Politecnico di Milano Foreign Exchange

Christian Rosas-Hamilton Start Date: Mar 23, 2023 - End Date: Mar 22, 2024
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
  • Italy
  • Switzerland
  • France
  • England, United Kingdom
  • Spain
  • Netherlands
  • Belgium
  • Germany
  • Austria
  • Portugal
  • Poland

My Travel Story

by: Christian Rosas-Hamilton Start Date: Mar 23, 2023 - End Date: Mar 22, 2024
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
As a child, I gratefully had the opportunity to travel to many of the United States’ major cities. These cities afforded me invaluable experiences and forever shaped my affinity towards the built environment. Every place offers its own culture and presents an entirely new character which remain different from the rest. Spending much time around diverse buildings and places, I recognized the opportunity architecture held to shape our lives and communities, so choosing a major in college was thankfully a quick process; however, I was completely unaware of how my perspective on architecture would change over four years. At that point, I was primarily concerned with the aesthetic appeal of design—how do my projects look? Are they social media worthy? How will others react to them? While I have come to recognize these as reasonable questions for architecture students first starting out, I simultaneously look for deeper justification behind these early convictions.
 
 Throughout my first four years at Oklahoma State University, exposure to the realms of architectural theory, history, engineering, construction science, etc. has successfully challenged my preconceptions of what the profession truly entails. Moreso than simply an artistic endeavor, architecture presents itself also as a scientific one. As I now reminisce on my early understanding of buildings as definitions of a culture, I recognize much clearer the different ways they fulfill the role. Indeed, aesthetics play an important role within the fabric of our livelihoods, however, this is only one face of a multi-faceted issue. Now, more than ever, I find myself empowered to investigate the role of architecture and the built environment in our everyday lives. This, in addition to my positive experience as a student of architecture, have led me to pursue graduate studies in the field of architecture and urban design. The potential architecture holds regarding both macro and micro issues culminates within urban contexts. From territory to domicile, the extremities of architecture remain interconnected in how people live. As the complexity of cities has been an interest of mine since I can remember, my time in architecture school has brought my passion full circle; and as with any circle, there is no end in sight.
 
As I plan to round out my undergraduate education this fall with a Bachelor of Architecture, I will be spending my final semester at the Politecnico di Milano in Italy. This opportunity would not only provide me an opportunity to live immersed in a rich culture, but also to familiarize myself with one of the most historic, urbanized, and design-forward cities in the world before applying to graduate school. Moreover, funding would aid in covering school and living expenses in the most expensive city in Italy, as well as the cost of traveling more than 10,000 miles round-trip. Additionally, as the cost of post-secondary schooling in the United States continues to balloon, I am looking to limit the financial burden of additional schooling without sacrificing quality or opportunity. I plan to take advantage of instruction in such a complex setting and at another of the world's premier universities for architecture and urban design. Courses at the Politecnico di Milano will equip me with first-hand knowledge and experience in a wide range of disciplines. The absorption of international cultures will play a lasting role in my own development as a designer and human but will also become evident in the quality of my own work and how effectively I contribute to society.
  • Italy
  • Switzerland
  • France
  • England, United Kingdom
  • Spain
  • Netherlands
  • Belgium
  • Germany
  • Austria
  • Portugal
  • Poland

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