Enjoy the long weekend! – Bruce and the REFM Team
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Andrew Luck NFL QB chats with SPIRE!
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Andrew, Thank you for taking the time to sit down with Stanford Professionals in Real Estate. How did you choose to focus your Stanford studies on architecture?
Andrew Luck: I think growing up I was always playing with Legos or building things, putting things together as opposed to writing a paper or doing math homework. So, going into college, I remember writing down on my Stanford application that I was interested in engineering or architecture. I have always had an interest in those subjects.
Then I took an art history class here at Stanford on the history of architecture. That class was my first introduction architecture. It interested me and so I figured why not give it a shot.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): When did you declare your architecture major?
Andrew Luck: I officially declared at the end of my sophomore year after I took the two beginning architecture studio classes, the drawing and modeling studios.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Im just curious. What is the size of the architecture design program? How many students are graduating?
Andrew Luck: It is small relatively small department compared to lots of programs at Stanford. I want to say there are maybe a total of 40 to 50 students in the architecture program across all four years.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Do you have the opportunity to do field work in the built environment, to get out of the classroom to work on assignments?
Andrew Luck: Anytime that we can get out and tour a project or site we get out and visit. Ive been fortunate to work on several projects with sites in the Bay area or on campus. We try and visit the site multiple times to better understand it. Right now, were doing a project for a site on Washington Avenue and Embarcadero in San Francisco.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Do you have the opportunity to travel to San Francisco and actually do some architectural work for that project?
Andrew Luck: Well, my work is based on a school assignment. The architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, & Merrell LLP are teaching the course. It is their project at 8 Washington Street in San Francisco. They let us view all the site specifications and plans. It is really neat. Another project I am working on is just off campus in Palo Alto on Forest Avenue and Emerson. So its fun to get off campus and check out these sites.
They give us all the information on property, including the slope, and measurements, but it is nice to be able to drive over there and see it and the buildings next to it.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): It sounds like most of your studio work comes from real world examples.
Andrew Luck: Yes. That being said though, there is only so much you can do on a 10 week quarter system. You cant get into the plumbing spec details and things like that.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Is there any particular course, project, or studio that you really enjoyed in the architecture design program while you were here at Stanford?
Andrew Luck: Yes, I really enjoyed a sustainable studio I took last spring. We designed a disaster relief shelter and community for Haiti after the earthquake. There is an actual disaster relief community site on a golf course outside of Port-au-Prince. There was a group of five of us from mechanical engineering to architecture to construction management, and an undeclared Freshman. We designed a shelter and a community based on the existing prototype. It was a relief shelter for a family dwelling.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Obviously, youve got a full plate right now with learning the Colts playbook and so forth. Do you have any idea, five years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, how you might want to use your degree in architecture from Stanford?
Andrew Luck: Who knows? Right now I have my focus. I want to play football in the NFL for as long as I can. Hopefully thats a long time. But, after that, absolutely, I would love to get into architecture.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Do you have any favorite designs or ideas for your own future home or office?
Andrew Luck: I havent had a project to design a house or an office for myself, but Im sure someday I will have a big hand in their creation.
Andy Walburger (SPIRE): Last question, and this is more for current Stanford students. It sometimes seems like students often feel like their career options are limited to being an investment banker, a consultant, or to work for a tech company like Facebook or Google. What advice do you have for students when it comes to choosing their area of study and future careers?
Andrew Luck: Well, I think first, do what you enjoy. I enjoyed studying architecture, so thats why I studied it. I think its great being in Silicon Valley with all the tech companies. I think if you are drawn to that type of work, it is great. But, the engineering and construction program here is excellent, and the architecture program is great. It doesnt have to be Silicon Valley related just because youre in the area. So do what you enjoy.