By: Applicant37
Subject:
Two roads diverged1 in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost-
Have you ever taken the road less traveled? When you drive home from work, do you ever explore? Sure, it might take longer than usual, and there may be unpleasant stops along the way, but occasionally you will find an unexpected surprise. By casting aside strict conventions and routines and by taking risks, we can achieve things we never considered or thought possible.
I find that many people in our religiously capitalist society only seek the fastest, cheapest, and most efficient route. While some industries hire to increase diversity and thereby2 innovation, many dare not attempt anything new. In particular, many established architects and developers fear taking chances and fear the risk of failure inherent in untested methods. I, on the other hand, believe that architects must not feel constrained3 by the past but must follow-up on promising4 possibilities.
Exploring undiscovered methods and paths requires self-criticism, self-assurance, and courage. In my junior year in college, I doubted the teaching style of my instructor5 in my first design studio class. I felt as if he pushed his own rigid6 ideas into the students’ creations and did not allow the students the opportunity to pursue their own original designs. Fearing my intellectual growth might be stunted7 by his lectures and dissatisfied with his teaching, I basically taught myself design by researching and combing through hundreds of architecture books. Through my own studies, I came to realize that architecture should be learned, not preached. That semester, I further challenged myself by working on a design of my own creation, a design not assigned by my instructor. While it would have been easier to accept the instructor’s lessons and just follow his ideas, I realized that I could never take the easy way again now that I discovered that the beauty of architecture lies in learning it myself. That semester helped formulate8 my approach towards architecture and influence my design decisions to this day.
Although self-motivation is extremely important, seeking the guidance and critique of others is essential to good design since others can find what I may have overlooked. One critic who has been particularly crucial to the development of my work is Craig Scott, a Progressive Architecture Awards Winner in 1996,who worked together with Homa Fardjadi and Sima Fardjadi. Craig was my studio critic during the spring term of 1997. His instruction helped me achieve a level of design that I could not have attained9 from books alone. Of greatest importance, he taught me a combination of methodology and theory to the process of creating designs. He taught me to begin with a simple conceptual spatial10 model, then add site context and programmatic concerns to create an integrated building. The application of a methodology to the design process made my work more structured and rigorous than before.
In Craig’s studio, I designed a furniture workshop for downtown
I plan to continue my studies at the graduate school level to have the opportunity to interact and share knowledge with students who are as focused and excited about architecture as I am. I have visited Harvard Graduate School of Design several times, and each time I left impressed and enlightened by the variety and complexity15 of the students work. The work I saw at GSD had that same element of innovation and freshness that I strive for, the one that goes beyond the ordinary path. I want to be an explorer and to face challenges that I can solve with sheer will and creativity.
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Essay Number: 1054 - Posted on: Mar16 31, 1999 Expires on: May 1, 2005 CollegeGate LLC * CollegeGate LLC *
By:
Subject:
Since the release of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in the
This tendency to blindly solve environmental problems without understanding the full complexity of the problem was evident in the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent mandate22 that Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether be a required ingredient in gasoline formulas with the goal of increasing combustion23 efficiency. A fuel oxygenate, MTBE enhances the octane in gasoline and decreases carbon monoxide emission24 by increasing burning efficiencies. In its haste to declare MTBE as a required ingredient in gasoline, the EPA failed to consider a basic chemical property of MTBE and its long-term effects upon the environment. Because MTBE is highly water-soluble, it dissolves in water, leading to higher concentrations of MTBE in many lakes in the California Sierra Nevada mountains and in many groundwater supplies. Hence, by addressing only one component25 of a system separately, the EPA failed to see the ramifications26 of our apparent solution. This myopic27 approach to environmental remediation commonly subverts28 our good intentions to solve environmental problems and demonstrates a lack of understanding of how inter-related systems work. It is my goal to aid in our understanding of environmental pollution on a global scale by not only researching the fate and transport of contaminants, but also by analyzing29 how our current philosophies and policies affect these problems. By applying an interdisciplinary approach to both the specific scientific and technical aspects of a problem and by thoroughly30 analyzing social and cultural factors, I believe I can more effectively in analyze31 the true extent of our pollution problem and help to determine an appropriate response.
In preparation for this work, my undergraduate degree in environmental studies has provided me with a solid foundation in both the sciences and state and federal environmental policy. My undergraduate emphasis in hazardous32 materials has given me a broad knowledge of the types of chemical releases common in both developed and undeveloped countries and their chemical and physical effects upon the environment. Through graduate and post-graduate research, I hope to further enhance this knowledge by studying the effects of chemicals commonly used in industry cycles on specific environmental compartments33 such as bay wetlands and partitioning to other compartments such as XXXX. In my graduate study, I would also like to expand my undergraduate study of environmental law by increasing my knowledge of the law to the area of land use and its relationship to contaminant fate and transport.
In addition to my academic background, I believe that my work experience will also play a key role in helping34 me find success in my graduate and post-graduate studies. For the last ten years I have held a number of management positions in business. While these positions have not specifically related to environmental work, the experience has provided me with invaluable35 insight into how both large and small companies operate. The perspective of business management is badly needed in the environmental field where time and again we discover that environmental compliance36 can best be achieved by understanding business practices and tailoring compliance measures so that companies can remain profitable and be environmentally responsible.
In addition to understanding the perspectives of business management, my work experience has provided me with other skills that will contribute to my success in the graduate program. In 1986,I founded a retail37 product/services company, Bay Area Audio, which specialized38 in commercial media center design and installation. As the company’s president over a six-year period, I was responsible for managing all aspects of operations, including marketing39 and customer relations. This experience provided me with the opportunity to conduct market research to cultivate new customers, engage in media relations, grow profitability while maintaining budget accountability, and manage large groups of people. As a result of the marketing campaigns that I developed, revenues increased from $
In 1991,I sold my interest in Bay Area Audio to gain experience in the high-technology sector41. Since 1991,I have held a number of management positions for computer hardware and software companies. This experience has been invaluable in providing me the opportunity to be involved in leading edge Internet software technology. As the main purpose of the Internet and internet-related software is to enhance communications, I have played a key role in developing products that provide people with one of today’s most valuable resources - information. Working in this market has also given me the opportunity to manage large software projects involving dozens of people. Of particular relevance42 to my pursuit of post-graduate environmental studies, is my experience developing global scale corporate43 websites for companies such as Silicon44 Graphics45, UltraTech Stepper, and Philips Semiconductors46. These projects involved working closely with the particular company’s environmental, health, and safety departments to effectively communicate health and safety information to thousands of employees. I believe that the Internet will be an invaluable tool in both the research and implementation47 of environmental solutions and that my experience in the computer field will prove invaluable towards this end.
In conclusion, I believe that I have much to offer
