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Architecture Thesis Project: Site Analysis Categories You Need to Cover

After having spent hours brainstorming ideas, building the perfect brief and selecting a great site for your architecture thesis topic, the question that pops into every student's mind is, where do I start?

 While you build a brief and an area program, you need to simultaneously be conducting a detailed site analysis. Being architecture students, we’re no strangers to a good site analysis, but sometimes it’s good to have a checklist to see what all you should be covering!

 As we know, theSite Analysis is a study of the portion of land selected for your thesis project. It’s a crucial step involving the collection of data on all possible tangible and intangible aspects of your site, to help you make informed design decisions throughout the semester.

 For all categories we will put down as a part of the checklist, the process of a good site analysis could be broken down into the following three parts:

 ●       Documentation: Gathering all relevant data.

●       Analysis: Critically studying the gathered data.

●       Inferences: Making possible deductions from the analysis for your design.

 The three steps of a Site Analysis (Source: Author)

[Alt Text: Diagram showing steps to a process]

 Agreed that it is a formidable task, but do not be overwhelmed. Read through our checklist of site analysis categories for your architecture thesis project, and make one for yourself!

 [Read: 7 Tips on Choosing the Perfect Architecture Thesis Topic For You]

 1. Movement, Connectivity and Circulation

The suitability of your site for the chosen architecture thesis topic is determined by the connections it has to the surroundings. The connectivity of your site can be on 2 scales: Macro and Micro.

 ●       Macro-connectivity is on a larger scale which explores access routes to the major nodes in a region like transit terminals, hospitals, offices, commercial centres, etc.

 ●       Micro-connectivity is defined by the immediate site network like access roads, surrounding buildings and proximity to project relevant utilities. This may help plan the major circulation paths on site.

 Knowing how well-connected (or not) your site is will help make crucial design decisions like entrances and exits, how much parking you need, what kind of traffic you’re catering to, etc.

 1.      Immediate Site Context

Context is what is happening (or has happened) in, out, around and about the site! It involves areas like the local architectural style, materials, construction techniques, historical and cultural background, analysis of edge conditions, urban morphology, prior uses, political conditions or anything that may be relevant to the site.

 I don’t think we need to explain why this is important to your thesis, because if you needed to know, you wouldn’t have reached thus far in architecture school!

 2.      Zoning and Development Control Regulations

Every region has laid down its development control regulations, zoning and land use patterns. Various factors like site location, type of zone it falls under, land use as per DCR, prevailing vehicular/ pedestrian traffic (high, medium, low-density zones) and permissible setbacks give you an idea of how suitable the site is for the project chosen. Prominent points to note would be the FAR, permissible built-up area, setbacks, height-restrictions, etc.

 This will make your thesis as realistic as possible, giving you guidelines within which you must plan and would prevent any faculty or jury member from questioning the legitimacy of your thesis.

 [Also Read: 30 Topics You Can Pick From For Your Architecture Thesis]

  3.      Climate and Ecology

What is good architecture if not an immediate response to climate? One of the first and most important things to know about your site is its climatic conditions. To make things simple, divide the study into 2 parts:

 ●       Macro-climate - The climate of the larger chunk of land, like the region or country the site is located in and remains constant (more or less) irrespective of the architectural developments taking place. Here, the sun path, seasonal temperatures, humidity, annual precipitation and prevailing wind direction are common data acquisition sections and are the deciding factors for (but not limited to) the building’s location on site, its orientation, form and massing.

 ●       Micro-climate - The local climate conditions that might affect design decisions like the presence of water-bodies nearby, existing vegetation, topography, etcetera. It is especially crucial when dealing with projects abutting lakes, rivers or the sea, where the effect of water-body may dictate your design development. Or a site in a hilly region where contour study/slope analysis is a must!

 4.      Demographics

Design is for your users, and good architecture takes full account of them. Demographic analysis involves the socio-economic study of a region by categorising its population into religion, ethnicity, cultural background, income profiles, nativity and occupation.

This analysis is key for socially or culturally sensitive architecture thesis topics like places of worship, community housing and welfare centres.

 Want to create something for the people? Know them first!

 5.      Services and Amenities

A brief study of site services is essential to know how your site is connected to basic amenities like drinking water, electricity, drainage, sewerage, or telephone and internet lines (all hail WiFi!).

