Sound advice – by Jamie Wieck

In the light of our future graduation, this little guide might be useful for some. Even though it’s not primarily targeted at architecture graduates  many of the issues are relevant. Some of my favourites:

1. You are not the first.

There are very few ‘firsts’ these days. Countless others have started studios, freelanced and requested internships. It can be done. #the50

4. You cannot score without a goal.

If you don’t know what you want, then how can you pursue it? Having a goal defines an end point, and subsequently, a place to start. #the50

7. Have a positive self-image.

Your self-perception is your most important asset. See yourself as the person you want to be and others will see this too. #the50

9. Curate your work.

Never stop editing your portfolio. Three strong pieces are better than ten weak ones – nobody looks for quantity, just quality. #the50

14. Never take an unpaid internship.

This is not a necessary evil – a studio that doesn’t pay their interns (at least the minimum wage) is a studio not worth working for. #the50

18. Find your local D.I.Y. store and pound shop.

These places are invaluable resources of cheap and ready-made artifacts ripe for tinkering, re-decoration and re-contextualisation. #the50

36. Boring problems lead to boring solutions.

Always interrogate your brief: re-define the question. No two briefs should be the same; a unique problem leads to a unique solution. #the50

39. Justify your decisions.

Clients fear arbitrary decisions – they want problem solving. Have a reason for everything, even if this is ‘post-rationalised’. #the50

44. If you’re going to fail, fail well.

Being ambitious means you have to take on things you think you can’t do. Failures are unfortunate, but they are sometimes necessary. #the50

and most importantly:

50. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Take your work seriously, take the business of your craft seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. People who do are laughed at. #the50

read the rest here.

Monsters from the past…

a series of minimalist posters by Roosterization

The ‘glorious’ days of Soviet architecture…

‘From the early 70s, until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the USSR experienced somewhat of a unique, and decidedly bizarre, period in architecture. Taking advantage of the nation’s crumbling control, architects pushed the boundaries of design, way beyond modernism, with expressionist works that defied any kind of traditional convention. Fascinated by what he considers to be the fourth age of Soviet architecture, Frédéric Chaubin – editor-in-chief of French lifestyle magazine Citizen K – has documented these spectacular feats of otherworldly architecture over the last 7 years, the outcome of which appears in the form of this splendid new Taschen book and an exhibition that runs at Karlsruhe’s Museum of Contemporary Art until 27th March. From a crematorium adorned with concrete flames to a technological institute with a flying saucer crashed on the roof, with all manner of lunar inspired landscapes and surrealist concrete fantasies in between, Chaubin’s document of 90 buildings, located within 14 former Soviet Republics, is as inspirational a collection of architectural photography as you will see in some time…’

via  WHI

what you should always be doing

 

via Frank Chimero

Glas Paper

GLAS is a co-operative of architects, teachers, writers and urban activists

GLAS is committed to fighting all manifestations of sociospatial inequality, exploitation and deprivation

GLAS produces multi-media critical works and design ideas that promote a radical social and political rethinking of how we make and experience buildings and cities

GLAS is engaged in a critique of the capitalist production and use of the built environment

GLAS is committed to the dissemination of its ideas to as wide an audience as possible, exploring a broad range of communication techniques GLAS aims to offer free professional advice and assistance to individuals and social groups engaged in struggles to transform their environmentGLAS is organised around the political principles of temporary existence and of collective self management and ownership of assets and ideas

 

 

…and Glas Paper embodies all the points above stated through critical articles (each issue is themed around one idea) and beautiful infographics and diagrams.

Definitely worth reading.