Architecture is more than just a space, it has the power to make our lives more pleasant and beautiful. This blog post explores how.
I’m an architecture student, majoring in architectural engineering, which is the study of building construction, structure, and the environment. However, I have not studied architectural engineering in depth, and I am more interested in design, i.e., architecture centered on design, and (interior and exterior) architectural design than architectural engineering. Therefore, I would like to introduce myself by relating the characteristics of “architecture” (建築), which includes both architecture (design) and architectural engineering, to my personality.
From a young age, I’ve always had an unusually strong appreciation for the cool and beautiful. I remember trying to make everything I did look good, cool, and different from everyone else, which is why I find pleasure in decorating and making things look beautiful, from the clothes I wear to the rooms I live in. This drive for beauty and uniqueness led me to the field of architecture. Architecture is more than just building structures, it’s the artistic creation of spaces.
As the saying goes, “A garage is a building, and a cathedral is a piece of architecture. Architecture aims for beauty and aesthetic impressions, and every moment it attempts to create something new, something different from what has come before. The act of architecture, creating a space for people to see and feel beauty, is something I enjoy and find rewarding because, as I said before, I am always in pursuit of style and trying to express my own identity.
In addition, architecture has been with mankind for a long time and is related to the ‘state’ in the ritual state, which is a basic element of human life. It is often said that architecture is a “vessel that resembles human life,” and its function is to provide an optimized living environment for humans so that they can live a comfortable, pleasant, and safe life. I’ve always wanted to be a scientist since I was a kid. Like Edison and the Wright brothers, I wanted to create inventions that would make our lives easier and improve our quality of life. Now that I’m studying architecture, I’m able to fulfill that social dream by creating convenient and useful spaces to make people’s lives more pleasant.
Building a building is not something that an architect does alone; it is a collaboration between architects and experts in various fields such as construction, electricity, drainage, firefighting, and telecommunications. It is through the constant communication of these people and the process of integrating their abilities that a building is born. I like activities that involve many people and communication more than activities that I do alone. So I like to do sports where I’m competing with a team of people rather than competing against myself, against a record, because sometimes the synergy that you can create with a group of people is something that you can never achieve on your own. I also like to meet people and interact with them and learn from their different experiences, from their different lives. In an increasingly specialized and compartmentalized society, where a lack of communication is becoming an issue, I think this trait will be a competitive advantage in many fields, including the architecture industry.
I didn’t always have my heart set on architecture, and I’m still not sure if I want to go into this field, but as you can see from the above, I think it’s a good fit for me. Architecture is not just a technology, it is an art that is directly related to people’s lives, and I am fascinated by that.
My major, architectural engineering, is divided into three main areas. Structural design, which studies the safe design and construction of buildings, construction, which studies the technology that enables buildings to be constructed as designed, and built environment, which studies light, sound, and heat in buildings. Among them, I plan to study structural design, which deals with domes, arches, and truss structures. At the same time, I plan to challenge myself with interior architectural design, including designing architectural structures. The history of architecture is already about 5,000 years old, so it’s hard to come up with new, innovative structures, and it may seem ridiculous that I, an engineering student with no design education, would dare to do so. However, my small goal is to upgrade the structures that are currently in use and create a structure that I will call my own.
In studying architecture, I am learning a lot, not just from theoretical knowledge, but from the hands-on experience of actually building something with my hands. I believe that a complete architectural education is only achieved when theory and practice are combined. I also get a lot of inspiration from visiting different buildings and analyzing the work of different architects. All of these experiences are a great asset to me and will help me in my future architectural endeavors.
I will continue to explore architecture and grow through new challenges. Architecture is not just a study for me, it is an important part of life, and I want to provide people with a better living environment through it. With this goal, I will continue to carve my own path in the field of architecture.
