hi, i’m drew…

For all intents and purposes, everything that I am drawn to in life relates to two insatiable desires: to create and to find out. For years I have sought to find a career that requires both and does not stifle either. After a summer of working in the construction industry and pursuing a double major in physics and studio art, it finally hit me. Their intersection lies in architecture, where every creation is predicated on an understanding.

My interest in physics—from black holes to quantum superposition—is a passion for finding out on every scale. Photography has been a miracle for the creative expression of all that I learn. While studying abroad in Florence, an independent study in photography with Professor Stefania Talini led to my creation of “Insiders | Outsiders”, and it began by finding out. 

What I learned is that very few Florentines live in the city center anymore to make room for Airbnbs, American-themed restaurants, and booths selling miniature David sculptures. Tourism has led to the city’s complete economic reliance on visitors and unlivable conditions for those who were raised there.

The project was a study of the identity of Florence: its architecture, its uses and misuses, and its contributions to cultural changes. The more I learned, the more my curiosity revealed itself. What defines a city’s identity? Is it as simple as consistent motifs and materials, or something else entirely? How will Florence’s architectural identity change after fifty more years of prioritizing tourism? How can architecture define, preserve, and transform the very being of a place? 

Following my return home, I worked a summer internship as a field engineer and kept these questions in my pocket. It was an invigorating shift in lifestyle: from photographing Italy to safety vests and night shifts. The job provided me an invaluable view into the construction world—I was finding out constantly—however, it lacked a component of creativity. I realized that my desires to find out and create are wholly intertwined and must coexist in my work. 

Driven by a passion for understanding the role of architecture in society, and a need for discovery and creativity, I have decided to pursue the practice of architecture professionally. In the fall of 2025, I will begin the next chapter of my life as an architect by enrolling at Columbia GSAPP.