The Power of Prepbooks

Due to my long, complicated history with AP's, subject tests, and SAT's, it is understandable that the mere sight of  a Kaplan or Princeton Review can cause my blood pressure to rise and my body to squirm. On my seventh day at WORKSBUREAU, Mr. Tumminello, my on-site mentor, offered me some good ol' prepbooks: two Kaplan's for the ARE. (Just as the GRE, LSAT, MCAT are the make-it-or-break-it tests for their designated fields, the ARE (Architecture Registration Exam) is the high-stake, pass/fail exam for aspiring architects. There are 7 sections, consisting of a whopping 555 questions.)

Now, had I been prepping a decade in advance to get my architecture license, I would have considered this Kaplan in front of me a daunting enemy that must be conquered to reach success, but since I am a mere intern, this familiar face for an unfamiliar field was a welcoming friend that I was relieved to accept guidance from. As I cracked open Programming, Planning & Practice and Architectural History, I felt a rush of euphoria at the sight of bolded titles and italicized subtitles (I admit this even triggered a tad bit of nostalgia. Don't worry, Enji, you have two APs coming in May. Plenty of prepbook-time...). This structural introduction to architecture was comfortable and most importantly, digestible.

Architectural History will be useful for expanding my general knowledge base and for extracting trends of change in architecture throughout history. I will be studying architecture in a chronological sequence, starting at "Classical Architecture," transitioning to some of my favorite segments such as "Medieval Architecture," and ending with "20th Century and Beyond." Architectural Planning an Programming I plan to use more extensively because it is more in the same vein as my research. The sections that will be most useful are "Programming and Space Needs," "Design Relationship to the Human Body," "Urban Design," "The Human Dimension," and "Environmental Factors." Unfortunately, I cannot sub these texts in as my only sources because my focus is more specific. These texts will primarily be beneficial for pinpointing which section of architecture is best aligned with my thesis and for building my fluency with architectural jargon (yay).

Onward!

Hello all! I will continue onward to discuss my research, as promised! First, I would like to explain the catalyst that pushed me towards my topic... One dark and bored night, through some profound internet surfing, I came across a detailed article on Bill Gates' home and all its high-tech glory. Besides its colossal size, there was a plethora of other installments that made this mansion impressive. For instance, there were pressure-sensitive floors that used the person's weight and temperature to detect the identity of the guest, sensors that detected people's moods and played music accordingly, and more sensors that detected body temperatures and adjusted room temperature accordingly. I was thoroughly intrigued by this find and even obsessed enough to watch a 10-minute Youtube tour of Mr. Gates' home. Now, the deeper meaning to justify that tangent...  What lasted with me from this article was the idea of manipulating design and technology of a building to better accommodate humans. What are the exact dynamics between humans and buildings? Design of buildings influence humans somehow...Does it particularly impact human behavior? Thus, I arrived on my new statement of purpose for this project:

I would like to study the new field, Environment-Behavior Studies, and link this to architecture. Incorporating  the study into architecture would enhance the architectural process. As I mentioned before, architects must already implicitly consider the influence of design on the inhabitants and users, but I would like to show what happens when other aspects beyond aesthetic appeal and practicality are explicitly introduced such as EBS and the psychology of design and its impact on people. 

"The common stereotype of architects--sheltered, isolated, geniuses--is not necessarily upheld in the modern world where many heads are needed to assess the plethora of variables presented in designing practical yet innovative architecture."

SCRAPPED. 

 Source of inspiration for my project (thank you Bill!)

Welcome to my SRP

Hello stranger!
Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable while I deliver a quick introduction.

My name is Enji Kim, and I am currently a senior at BASIS Scottsdale High School. BASIS allows us seniors a unique opportunity of trading the last trimester of our school year for an independent Senior Research Project. Quite an extraordinary exchange, don't you think? The Senior Research Project (SRP) not only prepares us for future research endeavors in college, but also quenches our intellectual thirsts beyond coursework. Through this blog, I would like to provide some insight into my own SRP, its details, my progress in my chosen field, and my results. 

Architecture. Though my interests in architecture were not a recent fascination, I had never considered it to be a potential career path until this year, when the Common App insisted I check three majors. Architecture has always been a source of inspiration and pleasure for me, but now, as I deem it a potential major, I am driven to explore it in even more depth through a convenient SRP. The thesis for my project is admittedly still in its nascent stage: 

"The common stereotype of architects--sheltered, isolated, geniuses--is not necessarily upheld in the modern world where many heads are needed to assess the plethora of variables presented in designing practical yet innovative architecture."

Hopefully, As I grow more seasoned with research, my thesis will equally become more flavorful.   The means of my research will be an internship at WORKSBUREAU, a cutting-edge architectural firm founded in 2012, and occasional independent research. I elaborate more extensively on my project in my proposal, so please feel free to take a gander! I will post it in the following week.

Starting February and ending May, I will be posting diligently twice a week on my updated experiences and gathered resources. Stay tuned and please accompany me on this journey into the inspirational realm of architecture!