14JUL08
Dennis.
I was very interested to read your paper on Architectural Education this weekend. I found it on the RS Means web site as I was doing some additional BIM research. For one of the very few times I can remember in my 45 years in this business there seems to be a kindred spirit out there. Thank you.
You asked for comments so I would like to offer some.
Before I do so let me give you some background on myself so you have some context in which to take my comments. I am a licensed architect in Michigan, Wyoming and Illinois and hold an NCARB certificate. I have owned my own firm since 1979.
In addition to my practice I have been a full time professor of Architectural Technology at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. This 2-year program started over 50 years ago as a drafting program. If you look at the curriculum you will see that it is quite comprehensive and our students hit the ground running. Unfortunately very few of them stop after 2 years now. They continue on for a BS degree in Facility Management or Construction Management here at Ferris or transfer, maybe 10%, to an accredited school of architecture. Transferring usually costs them between a semester and a year of credit, as an accredited program does not teach such “mundane” subjects as Construction Documents or Detailing.
Although I am, as I said, a licensed architect I have no degrees in architecture. I began college in Building Construction, ended up with a degree in Industrial Education with the idea that I would teach at the high school level. In the meantime I got a job with an MPE consulting engineer for two years while in school and two years full time as a designer after college.
Still wanting to be an architect, my original dream, I took a substantial pay cut and got a job with the top design firm in Peoria, Illinois. Within a year I was project manager on a 150-bed hospital with three architectural graduates working under me. That was the beginning of my disillusionment with architectural education.
After serving my eight years of apprenticeship I sat for the exam and got my license. Two years later I started my own firm.
As I have tried to understand the rational for architectural education methodology in this country I have experienced a great deal of frustration. Without exception all I have ever heard, or experienced, is how poorly architects are paid compared to other professions. And yet when I have tried to talk about changes in the profession to address this issue, almost without exception, including my colleagues here at Ferris, nobody wants anything about education to change. CAD was accepted only through lots of kicking and screaming and then for the past 20 years has been used only as an expensive …
14JUL08
Dennis.
I was very interested to read your paper on Architectural Education this weekend. I found it on the RS Means web site as I was doing some additional BIM research. For one of the very few times I can remember in my 45 years in this business there seems to be a kindred spirit out there. Thank you.
You asked for comments so I would like to offer some.
Before I do so let me give you some background on myself so you have some context in which to take my comments. I am a licensed architect in Michigan, Wyoming and Illinois and hold an NCARB certificate. I have owned my own firm since 1979.
In addition to my practice I have been a full time professor of Architectural Technology at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. This 2-year program started over 50 years ago as a drafting program. If you look at the curriculum you will see that it is quite comprehensive and our students hit the ground running. Unfortunately very few of them stop after 2 years now. They continue on for a BS degree in Facility Management or Construction Management here at Ferris or transfer, maybe 10%, to an accredited school of architecture. Transferring usually costs them between a semester and a year of credit, as an accredited program does not teach such “mundane” subjects as Construction Documents or Detailing.
Although I am, as I said, a licensed architect I have no degrees in architecture. I began college in Building Construction, ended up with a degree in Industrial Education with the idea that I would teach at the high school level. In the meantime I got a job with an MPE consulting engineer for two years while in school and two years full time as a designer after college.
Still wanting to be an architect, my original dream, I took a substantial pay cut and got a job with the top design firm in Peoria, Illinois. Within a year I was project manager on a 150-bed hospital with three architectural graduates working under me. That was the beginning of my disillusionment with architectural education.
After serving my eight years of apprenticeship I sat for the exam and got my license. Two years later I started my own firm.
As I have tried to understand the rational for architectural education methodology in this country I have experienced a great deal of frustration. Without exception all I have ever heard, or experienced, is how poorly architects are paid compared to other professions. And yet when I have tried to talk about changes in the profession to address this issue, almost without exception, including my colleagues here at Ferris, nobody wants anything about education to change. CAD was accepted only through lots of kicking and screaming and then for the past 20 years has been used only as an expensive …