knowing a little more about your specific requirements might help.

It's supposed to look nicer than just note cards and tape, but the requirements are pretty vague--the instructor said don't get too detailed. I should have said countours of the land rather than landscaping; the site is on a hill and it's pretty important to show that in the model. Adding windows would be tedious, however, in the design, there is a large glass curtain wall 'box' with a wing attatched (cement) and free standing cement walls around the 'box, and it's important to contrast the materials. I haven't scavenged Wal Mart yet, but I think some kind of 1/8" thick plastic panes would work. My partner and I haven't decided on what the walls will be made out of yet, but I'm leaning towards cardboard or balsa wood.

Ok, that helps a lot. For the walls do not use cardboard, either bass wood (sturdier than balsa but still easy to work with, available in the same area) or foam core. If you have never cut foam core before, using an xacto knife, make the first cut very lightly along the edge of a steel ruler to cut through the first paper layer, then cut again harder to make it through the foam (might take several times, go slow), then once again to go through the back paper... this will get you nice clean cuts without all the shredding.

For the landscape, I would recommend cardboard as it will contrast either foam core or bass wood. Start from the bottom with a square base piece encompassing your whole site. Then cut another piece to the same size, except this time trace your first contour line on top of this piece and cut along the line. This piece is pasted on top of the flat base and you have your first contour. Repeat for every other contour line to slowly build your way up. Make sure your cardboard thickness fits your scale for the ascent per contour line, as to make your site accurate. You may have to double or triple up on layers to get the right thickness.

As for the glass... is the curtain wall just one giant ass glass panel or is it mullioned up into smaller panels? If mullioned, just use little bass wood rods which you can buy in various sizes to make the mullion structure and leave them empty, it will read as windows and look good. If they are just giant panels you might need to look into the plastic, I have never had to put in window panels so I don't know what to use on that.

Depending on the scale of the model, you could use plastic for the glazing and score the mullions. It saves a lot of time and is very effective.

As for the model itself, I'm more partial to cardboard, and I really don't like foam core. I agree with Pyro for the contours. It makes for a wonderfully solid base, however if you're trying to save on material you don't have to fill out the whole back part of the contour. Most people think models are flimsy and are careful with them anyways.

Concerning the architectural library, I added a few more books to mine today:
_ Structure Systems
_ Design Like You Give A Damn
_ Canadian Architect (Magazine Subscription)
_ Detail (Magazine, single issue)

Oh, almost forgot, if you use cardboard for the contours, make sure to buy some paper of the same color (can't remember what it is called, but its really thin and the same shade of brown as the cardboard. Then cut it into slivers and use it to cover up the corrugation you can see from the side view for each level. It gives the land a much more polished and finished look than if you leave it off.

..and by cardboard I mean chipboard. I would stay away from corrugated cardboard. It has the same effect as foam-core, only worse.

Wow, thanks for the help.

Well, for whoever cares, I have decided to go to Cal majoring in architecture and am looking forward to it. Ill hopefully be rooming with a good friend of mine and have a couple other friends who will be going to Cal as well and I just wish HS were over with at this point.

Thanks for all the model making info. Helpful stuff that is.

Cork can go nicely with foam core models if you're it for walls. Use a flat steel rule for cutting.

Speaking of which... Eric (if you happen upon this thread anytime soon), would you happen to have any pics of the Morphosis building, or any of the other recent new buildings at UoC that have been done by famous architects? Just wondering. It's pretty neat that Cincinatti is trying to raise their school name through architecture, rather than through their programs.

Actually, I have been meaning to take a photo record of the buildings on our campus. We have a ton of famous architects that have built on campus. Let's see....Thom Mayne (Morphosis), Frank Gehry, Bernard Tschumi, Henry Cobb (Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners), David Childs (SOM), Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects (a LEED certified building), Leers Weinzapfel Associates, and Hargreaves Associates (master planning and landscaping). So, yeah...I'll try to get my camera out and give myself a tour of the campus and upload a few shots for you guys. But I can't guarantee it will be real soon...at the moment, I'm trying to secure a job in London for the Summer!

oh and a p.s. our architecture program is no.2 in the nation at the moment I think...so our programs don't suck either...interior design has been no.1 for a long time...our entire design college is very well regarded...and our music college is also pretty well known. Other than that, I see your point...but UC is good for the arts.

Edited by AustinPowers, 30 April 2007 - 10:56 PM.