Sean Kogan-Vovsi
In these five years I learned a lot about myself as a designer and architect. I have been exposed to a melting pot of great minds both in instructors and other archies, and it has taught me a lot about the power and freedom we have and should strive for as creatives. As an immigrant in an American university like NJIT, I appreciate the great opportunity I was given by being brought here and receiving my education at this level. I got the opportunity, with many thanks to Gernot, John Cays, and others in the administration, to extend my learning to other countries like China and Austria, which gave me fresh perspectives on my place in this industry and the world. I am finishing this chapter, lucky enough to be alive and employed during COVID-19, hoping the future has many great opportunities coming for me, and my friends and family.
Housing History
The project I am showcasing was my first housing studio. It was my first time applying a thoughtful concept, even if not very clearly, to a subject matter that has very strict rules. The building I designed displayed stacked historical phases of architecture, from Greek Temples to Mies’ Modern work, as an homage to the layers of history of Roosevelt Island, where it was located. It may not have been the most clear concept since I was almost too literal with my execution of that idea, and didn’t really focus on the housing aspect of it, but the conversations that were had during my final review with Will Prince’s guest critics really taught me how important it is to have a strong concept in any type of design, which really helped me to learn how to think about my design decisions.
