Seminar Series Proposal:

How to Become a Designer and Architect?

This seminar series aims to explore the philosophy of becoming within the practical and professional realms of architecture and design. Through a combination of talks and workshops, students will engage directly with successful architects, researchers, and designers. This platform will provide students at the School of Architecture and Design with essential insights into approaching architectural practice and research, developing their own critical thinking, and accessing key resources and initiatives.

Participants will have the opportunity to network actively with professionals, academics, and peers in panel discussions, gaining practical knowledge on how to enhance their contributions to both practice and academia using available resources. The series focuses on the journey of becoming an architect and designer, offering valuable information about professional pathways.

Guest speakers will share their experiences on how they initiated their research or design agendas, accessed facilities, secured funding, and obtained equipment and other necessary resources to bring their projects to fruition.

The inspiration for this seminar series originated from a notable talk I attended at the University of Edinburgh in 2017, featuring a discussion with Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, organized by Professor Mark Dorrian. This session provided profound insights not only into the design and construction process but also into the cultural and social differences between Eastern and Western architectural practices. It highlighted key themes such as the architect-client relationship, various design stages, materiality, and the interplay between tangible and intangible factors in the creative process.

The Becoming seminar series intends to foster interactive discussions, talks, debates, and workshops where guest speakers and students collaboratively contribute to the theme of becoming—encouraging deeper engagement and reflection on the evolving professional identity of designers and architects.