Small Project Design

Is the AIA going to use it's pulpit to issue a public response to the recent hyped up article stating that architecture was the fifth most useless major? Fine Arts was there as well! My Brother In Law pointed out that one of the morning talk shows was talking about it with a panel of guests to a very broad audience! The AIA needs to make a BIG stink over this and use it as a opportunity to talk to the public about the importance of our profession. If we miss our opportunity he we won't get it again soon! ------------------------------------------- Brian Viehland AIA Principal Design on the Square, LLC Trenton NJ -------------------------------------------

The report from the Daily Beast is at http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2012/04/23/the-13-most-useless-majors-from-philosophy-to-journalism.html The discussion I saw about this report was on the Today Show.  I believe the ranking was based on the job opportunities in the field, which may have been dismal, and may still be for many, but since a public discussion is happening, the AIA should really step out and manage the conversation.


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Brian Viehland AIA
Principal
Design on the Square, LLC
Trenton NJ
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Message From: Susan Welker

Would you be so kind Brian as to share with us where this recent hyped up article stating that architecture was the fifth most useless major was written?  Thanks!

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Susan Welker AIA
Architect
Harris Welker Architects
West Lake Hills TX
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The Today Show got it wrong. There is no mention of architecture being a useless major on the Daily Beast report. I contacted the Today Show and got no reply. Typical of big media. AIA needs to go after the Today Show.
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Sally Anne Smith AIA
Smith Architectural Studio
Carmel CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-26-2012 10:42
From: Brian Viehland
Subject: AIA Response to The Daily Beast report

The report from the Daily Beast is at http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2012/04/23/the-13-most-useless-majors-from-philosophy-to-journalism.html The discussion I saw about this report was on the Today Show.  I believe the ranking was based on the job opportunities in the field, which may have been dismal, and may still be for many, but since a public discussion is happening, the AIA should really step out and manage the conversation.


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Brian Viehland AIA
Principal
Design on the Square, LLC
Trenton NJ
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Message From: Susan Welker

Would you be so kind Brian as to share with us where this recent hyped up article stating that architecture was the fifth most useless major was written?  Thanks!

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Susan Welker AIA
Architect
Harris Welker Architects
West Lake Hills TX
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While I would strongly argue that Architecture plays a fundamental role in how we give order and meaning to our existence and therefore is, in fact, one of our most valuable professions, The Daily Beast has a point. As far as return on investment regarding costs for education, internship, continuing education, liability insurance, salary, annual fees and dues, etc., this profession ranks way down the list.

So what else is new? That the architecture profession is a deeply-flawed business model has been common knowledge for as long as I can remember. Yet on the other side of the coin, there are those will still choose architecture, even with full knowledge of the grim business prospects, because they believe in its possibilities and happen to be good at it. Also, it's a helluva lot of fun when it goes right.

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Philip S. Wheelock, Jr. AIA
Wheelock Associates Architects
Uxbridge, MA
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Original Message

Original Message:
Sent: 04-26-2012 10:42
From: Brian Viehland
Subject: AIA Response to The Daily Beast report

The report from the Daily Beast is at http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2012/04/23/the-13-most-useless-majors-from-philosophy-to-journalism.html The discussion I saw about this report was on the Today Show.  I believe the ranking was based on the job opportunities in the field, which may have been dismal, and may still be for many, but since a public discussion is happening, the AIA should really step out and manage the conversation.


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Brian Viehland AIA
Principal
Design on the Square, LLC
Trenton NJ
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Message From: Susan Welker

Would you be so kind Brian as to share with us where this recent hyped up article stating that architecture was the fifth most useless major was written?  Thanks!

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Susan Welker AIA
Architect
Harris Welker Architects
West Lake Hills TX
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Yes please!  As creative problem solvers our skills are easlity applied across a multitude of fields, so please AIA step up to the plate and respond to this "report."

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Catherine Smith AIA
Principal
Catherine Smith Architect, LLC
Greenville SC
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The "Daily Beast" article did not say architecture was a "useless profession", but a useless college major - based on an unemployment study done by Georgetown U.  Nowhere in the Georgetown U study was architecture or any of the majors listed as "useless".   Labeling the majors as being useless is really a product of the brain dead media, whose only purpose in life is to create hype. 

Most architects know that an architectural education, while being flawed, is not useless.  If you have ever worked with someone who is uneducated, but has been put in a design position, (and I have) you will know this to be true.  The architecture profession, as well as many who have used an architect's service, feel architects are a vital contributor to the well being of society.

Unfortunately, many who perceive a college education as simply a means to a well paying job, will interpret architecture and many of the liberal arts majors as being useless.  And, one has to wonder, with the state of the profession, why anybody would want to go into a profession that has many demands, yet few opportunities.  I also see new schools being accredited every year and have to wonder if there would be enough demand for the supply even in a good economy?

I'm not sure if the PR folks from AIA can do anything that would be effective.  This has more to do with peoples perception of education than the profession itself.  And, while the labeling of "useless" by the unauthorized, non-credible media is really a blow to academia, do we really value them as a reliable source?

How about this....An education, any education is useful.  The media is useless!

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Edward Shannon
Waterloo IA
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Well said Edward.  There are many architects and others in professions similarly maligned by this piece already engaged in an on line conversation.  The AIA as an institution in my view should not use it's limited resources to try to mount a defensive official response to this and the other articles that are popping up.  The better approach is to get ahead of the curve.

The AIA in fact is engaged right now in plotting a course from the present bleak as it is for me among others toward a future that we would imagine for ourselves, and those who follow in our profession.  That effort is called Repositioning Architecture, Architects and the AIA.  It is starting out with gathering real data - going beyond the anecdotes and stories - and I hope all on this forum plan or have already responded to the first survey that went out recently.  

You can find out more about this groundbreaking initiative here:

Repostioning the Architect - AIA KnowledgeNet
Approaching the future of our profession like a design challenge

Repositioning landing page www.aia.org/components/AIAB093910  

Repositioning Talking points www.aia.org/components/AIAB093908

Repositioning Discussion Forum www.aia.org/components/AIAB093907

Cheers
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Michael Malinowski AIA
AIA Director - California Region
Applied Architecture, Inc.
Sacramento CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-26-2012 12:28
From: Edward Shannon
Subject: AIA Response to The Daily Beast report

The "Daily Beast" article did not say architecture was a "useless profession", but a useless college major - based on an unemployment study done by Georgetown U.  Nowhere in the Georgetown U study was architecture or any of the majors listed as "useless".   Labeling the majors as being useless is really a product of the brain dead media, whose only purpose in life is to create hype. 

Most architects know that an architectural education, while being flawed, is not useless.  If you have ever worked with someone who is uneducated, but has been put in a design position, (and I have) you will know this to be true.  The architecture profession, as well as many who have used an architect's service, feel architects are a vital contributor to the well being of society.

Unfortunately, many who perceive a college education as simply a means to a well paying job, will interpret architecture and many of the liberal arts majors as being useless.  And, one has to wonder, with the state of the profession, why anybody would want to go into a profession that has many demands, yet few opportunities.  I also see new schools being accredited every year and have to wonder if there would be enough demand for the supply even in a good economy?

I'm not sure if the PR folks from AIA can do anything that would be effective.  This has more to do with peoples perception of education than the profession itself.  And, while the labeling of "useless" by the unauthorized, non-credible media is really a blow to academia, do we really value them as a reliable source?

How about this....An education, any education is useful.  The media is useless!

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Edward Shannon
Waterloo IA
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Mark Geiselman AIA
Mark D. Geiselman Architect, PC
Long Beach NY
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