advertisement


Architecture as a career, which GCSEs to concentrate on?

Rob998

Scimmia Nordoccidentale
My youngest daughter (13) has expressed an interest in becoming an Architect, with a possible sideline in Interior Design. As she'll be choosing her GCSEs next academic year, I was wondering if any architectural li'l fishies could offer a bit of careers advice, please?

I must admit , I'm worried she's going to end up designing boxes for housing estates...
 
Broadest set of GCSEs possible. Employers want to see a good baseline in education so go for STEM (maths, physicsm chemistry, whatever technical drawing is called today), art & Design, English language (obviously), history (how to use of evidence).
 
I have a friend who’s a partner at a very famous architecture firm. I’ll ask him, but I can’t promise a fast response!
 
Seems reasonable advice so far. But then I only spent 30 years as a Careers Adviser.. so what do I know?

Seriously.. I am now well out of touch with the fine detail but the advice above on a broad spread of high grade GCSE's is sound.

For 'Horses Mouth' stuff on the current arrangements for HE/Professional Training: https://www.architecture.com/education-cpd-and-careers

For specific entry requirements, I'd look at the list of approved courses in the above link.. then do a sweep of entry requirements for the various unis offering courses. This should give info on GCSE/A Level/Alternative entry requirements, plus advice on completing personal statements etc.

UCAS also carries lots of info: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/...choosing-course/choosing-undergraduate-course

And finally, it is even possible that your daughter's school has, or has access to, a Careers Adviser. Preferably someone external and independent, but properly qualified and experienced. This will depend entirely on what survives, in your area, of the wreckage of the Careers Guidance system left standing after Gove had done his hachet job.. and how far the school attempts to comply with the minimal and barely enforced requirements 'imposed' by him.

Good luck!.
 
Last edited:
I must admit , I'm worried she's going to end up designing boxes for housing estates...
So what if she does? We can't all be Frank Lloyd Wright or Zaha Hadid. More design engineers end up designing food mixers than Ferraris, more mechanical engineers end up manufacturing plastic drainage pipes than Lear jets. Most doctors spend their days dealing with fat blokes with bad backs and women who are pregnant. Few of them find cures for cancer. That's the world. I don't get the snobbery that people attach to careers like this. The skills are still in use whether you have a limitless budget to design the Shard or you have to build an entire estate for thrupence. In fact I'd say the skills were yet more pointed in the latter case. Any fool can build a car for £1M. Building a car for £10k, now that needs an engineer.

I earn a living in food manufacture. It's not Michelin 3 star stuff. It's just food. Recent products have been quiche, soup, peanuts, chilled meals, salad dressings and vinegar. Most interesting was probably vinegar, followed by salad dressings, where we had an air entrainment problem that made it look like ditch water and caused fat oxidation in later life. The point I'm making is that when you get into the nitty gritty of an operation it doesn't matter that the end product is boring. I am very sure that architects designing commercial buildings or budget housing experience the same. In fact, don't take my word for it, ask Martin. He's said as much to me, in many ways there are more similarities between his job and mine than there are differences.
 
One of my friends is an architect. Much of his work is designing cost-cut boxes for housing associations etc. He still makes a decent living out of it. Things were very tight for a while after the 2008 financial crash and the partnership where he works were lucky to survive (many didn’t), but things seem rather better now. He fully admits he’ll never be Frank Lloyd Wright or Zaha Hadid, but that doesn’t stop him chucking a really nice detail in here and there. Its a good career, though it can take a long time to get fully qualified. My friend actually worked for many, many years in the practice as a draftsman before taking the final ‘Part III’ (or whatever it is called) of the formal qualification and becoming a partner.
 
Those are fair points, and honestly, it wasn't snobbery that led me to make the comment, more an assumption that it would be a bit boring for her, but I suppose the job satisfaction comes with the problem solving that's involved.

Sorry to have come across as snooty!
 
Things have changed since I worked at Brighton University in the School of Architecture and Interior Design. Back then, A good grade in Mathematics and English was needed backed up by others such as Art ( a great portfolio of work was always a deciding factor) and not GSE'S of the Home cooking variety. Every student was individually interviewed by one of the Senior Lecturers ,and conversely, if the intended student showed interest and that they had knowledge of their local architecture top grades in their GSE's were not always the deciding factor on being given a place.

