but i dont teach architectural communication...

under constructivist philosophy, it's indeed true. talent and creativity can be nurtured. however, u might find urself fighting an uphill climb when faced with those who're trained/exposed earlier during childhood. hence people will often call them talented, and u're not.

but given equal time, i believe that each person will be able to achieve some form of talent or ability. it's just a matter of which part are u good at particularly in architecture. creativity in architecture is extremely diverse! for example, one person could be very good at solving structural problems, while another is good at producing outstanding presentation drawings.

creativity is specialized nowadays. it's hard to find somebody who're good overall. i started my studies with strong basics in arts and illustrations, and people call me talented. but after 6 years of studies, i still couldnt figure out about the electrical systems. but give me any perspective, i can complete one in under 2 hours.

it's the same when it comes to styles. u could be extremely good at deconstructivism, while i personally prefer to channel my creativity at modernism a la le corbusier. when it comes to deconstructivism, people will call u creative, while on modernism, i might be. so it's all relative now. u can choose to be creative in whatever specialized area u want .

well, this is where difference of opinions matters. tehtmc believes in nature, while i believe in nurture. it's this whole nature vs nurture thing which is a debate in education since like forever.

i dont understand ur 1st question. but for the 2nd question, yes, most architecture schools will interview u before being admitted.

where did u hear that "normally architects can only be chosen from science students"? where do u think all the art stuffs come from? pure talent? (tehtmc, i know u will love to argue here ). just so u know, all IPTAs except UM will take art students into architecture. USM prioritizes science students, but not exclusive.

for part 1 degree, most of the stuffs are very similar between the schools. heck, even the part 2 is similar as well. it all spawned from the british RIBA format a long time ago. although it has evolved somewhat, the core is still the same because LAM is very similar to RIBA when it comes to education. but each school have its own specializations now. UPM is specializing in sustainability and green tech.



and if i tell u about the interviews, what fun will it be for us (the interviewers)?

i can speak for UTM only at the moment, havent got the data from other IPTAs. we do view the subjects taken both in SPM and STPM, but our emphasis is only on maths and english. which means those who score STPM in arts have equal chance with those in science. but usually those who score in science score extremely well (between 3.80-4.00), while art streamers are about 3.50 average. which is why we usually see more science streamers.

i. u do have a chance. but with 3.00, it's gonna be a bit slim. but it all depends on who else is applying alongside u this year. if everyone has 3.50 under their belt, u know u'll have no chance at all. so start spreading rumors... lol.

ii. some basics in art is good. but if ur skill is still at 12 years old, dont bother.

iii. ketua keceriaan kelas helps a bit, i guess. but decorating classes is the diet-coke of design. u're gonna need a little bit more.

on the other hand, competition winnings do count alot. the higher the participation, the better it will boost ur chances. district level is considered good already. but anything within ur own class or tingkatan will almost count for nothing . u still got time. improve on ur portfolio instead!

in regards of architectural schools, it's safe to stick to accredited schools. UTM, USM, UM, UiTM, UIAM, UPM and UKM are all good options.

u have to understand it's not about who will be considered first or later. we will have to weigh everything during the interviews. and it's not just that, we will look at ur personality and character as well. sure, 15 minutes of interviews wont be enough for us to judge who u really are, so we are just looking at outstanding people. imagine american idol. talents + interesting personalities will almost always get picked. same here.

portfolios should include selected works u've done over the years that showcases the diverse skills that u have. the more diverse, the better. but if u only focus on one, make sure it's really, really good. portfolios can be open or thematic, not limited to buildings or architecture. it can be of any subjects u prefer, and/or any media.

UPM and UKM have been accredited for almost 2 years now.

1. as far as i know, u can take any A-levels subjects u want.
2. although there's no age limit to study architecture, each school have the right to impose age limits. please check at their websites for specific regulations.

12-17 june 2011

1. 2 interviews. but this depends on how UPM prioritizes the interview system.
2. well, at the moment it still looks promising.
3. u can, however chances are slim. meaning, it depends if the course actually have vacancy for u to transfer into. each course have a maximum operating number. for example, UTM 1st year architecture maxes out at 30. highly unlikely that any of those 30 would back out. but in the event that they do so, u will have to compete with the 2nd intakes for that spot.
4. depending on schools and syllabus. for UTM, any laptop is good enough for 1st years. ur real computing needs will come at the end of 2nd year. so better save money to buy a more powerful laptop then rather than in 1st year.

no. individual student participation is purely voluntary.

it's extremely hard to showcase creativity or artistic skills in autocad. even established architects will not use it . so i doubt it'll be any more advantageous than a scenery sketch.

whatever u think showcases ur diverse skills.

if u cant or never done a pencil sketch before, it's not recommended putting those in as they wont be impressed at all. showcase skills u're most comfortable with, not what u think they wanna see.

local PUBLIC university or local PRIVATE university? diploma or degree? including part 2 or not?

lol thanks

some universities have partnership in terms or research, but not where u'll get credit exemption so that u could study there (a la twinning).

well, it is hard, i will not lie to u. but it's not without reward. some courses just push u to the point of exhaustion with grades as the sole reward. in architecture, rewards come in many ways:

i. outstanding, groundbreaking works will set u above the crowd. u'll become the talk of the town, and becomes the central figure in class, even if u only achieve C- for that design.

ii. people will look at ur character and personality rather than just academic alone. meaning architecture pays attention to WHO YOU ARE.

iii. winning competitions reward u with prestige and social booster.

and numerous others. meaning, it is definitely a hard course to study, but it's the rewards that makes u wanna come back and do it again and again and again. trust me, even currently underpaid, most fresh grad architects in malaysia are still willing to work because of the reward and satisfaction of design!

and remember, a lot of us (me included) are from pure science, and never took any art in school, let alone technical/engineering drawings.

do be aware that architecture courses normally include art classes in 1st year. if u think u could brush up ur skills during that time, dont waste ur money paying for additional art classes. but of course, go ahead if it's free .

i would say the emphasis are equal. when u do geometrical drawings, these fall under maths, not art. dividing a circle into equal portions of 11 surely requires ur skills in mathematical calculations rather than ur ability to produce beautiful pie cuts, right?

but if u're worried about engineering calculations, then u can relax. if we DO do the engineering calculations, we'll put engineers out of business. surely they wouldnt like that hehe.

well, functions in maths and functions in buildings are two VERY DIFFERENT concepts .

i can assure u, the most complex maths u will ever encounter in architecture is geometry. there's nothing of addmaths are required in architecture. u're definitely gonna need a bit of physics, but nothing some logic and a little maths cant cure.

i mean both 2D and 3D geometry.

answers to ur questions could be found in the 1st page. for further enquiry, dont hesitate to ask.