master of architecture

r32 · Post by **r32** » Sat May 08, 2010 9:34 am

Hi everybody

Is there any master programe in Finland for Architecture (English)?
By the way, is there any tuition for studying master degree?

**Sponsor:**

mehdinus · Post by **mehdinus** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:06 am

Hello guys;
I hope I receive some advice on my case here, and please guide me to any other source you think might be helpful to my question.
I need some advice to choose between the two universities of OULU and Tampere University of Technology ( TUT ) for the Master of Architecture program.
Please let me know any information you have on the quality of the program of these universities in their Masters program, and which one would be better for an International student.
Many Thanks and Cheers

Cod · Post by **Cod** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 3:22 pm

..why not Aalto?

http://studies.aalto.fi/en/admissions/t ... uirements/

mehdinus · Post by **mehdinus** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:14 am

Well I need those two universities's programs and faculty compared.
For example do the professors in X have any tendecy to technology or sustainability or theory or history of architecture and how about those in Y?
Or what is X university famous for and Y ?
Or which one is more recognized nationally and internationally?

Cod · Post by **Cod** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:52 am

If you are single, with no reason to study here...why not go where the energy is...where you are lectured by global players...surrounded by ambitious global bright young things.

http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/STUDY/GRADUATE/graduate.php

I can't see that there is much of a difference between the Finnish schools...especially at masters level where a certain amount of autonomy is expected anyway. Aalto seems to have the loudest drum from what I've seen and heard in the office here.

mehdinus · Post by **mehdinus** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:14 pm

Unfortunately I lost the chance to apply for Fall 2011, in fact I applied to universities in Canada but found out the whole Canadian universities admit about 20 International students every year, I was rejected in u of Toronto and McGill and Ryerson and wail listed in UBC, heh can you imagine that?
The Ryerson advisor said 78 applied but we could only admit 2 students and you stood on 5th place

that's stupid, I just waisted like 2000$ and 5 months for preperation of every piece of document needed.
Well there are still U of Manitoba and Carleton University to answer my applications but I'm pretty disappionted.
And the thing is that I did apply to Oulu and TUT at the time and I was doing an overal research to find out about these two universities.
Now that I have found experiences in this I thought I would just persue my Master's in Finland and forget about Canada and apply to universities in US for the Doctorate degree.
In fact the competetiveness in Canadian universities is really high as they say if you could get addmission from Uof Toronto or McGill you would most probably be admitted to MIT or Yale or Harvard.
I was stupid stupid stupid to choose Canadian universities

Cod · Post by **Cod** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 8:22 am

do you really think that a Masters is going to get you where you want go?

Have you considered perhaps a minor in Marketing? One the cleverest modern day Da Vinci's that I'm aware of, Axel Thallemer, went via the Architecture - Marketing route. His reason was that architects have all the makings of great entrepreneurs (ie talented, committed and hardworking) but are very poor at make the most of these strengths in the market place - that is we don't get paid for what we are good at. He doesn't just design buildings anymore, he does that lot. This to me sounds a lot more like the gearing of Aalto and Jørn Utzon, neither of whom had Masters yet were clearly just that - masters.

mehdinus · Post by **mehdinus** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:18 am

yea i'm aware of this and have read about poor marketing abilities of architects, and have been told to start my work as a partial contractor within architecture, like green roof, double glazing, solar glazing . . . and things like that, but the point is that how is a 24 guy supposed to start a company himself.
I would like to learn about marketing and business management as well, but as an architect I believe persuing the master's degree is essential since an architect is into the technics of architecture during the bachelor's degree and develops his perspective of the field through theories of architecture during the master's degree.
So I guess anywhere I'm going to do my master's I would like to be in business management classes and marketing classes if possible and read a few of their foundemental books. Do you know any?

Cod · Post by **Cod** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:56 am

A good question to ask is this - armed with a Masters in Architecture, am I ready to go head to head with Chipperfield, Herzog & De Muron or say someone lower down the rung like a 40-under-40 architect like Alan Dempsey. Does an extra year or two of reading about the end result and writing about the end result give you insight into the process? Note that, for example, Alan, does not have a masters, for that matter neither does Chipperfield, and neither does Herzog...I didn't bother looking up De Muron but you probably know the answer.

I think you know where I'm going with this. Fantastic architecture is born of very clever people who know how to work a design through a process. They know where to push and how hard to push in order to make it happen. A Masters in Architecture (unless its a professional exam like University of Nottingham) will most likely leave you high and dry at your first client meeting. You'll need to be savvy and intuitive. Those attributes, in my understanding, aren't part of the focus of the syllabus in a MArch.

