Personal Statement

I consider that the key qualities an architect should have, are creativity and imagination. Manchester School of Architecture is certainly the place where I could develop these values. The University is not only one of the best in UK, but also in the world, ensuring me of the quality of educational environment and career prospectus. The variety of subjects offered throughout the years makes me feel confident regarding my preparation as a prospective architect. Being coordinated by both Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Manchester, this course represents a unique opportunity for me, because I have the chance to be part of the biggest Student Society in the UK. Therefore, I would feel honored to be your student.

Frank Lloyd Wright is the American architect who created the first American architectural style: Prairie Style. The greatest example of the style is The Frederick C. Robie House, in Chicago.  From the moment I first saw the house I was intrigued by the use of roman brick which emphasize the horizontal and the abstract pattern of colored and clear glass on the windows, created by the architect himself. Due to its historic background, the interior of the house was badly damaged by its previous owners and many pieces of furniture were destroyed during the years. Now the house is considered a World Heritage and a U. S. National Historic Mark.

Frank Gehry influenced the architecture of our time by his unique concepts of buildings and the way they should be integrated in our society. A strong believer of the idea that “buildings should show movement through their designs”, he created buildings from simple geometric forms but folding their lines therefore creating the feeling of movement and offering a sense of humanity. Frank Gehry amazed me by his ability to play with the outlines using simple materials such as wire fence or stainless steel. The architect integrated his construction in the architectural environment of the site, a good example being the Beekman Tower in New York or the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

The Centre George Pompidou, a shelter for all forms of art and an iconic piece of architecture, would be my first choice of building I would like to experience. Created by the architectural team of Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, the Centre has a unique design mainly made of steel and glass, being the first major example of “inside-out” building in architectural history. With its mechanical systems, structure and the circulation exposed on the exterior, the building stands out from the classical Parisian style, which is why I am so eager to experience it and analyse if there is a way of tying it into the context.

Glass Study

Glass is an important material in our life and the perfume bottle it’s a good example of its properties. In order to better understand the reflexions and the shadows made by this material on an A4 paper I drew two perfumes using pencils from 2H to 6B.

Art Deco

One of my favorite animals in which I find myself, the black panther is graceful but fierce in the same time. In order to illustrate its elegance I drew the panther as a poster character representative for the Art Deco Movement.

Eames Lounge Chair

The Eames Lounge Chair is an iconic piece of furniture which influenced the interior design in the 20th century. I represented e detailed study of the chair focusing on the materiality used and on the way leather combines with wood. 

Human Body Study

                                                                 

                                                           

On an A3 format paper I represented a movement study of a female human body, accompanied by three modern chairs. In order to understand the human body proportion, I also drew sketches of different positions and postures. I used mixed techniques to create this ranging from graphite, colored pencils and tempera  

Glass House

On a 50x70 format paper, I represented a one point perspective and the isometric axonometric projection of the iconic Glass House made by Philip Johnson and also a two point perspective of the interior and a piece of furniture found in the house, The Barcelona chair.

De Stijl Movement

On an A3 format paper I represented three iconic pieces of furniture created by Gerrit Rietveld during the De Stijl art movement. To represent the bold colors used to create the furniture I used water colored pencils with acrylic paints, graphite and liners.

Rachofsky House

 Richard Meier represented clearly the five concepts of modern architecture in the Rachofsky House. With its free facade, horizontal windows and the presence of pilings which hold the whole construction, the house is representative for the modern movement. 

Villa Savoye

Le Corbusier is one of the architects who left his mark in the way of building houses nowadays. On an A3 format paper I drew a two-point perspective, a one-point perspective and a section of the iconic Villa Savoye. The house was built on the five principles of modern architecture.  

Geometric forms and Nature

Integrating geometric objects in nature in order to highlight their properties. Both drawings, the chameleon and the bird were made on A3 format paper using colored pencils and graphite.

Gwathmey Residence

3D model representation of Gwathmey Residence and Studio made by Charles Gwathmey, being his first residential project. Gwathmey aimed to create a sculptural aspect of the house, so he carved out primitive forms such as cubes to create different spaces.