- January 2020
Personal Statement
As a kid, I imagined becoming an inventor just like my father, a third-generation architect. His study was littered with scale models and paper doodles, and it was there that I learned about the built environment and came to appreciate cities and their complexity. Naturally curious, I was unafraid to ask questions and was interested in the smallest details: where does stormwater go? What about walkability and traffic? Why do modern buildings tend to look architecturally plain compared to beautiful older buildings? Even as a young boy, I was obsessed with the details of design.
A few years after developing an interest in design, I became a chess enthusiast in fifth grade. A chess game could easily go on for hours, and through chess, I honed my powers of concentration. The pleasure of finding the best move, seeking alternatives, trying for a win, and staying positive even if a plan failed helped me to grow, strategize, and think ahead. I began to see that the thought process behind chess is not unlike architectural studies, and the two could actually influence one another. Both chess and design deal with the essence and components of space, including boundaries, adjacencies, and accessibility; they both create space by defining movement within it.
In high school, I taught myself how to code and build software prototypes. Interested in finding a way to reduce food waste, I designed software specifically for dining halls where customers can pre-order to help chefs calculate the amount of food they should prepare. As an upgraded version of the original, I proposed a new school administrative system that enables instant messaging, cloud storage, synchronizing, and sharing of Google Calendars. Although none of those frameworks were officially applied in real life, my initial attempts prompted me to delve further into functional lifestyle apps.
A couple of months ago, the ETCP Company – one of the three largest parking management systems nationwide – confirmed their interest in strategic cooperation with my team. To motorists in large, highly populated cities all over the globe, parking is often painful. Determined to take the frustration out of urban parking, I coordinated with four outstanding engineers to create “Aparkers”. The first application in China to connect car services and analyze transportation, its features include searching, locating, reserving, and navigating drivers to the open parking spot nearest to them. Partnering with ETCP, we not only made a possible prepayment of parking fees with a smartphone, but we also help people save time and fuel. As of today, our services can be found in airports and shopping malls in more than five cities in China including Shanghai and Beijing.
Perhaps it was passed down from my father or developed through early exposure, but I know I have an intrinsic, irresistible urge to explore and excel in the art and science of designing and constructing structures. And yet, as I recall my experiences in mobile app and software engineering, I reflect upon the possibilities of combining my love of computer science and architecture. Can we make our homes smarter by automating repetitive things? Using tools like OculusVR, can architects virtually experience the space they design? What if we can more accurately "see" our buildings before they are built? The fields I have in mind may be non-existent, but I’m not afraid to adventure into the unknown to find the answers that will improve others’ lives.
My journey of discovery and creation has not only led to my future career path, but has also pushed me to think outside the box, embrace uncertainties, stay positive, and play an active role as a socially responsible citizen. Looking ahead, I am eager to be continuously challenged, and I’m ready to play, however the game develops.