Marketing over Masters any day I reckon.

Masters in Architecture, it seems to me, is a bit of red herring - unless you really have nothing else on your cards.

mehdinus · Post by **mehdinus** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:37 pm

cool
The only difference is that those you mentioned were B.Arch at the economy blooming era and we are not.
well still I could agree with you in some case. I would cancell my decision to get my master's if:
1. I found someone or maybe a group of 3 or max 4 who are into design and architecture who think like me and prefer to spend 2 to 3 years to their life taking part in different architectural competitions world wide, having in mind they could get 0 $s for that, but this has to be a decided bunch of guys,you know, this is not a childish decision, by this I mean spending like 10 to 14 hours a day in a studio doing real work on those competition projects.
And I believe this program is the best program a B.Arch could ever desire. considering that after this period they would make a perfect portfolio of design and quite a bunch of well polished architectural experience.
2. They search for several books into theory and technology so that they will keep uptodate as well as working alot, and also the online research.

I myself am into hardwork, like many architecture students, my academic records show that; but finding others with the same attitude as I have is not easy. In fact it's risk.
3. this plan needs some money as well, the group has to gather up in one place, although they could be from anywhere in the world which is a benefit. they have expenses to cover for the studio work that you obviously know as well as the common expenses of life.
ok, after all this conversation; may I know some about you? you are most proably an architect,aint u?
I am a bachelor of architecture, im 24, from IRAN

AldenG · Post by **AldenG** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:54 pm

What kind of education and licensing does architecture require? Can one practice with only a Bachelor's?

I always thought it was the equivalent of an engineer (DI) PLUS a lot of aesthetics, human factors, materials, history, etc., but I guess I was mistaken. I know some of the legendary architects of the early-ish 1900's had no degree at all, but times and governments were very different then. How many years does all that take?

What is the shortest path to independent practice? Is it different for low-rise and high-rise?

I watched an interesting DVD on why the terraces at Fallingwater began to fail and how they were rescued. Wright's firm simply forgot an essential engineering element and realized (and admitted) this during a phone call with the owner, or so the story is told today.

mehdinus · Post by **mehdinus** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 7:41 pm

Alden there's one thing I could tell you for now,
Architecture almost deals with any other fields of science like engineering, mathematics, physics, psychology, social sciences, Art ,etcetera in fact we call it an ocean of low depth which mean a little bit of every science
I recommand you to watch these 7 clips they are cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLzVNjED2yg&feature=fvsr
And to answer your question, it depends on local rules. I mean the way to work as an architect.
In short the rules in my country are: you can work as an architect without a degree, an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a Ph.D , those who are practicing architecture without a degree are called experimental architects.
But as of now I have not seen any young architect without a degree in architecture, so this is about the past and all the experimental architects are old guys ...
To be an Official architect recognized by the architecture association here a graduated bachelor of architect here has to have 3 years of related work experience and to pass a professional exam arranged by the association so that he will be a LEVEL 3 Architect, one graduated with a master's degree needs 2 years of related work experience, and one with a Ph.D need 1 year of related work experience and the same with the professional exam.
And the thing about LEVELS is that there are Architects LEVEL 1 & 2 & 3, and to go on each stage there are several factors like 7 years of work experience and things like that so that an architect can goo to the next LEVEL.
And what's the benefit of a higher LEVEL? Obviously an architect LEVEL 1 has a limit of for example 5000 Sq.meters to design in one year, and the building can be max 4 floors high, a LEVEL 2 can design 20000 Sq.meters and max of 8 floors, and a LEVEL 1 can design like lets say 40000 Sq.meters and no floors limit.
So the important governmental buildings or highrises are designed by these LEVEL 1 architects who need to have at least 20 years of related work experience.
This is almost the same in many countries and the difference is about the numbers you know
But to get a Bachelor of Architecture you should study 3 to 5 years depending on the university and the program.
and to get a Master of Architecture 1 to 3 extra years again depending on the university and the program.
and to get a Ph.D 3 to 5 years after the Master of Architecture ...

PhilipJMcclain · Post by **PhilipJMcclain** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 7:53 pm

This topic is really an interesting one. I'm just new here in this forum yet I find so many good stuffs here. Thanks a lot for sharing this useful information to us.

AldenG · Post by **AldenG** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:00 pm

Good vids. Thanks.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:37 pm

master of architecture -> Kevin McCloud

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