As long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in architecture and building, but I never made it my career. In high school I completed two years of architectural drafting and in college I took several architecture and urban planning classes. I was accepted to UCLA’s Graduate School of Architecture but never ending up going, as I started a graphic design company and went down a different path. Many year later, I started to seriously consider turning my lifelong hobby into a career. So I applied to the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego, and eventually graduated with a Masters of Science in Architecture. After that, I remained at my day job, but continued my education in a number of ways: working nights at NSAD as a Teaching Assistant in Environmental Science; becoming a LEED Green Associate; reading and participating in Fine Homebuilding’s excellent blog The Green Building Advisor; obtaining my real estate licence; and becoming involved in my local USGBC chapter. Designing and building this house was a great way for me to put some of my studies into practice, get some real world experience, and fulfill a lifelong dream.