Things have now changed with the Universities being much more concerned with making profit as apposed to education. So my advice to any aspiring Architect would be make sure you know your local Architecture, Speak to, or preferably get apart time job at a local Architects Practice and finally but probably most important get her to contact the RIBA https://www.architecture.com/contact-and-visit .

You will find all of the information that is required by your daughter there. One other thing , When my Students were looking for employment I advised them to, as well as sending out CV 's to physically go to their chosen Architectural Practice with their portfolio and ask if some one could advise them, once you have one foot in the door ,it's very difficult to dismiss someone, several on my Students gained employment at top London Practices by showing this kind of initiative.
Best of luck with her chosen career
oldie
 
Those are fair points, and honestly, it wasn't snobbery that led me to make the comment, more an assumption that it would be a bit boring for her, but I suppose the job satisfaction comes with the problem solving that's involved.

Sorry to have come across as snooty!
That's OK. I think that any job could be boring, let's be honest, you could be an architect working on The Shard, Gherkin, or Burj-al-Khalif and if you copped for drains or aircon it wouldn't be exactly thrilling.
 
The son of a good pal has recently started working at one of the most famous architect’s firm. He a model maker. So you don’t have to spend years training to be an architect to be part of their profession.
 
Here's an up to date entry requirement (Manchester was just the first current list to pop up from searching, no other reason for choosing)

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/u...018/00178/ba-architecture/entry-requirements/

Yep, needless to say, straight As at A-Level are critical, and at least one of them needs to be a STEM subject.

As far as GCSE options are concerned, Graphic Design / Design Technology, Art, Photography are all good to have. Also separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics instead of 'Double Science'.
 
Careers Guidance system left standing after Gove had done his harchet job

IME of nearly 30 years of HE, and admitting students - this unfortunate hatchet job started well before Gove was holding the axe. I started seeing problems with advice given since the mid-1990s

Sorry to have come across as snooty!
It didn't really (to me at least) but it did sound a little unsupportive

Universities being much more concerned with making profit as apposed to education
this is not true and sounds like either misinformation or sour grapes.

He a model maker. So you don’t have to spend years training to be an architect to be part of their profession.
Indeed. In fact our model maker graduates do extremely well from all sorts of industry sectors; including games, film, automotive, aerospace and architectural sectors.
 
So what if she does? We can't all be Frank Lloyd Wright or Zaha Hadid. More design engineers end up designing food mixers than Ferraris, more mechanical engineers end up manufacturing plastic drainage pipes than Lear jets. Most doctors spend their days dealing with fat blokes with bad backs and women who are pregnant. Few of them find cures for cancer. That's the world. I don't get the snobbery that people attach to careers like this. The skills are still in use whether you have a limitless budget to design the Shard or you have to build an entire estate for thrupence. In fact I'd say the skills were yet more pointed in the latter case. Any fool can build a car for £1M. Building a car for £10k, now that needs an engineer.

I earn a living in food manufacture. It's not Michelin 3 star stuff. It's just food. Recent products have been quiche, soup, peanuts, chilled meals, salad dressings and vinegar. Most interesting was probably vinegar, followed by salad dressings, where we had an air entrainment problem that made it look like ditch water and caused fat oxidation in later life. The point I'm making is that when you get into the nitty gritty of an operation it doesn't matter that the end product is boring. I am very sure that architects designing commercial buildings or budget housing experience the same. In fact, don't take my word for it, ask Martin. He's said as much to me, in many ways there are more similarities between his job and mine than there are differences.

Agreed. My daughter is a Fashion Designer. Like many she harbours ambitions to have her own label etc., and has not yet quite given up on the idea.. but she has slowly come around to the recognition that by inherent talent, diligence and hard work, she has got herself into a position where she is unlikely to ever be out of work.. at least not for long. So, designing stuff for mass market outlets such as Zara, New Look, Primark et. al., which she will probably always see as 'boring', is now also recognised as a very good living. She is comng to recognise that for much of the world work is boring.. which is why we are paid to do it, rather than skippiing into the office for free every day.
 
