Back door routes to architecture??

[acousticer]

well,anyone know any??.....besides engineering!:P

[layo]

Product Design maybe? the difference between architects and industrial designers is that an architect essentially designs walls, roofs and landscapes (in other words space). Product/Industrial designers design things to fill that space. There's a lot of cross overs between the two in my opinion anyway...similar thought processes etc..

[rira]

I'm going to state the glaringly obvious ... Architectural Technology.

You end up working in the exact same field often doing practically the same job and even doing the course for a year or two would up your knowledge of the field and chances of being accepted to an architecture course. A pretty high proportion of graduates go on to study Architecture, particularly in the UK with some exemptions from modules.

WIT and DIT seem to have good courses but I'm sure there are others out there with better knowledge of courses...

[acousticer]

what's the difference between a level 7 course and a level 8 course??

like Cork IT is the only college that has Architectural Technology as a level 8 course, the rest are all level 7s.....

[JB]

Level 7 is an Ordinary Degree, Level 8 is Honours Degree.
WIT also has a Level 8 in Architectural Technology offered as an add on at the end of your 3rd year, as have IT Carlow (I think) and IT Carlow Wexford. DIT will be offering a Level 8 in Architectural Technology in the near future as an add on, with a 4 year Level 8 'ab initio' degree planned also.

If you are considering Architectural Techniology as a 'back door' route to Architecture, you could find yourself on a very long journey.

[acousticer]

WIT are down as a level 7 course on qualifax though:

http://www.qualifax.ie/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=16

yea i know......a looooonnnnnng journey.......but if i don't get doing architecture and i do architectural technology instead......who knows......i might even like it and just become a drafter or something, but at least i'll have the option for architecture too if i want it!

[spoil_sport]

"but if i don't get doing architecture and i do architectural technology instead......who knows......i might even like it and just become a drafter or something"

I don't even know where to begin on that one....
I think JB was trying to say years 1-3 are level 7 and if you pass that you can do year 4 which is level 8.
You always have the option of doing architecture, I know people who came at it as mature students from backgrounds in IT, secretarial, accounting, etc.
Coming at it from tech may not necessarily be that long, the standard route is 4 years tech then 5years arch, skipping the year out becuse you'll be, well, old. But I know a few people who finished top of their class in tech, worked for a year in a top level architects office and were then allowd to skip first and second year and in some cases even third year architecture. But those cases are quiet exceptional.
But I've said it before, and I think it is especially true in this case since you are talking 4 years time minimum, and since you apparently don't yet full grasp what you are talking about ("a drafter or something") I would strongly advise you to stop asking stupid questions, these quesions will be irrelevant if you just keep the head down, the leaving cert is not that hard.

[sw101]

you apparently don't yet full grasp what you are talking about ("a drafter or something") I would strongly advise you to stop asking stupid questions, these quesions will be irrelevant if you just keep the head down, the leaving cert is not that hard.

hardly the most productive of advice.

look into the possibility of applying to courses in the UK as well.

[rira]

just a quick question acousticer, have you ever spoken to you guidance counsellor ... even the most pathetic should have told you the difference between level 7 and 8 ... never mind second choice courses that might suit you ... as would qualifax ... or reading some of the older posts here

[acousticer]

just a quick question acousticer, have you ever spoken to you guidance counsellor ... even the most pathetic should have told you the difference between level 7 and 8 ... never mind second choice courses that might suit you ... as would qualifax ... or reading some of the older posts here

haha good one.....you really don't want to meet our guidance counselor......no joke.....he's so stupid and you would swear he's a lost 1st year the way he walks around the school......pretty funny.......plus i missed half the career guidance classes due to sport and stuff!:P
it's just as easy to find out on this site!:D
thanks tho!

[reddy]

Don't be discouraged. My guidance councillor told me that there was only one course in the country - in Trinity!!! Real helpful.

Do the full amount of research about other schools in England/ Scotland - Liverpool and the Mac in Glasgow seem popular with Irish students. Don't forget Belfast as well.

I think the Architectural Technology route is a totally legitimate one and some of the people I know who came through this way are really talented architects who really know their stuff.

There's always alternative routes so try not to be discouraged. Plus the points will surely come down given that the architecture profession has taken such a battering recently.

Good luck.

[acousticer]

Do the full amount of research about other schools in England/ Scotland - Liverpool and the Mac in Glasgow seem popular with Irish students. Don't forget Belfast as well.

I think the Architectural Technology route is a totally legitimate one and some of the people I know who came through this way are really talented architects who really know their stuff.

There's always alternative routes so try not to be discouraged. Plus the points will surely come down given that the architecture profession has taken such a battering recently.

thanks for the advice man!
yeah lets hope they do drop tho!