Hello Readers and fellow Bloggers!

A good measure of the education we all receive as architecture students is often the product of our critiques and the grades we receive for them. My hopes as a student and blogger for Pratt Institute is to develop a necessary synthesis between my literary reactions and reviews and the work I do in studio. Luckily, Pratt shares the same sympathies. Their approach to education is all-inclusive on multiple intellectual levels. Students receive (as I have after this very first day of class) a breakdown on the integration of literary components in their formal metaphors and thought processes to be used throughout first year and hopefully their entire tenure at Pratt Institute. After only one day of foundation level design, I can honestly say that the outlook of the Pratt Architecture Program looks great, and that I am sincerely excited to dive into the ductwork of literary analysis as a means of developing that poetic construction that bleeds intellect and innovation.

My name is Kevin Griendling, and as an introductory installment to the new Pratt Institute Architecture blog I will first give you a bit of history on your author. My roots are in southern New Jersey, notably Camden County, where in high school I discovered my profound interest in the field of architecture at Camden County Technical School, Gloucester Township Campus. I was a drafting student for four years. My most notable accomplishments (strictly at the time of graduation) were the junior year ADDA Mechanical Drafting Certification and senior year Architectural Drafting Certification that I received. Also, I had competed at the national level in SkillsUSA's national architectural drafting competition and placed 8th in the nation. While having no introduction to the university level architectural styles of study, I was elated. Shortly after graduation I took off and went to California, where I had heard there was a lot of contemporary and beautiful architecture. It was while studying architecture at Mt. San Antonio College that I realized the harnessing of the three-dimensional mind was more intriguing to potential architecture schools than that of the technical abilities I gained in high school and in SkillsUSA. Quickly I began to break down my preconceived notions of planning in a two-dimensional space and began to work on sketch modeling abilities and three-dimensional planning. I also spent a great deal of time continuing my journey with SkillsUSA, attaining a State President position, and further, and National Parliamentarian position within the organization. These experiences have undoubtedly increased my levels of dedication and professionalism within the field of architecture, without which I would not be as diligent a student as I am today. Without going into great detail, I will say that the education I received at Mt. San Antonio College, on foundational architectural design, would rival that of any other accredited architecture school in the nation. Furthermore, my original plan in California was to transfer to California Polytechnic University – Pomona, however, upon studying architecture history and the Bauhaus philosophies, I realized there are more types of education in my field to consider. It was then that I decided to apply to Southern California Institute of Architecture, Cooper Union and Pratt Institute. I was accepted to Pratt before applying to SCI-Arc, and new that it was now time for me to return to the east coast with my new knowledge and perspective.

Today, I write for my readers as a student beginning the journey through Pratt's foundational program, and onward through upper level topic studios as well as the processes of the intern development program within Pratt Institute Architecture. There will be more to come on first semester work and what I look forward to throughout my time in the program. I'm looking forward to a great blog, stay tuned architecture enthusiasts!