SAM PAYANDEH

Architectural Designer

Architecture Designer
California Polytechnic University Pomona

AIAS. AIA. AWA.
First Place AIA 2014 Student Design Competition.
Recipient AIA Honor Award.
Recipient Architecture Endowed Scholarship for Extraordinary Achievements.
Graduated as Magna Cum Laude

Who am I and Where I am Coming From?

Rhythm of Past
When I was seven, an earthquake killed thousands of people in the northern region of my country. Coming from a family of builders, I had the mixed fortune of visiting areas where entire cities had collapsed, while my family built shelters for the people. Even as a child, I was humbled at how utterly powerless we were against such forces of nature. Many years later, I learned the role that inadequately constructed buildings played in the earthquake tragedy, and I began to appreciate how the science of architecture could have saved many of the lives lost that day. Today, I can see that the disaster I witnessed as a child, shaped my past, and now constantly reaffirms my desire to become a responsible, conscientious architect.
My goal is to expand my knowledge of the science of architecture and produce architectural designs that will save lives in the event of a disaster situation. I strive to create pleasing, functional buildings that will inspire a sense of delight, while promoting recreation and tranquility. This means creating architecture that will feed the spirit and the body with a pleasant sense of replenishment.
My goal is to expand my knowledge of the science of architecture and produce architectural designs that will save lives in the event of a disaster situation. I strive to create pleasing, functional buildings that will inspire a sense of delight, while promoting recreation and tranquility. This means creating architecture that will feed the spirit and the body with a pleasant sense of replenishment.
consider all of the characteristics of the manmade and natural elements in any surroundings and arrange them in such a way as to produce a functional, balanced and beautiful environment for both the emotional and practical uses in our lives.
As my introduction to the world of architecture began with my first-hand experience of the devastation arising from poorly designed buildings, I aspire to lead a principled life as an architect, even going a step beyond what is required, to protect clients who have entrusted me with their lives. I believe I understand better than most how the smallest contravention on my part could permanently remove the joy from the lives of others. Therefore, being a leader in architectural design locally, and in the world, is a huge responsibility that I take seriously. I will be on the front lines advocating for strict design regulations, because failure to do so damages us all.

Playing My Song

Few Years ago I won first place in 2014, AIA Student Design Competition with my proposal project for the City of Art Visionary Cultural Station, Riverside, California. I am overjoyed about this accomplishment as it is a step on the path to my life’s passion, which is creating a harmonious bridge between the urban world and nature with my designs.
My enthusiasm for uniting the urban and the natural worlds stems from visiting my grandparents’ home in the middle of the virgin jungles of northern Iran. The joy and wonder I experienced living in such proximity to nature, of encounters with the wild animals living near and around their garden home, never ceased to astound me. Over time, it has shaped my opinions about urban living. Life in idyllic but remote settings does have some drawbacks, though. Accompanying my grandfather to the village marketplace for water, and watching him struggle to fill and load the heavy water barrels onto his truck, made me aware of the cost of living without the amenities of urban life. Life lived on the edge is a relentless battle against nature. It bred in me a respect for a natural organic life, but also convinced me that an organic life in a modern setting could greatly benefit us all. My days spent in that wild, garden paradise became the driving force to balance the natural and modernized worlds in my designs.
With this goal in mind entering the AIA Competition, I considered such superb works of architecture as, Emilio Ambasz’s San Antonio Botanical Center Lucille, and Norman Foster’s Zayed National Museum, and Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall among others. All seamlessly integrate elements of nature into their designs. Gehry’s, Walt Disney Concert Hall, reflects my own ideals of what can be accomplished within the realm of architecture at its conjunction with nature. The structure’s massive mind-bending façade of shimmering steel, breathtaking angles and sleek silver curves, according to Gehry, was meant “…to always to look alive,” echoing my own sentiments about what architecture can and should be.
The freedom, courage and the science latent in their architectures taught me to consider all the elements in the vicinity of a building site. Architecture must often strive to coordinate disparate elements in an environment, integrating them and making them purposeful within the space being developed. I therefore designed the center with a strategy to benefit not only the local inhabitants, but also the local economy. By promoting community, tourism and investment, which are essential for local development, my plan, should help raise incomes, leading to more leisure time and a better quality of life. Finally, I employed the concept of a plant’s adaptation to its environment through the development of physical structures, as both an inspiration and a template for an innovative and environmentally friendly design. This design creates new spaces within the city, while tackling ecological issues such as global warming, decreased biodiversity, and social responsibility. Buildings will be created where the boundaries between nature and humans are eased to achieve mental and physical serenity for the inhabitants. With ingenuity, productivity and compassion, I hope to fulfill my purpose of creating architectural designs that will reconcile all levels of society and promote the opportunity to experience the pleasure of an urban life reconnected with nature.