IME of nearly 30 years of HE, and admitting students - this unfortunate hatchet job started well before Gove was holding the axe. I started seeing problems with advice given since the mid-1990s

I can't respond to that other than by speculation GT. It is always best to first query who did the advising? There was an unfortunate tendency on the part of many schools with sixth forms, to jealously guard the whole HE application process and entrust it entirely to 'Head of 6th', deliberately excluding the Careers Service and with variable results. Some were extrememly knowledgeable and capable, whilst others blatantly favoured certain HE establishments and clearly took little or no time to research and keep abreast of developments. By contrast, at least in the Service I worked for, each adviser was verifiably trained to advise on everthing up to Year 11, including how to advise on subject choice to avoid ( as far as possible) traps, pitfalls and omissions. Those of us who had caseloads including potential HE students also had pretty much constant drip feeds of professional training, updates, conferences, HE visits etc etc., to improve our knowledge and contacts, as well as the resource of one 'HE Specialist', who led our endeavours on this topic, as well as being a member of various regional and nationwide Professional organisations, again committed to disseminating and improving good professional practice.

This was, as I've pointed out many times before on here, the culmination of 100+ years of development, which, from a State P.O.V. came from the same 'root realisation' that produced the first official Labour Exchanges, as I've just mentioned in the Homeless thread. Until the idiot Blunkett forcibly converted a World rated system of Careers Guidance, into the professional and eithically rudderless shambles that was 'Connexions', Careers Guidance in the UK was as good as anywhere, and all on a vanishingly small budget.

What remains post Blunkett/Gove is something I'm too pissed off and too long retired to really engage with.
 
My youngest daughter (13) has expressed an interest in becoming an Architect, with a possible sideline in Interior Design. As she'll be choosing her GCSEs next academic year, I was wondering if any architectural li'l fishies could offer a bit of careers advice, please?

I must admit , I'm worried she's going to end up designing boxes for housing estates...
Art and design is the obvious option choice at GCSE.

But A&D is no longer a compulsory part of the curriculum and I know that budgets are being cut drastically which effects what can be covered in art and some schools are dropping A&D and starting to make Arts subjects dependant on parental contributions. So I would check with your daughter's school to make sure they intend to run A&D for the duration of your daughter's GCSE course
 
It is always best to first query who did the advising

It is hard to answer that - my experiences with our students are from a range of the home counties and London, and unfortunately I have seen poor advise across a range of areas since the 1990s. But I certainly recognise the traits of laziness and favouritism amongst some practitioners - which IME is no different from other walks of life. We (as an HEI) still like to support local schools and their careers teachers by coming to talk to students, and now we frequently bring with us a helpful alumnus who has direct experience of working in the sector concerned.

I agree with your general sentiment though. In the late 1980s I have a lot to thank a highly skilled and committed career advisor in Leeds for, as they turned around my hated teaching career in schools to something completely different and positive, that leads directly to where I am today......
 
It's encouraging that you engage with your local schools, though your use of the term 'Careers Teachers' somewhat perpetuates the confusion which persists in the mind of 'Joe Public' as to what exactly constitutes a 'Careers Teacher' and what is the difference between a 'Careers Teacher' and a 'Careers Adviser'. I won't bore you by expanding on that here.

I worked initially for St Helens Careers Service ( consistently rated amongst the top few in the country on all measures) and later for Greater Merseyside Connexions, into which we were absorbed. ( Kicking and screaming I might add..)

Throughout the whole of that time, we organised an annual 'Higher Education Conference'. This was hosted by the University of Liverpool.. who had suitable premises. Students from all Merseyside 6th Forms, 6th form colleges and other colleges offering Level 3 qualfications post 16, were bussed in in batches over a 2 day period. The event was comprised of two main elements. 1. A 'market place', at which hundreds of UK Universities and other HE institutions, plus a number of Professional bodies, would literally set up their stall, offering advice, information, literarture, badges, pens, etc.,etc. etc., and of course promoting their institution.
2. A series of Information Sessions, dozens at a time across multiple lecture theatres, running IIRC about every 40 minutes, were delivered by HE lecturers or sometimes reps from professional bodies, outlining access to, training processes and opportunities within, any number of occupations accessed via HE. For these, we asked the various professionals to try to avoid promoting their own institution and rather, give an overview of HE study of the subject in question.
This was a hugely successful event and much appreciated by schools, pupils, professional bodies, and HE institutions. I don't know whether it still happens. I'd be pleasantly surprised if it did.

Mull
 
your use of the term 'Careers Teachers' somewhat perpetuates the confusion which persists in the mind of 'Joe Public' as to what exactly constitutes a 'Careers Teacher' and what is the difference between a 'Careers Teacher' and a 'Careers Adviser'. I won't bore you by expanding on that here

I am using the terminology that the schools around here use. We haven't heard the term careers advisor for a decade or more.
 


advertisement


Back
Top