During my summer of 2023, I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the Penn College of Technology (Sector of Penn State) Architecture Camp in the small but impressive city of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. For a multitude of reasons, this experience surpassed all of my expectations. During that week I fully embraced the life of both an architecture student and professional. It was a house-in camp where we slept in college dorms and ate all our meals at the college cafeteria. We had a 9-5 schedule with different activities and small breaks in between. One of activities consisted of visiting fully functioning architecture firms where we questioned the staff and learned all aspects about their projects. Another activity was visiting open job sites guided tour by the camp personnel. More importantly, we were able to get hands-on experience. We started with the foundations of architecture where we learned what architecture is and the job description. Next, we started to brainstorm for, what was my favorite of this camp, the project. 

        The project was to either draw/sketch, design in a Computer Aided Design (CAD), or physically construct our dream home. I chose to challenge myself and go above the requirement of one choice, and with my strong work ethics, I was able to complete all three options. Anyway, I dreamed of a house on the beach that was both contemporary but natural to the environment. I chose a two-story house with overlapping shapes that had a natural, almost incidental, balcony. After figuring out the right dimensions and shapes, I made a rough sketch with the guidance of my counselors (who are professionals with doctorate degree in the field). After many discussions and advice, I made my final sketch. I felt pleased by the outcome, so I continued on to my next and most time-consuming task, the construction model. With minor inconveniences along the way, it was slowly but surely completed. I was really able to capture the essence of my inspirations for the design. I added windows, the patio entrance, and a garage to increase its aesthetic. Unfortunately, I did not have time to paint it. Nonetheless, I continued to my next challenge, design in CAD. Though not as time consuming, it was the most technically difficult. I utilized the OnShape program that I was accustomed to. We were required to make a slideshow to present our project to the class and professors on the last day.

        Overall, this camp opened my eyes to the world of architecture. I would have never thought how much I would enjoy architecture to the point I am considering pursuing it, and who knows, maybe if you try, you will to.