Architect Starts “University” in his Offices
Architectural Record, January 2006, by John E. Czarnecki, Assoc. AIA
Rafael Viñoly (discussed in the story above) has developed a 14-week training course for architecture students and young practitioners. He is teaching it from his office.
The course, which began in September with two-hour weekly sessions, attracted 53 applicants worldwide. Viñoly handpicked the 19 participants, who range from students enrolled in architecture schools to architects starting their own practice, based on the quality of their portfolio and applications. The participants are not employed by Viñoly and do not pay a fee for the course.
Why would an architect, with a buys schedule and projects around the globe, take on such a course? “There is a need to address the questions of people coming into the workforce, to offer a pragmatic set of techniques that can be explained and taught,” says Viñoly.
The course covers topics including strategic thinking, getting and executing projects, the design process, recognizing architectural ideas, self-criticism, time management, defining an ideological base, and positioning a practice. The program is an opportunity for Viñoly, who has taught at Yale and other schools, to teach within the setting of his office rather than in university studios that seem far removed from practice. Frances Gretes, director of new business for Rafael Viñoly Architects, observed, “He learns a lot when he teaches. He has really articulated a lot of his personal philosophy (in the course).”
Viñoly expects to conduct the program annually. More information on the course is available at the website, www.rvatr.com.
