Julio Cedano is in his fourth year of the Bachelor of Architecture program at the BAC. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Julio was born in a small town named Higuey. At the age of five he moved to Boston and grew up in Chelsea, MA.
Actively involved in organizing the Student Lecture Series with Atelier, Julio helped design the posters for the series. He also organizes the Photography Club at the BAC and hopes to host upcoming events. He currently works as a Job Captain at CBI Consulting, a mid size architecture, restoration, and engineering firm in South Boston.
Prior to coming to the BAC, Julio earned an Associates Degree in Architectural Technology from Massasoit Community College in Canton, MA. Julio was indulged in carpentry and cabinetmaking from an early age, having attended a vocational high school. He believes it helped him expand his knowledge beyond academia and provided learning tools that were useful beyond work. "Carpentry to architecture is a great transition, I think. Learning how to build something physical really helps to understand what you are designing," he says.
When asked how his background influences his work, Julio voiced that he likes to leave the past behind and think forward, disassociating his personal background from his designs. "At the moment, I am still trying to find myself as a designer. I know this might sound a bit cheesy, but I've recently been moving toward architecture that is more than simply form. At the moment I am not often satisfied with what I do. Not that I don't enjoy what I do, but I know I can always do better. I guess I'll feel accomplished when I have established my own office."
"I want to create a greater relationship between people and their surroundings, by really asking what the building does beyond its initial use. As students we are driven by beauty and form but we sometimes forget to think beyond that and how architecture affects the greater nature of its surroundings. I believe that your design should be in unison with your concept of greater good. Urban design and theory are topics I really want to study in the future."
Julio is the 2011 recipient of the Mark Walter Young Traveling Scholarship. "It was great to win the award, and even greater be given the chance to study abroad." he describes. "I had the opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience an environment and architecture that was truly unique compared to what I am used to."
Julio's photography work was also featured in the January 2011 edition of Architectural Record.
