YouTube is not just for cat videos
It’s
been just a little more than two years since I wrote a post
about how prolific the Internet is in providing access to “a boundless treasure
trove of information, knowledge, and entertainment.” What held true in late February
of 2017 remains unchanged this early Sunday in March of 2019. During an unusual
(for Eugene) snow-filled week that also saw me quarantined in my house with a miserable
cold—one distinguished by painfully achy muscles—I literally watched dozens of YouTube videos across a broad range of
topics. My video playlist reads like one my 12-year-old self would have
appreciated: news about space ventures (i.e. SpaceX, Blue Horizon, and Virgin
Galactic), paleontology, military history, and of course, architecture.
As various social commentators have observed, YouTube and its video contributors have launched “the biggest learning cycle in human history.” They’ve done this by disrupting how people learn. We’re in the midst of a huge paradigm shift. For better or worse, people prefer watching over reading and being compelled rather than bored. Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter prioritize video over other types of content. The statistics are telling. People upload hundreds of hours of content to YouTube every minute. By some accounts, as much as 80% of all Internet traffic will be video in just a couple of years. That video-sharing platforms like YouTube are increasingly where people go to learn is unsurprising.
I’m not going to lament a waning of “classroom learning” because I don’t think it will ever entirely disappear. The primary role of tomorrow’s “brick & mortar” schools and universities will be to continue to provide the intellectually curious a place to gather and be mentored by a knowledgeable teacher. “E-learning” will not supplant this role. Instead, the transition to the space of online education will enrich the social interactions and discussions between students when they’re actually in the classroom because everyone can individually review and replay material beforehand as much as necessary, when convenient, at their own pace, on an assortment of device types. With smart phones, students literally carry a virtual classroom in their pockets.
Independent content creators dominate YouTube, with many having built huge, grassroots followings numbering in the tens and even hundreds of thousands. Typically, these creators have their own “channels” delivering videos to a worldwide audience. Today’s best teachers are global stars, with the potential to reach millions of students.
The volume of online videos devoted to architectural design, history, education, and practice has mushroomed since 2017. Thankfully, I can report the quality of much of the new material is very good and worth your look. I attribute this to the continued maturation of the medium and the rising to the top of the best content providers. Among these, I recommend the following and their YouTube channels, ranked in order of the numbers of subscribers each has (from least to most):
Business of Architecture
14,346 subscribers
Architect Enoch Sears, AIA, LEED AP, has assembled a YouTube presence and a website dedicated to helping other architects build highly profitable and impactful practices. His informative videos encompass subjects from across the entire breadth of professional practice, including such varied topics as launching an architecture firm, choosing a project management software, creating a remarkable client experience, and building an exceptional team and culture. He knows many become architects because they want to design and create. He also knows designing and creating is impossible without a profitable business. Business of Architecture provides resources and tools in video form that can help any small architectural firm excel.
ARTiculations
37,185 subscribers
Betty Chen, NCIDQ, is an interior designer based in Toronto. Her career is dedicated to getting people to care about art, architecture, and design. She focuses her efforts on making her interests accessible and understandable to everyone. One of her goals for ARTiculations is to remove the barriers that make the world of design appear elite and alienating. Her wide-ranging videos include such titles as “When Did Modern Architecture Actually Begin,” “A Brief History of the Exit Sign,” and “Why is Accessible Design Good for Everyone?”
How to Architect
188,548 subscribers
Doug Patt, AIA is in his own words “The Tony Robbins of Architecture.” He started How to Architect back in 2008 and to date has produced literally hundreds of videos about architecture for his channel. There are videos that will teach you how to letter like an architect, help you decide if you want to become one, and even a few that can help you figure out if you’ve got what it takes. You’ll also find extensive playlists like Architecture 101 that includes hundreds of facts about architecture, a series about why buildings look like they do, Top 10 lists, videos about making a portfolio, and several featuring real architectural projects Doug’s worked on.
30x40 Design Workshop
314,544 subscribers
Eric Reinholdt is an architect whose firm 30x40 Design Workshop is a sole proprietorship in Maine. His videos come from his very personal perspective; it’s this that gives his YouTube channel its strongest appeal. It’s easy to relate to what he has to say, particularly if you’re a small firm owner like he is. Time is a fixed asset, perhaps the ultimate constraint for a sole practitioner. Eric’s greatest insight may be the importance of prioritizing “making” over “managing.” Both are important to him, but first and foremost it is the creative process that drives his work. It’s his calculated choice, one his 300,0000+ YouTube channel subscribers agree with.
The B1M
394,542 subscribers
The B1M is the world’s most subscribed-to video channel for construction, claiming over 7 million people watch the site’s videos each month. UK-based Fred Mills co-founded the channel, starting it because he believed the construction industry was doing a poor job at promoting itself. The B1M’s success speaks for itself, becoming the first channel focused on building and architecture to receive YouTube’s Silver Creator Award. Its goals include inspiring a better construction industry by sharing knowledge and expertise with a mass audience and attracting the best young talent by showing construction at its finest to millions.