 For planning and locating your building services, you need to know where the service lines are going and how they’re laid out, including any existing service features on site.

  6.      Sensory Analysis

Does your site have points where the view is just fantastic (maybe overlooking a waterbody, eye-soothing greenery or the cityscape)? Or maybe it has spots where there is unbearable noise (could be from your weekly vegetable market or that one lane through which the whole city has to travel)!

 More often than not, such sensory analysis of the site is neglected. But when such observations are noted and inferred from, they can be some of the strongest drivers of your architecture thesis project.

 [Read: 5 Tips on Acing Your Virtual Design Jury in 2021]

 It is always good to make a checklist while dealing with a lot of data, and the site analysis is no exception. However, please do not limit yourself to the above list, as each site is unique and may have exceptional needs.

 You may need to do additional analysis particular to the features of your thesis, as it reflects the individuality of both the project and the student. Depending on your architecture thesis topic, other categories may include historical analysis, water/soil integrity sampling, traffic volume analysis, and more.

 Having read the above list that has been put in place for you, go ahead and put your hard work and magic in place too! Oneistox is always here to help.

 About the Author

 Neha Sharma | Architect

 An architect by profession and an artist by nature, Neha is fascinated by all the subjects which involve art and humanism. She has a diverse set of interests; doodling, dance, photography, writing and collaborative activities which made her pursue the field of architecture and design. She believes herself to be a people person and never misses a chance to learn something new.

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Material Specialization: The Next Big Thing in Sustainable Building Design?

Materials form an integral part of built forms. Anything designed needs to be made of an appropriate material, or a mix of materials for that variety!

 Designers have been experimenting with materials throughout history, be it Lauri Baker with his modest bricks or Frank Gehry with his dramatic titanium. Every day a new material is being invented and new ways of looking at old materials are found. The growing concern for sustainable building design has led new age designers to study and experiment with materials extensively, some managing to make material their branding!

 Read through to find out about some popular materials and the designers those have become their ambassadors:

 A Story in Timber

 A traditional natural building material, timber seems to be making a resurgence. Versatile in nature, but not without limitations, it has always been the centre of attention for material researchers. Its light carbon footprint (can even be carbon positive!), recyclability, and workability makes it a great material for creating sustainable building designs for areas with high timber availability.

 Experimenting with scrapwood furniture like Piet Hien Eek or building skyscrapers of timber like Chris Precht, designers are going above and beyond in testing the extents of this material for a greener future on this planet.

 [Also read: Why is Chris Precht One of the Most Popular Young Architects Today?]

  Stones have a Heart

 Nothing screams rustic more than stone!

Being one of the primary natural building materials, it is abundantly available in many different forms, colours and textures. Post the industrial revolution, it was lost among newer materials, only to rise tougher than ever (pun intended)! Design groups like Peter Rich Architects from South Africa and Earthitects from India are giving new definitions to stone-built spaces and pouring life into the static forms we live in.

  Earthy Encounters

 Building from earth has been in practice since prehistoric times. Earth shelters are made of treated mud/ soil/clay or a mix of soil with straw and stones which have proven to be good in responding to the local climate.

 Few may doubt the durability and strength of earth structures, but architects like Chitra Vishwanath from Biome and Suhasini Ayer Guigan from Auroville Design Consultants have been revamping the practice of earth architecture, advocating for sustainable building design, and permanently associating their names with mud structures along the way!

 [Also read: Best Architecture Firms in Asia to Intern With]

  Best Out of Waste

 Do you remember making art from pencil shavings or bookmarks from ice cream sticks as a kid? Imagine doing that to real-life built forms!

 Architects like Michael Reynolds and Vinu Daniel have been taking a trip back to school. Using scrap or salvaged materials to create brilliant structures, they nudge not only other designers but also the general public towards sustainable living. Imagine creating a niche so strong that when ‘building with waste’ is mentioned, your name automatically comes to mind!

 This is innovation and branding at its finest.

 The Glass Class

 From a mirror to the building exterior, glass can be found everywhere!

Its (often over-use) in the building gives a sleek, contemporary look. But if used well, it has soundproofing and insulation qualities which make it suitable for green building design (think fiberglass and glass bricks!).

