Engineering was the practical choice. Architecture was the goal.

Josh Smith is nearing completion of the three-year Master of Architecture program at Carleton University. His first degree was in civil engineering at McMaster University. The transition to architecture was like "drinking from a fire hose” and he loved it. "It was everything I hoped it would be, and I couldn't get enough. I still can't.”

Smith had been interested in pursuing architecture for most of his life. “Architecture was always the goal.” He only discovered the need for a portfolio when it came time to apply to bachelor’s programs. He assembled a slim one with work from high school art classes and did not get in.

 He did, however, receive offers from several engineering programs. “I decided to make lemonade and specialize in structural engineering with the long-term goal of reapplying to architecture school later.”

Josh Smith is in his final year of the three-year MArch program at Carleton. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from McMaster University.

“For me, the act of designing, speaking, hearing about, and experiencing architecture is utterly fascinating and inspiring. I can’t see myself anywhere but in this field.”

Smith started at McMaster in 2013 and graduated in 2019. He was in a five-year stream called Civil Engineering & Society. During undergraduate engineering studies, he held a series of co-op positions positions that included jobs in material handling solutions, public works, telecommunications, and construction. After graduating, he worked in road construction as a project coordinator.

“With responsibilities ranging from design to quality control to structural analysis, I had gotten an engineering sampler that left me feeling uninspired and dreading what lay beyond my undergraduate studies.”

Smith applied to study architecture everywhere that had programs designed for people with a first degree in another field, including Hong Kong. After two years of applications, during which the thought of being accepted was "my light at the end of the tunnel,” he received offers from Carleton and Dalhousie University. He chose Carleton.

Nine years after his pragmatic decision to take engineering, Smith started architecture. “The investments I made in 2013 finally paid off in 2022 when I received my offer of admission to Carleton's MArch I program.”

Joining a class made up of people with diverse knowledge has been a highlight. “Admitting students with non-architectural backgrounds makes the experience so interesting.”

Now in his final year and working on his thesis, Smith feels “a combined sense of sustained accomplishment, eagerness, and gratitude.”

See the Q&A with Josh Smith below.

Meaning of Design: Images from Josh Smith’s application portfolio

Tower of Time: Work from Josh Smith’s application portfolio

Images from Josh Smith’s second-year Gateway project, an Urban Forestry Knowledge Centre.  He called it Lofted Forest, as its greenhouses each feature timber floor plates suspended from two columnar trunks. 

Josh Smith travelled to Ghana in 2024 on an Option Studio. This image, Atewa Forest Mapping, was part of his studio work.

Q&A with Josh Smith

What were you doing before and why did you get into that field?

I was working in road construction as a project coordinator during an interim period following my graduation from civil engineering at McMaster. Working in road construction was never a long-term solution for me. This was early post-COVID and the CERB payments had stopped, so I needed to make some money. I did the job previously for another company as an intern during my bachelor’s degree, so I knew going into the role that the job wasn’t for me. At the time, it was my second year of applying to Master of Architecture programs, and getting into school was my light at the end of the tunnel.

How did you decide to make the switch to architecture?

Architecture was always the goal for me. All through high school, I took art classes to give me an edge for when I would eventually apply. The thing was, I didn’t know anything about portfolios, including what they were and that they were part of the application process. Having thrown out all my work at the end of every year, the slim collection of work I managed to scrape together was insufficient to get accepted anywhere. I did, however, receive offers from several engineering programs. I decided to make lemonade and specialize in structural engineering with the long-term goal of reapplying to architecture school later. The investments I made in 2013 finally paid off in 2022 when I received my offer of admission to Carleton's MArch I program.

How did you negotiate a career/discipline change?

My plan to shift to architecture was affirmed during a series of co-op positions as well as by my project coordinator internship. These positions included jobs in material handling solutions, public works, telecommunications, and construction.  With responsibilities ranging from design to quality control to structural analysis, I had gotten an engineering sampler that left me feeling uninspired and dreading what lay beyond my undergraduate studies.

