What the Heck Are They Doing in Architecture School Nowadays?

These are the brave students who have signed up for the upcoming You’ve Got 5 Minutes Kid (YG5MK) event happening this coming Monday, March 17th, 6pm at the DCFA.

The students came with an enthusiasm and a confidence about their topics, but were also actively seeking advice and feedback about their upcoming presentations. The sounds of Friday night at the Foundry provided a backdrop to the discussion and the repeated piece of advice from the committee members was this: present a passion, not a project. A five minute presentation is short. The only way to make an impact is to be passionate about what you are presenting. If it is just a project, for its own sake, there is limited benefit to the listeners (you’re not presenting your portfolio here). If it is an issue, concept, method, program, area of exploration, whatever….it has the capacity to have greater application and thus, greater interest on the part of the listener. The topics are varied, as are the avenues that led the students to their chosen topics. Interest in new technologies, ideas which stem from time spent in Europe, community involvement, and ways to better our city are just a sampling of the ideas being considered.

Perhaps one of the most profound thoughts of the evening was that this dialogue allows for the conveyance and reception of homegrown ideas. And… we all just want to know what the heck these kids do in architecture school nowadays. I know this evening of mentoring and conversation made me all the more eager for the UTA YG5MK event next Monday. I hope to see you there!