Joan:
I imagine many schools, who go the way of *requiring* their students to
purchase computers, find it difficult to actually get and maintain the broad
range of socioeconomic diversity which should be requisite in an academic
environment. It seems that such practices are yet another way that schools
of design maintain the elitism of the design professions. There are those
students who managed to scrape enough funding to mearly attend school -
making them purchase a computer is out of the range of MANY people and is an
exclusionary tactic - though it may not be seen as such by whomever makes
these decisions. State institutions especially should certainly not
*require* their students to purchase computers, rather, suggest it as a tool
which they may find helpful.
On the issue of software, if it is the desire of an institution to produce
cad-jockeys, then by all means, have them use a software package like
Auto-Cad, (the industry standard of architecture *production* in the
*profession*), though I'm sure there is a local community college or trade
school who teaches such things. However, if it is the desire of the
institution to produce graduates who can think critically, and not just
compu-draft, then a visualization software package like Form-Z would be a
much better option. Remember though, it is VERY easy to be seduced into the
realm of the toys of technology. It is important to remember too, however,
that architecture isn't how the built environment is rendered, rather the
results of such renderings. It is important to communicate one's ideas
clearly - but getting caught into thinking that it is the tools by which
such communications are affected is what constitutes architecture is
dangerous and something I see happening in a number of schools right now.
Best of luck:
Wayde Tardif
________________________________
wayde tardif
architecture+graphic design
________________________________
wtardif@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://wabakimi.carleton.ca/~wtardif/index.html
----------
From: Joan McLain-Kark <jmkark@xxxxxx>
To: DESIGN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: laptop vs. desktop
Date: Mon, Apr 26, 1999, 2.14 PM
Does anyone have some information on how many architecture and design
schools are requiring students to buy computers? And, how many are
requiring laptops? Are any requiring desktops and if so, what impact does
that have on the design studio?
Our interior design faculty are going on a "retreat" for one day to discuss
integrating technologies. We have gone from being primarily pencil-based
to CAD although we still teach hand perspective drawing and rendering.
Both are integrated into studios. Our university recently instituted a
freshmen computer requirement. So far, we are requiring a PC desktop or
laptop and AutoCAD software (for their first drawing class). The rest of
the departments at the university require or recommend desktops with the
exception of architecture. But we are still debating the merits of both
formats. And, more than half of our students come in as internal or
external transfer which is probably different than architecture schools.
Let me know if you have any information and opinions on this matter.
Joan McLain-Kark
Associate Professor
Program Coordinator, Interior Design
I imagine many schools, who go the way of *requiring* their students to
purchase computers, find it difficult to actually get and maintain the broad
range of socioeconomic diversity which should be requisite in an academic
environment. It seems that such practices are yet another way that schools
of design maintain the elitism of the design professions. There are those
students who managed to scrape enough funding to mearly attend school -
making them purchase a computer is out of the range of MANY people and is an
exclusionary tactic - though it may not be seen as such by whomever makes
these decisions. State institutions especially should certainly not
*require* their students to purchase computers, rather, suggest it as a tool
which they may find helpful.
On the issue of software, if it is the desire of an institution to produce
cad-jockeys, then by all means, have them use a software package like
Auto-Cad, (the industry standard of architecture *production* in the
*profession*), though I'm sure there is a local community college or trade
school who teaches such things. However, if it is the desire of the
institution to produce graduates who can think critically, and not just
compu-draft, then a visualization software package like Form-Z would be a
much better option. Remember though, it is VERY easy to be seduced into the
realm of the toys of technology. It is important to remember too, however,
that architecture isn't how the built environment is rendered, rather the
results of such renderings. It is important to communicate one's ideas
clearly - but getting caught into thinking that it is the tools by which
such communications are affected is what constitutes architecture is
dangerous and something I see happening in a number of schools right now.
Best of luck:
Wayde Tardif
________________________________
wayde tardif
architecture+graphic design
________________________________
wtardif@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://wabakimi.carleton.ca/~wtardif/index.html
----------
From: Joan McLain-Kark <jmkark@xxxxxx>
To: DESIGN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: laptop vs. desktop
Date: Mon, Apr 26, 1999, 2.14 PM
Does anyone have some information on how many architecture and design
schools are requiring students to buy computers? And, how many are
requiring laptops? Are any requiring desktops and if so, what impact does
that have on the design studio?
Our interior design faculty are going on a "retreat" for one day to discuss
integrating technologies. We have gone from being primarily pencil-based
to CAD although we still teach hand perspective drawing and rendering.
Both are integrated into studios. Our university recently instituted a
freshmen computer requirement. So far, we are requiring a PC desktop or
laptop and AutoCAD software (for their first drawing class). The rest of
the departments at the university require or recommend desktops with the
exception of architecture. But we are still debating the merits of both
formats. And, more than half of our students come in as internal or
external transfer which is probably different than architecture schools.
Let me know if you have any information and opinions on this matter.
Joan McLain-Kark
Associate Professor
Program Coordinator, Interior Design