My Thesis in Architecture – Was it what I Expected?
Tia Watson
University of Manitoba
In short, my thesis year was nothing like what I expected. The biggest surprise was of course ending my academic career during a global pandemic. Six weeks before my classmates and I were due to give our final thesis defense, the world shut down, and we had to pack up our studios and move home. This transition amplified the already high levels of anxiety that are experienced during the weeks leading up to finals.
The unprecedented events of the Covid-19 pandemic aside, my thesis year was still nothing as I expected it to be. I went into the year with a personal interest in understanding more about the current environmental emergency, fully expecting to have a project at the end that somehow addressed architecture’s role in the climate crisis. What I did not expect however, was ending the year having experienced a dramatic shift in my personal views and goals.
My thesis year began with an extensive research period that afforded me the opportunity to dive into the science behind the climate crisis. The flexibility of thesis allows you to step away from architecture and design for a moment to explore other avenues of work, fields of research, and other interests you may have. The breadth of research that came out of the first months of my thesis year provided new perspectives that became invaluable when later developing an architectural proposition.
As the year progressed, I was interested in allowing my work to adapt to the constantly changing global situation, which seemed to accelerate fiercely as we entered 2020. The new year brought the continuing devastation of the unprecedented wildfires in Australia. As well as a massive snowstorm to Eastern Canada, which effectively trapped residents in their homes, forcing them to shelter in place. These terrifying disasters were followed by the global shut down brought on by Covid-19. The pandemic has forced the world to slow down and has exposed many of the faults in our society that have been on the brink of collapsing for over the past decade. It has also provided the opportunity for us to reconsider our approach to architecture.
The events of 2020 challenged my own abilities to adapt and gave me the unprecedented opportunity to become fully submerged in the chaos of my ongoing thesis work in a way that I will always be grateful for. The body of work completed throughout the duration of my thesis year led me to re-evaluate the trajectory I wish to pursue, both in my career and personal life. It has opened the door to new goals, and fundamentally, has become the beginning of a desired life’s subject of continued research and practice.
Nobody could have predicted the outcome for students completing their thesis in Architecture in the year 2020. However, I could also not have predicted the personal growth and clarification that the year provided. Looking back on my architectural education, each year offered substantial growth and learning opportunities about many of the areas of the Architectural profession. However, I believe now, that your thesis year teaches you about yourself, and your desired position in the industry, more-so than any architectural specifics.
If you are entering into your Architectural thesis, or even just starting your Architectural education, and want some inspiration into the wide variety of topics you could pursue, check out some of the thesis work completed at the University of Manitoba. Each year, every student provides a brief overview of their years work:
https://umanitoba.ca/faculties/architecture/programs/architecture/2161.html
Tia Watson
University of Manitoba