 Some use of glass is unavoidable because you have to let in light, but Bohlin Cywinski Jackson embraces the lightness and transparency of glass to look at public spaces in a whole new way.

                        The Concrete Jungle

 Concrete is undoubtedly the most used man-made building material in the construction industry, and a favourite of the brutalists among us. But today, it is no longer simply hidden away in unseen foundations or structural framework.

 Korean Architect Lee Hun Chung makes use of the solidness of concrete to create fixed furniture, bringing the built surroundings to our body!

 A Bamboo Forest

 Originally highly underrated, Bamboo is rapidly gaining international popularity as a sustainable building material.

 It has immense compressive and tensile strength, and the fact that it is a kind of grass means that it can grow as fast as 1-4 inches per day! Conventionally used for making domestic items, temporary structures and scaffolding, Bamboo has the potential for much more. In the spirit of uplifting green building design practices, Vietnamese Architect VoTrongNghia stated that this ‘green steel’ of the 21st century will take over other materials in the years to come!

 The Wicker Park

 Don’t we all love to see the intricately woven picnic baskets or rattan chairs, a sprinkle of wickerwork here and there?

 One of the most domestic forms of crafts, wickerwork can give a space character and authenticity, and occupies lots of respect in the furniture and interior design industries. With parametric and computational design tools that can model complex organic forms, The Wicker Story creates furniture and interiors using wicker, and has made the material their identity!

 [Also read: Top Parametric Design Firms in India]

 Design is an exciting and dynamic field with new avenues opening up every day!

In a quest to explore new solutions for present-day problems, and for creating very relevant, niche branding for themselves, material specialisation is indeed the next big thing in design.

 With the kind of resources available today, it isn’t difficult to start your own research on materials that intrigue you. If you need help getting out of your comfort zone, explore in-depth online design courses with Oneistox!

 [Read: 8 Reasons Why Designers Choose to UpskillWithOneistox]

 About the Author

 Neha Sharma | Architect

An architect by profession and an artist by nature, Neha is fascinated by all the subjects which involve art and humanism. She has a diverse set of interests; doodling, dance, photography, writing and collaborative activities which made her pursue the field of architecture and design. She believes herself to be a people person and never misses a chance to learn something new.

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30 Architecture Thesis Projects to Pick From In 2021

Architecture Thesis: A culmination of all those years of intense training, sleepless nights, countless submissions and unforgettable memories. The grand finale!

 It is a real test to showcase all the skills you’ve acquired over the years in a single project. Naturally, choosing from an ocean of architecture thesis topics is one of the biggest challenges you can face as a final year student, as the topic itself may define the trajectory of your thesis!

 To ease your conflicted mind, we have curated a comprehensive list of popular architecture thesis projects you might want to explore in your final year for your ready reference.

 Go on, have a look! What sparks your interest?

 [Read: 7 Tips on Choosing the Perfect Architecture Thesis Topic For You]

 Housing/ Residential Projects

 1.      Affordable Housing

“Housing for all” is a major goal developing countries are striving to achieve. Not everyone has the resources to own a house or even rent one out. Conscious and well-planned housing design can turn cities into places where owning a house is not merely a dream. Let’s work to get there!

 2.      Gated Communities

With the city centres choking with pollution, traffic congestion and over-population, many people are moving to the suburbs in closed, secure and private gated communities. These colonies circumference almost every major city now, with more emerging as you read. A gated community design could be an interesting (though slightly controversial) thesis topic to explore residential neighbourhood planning!

 3.      Modular/ Disaster/ Emergency Shelters

Land and resources are limited but the demand for them only keeps increasing giving rise to environmental hazards like deforestation, pollution and depletion of natural assets. In a rapidly changing, calamity prone world, the design of modular, mobile, disaster relief shelters is the need of the hour!

 4.      Slum Redevelopment

Urban informality may be a fascinating, complex issue to tackle for your thesis. Many people may think many things about the dense, informal urban developments popularly known as ‘slums’, but few are willing to tackle the difficult topic in much detail!

 Are you one of the few?

 Institutional Projects

 5.      Educational and Skill-Training Institutions

Schools play an important role in shaping up a person and are key in bringing up generations of bright individuals. Educational and skill-training institutions have vast options, ranging from kindergartens to higher-education institutes; schools of dance to special-needs institutes! Ready to shape minds?

