Tag Archive: Bimal Mendis

  1. Architecture School showcases work of undergrads

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    The Yale School of Architecture hosted a reception Monday afternoon to showcase the work produced by undergraduates in the architecture major.

    Roughly 20 prospective students attended the showcase, held on the seventh floor of Rudolph Hall, where the undergraduate studios are housed. The event was designed to inform interested sophomores of the opportunities offered by the program and gave students a chance to ask questions about the program to Dean of the Architecture School Robert A.M. Stern, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Architecture Bimal Mendis and upperclassmen in the major.

    The showcase displayed architectural designs created in junior studio, senior studio and study abroad programs such as those in Copenhagen and China, according to Mendis.

    Mendis added that while the architecture program is one of the few majors within the college that requires an application, the group of students that they ultimately accept is “self-selecting.”

    “The open-ended nature of studio work [is] tough,” Mendis said. “But our students are rigorous and determined. They build a culture intellectual and social camaraderie through peer reviews, through critique.”

    Sophomores present who are interested in applying for the major said they were both inspired and intimidated by what they saw at the exhibit.

    “This is the first time I’ve seen this part of the hall,” Adrian Chiem ’15 said. “It’s inspiring — people in their natural workspaces, at so many different levels of the building.”

    Andrew Kim ’15 said it was “really fun looking at the models and sketchbooks up close,” adding that he thought the level of skill required for the major is something sophomores can aspire to achieve.

    Three sophomores who attended the event said the most valuable part was hearing about the major from upperclassmen, who made them aware of the challenges of the major that are not otherwise spoken about at promotional gatherings. But despite the demands of the architecture major, Scott Simpson ’13 said the program has improved over the years to make the accumulation of intensive studio work more gradual.

    “Recently the program has been reconfigured to give sophomores more exposure coming in,” Simpson said. “So you get more of an idea of what it’s like before you sign away your life.”

    The architecture major accepts roughly 18 to 20 students every year.