What each of these outstanding YouTube channels have in common are the energy and enthusiasm of the individuals behind them, and their willingness to share what they know with the rest of us. I’ve bookmarked the channels and look forward to watching many of their contributions on future lazy, rainy (or snowy) days.
As various social commentators have observed, YouTube and its video contributors have launched “the biggest learning cycle in human history.” They’ve done this by disrupting how people learn. We’re in the midst of a huge paradigm shift. For better or worse, people prefer watching over reading and being compelled rather than bored. Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter prioritize video over other types of content. The statistics are telling. People upload hundreds of hours of content to YouTube every minute. By some accounts, as much as 80% of all Internet traffic will be video in just a couple of years. That video-sharing platforms like YouTube are increasingly where people go to learn is unsurprising.
I’m not going to lament a waning of “classroom learning” because I don’t think it will ever entirely disappear. The primary role of tomorrow’s “brick & mortar” schools and universities will be to continue to provide the intellectually curious a place to gather and be mentored by a knowledgeable teacher. “E-learning” will not supplant this role. Instead, the transition to the space of online education will enrich the social interactions and discussions between students when they’re actually in the classroom because everyone can individually review and replay material beforehand as much as necessary, when convenient, at their own pace, on an assortment of device types. With smart phones, students literally carry a virtual classroom in their pockets.
Independent content creators dominate YouTube, with many having built huge, grassroots followings numbering in the tens and even hundreds of thousands. Typically, these creators have their own “channels” delivering videos to a worldwide audience. Today’s best teachers are global stars, with the potential to reach millions of students.
The volume of online videos devoted to architectural design, history, education, and practice has mushroomed since 2017. Thankfully, I can report the quality of much of the new material is very good and worth your look. I attribute this to the continued maturation of the medium and the rising to the top of the best content providers. Among these, I recommend the following and their YouTube channels, ranked in order of the numbers of subscribers each has (from least to most):
14,346 subscribers
Architect Enoch Sears, AIA, LEED AP, has assembled a YouTube presence and a website dedicated to helping other architects build highly profitable and impactful practices. His informative videos encompass subjects from across the entire breadth of professional practice, including such varied topics as launching an architecture firm, choosing a project management software, creating a remarkable client experience, and building an exceptional team and culture. He knows many become architects because they want to design and create. He also knows designing and creating is impossible without a profitable business. Business of Architecture provides resources and tools in video form that can help any small architectural firm excel.
37,185 subscribers
Betty Chen, NCIDQ, is an interior designer based in Toronto. Her career is dedicated to getting people to care about art, architecture, and design. She focuses her efforts on making her interests accessible and understandable to everyone. One of her goals for ARTiculations is to remove the barriers that make the world of design appear elite and alienating. Her wide-ranging videos include such titles as “When Did Modern Architecture Actually Begin,” “A Brief History of the Exit Sign,” and “Why is Accessible Design Good for Everyone?”
188,548 subscribers
Doug Patt, AIA is in his own words “The Tony Robbins of Architecture.” He started How to Architect back in 2008 and to date has produced literally hundreds of videos about architecture for his channel. There are videos that will teach you how to letter like an architect, help you decide if you want to become one, and even a few that can help you figure out if you’ve got what it takes. You’ll also find extensive playlists like Architecture 101 that includes hundreds of facts about architecture, a series about why buildings look like they do, Top 10 lists, videos about making a portfolio, and several featuring real architectural projects Doug’s worked on.
314,544 subscribers
Eric Reinholdt is an architect whose firm 30x40 Design Workshop is a sole proprietorship in Maine. His videos come from his very personal perspective; it’s this that gives his YouTube channel its strongest appeal. It’s easy to relate to what he has to say, particularly if you’re a small firm owner like he is. Time is a fixed asset, perhaps the ultimate constraint for a sole practitioner. Eric’s greatest insight may be the importance of prioritizing “making” over “managing.” Both are important to him, but first and foremost it is the creative process that drives his work. It’s his calculated choice, one his 300,0000+ YouTube channel subscribers agree with.
394,542 subscribers
The B1M is the world’s most subscribed-to video channel for construction, claiming over 7 million people watch the site’s videos each month. UK-based Fred Mills co-founded the channel, starting it because he believed the construction industry was doing a poor job at promoting itself. The B1M’s success speaks for itself, becoming the first channel focused on building and architecture to receive YouTube’s Silver Creator Award. Its goals include inspiring a better construction industry by sharing knowledge and expertise with a mass audience and attracting the best young talent by showing construction at its finest to millions.
* * *
* * *
What each of these outstanding YouTube channels have in common are the energy and enthusiasm of the individuals behind them, and their willingness to share what they know with the rest of us. I’ve bookmarked the channels and look forward to watching many of their contributions on future lazy, rainy (or snowy) days.
No comments:
Post a Comment