GRADUATION PRACTICE ASSESSMENT

Reflective Essay

I started my journey in the USA as a postgraduate student at The Boston Architectural College in the year 2020, right before the pandemic. Since then, I have faced so many challenges starting from adapting to this unfamiliar environment to getting used to the harsh winter season of Massachusetts. The journey was hard, but it was fun. There were days when I got frustrated and depressed, but I pulled myself together and tried my best to learn and grow. I worked on gateway projects, and I could clearly see that my analyzing skills have improved, and I have started to take case studies and research seriously for both my professional and academic work.

Last year Summer, I worked as a teaching assistant in the BAC Summer Academy program. Collaborating with mentors and students for two months, I learned a lot. There were fun workshops and exercises for both the students and the teaching assistants. I learned a lot from the students while demonstrating software uses and model making. Before every class I used to watch software tutorials to teach them better and I also learned different techniques for making models. Later, I joined BoConcept as an Interior Design Consultant/ Sales Consultant. There I learned about sales, materials, and furniture. Dealing with clients also helped me improve my marketing and communication skills. Working there also gave me a chance to interact with designers and architects.

By the end of last year when I joined BWA Architecture as an Architect in Training I, I learned and grew as a designer. Working with experienced architects and a wonderful team, I gained a lot of experience and confidence. When I look back, I can see how far I came. I am working on my portfolio and learning new software to improve my skills and quality of work. This would give me an opportunity to improve my skills as a designer.

(Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Landscape design for Xi’an Gaoxin District No.1 Middle School with Western Institute of Seismic and Building Design, Xi’an, China. (Kun An, MLA)

Student Information

Student Name: Pat Practice

Degree Program: Bachelor of Architecture

Current Job Title: Intern Landscape Architect

Employer: Wilderness Studio Landscape, Planning, and Urban Design

Employer Location: Boston, MA, USA

Self Assessment

I rate my current abilities as follows: 4 = outstanding/exemplary; 3 = proficient; 2 = needs improvement; 1 = unsatisfactory; N/A = no opportunity to observe

Design Approach: 4

- evaluates and solves problems effectively- accesses, learns, and applies theoretical and practical knowledge- brings skills and methodologies from academic work into practice work

Collaboration: 4

- works effectively with others and manages conflict effectively- helps motivate others to succeed- understands and contributes to organization’s goals- respects diversity and diverse opinions

Communication: 4

- speaks and writes with clarity, confidence, and concision- makes effective presentations- exhibits good listening and questioning skills

Technical Skills: 4

- showing positive development with software skills- understands the role different technologies play in design- understands technologies related to the execution of design projects

Professional Development: 4

- assumes responsibility, sets goals, can multitask- possesses honesty/integrity/personal ethics- shows initiative/self-motivation and good time management- is punctual, has good attitude- is engaged in design culture

Table of Contents

Professional Experience

Project 1: Boston Architectural College Summer Academy

Project 2: Xi’an Gaoxin District No.1 Middle School

Project 3:

Additional Experience

Project 4:

Project 5:

Project 1

BAC Summer Academy

Organization: Boston Architectural College

Instructor: Luis Montalvo

Type of Project: Summer Design Program for High School Students Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

My Role on the Project: Teaching Assistant

Major Competencies, Skills, and Knowledge Learned:

Project Description

Every year Boston Architectural College organizes Summer Academy program for high school students. Last year Summer 2021, I joined as a teaching assistant in the BAC Summer Academy. All the TAs were given a group of students. In my group there were eight highly creative and talented students. I had to attend the main sessions with all the students and later individual sessions with my group. I helped them with the project works and taught them the use of software like Photoshop, InDesign and SketchUp. The program included many fun activities, and I learned a lot from the students. It was one of the best experiences I ever had. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

BAC Summer Academy TAs and Students (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Whiteboard sketch on Zoom by the students (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Making a geodesic dome was one of the projects that we TAs had to do along with the students. We were given sticks of assorted sizes with numbers labelled on them and some strings. Using the numbers, we had to give the students clear instructions on how to make pentagons and hexagons. The above pictures show the process and the final project. Using zoom I showed the students how to make the pentagons and hexagons and then attach the pentagons to each side of the hexagons and tie them with the strings to make this dome. It was an incredibly fun project. The students made the hexagons and pentagons ahead of the main class. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Student work, including making an arch using tiny bricks and toothpicks was one of the most interesting projects that we did as a team. We were given a set of 52 tiny bricks and toothpicks for this project. During our main session Luis Montalvo demonstrated all the students and TAs how to make an arch using the materials provided. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Mural design was another interesting project, where the students collaborated as a group, produced a concept, and made collage on photoshop. As a teaching assistant I helped the students with photoshop work. They produced sketches and ideas and through zoom, I shared my screen and helped them make a collage. The students did the above sketches. I showed them different techniques and tools in Photoshop to make the final mural board. I gave them access to my PC during our sessions to make the final board. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

