Hi, I’m Gregory Marvell, currently nearing the end of my 6th semester in architecture.
Before this major took over my life, I had next to no direction in my life. All I had to hold on to was the enjoyment I had from drawing, and I chose architecture haphazardly without much thought. But throughout the years I found fulfillment through studying architecture, through every step of the process, from the technical side to the theories and ideologies. I finally found something I enjoyed studying for the first time, and a career that seemed worth striving for.
One thing led to another, and I received the opportunity to apply for an internship through a campus program. Throughout my 5 semesters of architecture I was always conditioned to look outside of Indonesia, studying projects from anywhere but my own country. My curiosity toward the local side of things never had much of a chance to flourish, and because of this, RAW became a firm that stood out to me.
But the whiplash from going from the city life I’d lived and breathed to the kampoong style of RAW was jarring. Add to that the realization of exactly how much knowledge and skill it turned out I lacked. Yet everyone here is so supportive, helpful, and eager to teach me with whatever I asked and whichever way I was struggling. I made real friendships that enriched my life, some cut short due to the end of their internships. We all learnt together, without competition or pretense, where everyone just supports each other and works toward their goals.
And now that my own internship is coming to an end, I’ll cherish everything. All the slightly annoying things that I’ve grown to appreciate, all the people who shared their time, all the laughter and the goodbyes, and the calm moments in between, just chatting under the trees. I don’t know if I’ll end up in architecture down the line, but whatever I end up becoming, the memories and the people stick with me forever. Thank you for everything, everyone!
My Mayonnaise Jar 