How many schools did you apply to?

I applied to everything and anything that would accept applicants with a non-architectural bachelor’s degree. I even applied to a couple of programs outside Canada, namely MIT and the University of Hong Kong. I was only accepted at Carleton and Dalhousie. But I only needed one!

Why did you choose Carleton?

While spending more time in architecture school would be nice, time was a concern. Carleton offered a three-year program compared to Dalhousie’s four-year BEDS program. Ottawa is also considerably closer to my home in Toronto. As it turns out, Carleton was the best option. The school’s heavy emphasis on visual representation was the perfect counterweight to the robust technical background I was bringing with me.

How would you describe your experience of the three-year MArch program?

In a word: brief. As many of my classmates would agree, MArch I (first year) and Gateway (second year) feel like drinking from a firehose while juggling water balloons. It was a lot! But it was everything I hoped it would be, and I couldn’t get enough. I still can’t. I spend entirely “too much” time in studio. The time passes quicker than you realize.

What has been the biggest challenge/obstacle?

The software. Getting the hang of the entire Adobe Suite, AutoCAD, Revit, and even Blender took some doing.

How did you overcome it?

I approached the problem one step at a time, trying my hand at Rhino in my first year, then Revit in my Gateway year, and using Adobe Suite across both years as needed. The trick is knowing when and where to apply these things, which is a skill in and of itself.  There’s still a lot I don’t know, but I’m proficient enough across all of them so that basic technical hang-ups no longer trouble me. Also, asking your more traditionally trained classmates for help is always the fastest way to figure things out. From my experience, everyone is more than willing to help, and it’s a great way to make friends. Just be sure to return the favour when something in your area of expertise presents itself.

What has been the best part?

The people. Admitting students with non-architectural backgrounds makes the experience so interesting. Classmates quickly became friends — and I mean in a matter of days — and my friends are some of my biggest sources of inspiration, motivation, and support. The diverse backgrounds and experiences of the MArch I cohort enriches the program with a lot of value. We are connected by the common thread of architecture, yet our unique upbringings give us many more opportunities to bond and explore unexpected kinships.

Are you happy you did it?

I was elated the day I got my offer of admission, nervous during the first Zoom call between the incoming 2022 class and our professors, and stressed for the subsequent four terms of work that kicked off in September. However, the entire time I’ve been lucid to the fact that I am doing something I have wanted to do for most of my life. It’s surreal to accomplish such a long-term goal, especially when the journey took so many twists and turns. “Happy” would be an oversimplification. It’s a combined sense of sustained accomplishment, eagerness, and gratitude.

What kind of new career do you envision for yourself?

I haven’t figured that part out yet.  I always thought that simply working as an architect, in any capacity, would be enough. However, now that I’m here, my competitive drive and eagerness to reach ever-higher have kindled new embers. “Owning my own firm” is an interesting thought, but there's work to be done before that happens. For now, I think that if I can find a firm where I can pursue my interests, that supports me as I work toward professional mastery, and where I can work alongside people I respect as fellow creatives and individuals, I’d have a very full heart.

What advice would you give to someone considering a pivot?

In my estimation, architecture is a craft more so than a career. I think some people are born with, or perhaps conditioned to have, a certain sensibility that lends itself well to design, but on the whole, it’s a path that requires commitment and patience. One could diligently spend hours every day on their skills as a designer for an entire year and still feel like a novice.

 A pivot to this field should be carefully considered from a deeply personal perspective. What are you hoping to get out of the change? If it is not necessary to progress to a career you passionately wish to pursue, it may not be worth the effort. For me, the act of designing, speaking, hearing about, and experiencing architecture is utterly fascinating and inspiring. I can’t see myself anywhere but in this field.

So, if pivoting to the field of architecture is your decision, my advice would be to dive in headfirst and brace for a demanding curriculum. Work diligently and often, show up to studio, talk to new people, and find pockets of time to unwind and celebrate small wins. It’s a fantastic journey, make sure to savour it.