Architectural education is not designed to prepare you for entrepreneurial practice. In the minds of the creators who built the system that is now recognized as a path to licensing, there was never any intention to prematurely start a business in the building industry. There is a code, a set of rules, that forces you to follow and follow a unilateral vision of success.
However, there has never been a time when the gap between the education we have received at university and the education we have received so far has been as obvious and problematic as it is today.
We live in the era of information revolution. Technology has brought us connectivity and new ways of doing business. As a result, we are seeing new business models left and right that have nothing to do with traditional business models. Considering all the possibilities that are easily pursued by individuals in technology, business, marketing, personal development, sports, and many other fields, we as architects have had to re-evaluate our options.
Entrepreneurial endeavors among young architectural professionals have proliferated in recent years. But along with that came the real challenges posed by a simple lack of business acumen.
For decades now, the built environment and architecture industries have remained inward-looking, distancing themselves from proper conversations with others and overlooking opportunities and new territory to conquer. The future of the built environment will require leaders with an expanded and new vision for the field: identifying real-world problems that come from a broader range of sources and turning them into innovative, impactful businesses. We need leaders with the acuity and skill to do so. It provides an opportunity to deepen ties with society and add further value to society.
This situation calls into question the traditional educational model offered by our universities, and whether it is actually enabling and empowering new innovations or halting our progress. I'm starting to have doubts.
Think about it, today's society has huge potential for development and innovation, and this should not be limited to the technology industry. Architecture, building materials, construction, and engineering require technological advances. We are working hard to develop a global innovation lab where research and experimentation on futuristic design solutions will take place. However, from a business perspective, this common approach to development still follows completely outdated behavior.
We consistently see a tendency for research, no matter how advanced, to remain as academic research and rarely to be brought to market as a viable business opportunity.
So why do you think this is such a common problem in our profession?
I only criticize it for one thing.
The traditional model of architectural education does not allow us to practice. It breeds scholars, thinkers, researchers, writers, designers, visionaries, but not businessmen.
Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that projects and innovations are only as good as the support and traction they get to market.
Commerce moves our world forward, but many of us fail to leverage innovation and keep our visions and solutions in the category of concepts.
Look at the progress we've made in the last 10 years alone. Entrepreneurship has emerged as the most attractive economic force the world has experienced in the past few decades.
Today, more than ever, we need new educational models to teach students how to innovate and compete in an increasingly outward-looking industry.
A systematic educational revolution is absolutely necessary, but it is not enough to simply create technology using design thinking and call it innovation. In order to advance in this industry and create more opportunities and success, we need to teach the next generation of architects and designers about entrepreneurship.
Never before has it been true that architectural education must balance the theoretical and practical aspects of the profession. Architecture courses should teach students to take an active role in building their careers. Without it, we actively disable our own generation and foster all sorts of fears and worries about the future.
An encouraging example of entrepreneurship in schools is the IE School of Architecture and Design. For more than a decade, the school has been preparing leaders and entrepreneurs to shine in the worlds of architecture, engineering, and construction.
My absolute favorite is the Master of Business in Architecture and Design initiative, which aims to help student entrepreneurs realize innovative projects and turn service concepts into viable startups. . This leaves the student entrepreneur already with a product on the market and already an active businessman.
Because of their pioneering approach to education, I invited Program Director Geronimo van Schendel Elise to participate in the virtual Business of Architecture Symposium called DISRUPT, which will be held for five days from May 1st to May 5th. His presentation at DISRUPT, titled “Entrepreneurial Designers: Why Business Vision Matters for Architects and Designers,” will discuss the current state of the architecture industry and foster a strong next generation of young architects and designers. pinpoint the skills needed to We then explore how the master's degree program he leads answers the widespread lack of business and management elements in today's architecture and design education.
The first edition of Disrupt includes SOM, Gensler, BIG, Snohetta, Perkins and Will, UnStudio, Zaha Hadid Architects, OMA-AMO, ARUP, Safdie Architects, Woods Bagot, Amanda Levete Architects, WallaceLiu, Simone de Gale, and more . Get your symposium tickets now, with a 50% early bird discount and available for a limited time until April 1st. Because if you're serious about your career and what you actually want to achieve;
