The beauty of the seemingly impossible: an undergraduate perspective

There are infinite ways you can change the world – it can be hard to choose. As an 18-year-old freshman who desperately wanted to do just that, it was overwhelming for me. 

But two statistics I learned while taking CEE 134A struck me hard: The built environment accounts for 40 percent of carbon emissions, and we are projected to build areas the size of New York City every month for the next 40 years. This was and still is mindblowing to me. How will we build that much and reach carbon neutrality? It seems impossible. But that’s the beauty of it. That is what hooked me for good into SA+E, and that is what each class in SA+E helps try to solve. In my studio classes, we learn how to design passive buildings, while in my engineering classes, we learn the math that proves how passive design can reduce environmental and economic impacts. SA+E weaves together every discipline – mathematics, psychology, urban studies, sustainability, and many more – to create solutions that work at the local and global scale. It is incredible.

Through SA+E, I was able to work for one of the leading architecture firms in sustainability and design in the United States: Studio Gang. With each new project, Studio Gang assesses the context of the site and sees how their building can improve its surroundings. For my work, this meant conducting a circularity study of existing buildings that needed to be taken down on a project site. Studio Gang is pioneering the way for circular economies in the building and construction industry, and it felt important to be able to contribute to this work.

Going forward, I plan to pursue a coterminal master’s in Sustainable Design and Construction under the Sustainable Urban Systems track to further understand how to reduce carbon loads in the built environment, with a focus in circularity and design. With this degree, I hope to contribute to the integration of circular design and economies into urban systems at the global scale. I also hope to return to academia to inspire future generations to address and solve the climate crisis.