I always thought of myself as a growing artist when I was in my early years in high school which actually motivated my interest in the background of architecture. As I was sitting in class day after day staring at the old analog computer screen while my teacher was explaining how to draw a standard floor plan which literally consisted of a couple of vertical and horizontal black lines. I thought to myself most days “hmm, is this really something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life?” I was constantly curious on what I can do? Where I would be able to go? And what benefit if any that I would receive in a trade of such a manner? My teacher in his old age with his short grey hair and cheerful bright smile had continually believed in me knowing that I would go somewhere in this line of work. Day after day he would remind me of how productive I was. He would say things like “wow you are already done” and “your techniques are beyond anything that I have ever seen in your grade”. I was always one to show other students the ropes and I enjoyed it. For instance there was onetime we were all working on a group project which consisted of illustrating a roof plan which consisted of computer and hands on work. We had to translate our computer diagram onto paper of which I also had great talent and in the process learned the importance and pleasure it gave me to provide to my team mates. From then on I always had architecture in the fore front of my goals moving forward in my life. I had applied for three colleges majoring in architecture towards the conclusion of my senior year of high school and actually got accepted to all of them; these included Umass Boston, Wentworth, and Northeastern. At the time although I really did want to fallow my now solid dreams as a professional Architect I just didn’t want the debt that would have inevitably resulted.
Instead I decided that I would go directly into the labor trade in construction in the mean time to continue my interest in an associated trade. In the years that I was what they considered a “grunt” I had educated myself on more of the hands on portions of structural design from a different standpoint. This included projects from the muddy holes I had to dig for such things that needed to be installed like copper piping for hot and cold water, to leak protecting the four and a half ton concrete blocks that sat in the post parking lot. Ever wonder where the sewage goes when you flush, ha-ha its right below your feet when you get into your cars to head home. Most of these projects where exceptionally uncomfortable and irritable for the simple fact that it rained all the time and for some reason even in the summer time was like a heat wave it was almost like mother nature was challenging the crew to see if we would drill those thousand holes in the 50 foot irrigation pipes or just stay home. Big Shocker this wasn’t the only tedious job I had fire proofing was obnoxious to anyone who has ever done it for the simple fact that you can literally stain your hand and it is just the stickiest material in the world. Interesting enough while being employed in construction I gained extra skills in finish work, physical craft, and codes which provided me with an edge in any advancement that I would be able to participate in. Additionally I became extremely familiar with my foreman and how he directed his workforce and crew “including me” to see from yet a third view what is anticipated of blueprints. This included such things as the formation of certain sections of the site plan. All of these different aspects gave me a sense of will and fortification back into what I really wanted to do with preceding years. During my last years in construction due to the huge hit in the economy my roads had closed within the previously wealthy sub-career. This stuck me in a very tough way and was very upsetting not only on physical level money wise but mental level as well due to my comfort zone. The inevitable outcome of this was over three other jobs that fallowed after motivated me to be more ample with time to reconsider my career paths on the basis of where my mindset was at this point.
What then inevitably fallowed this decline was my reintroduction in drafting and architecture. Of course this didn’t come on its own threw out the years as I was away from my true passion. I was always on a consistently looking at housing and designs “thinking to myself this is my true passion and I really want to get back into it”. So I decided I was going to take myself back into school to reconstruct my genuine infatuation with design. When I first started with my classes again I had got beyond what I would have ever thought possible in the techniques in Cad work and drafting. Such as the actual blueprints with such different details outside of just drawing lines everything I reworked on was more involved. For example if I was sketching a floor plan I would actually pick a type of floor whether that was wood or vinyl and so on. To then structuring and building walls and how they would come together from 2+4’s and sheetrock to insulation and the shingles on the outside you would actually pre-generate a category for what you’re working with. Then you would be able to pick different ceiling types from sheet rock yet again based on style to dropped ceilings to then adding lighting. Keeping in mind that there will need to be proper structure for the actual exterior roof and what it would need to be building in its entirety on the outside portions. In addition to the main parts of the house or building that most anybody can identify I learned about the proper foundation plans that need to be created vital to the final draft such as foundation plans and concrete groundwork. All of these components in their entirety were required as learning objectives in order to be a successful architect.