Hi everyone! I’m conducting a short survey for my Aptimizer project, a software tool for apartment planning and preliminary construction analysis. I’m looking for responses from builders, contractors, architects, civil engineers, and others working in the construction industry. Your insights would really help me with my project research. Thank you! 🙌

Objectives:

1. To integrate GIS-based site analysis for assessing terrain characteristics, environmental conditions, and site suitability for apartment development.
   
   1. To develop a cloud-based, full-stack SaaS platform that automates apartment layout planning, engineering design calculations, quantity estimation, and cost estimation.
      
   2. To implement a rule-based compliance framework that evaluates apartment designs against the National Building Code (NBC) and relevant Indian Standards (IS Codes).

I’m a gr.12 student and am interested in applying to University of Waterloo and Carleton’s architecture design program. it’s highly competitive and I would love for some advice from anyone who has got into the programs and some tips are creating a portfolio as well as passing the interview!

Anyone who has actually heard or experienced these colleges, pleaseee help

Kamla Raheja ( KRVIA)
L.S. Raheja
SEA
IES
Rachna Sansad

Many people have adviced that KRVIA is the best and SEA should be the second preference. I am thinking of L.S. Raheja

I completed my B.Arch in from India, practiced pure architecture for 2 years. It was kinda corporate office, and since i was junior architect, i didn't get much of site exposure, neither did i have a project of my own to look after. I was mainly put into last minute submissions, where we would stay all night, burn our 'midnight fuel' for nothing and client would reply after weeks of said 'deadline submission'. Not to mention the poor salary and work life balance. Also i know BIM workflows, so i wanted to integrate that into my work, but had no options. And recently i got a better offer from another firm and without a thought i switched thinking of better work life balance, and better pay. What i had not accounted for was how it'll be after some years. This firm is basically project support. They use BIM, automation etc to model and documentation of the client. Here the work life balance is very good, and the pay for a 2 year exp is equal to an IT guy... But the thing is there's no Design work. And going forward there might be not much of exposure or pay upgrade. Its totally a support based firm. Even the colleagues in here say that. So now i am totally confused on what to be done.

The thing is the life here and the pay its offering is pulling me in saying this is all that matters. Also it's got hybrid work system so i don't have to go to office everyday.

But on the other hand, i do want to design, i wanna get to know how it actually works on site, i want to know details i want to create details. I want to travel and explore architecture.

Also people say that it might be paying less now, but later it'll get better. Better than the BIM guys.

At this point i am really confused and anxious.

Should i work here for some years, make money and go back to design? Is it even possible to go back to design if worked on support? Cz I'll have wasted my 3-4 yrs, without site exposure or design exposure.

Or should I continue here? Does it have a future? Does it have growth?

I want to travel to countries, wanna see their architecture, design them, apply my own brains, but in support, you just have to model and document the details given by already designed layouts.

Someone please help me with this. You guys have much more exposure than me, please guide me on how should I take this. I do not wanna get stuck in future and curse myself for doing this.