Architecture UCD - opinions for a leaving cert student please

chowder123

Hi, I am considering putting Architecture top of my CAO but have mostly heard that the hours are very long and the course takes 6 years in total when you combine the first three years with one year unpaid work experience followed by 2 years Masters. I am doing art for my leaving cert and got a B1 in hons Art in my mocks. I've always enjoyed sketching etc. What other subjects would be helpful for architecture and can anyone give me a some positives about the course? I believe the employment situation is dire at the moment too! Thanks...

donvito99

Honours Maths.

Art is probably the biggest advantage and maybe Technical Drawing.
Design studio is the most important and most time consuming, with model making projects, presentations and lots of sketches. About 50% of the overall marks are from Design Studio. Technical Drawing can be quite tedious but once you get used to it you'll enjoy it. I spent over 70 hours working on one drawing last year...

Architecture is a great course but the hours can be very long. If you're passionate about it you won't mind being in studio every night until 10 but if it's something you're only doing for the sake of it then you'll hate it. It can be expensive too, with the cost of materials for projects and A1 printing.

chowder123

Thanks for the info. I am doing hons maths although it's not a subject I enjoy. Can students go in a different direction after the 3 yr BSc and is there a fee for doing the Masters?

Fuzzy_Dunlop

chowder123 wrote: »

Thanks for the info. I am doing hons maths although it's not a subject I enjoy. Can students go in a different direction after the 3 yr BSc and is there a fee for doing the Masters?

I didn't do architecture but my course (engineering) worked with the architects from time to time. You won't really have to worry too much about maths from what I could tell, although I guess it's a requirement.

The VAST majority of the work involved in studying Architecture seems to be studio work; so drawings, sketching, making models and then presenting your work.

I'd imagine you do have to pay for the Masters yeah, don't know of any masters courses where you don't have to pay. You might only have to pay for one of the years though, which is what happened for my 3+2 year degree.

chowder123

Thanks guys. That's all helpful info. Would say the points wont be up on last year given the current economic climate which is a bonus too.

Keano!

Whatever about requirements, if you want to do it, the amount of time spent in lectures (or amount of time lectures are on, I should say) shouldn't sway your choices. If they are, then I'd question if you really deep down want to study architecture.

Crow92

After your 3 years doing the bsc there are some new courses in UCD that are linked to architecture as a masters you could do, like planning, environmental studies etc.

Math's isn't a big thing, there's structures modules to do, history and environmental studies and then studio. You don't really need to do DCG or Art to do well because you can pick it all up pretty quickly. But being artistic is more important than being able to draw technical drawings.

I'm just after finishing my 3rd year in UCD Architecture a month ago (results this friday :eek:). It is definitely longer hours that most courses but I would recommend it. You start first year in a class of 60-70 and over the first year you'll get to know everyone in your class and some from the years above. Most of my closest friends are in architecture, it isn't a big anonymous course. There's also the Architecture Society (Arcsoc) which run social events during the year, a european trip (budapest, prague, berlin the last 3 years) and the annual black tie ball.

You can give as little or as much time as you want as long as you get your work done, there are people who keep up other sports and hobbies and jobs so it doesn't have to become the be all and end all of your life.

chowder123

Thanks Crow92. That's very helpful and informative and encouraging to read some positive feedback. Hopefully the employment situation will have picked up in another 5/10 years or perhaps going in the direction of environmental studies or such like after the BSc might be worthwhile. Good luck with your exam results!

PaperArchitect

It would also be worth your while considering other architecture schools. You should take a look at the end of year shows. UCD's is open at the moment and DIT this Friday for 2 weeks. UL is also a good school.

Without creating too much of a competetive comparison between the schools my observations would be that UCD have a very good level of representation. It is always very simple and well put together. In terms of a school of thought, UCD is more direct in its approach to architecture than DIT, and it seems to me that UCD students are more limited with their 5th Year theses than DIT, as they are focusing less on a point of view and more on a well developed theoretical approach that the school invites them to explore. UCD has a fantastic history in terms of great graduates and the head of school, Hugh Campbell and John Tuomey provide the school with a strong architectural direction which is lacking in DIT (we have not had a dean of architecture for years although we will be assigned one during the summer)

The content of the DIT 5th year theses are far more diverse, a point of view is exactly what the students are being asked to develop and this creates work which is much different to the next. This also happens in 3rd year at a less complex level through a design dissertation, so the whole way through our education we are being forced to directly question our approach. One noticeable downfall this year is that presentations are not as good as they once were (when the students focused a bit less on their own school of thought). Our education in terms of presentation and visual communication is quite poor and while this is often a privately lad endeavour by most students in schools of architecture, the education we are being provided in college in this area is extremely poor. Luckily we have quite good students and we manage to compete with the other students of other schools by ourselves.

UL has a great team of architects. Although only recently established it is creating a good name for itself. Presentations are of a high standard and the small classes create a great working environment there. I know some students have said that there is a bad work ethic in the school but this is not evident looking at the work of the 5th years.

UCC/CIT (CCAE) would not have the best architects lecturing in the school but the work coming out seems good and you can tell that the school is trying hard to create a specific architectural direction and make a mark as a new school. The work of the first graduate 5th years last year made it clear that they are interested in perhaos becoming the Irish Bartlett equivalant.

I can't speak for WIT.

chowder123

Thanks all. Leaving cert over and still seriously heading in the direction of architecture!

wstudent

this time a year later, i'm facing the same questions. reading those replies were very helpful but i'm equally interested to know did you go into ucd? do you like it? and any advice for me? thanks a lot

BLMArch

I'm currently deciding whether to stay in UCD for my final 2 years-.... I'm hearing really good things about UL, but Cork seems like the place to go as a friend down there said the final year work is amazing this year...anyone see their exhibition?

BLMArch

BLMArch wrote: »

I'm currently deciding whether to stay in UCD for my final 2 years-.... I'm hearing really good things about UL, but Cork seems like the place to go as a friend down there said the final year work is amazing this year...anyone see their exhibition?

I'm currently in Cork and I can tell you the work is excellent. I don't have this years exhibition work but I have last years so can scan some later and send it to you to give you an idea if you'd like?