An alternative route to study

Having tried the part II course at the recently changed University of Greenwich, I was left distraught and broken by the Bartlett “rules” carried over to Greenwich.

Students need to be taught about the “real” world and real projects and real practices. The course at CAT does exactly this as well as teaches me and others about alternative ways of building, to be creative and innovative yet “real”, and details the construction process, laws and planning, the environment and working with people from different construction backgrounds — preparing students for what will happen once employed.

Best of all, I am encouraged to keep on working in an office to put into practice what I learn.

I feel privileged to be involved with such a course and my faith and confidence has been restored in architecture. Why aren’t more schools doing the same?

Zahra Lodhi
via bdonline

Architecture: the new philosophy

We need an educational model that is relevant to the real (ie, commercial) world and watertight theory that will enable architects to take a lead in the industry — then things will change for the better.

But it’s now very late in the day, perhaps too late. I think the most likely future of architecture is as a branch of philosophy — with architects being entirely excluded from physical production in the same way that philosophers are generally excluded from politics.

A very sad state of affairs indeed and a real squandering of the inheritance left to us by our Renaissance forebears.

Michael Badu
via bdonline

Another way

Will Hunter has missed the point. The RIBA Office Based Examination courses mean you can get your part I and II while not racking up massive amounts of debt.

It takes longer, a lot of discipline and you need three years prior in practice — but you can have a salary at the same time.

So yes, there is another way…

Emily Sayers
via bdonline

We need to talk

Architectural education does need a real shake-up and the ivory towers of the schools must be broken down — a real link between industry and education must form the foundation of the education system.

There must also be better ties between other architectural qualification routes such as for those on the CIAT route and other disciplines such as planning, structural engineering and surveying.

We all work in the same industry, so at the very least should learn to communicate and collaborate in the education system.

James Francis
via bdonline