BUILDING IMPACT

BUILDING IMPACT: PERSPECTIVES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE CURRENT STATE AND FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE

Did you know of this recent research on the current state and future of architecture?  If not, it is well worth the reading and understanding its impact on your career in architecture.

The Building Impact report is the outcome of an independent study conducted by the RAND Corporation’s Division of Education and Labor. Data capture was conducted with support from NCARB, AIA, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and included research related to architectural education, practice, innovation in architecture, the role of architecture in addressing social change issues, and collaboration between academia and architecture firms.

As you can see, this research builds on the 1996 study – Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice.  Below is a summary and outline of the recommendations of the report from back in 1996.

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED396659

Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice.

1. an enriched mission;
2. a more inclusive institutional context based on the principle of diversity with dignity;
3. a goal of standards without standardization;
4. an architecture curriculum that is better integrated with knowledge both within and outside the architecture discipline;
5. establishment of a supportive climate for learning;
6. a more unified profession based on partnership between schools and the profession; and
7. preparation of architects for lives of civic engagement.

Below is the summary of the research as published by RAND.  But, to cut to the chase, below are the recommendations:

Building Impact: Perspectives and Recommendations on the Current State and Future of Architecture

• Increase opportunities for students in K–12 schools to explore the field of architecture.
• Improve access to and affordability of architecture education by revisiting the admissions process and considering alternative pathways to minimize student cost.
• Strengthen collaboration among universities, professional firms, and associations to bolster curriculum and advance innovation in architectural programs.
• Eliminate barriers to entering and succeeding in professional practice by providing structured, transitional support for early career professionals and by fostering a sense of belongingness among people of color.
• Invest in experiences (e.g., activities, workshops) for faculty and practicing professionals that challenge individual and organizational assumptions about social life and build individual and organizational literacy on social change topics.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3636-1.html

https://www.aia.org/about-aia/press/new-rand-study-highlights-gaps-between-architecture-academia-and-practice

Building on findings from the landmark report Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice (1996), the authors of this report examine the current state of architecture in the United States and envision a future that increases the impact and relevance of both architecture education and the architecture profession.

The authors collaborated with three architecture associations — the American Institute of Architects, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture — to inform their research instruments, protocols, and sample and to support their interpretation of the findings. The project was also informed by input from the American Institute of Architectural Students and other stakeholder groups, such as subject-matter experts from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and the National Organization of Minority Architects.

In total, the authors surveyed 377 students, 598 faculty, and 2,792 practicing professionals and conducted 107 interviews across the United States. Efforts were made to include students, faculty, and practicing professionals from diverse backgrounds and experiences, as well as institutions of varying missions and NAAB accreditation statuses.

Five core recommendations emerged from the analytic findings, which are intended to fortify the relationship between architectural education and practice to ensure that students are prepared and successful in entering the field of architecture. While the current study builds on the work presented in 1996’s Building Community, these recommendations capture present-day issues and more squarely focus on matters of access, opportunity, collaboration, and inclusion.

Key Findings

Pathways to architecture

• Design and the creative process were key sources of interest for students and faculty.
• Media related to architecture has been a primary source of exposure for future architects to learn about and cultivate an interest in the field.
• Limited knowledge about program requirements and affordability are key barriers to entry into architecture education.

The current state of architecture education, practice, and innovation

• Students and practicing professionals perceived a gap between what is taught in programs and what is needed in professional practice, including technical skills and experience using new technology systems.
• Participants agreed on the importance of artificial intelligence and other emerging models to the future of architectural practice but need more support and resources to use such models of practice in their work.
• Participants cited both structural and cultural barriers to professional practice.

Perceptions of social change

• Sustainability, human health, and climate change were perceived as important topics for the architecture profession to address, but the three stakeholder groups differed on how urgent addressing these topics was.
• Leadership support and financial resources are leading barriers to addressing social change topics in the architecture curriculum and practice.

Collaboration between academia and architecture firms

• Faculty and practicing professionals would embrace greater opportunities for collaboration that go beyond career preparation experiences for students.
• Funding and time are key resources necessary to facilitate the development and maintenance of collaboration between schools of architecture and practicing professionals and their firms. 

Recommendations

• Increase opportunities for students in K–12 schools to explore the field of architecture. To broadly increase interest in architecture among younger students, the field will need more systematic and more sensitive approaches to engaging students in general and students from under resourced communities, in particular, where information about summer and enrichment opportunities may be limited.
• Improve access to and affordability of architecture education by revisiting the admissions process and considering alternative pathways to minimize student cost. Doing so may encourage more students to consider architecture as a career.
• Strengthen collaboration among universities, professional firms, and associations to bolster curriculum and advance innovation in architectural programs. Collaborative efforts among these stakeholders should inform student-centered changes to programs or pathways to the architecture workforce.
• Eliminate barriers to entering and succeeding in professional practice by providing structured, transitional support for early career professionals and by fostering a sense of belongingness among people of color. Graduates and practicing professionals encounter several barriers in the workforce and addressing them could improve practicing professionals’ experiences and encourage them to stay in the field.
• Invest in experiences (e.g., activities, workshops) for faculty and practicing professionals that challenge individual and organizational assumptions about social life and build individual and organizational literacy on social change topics; this can help academia and firms interrogate and address individual and organizational practices that hinder diversity in the field.