Keaton Hodges, an architecture major from Denver, wanted a program that he knew could support his goal of becoming an architect. "I truly believe that ENVD at CU Boulder has done that for me."
It’s been a pleasure working alongside all of my classmates. It seems that ENVD students strive to make each other better and not to compete. I will never take that type of connection between peers for granted!
Tell us about your involvement and/or student leadership roles in and/or outside of ENVD.
I am a TA for Azhar in 1020. It’s been a really great experience and it’s been lots of fun to return to my design roots and get new ENVD students excited about sustainability and design!
What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?
When choosing a school, I wanted to pick a program that I knew could support my goal of becoming an architect. I truly believe that environmental design at Boulder has done that for me, and I was excited to experience the close-knit group that is ENVD.
What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU Boulder that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
Something I’ll carry into the next chapter of my life is all the connections that I’ve made throughout environmental design. I feel that by talking with other students and teachers, I’ve been able to develop my design thinking. The entire world is designed, and throughout ENVD I’ve been able to recognize that on a daily basis and discuss it with others.
Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
My best piece of advice to others is to budget your time and plan ahead for unseen challenges that arise within design.
Describe one of your favorite memories.
One of my favorite memories was working on models at the CINC with my other classmates at 2 a.m. We had music going, and the entire environment was extremely fun. You could tell that all of us were working really hard, but it didn’t feel like school. It felt like we were all just hanging out, creating our design ideas and turning them into reality.
What does graduating from college represent for you?
This is a major life accomplishment and I can’t wait to take my learning and apply it to the real, developing world!
What are your plans beyond graduation?
I plan to work on developing Denver further, possibly working in a firm in the Denver area.