Hello! Thanks for such kind words!
Yes I studied architecture at Lawrence Technological University, in Metro-Detroit for three years, but I have been fascinated with architecture since I was a child. Now I’m studying product design at College for Creative Studies in downtown Detroit!
I am more than happy to provide advice, though I will be completely honest and you may not like everything I’m about to share with you.
First off you need to ask yourself a few questions such as “Why do I love architecture?” and “What do I want to achieve through my designs?” and “Do I care about making a difference through design?”. These three questions are vital and you must answer them honestly. If your answers amount to simple responses such as “I think architecture is cool.”, “Designing things like buildings is fun and easy.”, or “I want to design neat stuff and make lots of money.” you should immediately and seriously reconsider your future studies in architecture or design.
Why are those questions important you may ask? Well if you want to become a designer of any sort you need to understand that you are responsible for creating the tangible world that people interact with. You need to understand the incredible impact you have on our world and you need to realize that you must make the right choices to create a healthy environment. As designers we have a responsibility to design for the greater good, not only for humans, but for the earth as well. Say for example if you take no personal interest in sustainability or living a more healthy life, than design is not for you.
Also it is important to comprehend all that goes into being a designer or an architect. You must live, breathe, eat, and “sleep” design. And I say “sleep” because this is something you must be willing to sacrifice. You will be spending lots of time working on projects, and you must be willing to do/create/build lots of bizarre things as a student. You have to be capable of dealing with criticism and harsh competition. You not only need to be strong in your creative design skills, but you also much be capable of excelling in mathematics and the sciences.
Architects are required to know a “little” about a lot of different subjects. And I say a “little” because you need to be well-informed of lots of topics such as products, materials, social injustice, trends, biology, natural disasters, culture, politics, etc. etc. The list really does go on and on. You must fully submerge yourself in all avenues of design, and not just architecture. You want to become familiar with art, furniture, fashion, products, etc. etc.
And you must possess lots of patience too because to become an architect today you must not only earn your bachelors degree, but you must also complete your masters, and be prepared to take an extensive exam to become a licensed architect. You must also complete an internship and if you’d like to be a sustainable architect you must also look into becoming LEED certified. Most architects do not peak or actually design in a firm for clients until they are in their fifties. And women in architecture is a rare find, but hopefully this fuels your drive!
I apologize if this is a brief or rushed response, but I have days worth of homework that I need to jam into a few hours that I need to return to. Please be sure to ask me any other questions you have!
