Archiculture: a documentary film that explores the architectural studio (full 25 min film)

Archiculture takes a thoughtful, yet critical look at the architectural studio. The 25-minute film offers a unique glimpse into the world of studio-based, design education through the eyes of a group of students finishing their final design projects. Interviews with leading professionals, historians and educators help create crucial dialog around the key issues faced by this unique teaching methodology and the built environment these future architects will create.

Starring:
Mollie Claypool
Alanna Jaworski
Dionysios Neofitidis
Mike Toste
Giancarlo Tramontozzi

Including Interviews with:
Shigeru Ban - Shigeru Ban Architects
Matthew Berman - Workshop APD
Phil Bernstein - VP Autodesk
Joe Brown - CIO AECOM
David Byrne - Musician/Artist
Annie Choi - Author/Critic
Maurice Cox - Professor/NEA
Ken Frampton - Historian/Professor
Terry Heinlein - TGH Architect
Ted Landsmark - President BAC
Thom Mayne - Morphosis
Mary Woods - Historian/Professor

Credits:
Co-Producer/Director - David Krantz & Ian Harris
Editor - Jesse Garrison
Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer - Yoni Slotwiner
Composer - Glenn Forsythe
Colorist - Frederick Trevino
Titles and Graphics - Matthew Posorske
Story Development - Eric Krantz
Assistant Editors - Bill Scurry, Randy Astle, Eric Joseph, Aaron Lim, Marco Monti & Justin Strawhand
Production/Editing Assistants - Pierce Cook, Emily Wettstein & Emily Ahn Levy
Production Assistant - Michael Selwa
Pre-Production Assistant - Lisa Zigenis
Grant Writer/Editor - Jacob Richardson
Marketing - Sam Danner
Outreach - Emily Goligoski & Barbie Steffen
Public Relations - Whitney Sterling & Julie Fallin
Website Consultant - Doug Havens
Legal Services - George M. Rush
Executive Producer - AECOM
Fiscal Sponsor - Independent Film Project (IFP)

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to see a new Architecture Extras Interview each week!

[QuesoQt]

As a 4th year architecture student (so very much at the start of my career) I just have to say that many take this profession way too seriously and childishly make it black and white, unpassionate and obsessed. Architecture is a very big part of my life I couldn’t run from, even if I wanted to, but life is not that serious. It is NOT normal to cry in critiques, stamping on students’ confidence is NOT helping them. You can be a great architect and have a life around it, intertwined with it. It’s masochist and counterintuitive to even think otherwise. Improving is about healthy critique and motivation to grow. Not about thinking that no matter what you do, you will always be subpar, trying to crawl up nonetheless and putting others further down on the way. If great architects are something grand and above everyone, how are they supposed to be creating amazing designs for the masses when they have never even experienced life outside their career? To me, architecture is a meltingpot of universal knowledge, curiosity, creativity and life experience.

[ap]

The "design high"..oh, yes. When you want to sleep because you want to wake up with a fresh mind to work on your project, but have hours of insomnia because you can't stop thinking about the project.

[StillUpDate]

This video motivated me...
until i looked at my project again... it's still shitty.

[ericwilliams]

I'm not an architect, but I have been in construction for the majority of my life ( I'm 45 years old).
The biggest suggestion that I could probably make to these students, or anyone aspiring to become an architect ( because it use to be a dream of mine, and why I'm here) is to get a job with a construction company.
Actually get out and "build" buildings, and or houses between semesters.
This may help give you a better understanding of materials used, and how the whole process works "from the other end".
Getting a job in construction might not be everyone's forte, but it definitely couldn't hurt.

[nashjobsen]

I'm a struggling architecture student. this documentary somehow gave me motivations. thank you

[uratwat]

Me: *just a high school student looking for an inspirational tale of people experiencing my dream*
Administrators/etc. : *referring to students as lambs to slaughter*
Me: *silent tears*

[ToaLanDe]

This doc is a perfect vid to tell the aspiring to be students the need of the passion for architecture to be an architect.
Don't take architecture half-assed since it wouldn't take you anywhere, take it seriously, it would surprise where it would take you. I'm someone who went in and realise this isn't for me and regretted later why I pushed myself to finish the school even this is not my passion. But I'm thankful for my school for it taught me the skills of how to perceive my surroundings critically and later to solve a problem efficiently by creativity, which I could use in any kind of field of work. 
Think twice when you wanna be an architect, since it would literally require you to change your lifestyle and dedicate yourself fully, when it is not passion you have, it would likely become a torture for yourself later.
Thanks for sharing this amazing video :) ! 

[averymarch]

I love how the head of the Architecture program was complaining about how inadequate the program is when it comes to preparing the student for the real world. Imagine shelling out 50k+ a year to get an education, only to hear the head of your program say you not being taught adequately.

