2002 Bachelor of Architecture
K. Scott Melançon

The opportunity to travel has immeasurable meaning. It seems awkward to attempt to eulogize my travels in the form of a written essay. For me, travel has such a euphoric quality; it is inconclusive by its very nature. I struggled throughout my journey to quantify or find a concrete meaning. It is not until now that I have come to an understanding that the experience in itself is the meaning. To travel in unknown places evokes an array of moods and emotions: fear, frustration, euphoria, and curiosity, to name a few. It is the culmination of these emotions that create the experience. For me, the travel itself was the architectural experience. Not a day has gone by that the trip has not in some way visited my thoughts, always presenting itself in some new way. I am gracious for having taken part in this rare opportunity and hopeful that the experience will continue to bring me these thoughts in the future. The pages that follow are some short excerpts from my journal. Perhaps these may be seen as an unresolved list of observations, captured thoughts, and introspective examinations. For me, these remain tangible evidence of my travels and a visceral record of my experiences at certain times in certain places.

I feel that one of the most significant discoveries that I’ve made has to do with a work of architecture within the urban setting. Like many before traveling, my mind was occupied by some preconceived notion of how things should be: thoughts of a great work of architecture placed within an idealistic, pristine setting, free from the problems of the city. What I’ve discovered is the harsh reality of the urban condition. These great works do not exist within the composition of a photograph, nor do we, the user. The spatial condition is dictated and activated by the user.

Looking back, it is interesting to rethink my initial thoughts on what I would do while traveling. The reality is that it is much more than some small quest for a site-specific study. In this respect, perhaps I did not fulfill my initial intentions. Yet the trip evolved into much more than these intentions. I became fascinated with the exploration of the city: the city as place, as setting, as incubator of activity. I can only call it arousal of new interest which evoked a vast learning experience. Beyond any site-specific study, it became more of a survey of architecture and the city. In closing, the immediacy and freedom of learning and locating is one of the most liberating conditions in which I have ever been. For this I am forever grateful for the opportunity.