Unis in Melbourne

C.B.

I'm currently a year 11 student studying in Melbourne. I'm considering architecture as a career choice (despite some discouraging comments here ). I'm wondering if anyone is able to give me any information about the university programs in and around Melbourne. I'm especially interested in knowing about Melbourne Uni, as they require Maths Methods, and I would likely be dropping it next year, and keeping this option open is the only reason I'd consider keeping it.

Thanks for your time.

mjsmi

seriously consider going to Deakin Uni at Geelong waterfront

they offer a double degree with construction management as well as the standard Bach arts (arch) then Bach Arch

great facilities
opportunity to move out be independant

FBE Rocks

RMIT is the best architectural instituition in australia in my opinion. Atleats their post grad is top notch.

RMIT also have links with numerous internationa big names through student exchange and joint studio.

Im going to UNSw in ydney and i think its comparable to RMIT. both unis are somewhat avantgarde in its approach to architecture. I have no complaints about my educations here.

others might not agree


addition: I would stay with the big 4 (Sydney, MELB, RMIT and UNSW). I dont know alot about the other universities but those 4 are the only ones that have SOME international connection and recongnition. in todays world that is important.

mjsmi

RMIT is not all that it used to be
in fact i have heard it has come close to losing its accreditation on several occasions. Some employers specifically don't look at RMIT due to lack of construction knowledge and pie in the sky atitude.

RMIT as an organisation has also had terrible mistakes with its administration. i have friends in other RMIT courses who have had to retake units because the computer system had no record of them doing it 2 years after the fact.

if you go there go there with your eyes wide open

simon seasons

I don't have a university degree. But I urge anyone considering university to ask if the enviromentally sustainable design component of an architecture degree is taken seriously.

In the future you're gonna need it.

Currently only two universities in Australia teach ESdesign and they are Launceston in Tasmania and Deakin at Geelong water front. I have heard that Melbourne Uni is introducing it into thier course from 2008.

I have heard that RMIT has a pie in the sky attitude as well, that seems to revolve around a fantastic level of computer power and an "it's ART man" disregard for structural reality.

I recently assisted a person who was burned out in the Sydney bushfires three years ago. As a carpenter I went to finish off a new studio that some architecture students from an unnamed Sydney region University had designed and built pro bono under the guidance of their architect professor. I was supposed to be putting the roof on and sheeting the walls. The stucture was 13 metres by 6 metres made of 15 iron bark posts in three rows of five decending from 4 metres to 2.5. joined by three 'spliced' 250x45 oregon beams.
The wall bracing was so bad and so poorly constructed that I had to redo it all as the whole structure swayed nearly 300 mm from side to side and end to end at the top. Not only that but the bracing was three single diagonally placed 100x100 treated pine post for four walls, fixed with two short steel galv. bracket plates that were screwed to the post and brace PERPENDICULAR to the bracing direction with four tiny screws. There was no shear bracing
The roof purlins were under specified by a factor of 150% and there was no roof bracing. There was no wall framing to fix sheeting to. I could go on... but suffice to say a three day job turned into three weeks
It was "ART man" but it was a piece of shit as far as structure goes.
If that's what Universities don't teach I would hate to see what they do. So, one further piece of advice for prospective students. If 'ART man' get up your nose then seriously consider engineering because there is plenty of work trying to make 'ART man' actually stand up.

Here is my take on art if that's what your going to Uni to study architecture for. Art is the building up of factors that influence and then it is the stripping away of factors that you can control.
When applied to architecture it means you either design pies in the sky (that don't work) or you seriously take into account all the factors that you can't control.
The list is quite short and includes GRAVITY, THE ENVIROMENT OF AIR, WIND, RAIN AND SNOW. The list gets longer if you can be bothered to care about designing your structures to take into account ESdesign but if GRAVITY is the only thing that grabs your attention then buy yourself a decent set of span tables and a bracing guide.

mark_melb

C.B. the most difficult task is to find the right mix. Depending on what you wish to get out of it and where you want to work.

If you want to be a sole practitioner or work in a very small office doing good solid Architecture, go to Tassie (I'm biased) or Deakin (based on people I've worked with).

If you want to 'Design' (only 10% of graduates become designers) go to Melb or RMIT. I'm sorry, but looking at the current 'crop'..............
Registration is no big deal as it seems 'they' are giving away Registrations these days. Some can't even speak English.

Simon's rant is justified.

miles

mr seasons

i am a little concerned about your welfare. your manner strikes me as reflective of someone who has way too much time on their hands.

miles

simon seasons

Thank you miles for your concern, but i am fine. I relax by discussing things in my head as I work all day (at the moment on a tonne of hand cut joinery) and then I relax with a bit of a rant on various forums. Yes i should do something more productive sometimes like get on with editing a cook book i should have had at the layout artist yonks ago, but i can't be too fussed or I would not have all the ideas I get for thing to make and do.
You want to buy a plan table? I made it and it's in my way.

simon seasons

Hi! For some reason i cant do a total delete so, Hi and regards to you all. I mean it though!