Culture might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of architecture, but in Cal Poly senior John Vierra’s designs, it comes first. From strolling down the streets of China and Japan to playing with a slinky, the architecture student has found inspiration for his award-winning furniture and floating boathouse design in culture.
“What you think architecture is, it really isn’t. It challenges you because it has social implications to it and can influence people as they experience a building. It’s a lot different from even what I thought it was,” Vierra said. “We have to respond to the mainstream and what is happening today, and it kind of influences you in a way to constantly be aware of culture and society.”
Vierra’s culture-consciousness might be one of the factors that helped him win first place in the 2009 Bohemian Flats Boathouse Student Design Competition, which required competitors to design a boathouse for the Bohemian Flats, a bank on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
Vierra was awarded $2,500 for his “Boat on Board” design by the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and the Vinyl Institute, which sponsored the event. The models were evaluated on the materials used and innovation of a sustainable and safe design.
When approaching the project, Vierra consulted with Cal Poly architecture lecturer Margarida Yu Hui Yin. Yin has taught Vierra in four courses.
“He deserves all of his success,” Yin said. “I won’t be surprised when I see his design works published in major architecture magazines, because I am so sure that he will have a bright future in his architectural profession.”
As a young architect, Vierra said what he loved most about the field was its seemingly endless opportunities. “When I chose architecture, I liked the wide range of opportunities for what you can produce. You can go from furniture to large scale designs to interior designs,” he said.
His favorite project yet was a bench entitled “tsunami” that transforms into three different seats. It won “Best in Show” in the 2009 Vellum/CAED Furniture Competition & Exhibition that took place at Cal Poly last fall.
“I picked a star slinky because when you twist the slinky, it creates different forms with the different degrees, so my bench is actually a normal bench that you could rotate the pieces,” Vierra said. “So as you rotate, what was once the support for the leg is now the support for your back.”
The piece helped Vierra come up with the theme “transformalism,” which he would later use for his studio. He based this concept on the way he believes architecture influences and engages people.
Cal Poly architecture senior James Ross has known Vierra for two years and accompanied him to China. He said Vierra’s time management and determination have led his peers to regard him highly for his success.
“He is willing to help out by giving me tips, pointers and critiques,” Ross said. “I look toward my teachers and peers, and he is always someone I take into consideration.”
Vierra said while the college workload is hectic and architecture students do not have much free time, more students should get involved in competitions to make themselves stand out in an already competitive field.
“I am a self-motivated student, and I like to challenge myself and set goals. And it’s just kind of fun doing competitions,” Vierra said.