Internally Yours: Your AIBC Intern Architect Rep to Council Blog

The Spirit of Norm / AIBC in April

I wonder what the "Architect's Oath" is, if after doing Building Planning I'll swear that I will not willingly and knowingly design inaccessible spaces? That all my circulation spaces and corridors connect to rooms, that my rooms will have doors, that my doors will not have bookcases in front of them? That, even though the software will delete my doors and windows because I have dared to rotate a room layout, I will swear to put them back?

The 7-day countdown to BP has officially kicked off. The cleaning's done, the whites are in the dryer and my colours are in the wash. Once I finish this I'll just sit in front of the computer for awhile. By now I've gone through the Kaplan and Norm Dorf books. Comparing the two, I side with Norm Dorf's attitude and cut-to-the-chase tone - though both are probably helpful.

Note that Norm lives on. Notes from his graphics seminars are available freely from www.areforum.org/guest/GraphicNotes%5B1%5D.pdf. I will plug Nalsa Publishing again: they will be selling a DVD of his graphics seminars in late spring. The company also lists David Thaddeus' workshops, offers his free structures notes, and sells Archiflash cards. I found the flash cards really helpful for all the multiple choice exams - I bought mine last year and just resold them to a group of interns. Again, if you didn't know, AIBC interns (and offices!) can get the Kaplan study guides at 20% discount.

Want more "advice from the ARE trenches"? See www.areforum.org/hints.pdf . Though I have to say that every intern is different and has different strengths, so draw from that to get yourself through this process. You will need to see how any advice applies to you and your particular situation. One friend says that you should do BT last; these notes say that BT is the easiest. As with the entire ARE process, use your intuition and exercise your judgment!

More of my AIBC world: my book review is out in the latest architectureBC (plug, plug), there's an AIBC Council meeting this Monday (it's usually the 2nd Monday), the Intern Committee meets on the 17th (usually the 2nd Thursday), and the AIBC Conference is coming up! I hear it is breathing down all the necks of AIBC staff. I've signed up for the design courses, and am looking forward to the one by John Patkau as in the 10 years of my architectural education I don't think I've ever heard him (verbally) talk. I'll be going to the Marc Boutin lecture, am crossing my fingers to see if I can sneak into a tour of the new Convention Centre, am of course at the AGM and will be at the gala dinner. Though the dinner's officially about the awards and unofficially about networking, I not-so-secretly hope there's a good dance band!

There's going to be a new AIBC Intern Rep announced at the AGM - new blood will be great and will invigorate the possibilities of this position. The AGM's on a Saturday (the 26th) so you should come! I'll be giving a report on the activities of the interns this past year. Generally good for those wanting to do the Oral to come, to get a working sense of the AIBC if any questions about the AIBC pop up in the Oral.

Also a note of the obvious: if you are a young female intern note that there are a lot of older male architects (not all! just a lot ...) that populate this event and that know each other. Note that the overall regulatory context is that many are here to efficiently pick up compulsory LUs in 3 days. Anyways, personally I haven't met one that hasn't been nice to chat with in the spaces in between: either at the breakfast / lunch table or during the breaks between seminars. It's amazing to discover what they do and get ideas for one's future path: they're up in Nelson in a single-person practice, working for a public agency in NWT, they've "gone to the other side" and are developers, they just do DP-related work, or they're retired but do the odd contract for a "package" job. Or they like reggae!

In the past 2 years attending the conference, I do meet former classmates that either as interns or architects and it's great to catch up and see where they are at. And of course, you're welcome to hunt me down and just say hello - I'd be happy to meet up with you!

posted by Lisa @ 10:55 AM