Hi all, I am Mr. Kyle Wentzel entering my first blog mail today. I will be telling you a little something about myself & how my architectural journey has laid out so far.
Throughout my school courier I moved often. We would be living in a different house every 6 months to a year. It was unsettling but at the same time I started studying house styles, forms, layouts, shapes and spaces. I would wonder how they were put together, how the junctions worked and how the detailing was done. This was just a contribution to my interest and inspiration towards architecture as it has always fascinated me.
When I had completed matric I couldn't apply to study architecture because of the moving situation. A last minute decision was made to move to Durban and I was to late to apply there. My mother told me about a 1 year architectural course through Inscape Design Collage, which luckily started in June. I didn't even think about it, I jumped at the opportunity immediately. So I moved back to Cape Town and passed the course with a distinction.
I knew I had to study further but had no idea on how to go about it. Work at a firm was very hard to come by, no one was employing a new candidate draughtsman. I applied to study through UCT but my school marks didn't allow for that. So I the mean time I had found a private job for a German client in Gaansbaai. I was lucky to be introduced to an architect in Hermanus who said he would sign my plans off for me and help me along the way. After that I met a developer, Mark Guthrie, who taught me allot about the industry. He always provided work for me to do of all kinds in my professional courier. The projects varied from new house design and extensions to model building and informal settlement housing.
Toward the end of that year I started thinking about bettering myself and furthering my studies. I applied at CPUT with very little hope of being accepted because I had been denied elsewhere before. I was so overwhelmed and surprised when I received my acceptance letter. My first year was interesting and hard all at the same time. I had no idea the work load would be so much, it really took all of my energy, time and concentration. I passed once again, finishing a few projects of my own on the side. It was extremely challenging trying to balance my life out.
Now I'm working at Oscar Schmidt Architecture as an intern for my second year of studies through CPUT. I have realized that its also about the journey to where and what you want to be and not just the destination. And... Well... Here I am and I will keep you updated from here onwards.
