Intro and Background
Hi! My name is Taylor and I am a senior majoring in Urban Studies and minoring in German. I am interested in urban design and the effects of the built environment on quality of life. Most of the classes I have taken thus far have been sociology-based, so I am looking forward to taking a more technical and creative class to help me to apply prior knowledge and to portray ideas more tangibly.
Experience
Two summers ago I worked with a architecture team at a Exponex--a convention installation and interior design firm in Czechia—to redesign and revitalize the main square of a small mountain village in the Czech Rep. During my time at the firm, I also taught myself the basic functions of Archicad and created a few simple designs. My experience with construction and architecture software however begins and ends with my beginner-level skills in Archicad. This past summer I worked at the FinEst Centre in Estonia, which is an international research and development firm for ‘Smart Cities’. Though my work there was interesting, it was all research based and not technical whatsoever.
Interest in the Course and Goals
As a (hopeful) future urban planner, I know that I don’t need a complete technical understanding or knowledgeability in building construction (I’ll leave that the the civil engineers). However, I think that being able to depict and visualize design ideas would be very beneficial when envisioning future projects that have to do with modifying the built-form. I also know that I will likely be working/consulting with licensed architects and developers and think that having a understanding of the design processes they follow will allow for more efficient communication and successful partnerships.
