<p>I am the daughter of KandK and would like to ask a few questions about careers in architecture or interior design. I am starting to think about what career I would be most interested in and that would compliment my best traits. I have a very strong interest in history, particularly the preservation of historic places and buildings, or building places that are replicas of historic places. I do not want to major in history but want it to be a part of my career. I like design and I am considered to be a very creative person. At first I thought of architecture, but I am concerned that it alone will not offer the historic emphasis that I like so much. I am also worried about the intensity of the academic workload and the fact that I may not be able to have the normal college experience, i. e. going to football games, club running and campus ministry groups. </p>
<p>If any of you have any input on these questions, I would be very grateful to you.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Would being an interior designer offer me the ability to create/replicate historic places? </p></li>
<li><p>Would obtaining an undergraduate degree in ID followed with a master’s in Historical Preservation be a good option? Are there any ID schools or Arch schools that emphasize the historical preservation aspect?</p></li>
<li><p>Am I stressing too much about the “lack of a life” arch students have and would going that route followed by a master’s in HP be better? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you so much for taking time to read my lengthy first post!</p>
<p>If you like history, then architecture would be the best field of study. Of all the design studies it is the one most deeply rooted in the history and culture of its context. Even after all these years I still read books about historical architects, the thinking behind their buildings and how it was shaped by the historical period in which they operated. Is there a historical context to interior design? Yes but most of it was involved the architects who created it as part of their larger body of work.</p>
<p>So to answer your questions;</p>
<p>1) an interior designer will have some ability to replicate historic places, but not nearly to the extent that an architect would.</p>
<p>2) most of the historical preservation degrees that I know of are at the graduate level, most undergraduate architecture programs are trying to teach you the basic skills and a historical context in which to understand your work. However there might be degrees out there that fit your description.</p>
<p>3) no doubt architecture school is fairly intense, but it also provides a great social environment. Studio work is not silent study in a library, it involves work in an open studio environment surrounded by your good friends. Lots of the projects are also team projects among multiple students. I have heard architecture studio described as a sorority/fraternity X2.</p>
<p>I managed to play 2 varsity sports while in school, but back then the commitment required in minor varsity sports is about the same as club sports today. I also managed to date, go to football games, and have a regular college life.</p>
<p>I’d like to tell you there is an easier route to get where you want to go, but if you want to be in historic preservation you will regret not having an architecture degree.</p>
<p>You might want to take a look at the Historic Preservation and Community Planning degree offered by the College of Charleston. It is the only college in the US that offers this degree for undergraduates. It also has a pre-architecture studies option, which includes coursework in architectural design.</p>
<p>Thank you both for taking time to answer my questions and offer your advice. It is a big help. I have emailed a couple of local architects that work in historical preservation and they have said basically what you said rick12. One said that if I really wanted to be a firm’s historical “expert” I could also go and obtain a master’s in HP after getting my architecture degree, but it wasn’t a necessity. He does a lot of work in that area for his firm and has a BArch degree from VT. Are there any other architecture schools that you know of that have an emphasis on that area? My brother is at Tech and he has told me how competitive it is to be admitted into that program, so I want to have a few other options as well. </p>
<p>I will also look into the program at CofC. That looks interesting, but would I also need to go onto grad school and get a Master’s in Architecture afterward? How many more years would that take with what they offer as an undergraduate degree? How is the merit aid there? (we live in Va)</p>
<p>Thanks so much! After this post I will create my own screen name. This forum is going to be a big help to me in the next year!</p>
<p>You should take a look at this link. It talks about various careers that graduates have pursued with the historic preservation degree. [Historic</a> Preservation and Community Planning - College of Charleston](<a href=“Page not found - College of Charleston”>Historic Preservation and Community Planning - College of Charleston). Obviously grad school would be another option, and the pre-architectural studies program is intended to prepare for a masters degree in architecture. I assume that you would qualify for a shorter masters program, since the undergraduate curriculum includes architecture studies. As far as financial aid, I really don’t know what is available for out-of-state students. (My daughter was offered wonderful merit aid–almost a full-ride–but we are in-state and that was several years ago.) You’d need to contact the college about that.</p>
<p>Another architecture school to look at is Notre Dame. Their specialty is historical preservation within the context of an architecture degree, both undergrad and M.Arch.</p>