Did watching 'Grand Designs' have a big influence on choosing Architectre/engineering

It has done for me...... Undecided on future career, watched a few episodes, watched some more and building/designing/engineering really does look an interesting and fun career.

Ive gone for Architecture..

Reply 1

ArchiBoi

12

well if you based your decision on a sensationalised tv programme you're clearly a misguided individual

Reply 2

CoffeeStinks

11

..Like those people who love watching Casualty so want to have a career in Medicine.

If Grand designs is your only reason for entering a career in Architecture I suggest you research it a bit more.
It's a bit iffy for you to make this decision because what if your life as an Architect doesn't fulfill your Grand designs assumptions? If you have no real drive to be an architect then you may struggle to meet deadlines.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 3

ArchiBoi

12

Original post by CoffeeStinks

..Like those people who love watching Casualty so want to have a career in Medicine.

If Grand designs is your only reason for entering a career in Architecture I suggest you research it a bit more.
It's a bit iffy for you to make this decision because what if your life as an Architect doesn't fulfill you Grand designs assumptions if you have no real drive to be an architect then you may struggle to meet deadlines.

I don't think deadlines will be an issue. This pleb won't even make it past first semester of first year, because he thinks Kevin McCloud will walk into his crit and make some blindly-stupid comment like

"This building,
Was Building,
Is a Building
and....
always will be
A Building,
and that
...pause.....
for Tom and Hannah
....paussee...
is a Building".

Cue cheesy music.

-End-

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 4

Sangha236

I wanted to be an Architect too for a while cause of Ted Moseby from HIMYM.

Reason for edit: Typographical error.

Reply 5

johndoranglasgow

14

Original post by ArchiBoi

misguided individual

There's a term for idiot I've never heard before.

Oh dear...

Original post by ArchiBoi

I don't think deadlines will be an issue. This pleb won't even make it past first semester of first year, because he thinks Kevin McCloud will walk into his crit and make some blindly-stupid comment like

"This building,
Was Building,
Is a Building
and....
always will be
A Building,
and that
...pause.....
for Tom and Hannah
....paussee...
is a Building".

Cue cheesy music.

-End-

I always love your remarks!

Original post by bolton-wfc

It has done for me...... Undecided on future career, watched a few episodes, watched some more and building/designing/engineering really does look an interesting and fun career.

Ive gone for Architecture..

But honestly bolton-wfc don't base wanting to do architecture on a programme. It's fine if you enjoy watching it but find more of a reason to start a career in it.

I enjoyed watching Grand Designs, haven't watched it in a long time though, but I don't think it made me want to do architecture, it was more because architecture requires knowledge of various subjects I'm interested in and allows me to be creative but still requires a decent educational background. Whilst I know it could take me years, decades even, until I can start building the type of architecture that inspires me buildings like the Maggie's Cancer Centres are what I would aim for in my career, these are architecture that inspires and provides intimately for the user. If you can the V&A has an exhibition on it, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Reply 8

waecskt

grand designs is bearable,

but I can't stand that george guy on channel four, he's the jamie oliver of architecture. By which I mean a ****.

Reply 9

spurswilts

6

Original post by waecskt

grand designs is bearable,

but I can't stand that george guy on channel four, he's the jamie oliver of architecture. By which I mean a ****.

Oh my god- i just looked him up on youtube he is such a prick!! lol just proves the only real skill you need to be on tv is that of shameless self promotion! I think grand designs is pretty good though- at least it brings more of a variety with smaller scale projects, eco builds which makes a change from the 'starchitects'.

Reply 10

Ex Death

9

Grand Designs is absolutely terrible. It's a load of tosh which does nothing but undermine the role of the architect. Members of the public see people drawing up some new floor plans for their own houses and acting as project manager and then all of a sudden they have it set in their minds that this architecture business is easy, anyone can do it. Nevermind the 7 years of hell, slogging our guts out. Unfortunately it's the most prominent link between the profession and the general public en masse. It really devalues the profession, which of course is exactly what we all needed right about now.

Reply 11

Quiller

10

Grand Designs made me the architect I am today.

Reply 12

JK471993

2

I just become bitter about these people's rich lives and ability to blow an x amount of money over what they expected. I used to watch it quite a bit but my interest has dwindled.

Reply 13

jrhartley

13

Original post by JK471993

I just become bitter about these people's rich lives and ability to blow an x amount of money over what they expected. I used to watch it quite a bit but my interest has dwindled.

