Adapting and exceeding in online architecture studies

Covid-19 has forever changed the way architecture will be studied and practiced throughout the world. This ancient study only becoming so technical for students in the last decade has officially transitioned into the next fully digital era. With students not coming into university, there has been a shift in studio culture. No more surprise pin-ups, group model charrettes, or so-close-they-see-your-hands-shaking presentations. While at first relived to be doing course work and presentations online, I found an entirely new set of challenges as the first generation of students to be handling an enormous technical and cultural shift in architectural studies.

Getting the Most from a New Studio Culture

If you got nothing out of the old studio culture, don't expect anything to change. The key to success in architecture is your own dedication to it. You may not love the brief or don't feel particularly inspired by the site, but you only get out of studio what you put into it. I've found that this input/output ratio is fairly even as well. Online tutorials are tempting to skip or bs your way through them, but this will only lead to a panic-no sleep-awful week before presentations with your half baked concept and way behind on critical feedback. Especially with limited online one-on-one time with tutors, these tips are essential for success.

Being Prepared with Questions

With limited interaction time with tutors, make sure you are prepared. You'll get as much out of class as you put in - you come in with detailed plans/sections and technical questions, you'll leave with your project on the right track. If you come in with a vague concept, they'll give you a vague discussion about the ways the project could go. Your project won't be ready for presentation until the very end and it can be intimidating showing an in-progress idea for critique. But, staying in the safety of ambiguity won't lead you to the results you may think you're getting. An amazing project won't appear out of nowhere it needs evolve with many many iterations. So don't be afraid to make something and come in for feedback. I've found I have gotten the best feedback from showing models. Just showing

Show Presentation Images in Advance

When working on one technical drawing or rendered image for so long, you may be missing something important. Having a fresh set of eyes is always important and with your tutors seeing your best effort they can continue to critic and help you to improve further. Showing something brand new on presentation day is always risky, the best students will have essentially their entire project done the week before to get feedback on everything before the real deal. Some tutors can be very picky so its always best to be the most prepared!

Ask For Their Opinion

Not only are the tutors obviously professionals in their field, but they will be the ones giving you the final grade. Not a huge shocker that they'd give a better mark to someone's project in which they saw their own personal style or technique. Don't stray too far off your path only to please a tutor, but maybe find a common interest that can extend a collaboration you both with be enthusiastic about throughout the months of a project. If they come from an artistic/conceptual architecture background, this is the best time to get practice in their methodology of thinking. If your tutor has a technical/construction background, simplify to project and focus on becoming an expert in a specific material or joinery. Whatever their expertise is within the architectural field, use that to your advantage in expanding your learning in a variety of skills.

My Adaptation with Presenting Online

With my final presentation of second year being online, I took the opportunity to create a video. Never in any years before had there been screens in our studio to present on (since many students presented from online) and I made sure to take advantage to show my critics the level of initiative and adaptability I could take on my own. Moving past static images of traditional panels, I created a full walkthrough of my proposal along with a moving background for the entire intro/research of the project. The movement completely made the presentation more engaging, allowed my to speak without needing to touch a thing. If anything, the video actually guided ME through my speech in topics and duration of each. It has been a game changer in presentations and will only continue to be a powerful tool in university and into the real world of architectural proposals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOyUFiDlMQ0

Project Workflow -

Rhino (+grasshopper)

Twinmotion (rendering)

Adobe After Effects (animations)

Adobe Premier Pro (video editing)

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