One way that a lot of people choose to grow their vertical garden is by mounting pots with brackets.  It is simple and gives an interesting look to an outdoor space.  There are even tools like the woolly pocket that lets you set up and customize your garden wall with ease.  The video below shows you how you can create a wall garden with a woolly pocket or something similar.  Check it out!

Being an architect means that I meet quite a few people, and I can network easily with other professionals in my industry or people I meet with social media.  Seems like I’m not the only architect out there who is a bit crazy about social media.  Well over half of architects are using Twitter and have been for over a year.

Because of Twitter it is simpler to connect with peers, other architects, stay current with news stories, get information, and much more.  Find out why architects are all about Tweeting below.

Since its construction was completed, there have been larger and longer bridges built domestically and abroad, but the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the original, massive, super suspension bridges in its class.  The infographic below honors its place in history with an educational walk through all its phases of development to the present time.  Do you enjoy the Golden Gate Bridge?  Have any stories to share?  Let us hear from you.

If you are interested in learning more facts about the world’s tallest buildings, take a look at this infographic.  Click to see the image in full size:

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world since the year 2010 and it is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  The chief architect Adrian Smith put to good use the education in architecture that he finished at the University of Illinois in Chicago.  Many have said his leadership might suggest that he has a masters in leadership as well, but he really does not.  The Burj Khalifa serves as a large tourist destination in Dubai.  It also hosts a hotel, homes, office spaces, and nightlife like you would not believe.  There is so much to see and take in if you go to the Burj Khalifa, and you do not have to be an architect to truly visualize the amazing efforts that went into the creation.

So that you can learn some more interesting facts about this incredible structure, I have included an infographic below.

A better, more impressive way to really have a good international educational experience is to actually enroll in a school based overseas. This way you can be more fully integrated into a new culture, and even study in other countries throughout Europe through that school’s continental exchange program. Attending an international university shows a very large amount of courage, insight and initiative, because really studying abroad should include learning a new language, and then learning through that new language. When you think about it, if you can explain an understand concepts in terms of two different languages, often with a large overlapping vocabularies that don’t quite match in terms of definitions and connotations, then the better you understand the concepts in general and can execute them. Furthermore, when you study a subject like architecture overseas, you have to learn certain international standards that are frequently different from American standards, making you a more appealing prospect to many international clients at home in the US.

So- learn a new language, get an amazing education, and make yourself a more appealing applicant by truly studying abroad and enrolling in an international university. If worse comes to worst, then you can always transfer back to one of the many great programs here in the US, but the long term benefits are definitely worth taking the risk for. So check out these top 10 European schools, and then order your Rossetta Stone:

1. Architectural Association London (AA)- London, England

2. Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IaaC)- Barcelona, Spain

3. The Glasgow School of Art – Glasgow, Scotland

4. ETH Zurich- DARCH- Zurich, Switzerland

5. Berlage Institute- Rotterdam, The Netherlands

6. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts- School of Architecture- Copenhagen, Denmark

7. University College London, Bartlet- London, England

8. Encole de Beaux Arts- Paris, France

9. University of Cambridge- Cambridge, England

10. The Garrit Rietveld Academie- Rotterdam, The Netherlands

To start, today’s job market is more competitive than ever before. Employers are looking for more well-rounded individuals with diverse training and backgrounds rather than just one area of specialization. The era of strict specialization of labor to increase scale of production has passed over post-industrialized markets, including Western markets like the North America and Europe, and especially in the US. Demand is now increasing for individuals who are not only experts in their primary field of interest, but who can come up with creative solutions to solve complex problems that reach beyond the specific scope of their primary training. Furthermore, the more dynamic of a prospect you make yourself, the better chance you have of obtaining a higher salary and gaining a stronghold on your particular job.

