I am currently in the process of applying to several different graduate schools to study architecture. The basic requirements common to all schools is that the statement of purpose be limited to around 500 words and cover my background, past work, and plans for collegiate and professional work. (Typical of any other statement of purpose, I suppose)
The following is an example (draft) of a statement of purpose directed to the University of California, Los Angeles...
I did not always want to be an architect; at least not exclusively. As a child I had dreams of being many different things: such as a doctor, lawyer, or architect. Career path tests in middle and high school always told me that I was destined to be an architect; despite my attempts to alter the results. I can look back and remember drawing plans at a young age for a dog house to provide shelter for our dog from the unforgiving summer rains and winter snowfalls of Michigan; proving those tests to be right and my passion to be in architecture.
I would love to delve into my educational past, but I feel that the breadth of this statement is better suited in discussing the future. To summarize, I have received a Bachelor's degree in both architecture and engineering in order to broaden my knowledge and practical horizons. With architecture as my passion, and engineering as a support, my goal is to merge both disciplines; preventing the confrontations between architect and engineer that, too often, hinder innovation and the betterment of our environments.
Innovation of design and technology use, as well as the optimization of architecture and urban form through design and engineering is my philosophy that I wish to expand in graduate school. I look forward to overcoming all of the obstacles in my quest to attain a Master's degree of architecture, and to enter the profession and provide innovation, progression, and the betterment of the built environment.
Architecture is experiencing a flux. My excitement and interests lie in the possibilities of the architecture of tomorrow; one that is molded by new facets of design in computers, technology, and multi-disciplinary teams. How will computers, algorithms, and scripting blend with more traditional means of design such as relation to context, the environment, precedence, and sense of place; as well as the technicalities and possibilities found in engineering? That question, and many like it, is what I seek to answer through study and practice. UCLA, with its forward-thinking attitude, interest in cross-disciplinary and progressive education, and relation to the unique urban core of Los Angeles is a fine choice as the source of further intellectual and practical development. Professors such as ----- and ----- have demonstrated the effects and possibilities of computation in design, fabrication, and construction. I intend to develop and work in a symbiotic relationship with the school to dive deeper into the potentials of technology in architecture and urban form; creating new avenues for design while maintaining the old standards of architecture and holism. It is my aspiration to gain knowledge and provide the school with a mind that fears not the questions, but the hesitation to look for answers.
Architecture has always been an art and a science. As such, I will pursue the art and experiment with the science; determining the successes and failures, opportunities and shortcomings of what the future of architecture holds; ultimately achieving a better architecture for all.
The following is an example (draft) of a statement of purpose directed to the University of California, Los Angeles...
I did not always want to be an architect; at least not exclusively. As a child I had dreams of being many different things: such as a doctor, lawyer, or architect. Career path tests in middle and high school always told me that I was destined to be an architect; despite my attempts to alter the results. I can look back and remember drawing plans at a young age for a dog house to provide shelter for our dog from the unforgiving summer rains and winter snowfalls of Michigan; proving those tests to be right and my passion to be in architecture.
I would love to delve into my educational past, but I feel that the breadth of this statement is better suited in discussing the future. To summarize, I have received a Bachelor's degree in both architecture and engineering in order to broaden my knowledge and practical horizons. With architecture as my passion, and engineering as a support, my goal is to merge both disciplines; preventing the confrontations between architect and engineer that, too often, hinder innovation and the betterment of our environments.
Innovation of design and technology use, as well as the optimization of architecture and urban form through design and engineering is my philosophy that I wish to expand in graduate school. I look forward to overcoming all of the obstacles in my quest to attain a Master's degree of architecture, and to enter the profession and provide innovation, progression, and the betterment of the built environment.
Architecture is experiencing a flux. My excitement and interests lie in the possibilities of the architecture of tomorrow; one that is molded by new facets of design in computers, technology, and multi-disciplinary teams. How will computers, algorithms, and scripting blend with more traditional means of design such as relation to context, the environment, precedence, and sense of place; as well as the technicalities and possibilities found in engineering? That question, and many like it, is what I seek to answer through study and practice. UCLA, with its forward-thinking attitude, interest in cross-disciplinary and progressive education, and relation to the unique urban core of Los Angeles is a fine choice as the source of further intellectual and practical development. Professors such as ----- and ----- have demonstrated the effects and possibilities of computation in design, fabrication, and construction. I intend to develop and work in a symbiotic relationship with the school to dive deeper into the potentials of technology in architecture and urban form; creating new avenues for design while maintaining the old standards of architecture and holism. It is my aspiration to gain knowledge and provide the school with a mind that fears not the questions, but the hesitation to look for answers.
Architecture has always been an art and a science. As such, I will pursue the art and experiment with the science; determining the successes and failures, opportunities and shortcomings of what the future of architecture holds; ultimately achieving a better architecture for all.
