Cornell AAP's Alexa DeLott on Curiosity, Creativity and Education

By Julia Gamolina

Alexa DeLott is entering her second year and is majoring in architecture at Cornell University. Previous to her college education, Alexa graduated from Cheshire High School and Educational Center for the Arts (ECA). Her overall high school experience differs from others because she attended both these schools simultaneously, doing her core classes in the morning at CHS and then spending the afternoon at ECA in New Haven, CT studying visual arts. Since attending college, Alexa has gotten involved in the National Organization for Minority Architecture Students and recently become an AAP Ambassador. She spends her spare time participating in the NOMAS club by having educated discussions about minorities in the architecture community. As a member of this club, she is also working towards the annual NOMA student conference and design competition.

JG: Why did you decide to study architecture?

AD: For as long as I can remember, I have said that I would one day become an architect. Early in my life, I developed a deep curiosity for the relationship between objects and the physical space they inhabit. In the last year of my elementary school career, the sixth-grade science fair exposed me to what I never knew would become my passion for the rest of my life. Apart from the plethora of those who created erupting volcanoes, my project consisted of wooden bridges that supported up to 108 pounds. My eleven-year-old self meticulously calculated and assembled four bridges of different designs.

This innate curiosity has defined and influenced the way I approach my creative endeavors. Since then, art has been the vehicle through which I translate my perception of the world into a tangible form that comes alive with shapes, colors, and perspectives. Science, logic, and critical thinking are the parameters that help me materialize those perceptions, feelings, and emotions into a work of art. In essence, creating has always been my area of strength that has developed into my passion.

What was the favorite project you worked on in school?

If I had to pick, I would say that my favorite project I have done this year would be my second-semester studio project. The basis for this past studio was a material study. Every student was given a choice material and a method of joining that material. My material was copper, and my method of joinery was interlocking. We had to do in-depth research about our material about how it is used in the real world of architecture and also how we could create a joint with that material, all leading to creating a workshop for a craftsman that interlocks copper. Despite not being on campus for all of the second semester, it forced us to learn Rhino and other necessary online tools to complete the project which I really enjoyed learning. I am also now an expert on copper!

What are some of the initiatives you’ve focused on in school, and why?

The first club in school that I became interested in was the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS). Before college, I had heard of this organization so when I found out there was an interest meeting at Cornell, I knew I wanted to get involved. So far, we have focused on creating a sculpture for a TED X talk at Cornell, had and continue to have important conversations discussing racial inequalities, and are currently working on a low-income housing project in Oakland California.

Another initiative that I have focused on this past semester was getting involved in the annual Dragon Day. Every year the first-year architecture students at Cornell build a dragon as a class and on Dragon Day we parade around to highlight our work. This has been a tradition in our AAP community for over 100 years. I wanted to be involved in this tradition and was voted into a leadership role. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and being sent home from school, Dragon Day this year was canceled for the first time in over 100 years and we as a first-year class did not get to build our dragon. Although the actual celebration didn’t happen it still brought us together as a class and we put so much work and effort into the process leading up, which has had a tremendous impact on strengthening my planning and organizational skills as well as the ability to work with teammates.

In addition, I applied to become an AAP ambassador this past semester because I wanted to be a resource for incoming students using my fresh knowledge as I have just finished what they are about to start. I also thought that this would be a great way to get involved in the AAP community not only with prospective students but just being there as a resource to my peers.

A final initiative I took this past semester that also, unfortunately, had to be cut short was my training to become a shop technician. I have always enjoyed working in the woodshop throughout high school, and have experience in it. We started the training this past semester but unfortunately never got through it, so I am looking forward to hopefully continuing it this upcoming semester.

When searching for internships and jobs, what are you looking for?

First off, I’d like to work for a firm that helps and gives back to the community. I also would prefer to be somewhere that is not too big and my voice can still be heard, but also not too small so that I have exposure to group work. I would like to be a part of a firm that deals with various types of projects so that I can have experience with many different types of architecture and clients. Lastly, I would hope to gain great connections and be able to network with people. All of these important aspects would provide me with the skills and foundation to further my career and explore all my goals within the world of architecture.