��6.      Rehabilitation and Wellness Institutions

A sound mind and sound body are key to a happy life!

Sometimes individuals have to be institutionalized to get their health back on track. Rehabilitation centres and centres for persons with depression or trauma aim at people’s mental wellness, while public gyms and civic sports centres aim at people’s physical wellness. If healing architecture and landscape is something you like, this could be the architecture thesis topicfor you!

 7.      Research Institutions

Progress in science, technology, humanities, etcetera improves our way of living and ensures well-being. The Sheldon Coopers among us wouldn’t be happy to see any fewerResearch centres and laboratories than there are!

 Public Infrastructure Projects

 8.      Hospitals

Hospitals are undoubtedly one of the most important services any region needs. The pandemic has made us understand how under-equipped even the best of hospitals can be and so there is an even bigger reason for every hospital, be it multi-speciality/ speciality hospitals, maternity, special needs, public or private, to be as well designed as possible. This, more than ever, is the need of the hour.

 9.      Transit Hubs

Airports, Bus Terminals, Railway Stations, Inland Waterways, Seaports.

Do you love to travel? Have you ever waited for a train and imagined how much better that railway station could be? Then what are you waiting for, get working!

 10.  Sports Stadia

Remember that first stadium experience of watching a cricket or football match? The energy of the crowd, the adrenaline rush! Most group sports stadia (Cricket, Football, Hockey, Baseball, etc) and sports cities require meticulous study before designing, making a very suitable architecture thesis project for students.

 11.  Urban/ Street Redevelopment

How often do we walk the streets of our cities and almost die because a bike passed within inches of us? Street redevelopment projectscatering to pedestrianization are proven to improve the lives of millions and are rapidly gaining urgency in the urban design domain.

 12.  Waterfront Development

Rivers are considered sacred and life-giving across the world. The pitiful conditions of water bodies today have led urban designers to take up River/Canal-front Development Projects which aim at minimizing water pollution, a smooth transition from land to water, ultimately encouraging visitors for leisure and fun activities.

 13.  Public Parks and Plazas

Parks are the lungs of the concrete jungles many of us live in. After a day of intense work, all we need is some greenery and fresh air; or to grab a beer at that corner cafe in the city square! The design of public parks, plazas and playgrounds are the projects an urban/landscape enthusiast could be very happy exploring.

 14.  Social Infrastructure

A robust, well-functioning society accommodates and facilitates the wellness of all its citizens and living beings. Infrastructure like orphanages, nursing homes, animal shelters, night shelters, daycare centres, banks, prisons, juvenile schools, community development centres, and many more tend to those social needs of the society which cannot be overlooked. Inclined towards public welfare? Look no further.

  Socio-Cultural Projects

 15.  Community and Convention Centres

Humans are social animals. Now and then, we crave a meet-and-greet. Community and Convention Centres cater to this very need, and exploring the design angles for human interaction may be something worthy of your thesis. Be ready for competition though, this is one of the most popular architecture thesis topics students undertake!

 16.  Museums and Libraries

The culture-lovers among us would understand the value of a good museum or library and appreciate a well-designed one. Be it a museum of arts and crafts, culture, architecture, history or science, if the give and take of knowledge through some entertainment and delight (infotainment) is something you see yourself doing, then this could be a good fit for you.

 17.  Memorials

Memorialsare the physical manifestations of the struggles endured, victories earned and life-changing events in history. They remind us to never forget the past, hoping for a better future at the same time, making memorial design both a fascinating yet weighted exercise.

 18.  Places of Worship/ Spiritual Centres

One cannot separate a human from their faith. Having a place to worship or connect with one’s spiritual self is as important to a human as going to school or a cinema hall. Places of worship like temples, churches, masjids, gurudwaras, monasteries, etcetera; and spiritual or meditation centres serve as places for gathering and important landmarks in a settlement.

 Conservation and Heritage Projects

 19.  Conservation of Heritage Structures

Conservation of the priceless built heritage like palaces, monuments, places of worship, ancient settlements, etc has always been on the agenda of organisations like UNESCO and Archeological Survey of India. If historical significance gets your heart rate up, hi history nerd! Help in conserving our heritage structures!

