Self Taught Home Designers?

[Chris Ducharme]

I picked up design while starting my career in commercial construction in 1994. I, by chance, began working with the Chief Architect program at that time (which was operating under a different name/ownership at that then). I've honed my skills over the past 19 years by learning as much as I can through friends who are architects, field experience and trial and error. I think you will find that you get out of it what you put into it. 99% of my clients are by referrals. It is a side business in which I typically design 5 or so new homes a year, 5 or so renovations/additions and many virtual renderings to people who need clarity to what their project may end up looking like once complete; the latter being the most popular. Good luck to you. It can be a great deal of fun and quite rewarding.

[perryh]

I think most of us learn as we go and the question should be ,Can you survive in this business, with a lot of things going against you. If you can, then your good enough. It's not about good or bad design, self taught or learned. It's about having a viable business that allows you to make enough money to survive. Talent is subjected to scrutiny from all, some will think you are very talented and some will think you stink. Whatever floats your boat. Of course common sense in design should be more important than trying to promote yourself as worlds greatest Designer or Architect. It's all been done before. Can you survive, after all, we do it for money don't we.

[sutcac]

Nothing like selective quoting. A little further down on the Tadao Ando wiki page-

"He attended night classes to learn drawing and took correspondence courses on interior design." How is this not "formal"? Learning to draw is learning to see is learning to design. In architecture school you take these basic skills classes before you even design a single structure. This is where things like composition, balance, and proportion spring from.

[David J. Potter]

My take on this subject is that one should always intend to be a professional. Training in one's chosen field, whether an apprenticeship or formal classroom study or self-study is reasonable and expected.

I also believe that a piece of paper (diploma or license) does not ensure any real level of competence or talent, at best it shows that the bearer can answer questions on a test which is of course better than nothing or so it is hoped.

The most important factor is love or affinity for the artistic pursuit of one's profession, for helping others with one's creativity and skill. That affinity will propel one to learn what they need to know and to learn from their and others mistakes.

The largest impediment to learning and useful wisdom is the consideration that "one knows all there is to know, already."

DJP

[lgswe]

My take on this subject is that one should always intend to be a professional. Training in one's chosen field, whether an apprenticeship or formal classroom study or self-study is reasonable and expected.

I also believe that a piece of paper (diploma or license) does not ensure any real level of competence or talent, at best it shows that the bearer can answer questions on a test which is of course better than nothing or so it is hoped.

The most important factor is love or affinity for the artistic pursuit of one's profession, for helping others with one's creativity and skill. That affinity will propel one to learn what they need to know and to learn from their and others mistakes.

The largest impediment to learning and useful wisdom is the consideration that "one knows all there is to know, already."

DJP

David....As usual, well said. I give it an Amen!

[Architex]

For some, yes. For some no. What I liked about the list is that it illustrated a wide variety of examples of self taught professionals in architecture, many of who won very significant awards. Here is another:
• Tadao Ando - (born September 13, 1941)
a Japanese architect whose approach to architecture was categorized by Francesco Dal Co as critical regionalism. Ando has led a storied life, working as a truck driver and boxer prior to settling on the profession of architecture, despite never having taken formal training in the field. In 1995, Ando won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered the highest distinction in the field of architecture.

Apparently he was a truck driver and a boxer prior to his architural debut. You are missing the point here, and that being if a person makes up his/her mind to achieve a goal, anything is possible. Formal education is grand, but not everyone may choose or be able to travel that path of course. Should they give up? A resounding no! Can they develop abilities through self study and practice? Yes! Maybe not as quickly of course, largely due to having to work and support themselves through other means.

Obviously those of us who have received a formal education are blessed amd should be very thankful to have received such but in no way does that make us "better" or above another! This is surely another of many things to be truly thankful for this Thanksgiving season!

