With the downturn/slowdown in the in the economy it seems us students currently studying have just missed out on the good times.

Talk about frustrating! We enter college and see an industry thats crying out for us. Now in my final year its all changed and I'm wondering will I get a job!!??

I've seen a lot of people in architecture let go this year... seems like there might not be room for any new people or am i being too pessimistic?

Still it could be worse... it could be the 80's.

This is the cyclic nature of things and why students should always opt to do something in college that they want to, rather than something which is trendy or popular at the time. When I started college in the 1980s it was accepted that we would all leave Ireland, by the time we finished most of us got to work here. Now of course we all want to leave and live somewhere warmer and more child friendly. In short, that is life my friend. Everything is an opportunity. Don't worry about it, knuckle down, enjoy your final year, and do the best work you can.

of course there's a future for you, try not to be so pessimistic: indeed you have no reason to be.. once you are qualified (a degree in architecture travels well)- you can go anywhere in the world... travel while you can.
the economic situation in ireland will continue it's cycle: just like everywhere else in the world. good luck with the thesis!

Never fear for the future, why should you? I cannot imagine their not being work for an architect, building mirrors growth it seems today. We're not going to suddenly stop growing.
People are leaving rural areas for urban centres and always have. What do they need? houses and everything that a typical city requires. The only limiting factor is your minds imagination, I do believe.

Hello Sketchy Ed, I meant to reply to you and not start a new thread, but unfortunately I pressed the wrong button, but sure you'll have that, in small towns and built up areas.

You are all doomed. Change career.
Become Quantity Surveyors.

I think you need to be positive, patient, and if needs be travel for a while.Things will eventually pick up in Ireland and you will return with new and maybe improved ideas. I'm in Oz right now,and even in the aftermath of the olympics, it took me a total of about 47 hours to find my first job here. I've been given design, construction and planning projects, and even hands on construction of 1:1 scale model for an experimental interiors competition etc etc.
All of this despite the fact that i have not yet qualified, I've hardly have a clue of the Aussie regs, and my limitation of three months per employer (as dictated by the standard working visa to Oz).
So as I see it, only an unwillingness to travell, and tempoarily a lack of language are limitations on a great career.
Good Luck

I've decided after 2 years and thousands of Euro to change my career path, from Software developemt to Architecture. I've lookid into it and even thought there is a downturn in the economy and it will effect all jobs. Architects however have the advantage that their ideas/plans are communicated on a visual basis, hence it is a profession that travels well. Also if it does come to the worse and we are forced to leave Ireland travel broadens the mind and moreso in a profession such as this and in turn as happened in the 80's the good times will come again and we can all come back!
But if anything else we need architects here to stop thoughtless people building ugly buildings in beautiful places! And to cull the use of uPVC windows!

Hola all the people!..
As I've read that Sketchy Ed' message, I want to add some my words to this thread ))

I'm an architect, and I'm from Russia. It, for any people, is some factor of risk, factor of unexpectedness, of danger life...
So, when I start my six-years university architectural course, it was the time of collapse, ruin all of Soviet system' stability and calmness. All of us thought that it couldn't any reason to do the architectural work in future, 'cause it wouldn't any future at all, here - civil war might be started anymonth then time.
All that six years I'd thinking that that any practice couldn't be available here, and an architectural world is anywhere out of Russia.
The Default Crisis in Russia in August of 1998 was at that time when I just graduated. All the life in Russia was in chaos and any people even took consultings from Pinochet how to organize country' system - with democracy or with totality - anyway. At that time all the structure of architectural market was collapsed and fresh graduates thought that they are out of profession for a long time, maybe they needed to chahge thier career. But already in 2000-2001 situation gone into stability - and now profession needs architects!..

So, if you want to talk about future: future is a kind of sun behind the mountains; it rises at day and then there is a sunset at night, and anyone could propose that sun might not to rise tomorrow )) - who knows, may be it is some kind of temporal pessimism?

Take care
Alexei

if our economic situation was the exception, then i'd be worried, but its not, we're doing fairly well, all things considered ... unemployment is still at 4.5% ... its touching six (%) in the states.

And rising fast. Its seems a little eratic but not rising by any huge amount here.!

It is not that bad at all. After all, we are part of EU, and the economy is still relatively strong. I supposed we can always look for jobs elsewhere.

Came across a site called http://www.architecturalassistant.co.uk , may help your situation.

You may also be interested in the site http://www.lintol.com which has been set up through a grant from learndirectscotland to provide an educational network linking architecture schools and practices. By registering on the lintol web site you gain free self maintainable gallery space and on-line profile for promotional purposes.
lintol is also running a mentor initiative in partnership with the local Chapters to connect students with practices so that academic training can be supplemented by practical exposure.

Do we. not only architects. but humanity have a future?

please visit:
http://opr.princeton.edu/popclock/
and
http://www.costofwar.com

first one.. needs a lot of architecture for everybody...
second one....... no comments.

I can´t comment on "do humans have a future", and i suppose having a job in architecture is somewhat linked to this question ;) but I can say being an architect in Iceland is fabulous, great wages, plenty of work, mostly open minded clients. Ok, Ok, you´re not often going to end up working on an architectural review featured super-building, but how often does this happen anywhere else? And who wants to just be an autocad monkey at the end of a line of grey architects (foster, all the usual suspects, you name them) just to get the chance to detail up the odd computer calculated "mutiple curvature" window? Here work is good, it feels honest, and it´s inherently satifying. My impression from having grown up in Britain and having worked there for a time is that there is probably no more stagnant atmosphere of architecture anywhere in the world! Truly depressing :(

Now the dutch, they know how to engender a real sense of "enjoyable architecture". :cool: Though I accept they are probably more full of shit than any other bunch of bs spouting architects. :)