Roland Marsh

People once asked me: “Why did you choose architecture?” I couldn’t give a simple answer for that. Maybe it was because I like painting and construction since childhood. I also earnestly yearn to create beautiful things on my own and architecture can satisfy my imagination in space, materials, and color. My born interest in this sector is also because of my parents, who are both structural engineer and electrical engineer, influencing me gradually and unconsciously since I was a kid and giving me perceptual knowledge in the field. After my five-year study in the Department of Architecture, and one-year work experience in architectural design, I ask myself this same question. The result is that aside from the factors mentioned above, what really makes me choose architecture is its intrinsic appeal, which is just like the maxim written inside the building of the Department of Architecture: “Architecture is the combination of art and technology.”

Perhaps when a person is engaged in what his keen interest blossoms, he will never feel tired, instead he would feel motivated and have an enriching experience. Five years' academic study in the School of Architecture and Arts of University of XX transformed my instinctive excitement and imagination about architecture into systematic knowledge and comprehensive understanding. This transformation, first of all, lies in my skills in the fine arts. Differing from my previous mere interest in fine arts, the study of architecture makes me begin to ponder on how to draw using aesthetic elements from fine arts such as color, lighting and composition to apply to architecture. I was so dedicated to such brainstorming and imagination that I would always work around the clock in the studio for days on end. Secondly, the study of basic architectural courses, such as architectural structure, mechanics and materials science, makes me realize that architecture not only gives importance on aesthetics, but also on the more essential functionality and practicality. In that process, I realized that architecture is not only an art, but also more importantly a sort of technology. Five years of college study gives me a deeper comprehension of architecture, that is, architecture is also part of other cultures - it is subject to other cultures' influence, and at the same time it influences other cultures.

Because of my childhood architectural background, coupled with my lasting keen interest in architecture, I gained excellent achievements in the major courses of my college study, ranked top three in the class, and also received first prize scholarships and many other scholarships for five consecutive years. Besides, owing to my understanding of architecture, I am not satisfied with mere textbook knowledge. I believe architecture is not only a skill but also, more importantly, a combination of creativity and imagination. An excellent architecture designer needs not only solid architectural skills and knowledge, but also needs nourishment from fine arts, materials science, engineering and culture. For that purpose, I read quite extensively, understood the architectural history of different countries - especially European architectural history, learnt from works of modern and contemporary architectural masterpieces, and gained insights on their design conceptions that are full of creativity and connotation. The knowledge I have gained from these efforts heightens my interests and my desire for creation.

I had the opportunity to put to practice this desire for creation during the last stage of my college study. During the second semester of my fourth year, I interned with XX for half a year where I participated in the environmental design of the XX astronomical station and the conceptual design of the Phoenix Residential Complex in XX. These experiences gave me insights into the relationship between a building's space and its functionality, as well as architectural design's feasibility, which is an important factor to consider when designing.

After graduating in 2002, I worked with an excellent architectural design institute, engaging in architectural design. In the meantime, I participated in the conceptual design and design drafts of the janitor’s room, the main machine hall of XX Company Ltd. I was also responsible for the design of the drafts of the multi-purpose hall in XX , XX and the renovation design of the XX Archives of the XX. Because of my prominent achievements, I was quickly promoted as an exception from draftsmen to designer, and I later got the assistant engineer certificate in a short period of time.

The design experiences from these projects made me very interested in creatively applying materials in projects. Meanwhile, I also continuously learned new ideas in architecture from different countries, and especially saw a lot of design drawings of overseas architectural masters. All these experiences have a great impact on me, sparking my intention of studying abroad to lea