 20.  Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Buildings

History nerd, if you’re still here, here’s another one for you. Some heritage can be conserved attracting tourists and some that are too out-of-order could be modified and reused for a different purpose, generating economy. Converting royal palaces into heritage hotels, a king’s court into an emergency ward for covid patients or factories into community spaces, adaptive reuse of the built form requires fine skill, respect for heritage, and an active imagination!

 Offices/ Corporate Projects

 21.  Government Buildings

Workspaces for all government officials are mandatory for smooth administration. The scale of government buildings is diverse, from the Central Vista Redevelopment Project (*ahem*) to a district-sessions court. Some common categories are high courts, government-owned banks, secretariat and corporation buildings, income-tax offices, assembly and gathering centres, media offices and so on.

 Sounds boring? Don’t be so sure. What originally sounds typical is where there is maximum potential to surprise your critics!

 22.  Corporate Office Towers

We all have seen or at least talked about the famous corporate jungles of our towns. They not only serve as important landmarks but help in increasing the economic value of a region (Very SEZ-y!). If you wanna tame the jungle, you could explore corporate office-building design for your architecture thesis topic.

 23.  Co-working and Remote-working Spaces

A popular trend before COVID was sharing workspaces, which now have the potential to be thought of as remote-working spaces! Rethinking the design of Co-working spaces is very relevant to the times and has great scope for innovation.

 Entertainment and Commercial Projects

 24.  Theatres and Auditoria

Who doesn’t like good showtime with family and friends? Theatres, auditoria and performance centres are the core of spaces showcasing and witnessing talent, and is another typology which has the potential to be reworked post-pandemic. The design of such entertainment stations can test knowledge of large-span structures without losing a strong grip on creativity and functionality.

 25.  Multiplexes and Malls

Malls and multiplexes are very popular among the masses as they possess a multiple brand shopping, entertainment, and food centers. Whether or not you agree with a mall-typology, more come up in towns every year. So why not study how they work and improve the concept for your architecture thesis project? The consumerist urbania will thank you!

 26.  Marketplaces

Shopping for groceries and essential commodities is a frequent need, and most people head to a single marketplace for all their essential goods shopping. A place where the frequency of movement is so high requires meticulous and thorough design, but can also be one of the most fun challenges to take up! Think farmer markets, community-owned produce markets, mandis, harbor fish-markets, flea markets, the possibilities are endless!

 27.  Mixed-Use Hubs

Taking your design challenge up a notch is by taking up a mixed-use hub. This is a high-density area that caters to more than one function and has mega economic value. It could be a combination of residential, commercial, institutional, or hospitality, commercial and public space, or much more. This concept is taken to another level by bringing transit hubs into the fray with Transit-Oriented Development!

 28.  Film, Photo and Animation Studios

The use of digital media has increased multifold in the past couple of decades. A lot of creatives express themselves through digital content, increasing the need for more film, photo, animation and integrated studios. Since these functions can be highly specialised, lots of potential to do impressive research in your thesis!

 Hospitality and Tourism Projects

 29.  Eco-Tourism Resorts and Visiting Centres

Imagine spending a weekend at a secluded place, close to nature, with all the facilities you need to relax and just de-stress! Ecological resorts and tourist visiting centres aim to cause as little damage to the environment as possible. Keen on environmental sustainability, eco-tourism resorts should be encouraged in the tourism and hospitality industry and make for very relevant thesis topics.

 30.  Backpacker Lodging/ Youth Hostels

While the question of travel arises, not everyone can afford finely kempt hotels or resorts to lodge at. The youth may opt for back-packing trips to save money and to have an interesting experience! Backpacking/ youth hostels like Zostel and Nomads World are buzzing for their affordability, convenience and prospects of networking with like-minded people. If this is your jam, consider creating innovative spaces for it!

 Futuristic/ Sci-fi/ Conceptual Projects

 How about a settlement on Mars? Or a concert hall in the air?

A transit hub of 2050? A forest within the city?

Perhaps a residential colony on the water!

