BFA to M.Arch advice?

[stoneheap]

Hello, I am a new person with a question.

I have a BFA in Printmaking from a good school, good GPA. I am very skilled at technical drawing and I've played around with AutoCAD and Maya (mostly self-taught). I was always interested in architecture and I made a lot of art about structure and shape and buildings and theory (wooo art school).

 

Since graduating, I've worked in an architectural library, so I have a background in the history of American architecture, technical terms, etc. I know that this might make me a stronger candidate for historic preservation, but I really want to focus on design.

 

Any advice on what I should do to prepare for grad school? I am going to take calculus and physics at my local community college. Should I try to take drafting classes at a technical college?

At this point I probably know more about architecture studios from centuries past than about being an architect in real life today, so any advice at all on how to make this transition would be really helpful.

 

 

[Wicked_Problem]

In my opinion, you are making all the right moves. I would suggest that you focus primarily on your portfolio and your statement of purpose. 3 or 3.5 year MArch programs don't care about your level of experience with architecture or drafting. They want well-rounded, interesting candidates who display a level of criticality. If you can (and I assume you can) demonstrate your design sense in your portfolio then I think they will be very interested. Congratulations on deciding to pursue your first professional degree. Better yet -- do a new series inspired by your recent journey to the MArch that focuses specifically on light and form and have images from that series accompany your statement of purpose. They will love that because architecture professors are visual and it will motivate them to read your statement. Good luck!