UH Manoa Diaries #6 — Year One In the Books
My first year of college went by faster than I was expecting. It feels like I was just moving into my dorm three weeks ago… and now I’m back home again?
TENNIS
We wrapped up tennis season with the Big West Tournament in San Diego. After solid wins over Riverside and CSUN, we made it to the semifinals, where we fell to Cal Poly.
Overall, I think we had a great season but more importantly a great team. I’m so excited for what next year has in store for us!
ARCHITECTURE
First year of architecture was definitely a challenge but also a huge learning experience. It was all about developing a new way of thinking, pushing myself to grow creatively, and learning to refine both design and concept work.
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Here’s a quick recap of my second semester studio projects:
P1 — BREEZE BLOCKS
This was different from anything we’d done before. We had to design and cast our own life-sized concrete breeze block. I learned how to prep files for laser cutting, build molds, mix and pour concrete, and level up my graphic presentation skills
P2 — COASTAL SENSORIUM
A fully digital project where we focused on mastering site plans, sections, elevations, axonometrics, and more. It was a big switch from the hands-on nature of the breeze block project, but refreshing!
P3 — PNEUMATIC STRUCTURES
We ended the year with our first group project: designing an inflatable emergency shelter for natural disasters. It pushed us to think about urgency, functionality, and adaptability. After weeks of design and construction, we AERIS was born — a deployable space for flood and tsunami survivors that provides privacy and calm amidst the chaos.
This year was everything I hoped for and more. First year down. Let’s go, Year Two!
Aloha,
Emma
