A couple of weeks ago, I wrote the blog entry, “What happens during the architecture school admission interview?. It was written from an interviewer’s perspective, and this time around, it came from an interviewee himself/herself.  It is written in the most honest and funny way how he/she went through the whole admission processes to “packaging oneself into the intelligent, talented, likable, and ideal candidate for admissions.” Below is the account of what he/she went through….   

Without a doubt, this past month was the most important and stressful time of my life so far: important because the work I was putting into my architecture school application could make or break my dream of getting into my number one arch school; stressful because I was pulling all nighters to finish up my portfolio, talking to the mirror to prepare for my interview, filling out pages of application forms and living off of Red Bull. This process was frustrating and difficult in almost every aspect. I faced the challenge of summarizing my entire life on a few pieces of paper. I had to choose a small selection of works from the mountains of sketches and boxes of acrylic pieces of mine from the past 9 years. I made sure that each and every single one of my selections had to show my technical abilities, my artistic style, my ideas, and who I am. I tried to think of every question that an alumni interviewer could ask me and planned out answers that were thoughtful and sophisticated. In short, I spent the past month packaging myself into the intelligent, talented, likable, and ideal candidate for admissions.

Last night, I pressed the submit button of my CommonApp. It was finally over. As I think back to this application process, I realized that the dark circles and buckets of sweat were well worth it. This process was more than just putting together the perfect image of myself for the admissions committee. Rather, it was a journey for me to discover for myself who I am. As I was preparing my art portfolio, I had the chance to look at everything from my first freehand sketch to the acrylic piece that I completed just a few days ago. I saw for myself how much I improved, developed, and changed technically and stylistically; how my works grew from simple sketches of rectangular prisms to acrylic pieces that reflect my fascination with traditional Chinese architecture. As I was preparing for my alumni interview, I forced myself to answer questions like “why architecture?”, “why art?”, and “What made you who you are today” and “who will you be in the future?”.

In the end, only a few of the questions I prepared actually came up on the interview, and I’m still not sure whether or not my portfolio will impress the admissions committee enough to get an offer of admission. However, I know that my hard work has already been paid back because the process allowed me to truly discover for myself my strengths, my weaknesses, who I really am, and who I want to be in the future. And to me, that is most important. 

One of the most surprising and enjoyable “life outside of the office” activities happen in the fall each year:  interviewing students for architecture school admission process. The decision to get involved with the admission interview process has been an accidental one:  while being the president of Cornell Alumni Club in Toronto a few years ago, I met many capable students who were contemplating a different career path which they were eager to speak to older Cornell graduates about. One day, I was contacted by an undergraduate student who was interested in the graduate architecture program, and asked for a meeting to get some advices on her future education. I was impressed with her initiative and resourcefulness….I had to meet her. After the meeting with the student, I made the decision to get involved with the official admission interview process. 

The idea of meeting students through admission interviews, who essentially want to pursue the same career(life?) direction as I had done long time ago was definitely an intriguing one. I had often described my first-year architecture school education to military training….yes, the military training!!! I used to joke with my classmates that whoever produce the best project in a class was the one who had slept the least or probably not slept at all!!!  

Besides the “necessary” advice on the importance of architecture school work like the military training, there were also other typical questions such as “what made you to be interested in studying architecture?” “any related courses you are taking right now”? etc. One interesting conclusion I can draw from meeting these students is that they are all unique in their own ways. Some of the students truly impressed me with their detailed preparation work before coming to the interview. Others were eager to interview me to find as much as possible about making the right decisions for their future. They were ready to tackle the interviews as well as the interviewer! 

I had enjoyed asking and answering questions to “future architects” for the last three years, and decided to complement the experience by asking the students about their personal feelings. I wanted to learn about their own experience in their own words. In fact, I had many questions that can be only answered from student’s perspective: what the student was thinking before, during and after the interview? What would they talk to their friends about? What would be their advice for their friends? What would they do differently or the same way for preparing the admission process, including the interview? Lots of questions….I decided to go to the source (one of the students I had interviewed) to write his or her own feelings throughout the process in a most candid way. 

She/He came back with very honest and funny notes…stay tuned for the next blog entry to find out.   

Visiting the art gallery space reminds me the time I was a student at the architecture school years ago: big white walls with paintings, people mulling over each works, making comments about the works. Although this blog is about “life outside of the office,” it is not easy to see and experience outside of office life without having my “architect glasses” on. 

Attending the recent art gallery exhibit was a good example of seeing things with my “architect glasses.” After getting introduced to the art pieces in the main gallery, I saw a narrow staircase in the center of the opposite wall. Although, it was a small stair, but it was located in the center of the wall, it was difficult to ignore it. I assumed the stair was to get to a non-art exhibit space: storage, utility closet, bathrooms, etc. Since I assumed the area above the stair to be a utility space, I did not bother to walk up which other visitors seem to assume as well. 

