Every now and then we will feature a current student at AAP NYC to get a bit of an insight into the people that make the program, their experiences and interests. Today we will be featuring Daisy Dai, a fourth-year B.Arch. student currently participating in the Product Studio at Cornell Tech.
SS: What do you love most about being in NYC?
DD: I really enjoy the events and lectures that we can attend from other institutions that we don’t normally get to interact with. One event that I really enjoyed was the lecture at Cooper Union by RCR Arquitectes, the 2017 Pritzker Prize winner, hosted by the Architecture League of New York.
SS: What have you discovered about architecture whilst living in New York City?
DD: While being in the Product Studio I found that our skills can be translated into other design disciplines. We used what we learned in architecture to contribute to the design process. We learned different strategies to conduct user research and think from the client and user perspective to design the experience.
SS: What do you wish you had in NYC that you don’t at the moment?
DD: I wish there could be more interaction with architecture students from different schools in the city, maybe events that could facilitate cross pollination of ideas.
SS: You have about one more year at Cornell. How do you wish to spend your time? What do you wish to explore further?
DD: I want to take roles and courses that would allow me to explore my interest further, narrowing down what I hope would be the direction of my future career. Its my last chance to take a sample of different and interesting classes.
SS: Your best NYC moment?
DD: We went to a club in Brooklyn and discovered they had bonfires and a tipi hahaha…
SS: If you were to look back in time, what is one thing you would tell yourself as an incoming freshman?
DD: Try to explore specific interests and career paths early on to figure out what you love and enjoy.