 Such futuristic or conceptual theses are even more enthralling as they might not have any precedents. They stretch a creative brain to its limit, and in the process may come up with a brilliant idea. Challenging conventions, thinking out of the box and taking up a futuristic architecture thesis project could be your achievement (both in design and in convincing the faculty) as a young designer!

 [Read: Site Analysis Categories You Need To Cover For Your Architecture Thesis Project]

 Having read about some common architecture thesis topics, it is important to know that you must not be limited to the above list. Your thesis is your own brainchild, and it does not need to conform or even fit within a category.

 Hoping you found the inspiration you were looking for!

  If you feel like you need more guidance with your thesis, upskill withonline architecture courses by Oneistox!

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5 Reasons You Need to Upskill to be a Better Designer (Be Future Ready)

With the multidisciplinary field that design is, no amount of skills are too many. It is now an established practice to gain knowledge by taking up online design courses or doing individual research. To define this phenomenon, the term ‘Upskilling’ has been frequently used in recent times, but what exactly is it?

 To put it simply, Upskilling is getting better at what you do. It is upgrading your knowledge (both theoretical and practical) of the subjects that may be directly or indirectly related to the field you’re working in.

 Let’s look back at the past!

The design field is diversifying and merging indistinguishably with other fields, demanding more multi-talented professionals. Looking back at history, the greatest of designers were popular in their times and even now for being skilled in numerous fields and contributing to society at large. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the most multi-talented people to walk on earth, was a skilful artist, mathematician, sculptor, architect, scientist, and astronomer. His works turned to be an inspiration for the later generation of polymaths, rivalled only by Michelangelo, his contemporary. These figures gave rise to the term ‘Renaissance Men’, with the ideal that said “a man can do all things if he will.” 

Even apart from design, there have been several such personnel with an eagerness to be everything at once. Aristotle, the famous Greek Philosopher, was a brilliant writer. His works covered subjects like poetry, music, theatre, rhetoric, politics, ethics and even biology. He was also the teacher of Alexander the Great, who, as we all know, was one of the biggest conquerors of all times.

 Issac Newton is not a foreign name to anyone in the field of science. Celebrated for his contributions to physics (theory of gravity and laws of motions), this English scientist was also an astronomer, alchemist, philosopher and theologian. His works laid the foundation for the progress of later generations of scientists, particularly Sir Stephen Hawking.

What’s happening now?

 Increasing technology and resources have brought about specialisations in various fields of study. With specialists coming up in every sector, the number of all-rounders have been gradually decreasing.

 But we know that history has always admired and valued multi-skilled people. Despite the revolutions taking place, traces of this admiration can still be seen, especially in the field of Film-making and Design. Actors are no longer expected to just act and film-makers are no longer expected to just direct. The best of the rest are those who are not only great at their primary skills but also good at other 21st century skills required in the field. A good example from the modern-day is FarhanAkhtar, an Indian actor, film-maker, producer, playback singer, screenwriter and television host. He is celebrated by the Indian audience for having proved his versatility time and again.

Similarly, design practices that do not adhere to just one type of product are more popular than the rest as they have a wider clientele and user base and strive for continuous experimentation and upgrade. With a complex network of professionals worldwide, multipotentiality is appreciated.

 Thus, the need for all-rounders and design upskilling is emerging again.

 [Read: The Assets of Success: 13 Golden Skills in Design to Master]

 Multipotentiality

 Now, what exactly does it mean to have multipotentiality?

It is the trait of a person

having interests in two or more fields of study

and curiosity to learn and excel at them. Such people are called ‘multipotentialites’ which is the opposite of

‘specialists’ and is used interchangeably with ‘polymaths’. They are required in almost every field; science, art, technology, medicine, business, commerce, etc.

 Multipotentialites are valued for their fast learning skills and adaptability. Organisations are always keen to acquire individuals who can bring dynamism, novelty, enthusiasm and variety to work-places. Such professionals are also favoured to undertake leadership roles as they are better at empathising and understanding a broader set of situations, people and their perspectives.

 It is great to be a specialist, but even better to be good at many other skills along with one. It is time to be the Jack of all trades AND master of one! 

The changing times demand multi-faceted individuals to bring in innovative design solutions. Gradually, the need for regular upskilling comes up, whether through online design courses or through experiential learning.

