Hello Archinectors,


Thanks for checking out my blog. I am very excited to be a part of both UBC’s M. Arch class and the Student Blog Project this year.

Archinect’s School Blog Project was one of the best resources I could find to evaluate schools throughout my application process because Canada, it seems, is lacking in an annual ranking of their architecture schools. I hope that if you are considering applying to UBC’s SALA that the few of us writing about the school this year help you to better gauge its strengths and weaknesses.

I moved from Toronto to Vancouver about two weeks ago and so far the city has been incredible. The west coast is obviously much more laid back than the east in North America, but in the summertime it seems that no one works and everyone spends their days at the beach. The energy in the city is already starting to ramp up for the Olympics in February and a lot of projects are being completed in anticipation of hosting them. The already superior infrastructure in the city is improving with modified bus routes, a new subway line that connects the downtown with the airport and new highways stretching to Whistler. Many buildings in the downtown area, including mine, are getting a facelift and there is a lot of construction on campus as well because many of UBC’s facilities will be used for events at both the Olympics and the Paralympics.

The School of Architecture is anticipating an exciting year as well; with new faculty, staff, and a hunt for a new director for the school. This year also has one of the largest entering classes in history. Apparently, the standard enrollment yields, which have kept class sizes consistent in the past, did not hold this time around and almost 100% of students who were offered admission have accepted. The School of Architecture has approximately 60 students entering this year, compared to 44 last year. About 20 students in the class have been offered some sort of advanced placement. The School of Landscape Architecture has 17 students entering this year.

As many of you who have read my bio know, I was not one of the students offered advanced placement in the program as I have a background in Business. There is a diverse range of experiences in the class with undergraduate degrees in everything from Neuroscience to Fine Arts. Hopefully, the development of my education in the field of architecture will make this blog more interesting and you will see a quick progression in my work as I hurl myself into one of the most notoriously intense programs in Canada. I have posted a few jpegs what I submitted in my portfolio,
hopefully this will help to give you an idea of what the program expects of students with no background in architecture or design.