What is Architecture for me? Architecture or the study of architecture is defined as the art and science of designing and erecting buildings. This definition is simple to understand. Each architecture student has their own definition to the course they are taking up. Some may define architecture in a broad way, while others give deeper meanings to the word architecture. My definition of Architecture as of this moment has greatly changed. I first thought of an architect as just a designer of a structure. I only thought of the architect as the one who decorates the exterior and interior faces of the building. In my previous school, we weren’t taught about the principles of design, instead, we were just told to copy and redraw everything the teacher has already made for us. We also didn’t have a proper start on the basics of the principles of design. We weren’t taught how to extract the designs and ideas we visualize from our heads, and put all the output on paper. We were just given a finished plate, and then we just had to copy it. It was a bad start for me in that school because I did not know the basic principles of design, and also, it wasn’t up to us to make our own designs yet. Transferring to this school, I learned a lot about the basics of design, how to create and visualize, and how to get an output of it. But through the many subjects that I have taken this term here in De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, I now define an architect as the shadow of an engineer. I do not mean to say that we aren’t that important in the planning and constructing of a structure. We are the opposite of insignificant. WE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM. It’s like you can’t say you’re human if you don’t cast a shadow. For this reason, you can’t say that an engineer is always right with his plan. An engineer still needs an architect to review the plan before having it constructed. An engineer always needs an architect to decide how a building should be made. We are really important to every design that is made by an engineer. I remember in my old school, my teacher would always say that we can’t recruit engineers for our firms, we can only wait until an engineer recruits us then we can all join in one firm. But with this definition, an architect should be able to choose his/her team of interior designers and engineers to create a firm. Another definition I give to architecture is that architecture is the most important part of a construction. The architecture would define how the structure would look like, and how it should be built. Architecture is one of the most important fundamentals of design and construction. Without architecture, a building wouldn’t be complete. Architecture starts with complete planning, and creates impressive designs. These are my definitions of architecture, and being part of it.
What do I like about architecture? What I like about architecture has stayed the same since I started with this course. I still like the thought of having one of my designs, one that I planned from my ideas, be constructed for people to use. I also like the thought of visualizing what I want to create, and later on, see the product of what I have visualized. I also want to share and give to my future clients all the plans and designs that I could think of for them. Having clients to help would also mean that I could help a lot of people during this lifetime, and this is the biggest way of doing it. I also want the challenge of reconstructing the structures our ancestors made in their time that are still standing tall today. I also want to draw structures that are one of a kind. I want to prove to myself and to everybody that I can draw any type of structure that I could think of, and that it will still stand tall even when I’m long gone. But being an architect, or taking up an architecture course wasn’t my dream to start along. I’ve always wanted to become a pilot. I have had this passion of flying since I could remember. My father kept telling me that I should just take up architecture because I also had the talent for drawing. I only got the influence of taking up this course because of my Ninong. My greatest influence in becoming an architecture student is my Ninong, who studied architecture but is not licensed to practice it because he did not take the board exam. The reason why I chose the course of architecture is because I want to finish what he couldn’t finish. If ever I finish architecture and get my license, I would be the first architect in our family (Gutierrez Family), and that would be a great honour. Because I didn’t get any honour awards in High School, I want this to be a way to make my family, especially my dad, proud. My dad was also the one who paid for my Ninong to go to college and take up this course, but he only got a big disappointment when my Ninong wasn’t able to finish. So finishing this course would make this is the biggest way of making my dad proud of me. But when I do finish my course, I would still want to go to aviation school. I still have passion for both drawing and flying. But before going to aviation school, I would earn money from my other future profession, architecture. All of these things that I want to happen in my life, I just want my parents to tell me how proud they are of me. I want to be the best that I can be, to prove to people that I could be a successful person. Architecture could help me accomplish my dreams.
What do I not like about architecture? What I do not like about architecture based on my current situation and what I am experiencing right now is that it is still hard for me to create and put to paper what I visualize in my mind. I know that what I like about architecture is also the reason what I hate about architecture. I still don’t know how to extract this visualization of ideas from my mind. I would always visualize and think of a lot of designs for a building, but I still don’t know how to start drawing it or constructing it. But even though I have this hard time of putting into output when designing, I still have fun planning it. And I know that through out this course, I will be able to develop my skills and be the best that I can be in this course. Another reason that contributes to what I do not like about architecture is the many assignments that are given every week. In my previous school, we were given only two to three (2-3) assignments per week, all of which are easy to do. But here in Benilde, the many assignments given every week would require very deep thinking and analyzing. I admit that I do not know how to manage my time, and this contributes to why I cram for my assignments. Another reason that satisfies the question is the pressure from making designs to present to an architect. I get pressured because I would always think that the architects might not like my design, or they might try to find flaws that would ultimately lead to my downfall. The criticism also contributes to this pressure. I know that the criticisms would help me in my designs in the future, but the thought of being a rookie in this course and not knowing much, and the architects expecting big, doesn’t seem right. Also, what I do not like about architecture is the thought of not having many clients to sell to, or not having any clients who like my style of designing. The biggest fear that I have had since High School is the fear of being rejected. I have been rejected by a lot of people in the past like girls rejecting my courting, people rejecting the personality that I have, and even the answers that I give to questions are being rejected. But all these things are part of High School life. In the future, being rejected by a client because he/she does not want my design is going to be a big hit. The feeling would be like being rejected in life. The thoughts of rejection to make a living, rejection to help people, and even rejection to the future you have been planning all your life clouds my head. Even though I’m still studying architecture, I would think of these things, and it would erase any inspiration that I had before I started this course. Rejection is one reason to what I do not like about architecture. All these reasons would explain what I do not like about architecture.
-Future Architect JAG
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