Goal 2 - Excell in MEANINGFUL Education

What do I mean when I say meaningful?

Going through the Architectural program at Salt Lake Community College and preparing to transfer to the University of Utah, School of Architecture my aspirations to become a renowned architect changed as I came to the realization that architecture is not about the architect. It’s about the person/people who will use the designed environment and how they will use it. As I started to focus more on the people and less on my own desires for expression I found my creativity was raised to a higher level.

I decided I wanted to focus my education and career on (what are in my mind) the most important structures in the world. Homes!

I am fascinated by people and the way they live. In many cultures life is very simple. These people live in homes that are simple and elegant. They have what they need and don’t clutter their lives with excess. They live long, healthy and happy lives. In contrast, other cultures (including our own) have the attitude that more is always more. Looking for a new or existing home these people tend to focus on quantitative (Square Feet, # of Bedrooms, # of Bathrooms….) rather than qualitative (Functionality, details, human scale…) measures.

I became very dissatisfied with the curriculum of the program I was in and had planned to pursue. While it offered a great background in the technical aspects of construction and design I feel it lacked the human element of architecture. I’ve also become disillusioned by the egotistic nature of many professors and students. All the projects ended up looking the same in order to please the review board of “Design Gods” with thick rimmed glasses and stainless steel coffee mugs held at 90° so everyone could see how cool they are.

Yes, this is a generalization. Over the years I have had the opportunity to associate with several architects and designers. Once they get out of school most end up being pretty cool people. I’ve learned a lot from them about design, construction materials and methods, and things you should never ever do. While they have incredible talent in design, most have horrible business management skills. I am amazed that some of these firms have been around as long as they have. A complete disaster!

I didn’t want this to be me. I enrolled in the distance education program for Business Management through Utah State. While many of the courses are vital for what I want to accomplish most of the curriculum didn’t fit my complex puzzle. It didn’t take long before I was just as dissatisfied with this program. And the people…. a whole new species of ego that I will never understand.

Long story short, I met with an academic advisor at USU to vent my frustrations and concerns. The education provided by these programs was not MEANINGFUL to me. He suggested I look into working with him to create a program in Interdisciplinary Studies. Perfect Fit! I am able to combine courses in Design, Social Sciences and Business to create a degree that provides me with the specialized education I need for what I want to do. I’ll explain more about what exactly that is in a future post.