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Alek Iriarte

Alek Iriarte

Los Angeles, CA, US

 
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About 

Whether it was from playing with LEGO’s at a young age or exploring different metropolitan areas or completing PLTW projects and design proposals or interning at an architecture firm, I solidified my interest in the field of engineering, architecture, and urban design/planning. Growing up there wasn’t much influence on me in this specific field, it was rather my curiosity and creativity that ignited the desire in me to pursue this career. I come from a mixed family that has a fair amount of Mexican descent along with a small amount of Irish, Welsh and German descent. My family is everything to me as they are my anchor group that continues to support my dreams and aspirations. Hence, the reason why I love to work in communal efforts. Whether it was one of my volleyball teams, group projects, or restaurant team, I found there to be a lot more value in working with others for a common goal.

I was fortunate enough to venture out and travel independently to Northwestern University for a selective conference in the field of architecture and engineering. I was so emotionally attached to the culture of LA that it almost felt impossible for a city to surpass the qualities LA offered. During my Northwestern experience, a change of mind occurred from my encounters in the downtown area. From the commercial style residential buildings to the postmodern-esque office spaces, Chicago exposed me to a brand-new vibe that I've yet to experience before. From this experience in Chicago, I learned that every city differed in its culture, which in turn influenced the needs of every metropolis. This same principle has translated in my venturing to the UK for my undergraduate degree.

From projects in my PLTW engineering course at Damien to the design proposals my team and I completed at Northwestern, I realized the value of working with groups to be a significant factor in being successful in the field of design. Therefore, I find communication to not only be critical in working with groups, but also to be one of my best qualities, especially when working on projects.

I look forward to travelling and exploring the UK along with the neighboring European countries during my undergraduate years as it brings about a change of perspective that is often neglected. More importantly, I aspire to make business connections along the way as international networking will assist me in starting up my own firm and other freelance work.

Employment 

Theoforma, Los Angeles, CA, US, Intern

I interned at this architectural design firm in which my roles were to create models of residential projects, field measure, expedite construction plans, organize both active and archived projects, and social media assistance.

Jul 2021 - Aug 2021
 

Education 

University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom, Bachelors, Civil Engineering and Architecture

The University of Southampton is a research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities in the U.K. and ranked in the top 100 universities in the world. I am undergoing their Civil Engineering and Architecture (MEng) program.

Sep 2021 - current
 

Areas of Specialization 

Skills