Laurentian University Bachelor of Architectural Studies Applicant Portfolio Ryan Wong : 0408455l
Statement of Interest During my last 2 years of high school, I put a lot of thought into my career choices. To help me decide my career path, I would write out lists of different career choices, researching each one. I would recompile my list each time, and architecture would always made it to the top of my list. I applied to the Bachelor of Architectural Studies program last year and was accepted by the McEwen School of Architecture for the fall of 2021. After a lot of conversation with my family, it was decided that I would wait until the university was more financially stable to attend. Unfortunately, Laurentian University’s admissions office would not let me defer my offer, so I am reapplying again this year. In the meantime, I am enrolled in Architectural Studies at the University of Toronto as a first year student. Some of the subjects I have taken so far as a first year Architectural Studies student are art history, architecture history, computation and design, and drawing and representation. During this time, I have furthered my skills in Autocad, and have been exposed to the following programs: Processing, Grasshopper, Adobe Illustrator, and Rhino. I am also involved with a club called the Future Living Lab(FLL). FLL is a club whose members are from a variety of different majors, but mostly architecture students. My group was tasked with the floor plan renovations of a cabin kitchen for the University of Toronto Outing Club(UTOC). The process started in November and the floor plans have recently been finalized this January. I’ve learned a lot from my upper year peers, as I watched them, as well as discussed with them on how to do the floor plans. An individual contribution
I made was creating a visual three dimensional model of the kitchen in Autocad. Currently, our group is awaiting further instruction regarding the actual remodeling and construction of the kitchen and hopefully we, ourselves will be able to help with the construction. Outside of school, I like drawing and knitting. I spend a lot of time in the basement cutting and gluing independent projects. I also enjoy swimming, camping, skiing, and playing soccer. Recently, I started working part-time as a screener and substitute swim instructor at a community centre. Although my studies at the University of Toronto have given me a taste of what it’s like being an architecture student, reaffirming that I want to be an architect, I would like to achieve this goal by studying at Laurentian University. I am really excited about the many opportunities the program at Laurentian University has, including co-op internships, design-builds, and school trips. The tri-cultural mandate is unique, as it gives students an opportunity to learn from the north and include indigenous learning into the curriculum. I am also interested in the sustainability ethics portion of the curriculum, as I am personally interested in that theme. From the architecture history course I’ve been taking, I’ve learned a lot about environmentalism in architecture, and believe I can expand my learning through Laurentian University’s program. I feel the curriculum at Laurentian University will provide me with a well-rounded education to prepare me for professional studies as I would like to pursue a Master of Architecture, eventually. I consider myself a strong candidate for the Architectural Studies program. I am determined and focused on my long term goal of becoming an architect. I think being able to attend Laurentian University’s architecture program would be an amazing opportunity for me.
Bloor Station Acrylic Paint on Canvas 9”x12” December 2021 Paint study of Bloor station in downtown Toronto. I decided to paint this because it’s a regular part of my school route.
Catch Me If You Can Pencil on Paper 7”x10” January 2022 This is a still life I put together using the objects I’ve seen on the Toronto Transit System. I wanted to capture things that people left behind, small fragments, that were brief in their life. The title is also from a small piece of graffiti I encountered on the streetcar on my way to school.
Exhausted Pencil on Paper 7”x10” January 2022 This drawing conveys how many people might feel commuting to and from downtown, or at least me. The person in the image I drew seemed tired, from what I presume was a long day for them. Bent over, they’re meddling with a loose screw on a vent underneath the seat.
Cherry Beach Charcoal on Paper 12”x18” November 2021 Charcoal study of a local beach, downtown Toronto. My family and I walk our dogs in the dog park on the opposite side of this beach.
Isolated Future Acrylic Paint on Canvas 9”x12” January 2022 Here is what I imagine our future to be like, in the situation that the Earth floods. I imagine that people would live on separate islands, as the water would have risen too high.
Perseverance Digital Animation(Procreate) August 2020
My older brother enjoys skateboarding and trying new tricks and sometimes asks me to film him. Although it takes him many attempts, I like watching him persevere. This animation is inspired by his skateboarding. https://youtu.be/c45AveJuOHg
Kassandra Graphite Pencil on Paper 9”x12” March 2020 This is a portrait of a friend of mine. I asked her to send me a silly photo of herself and she sent me a surprised expression to draw.
Character Sketches Marker, Pencil, on paper 7”x10” May 2021 A few character designs.
Character Sheet - Kira December 2020 11.8” x 23” Digital Drawing Character sheet of an original design. I also added characteristics that apply to myself, like enjoying ramen and playing soccer.
Sketches Pencil on Paper 7”x10” January 2021 - January 2022 Compilation of a few random sketches from my sketchbooks.
Thermal Energy Acrylic Paint on Canvas 11”x14” January 2020 Experimenting with the randomness and flow of paint. I let paint freefall onto the canvas from a cup and waited until it covered the entire piece.
Cardigan Project Knitted Piece March 2021 - July 2021 During my free time I enjoy many different crafts, one is knitting. Over a few months, I knit a yellow cardigan for myself, something I had never done before.
Cardigan Process
Uncle Billy’s January 2021 12” x 16” Digital Painting This was inspired by a photograph I took when on vacation in Hawaii a few years ago. In the original photo, the plants were overgrown and there was a lot of vegetation.
Gulangyu Pen on Paper 7”x10” December 2021 I drew this scene from a photo I took in Gulangyu, China while on a family trip.
Self Portrait Oil Pastel on Paper 7”x10” January 2022 This is for a study I did on light. I wanted to experiment with how light and shadow were highlighted on my face.
Arc100 Final Assignment Autocad, Adobe Illustrator 39”x59” December 2021 For my final assignment in my Drawing and Representation class, our assignment was to present our homes in a creative and narrative way through the use of Autocad/Rhino and Adobe Illustrator. I decided to present my daily life at home in a manga/comic style.
Progress Photos in AutoCad
Thank you for your consideration.