Mental Health in Architecture School: Can the Culture Change?

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The Graduate Architecture, Landscape, and Design Student Union (GALDSU) at the University of Toronto recently published the results of its first mental health survey, which asked students to reflect on their experience at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. Many past and present students have met the findings, which paint a blatantly bleak picture of the architecture student experience, with little to no surprise. The report brings the issue of poor mental and physical health in architecture schools to the forefront of our consciousness; however, the cool response it has elicited undercuts the initiative and raises important questions. If we were already aware of the problem, why hasn't change already been initiated? Will this always be the accepted, brutal reality of architecture education?

The student responses identify infrastructure as a significant challenge and suggest that improvements to mental and physical health could be made with the development of cleaner, larger, and quieter work spaces. Students also voiced their concern over a shortage of amenities, including too few vacant computers in labs as well as a lack of available, inexpensive food options. Indeed, one of the greatest ironies of architecture school is often having to study in the most uninspiring, poorly designed, and outdated spaces on campus.

However, although the study insinuates improvements to infrastructure and amenities is a sure way to improve student health, it would take great resources to make these kinds of changes, which most schools do not have immediate access to. Acquiring such funds would require time and in all likeliness, hiked fees for students, which many might be opposed to — especially if they are not going to be the ones who reap the benefits.

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Cite: Jennifer Whelan. "Mental Health in Architecture School: Can the Culture Change?" 21 Apr 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/498397/mental-health-in-architecture-school-can-the-culture-change> ISSN 0719-8884

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