An Isolated Architect Survival Guide

The Brief:  

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen to the Architecture Student Diaries where it is my mission to help you kill it in Architecture school whilst making you, the best you in the process. In today's turbulent times with the current health crisis that is sweeping the globe, most people have been forced to undertake self-isolation to some extent. It is integral that we do not begin to slack off and waste our newly found spare time; regardless of how inviting a month-long Netflix and Uber Eats binge sounds...   

This article will focus on the best way to make the most out of your spare time and to continue on your path to becoming the best you that you can be! Presented below are the topics for today:

• Exercise 

• Read More 

• Learn a new skill 

• Refine your skills 

• Draw and model your favourite buildings 

• Get your life together 

• Take a virtual tour of the world's best art galleries 

• Plan experiences for once isolation is over 

• Watch architecture documentaries 

• Build Lego  

• Read The Architecture Student Diaries 

• Don’t waste this opportunity!

Now, let’s get into it. Class is now in session.

Exercise

Living a healthy lifestyle is one of, if not the most important thing that one can do. With gyms, swimming pools and most exercise facilities closed for the foreseeable future most people have quickly been put out of their fitness routines. Most will be spending their days sitting down in their house and doing a whole lot of nothing; but you are better than them! Don’t you want to come out of isolation looking better than you did going in, whilst most people will look 10 times worse? What you are going to do is set aside a minimum of 30 minutes a day to do some form of exercise. Take up yoga, indoor High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), core workouts or anything that will make you sweat; if you are sweating and your heart rate is up then it is working. It’s time to get physical.  

Read More

What is one of the most common traits of successful people? Being rich? Driving a Mercedes? Actually, it is reading every single day. In this day and age, you can read on e-readers, on PDF’s, tablets, laptops, smartphones, audiobooks and the good old fashion hard copy book. Buy some books on topics that you are interested in or want to know more about and get reading. I go through several books a month and with all of this extra spare time you have in isolation there is nothing stopping you from doing the same. 

Learn a New Skill

This is the perfect time to build on your skills in and outside of the world of architecture. Are you lacking ability in common software such as the Microsoft or the Adobe Suite? Do you want to know how to change a tire or bake the perfect Crème brûlée? Or maybe you have always wanted to speak Italian, or French or Spanish or Mandarin? Well now is the time! Online and mobile platforms such as Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning offer terrific courses to learn from for an almost endless stream of skills; such as using the Adobe Suite. On the other hand, programs such as Duolingo allow you to quickly and simply pick up new languages. Try to steer clear of YouTube tutorials however, as they are not often created by professionals using best practice techniques and can then unfortunately teach you many bad habits.

Refine Your Skills

Further to learning a new skill, something that you should definitely put time into is betting the skills that you currently have! Skills such as sketching, Photoshop and model making will be present throughout your entire career in architecture in one way or another and the more competent and more confident you are in these the easier that career will be. If you have a skill that you have always wished you were a bit better at, isolation is when you get that bit better.

Draw and Model Your Favourite Buildings

If you are reading this, you are most likely either an Architect or an Architecture Student and therefore you most likely have a few buildings or a specific Architect that you are inspired by; now is the time to get to know them a bit more intimately. A great way to pay respect to an Architect or a piece of Architecture is to understand just what went into its conception. So, find a building that you love and get close with it, take it on a date and undress it; by this I mean draw it in plan, elevation, sections and learn how it goes together! Build scale models of it and learn exactly what about it makes it so special.

Get Your Life Together

There has most likely never been a better time in your life than right now to get your life together and get on track to becoming who you want to be. Start taking the steps to get onto that path. These steps may include the following: 

• Clean out your wardrobe, make you clothing as functional as possible to minimise wasted time in choosing outfits 

• Unsubscribe from all email campaigns that are not important and that fill up your mailbox  

• Unsubscribe from twitter and Instagram accounts that do not actually add value to the time you spend on these apps 

• Get minimalistic and remove everything from your life (items, activities and people) that is not necessary and is distracting or negatively time consuming  

• Go Green! Both in your personal health and the way that you live your life, begin to adapt to a green and healthy lifestyle. Plant a vegetable garden, use reused or recyclable products and eat healthier, less processed foods 

• Set goals. This is the most important point here and it is the one that is going to help you become who you want to be, as it will teach you exactly who you really want to be. Set short term and long-term goals for who you want to be and what you want to achieve and then you are on your way to success... Just make sure they are achievable. 

Take a Virtual Tour of the Worlds Best Art Galleries

Just because you can’t go out and physically experience great pieces of art doesn’t mean that you cannot experience them at all. Many of the top art galleries from around the world offer virtual tours where you can see and learn about their pieces of work from the comfort of your warm and cozy bed.

Plan Experiences for Once Isolation is Over

Are you dreaming of the days we are once again allowed outside and into the open, fresh air? Well use these dreams and turn them into achievable goals for once you’re free! Plan a holiday, or a bike ride or a party or a day trip or a date with that special someone. These plans will help you through the long and lonely days of isolation as they will give you something to look forward to and to work towards.

Watch Architecture Documentaries

I know, I know, I said don’t spend your days binging on Netflix! But… what if binge watching was helping you to become a better Architect?! Well… this is where architecture films, shows and documentaries come into play. We are living in a golden age of video consumption where at the touch of a button we can watch just about anything in the world we want. Television shows such as Grand Designs are incredible ways to gain inspiration and also are a great place to learn about new innovations in architecture as many of the builds experiment with new technologies. In extension, there are many great architecture and design documentaries that you can find on streaming services and YouTube to help fill your days with archi goodness.

Build Lego

You probably grew up putting together Lego sets and maybe even creating your very own designs; you are in architecture after all... Well, just because you grew up doesn’t mean that you have to stop playing with Lego. There are plenty of Lego sets perfect for big kids as well, including specific Architecture Lego that lets you recreate some of the world's most beautiful pieces of Architecture and city skylines, or you could just get some blank Lego and build your own! The only problem with Lego is that for pieces of plastic, it is quite expensive.

Read The Architecture Student Diaries

Isn’t this one obvious? I mean if you want to be the best architecture student that you can be, clearly you should be reading The Architecture Student Diaries! Although, lucky for you, you are reading this right now which means that you already do read The Architecture Student Diaries! And that means that you are already well on your way for being the best you that you can be. Congratulations! 

Don’t Waste This Opportunity

You have been presented with an incredible opportunity to be able to have the time to undertake everything that is listed above! So please, do not spend this once in a lifetime (hopefully) opportunity doing nothing but binging Netflix and Disney+ whilst eating chocolate and Pop Tarts. Use this time to better yourself and to make sure that as soon as isolation is over, you are stronger and ready to take on the world in a way you never have before.

Final Notes: 

Thank you for reading The Architecture Student Diaries and for being committed enough to yourself to work on who you are as a person with my help. Stay safe and healthy and make the best of your time in isolation and I wish you all the best in these difficult times.

Ladies and Gentlemen, class dismissed. 

Iain Colliver, SONA, YBA, GKIHS