On March 4th we attended for the second year in a row the Look Out Day at the Kingston School of Art Architecture.
Square One Architects helped provide an opportunity for Kingston University students to develop their employability skills and build their network.
It was great to meet so many motivated students and have the opportunity to see their work!
What is the lookout day at kingston university?
Last year the Kingston University Architecture School got in touch with us. They were looking for local practices and employers from the South West London region to take part in a series of professional skills workshops with their students. The afternoon workshops were followed by a view of the Summer Show in the evening.
This event was part of Kingston's 'Looking Out' series in which the school invites practitioners, alumni and current practicing tutors to contribute practical advice about the profession.
Workshops included speed interviews and portfolio/CV reviews as well as the opportunity for practices to present themselves to final year students soon to be looking for work.
This was a great opportunity to meet and form connections with some very talented students before they graduated in the summer and help to bridge the gap between academia and the wider profession.
Fort two years Square One Architects participated to this event and we were not disappointed. From an academic point of view, I have always been a strong proponent of creating links between universities and local practices for several reasons.
The most important one is that university studies can be very theoretical. There is nothing wrong with theory, however architecture is a very hand on discipline, and it is not unusual to find very green architectural assistants who need significant coaching when hired by a practice. This is standard practice for any architectural office; however, universities can help easing this task by supplementing their teaching with a more practical approach.
In this regard I can confirm that Kingston is doing a very good job. We are currently working with a Kingston graduate and her approach has been very effective from day one. This was a huge relief for a Director who is very busy carrying out many tasks at the same time!