Undergraduate / "the joys of being an architect" - My Essay for Columbia University [6]

On a separate sheet of paper, write an essay which conveys to the reader a sense of who you are. Possible topics may include, but are not limited to,

experiences which have shaped your life, the circumstances of your upbringing, your most meaningful intellectual achievement, the way you see the world - the
people in it, events great and small, everyday life - or any personal theme which appeals to your imagination. Please remember that we are concerned not only

with the substance of your prose but with your writing style as well. We prefer that you limit yourself to approximately 250-500 words (or 1-2 pages).

A building is alive, just like a woman or man. It has the capacity to have as much integrity and personality as any human on earth. In a world ultimately controlled by Mother Nature, architecture is formed on one central idea - the will of mankind.

In the words of the wise author Ayn Rand, "I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline." That skyline is the response to our world's calling. Oh beautiful Earth, you are not our conqueror, you are our inspiration. I may not be able to form the mountains you so grandly constructed across the horizon, but my skyscraper will slowly rise to meet the powerful sun.

When the range of natural disasters greets this planet, I may have to seek shelter but that edifice, that safe haven, is my guard. In fact, it is an enhanced version of my self, because during its creation I put my justifications, admirations, and sincerity into its structure. My core beliefs have been fortified by concrete, steel, and cladding. Thus, the building and I share the same soul. Just as I strive to inspire the people I come into contact with, I want the buildings that I design to do the same.

Those are the joys of being an architect. The ocean has the deep sea divers and the marine biologists. The sky has the astronauts and the pilots. And the land has what I hope to become some day - the architect.