Martyna Lesisz on the Reality of Studying Architecture

Ola Skorupa

23 of September '26

Fundamenty Podcast #72

Martyna Lesisz —"
" podcast #72 from the "Fundamenty" series

This episode and the entire series are also available on SoundCloud and Spotify:

How to Prepare for Architecture School? How much time does studying take, what expenses should you expect, and why are public speaking skills just as important as design? Martyna Lesisz from the Lodz University of Technology talks about her experiences starting college and the changes that occur over the years.

Preparing for college starts with drawing

Martyna had been thinking about studying architecture even before she started college, but she put off deciding how to prepare for a long time. The biggest hurdle was drawing. She didn’t feel confident in this area and feared that her skills wouldn’t be sufficient either during the admissions process or later in college.

Eventually, she decided to start a drawing course two years before the exams. The beginning wasn’t easy. During her first classes, she compared her work to that of other students and feared she wouldn’t be able to close the skill gap.

At first, she viewed drawing primarily as a chore. Over time, however, as she moved on to more advanced assignments, she began to see the results of her earlier work on the basics. Thanks to this, when tackling more difficult drawings, she was able to spend less time on setting the perspective and more on details and elements that made her work stand out. This experience also shaped her approach to exams. Instead of focusing solely on getting the basics right, it’s worth setting aside time for elements that can give your work a personal touch.

When preparing for the admissions process, Martyna pays attention to the differences between universities. Drawing exams can vary in technique, format, topics, or how the task is presented. Some universities require color drawings, while others focus on pencil drawings. The form of the prompt itself can also vary—from a short sentence to a detailed description. That’s why it’s worth carefully checking the requirements of a specific university before you start preparing. This allows you to tailor your practice to the actual exam you’ll need to pass.

The First Weeks in Architecture School

The start of college involves not only a heavy workload but also a change in lifestyle. College requires a different level of organization than previous stages of education, and adjusting to this new way of learning can be one of the first challenges. Martyna recalls, above all, the sheer volume of assignments and the time needed to complete them. The first semester also turned out to be different from her earlier expectations of studying architecture. A lot of time was spent on scale models and hand-drawn work.

Projects were regularly revised, and as concepts changed, it was often necessary to modify the models as well. In various classes, new assignments requiring cutting, redrawing, or building models kept coming up. This also entails additional expenses. Foam, cardboard, sticks, Bristol board, and other materials needed to make models become a regular part of a student’s budget. According to Martyna, it’s important to be aware of these costs even before starting college.

The first year combines creative classes with science courses. Students learn the basics of design and develop ways of thinking that, in subsequent years, become a natural part of the design process. At the same time, they begin studying subjects such as math and physics.

The curriculum also introduces students to their first digital tools, such as AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, and SketchUp. At the beginning, however, drawing remains the most important way to present a project. Students are still learning the software, so projects do not need to be presented immediately using advanced models or visualizations.

In subsequent semesters, the situation changes. 3D models and visualizations become important ways to communicate concepts. Martyna points out that good visualization allows you to effectively present a project and make the audience take notice of it more quickly. That’s why it’s worth developing software skills so that the tools don’t limit your ability to showcase your own concept.

Projects are becoming increasingly complex

First-year projects are relatively short and numerous. Their purpose is to familiarize students with various aspects of architecture and the fundamentals of design. In subsequent semesters, projects become larger and more elaborate. Real-world sites come into play, and with them the need to account for a greater number of constraints. Among other things, students learn how to conduct site visits and analyze a location before beginning work on a concept.

The way classes are conducted also changes. In the first year, feedback sessions are more frequent and shorter, and the instructor may approach a student several times during a single class. In later years, there are more individual feedback sessions, and students spend less time on campus, though they still must devote a lot of time to preparing their projects.

Architecture also requires public speaking

One aspect of the program that initially surprised Martyna was the number of public presentations. Even before starting her studies, she did not feel comfortable presenting in front of others.

However, presenting projects is a constant part of architectural education. As early as the first class, students may present their concepts to the entire group. In subsequent years, project presentations often take place before a committee of instructors.

These presentations are not just about showing the finished work. Instructors ask about the design process, the decisions made, and the details of the solution. Students must therefore not only prepare a project but also be able to explain it and justify the solutions they’ve chosen.

Architecture studies combine many different fields. On the one hand, they require creative work; on the other, they demand technical knowledge and the ability to use digital tools. Added to this are models, drawing, presentations, and science courses. Working on a wide variety of projects helps develop creative thinking and gradually explore new areas of architecture. At the same time, before beginning your studies, it’s important to be aware of the amount of time you’ll need to devote to preparing projects, as well as the costs associated with materials and tools.