For those of you whom live in Australia or Spain...

[Mr.Reed]

Here is some background info:

I'm currently an Architecture major, I'm in my second year of study (third in college), and I'll graduate in two years with a Bachelors of Studies in Arch. Now this degree will allow me to work in a firm no problem I just can't run independent.

I am however looking for where I'd like to go once I graduate (better to plan early), and there are only two place I can see myself going. These places are Spain and Australia, and this is because of the type of architecture that happens in these places happens to be what I'm very interested in.

I'm just wondering what living in these places is like. I'm going to try and go to spain next summer with a friend, and then most likely Australia the following summer.


I'm just looking for some helpful insight into how these places function when compared to the Pacific Northwest (Seattle area).

[PeteMac]

Well mate,
I'm going to be no help in a comparison - I've not been to this "Pacific Northwest" of which you speak.
But . . .
Life here in Oz is gooood.!
If you know your stuff, you'll get a job. Simple.
Things can be as laid back or as full-on as you want them to be.
And as long as you don't go any further North than Sydney, you don't even have to worry about Cyclones (hurricanes) !!! Sweet !
Melbourne is the live music capital;
Canberra is the Nation's Capital (and a boring hole, imho!)
Sydney is the glitz capital (big "hi" to all the Sydneysiders reading this!)
and Adelaide and Perth are . . . well . . . Adelaide and Perth !!!
Unless you like 12ft crocodiles and hurricanes and tropical madness, I'd stay away from Darwin in the Northern Territory.

So, there it is in a nutshell . . . helpfull ???


edit: Ohhh, actually, I remember Melbourne (where I am) being compared as very similar to Seattle (or was it Boston?). Read it in a travel guide or something . . . can't remember. Meh . . .

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Originally Posted by PeteMac

and Adelaide and Perth are . . . well . . .

Proof of parallel universes. I mean how can two cities still be in the 1980's when the rest of the country are in the 2000s?

[Brendo]

Typical Melbourne response. Melbourne is the live music capital, Canberra is a boring hole, Sydney is the glitz capital, Adelaide is poop, but Perth is great. Perth has been compared to ... 1955. You can't shop after 6pm 6 days a week. You can't have an extra hour of daylight in the summer. And you pay premium prices for average coffee. But more sunshine that any other capital city, better beaches, sunsets over the ocean, Red Bull Air Race, golf everywhere. Do make sure you have a look around, all the cities are very different to each other. Good luck.

[Veitchy]

Speaking as a person from Adelaide, I'd reccomend one of the larger east coast citys. Adelaide is a very insular place, one of those places where knowing the right person is just as (if not more) important than qualifications. The east coast is busier and has a much higher population, so more demand for skilled work. I Agree with PeteMac, try to stay in Sydney or south. Brisbane (up in Queensland) has a very transient population and may be harder to get grounded there (from what I've heard, I havnt spent as much time there.) My pick would be Melbourne if I had to live anywhere else.

As for the lifestyle, we are a nation which tends to apreciate hard working, honest folk, but are also very laid back, relaxed race. We are a highly multicultural people with a very young cultural history. I think the lifestyle here is fantastic. As you are from the pacific northwest, I will say it gets HOT in summer (we're used to it, but it can catch tourists out.)

Can't speak much for Spain, but people tend to like it here.

[Mr.Reed]

I really wish I could just take a few months and go to both countries and explore the crap out of them.

[Robin Nahum]

Mr Reed,

I think it is a great idea to do a preview visit to each place.

Friends of ours are living in Portland. I'll see if I can get them to respond.

On 12 November, you might also speak to that resonator player extraordinaire and Seattlite, Del Rey. She is a frequent visitor to our shores.

http://hobemianrecords.com/tour.html

[PeteMac]

Mr Reed, I have to ask . . .

What is this "type of architecture" that we have going on here?
The only things I see going up here are the same steel and glass towers of commerce that happen all over the world, and cookie-cutter developments out in the 'burbs !

Seriously . . .

[Robin Nahum]

Ah Pete, two words - Glen Murcutt.

http://architecture.about.com/od/gre.../p/murcutt.htm

And we also have the Berry Sports Hall which has just won the World Architecture Festival Award in Barcelona in the sports category.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/breakfast/s...09/2736791.htm

Berry is on the NSW South Coast.

But yes, there is also a lot of the usual ugliness.

[PeteMac]

Thanks for that Robin.

Ya learn somethin' every day !

Cheers

[metulmykul]

I reckon PeteMac has it sussed for you in his first response, Mr.Reed.

I lived in Sydney for the first 10 years of my life, Byron for the next 28 and have been in Brisbane for the last 7. I'm probably no help to you.

We have a good music scene up here but not as big as Melbourne. As for architecture...we have the Queenslander!

It's nice in winter and too bloody hot and humid in summer.

[Dave_O]

Originally Posted by HoodieMcFoodie

Proof of parallel universes. I mean how can two cities still be in the 1980's when the rest of the country are in the 2000s?

As an ex-patriot Perth guy, I say....
BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Plenty of house and public construction still going on here. The GFC just kinda swooshed us with its tail... But some fresh ideas in the house construction scene would be wonderful.
Would you like fries with that McMansion, sir??

So, all the Spanish guys must be asleep...

[garymaddox]

I have been to Spain and it's very cool. I have not had the pleasure of visiting Australia yet but I love the people from there I have met. The biggest advantage to going to Australia is they sort of speak English there, unlike Espania!

[imsilly]

My family just emigrated back to Australia after 30 years in the UK and even though they are full on Aussies who went back and forth every year they are really, really, really disappointed with actually living there.

