Lecturer : Okay, let’s have a very casual class. Let’s chit chat, about architecture, your future, what you wanna do and such.
I first showed my final progress and then we browsed an architecture book on Imaginative Cities.
Me : Are you trying to kill us or let us kill ourselves?
Lecturer : A bit of both. haha.
Tutor : Haiya, architecture, normal laa…
Me : But it’s such a terrible way to live!
Tutor & Lecturer : HAHAH!
Me : Hmm.. I feel like… I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore. *chuckles*
Lecturer : Why did you take architecture in the first place?
Me : I don’t know. or I can’t remember. I kinda jump from one thing to another. How do you keep your passion in architecture alive?
Tutor : Why do you think I’m here?
(Note: The tutor is a part-timer. He’s an .AR architect)
Me : Oh?
Tutor : I’m here to remind myself about the… what do you call? Like the flare, the passion in architecture. Sometimes it can be a bit boring. But sometimes you can get very excited and inspired. We have very interesting projects going on at the moment. You can get so demotivated when there’re so many problems come and your final result is not what you expected it to be. But when you’ve done a great job, your clients are happy, then you’ll be so eager to start on another project.
Me : Really? Hmm.. I’m worried how I’m going to keep up my interest in architecture. I have very short span of interests. I find an interest and move on to another interest.
Lecturer : oh, that’s great!
Me : What? Seriously?
Tutor : Yeah! Because, you can’t do just architecture and nothing else. Because like I said, there are times when it can get boring, so you have to have some kind of interest that somehow able to inspire you in doing you work, whatsoever. Plus, it actually helps if you have other art related interests.
Lecturer : So, what was your interest?
Me : Oh, I’ve explored illustration, web design, photography a lil’ bit but not that much. Then, traditional art. Like painting, and drawing. and-
Lecturer : And currently?
Me : SEWING!
Lecturer : Sewing? Hahahah! How did you get into that?
Me : I don’t know, I’ve always liked garment construction. So why not now, right? I made this dress *points to the dress I was wearing* and some other dresses I’ve worn to classes.
Lecturer : Really? Wow.
Me : Yeah
Tutor : So, how does architecture and sewing relate?
Me : First of all, both involve a process of design. I guess. Probably, this semester break I can explore a more architectural garment construction? Like with somekind of structure?Just for the fun of it. *laughs* Even Zaha Hadid is becoming a fashion designer these days. hahaha.
Tutor : yeah, when you are an architect, you can actually do a lot of things. You can do from animation to a developer. You can even become an artist or a sculptor! But architects are simply designers. They never actually build something. We are not builders. We design something, and hand it to the engineer. We can even become like a lawyer (debaters)! laughs* Because engineers and architects are taught differently. Architects are optimists. We always think that anything is possible. Engineers are not. They are trained to calculate the failures. They have to find out at which point this structure will fail and so on. That’s why architects and engineers can’t be in the same room. *laughs*
So.. yeah. There are actually more but these are the things they said that actually helps to atleast inspire me enough to finish off my diploma.
Architecture is awesome but does suck, too. but if you’re into it, you’ll love it, despite looking and talking like a zombie at the end of semester. That’s what I tell the small kids who want to get into architecture. haha.
Fascinating conversation. 😀 Since I’m in third year, there’s this module called Options. Basically boleh buat apape (either dissertation or shorter dissertation + artefact) in whatever topic we like, even in other disciplines (ie. non-architecture), asalkan last2 we do learn something that helps us in each of our fields.
So my initial topic was Fashion vs. Architecture, just because I like these textile things and the materials and techniques. It evolved/narrowed down into Patterns in Architecture, because I found this theorist, Gottfried Semper, who claimed that asal-usul architecture is divided into 5, one of them being weaving (textiles). Basically I’ll be testing his theory. How; I don’t know yet, tapi hopefully I’ll be doing the stuff I like and it’ll be my project and I’ll get graded for it. ^^
So architecture’s cool when it’s sort of merged with other stuff. It’s sad how here at least, a lot of our projects have just become CAD drawings with digital models and presentations semua printouts. Padahal it could be so much more and involve many other methods. =/
hahah that’s cool! its awesome when you get to merge something that you love doing with architecture!
and yeah I agree. it’s so boring when archi is just autocad drawings and 3ds max animation. that is exactly why I try to do my model and detailed as possible as I love crafting! but then again, the deadline sorta make the whole thing so stressful. urgh.
Well.. it’s about design after all.. but I admire how your lecturer explained her thoughts to you!
yeah it is. and, both of them are dudes. :p
such a long conversation… If I am mistaken… there are architect who design product for ikea.. maybe they are bored with their current field…
This will inspired me… to love my course again.. 😀
I beg to differ his statements about Engineers.
While architect design, we are innovators. If not, dream on using fast connection, mobile phones, fluid building designs etc. Failure calculation is only a fragment of engineering. The world of engineering, goes beyond than just failures.
Anyway, aren’t proud you can be in the same room as Engineers? 🙂
*aren’t you proud*
honey, engineer here only specific to civil engineers. 🙂
yeah…archi and engineer cant be in the same room..arkitek suka buat design yang curve2..but kalau kami yang akan produce hasil tuh,kami lagi suka build bangunan kotak2…senang…
Wow my friend linked your post on my Facebook page and it really inspired her we’re both architecture majors we’re kind of going through the I want to switch majors why did i even choose architecture the first place Phase and you’re post really helped inspire and remind us. Thank you and i look forward to reading your blog 🙂