Disha Gajera
This girl who everyone knows who transferred from a totally different country-India. Somehow I got to enter the 2nd year of the B.Arch program at HCAD - a totally unexpected moment. Thanks to the admission staff who believed in me and transferred the whole 1st year. Yes, I didn't speak fluent English and wrote very badly. I took ESL courses at NJIT in the early semesters and caught up with classmates by taking summer-winter courses. One thing was clear, every semester in the HCAD environment, with the faculty, the classmates who inspired me to always do more and compete with them gave me the push I needed. Starting from almost zero I have become someone who is extremely confident, socialized and professional now only in 4 years at NJIT. This program gave me wings such that now even before graduating I have got offers from architectural firms. Never in the world I had imagined myself witnessing these moments. I would say one thing before I end this short self story that, I am thankful to the hard times and struggles during these years, without that I wouldn't have found my strength and never would have appreciated the good times. LinkedIn, Instagram
Written Code for New York City Sustainable Districts Commission, Prototype and District Design
This project was something different than the studio projects that take place at HCAD. In this project the focus was on sustainability but how to push the boundaries when it comes to actually applying this concept in the world. The official code is very powerful in the USA. If the code is developed and executed in particular regions, cities, towns or districts, the idea of sustainability in architecture and design and infrastructure can be achieved. This project was concentrated on New York city, including 5 boroughs. Project was designed by 3 mediums. One was a preparation of a written code document which included every basic description of the code, which guidelines to follow with how, when and where. 2nd was about designing pamphlet for New Yorkers, through which they could be informed, invited and engaged into the commission's important decisions. 3rd was designing a prototype district - Brownsville, Brooklyn in New York city. In which the ideal scenario of the sustainable district was depicted with diagramming and drawing every described methods and guidelines in code document.
