Donia Hooshmand

Degree: BArch, Minors in Interior Architecture and Business Administration

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022

2021-2022 Scholarships
Baird Family Scholarship
DeNorval Unthank Jr. Memorial Scholarship in Architecture
Penny and Michael Wilkes Architecture Student Scholarship

I Am Originally From Kerman, Iran

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose to study at the University of Oregon because of the University’s research in sustainability. I’m very interested in sustainable and user-friendly design and the College of Design was one of the top-ranked schools in sustainable design. The University also has a gorgeous campus and the professors at the College of Design are amazing.

Architecture has always been a passion of mine. My mom has a PhD in Architecture, and my dad is a university professor with a PhD in construction management. My parents have a consulting construction group in Persia which they would sometimes take me to. I mainly became interested in design by seeing my mom’s work and how it blended math and design. Math has always been my favorite subject in school and design has been a passion of mine. Seeing a career where these two were combined grabbed my interest and I instantly knew this was something I wanted to do.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I had the opportunity to travel to many countries around the world including China, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Italy, Canada, Germany, United Arab Emirates, and the Netherlands with my architect parents. I also had the opportunity to discuss the architecture and culture of the places with them. Traveling has broadened my view of different types of architecture and design. On the other hand, I lived in Persia for more than half of my life. The country has one of the oldest cultures and the most unique ancient architecture in the world. The architecture of Persia has changed over centuries and continues to change based on cultural and religious differences in a wide range of places. I have traveled to many cities in Persia. Because of the country’s wide cultural, religious, and climatic diversities over time, I have seen many different historically influenced forms of architecture. Persian architecture is spectacular in my opinion because of its antiquity, geometric shapes, and symmetry. The architecture is full of combinations of simple geometric shapes combined to make geometrically complex shapes. The combination of the geometric pattern, structure, and tiles makes the buildings look simple yet complicated and beautiful. Persia’s diverse architecture and characteristics including muqarnas, geometry, symmetry, etc. made me fall in love with architecture. Moreover traveling and seeing new things like the modern and industrial aspects of architecture in Germany, the traditional architecture of China, and the different transportation systems and the unique urban architecture of Venice furthered my architectural understanding.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
All of my professors at the University of Oregon have been very influential. Some of the people that have shaped my education are James Givens, Seniro Instructor II of Architecture, Hans Minder, Instructor of Architecturre, and Ihab Elzeyadi, Professor of Architecture. Each of these professors have taught me valuable skills that I will take with me into my professional career. I had all three of these professors as studio instructors and they helped me grow as an architect while improving my digital, technical, and creative skills.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
When I came to the University of Oregon, I wanted to meet other Persian people. I saw other schools had a Persian club and was excited to find one at UO. Unfortunately, after asking around I found out that the Persian club has been inactive for 2 years. So my twin sister, Donna, and I decided to found a new Persian Student Association (PSA). After the establishment of PSA, we immediately found other Persians, and we all started meeting weekly. Some of the Persians were international students that had been in America for less than 2 months. Donna and I were one of the few people that had a car and knew our way around Eugene, so we started taking them grocery shopping and helping them around. We knew how hard it is to come to a new country and feeling alienated so we tried to help as best as we could. We started doing our cultural events or just meeting to talk in Farsi with others. Everyone in the group was very happy about finding a community to hang out with and relieve their homesickness.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
I love the tight-knit community at the University of Oregon. I have met some amazing people at the College of Design that I will keep in contact with ever after graduation. I love the sense of community in the architecture studios and love working alongside my peers and learning from them.

AFTER GRADUATION
After graduation, I plan on pursuing a PhD.  I am very interested in the subjects of building health, sustainable design, and renewable energy. I have learned a lot from my studies, and I am eager to apply my knowledge to the real world by building healthy, pleasant, and sustainable buildings. After getting my degree, I want to start implementing all the knowledge I have learned by working in a firm or even opening my own.

YOUR GIFT
These scholarships allow me to maximize my college experience and focus on getting my BArch. It will help me further my education and achieve my goals. I really appreciate the generosity of the Alumni, colleagues, and friends that established the DeNorval Unthank Jr. Memorial; the Baird Family; and Penny and Michael Wilkes Scholarships.

I am truly grateful for being selected as the recipient of your scholarship. This scholarship allows me to focus on my studies and achieve my dreams. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.