Over the weekend I attended my sister's college graduation from USC. She's not an architecture student, but watching the ceremony and visiting Los Angeles got me thinking about the many who are about to graduate this month or next with architecture degrees and start pounding Portland's pavement for a job.
And of course when one analyzes the opportunities and challenges facing young architects as they enter the job market, the conversation really becomes about the profession itself.
Before saying anything more, I'd like to emphasize that this post in particular should be about your responses more than what I have to say. Whether it's students, the recently graduated or longtime professionals, I'd like to hear from you what's good, bad and in between when it comes to the state of the profession and design itself for young architects entering the profession.
As I've said many times before, one trend I've been happy to see is that more architects seem to be embracing a do-it-yourself attitude and developing their own projects. When you've just left school it may not be realistic to do this, what with college loans to pay back for most kids. But considering the housing boom happening now, there is certainly opportunity for young architects to prove their mettle not simply in an entry-level firm job creating drawings, but seizing the reigns and building a building.
Obviously green building is more a part of design to graduating architects today more than at any other time. So much so, in fact, that differentiating sustainability from other modes of design and building may seem almost antiquated. At the same time, though, there's still a long way to go in terms of educating clients. I always remember going to the US Green Building Council's 'Greenbuild' conference in Austin a few years ago, being very jazzed about all the talk inside the convention center, and then getting into a cab and hearing from my driver as we talked, "What's green building?"
Having been in Los Angeles for the past few days, one has the opportunity to see magnificent works like Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall and Thom Mayne's Cal Trans building. And while both are exceptionally impressive, I hope most of today's architecture graduates understand that these are examples of facade architecture--fancy packaging that may get written up in lots of magazines but often is a disappointment on the inside. I hope the majority of graduates seek to design buildings from the inside out.
I know some young architects have done exciting design work in school only to sign on at a firm where their contributions are more tedious. But there also seems to be a trend in which more firms are turning to a charette model to generate their most important designs, utilizing the fresh perspectives of young architects to generate ideas in a more egalitarian environment. That's something we'll hopefully see continue exponentially.
Being in LA this weekend, I couldn't help but feel saddened by how a handful of exclusive enclaves and buildings were vastly outnumbered by a cacophony of sprawl, grime and decay. I think today's young architects also carry a greater responsibility than ever to be politically involved, either through a member organization like the AIA or in different manifestations. Society needs architects out there not just designing buildings, but fighting for better cities. Portland is a far cry from Los Angeles, thank God, but every city has its issues, ours included, and the principles of good design - both on the macro and micro levels - need to be shared with everyone.
Meanwhile, as I said, I'd like to hear from the rest of you on this. What advice can we offer new graduates? What do students want to tell the established local architecture community? The establishment and the new generation need each other, and it never hurts to start a dialog.
I'm currently study Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Community and Environmental planning at the University of Washington, and needless to say, I'm extremely interested in infrastructure and its incorporation into urban planning and design. Although I'm still unsure of the career I want to pursue, I'm curious as to the dynamic between architects and civil engineers, and how it shapes, changes, or adds to an urban project. I took a class this past quarter that was taught by a practicing landscape architect who often stressed how difficult and challenging it can be to bring not just architects and engineers to the table, but other professionals as well who's input, potentially, could significantly benefit a project. Is this frustration a common feeling, and how does it impact the development of a project? These are the kind of issues and questions I see influencing the type of career I advance upon.
Posted by: Joe Jenkins | May 16, 2006 at 11:39 PM
I'm a recent architecture grad from a strong design school out east looking to move to Portland. I'm impressed with much of the talent there (Allied Works, architecture w, Skylab, Emmons, Holst and Colab if they still exist in particular), but have found the prospects of even making contact with design firms like this a bit daunting as it has been difficult in the past elsewhere. It's frustrating to see other run-of-the-mill firms expanding when the real talent is out of reach. I want to begin my career practicing the skills I developed in school, but at times I feel I should submit to the masses.
Posted by: Chris | May 23, 2006 at 01:48 PM