According to architecture student Brian Hamel, his decision to pursue architecture came relatively late compared to many of his fellow students. “As a kid, I considered doctor, policeman, tradesman, construction, lawyer, and a variety of other things,” he said. “In high school, I found architecture through a few courses in AutoCAD and Revit. I saw the opportunities that an architecture career could supply that encompassed many of my other passions, and the adaptability, opportunity and freedom it could provide.
Brian, a graduate student at University of Detroit Mercy’s School of Architecture & Community Development (UDM SACD), is the 2023 recipient of MAF’s HED Alvin Ernest Harley AIAS Graduate Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to a deserving student who demonstrates active participation and leadership involvement in their local AIAS Chapter. Additionally, the MAF Scholarship Jury cited Brian’s strong commitment to a career in the profession, as well as his outstanding work portfolio, in their decision to award him the scholarship.
“Winning an MAF scholarship meant a lot to me, and especially the specific scholarship I won, the Alvin Ernest Harley Scholarship,” said Brian. “Our AIAS chapter went dormant during the pandemic and a small group of students, including myself, took on the task of rebuilding the chapter after returning to school. Our mission was to make our rebuilt chapter stronger, more inclusive and an aid to students across our entire school. Winning this scholarship tells me that we were successful and hopefully have provided a great foundation for our chapter’s future.”
Brian is also currently the Co-Editor in Chief of the Dichotomy student journal at UDM SACD, and serves on the AIAS National Governance Committee which annually reviews the AIAS by-laws and produces the AIAS strategic plan.
Brian adds that what he enjoys most about his architecture program is the people. “Architecture school is an atmosphere that allows the creation of amazing bonds between students, and the friends I have met in school will be friends forever.”
As part of their MAF Scholarship application, students must submit a personal statement and a portfolio of their design work. “My portfolio consists mainly of my upper-level studio projects,” said Brian. “It includes my integrated studio project, Arrow, which won first place for design excellence by faculty choice and second place by student choice. This project was a high-performance office building on the corner of Atwater and the Dequindre Cut in Detroit. Another portfolio project is The Lizard, a project done during my Poland study abroad trip. This project was interesting because I was on a design team with two American students and two French students with a Polish professor, which exposed me to a variety of ways that different countries are taught architecture.”
About his personal statement, Brian added, “I mentioned that my plans for the future excite me. After completion of my Masters in Architecture, I will prepare to take the licensing exams. Post graduation, I would like to design sports and entertainment facilities. I have played sports since I could walk and was able to run track and cross country in college for a few years. For a long time, sports were just as important to me as architecture was, and I want to combine my passion for sports and architecture.
I think the experience and escape that sports and entertainment presents is compelling, and I want to be a part of designing for the future of the fan experience. With the opening of the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, I can already see the world of spectator experience changing, and it fascinates me.”