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City Tech Student Designs Skyscraper for Downtown Brooklyn
-- Gurdak is Part of First Class to Earn Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Technology --
“Downtown Brooklyn is definitely on the move,” says Pawel Gurdak, “which is why it’s so exciting to be creating architectural models of skyscrapers for Flatbush Avenue -- a place that’s destined to become another Wall Street.”
Explaining that the Fulton Mall/Borough Hall area is a transportation hub to every part of New York City, Gurdak points out that the streets are “in constant motion – a center for shopping, for the courts, for education, for commerce, for everything -- for me, it’s a sacred space,” he declares.
His enthusiasm is shared by his 11 classmates, the first class to receive the bachelor’s of technology degree in architectural technology from New York City College of Technology (City Tech). The commencement exercises will take place on June 2, at 10:30 a.m., in the Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Most of the members of this first graduating class are immigrants – recent arrivals from Peru, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, China, the former Soviet Union and Pakistan. Gurdak, for example, arrived in the United States from Poland in 1997, speaking not a word of English but knowing that he wanted to study engineering and architecture. The path he followed was fairly representative of the paths pursued by his classmates.
After learning enough English to enroll in college, he decided to attend City Tech to pursue the AAS degree in construction management technology. Accomplishing that in 2001, he joined the workforce as an architectural draftsperson, performing such diverse jobs as renovating and designing residential and commercial buildings, site survey and planning as well as preparation of construction documents.
As luck would have it, the College instituted a new baccalaureate degree program in 2003 that filled in all of the gaps -- offering the full array of courses and experiences needed for a higher-level architectural career -- and Gurdak lost no time in re-enrolling at City Tech. Like many of his classmates, he plans to go on for his master’s following graduation.
“I love being in school,” he explains. “Professors and fellow students are always offering fresh ideas and perspectives which help to enrich my work.”
While working full time throughout his college career, Gurdak has earned a 3.77 grade point average (out of a possible 4.0) and also found time to pursue his musical and artistic interests. Now 26 years old, he lives in Franklin Square, Long Island, and is married to a psychology student who says she is amazed at how deeply immersed her husband is in his chosen field.
“Architecture is my passion,” says Gurdak. “A building,” he
explains, “is like a human being.
The feet support the structure, the bones connect the parts, the skin protects
the body from the
elements. And the architect has the great opportunity and responsibility of
translating the concept into reality. He must use his power wisely. He is the
master builder.”
According to Robert Zagaroli, professor of architectural technology at CityTech, “When we created the new bachelor’s curriculum, we were aware that most architecture education programs focus heavily on ‘design’ which, in truth, constitutes only about five percent of the work we do,” he says.
In this new program, our students learn to understand the historical, social and technological aspects of the renaissance of New York City. They receive instruction in facilities management, structural and mechanical systems and building code requirements, as well as the requisite courses in physics, math, liberal arts and design.
In addition, the latest developments in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) computer drafting are incorporated into the program. “Because of the richness of our curriculum,” Zagaroli adds, “we’ve doubled our enrollment in three years.”
Working on real-life projects is a prominent feature of both the associate and bachelor’s degree architectural technology programs at City Tech. Students have already contributed design work for the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed in the collapse of the Twin Towers, and for a new surgical hospital in El Salvador. Recently, they were asked by architect Daniel Libeskind, who is the master planner for the World Trade Center site, to help redesign a Sri Lankan city destroyed by the tsunami.
“Recent real-life assignments for graduating seniors,” explains Zagaroli, “were developed because the zoning for downtown Brooklyn was changed last April allowing for taller buildings. This area is now a thriving, multi-purpose center not only for the borough but for the entire city. And these students, like their classmate Pawel, are excited about the architectural forms they’ve created that capture the energy and potential of this very special neighborhood.”
5.19.05
Photo by Professor Robert Zagaroli