What’s important to you? What inspires you?

Education, as I am now entering my second year at Cornell, is something that is important to me. I have been given the amazing opportunity and privilege to attend Cornell University and fulfill my lifelong dream of studying architecture. Absorbing all the knowledge that I can while putting my all into the work I do everyday is the most important thing to me in my daily life. Simultaneously, this amazing education that I am receiving inspires me to push even harder, because I know it will benefit me in the long run.

Creativity is an aspect of my life that is very important to me. Most of what I do is driven by the fact that I never want to give up my passion for art. In my life, I foresee myself fulfilling my desire to be creative in my daily life no matter what I do. The beauty of pursuing architecture as my career is that it allows me to use my imagination. If I am doing what I love every day, then it will never feel like work! Without this vision, I would not be where I am today.

Finally, something that inspires me more than anything else are my talented peers that surround me everyday. Knowing the hard work that they have all put in to get to where they are today, and the effort that they currently put in to excel in our program pushes me everyday to do the same. Their constant support while also challenging me is something that will impact me years from now as an architect. We pick each other up when we are down, and we push each other when we need it most. Ultimately, my education, creativity, and peers are all important to me because they inspire me.

What do you hope to do in your career?

I envision my career to be a journey having multiple phases where I learn and gain as much skill as possible each step of the way. Right out of school I hope to land a job in a firm and work my way up gaining experience. Eventually, I pictured myself studying to become a licensed architect and one day owning my own firm and building up my brand.

I want to give back to the community. Not only those directly around me, but also people struggling around the world. I hope that my career allows me to travel the world and be immersed in different cultures and different types of architecture that I have studied in the past. Or new styles that I have never imagined. Through traveling, I hope I am fortunate enough to satisfy my obsession with creating structures that can have a direct effect on communities and the people who occupy them. My desire to translate my thought processes into physical forms will allow me to create and contribute to a built environment that satisfies human necessities.

To me, the most important thing throughout my career is that I never stop learning! I want to satisfy my curious mind and my inclination to learn new things everyday.

Alexa on a site visit with Karin Patriquin.

Alexa at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University.

Who do you look up to?

The first person that comes to my mind is my mother. She motivates me to always set high aspirations and always be an overachiever. Whatever endeavor I take, she is also there by my side to support me when I fail, but also be my number one fan when I succeed. Also, throughout the years and as I grew up she has always had so many goals and interests. One of her biggest goals was owning her own business one day. She was able to achieve this goal and opened up an interior design business and showroom which mixed her passion in creating spaces (where I get it from), desire to help others and own her own business. I have and will always look up to her and what she has accomplished thus far in her life.

A woman I look up to in the field of architecture would be Karin Patriquin. In the summer after my junior year of high school, I was given the amazing opportunity to intern at Patraquin Architects, a small firm based in New Haven, Connecticut. This was a dream come true for me to have an internship in my desired field of study even before applying to college. Even though at the time, I had very minimal knowledge and skill compared to I do now, Karin still took me under her wing which allowed me to gain so much experience and knowledge. I was always amazed at the fact she is a woman who started her own firm, similar to my mother, and I hope to one day follow in both of their footsteps.

What advice would you give to those in high school now, choosing their field of study?

My biggest piece of advice to a high school student preparing to choose their field of study is to do what you truly love. I know it is easier said than done but I also want to reassure you that if you are a senior in high school and have no idea what you imagine your life to be ten years from now, that is completely normal and is OKAY! While college is a place to receive your education, it is also a place to explore different options and learn what you love.

Paying close attention to what you like and what you're good at are two major components that help you choose a field of study that you will love. Take a step back and look at the past four years of high school. What classes were the most enjoyable? What classes did you excel in? Personally, I knew I loved art and knew being creative and thinking outside the box were things I wanted to do in my everyday life.

Another thing I want to reiterate is that if you declare your major in college and down the road decide you want to change it and try something else, that is also okay. Always keep your mind open to anything your higher education has to offer and explore different options once you get there. Remember, what you think you want to do at the end of high school might be totally different from what you actually end up finding a passion for, and that is more than okay...as long as you end up doing what you love, don’t worry too much about the path it took to get there.