Secondly, as a young student, chances are that no matter how set on a particular career or degree you are, college may change your view or opinion of your desired path. This doesn’t necessarily mean you will definitely want to change your major, but enrolling in a liberal arts school or a school with a well-established liberal arts program will allow you to explore different areas and majors that might end up being just as, if not more, gripping than your initial focus. Because if there’s one life lesson that never gets old, its the fact that you never really know where you’re going to end up in 5, 10, or 20 years, or what you really want to do with your life when you are entering college or university. Keeping an open mind will allow you not to miss certain doors that will open up that you otherwise would have overlooked if you were strict about staying true to your initial career path.

Keeping this in mind, there are dozens of options here in the US that will allow you to pursue both your undergraduate architectural training, including liberal arts colleges and universities that offer “pre-architecture” programs, as well as take a more diverse set of classes to add to your resume. Many of the Ivy League schools offer both rich liberal arts as well as lauded architecture programs, but for many these schools are just out of reach due to high selectivity and a ridiculously high price tag. But not to worry, there are many state colleges and other private universities that are not only more attainable admissions-wise, but more affordable as well (even with a high price tag, most private liberal arts programs not in the Ivy League offer substantial scholarships, grants and loans to help students make ground on the gap). Here is a list of just a few great programs to consider that include both highly-rated architecture programs and stellar liberal arts, with high rates of graduate school admission and post-graduate hiring.

Yale
Princeton
Penn
Cornell
Brown (dual architecture-liberal arts degree option)
Rhode Island College of Design (dual architecture-liberal arts degree option)
University of Texas at Autsin
Lehigh
Middlebury
Rice
Kansas State
Syracuse
Connecticut College
Colorado College
Flagler College

Undergraduate programs:

1. Cornell University in Ithaca, New York

2. Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York

3. Rice University in Houston, Texas

4. California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California

5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia

6. California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, California

7. Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

7. University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas

9. Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York

9. University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California

Graduate programs:

1. University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan

2. Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts

3. Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut

4. Columbia University in New York City, New York

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts

6. Cornell University in Ithaca, New York

6. University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio

8. University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

9. Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri

10. University of California at Berkeley in Berkeley, California

10. University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas

The first trend that pops out to me is that there are only two schools that made both lists. Considering the high degree of technicality and the necessity that you get a graduate degree if you want to practice architecture, I thought there would be more similarity between the lists.

Another notable trend is that there are more Ivy League schools in the top graduate programs than the undergraduate list. Other than #1 Undergraduate Architecture program Cornell, there are no other Ivy League schools, while Ivy Leaguers take up half of the graduate list.

Hopefully this list will help you in your decision of where to start your training to become an architect. So get studying!

Bachelor of Science in Architecture

This is a four year degree, and it is one that you would want to look into obtaining a Master of Architecture degree.  The Bachelor of Science in Architecture is not a professional degree, if you are looking to become licensed, you will definitely need more education.

Bachelor of Architecture

If you are not interested in obtaining a Master degree in Architecture, but you would like to become a licensed architect eventually, then this is a great degree choice for you.  Of course, after receiving this degree, you will still have to take on training in a supervised environment for quite some time, and then you will be able to qualify for licensure.

Master of Architecture

This degree is one that would follow after receving a Bachelor of Science in Architecture.  Then, following the obtaining of the Master of Architect, you will need to have the years of training while being supervised.

Supervised Training

The supervised training must take place under an architect who is, in fact, licensed.  This training is made up of seven hundred units, with each unit being eight hours.  So, if you are looking to receive your architecture license, then it would take working full-time for approximately three years.  There are requirements that must fulfilled throughout these training units so that you may be eligible to complete the exam for licensure.

Architect Registration Exam

Something you’ll not see on your Direct TV HD Channel Guide is just how hard they work for this Exam. This is the exam that must be completed to obtain a license of architecture.  It is quite a large exam, and it takes around forty hours to complete all of the sections of the exam.  After passing the ARE, then an application is submitted to the state and a license is issued.

Some people are starting a different trend. Instead of going beneath the earth they bring the grass up to them. A large version of this is the green roof. Making a mini park oasis for yourself and the neighbors or a garden to grow some of your favorite produce in the middle of the city while cleaning the air and minimizing your footprint on the environment; has become the norm for all new apartments.