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Admission Essay for Architecture
My application to study architecture at your university originates from my desire to learn at one of the best institutions of higher education in the world and also from my personal ambition to emulate my grandfather who was an architect. My grandfather was an architect who designed and built his family house in Nairobi. He was very proud of the accomplishment that he regularly talks about it. However, when the post-election violence began in 2007, the house was demolished by attackers. His attempts to rebuild the house were cut short by his death in 2008. Watching the connection my grandfather had with his house and how he was proud of his career, I was hugely inspired and motivated to scale similar or even higher heights in the architectural world. My ambitions to pursue a career in architecture were initially cut short due to the trauma caused by my grandfather’s death, but now I am ready to continue with the education to realize my dreams.
In the pursuit to become an architect, I have also been inspired by the distinctive national identity of some building sites. For example, a house can tell the cultures of people who reside in it, the time of its construction, and the way a specific social functions (Mihaila 566). From this perspective, I see a home as the capsule in which people live, work, and socialize not just a projection of bricks and mortar. As an aspiring architect, I regularly find myself pondering ways to make people’s lives better both practically and aesthetically. My architectural dreams also ensue from my great passion for art, appreciation for architecture, and the yearning to be one of the people who create changing skylines of cities around the world. As Christopher Wren once said, ‘the aim of Architecture is eternity’, I believe that developing buildings of tomorrow while preserving the ideas of today will be my way of achieving eternity.
Since my childhood, I was always passionate about all forms of art from buildings to photographs. I see art as a way of appreciating diverse cultures and reflecting on extrinsic lifestyles (Benslimane and Biara 1251). Art can help me to immerse myself in other languages and cultures. For instance, as I move from Nairobi to a new country, I am able to capture images of various cultures and designs through sketches and photos that I gather. Therefore, I see it as once in a lifetime opportunity to combine my love for art and design.
Over the last two years, I have had an opportunity to work at an architectural firm as a junior architect where I have been able to solo design two projects. Through my work experience, I have come to acknowledge that architecture provides a special linkage between imagination and creativity as well as reality and the world of dreams. I have learned that projects arise from more than one single idea and people. In this case, a successful architect must extensively communicate with a team that comprises engineers, contractors, consultants, and craftsmen (Ettehad, Azeri, and Kari 412).
If I succeed in my architectural studies, I will be happy to have acquired a profession that is my hobby, way of life, passion and I will be able to continue with my grandfather’s work. I will also add value and beauty to society in a technological era where most buildings are constructed using steel and glass. Finally, I intend to introduce a particular sophistication to the society where peace, tranquillity, and beauty coalesce.
Works Cited
Benslimane, Nawal, and Ratiba W. Biara. "The urban sustainable structure of the vernacular city and its modern transformation: A case study of the popular architecture in the Saharan Region." Energy Procedia 157 (2019): 1241-1252. Print.
Ettehad, Sheida, Amir R. Azeri, and Ghazaleh Kari. "The Role of Culture in Promoting Architectural Identity." European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences3.4 (2014): 410-417. ResearchGate. Web. 18 Feb. 2019.
Mihaila, Marina. "City Architecture as Cultural Ingredient." Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 149 (2014): 565-569. Print.
