How about making use of this pause to become a better version of yourself, someone you have been wanting to but thanks to procrastination, you couldn’t.

Here are some great things you can do while making sure that you wash hands and keep healthy.

Learn something new

With so much time in your hand, this is the perfect time to learn something new. The world has moved to the internet, and architecture is not going to be left behind. There is so much to learn and now is the time to atleast start. One course at a time.

Try these 5 online platforms for Architects to either learn something new or pick up a skill you’ve been longing to:

  1. Coursera – Here you can explore the courses and specializations developed by the best architecture colleges and universities of the world.

  2. edX.org – Read and learn more about architectural design, urban planning, etc.

  3. Lynda.com – Brush your SketchUp skills or Revit Architecture with Lynda.com

  4. Udemy.com – Been a while opened AutoCAD to design something all by yourself. It is time to refresh and head to Udemy to get back the flare.

  5. MIT OpenCourseWare – Massachusetts Institute of Technology publishes all of the educational materials from its undergraduate- and graduate-level courses online, freely and openly available to anyone, anywhere.

Consume some media

It is a known fact that the modern world is all about output, which translated to people being at work all throughout the week. Now that your busy schedule is all out of whack, take some time to sit back and read.

Rifle through the stack of architecture magazines that have been gathering dust on your table, delve into the history of architecture, watch some YouTube videos, look up historical practices and architectural marvels, and touch up your basics by going back to that architecture curriculum book. Watch TED Talks on both Architecture & non-architecture or simply binge-watch these shows on Netflix:

  1. Grand Designs

  2. The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes

  3. Abstract The Art of Design

  4. Lego House – Home to the Brick

  5. Amazing Interiors

Work on your Branding

Don’t just scroll through social media platforms. Think how you make the best use of them. It is time to celebrate yourself and your successes. Put up pictures on social media (Linkedin, Instagram, etc. ) celebrating your success stories, revisit some of the better projects you were part of, try to get more client testimonials, and basically use the internet the best you can.

This is the best time to build the brand YOU online.

Travel Virtually, why not?

Travel has the power to evolve and inspire a person of any profession, but when it comes to an Architect it matters so much more. Do you know visiting virtual museums is catching up and so is virtually visiting architectural marvels? How about visiting these museums now:

  1. THE LOUVRE – https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne#tabs
  2. THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM – https://www.guggenheim.org/collection-online
  3. THE BRITISH MUSEUM – https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-british-museum
  4. THE DALÍ THEATRE-MUSEUM – https://www.salvador-dali.org/en/museums/dali-theatre-museum-in-figueres/visita-virtual/
  5. THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART – https://www.nga.gov/

Reflect on the past

One of the best ways to go forward as an Architect is to reflect upon what you have worked on in the past. Many times, the past is the key to a perfect future. Go back to some of your greatest achievements as well as your failures, and look at what you did wrong, what could have been better, and what made the project as good as it ended up becoming. You can also connect with colleagues and friends, and look over old work together. After all, two (or more) sets of eyes are better than one.

Polish your dreams

Think about what you want to achieve in the future and make notes about how you can make that happen. In our daily grind, we usually do not have the time to look ahead because we are all caught up in the present. Take some time to polish your dreams, think about what you want, build a new 5-year-plan. Make a Pinterest board about your dreams to come. Upgrade the professional bucket list, as it were, so that you don’t lose sight of your dreams and ambitions.

Put the time to good use and don’t despair. This may seem like a long time but it will pass in a jiffy when you are enjoying yourself and learning something new every day. Make sure that as you exercise your mind, you exercise your body as well, and keep healthy. Coronavirus is not here to stay for long, and if you dwell on what is, you will never be able to plan for what will be!

We would love to hear how are you keeping yourself engaged, do leave your tips in the comments below. We promise to share lots more ideas and would love to get your inputs on this. Till then Stay Home, Stay Safe