This was the first photoshop practice session as a group. I asked the students to produce different pictures or cartoons that they like and make a collage as a group. I demonstrated the different brush tools that they can use in photoshop and showed them the use of layers and how to import pictures in photoshop and draw different shapes. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

The final project was to redesign the Casseri hall at the BAC. The students and the TAs were provided with plans and paper to sketch and produce ideas. I helped the students with the plan during our sessions and taught them how to use SketchUp for their final 3D model. I also made a portfolio of their final work in InDesign and helped them make their individual portfolio in InDesign. The final design of the Casseri hall was a collaborative idea of the students. They made individual models of their ideas and I combined and refined their work as a final model and made a panorama video for their final presentation. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Student concepts. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Section views of a student's SketchUp model. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Student's interior views. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Student's interior view fromSketchUp model. (Kazi Nusrat Safi, MIA)

Project 2

Xi’an Gaoxin District No.1 Middle School

Firm: Western Institute of Seismic and Building Design, Xi’an, China

Client: Xi’an Gaoxin District No.1 Middle School

Type of Project: Educational, School Campus Landscape Design

Project Location: New Campus, High-tech Zone, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

My Role on the Project: Co-leader of Landscape Design Group

Major Competencies, Skills, and Knowledge Learned:

Project Description

The No.1 Middle School new campus will be located at a clearing planning site. The school has 36 classrooms and a total of 1800 students from 7th to 9th grade. Total area of landscape design is 43,529.7 square meters. The ratio of greenery coverage on site is 35%. The architecture design phases had proposed six buildings, including academic buildings, office, dining hall with gym, dormitory, and sports field with a school parking garage.

Two main entrances were seated at north and south based on the main people’s flow to the campus. The head of school was seeking a comfortable and safe green space for students’ drop-off time, recess time, and after-school time. Middle School is an intense transitional period for students as they progress from elementary school and then move through to high school.

The intent o f the landscape design was to create a safe and pleasant environment for students to spend leisure time after burdensome studies. The protected courtyards are intertwined with buildings, aim to create a wealth of landscape experience. Amenities accompanied by native trees, grasses, and shrubs, express the educational culture to the whole school. (Kun An, MLA)

School campus aerial perspective. We proposed some rooftop gardens on the main buildings. They create a communication and playing platform for all the grade students. Part of the rooftop will be designed as a roof planting garden for science education and eco-strategy for reducing the interior temperature in the summer. (Kun An, MLA)

Challenges to the landscape design. 1. How to arrange the yards and build the connection between them? 2. What amenity will benefit the physical and mental health of students? 3. How to select proper plants for visually protecting the outdoor space and leading the people’s flow?

The steps of design. 1. Understood the basic needs of the school. 2. Studied with middle school teaching philosophy and students’ common characteristics for matching suitable space functions. 3. Case studies. 4. Site analysis of defined landscape nodes, circulation, and the theme in each node area. 5. Frequently discussed with our landscape design team to decide the design strategies.

This sketch was my research on the school’s responsibility for students’ development and how the public space design should coordinate with this development. The landscape design goal is to create a natural, participatory, and cultural public space for the school community. The idea hoped to create some green communication spaces for leisure and academic discussion. (Kun An, MLA)

We firstly needed to understand the facts of the school. The school provided its development document that claimed it would have both day students and boarding students. The main transportation modes of students, totally 1800 students in 36 classrooms. Our client provided us with the school questionnaire on how people traveled there.

I encouraged the design group members to employ freehand drawing to express their ideas. I separated our group into two small groups to do the research on students’ behavior and precedents. They handed in several sketching papers and shared them with us every day. Then we integrated all the information together to come up with the concept. We were using graphics software, 3D modeling software, and AutoCAD to present the final proposal.

We tried to make each presentation illustrated with precise images for intelligible explanation to the client and assist them in making a decision. (Kun An, MLA)

Landscape Nodes Design. (Kun An, MLA)

Project 3

Example

Firm:

Client:

Type of Project:

Project Location:

My Role on the Project:

Major Competencies, Skills, and Knowledge Learned:

Project Description

The No.1 Middle School new campus will be located at a clearing planning site. The school has 36 classrooms and a total of 1800 students from 7th to 9th grade. Total area of landscape design is 43,529.7 square meters. The ratio of greenery coverage on site is 35%. The architecture design phases had proposed six buildings, including academic buildings, office, dining hall with gym, dormitory, and sports field with a school parking garage.

Two main entrances were seated at north and south based on the main people’s flow to the campus. The head of school was seeking a comfortable and safe green space for students’ drop-off time, recess time, and after-school time. Middle School is an intense transitional period for students as they progress from elementary school and then move through to high school.

The intent o f the landscape design was to create a safe and pleasant environment for students to spend leisure time after burdensome studies. The protected courtyards are intertwined with buildings, aim to create a wealth of landscape experience. Amenities accompanied by native trees, grasses, and shrubs, express the educational culture to the whole school. (Kun An, MLA)