Why this parent left a 10-year career for architecture school
Derek Clouâtre was 32 years old, married, 10 years into a career, with a two-year-old daughter for whom he wanted to set a positive example. After taking STUDIO FIRST in 2021, he became one of several participants admitted directly into the Master of Architecture program at Carleton University in Fall 2021.
What were you doing before and why did you get into that field?
Before starting my master’s of architecture at Carleton I was a public servant in the federal government for over 10 years, working in marketing and social media roles for various departments. After high school, I pursued a degree in business because it was something I was good at and seemed like a safe and reliable career path. Choosing the most creative stream available, I graduated in 2011 with a BBA in marketing and immediately began my career in the public service.
“For anyone who may feel stuck or simply yearning for a change, make sure you find a way to carve out time to explore those interests and see where they take you. Don’t find yourself regretting that you never took the chance on yourself.”
Derek Clouâtre
How did you decide to make the switch to architecture?
I ended up at a point in my first career where I felt lost and didn’t like the future career options that awaited me on that path. I had heard of STUDIO FIRST a few years prior and decided it was finally time to test the waters in the world of architecture.
Architecture was always something I regretted not trying. My grandfather was a carpenter, and my family built several homes when I was growing up, so I was fortunate to work on and be exposed to construction sites throughout my childhood. I was always interested in how these buildings were manifested from someone’s mind and I wondered how and why certain design choices were made.
How did STUDIO FIRST help?
STUDIO FIRST was instrumental in helping me determine whether architecture was the right next step. While I thought I had a good eye and decent ideas, my skills in visually communicating anything were largely untested.
STUDIO FIRST throws you into projects immediately and forces you to just produce. This was the nudge I needed to put pen to paper and really see what I could create. The three project instructors provided different perspectives and approaches to design thinking, and while I feel like my practical design skills greatly improved during the course, it was this emphasis on narrative, ideas, and analysis that really helped me understand what pursuing architecture might look like.
Work by Derek Clouâtre from Studio 2: Montreal’s Urbanism & The Factory of the Future, taught by Associate Professor Zachary Colbert and Assistant Professor Natalia Escobar Castrillón. Project: Montreal’s Urbanism: Traces, Power Structures, Layers, Limits, Drifts, and Territories
“Through an intensive mapping project, we examined the social frameworks of Montreal’s Quartier du Canal Lachine, creating detailed composite drawings that reveal intersections between urbanism and daily life, and between the city and its citizens. My drawing mapped the variations in food access in the area, highlighting inequities experienced by some of the poorest neighbourhoods.” Derek Clouâtre
How did you negotiate a career change?
Deciding to change careers is a very complex and personal decision. The various impacts on your family, relationships, finances, and future career prospects are going to be unique to every individual. For me, I was 32 years old, married, ten years into a career that I no longer enjoyed, with a two-year-old daughter for whom I knew I needed to set a positive example. The longer I delayed the change, the harder it would get to take the plunge, so when the opportunity to pursue my MArch presented itself after STUDIO FIRST I knew I needed to take it.
Why did you choose Carleton?
I chose Carleton primarily because of its location. I’ve lived in Ottawa, ON, for over 10 years and really love the city. The fact that a program like Carleton’s exists in the nation’s capital is something special that seemed like the perfect fit for me and my family.
How would you describe your experience of the first year of the MArch 1 program?
The first year of the MArch 1 program has been a whirlwind. With only a few weeks left to go in our first year, I can honestly say that I’m astonished by what I’m able to produce in such a short time in the program. Has it been hard? Yes. Have there been late nights? Many. Has it been worth it? Absolutely.
Work by Derek Clouâtre from the course Theories of Architectural Representation led by Visiting Professor Neil Spiller. Project: Hybrid Drawings
“By exploring existing approaches, we were challenged to understand the factors that impact representation, exploring a personal set of values, and utilizing representation methods to communicate personal and imaginative ideas about contributing to the built environment. My drawing combines the works of Archigram and Perry Kulper to arrive at this new approach to representation.” Derek Clouâtre
What has been the biggest challenge/obstacle?
The biggest challenge during the first year of the MArch 1 program has been trying to find a balance between school and family. There is a significant amount of out-of-class work to be completed for each course, so scheduling my time wisely and being strict with my available free time has been necessary.
After working a primarily 9-to-5 job for over a decade, it’s been a hard adjustment taking night classes and working during the evenings, sometimes missing the opportunity to wish my daughter sweet dreams, or to catch up at the end of the day with my wife. It's been a huge change for all of us, but I’m lucky to have a strong and supportive family to see me through this.
What has been the best part?
The best part of the program so far has been the studio projects. We’ve had the opportunity to propose two very different architectural interventions in two real-world locations. While there has been a lot of learning on the fly, it’s been so beneficial to be immersed so quickly in these large-scale projects that force us to think conceptually but also meticulously about possible solutions.
Are you happy you did it?
I’m very happy that I’m pursuing this new career path.
What kind of new career do you envision for yourself?
At this point, I would say that I’m not sure what my future career will look like, and that’s okay with me. Perhaps I’ll put in my hours and become a licensed architect as quickly as I can, but I’m also learning about so many adjacent career paths that the possibilities really seem endless.
I’ll be looking to explore this more over the next year as I work towards setting a thesis topic for my final year that will hopefully help me narrow in on a more specific path.
What advice would you give to someone considering a major pivot?
For anyone who may feel stuck or simply yearning for a change, make sure you find a way to carve out time to explore those interests and see where they take you. It could be a program like STUDIO FIRST, a weekly pottery class, or an investment in some new drawing tools; whatever it is, make sure you don’t find yourself regretting that you never took the chance on yourself.
