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architecture college evaluation

Every future architect at some point in their career development must evaluate various architectural colleges as prospective launching points for their architectural education.

Where to start ??

I'm going to leave the limitations of tuition and costs related to housing and such to your generous benefactor(s) and look at the institutions themselves.  While I'm not going to make any recommendations for specific institutions, I will give you some resources and questions  to pose in reviewing their programs.

So let’s assume for the moment that your intent is to get registered as a professional architect with the intent to practice as such. 

The first recommendation – Visit their college website!  Hopefully many of the questions here will be answered there.

U.S. Architectural Programs
If you are looking for a list of schools in a specific state use the NAAB web site.  Make sure you select the School Degree Program as "Bachelor of Architecture" if you are just entering college from high school.

NAAB
Look for their NAAB accreditation. If it's not on their website
you can check this listing.

Accreditation is an essential component of any Architectural Degree program and provides a regular third party review of a program for compliance with specific criteria relative to the training of students in architecture.  In addition the state you intend to practice may require a degree from an NAAB accredited institution to qualify for licensure as a registered Architect. 

http://www.naab.org/accreditation/

Get on Linkedin 
This is a professional networking site and you can run in-depth searches for graduates of a specific university. You will need to create a profile first. 
  • Under the Network dropdown select “Find Alumni”
  • At the top select the year range you are interested in.  More recent graduates will give you a better read on the current curriculum and
    professors.
  • To the right select the Change School dropdown button and input the university you wish to search alumni for. 
  • Then select (Where they Live > Where They Work > What they Do (select Arts and Design) > What They Studied (select Architecture and Related Services) > What they’re Skilled at (select Architectural Design) 
You will then want to connect to the individuals you believe may provide some insights into the program, in the prompt window select “Friend”and add a short introductory note regarding your interest in their architectural  school as a prospective degree program and the desire to correspond on their experience there.

Labs & Fabrication Facilities 
Can take many forms and offer varying ways to explore the architectural environment the student is designing.
  • Virtual Reality Lab - Immersion in and around the digital 3D environments.
             + CAVE VR Systems 
             + Augmented Reality
                   
  • Construction Assembly Floor - Where hands on experience in basic construction techniques and hierarchy can be obtained.  The use of such a lab would likely go hand in hand with a specific class on construction and would be supported by a metal / wood shop with appropriate tools.
  • Model Shop - Would support the creation of architectural models using such devices as:
             + CNC Machining 
             + 3D Printer
             + Laser Cutters
             ................................................................. The Comparison 
        While architectural model building will vary from non-existent to 
        being a essential part of the architectural office work flow, in the
        academic environment it is an excellent way to study a design form.

Picture
Picture
Interview Questions
Correspond with the College of Architecture under Consideration.
The following questions will identify what influence the professional practice has on the academic curriculum.

1. How many of their tenured professors are registered
    architects?
    
Commentary: Look for a substantial percentage to be or have been
     registered architects.


2. Identify the number of years each tenured professor was
    active in the professional practice.

  
    Commentary: The more registered architects, with active years of 
     practice, the higher the
 likelihood that the program will be influenced 
    by the practice of architecture and 
less by a purely academic 
    approach. 
 

 3. How many of your adjunct / visiting professors are actively
      practicing architects.

   
     Commentary: Given the time requirements of being a practicing
      architect it is likely that these 
professors will be adjunct or visiting
     (part-time) staff with limited teaching roles. 


     a.  What classes do they teach?
                                                  
          i.  Design Studio – This will increase the possibility that years of
             practical experience will be brought to the design process that 
             addresses:

              1. Cost / Budget,
              2. Buildability,
              3. Proper Selection of Building Materials,
              4. Functional / Spatial relationships based on acutal client 
                 needs,
              5. Life safety Requirements for Exiting and Fire Control,
              6. Zoning Code Limitations.

          ii. Ethics and Practice - This class is specificaly geared towards the 
             practice of architecture and ideally would be taught by a
            practicing architect or one with many years of practice.  Areas
            covered include but at not limited to :

              1. Contracts,
              2. Project Mangement,
              3. Scenarios to Define Ethical Behaviour.

   b.
For those practicing architects provide the name of their 
       business?


      Commentary: You are looking for a website that will allow you to
      verify their employment and will give you a list of projects they have
      been involved with.  This will allow you to identify their experience
      level with specific project types.

    c. 
Provide the names of the practicing professors and a contact
        email.

  
      Commentary: This is if you want to correspond with these individuals
      directly and this information is not available on their business website 
      or the college’s website. Topics of discussion might include:

      1. What are the shortcomings of this program?
      2. What improvements have been made recently that prepare 
          graduates for the professional practice?
      3. Does the college track professional registration and employment 
          stats? and if so,

          +  what is the percentage of students getting registered 
              from this program and within how many years?

         +  what is the percentage of students getting employed with
             architectural firms after graduation?

    d.
Going to the Top – Interview the Dean of the College of
        Architecture


      Commentary: This is where the tone of the architecture college’s 
      program is set and where you would hope to find a seasoned
      architect with 20 or more years of practice under their belt, not to
      mention a master’s of architecture degree.  Lack of such experience
      may mean that the program is more geared to an academic 
     experience where emphasis shifts to theory of design, design   
     exploration outside of real world limitations and training to
     teach architecture rather than practice it. Questions might include:

     1. Can you give us an overview of your practical experience in 
         architecture?

     2. How long did you practice before you decided to teach?
     3. What was your motivation for moving from the practice of
         architecture to the teaching of architecture?

     4. Do you teach any specific classes in the program, and if not 
         why?

     5. How does the architectural program here prepare the students for
         the practice of architecture?

     6. How does the architectural program interface with the local
         professional architecture community to bridge the academic
         experience with the professional experience?

     7. What skill sets do you provide students that facilitate employment
         at the entry level of an architectural firm?

    8.  Are practicing professional architects invited to critique the       
        students projects?
    9.  
Are practicing professional architects mentoring the students?
  10.  How does the program respond to current trends in architecture 
         such as: Integrated Project Delivery, Building Information Modeling,
         Adaptive Reuse, Modular Design for Construction, and Sustainability


      > Integrated Project Delivery
         Involves training in collaboration with the disciplines of engineering
         and construction in a holistic approach to the design / document /
         construct process. I.P.D. brings the building contractor and 
         subcontractors forward into the design process with the architect
         and engineers to evaluate cost, construction logistics and schedule 
         in order to optimize the design to meet the required cost         
         and delivery date.
     > Adaptive Reuse
        Essentially the recycling of older buildings requires design skills that 
        respond to the existing building limitations to meet a new use
        which may require preservation of historically significant
        architecture. This is a growing trend in project types.
        > Building Information Modeling (B.I.M.)
           Training in the software utilized to create the B.I.M. is an essential
           skill set for graduates hoping to gain employment in the 
           professional environment.  The defacto platform for creating the   
          B.I.M. in the U.S. is Revit from Autodesk. If the students are not  
          utilizing this application for design development at the college       
          level their ability to gain employment will be limited without this
          skill set.
       > Sustainability
          The use of passive and active systems in architectural design to 
          reduce energy and water use, collect & store energy and water.
          Use of recycled, recyclable and / or renewable construction 
          materials.
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