Aliya’s ArchiWeek 24.2
Aliya’s ARCHIWEEK 24.2
Written and edited by Aliya @archistudentnotes
Hello and welcome to Aliya’s ArchiWeek.
The very real week in the life as a Part 2 Architectural Assistant, Part 3 Student and University and Private Tutor.
Whether you've just come across my area of the internet and this is your first introduction to me (Hello, feel free to read more about me here) or you’re a long time follower of me and archistudentnotes, I hope you enjoy reading my week in the life. I hope it’s helpful to you in some way and you learn something from my experiences.
Let’s get into it.
MONDAY
If I am honest, I knew I wasn’t going to run today. I checked the weather last night - saw it was basically going to be in the minus numbers in the morning all this week and made a decision. What I didn’t do was make sure I replaced the run with any other type of exercise -_-
I did however get something important off my to-do list: Sorting out the Ethics form for the Post Occupancy Evaluation group project for my Part 3 course. It is not a long form but is one which requires quite a few decisions to be made basically as a baseline for the whole project. It didn't take too long and I was glad to get it off the list! I completed my early morning by reflecting on last week and getting this note taking document set up to make my reflections during the week easier to do.
I then walked into work - absolutely freezing and settled into the week.
I start every Monday with emails like most people. I check to see if any emails had come in over the weekend or after I had finished on Friday and I check to see what I was working on last week and if I had to be aware of any deadlines. None to report so I was happy to go back to modelling the private house - today finishing up on some work with the levels. It is a three storey house with the rear mostly underground so the levels have become quite important for the overall design.
A fairly standard day to be honest. I did however forget that I had said I would update my ArchiCAD software so that I could release some team-working files for a previous project so I got that done during the day. Update thankfully didn't take too long but I opened up the Design and Access Statement whilst it was updating just in case so that I didn't waste any time.
Finished the work day, walked home and edited a few ArchiWeek submissions that had come in over the last couple of days. If you haven’t submitted a week in your life yet, consider this week! Set up an easy file, make notes each day and then reflect at the end of the week.
Trust me it helps.
Ended the full day chilled and watching Think Like a Man - excellent film.
TUESDAY
Woke up later than I wanted to after not a great night's sleep. I had planned on writing up last week's ArchiWeek (mine) but I had very little time to do which was rather annoying. In the little time I did have however I was also messaging the Part 3 Group chat replying to some messages about arranging interviews for the report.
I walked into the office listening to the Professional Practice Podcast hosted by Austin Williams which I didn’t mention yesterday. I started with the Building Safety Act - Part 1 episode with Kayla Urbanski. Really interesting take on the Building Safety Act from the view of the law.
I got into work and continued 3D modelling, mostly working on the landscaping and levels since I had worked on the interior spaces last week. At this point in the day I had a lot of messages coming in, my personal to-do list was filling up and I decided to request Thursday off. I don’t usually book time off at this short notice but my to-do list was overwhelming me and I needed a day. I already have Friday off but to mark and benchmark some research documents for my job as a University Tutor so a day to recentre was needed and I am thankful that work agreed to it.
Talking of work, in between the 3D modelling and Design and Access Statement work, I checked on the progress of a new build planning application that I submitted last year. We have an extension of time until tomorrow so I sent an email to the planning officer to see if we were on track. I am cautiously hopeful for not only a decision tomorrow but also that permission is granted. It is a site in a conservation area and green belt so it might be foolish to be hopeful but I spent loads of time on the Design and Access Statement looking over policies and case law, so hopeful!
I ended the day back on the private house project figuring out what drawings I would eventually need for the planning application and printed out daft drawings to show the lead architect on the project tomorrow.
I finished the work day very tired but just one more day, a part 3 meeting and then a 4 day weekend (kind of, still uni teaching plus personal and asn admin).
Walked home listening to music, got home and jumped on my computer ready to do some Part 3 stuff….but instead ended up editing archistudentnotes.com - I did some work on the page layouts to ensure it worked better in portrait mode for phones and basically made it easier to navigate .
Archistudentnotes work has definitely become something I use to procrastinate and it's an ongoing process but is something I am proud of and happy to work on as and when I have time. I also edited another ArchiWeek that had come in, finished around 8.30PM, had a later dinner and a chill.
WEDNESDAY
Woke up at about 6 today, definitely should have jumped on the exercise bike (literally next to my desk) but I instead got ready and started with some Part 3 work.
Today again focusing on the POE group project as I needed to send out emails to arrange site visits/interviews. I first read through initial emails from our supervisor so I knew who to email and then I drafted the email (there was a lot of ;How to write X professionally’ going on) and got the email out, with the relevant people as well as a member of the Part 3 team CCd in.
