The Prologue

Welcome to my Thesis! I hope to update this blog as much as possible over the course of the year. I wanted to give you a brief background of myself before I get started.





School: Virginia Tech- Washington Alexandria Architecture Center


Name (Age) - Joseph Iwaskiw (22)- M.ARCH II Thesis


Brief background/experiences:

I am the oldest of five in a family and grew up right outside of Baltimore. In high school, I was interested in both mathematics and computer science. My original undergraduate major was to be in computer science, but I changed my mind in the final minutes and decided to go with architecture. I decided on architecture to broaden my artistic talents, as I had always been creative but never had an outlet to fully utilize my talents. I attended the University of Maryland, and immediately fell in love with architecture. I graduated in 2009 with a B.S. in Architecture. With jobs nowhere to be found, I decided the best thing to do was to go back and get my professional degree in graduate school. I decided on Virginia Tech on the last day possible. I transferred up to the Washington Alexandria Campus before school started to be closer to the urban environment.



Why you chose your school/program:

I chose Virginia Tech for a number of reasons. I was accepted at a variety of schools, including Parsons and Pratt in New York, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Maryland, and Virginia Tech. I decided the most prudent thing to do was to choose a school that would be financially viable in recessionary times. I was left with Cincinnati, UMD, and Virginia Tech. After visiting all three, I decided on VT because they not only had the most serious and innovative studios, but also a faculty and alumni base that was unprecedented. After choosing VT, I decided the best course of action for me was to transfer up to the WAAC. This would allow me to be near a vibrant community with an urban emphasis on my designs. The WAAC really allows you to design your own course of study, providing resources and faculty at your disposal, which is perfect for me. I have no regrets and have never looked back.



Architecture interests:

My architecture interests take a holistic approach, but I do have a discipline of favor. I believe that you need all the information you can get to be the best architect, however, my favorite discipline is that of digital fabrication. My heavy background of mathematics and computer science comes in handy here, as you could guess. I try to bring both the computer and the hand together, giving the architect total control, as I believe that this is where architecture is headed in the future. This will allow the architect to create something in his mind (digitize), and then see it from start to finish as he crafts it himself (fabrication). I also love the connect between the free-form line and the rigid line. The formal ideas of the recent past (blob-tecture comes to mind) can now become hard line construction drawings and fabricated pieces that create an installation that is in tune with both math and art. I hope to study this more closely in my final year of school.



Other interests:

In my leisure time, if it is available, I enjoy a variety of affairs. Sports is my number one option. I play in a variety of recreational leagues around Northern Virginia. I also enjoy working out and biking. The bike paths in the DC area are phenomenal, and every once in awhile I will go cycle to clear my mind. I also enjoy watching sports. I am a big University of Maryland, Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Wizards, and Washington Capitols fan. Cooking is another one of my interests. I try to cook something new twice a week. Involving both a craft and science, cooking allows me instant gratification of my work, something that architecture does not always do. Other interests include fishing, sociology, history, and traveling.


I hope this post will give you a better understanding of my thesis as it manifests itself. I look forward to having a great year of documenting my work.