Unveiled

Tell us a little bit about what you do.
I am an architecture designer—I can’t be called an architect yet since it takes two to five years for me to get my license. I also do illustrations and artworks on the side.

What’s the main difference between being an architecture designer and an illustrator?
Since illustration is a passion of mine and thus, something very personal to me, it’s actually been quite heartbreaking when things don’t work. I’ve been trying to take up some gigs here and there, and when a client demands a bunch of things from me that I’m not super agreeable with, it’s harder to accept that as compared to architectural projects. 

Is there something that surprised you when you first joined the industry?
Something that surprised me is how different it is as compared to what I had experienced in school. In school, you learn more about design and conceptual thinking, but in the real world, architecture tends to be very technical and you need to be able to wear many hats. Each project takes years to build and architects need to be there at every step—we need to be the engineer, the consultant, the artist, the landscape designer etc. 

What’s something you love the most about your job?
Well, the fact that I get to wear many hats. Even though it’s difficult, I feel like I’m learning something new every day. No project is identical, and no phase of each project is ever the same. 

What’s a dream illustration that you’d like to work on?
I really like stories, and when people are able to tell stories through either drawings or art, I really like seeing that. My ideal project would be something that has to do with telling a story either in animation or comic strips. I’ve been watching a lot of these Pixar or Disney shorts on Disney+—I love how it’s all very creative and it forces each studio to create something that isn’t based on profitability but by exploring experimental and interesting themes.

Out of all that you’ve watched, share one short that has been most memorable to you, and why:
Crosswalk, which is produced by Disney. The story follows a guy who lives in New York and is a descendant of Irish immigrants. As a law-abiding citizen, he gets stuck at a traffic light since the light won’t change to green. While waiting, he thinks about his ancestors who have crossed oceans just to be where he is at now, and yet, here he is, unable to take a few steps to cross a single road. I really enjoyed it and I thought the animation was really cute! 

What’s a skill you would choose to be instantly good at, if given the chance?
I’ve been picking up aerial and pole dancing, and I would love to be instantly good at that and dancing in general, actually. It’s really amazing how aerial and pole dancers are able to control their bodies, and learning it has made me so much more appreciative of how people prepare their bodies for this kind of activities. 

How do you keep yourself going when the going gets tough?
I follow this Instagram account called @gdfa.co, and they have motivational quotes but it’s all really vulgar (laughs). Usually, I’ll read through their quotes and think, “Yeah! I’m a badass!” That instantly puts me in a better mood.