Before leaving for work I checked the ArchiWeek form to see if there were any other submissions after my call for more yesterday on Instagram and woo! Another submission. I am so glad people are taking time out of their days to write as I am now. At the time of writing there is just one submission slot free at the end of February - so if you're looking to submit - start writing and submit now!
Left for work listening to the rest of the Building Safety Act - Part 1 podcast and got into work feeling pretty good.
Did some more 3D modeling but today focused on cleaning everything up and getting the model ready for the future meeting where I want to basically do a house tour around the model for our client. I also wanted the model clean enough and ready to render.
Our office uses ArchiCAD with Twinmotion for renders, so for the last week or so whilst working on levels and what not, I have been ironing out issues and adding details in ArchiCAD. It has basically felt like playing Sims but in real life. I have added big things like the real topography that I have manipulated and little things like populated shelves in the kitchen. Everything has helped me understand the design better and has also meant that I have found more issues which can be solved prior to planning or even construction. A big one in this project has been overlooking. The site is currently empty but between two existing houses. The 3D model along with the relatively detailed surroundings has allowed me to pinpoint potential issues that I will bring up in the meeting with the client. What I see as an issue, they might not.
I finished work for the week by tidying up my desk, closing tabs that I have had open for days and switching off! My computer desktop needs work but that's an admin issue for next week. I walk home, have dinner, do a bit of personal admin and then it's time for the Part 3 study group meeting.
The meeting lasts for about an hour, we cover progress from the last meeting and go over the ethics form I had completed, the questions that another member of the team had collated and a schedule/gant excel sheet that a different member of the team had put together. Gant diagrams are a very good tool in not only visualising the time you have between now and your deadlines but also listing what needs to be done and by when so you don't miss anything.
The meeting finished and I felt clearer about the next steps in the project. Time to chill for the evening.
MID-WEEK PLUG
Enjoying my ArchiWeek? Interested in sharing your own week or reading a guest post?
THURSDAY
This day off was needed. Still tired but not working today has taken some of the pressure off the next couple of days. I wake up at 6 and start working on last week's ArchiWeek to release at some point - I'm thinking Mondays? I think it makes sense to end the week with a guest submission and start the week with mine? I enjoy the time to reflect and then chill whilst eating breakfast.
I then got back to my desk and did another website overhaul and scheduling the first issue of Aliya’s ArchiWeek. I really enjoy this time to reflect and am trying to see as a way to practice self care. Now for example as I edit my notes for last weeks ArchiWeek, it’s Sunday morning and I am quite enjoying writing this all out!
Anyway, back to Thursday. Once I was happy with my progress I started a puzzle that I got as a Secret Santa gift in 2022. It was nice to focus on something without a deadline. I spend the rest of the day on the puzzle, relaxing and mentally preparing myself for the marking to be done tomorrow.
FRIDAY
It is 7am, I am up and unfortunately feeling very anxious after some very weird dreams. I was questioning Architecture as a career choice and what it is worth based on issues I have had on my journey. (Check out my YouTube channel if you're curious).
This anxiety set me back a bit but I had a great convo with my partner about it which ended with me appreciating and being proud of what I had achieved so far and excited to finish what I started on my own terms. It should just be one more year and I can then use that as a foundation for whatever comes next! What I love about these reflective ArchiWeek submissions is that I’ll be able to see how many times during this year I once again question Architecture. What’s your estimate?
I get back to my desk, finish editing the ArchiWeek to be uploaded as well as finishing the visuals for social media. I want to work on these to get more eyes reading and writing!
Once the quick things were off my to-do list, I moved onto the marking - I have 5 essays to mark and then a meeting to moderate with the other 3 tutors on the course. I started reading one document and immediately realised how hard it was going to be. I was used to marking studio projects which as you may know, do not involve a huge amount of writing. The documents the students had submitted however were all about 1800 words, not even a lot looking back but I was instantly overwhelmed.
I gave myself a talking to e.g ‘Give it a shot, trust your extincts’ and 5 research documents and a couple of hours later, I was done! I had about an hour before the teams call with the other tutors so I completely turned off for a bit and looked into adding dissertation reviews as an offering at archistudentnotes.com.
I had some initial technical issues (What is this 2021?) and then I was in the meeting. We went through the 5 students' work that we had marked - we all marked the same one - and compared the marks we gave for each section of the grade sheet. Some marks were pretty much the same, others were wildly different but we discussed, put forward our reasoning and we ended the meeting with new standards in place for each grade.
I then spent the rest of the evening having a chill and working on my puzzle relaxing before a weekend focusing on everything else on my to-do list!
Thank you for reading and well done if you have made it this far!
I hope you enjoyed this weeks ArchiWeek! Click the link below for more weeks in the life of Aliya, Part 2 Architectural Assistant, Part 3 Student & University and Private Architecture Tutor as well as guest posts! If you enjoyed this weeks ArchiWeek consider subscribing to get all future ArchiWeek submissions straight to your inbox.
