5 Reasons Why You Should Take Architecture Abroad

Like Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, many people dream of becoming architects. Some aim to build a skyline that will write their names in history, others wish to continue a family legacy, some trek through architecture to pave their own way. If you’re one of those aspiring Ted Mosbys, here are 5 reasons taking your architecture abroad is going to be LEGEN… wait for it…. DARY!

Have a better understanding of history

Traveling to another country allows you the privilege of having a better understanding of the world’s history. When you see new places, you get to understand how things came about. You get to appreciate the different periods in time. From learning about the contribution of the renaissance period to  architecture, to where to apply a more modern approach. Taking architecture in another country not only gives you more ideas to work around but it also helps in understanding what is socially acceptable in different parts of the world as your gain a better understanding of what people value as a culture.

Gain a new perspective

Speaking of culture, when you take architecture abroad – you don’t just understand other cultures better but you also understand the reason why. Immersing yourself among people who didn’t grow up like you, gives you diverse perspectives. When you’re an architect, you’ll be dealing with a whole pool of clients and you have to be versatile enough to be able to accommodate people with different preferences. Now, that’s a skill you can master by surrounding yourself with different kinds of people!

Create lasting impact

Having a good understanding of history and learning about what people value through culture are two important factors when creating impact. And isn’t that what we all aspire to leave behind in one way, shape, or form? We do what we do in the hopes of creating something that will outlive us and leave space we’re in a little better than it was when we first found it. For architects, this is to be able to build something that could be of help to someone else. Seeing different lives and cultures give you great insight as to how you can use yourself as a catalyst for impact. Maybe you adapt a technique abroad that can build schools or communities that are socially and environmentally sound for those living in it. Or maybe you come home to teach aspiring architects how to build sturdier homes in disaster-prone areas in the Philippines.

Engage with different communities

When you travel often, you see life from fresh eyes. You learn how different communities cope and survive and appreciate things you would’ve normally taken for granted. Taking architecture abroad is like doing a qualitative research on how people live and what you can possibly give to make their lives a little better. Some areas need homes that can accommodate solar powered lighting, other areas need schools that won’t crumble at the threat of rainfall. While these are challenges that can be solved by architecture, they can only be solved by someone who has done their rounds in community engagement. Immersing yourself in different communities is the only way you can ever know and understand fully what they need and how you can serve.

Understand the social role of architects worldwide

If you think that being an architect is just about constructing buildings, I  hate to break it to ya, but architecture has a bigger social role than you think! In fact, Patrick Mcloughlin and Chad Johnson of Build Abroad share the importance of architecture. What architects build serves a lot of people over a long period of time. A classroom isn’t just a room, it’s a place of learning and development. A hospital isn’t just a building, it’s a place for healing the wounded.

Architects bring to life, things that would otherwise just be a cup of good intentions. They put together ideas meant to help and develop mankind. There always is a bigger purpose and reason to what architects build, and that’s a lasting impact for the rest of the world.

So yes, future architect, you are going to be a catalyst of change. Thank you in advance from the rest of the world. Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s start looking into what you’ll need to prepare for this experience and which country might suit you best. Check out our Study Abroad blogs at Edukasyon.ph to find out for yourself!