Grand Designs is a great demonstration of how, with the benefit of a ridiculously inflationary property market, you can overun on costs by sometimes over 100% and still be looking at an on paper profit.

I think it started with good intentions but they have seriously run out of proper architectural projects. And McCloud needs to muster some integrity 'what John and Sam have, at the end of the day, managed to achieve here, despite all the setbacks, is the embodiment of their combine ambition, and that.... at the end of the day... should be celebrated'. Its just rent-a-spiel positivity that he trots out even when you can see in his eyes he's thinking 'wtf is this monstrosity of vulgar largesse'?

And as everyone says - if you're doing architecture because of C4 Grand Designs, prepare to be shocked.

Reply 14

Sangbatz

4

I think yes for most, but it's the sort of thing you shouldn't admit too as there is obviously a taboo against it, the idea of just catching the final 15 mins of the solarium conversion into a penthouse in bornemouth and suddenly realising that those le Corbusier glasses suddenly look really good on you, I can see it from both sides. But hell if the glory of grand designs doesn't do something to your insides then what you doing on this thread?

Reply 15

Cll_ws

19

Come on, there's no need to be so harsh on the guy.
Who's to say he hasn't researched into his degree choice thoroughly and made a totally well-informed decision.

Everyone's interest in a subject sparks from somewhere, his was Grand Designs. That might not be his only reason, and he might not expect it to be like Grand Designs.
Watching the program could of just been what led him to research and look into studying the subject.

Reply 16

NStocks

1

Original post by Ex Death

Grand Designs is absolutely terrible. It's a load of tosh which does nothing but undermine the role of the architect. Members of the public see people drawing up some new floor plans for their own houses and acting as project manager and then all of a sudden they have it set in their minds that this architecture business is easy, anyone can do it. Nevermind the 7 years of hell, slogging our guts out. Unfortunately it's the most prominent link between the profession and the general public en masse. It really devalues the profession, which of course is exactly what we all needed right about now.

Very well said. I can see now, from almost every project on Grand Designs, that the Architect (or not) has been undermined. It's frustrating when non-Architecture students watch the program and think "I can build a house now, seeing as that vet and her husband teacher have built one". It's only on rare occasion when you get someone who innovates their own design (can't remember the project :frown:

, it was an old guy who creates so form or ore-made steel construction )

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 17

bone-machine

9

Original post by bolton-wfc

It has done for me...... Undecided on future career, watched a few episodes, watched some more and building/designing/engineering really does look an interesting and fun career.

Ive gone for Architecture..

ERROR

Reply 18

olivertaylor

I've always seen Grand Designs as more of a human interest show, in my view it also seems to focus on the flashy aspects of private residences and doesn't really go into detail about the process from the architect's point of view. It's a nice bit of entertainment, I always get some guilty enjoyment when one of the projects goes wrong and the couple end up hundreds of thousands of pounds over budget (the episode 'The Violin Factory" is worth watching: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs-revisited/episode-guide/series-4/episode-3 )

If we're talking about inspiration for wanting to do architecture, I'd have to say that reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand definitely reinforced my interest in the subject. Although many will point out that it's far from a perfect novel, it certainly is an enjoyable read, even if you don't agree with the philosophy that Rand presented through it.

Reply 19

GormlessWonder

9

Original post by olivertaylor

I've always seen Grand Designs as more of a human interest show, in my view it also seems to focus on the flashy aspects of private residences and doesn't really go into detail about the process from the architect's point of view. It's a nice bit of entertainment, I always get some guilty enjoyment when one of the projects goes wrong and the couple end up hundreds of thousands of pounds over budget (the episode 'The Violin Factory" is worth watching: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs-revisited/episode-guide/series-4/episode-3 )

If we're talking about inspiration for wanting to do architecture, I'd have to say that reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand definitely reinforced my interest in the subject. Although many will point out that it's far from a perfect novel, it certainly is an enjoyable read, even if you don't agree with the philosophy that Rand presented through it.

Yeah, the Fountainhead is nice, but the entire thing is an extended metaphor for her philosophy so it's a bit pointless to an Architecture student. I think it's forced into giving a shallow interpretation of modernism.

And I agree with you about Grand Designs, it's human interest, using the backdrop of buildings. Fair enough if it gets you excited about Architecture.

Did watching 'Grand Designs' have a big influence on choosing Architectre/engineering

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you