While most schools present the world as a constant competition of the rebellious, the truth behind this trend lies in the competitive nature of education itself.
Students and young graduates are particularly conditioned for exploration of the new. It is the very best thing taught in college. It is also the most treacherous path, since embracing the latest trends without a proper foundation may lead to a few embarrassing moments. Parting with tradition can be a good idea as long as traditions are closely studied, analyzed, referenced, and understood. Inventing an avant-garde movement without taking baby steps to comprehend the science behind the details can lead one down a very slippery slope.
Confronting the issue of just how prepared young graduates are becomes inescapable when they show up in an architect’s office as interns. Both the student and the mentor may be challenged more than previously anticipated due to incompatible expectations. The student wants to experience the taste of the real world and see the architect in action. A desire to learn is the best quality brought to a summer job.
My recent decision to open the doors of our small firm to interns proved to be as motivational as it was enlightening. I decided to accept two architects and two interior design students. Immediately after I took that road, I realized that being a mentor might be a serious responsibility.
For a few days, I planned and prepared tasks for their month-long gig. I took on a couple of smaller projects they could tackle relatively independently and complete within the time frame of their internships. Both projects were related to residential remodeling. The first project was an outdated master bathroom, and the second was a kitchen reconfiguration and update.
I divided the interns into two groups, with an architectural student and interior designer on each team. We sat down, analyzed the project, and discussed programming and all of the objectives. Then they started documenting the existing conditions. Everything seemed to be going normally and working out.
I go along with all endeavors that bring about progress and new ideas. I fully understand that schools are in a great position to explore the unconventional and innovative in contemporary architecture. Most school assignments are virtual, anyway. It is fundamentally good to be explorative and creative. The question is “What happens when young graduates meet real life?” How prepared are they, and what tools for the real world do they possess?
To their credit, both teams worked fast and diligently. It took a while to figure out how to measure an existing condition and document the “as-builds.” The future architects jumped right in and drafted the existing plans. The interior designers sketched out solutions. Within a few days, they were ready to present their designs for review.
This was the moment when the shortcomings of the educational process surfaced. As the great jazz musician said, “they were not playing wrong notes; they were just not playing the right ones.”
The first team designing a new master suite came up with extremely small room sizes and space planning. As if they had measured their dorms’ bathrooms, all of the dimensions tended to be below minimal. Sinks were 12 inches in diameter, counters 18 inches deep. A walk-in closet measured five by six feet, with a clothes-hanging depth of only 16 inches. The bed was five by five feet.
Of course I did not resort to jokes, and the review was gentle, thorough, and encouraging. Mistakes were corrected, lessons learned. The lesson I learned was that the students’ schools did not tell them that a $3 measuring tape should become their best friend for years to come.
Okay, I want to come clean: I am from Europe, and Bauhaus, as a concept, speaks to me. Students had to learn all trades and crafts during their first year of school. Basically, they would apprentice with a real mason, framer, and cabinetmaker for years before they would touch design.
The second team tackled the kitchen. The interior designers actually fared better. They had a basic knowledge of space and dimensions, and most importantly, they understood the point of finding specifications for appliances and fixtures.
The architects wanted to implement solutions based on great ideas. This approach that it was hip to break new ground and earn the prize for novelty was actually embedded in their minds. The interior designers subsequently focused on materials and surfaces, finding quite innovative compositions and combinations of textures and vignettes. They seemed disconnected when it came to interfacing with architectural elements like windows, skylights, and wall thickness.
By and large, this experience with mentoring was very positive. It reinforced my belief in the younger generation as curious, inquisitive, enthusiastic, and eager to complete their tasks. In the end, we got a product that satisfied the ever-so-demanding, high-end client. The blunders and blemishes were quickly forgotten, and what counted was the interns’ willingness to learn. I realized how mutually beneficial such interactions between students and practicing professionals can be. The office experience shows the intern what to focus on at school, while the architect with his or her nose in the blueprints and specifications realizes that the world of architecture is moving ahead quickly.
Every summer, we get to discuss what young design students admire, who their role models are, and what their motivation is to follow a demanding path to become good architects and designers. As a practicing architect, I have realized what students and graduates need to focus on.
First, drafting skills applicable to one of the leading computer programs are essential. Whether it is AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, or another program, get familiar with the CAD standard of the majority of offices out there. 3D programs like SketchUp are also welcome tools.
Second, learn to sketch by hand. Do not become a “mouse clicker.” Computers are great tools, but they will not design for you. A good architect often has to sketch conceptual drawings right in front of the client during programming discussions. It also helps to be able to draw three-dimensional perspectives.
Furthermore, learn architectural styles for the sake of context. New urbanism, for example, is very contextual with the environment-the fabric of the surrounding city-and livable due to the mixed functions blended for better existence. Large cities have patterns and textures that need to be respected when designing infill projects.
Finally, try to learn how to build something-hands on, if possible. Nothing can replace practical experience with construction. After all, it is the architect who should be able to lead a team and write specifications.
There is a bright future for architecture, especially now, when discovering green materials and technology may lead us to paying attention to detail, when graduates will face overpopulation and limited resources, and when globalization will bring about inevitable blending of cultures and economies. The world is not the same anymore, and it is probably a good idea to take notice. For professional practitioners, it is paramount to engage in mentoring, sharing, and bringing up the next generation of stewards, sometimes just for the sake of returning the favor.
About the Author
Artist and architect Milan Heger echoes the confluence of Czech Cubism and Czech Functionalism. Born in Communist Czechoslovakia and brought up in an environment of restrictive artistic censorship, from a young age, Heger learned to bend unspoken design rules and treasure new approaches to art.
Heger’s art and design can be classified as abstract symbolist with some of the figurative aspects of neoexpressionists. His use of neoexpressionism fuels expressionistic fervor, a passion that translates into the sense of touch.
Heger creates a cohesion of design in all disciplines: architecture, furniture, interiors, art, and fashion. His international design firm specializes in the creation of quality products, with a focus on aesthetics. He creates art, design (both interiors and furniture), and architecture.
Milan Heger’s clients and collectors are from all over the world. In 1997, he moved to Seattle, Washington, where he has built a design and architecture firm.
