Alright. Here goes. Would really appreciate some input. They're requiring 500 word statement. Currently I'm at 545, plus an extra section where I'm not sure how to integrate in there or if I even should. Is it a big no no to go over the word limit??

“There are three forms of Visual Art. Painting is art to look at, Sculpture is art you can walk around, and Architecture is art you can walk through” – Dan Rice.

Since childhood, I have always delved in one form of art or another. Not just visual art, but music and writing as well. I have always shown interest in drawing, painting, writing short stories, and singing. Born into a mostly pragmatic family, my artistic side has not gone unnoticed. Fortunately, my parents had taken interest and further encouraged me to unleash my creativity.

I can’t say that Architecture was a certainty right from the beginning. However, upon completing high school and when the time came to make a decision, I did not hesitate. I found myself applying to every Architecture school in Egypt. Once I got accepted in the Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Architecture at the University of Alexandria, I made the 150 mile move and did not look back.

Through my bachelor degree studies, I have gained the foundation necessary to place me in the Architecture field. My courses have provided me with a wide variety of design methods, an introduction to history of classical architecture and the different Architecture styles; from Romanesque to Revivalism to Modernism. I have adapted the tools and techniques essential to express one’s ideas and concepts into more visual, expressive productions.

Upon graduation I moved to the United States, particularly the DMV area to launch my career in Architecture. My experience working in the Unites States has expanded my knowledge to include building methods uniquely used in USA, which proved challenging but rewarding. Through my professional years, and taking part in multiple Architecture Workshops in Egypt, USA, and Italy, I have gained experience and skills in Architectural and Structural Design, producing state of the art Construction Documents and Presentations using multiple softwares ranging from AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, 3D Max Studio and REVIT Architecture.

Living my entire life in major Metropolitan cities (Cairo, Washington, DC) I have slowly developed a fascination with Urbanism and its cultural and sociological impact on human agency and behavior. For I believe that Architecture and Urbanism are not just a matter of aesthetic structures, but rather means of communication between its users and inhabitants. Living in the DMV area for the past five years, I have witnessed firsthand the gentrification of several neighborhoods in Washington, DC, its transformation to a bike friendly city and how this addition has impacted the nature of consumer habits, as well as the social and cultural activities taking place throughout the city.

I believe that through my studies at the University of the District of Columbia under the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, Architecture and Urban Design Division, I will have the opportunity to receive the education and fundamentals necessary to become an integrated part of this Urban Development phenomenon. Upon examining the curriculum, I realize that the program will offer me with essential knowledge in Sustainable and Urban Community Design that matches my interests and that will allow me to contribute to my skills to this amazing community. Washington, DC has quickly become part of my identity, and continuing my studies within its very own higher education institution would indeed be a great privilege.

(Extra piece)

Through the years, and ever since deciding to pursue Architecture as my vocation, I have continuously found myself travelling, first to jump start, and subsequently further advance in my profession. But, my travels to seek more out of Architecture did not stop at moving to the United States.

In summer of 2010 I had joined an Architecture Workshop l’Aquila, Italy, a city that had suffered a major earthquake the year before. Through the workshop I along with my team got the chance to produce a prototype design of a Mobile Micro Library for the children in the settlement and proceeded to build it from salvaged materials.
Upon returning to the states, I gave a short presentation of the design prototype at the Architecture for Humanity New York Chapter Design Conference “Design like you give a Damn: LIVE 2010” Design Open Mic. My design and presentation received multiple interests from audiences and was featured on the website of one the Architects in attendance.