[koi]

Another thing I’d like to point out in critiques is that sometimes professors can clash and disagree with each other.
I’m a 3rd year arc student and we’ve had whole shitshows where the professors just literally fight on zoom over their own opinions, and we as students are just sitting there confused @-@

[offline]

This video makes me a little sad and overwhelmed but also relieved. There is so much to learn and plenty of things that could be unlearned. The notion of "star architect" and design competitions take away from helping students advance and become better designers. The desire to gain recognition and validation gets in the way of "thinking clearly".

I liked how one student described what a good critique is. I couldn't agree more.

The stereotype and acceptance of that architects are masochists is pretty depressing. I don't know about all of you but my dream is not to spend most of my days locked away in an office (goofing off or not). How can you think clearly if you're not taking care of your health? Justifying it under the guise of passion seems a little bit deceiving.


I find the quote "If you don't like something, do something about it" in this video, ironic. The conflict lies in "don't give up on your dreams" vs. "your dream is about your client". The reality is that it's not just about you. The notion of the star architect is not about being a good designer; but about fame and appealing to the crowd. The other reality is as one student pointed out, you miss out a lot of things working on your own. People - you can't live with them but you definitely can't live without them. It's a balancing act in all cases.

[rrfirefly]

Having gone through this discipline (30 juried critiques in 5 years) I would say that a good critique depends largely on the panel of instructors or visiting architects who review one's work. Some provide valuable insight; others waste your time with their bombast and posturing as they use your jury to show you how smart they are. I also would like to add that there is still a place in architecture for those with idealism and a benevolent sense of applied aesthetics. The world needs people with dedication to bring imagination and the application of a body of knowledge to solving people's problems.

[randomtragedyx]

I graduated a year ago from architecture and have to say I do miss studio culture. After moving cities it's hard to connect with other people about architecture or find others who enjoy architecture outside the school environment. The video really portrayed the struggle and joy studio is. 

[drullaa]

That's true:
Five years of "Do something about it"

[r.b.l.]

i have spent five decades working with Architects trying to make their ideas fit into budgets, while not falling down or letting the rain in.
Some of the best work: was not struggling to look cool or different but actually just solve a practical problem a client had, and fit into an existing community.

[panusupame]

After I watched this video, some urge deep inside me that has long forgotten and lost is back. It's the inspiration. As an architecture student, who has been completely lost, depressed, stressful for 2 years, it's hard to be motivated if you are not in the proper environment . Unfortunately, I have to admit that my architectural school environment is, socially and physically, disagreeable and unproductive. However, this documentary film did exceedingly inspire me. That makes me want to give it a try again.

[maiav]

I am an architecture student and this was such a beautiful glimpse of our world.

[neoxpolarbear]

aaaarrrhhh the Critique hahahahaha.

I'm in 2nd year, and for our final semester studio we had a 6hr presentation/critique and less than a quarter of the class actually came to present (our prof was really hard in previous ones, but not compared to her new Final Boss mode she had going on in this critique).

So in this 6hrs we had 6-8 people present out of the usual 20-25. Our presentations would last a minute or two, the critique lasts what seemed like days, and weeks when it was happening to myself. Our prof made people cry, and stay standing as we basically just got humiliated in front of everyone in class for the finals we presented. Not one person got any recognition for their efforts. Instead of 6hr it become 7.5hrs, basically an hour each. And everyone actually stayed as a form of support for everyone else in class (felt like an army team building exercise hahaha)

But what made it worse, like what they guy said @about 9mins in, is that the professors explain their ideas in a minute, we then understand their thought, but then they reiterate and then perpetuate the stupidity of your choices for the next 20-30mins.

I know this is mean as fuck, but it just shows whats going through their minds when they design or looking at others design. The knit picking and attention to detail, which we as architect have to have as a skill.
But damn is critique a scary and fun place at the same time.

[eldorado]

this doc has me in my feels. i miss Studio so much.
i have a friend that went off into the military when i went off to SPSU for my prof. bach. when i was in my graduating year, he came into the program. now that he's out he said to me: "the bonds that you make with our studio-mates are exactly like the bonds i made in afghanistan. we all went through war together."

[GarciaJustinBArchPE]

Hand sketching is SO underdeveloped in architecture graduates and even in licensed architects... Can't tell you how many arch interns come looking for a job and can't hand sketch just a chair. How embarrassing it must be for architectural professionals who can't sit across from their clients and quickly sketch ideas... I have seen this time and time again. Looking back to my studio days I remember just about every student trying to design their vision on CAD which is totally non efficient and unproductive. Hand sketching is usually an elective in architecture curriculums but it should be the most emphasized fundamental skill for an architect..

[aayatsa]

You know that feeling when u are a senior high school student and don't even know who you want to be in the future, even your grades are not that good to be who you want to be💔