When the gallery owner had asked me if I saw the other exhibit in the other space above the stair,  that was when I realized I had missed the whole entire exhibit at the same gallery!!!  The space above the staircase was much more inviting space then the lower one:  some small windows to let the light in, clean white wall surface with paintings without any other distractions. While I was sitting down in front of one particular painting on the upper side of gallery, it occurred to me that the way to improve this gallery exhibit is to come up with a way to resolve the interruption between the lower gallery space and the upper one. That’s it! Fix the ONE WALL which is going to open up the whole gallery space. 

People often make assumptions that renovation works to be time-consuming and expensive;  however, at this gallery space, I only see one major problem that can be easily updated with coming up with a creative way to resolve the wall/stair between two gallery spaces.   

I am a creature of habit:  waking up at the same time, ordering the same dishes at the restaurants, using the same machines at the gym, selecting the same color for the work folders….I am sure you get the picture.

Apparently, I am that same habit creature when it comes to method of public transportation: subway. More correctly, it is the same subway exits. The couple of weeks ago, I got off at the subway station, Queens Park, and instead of taking my “one and only exit” on the RIGHT side, I somehow ventured into unknown territory:  exit on the LEFT side!  It must have been the craziness of seeing the Christmas shopping list, shopping bags on my hands, trying to handle coffee cup in one hand (with the shopping bag)……

Then I saw IT!:  huge panel of red shiny tiles, airy space filled with light, people coming down into subway basement looking very happy(was it my imagination?). When I looked up and saw the unexpectedness of red tiles on the one side of the wall, glass panels at the top of the landing to let the light in, and all seemingly different elements tied together with clean lines of concrete stairs in the middle seem to work together well. It almost feels like the time when you put together an outfit with seemingly unrelated clothes, and the result is the outfit somehow works! This subway station worked for me like the perfect outfit!

We tend to walk faster inside of subway stations: There is not much to do and not much to see. The importance of “to see” is a huge factor in my own life. I realize that the reason for my “speed walk exercise” only at the subway stations was due to my aversion towards dark space, and wanting to get out  and  see the sun ASAP.  On the day, I “ran into” the unexpected red wall at the subway enhanced with daylight pouring in just made my day! With too many Christmas shopping bags on both hands, I somehow did not even mind walking up to the “stair of light.”

What is your favorite project?

I get this question a lot whenever I meet someone who learns that I am an architect. Of course, I start with that politically correct, but uninteresting response of “all projects have things that make them interesting….So it is difficult to pick one particular favorite project. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited with other architects to learn about the possible renovation project for an art gallery. While walking through the gallery armed with note pad/pen trying to record all the program requirements from the client, I had a “eureka” moment. It took me back to the time when I had to answer that “what is your favorite project” question. It occurred to me that there is such a thing as a “favorite project”, and it has been little to do with the size, budget or even the stage of the project; however, it has to do with “figuring out” the project and coming up with the possible solution that responds to that particular project in the most creative and aesthetic way.  

While all of us were trying to jot down the “problems” of existing gallery conditions, such as art classes being used as a storage space due to unusable condition, I also happen to notice in the corner of the room with art easels with unfinished art works displayed. They were the works of students who were taking art classes at the gallery. Visualizing the usage of the space was a wonderful discovery I had not anticipated before coming to the gallery, and they were possible due to chance seeing the student art works. 

The decision of selecting the architect for the project has not been made….However, it feels as if the design process of this particular project has miraculously started on its own. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the chance to exercise that solution!  

From this gallery visit, I learned the imaginative way of thinking about that important “What is your favorite project” question: they do not have to be completed/built/in your face building permit received” stage, but they can also start at the moment where one happens to see unfinished art works in a neglected space. 

What is your favorite project in your life?   

my sketch book

PART 3: To create:

To complete an architecture project from the beginning to the end, there are many different stages that go into the whole process: design, collaboration (many different consultants such as engineers), and construction.  These stages can be interrupted with numerous changes and updates that need be constantly resolved throughout the project.  As a result, the final built project may not look like how it started with an initial sketch, but something that looks entirely different.  Despite the visual difference, the process of getting to the successful built project comes from one coherent idea that stays on throughout the project.

I suspect creating a blog involves a similar, if not the same process I deal with constantly at my work setting:  coming up with an idea for the project, sharing/analyzing the idea, and seeing the final outcome (in the case of this blog, getting feedback from people).

These are my TOP THREE lists for answering the why question to starting the blog.  What about your lists?

PART 2:  To Improve:   I do not enjoy writing.  In fact, the word, “HATE” would be better to describe the exact feeling I have when I have to think about start writing for any tasks: project proposals, recommendation letters, emails!  Yes, even the short and concise business emails, therefore I use bullet points extensively to describe what needs to be said in my emails.  Of course, bullet points without explanations can be confusing and time consuming since these short emails have be explained further by additional emails back and forth or even the phone calls are needed.

With this strong affinity towards using bullet points, it is surprising to select this blog platform, word press, rather than the visual platforms such as tumbler.  Being a visual person in a creative profession, I find working with images so much easier than the words. It is not clear how I became as a visual person- was it due to my profession? Or due to genuine interest in everything visual?  Whatever the reasons and rules happen to be, the need to improve the writing skills became urgent.