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I really like the building he did in Fort Worth.

http://media1.hellodallas.com/media/...739_image1.jpg

[RMorrison]

There is, of course, a lot of information about architecture and construction that may be acquired through self-study and practice. But there are also components that I currently believe are just not possible to teach oneself. For starters, these include:

1) An appreciation -- a connoisseurship, if you will -- of the formal qualities of architecture, such as proportion, rhythm, scale, color, light, space, etc. and how these all interact with one another. This is, in effect, learning how "to see" and requires many exercises and someone who has already developed an appreciation to guide the novice in experiencing these qualities. I'm not saying that it has to be necessarily in school, but it requires a mentor. Even such a talent as Frank Lloyd Wright had such a mentor in Louis Sullivan. And architects who are serious about their craft often let others critique their own work. This is similar to how artists get together and discuss one another's work. This is simply not something that you can do yourself.

2) An attitude that the first couple of solutions probably aren't all that good. A mark of a novice (and a beginning architecture student) is that their work is precious. It takes years (and some serious ego-bruising) to learn that good design is really hard work and that pushing one's self to better design may mean staying up late, and looking at the 10th or 15th solution. Self-taught people just aren't capable of mercilessly bruising their own egos, and knowing when they are producing something that is pretty mediocre, at best.

3) Starting with a belief that good design is important. While a diploma or a license isn't a guarantee of competence, it is a mark of a certain level (years and $$$) of commitment and dedication to an ideal that is seldom found in self-taught people.

[Justice]

Self Taught? who came up with DNA? that is the only one who was truly self taught in the fullest sense of the word and put the ability to learn in mankind and other living creatures.

Those of mankind who excel in design and architecture, you have a great gift use it well.

Others of mankind are good at other things and not all are talented in the same way as others or otherwise the world would be boring.

Yes if we can reach 15 facets of diamond we still have a long way to go to get the full multi-faceted diamond.

[perryh]

1) An appreciation -- a connoisseurship, if you will -- of the formal qualities of architecture, such as proportion, rhythm, scale, color, light, space, etc. and how these all interact with one another. This is, in effect, learning how "to see" and requires many exercises and someone who has already developed an appreciation to guide the novice in experiencing these qualities. I'm not saying that it has to be necessarily in school, but it requires a mentor. Even such a talent as Frank Lloyd Wright had such a mentor in Louis Sullivan. And architects who are serious about their craft often let others critique their own work. This is similar to how artists get together and discuss one another's work. This is simply not something that you can do yourself.

FYI, a lot of artist's have this naturally. They learn it from nature and looking at things closely. Just saying there are several ways to achieve.

[Justice]

Yes the eyes take in information and our learning for visual arts begins.

The ear for musical arts.

The nose and tongue for food.

The sense of feeling and touch.

The body for movement sport and other mobile arts.

The baby is able to learn through these senses as it grows and learns how to talk walk etc.

The training of humanoid robots in some cases looks at how babies start to learn.

Who programs the robotic brains we do but who programmed us?

[rcole]

I remember reading something quite a while back that I don't think I really understood until recently.

I will try to quote it as best I can.

When you are walking down the road and you meet a man who is a swordsman, show him your sword, you will recieve praise and encouragement. But, if you are walking down the road and you meet a man who is not a poet, don't show him your poem.

It appears to me that both education and craftsmanship are both important elements for one to become truely skilled at what they do. The problem, as it appears to me, is finding qualified mentors.

In our day and age one might find mentors on YouTube, a book, or in a formal institutional setting. When walking down the road, you must choose for yourself.

[David J. Potter]

Who programs the robotic brains we do but who programmed us?

We do!

Competence is based upon the intention to be competent backed up by personal diligence and no other criteria. No stack of diplomas or certificates insures competence or intelligence.

Certificates, diplomas and licenses do insure a minimum of knowledge as well as evidence of a general degree of professionalism. When I need a plumber, I call one, when I need an Engineer I call one, not a handy man.

All I am saying is that a piece of paper does not a competent person make by itself.

DJP