Bonsai is happy btw,,

 At last i joined as an intern in DeEarth Incorporated, Calicut. Thanks to all who helped me all through the way. I was actually not so confident about getting into any firm. I knew i will have to try a lot everywhere, and so when my request was rejected in one of the firm, i was not so sad. Because aware of my limitations as a second year student in architecture i should not expect anybody to accept my request to serve as their intern. I kept telling myself that this is going to happen and i should not be sad about it. I was thinking about the humpty number of people looking for jobs. I just have to go with my portfolio and meet the architect. There wasnt any competition. I neednt have to go through any interview or GD.But now i have an experience on how to hunt for a job. I actually had to make a resume and a job application letter. I had to Google into " How to prepare a perfect resume". All the firms ask for a resume and our portfolio. So better start making a portfolio now. Keep a soft copy of all the works you do.

The way various firms develop their works is different. Softwares like Revit, CAAD, 3dsMax, SketchUp are the common ones seen in an office. Some offices make the draft design by hand and make 3d model in Revit, so that they can take a view of it and render it for the client to see how it looks. After approval, the Draftsmen import this Revit file into CAAD and make detail working drawing. SketchUp is used to make concept designs. You neednt be an expert in CAAD or revit, but you need to know all these softwares. I dont think its a good idea to learn softwares from professional training institutes, because when you become an architect u will not be working on these softwares, but you will be mostly drawing sketches and giving it to draftsmen to do their job. What you need to learn is the selection of different materials used, the appropriate use of the correct texture and material to be used. Learn the basics of CAAD, Revit, SketchUp, 3dsMax. What architects need to learn is to create spaces and places that are appealing and suiting to the needs of he clients. He/she should take in consideration the told and untold factors that can help this creation. Observe a lot and try to think architecture all the time. For example, You have a square plot. You are designing a landscape and the client tells that it should look good, and should be suitable for an evening tea or something like that. But as architects we need to critically design every aspect of it. This same landscape has an entrance. So when you place a stone laid path, the path stands distinct from the rest of the space. The difference in the texture of the base creates a boundary, no the physical meaning of boundary i mean. When we walk on the path, we tend to move along the path unless there isnt any specific need to move out of the path. A sense of movement is created. Imagine you keep a chest high big rock on the path and you end the path there. If any person start walking in the path, he keeps walking until there is a visual contact with this rock. But chances are that he may go near it. But if it was as a 7 feet high rock, the tendency of the person to go near is less. This is because the human brain perceives all the objects around us in relation with our eye level. The design is considering the psychological way the mind works, and not just for the aesthetic appeal. This is the reason why all seniors tell their juniors to read Form,Space and Order by D.K Ching. And all we do is to go through the sketches in it and close it. Even i did at first. =)..... This book has detailed illustration of all the aspects that you have to know to be a good architect.


This post is turning out to be like a "10 better ways to be a good architect" article.. hmm.. 


DeEarth is a pretty well organised firm. The website itself gives a good impression about them. Go check it out, click  here.  Its not like NIT where its just the name that stands. The office is well maintained and the interior planing and decoration is done pretty well.  One thing i liked about the office was that it has a white board in one of the rooms in which the objectives for the week are put up. Under each persons name the works that one has to complete is written and the deadlines are listed. And another thing i liked about the office was that it had a coffee vending machine and i love Nescafe...=)