ALUMNUS OF THE MONTH - AUGUST 2011
Name:
Blake T. Smith
AIB Program:
Texas A&M Architecture (Spring 2007)
Current Job Position:
Design Assistant
About studying abroad:
"I'd like to thank the AIB for opening my eyes to architecture of an experimental and exploratory nature - for showing me how to break out of the proverbial "box". Without this experience, I may never have arrived at a true appreciation of everything that architecture can be, rather than what it often is (uninspiring)."
Blake T. Smith was born on March 13, 1986 in Houston, TX. He grew up in the suburbs of Houston before attending Texas A&M University to study Architecture.
It was during this period that he attended the AIB for a study abroad in Düsseldorf (Spring 2007). The sights seen and mentoring he received in studio inspired
him to seek a new architecture; one that is not afraid to be bold or make a radical statement. He left Europe feeling enlightened, and possessing a
strong passion for design that revealed itself through rigorous investigation and high performance in studio.
The experience stuck with him as he continued on to The University of Texas at Austin to pursue a Masters in Architecture. There his work ethic and talents
attracted the attention of UT's world-class Center for Sustainable Development, directed then by Werner Lang. As a research associate, Blake focused on visualization
and graphic design before getting involved in an on-going project that brings real-time building energy data to social media applications.
The UT Smart Building Initiative quantifies and visualizes something that has always been invisible (specifics of building energy consumption)
to the UT student body in the form of a smart phone app called Curb. His time in Austin has inspired him to pursue designs that affect the way we think about society,
technology, and a world growing smaller by the nanosecond.
Above all other things, Blake believes architecture is about people. He continuously seeks interesting
and clever ways to engage the community with his designs. In addition to being ecologically and economically sound, true sustainable design enriches the lives of its
occupants in an equitable and enjoyable fashion. It is this mentality that brought his attention to BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group in Copenhagen. BIG is one of the most
creative and forward-thinking architecture firms currently in practice. They operate under the idea of "Hedonistic Sustainability", proclaiming that living sustainably
actually improves quality of life rather than being a burden or painful sacrifice. Blake has entered into a professional residency with BIG, and is currently assisting
in the development of a new waste-to-energy plant for Copenhagen that incorporates a public ski slope into its roofscape. In addition to being more efficient than the city's
current plant, the building will provide a recreational amenity currently unavailable in Copenhagen, a city as flat as it is cold! Blake is excited to further explore his
perspectives on design and society in an energetic and intelligent office known for its optimistic responses to the sustainability challenge.
http://www.big.dk/projects/amf/