 Here are 5 reasons designers needs to upskill themselves:

 1.      To Fill the Skill Gap

As fellow designers, most of us can collectively agree that there is still a huge gap between our design education system and the practice. The system lacks the capacity to make students industry-ready, leaving them with little to no practical knowledge.

In the current scenario, students opting fordesign upskilling are constantly at an advantage compared to the rest, be it academically or professionally.

  A lot of independent platforms have emerged that have recognised this gap and aim to fill it by offering learning to interested individuals, especially in the field of architecture with

1.      To Have a Better Career and Job Prospects

 It is no mystery that design establishments tend to hire aspirants with a broader range of skills. It is good to master one skill, but is it good enough?

  With the increasing competition in the design field, there is more demand for

professionals who are adept at handling a variety of tasks

. For example, someone who is great at 3D modelling should also be able to manage an entire project if needed. The design industry has become experimental and welcomes multi-talented people with open arms. InitiativesWith the increasing competition in the design field, there is more demand for professionals who are adept at handling a variety of tasks. For example, someone who is great at 3D modelling should also be able to manage an entire project if needed. The design industry has become experimental and welcomes multi-talented people with open arms. Initiatives are being taken across the globe to recruit individuals who can perform multiple tasks instead of hiring someone just to perform one task. Naturally, such versatile individuals bring more to the organisation while making more for themselves. 1.      To Progress in the Field A broader skill-set gets you better job opportunities, but what happens once you are into the field? Design Upskilling doesn’t stop once you’ve earned a job. You need to keep honing your skills and adding to the existing ones for your professional development. In the design industry, multi-skilled professionals are more likely to be given positions of responsibility and develop trust. Moreover, individuals with a zeal to constantly enhance their skills, adding more value to the team, progress faster than others in their career trajectory. Hence, adding more to your design skill plate will give you an upper hand at any point in your career. If you are a working professional, now is the time to upskill, rise and shine!

(Source: www.giphy.com)https://giphy.com/gifs/l1Kua6X2X3t9bSlNK/html5[Alt Text: GIF of a cartoon show, spongebobsquarepants, with the words “I’m ready”] 2.      To Stay Relevant to the Changing Times Modern problems require modern solutions. It is obvious that one cannot run a design practice efficiently with obsolete techniques. Things that were considered awesome in the yesteryears may be completely outdated now. To align with the demands of the current world it is necessary to update,upskill and improve.  Globalisation and digitisation have paved the way for several new domains in the field of design. From UI-UX design to Urban Planning, the good designers always have a fair idea of the advances happening in the field. Even clients are now getting more familiar with design as a profession and its importance, with a wide range of resources to facilitate awareness. Being on par with the rapidly altering world and understanding the contemporary necessities will give designers the kind of expertise needed to meet the requirements of today’s user base. Change is the only constant! 

(Source: www.quotemaster.org)https://www.quotemaster.org/architecture+students[Alt Text: Image of a sketch with a drafting board and two people standing in front of it, one of them saying “I haven’t much experience of such an early version of autocad”] 3.      To Start Out On Your Own It takes a great deal of skill to start practising as an independent designer or going for an entrepreneurial venture. The most difficult part, which is the beginning, can become easier if you have what it takes.  The field of design is connected to and borrows from many others. Starting a design practice not only requires field-related knowledge but also inter-disciplinary skills like business management, automation, digital communication, etc. If you aim to eventually start on your own, acquiring know-how and soft skills is essential. Multi-skilled individuals can then collaborate with many different kinds of people to deliver fantastic results. A skilful leader makes a skilful team! 

(Source: www.codycameron.com)https://codycameron.com/are-you-my-leader/[GIF showing popular animated character buzz lightyear surrounded by alien midgets] From filling the skill-gaps to practising design independently, we have reached full circle. The current pandemic situation has been harsh on us all. On the bright side, a lot of education platforms have come to light, inspiring individuals to make use of their time at home by taking up online design courses. Thanks to digitisation, it is now easier than ever to connect with individuals across the world! Thus, there has been a boom in the past year in the way people learn new skills. The growing give-and-take of knowledge around the world is turning designers into all-rounders with the skills necessary to tackle modern problems. So, if you are keen on trying something new, expanding your skillset and being future-ready, then check out these avenues for design upskilling and online architecture courses by Oneistox!