Architectural software including AutoCAD is crucial for the digital design of buildings and interiors. Architecture students need to be able to build, design and construct using those programs. The ability to leverage digital design tools is also necessary for the students to build their own dream house or to realize building designs inside their heads. However, their major curriculum does not cover a variety of architectural design programs, so they have to learn some of the programs by themselves. There is a club named “Mouse” whereby seniors transfer their knowledge about software and share their skills with their juniors in the School of Architecture. The Chonnam Tribune interviewed the club members and listened to their stories about improving their abilities through extracurricular activities.

What kind of activities does Mouse do?

Kim Yeong-beom: The main activity of our club is seniors teaching their juniors about digital design programs which we cannot learn in the regular curriculum, mainly during the vacation. We have to handle six or seven programs proficiently on the basis of AutoCAD to develop drawings that represent buildings. We need to be able to use various design software to work on 3D modeling such as SketchUp, Rhino 3D, Revit Architecture, and even rendering programs to make 3D modeling work more realistic including Lumion and Twinmotion. Other graphic programs are needed in order to make a panel for explaining our architectural designs. Our club offers classes that allow us to study and use those software packages while doing major-related assignments.

What is the most impressive experience you’ve had while participating in your club activities?

Park Ye-jin: When I created my architectural design panel by using digital programs for the first time this year. During this process, I used the Photoshop program by myself based on the information and techniques that I learned through the club activities. Even though it was a digital panel that I had never heard about in class, I was able to finish the assignment by the deadline without wasting my time having to acquire the basics. It was so helpful and I want to pass on this practical knowledge to my juniors as my seniors did.

What was the most difficult thing while joining the club?

Kim Yeong-beom: I think this year is the hardest time ever because of COVID-19. As face to face meetings were banned, we could not gather in a classroom and continue our classes on campus as before. I knew that the classes were very important for freshmen, so we started to use Zoom for teaching and learning digital design tools. Because it was not familiar, the quality and communicability of the classes decreased. But everyone has been very active trying to learn the programs and I think we are moving in the right direction.

What can you get from the club activities?

Yang Ye-ji: Since the club activities contain necessary content for my major, it supports me in various situations like when I take major classes and do assignments. Acquiring details about operations or learning to use shortcut keys help to improve my study skills as well. We can learn more about design and other things that we are interested in because of these classes during the vacation period. Watching seniors’ work in the club class is also an important motivational factor, which gave me the idea that I want to make a better quality architecture design.

Do you have any advice for the students who want to join Mouse?

Paik In-yeob: Through our club activities, you can learn about practical technology that is usable for the projects you are going to do as an architecture student. I believe that there are lots of difficulties while you take online classes since you cannot deal with some problems on your own. I want to teach those kinds of things to you guys directly based on my experiences. So, come to Mouse and study with our members together.

* Mouse was founded in March 1992 to study the cutting-edge technology related to digital architectural design programs that cannot be learned from the major curriculum. After that, the club seniors started to convey the acquired information to their juniors, and it became the club as we know now. The club name has the following meaning: “Let us challenge ourselves to embody the creativity of infinite architecture by making something out of nothing with a ‘mouse’ click.”

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Kim Yeong-beom, Senior, School of Architecture
Park Ye-jin, Junior, School of Architecture
Yang Ye-ji, Sophomore, School of Architecture
Paik In-yeob, Fifth Year, School of Architecture

By Jo Ye-rin, Student Editor