I have no beef with Australia as a place to visit, probably one of the greatest countries in the world to stay extended vacations, but as to live there no way Jose. I always love it there, but it isn't exactly the most the culturally exciting place. Maybe I'm biased because when you fly from London to Brisbane or Sydney they seem pretty dam parochial. In a nice way of course, but hardly somewhere I'd want to be learning a trade like architecture. After a month or two I usually just get so sick of the place I want to go home, but then again most of my family are now Churchy people and down right annoying at times.

This is all relative to Spain (well outside the ex-pat costa-del-OAP) of course. And as far as Architecture goes lets face it place like Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Sevilla, etc can't be beat. Plus you have all of europe on your doorsteep instead of a massive ocean and New Zealand. I'm sure there are far more exciting employment prospects in Spain.

I would say adjusting to Australia would be much easier, common language and culturally Australia is basically homogenizing with America and South East Asia a lot so is less an idependant culture like it used to be years ago. Spain would be more difficult, but probably more rewarding.

[Robbied_216]

Ok, so my wife is from TN, and we frequently visit the USA, however in this season of life, we're planted in Sydney. There is never ending great things about Australia, and particularly Sydney I could tell you about. I like to think of Sydney as being similar to Southern California, just less people. The climate and landscape has alot of similarities. Australia is a more expensive place to live generally speaking, but the salaries are higher, and people don't work off tips. I guess to weigh it out, I'll tell you some things that Australia doesn't have that you'd want to know about. No 24 department stores, this includes Walmart, Super Target etc. No where near as many places to eat out, or fast food. Cars are way more expensive generally. It's cheaper to buy most gear from the USA and have it sent then it is to buy locally alot of the time. No Guitar Centre. And living in Sydney there is way too many toll roads. We don't have that wicked transportation I frastructure called "interstates". There's more, but typing ony iPhone is painful.
If I can be so bold to say, probably one of the things that American's need to adjust to is the culture difference.
If you are serious about coming and checking the place out, hit me up and I can show you around Sydney. I'm well familiarized with doing the highlights as we are always hosting Americans when my wires family and friends come and visit.
If you have any question's, shout out.

[olewichita]

never been to australia but spain is an incredible country... probably my favorite country in europe... i'd say leave anglo culture behind you for a while and immerse yourself into the the rich, hospitable and exotic euro-latin-roman culture... you might never want to go back... tj

[Mr.Reed]

Well both of these places feature "screen architecture" but much different than the screens of Germany and other "cold places." The need for the screen has drivin' the architecture in these places and it's creating many cool things. As far as residential and you typical glass tower... no thanks, most architects find that stuff garbage (and more often than not Architects aren't involved in those structures, a shame really). I'm more into multi-family housing and public spaces; there seems to be a slight freedom in design with public spaces and multi-family housing offers the challenge of providing homes for the future.

[polishcomedy]

For those of you who, not whom. Whom follows a preposition, but in this case of refers to you, not those. Take out "of you" and you have "For those who". You wouldn't say "For those whom".

[Joe-Bob]

I thought Perth was an amazing place when I went in 1981, but I can see how it would be a little bit isolated...from the entire rest of the planet. Still, I loved it when I was there.

[Mr.Reed]

Originally Posted by polishcomedy

For those of you who, not whom. Whom follows a preposition, but in this case of refers to you, not those. Take out "of you" and you have "For those who". You wouldn't say "For those whom".

could care less

[RodeoTex]

Wow, my daydream is to move back to Lake Stevens.

[outbreak]

If going to australia, i suggest buying guitars before moving here we seem to have most of our guitars more expensive once you make adjustments for exchange rates.

[upinthemteles]

Originally Posted by Mr.Reed

could care less

Ah, I believe you mean "couldn't care less"

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Originally Posted by upinthemteles

Ah, I believe you mean "couldn't care less"

Maybe. He cared enough to reply. If he couldn't care less he would've ignored it.

[Mr.Reed]

I could try to care less, I cared that he had to enter a thread based on a grammatical error that most people probably don't know about and correct me while still failing to provide any relevant information on the questions asked... he also was very cold about it.



RodeoTex; I'm currently in Pullman and don't get to see Lake Stevens very often... I want to go back as well. I'm looking at foreign countries because I want to see the world while I'm "young" and I'd like the experience in a foreign firm. Often times the procedure in which things come to is much different than here in the US... Basically it looks good to go overseas and work then come back here, but is also easier to get a job in overseas (or over oceans for those of you care that it's not a sea) firms because of the search for different styles.

[RodeoTex]

Well good luck to you where ever you end up Mr. Reed. I was accepted to Texas Tech as an architectural student back in the early 80s but finances didn't allow it.

Let us know where you end up.

[Mr.Reed]

Dang, that is still a nice school. I'm hoping it all works out, I'm struggling with concept to form right now, despite being quite gifted with creating aesthetics. Just seems like when I push my concept through my aesthetic engine it just comes out weird... Thanks again for all the info guys, it's been helpful. It seems like I'll just have to go to both and enjoy them each for about a month before I'm done with school.

[Robbied_216]

Originally Posted by Mr.Reed

It seems like I'll just have to go to both and enjoy them each for about a month before I'm done with school.

As I said, when you get to Australia, if you need someone to show you around Sydney, hit me up!

[Clive Hugh]

Western Australia - the place that's kept the rest of Australia from going down the financial toilet like the rest of the world. Where I live the financial crisis is something you read about in the papers or watch on the TV.

[Nick JD]

Originally Posted by Clive Hugh

Western Australia - the place that's kept the rest of Australia from going down the financial toilet like the rest of the world. Where I live the financial crisis is something you read about in the papers or watch on the TV.

Same here, Clive.

Over the past eight years, there's only been one quarter, one three-month period, where the economy has gone backwards.

We've got 0.6% growth ATM. No recession here!