Marco Eacrett, an HMC architect in Ontario, California, talks to a class about a new project where the students must make a model that is a ratio of 2:16. He will be teaching on campus next semester on professions in the career world. Tyler Rhode | Banner
Building 36B, a brown portable building in the middle of campus, is where architecture students snack, sleep and design.
The environment of the studio encourages architecture students to make creative inspirations come to life in the midst of a like-minded community.
“We basically live here because there’s so much to do and it’s just a nice place to work,” said Cara Belvin, sophomore architecture major.
The room is a conglomerate of individual drafting table work stations.
A plush Yoda, strung flower lights, a mini-fridge and a detailed whiteboard calendar are some decorations students have brought to make the space personal and comfortable.
Architecture students are required to spend 12 hours a week in the studio for class; however, many choose to spend additional time in the studio working with one another.
“It’s very social, but we’re all dedicated, so we all get our work done,” said Candace Luckett, junior architecture major. “It’s like a family to me, honestly. We are a family inside and outside of the studio.”
Laughter from across stations or spontaneous “midnight breaks” keep students going during long work nights.
“My teacher told us if we’re frustrated and we can’t understand it to walk away from it. It’s better to walk away and do something complete at the end of the day than to keep doing bad work,” Luckett said. “So at midnight, I was like, ‘Let’s go to the beach!’ (and) we all drove to the beach.”
Students spend many hours a week doing studio work striving for the high level of craft and precision that is required in architecture.
“Studio life is all about working individually but then using your peers,” said Stephanie Vaz Ferreira, sophomore architecture major.
Improvement comes from the constructive criticism of other architecture students, which is why many students stay in the studio longer than required.
“Even if you do a great job, there’s always room for improvement,” Vaz Ferreira said.
Each person sees with a unique eye, and feedback from other architects can give perspective but also an opinion that comes from a deeper understanding of the process.
