In this blog post, we will introduce how to write a motivation letter that goes beyond simple interest and incorporates your own architectural philosophy when applying to architectural design.
Growth
“My proud father and architecture”
My father is a forklift driver. He mainly worked on building tunnels by digging through mountains, and he also laid the foundations for various buildings, such as roads and apartment complexes. He always woke up at 5 a.m. and left for work before dawn, and he often worked late into the night and came home late. So, when I was a child, I often complained to my father for not playing with me. However, once, when my father was taking a break after three years of hard work, my family and I took a trip in his car. As we drove along a newly opened highway through a long tunnel leading to Pohang, my father pointed out the tunnel and said, “This is the tunnel I built by cutting through the mountain.” He pulled over to the side of the road, and I saw my father’s name clearly engraved on a stone monument at the entrance of the tunnel. It was the moment when I realized how great my father’s work was, and I felt ashamed of myself for complaining to him when I was young. Above all, I was proud of my father. Taking pride in my father’s job, I became interested in large national infrastructure and buildings, which led me to enroll in an architecture program at university.
In the military, I served as a first-class clerk, responsible for food storage and property management. When I first started learning the job, everything was unfamiliar and difficult, but I didn’t give up and worked hard to learn everything I didn’t know. As a result, by the time I was a private first class, I was able to do my job skillfully and improve the efficiency of property management. I reduced the number of side dishes that were not popular and adjusted the amount of food by accurately determining the number of people. When the number of people decreased, I reduced the amount of food prepared so that there would not be much left over, and because I reduced waste in this way, I was praised as the most resourceful property manager in the unit. By reducing property waste, I was able to provide enough meat for all the members of the unit to eat their fill during unit soccer games. In recognition of these abilities, I was even asked to stay in the military when I was discharged.
School life
“Seeing the world from a slightly different perspective”
After enrolling in the Department of Architecture, I spent quite a long time deciding between architectural engineering and architecture as my major. I was interested in design and engineering, so I had a lot of conflict. Thinking about the value of creating something from nothing, I decided to focus on architectural design. However, structural mechanics and other aspects of architectural engineering were also attractive, so I took many classes in architectural engineering as well.
After completing my military service, I had some time before returning to school, so I wanted to try various experiences and worked many part-time jobs for three months. I worked at unusual hours, from carrying ice at a fish market in the early morning to working for a security company. During that time, I experienced the diverse workplaces of various people in a corner of the world that I had not been able to see before, and my perspective on the world changed. I no longer complain about how hard things are. The sincere lives of people who work while others sleep were a lesson and an inspiration to me. Another thing I learned from my part-time jobs was how to quickly become friends with people. In social life, there will always be people you like and people you don’t, but the important thing is how quickly you can get along with them and fit into the group. I believe that the key to building relationships is to be sincere and open-minded, without dwelling on trivial matters. If you take a step back and look at things from a different perspective, the world looks different.
With the money I earned from my part-time job over three months, I went on a two-week backpacking trip to Europe. The city that impressed me the most was Vienna, Austria. I remember being fascinated by the Hundertwasser House I came across in a corner of the city and staring at the building for hours. It is a complex consisting of 52 houses, five commercial facilities, a children’s playground, and a winter garden, but it is located in a slightly secluded alley, giving you the surprising feeling of having entered Alice in Wonderland. The spiral-shaped window frames, the use of various colors, and above all, the harmony with nature made the building a work of art. Hundertwasser’s apartment complex became a compass for my future architectural design.
Personality and motto
“The beginning is always difficult for everyone.”
This is what my father told me when I was learning to ride a bicycle as a child. I had only ridden a bicycle with training wheels, and when I took them off and rode without them for the first time, I couldn’t keep my balance and kept falling over, so I just wanted to go back to riding my old bicycle. That’s when my father said to me, “Everyone struggles at first. If you give up at this point, you’ll never learn to ride a bicycle. Keep falling until you don’t fall anymore. Then you’ll be able to ride a bike on your own.” My father’s words have become my motto, not only for riding a bike, but also for facing new challenges, and they always give me strength. With this mindset, I am able to overcome difficulties and see things through to the end, and I am known by others for my sincerity and strong sense of responsibility.
When I focus on one thing, I am so concentrated that I forget everything else around me. Because of this, I often overlook small details. So, I made a habit of taking notes and organizing my thoughts. When I have to do several things at once, I estimate how long each task will take and plan ahead to compensate for my shortcomings.
Desired position and goals after joining the company
“The best expert among a group of experts”
I believe that true architecture is the creation of human spaces that are beautiful and rational. As we live in an age of artificiality and machines, modern architecture is becoming more postmodern. We often see buildings that are larger, more sophisticated, and more expensive than ever before, overwhelming the world. However, I don’t think people feel comfortable in such buildings.
I don’t think that modern architecture can be achieved simply by creating jaw-dropping structures or using high-end materials. Architecture is a vessel that contains our lives, so I believe it is important to create buildings that are in harmony with nature. ○○ Architecture is a company that pursues architecture that embodies the value of life and the order of nature. I believe that only a philosophy that encompasses a proper understanding of life and the order of nature can create true architecture. ○○ Architecture has strived to create the most scientific yet human spaces, and I am well aware of its exceptional efforts to create architecture that embodies the unique emotions and aesthetics of our people, recreating traditional beauty with a modern sensibility.
Architecture is an art and science that embodies the values of an era. My goal and vision is to create an architectural culture that will be remembered by future generations, with the responsibility and pride of representing the architecture of an era. I would like to achieve this goal and vision with the best professionals at ○○ Architecture, a group of experts who truly understand architecture. I will always remember the value of the endless sweat and effort poured into the work site, and I will design buildings that make me feel proud that the buildings I design bring glory to the city and country where I live.
