Why am I here?
Why am I here? I am here because I am fascinated by the world. I am fascinated by people, nature, inanimate objects, water, the sky, stars, buildings, little things that make clicking noises, big things move, colors, shapes, textures, and sounds. What really made me want to be an architect is my fascination with houses. I have a secret desire (well, not so secret anymore) to see the inside and outside of every house on the planet. But I know that, unfortunately, this would be impossible to do. I love all types of houses. Tiny little ones in the city, cottages by the lake, farm houses, houses in neighborhoods, houses in the country, apartments, big houses, mansions, castles. I also love art. I love to create it. I love to look at it. I love to experience it. And I’m very logical. I like to solve problems and think creatively. All of these things added together equal me attending architecture school to become an architect.
The built environment affects who I am in a couple of ways. To me, every building has a character. Each one affects a person in a different way. They way it looks combined with its function, the type of activities that take place inside of it, the people who occupy it, and they landscaping around it all help determine the buildings personality. For example, Coffman. It is the center of activity on campus. It is a gathering place for students to work on projects and hang out. University wide events are held there. Concerts take place there. It is a hive of activity. It’s a very active, outgoing building. It is very easy to get in to, everyone knows what it is, where it is, and has probably been there. In contrast is Eddy Hall. Most people might know where it is, or at least the general location. I don’t know what happens in there. It is one of the older buildings on campus. I find it to be a quite, shy building that serves a specific purpose, and if someone doesn’t ever need the service it offers, they would never find the need to enter it.
I identify with a particular part of the build environment. Libraries. I love libraries. I worked at one for 2 years. I suppose my personality is similar to that of a library’s. I love books. I read them perhaps more than I should. They take me to faraway places I could never go or can’t go at the present time. Libraries are also generally quiet, but have a buzz of life to them. I am a quiet, shy person, but if you get me talking, I may just sound like a buzz of noise. They are also a social gather place and can hold events. This is the outgoing part of the library. I am a very social person. As much as I love to be alone, I need to be around people. When I’m with the right people, I can become very outgoing.
As for my fascination with houses. I have always loved them. The one of the highlights of my year is the Parade of Homes. I love walking through the houses looking at the new design ideas that have been thought up and the fun ways that the interiors have been decorated. I also have a pretty good spatial memory for houses, and for almost any building for that matter. Once I’ve been inside it and walked around, I can pretty much remember the floor plan of the places I was. Ask me about it a week later, a month later, or even a few years later and I can probably still walk you through it or draw a picture.
And still, how does this all add up to me wanting to be an architect. I feel that the only place that I can combine my strengths—art, logic, creativity—my loves—houses, life, people—and my fascinations—everything. Architecture is an all encompassing field that will let me explore my skills, build on them, work with people, have alone time to sit and think, be creative, give back to the community, and keep my fascinations with life and the world alive.
This is the best I can do to explain why I'm here. I don't know if I can put the rest of it into words that would make any sort of sense.
1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7730590@N08/2268235034/
2. http://www.chihuly.com
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/miqul/431145332/
4. One of my own
5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/h2okatcher/45563687/
6. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7337148@N05/751357047/
7. http://www.voteyes4library.org/
8. Default picture from Windows Vista