The Competitive Advantage of an Architecture Student

Introduction

‘Work’ at architecture school has been described as amazing, creative, inspiring, transformative, and captivating. ‘Life’ at architecture school, on the other hand, has been described as stressful, hectic, busy, lonely, and in many cases, inhumane. It is true that people who have decided to become architects cannot possibly imagine themselves not going through this three to five-year-long rite of passage (a B.Arch. Mitzvah’ so to speak), however, even the most dedicated of them often seem to be faced with a sense of confusion about their education, stress about their career, and disillusionment at the profession of architecture that they once revered.

What is the source of all these contradictions, and why have both the education and practice of architects remained the same over all these years in spite of the obvious need for change in the whole experience of being an architect? These are questions that we will try to answer