From Idea to Reality: A Four-Year Architectural Adventure

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As I approach my last semester, it’s astonishing realize that I have only one semester remaining to complete my degree. The journey began in the Spring of 2020 when the idea of pursuing this path first crossed my mind. Looking back, four years will have passed by the time I graduate. It will have gone from idea to reality: A four-year architectural adventure.

This semester, my time has been primarily dedicated to three main activities:
1) Thesis
2) Portfolio Editing
3) Job Applications

Thesis

My thesis consumes the entirety of my final year, spanning two semesters. Evaluation takes places in May during the presentation and thesis defense. Unlike traditional studio classes, there is no immediate grading and the semester concluded without the typical rush to meet a project deadline. However, this doesn’t mean my thesis work pauses until the spring semester. There is always work that could be done and I hope to make some progress during this break to have something to build off of when I return to school in January. In addition to thesis, I had two classes, next semester I will have three, as well as a 20-hour graduate assistantship at the Global Education Office. It’s a balancing act.

Evolution of My Thesis

Initially, I viewed the year-long thesis as an extended studio experience. One where I would complete a studio project in the Fall and Spring semester and hope that my thesis would emerge. However, as the semester unfolded, I began my thesis in the same way it’s been done, with an idea – a focus on war and architecture – rebuilding after its destruction and a focus on Ukraine. I wanted to do something that was relevant to what was happening in the world. I dove into research exploring different ways of destruction, different ways to reuse buildings, the architectural history of Ukraine; explored ways of rebuilding through the destruction of the three cubes; and used four competitions as design charettes. Now, the focus has shifted a little, the central theme remains rebuilding after war-related destruction, however I am exploring different scales of destruction with different points of view and I am to weave these diverse elements into a cohesive narrative.

Portfolio Editing 

A portfolio is necessary for the architectural job application process. Without it, it wouldn’t be possible to get one. An architectural portfolio is a collection of your best work conveyed through a variety of imagery, text, composition and format. The content of the work is equally as important as how the work is showcased. I started updating my portfolio last Spring. I had one after my first years first semester that I used to get an internship, but none of that material made it into the new one. In the Spring semester I revamped it with a new layout to include my second year’s work. In mid-September, I added my summer studio’s project and worked on adding more content while editing the layout. I met with professors to get their feedback and continued to work on it until November. There’s no template on how to make a portfolio, each one is as individual and unique as the person making it. You can check out my portfolio here. I also hope to have it on my website in the near future.

Job Applications

In response to my summer studio professor’s advice, I began applying for jobs in the Fall to gauge my standing before the career fair in February. It seemed incredibly early to be thinking about jobs as the semester hadn’t even started, however I took it to heart and it’s what initiated my focus on editing my portfolio as well as getting my resume in order. At the end of October, I started an excel sheet of architecture firms in countries that I wanted to work. After about 2.5-3 weeks, I had compiled a list of 153 architecture firms across 14 countries. I also browsed LinkedIn and saved any jobs I came across. After Thanksgiving I started the application process. I wanted to send them out before Christmas, so I set myself a goal of applying to ten a day. On the weekends I exceeded that which allowed me to apply to the firms on my list in thirteen days. Most firms accepted unsolicited applications to an email, requiring a resume, cover letter and portfolio under 10mb, some required going through a portal and others were not hiring. So far, I’ve heard back from a few and they have all been no.

The job market at the moment doesn’t seem great for entry level architects. For a lot of firms, it may be too early to be posting for available positions in May, but at the moment most jobs are mid-level positions that require 6-10 years of experience. Despite this, I remain committed to sending out applications and applying to positions.