Hej!
My name is Sean Hayes (He/Him/His). I’m a rising senior at Harvard concentrating in Architecture/Design Studies, with a Secondary in Music. I’m from Greenwich, CT, just a 40′ drive outside of New York City. When I’m not in the (architecture or music) studio, you can find me at a rowing club – I’m a member of Harvard’s Division 1 Men’s Lightweight Rowing Team.
I studied abroad at DIS Copenhagen in Fall 2019, and have been looking for a way to find my way back to Copenhagen ever since. I initially pursued study abroad at DIS because I believe that people grow and understand themselves better when they push themselves out of their comfort zone – to that end, I wanted to get out of my familiar classroom and into a new, foreign city. During my first semester at DIS, I took the Architecture Foundations Core Course alongside Danish Design, Visual Journal, and the Furniture Design workshop. I loved every moment of all of these courses. My experience in the Architecture Foundations Studio affirmed my love for Architecture and Design, and the bonds that I formed with both my classmates and my professors have been some of the strongest I’ve made during the entirety of my college career – I regularly keep up with friends I made while abroad nearly two years later! I also lived in a Culinary Living and Learning Community, which truly became my home (and family) away from home.
One question I’ve been asked by a lot of my peers since I’ve returned to DIS is “What made you come back?” There are a few reasons: Speaking candidly, at the time of writing, the pandemic has made navigating the jobs market in Architecture particularly challenging. I was looking for things to do, and remembered that DIS has another Architecture Studio that is a step up from the studio I took the last time I was in Copenhagen. So, I thought, why not go abroad again, build my portfolio, meet new, exciting people, and live in one of the happiest countries in the world? I had a fantastic time the first time I was here. . . what’s a little more of a good thing?
I’m enrolled in all three sessions this Summer. For the first session, I took a course in Strategies for Urban Livability, and I’m currently enrolled in the Architecture Design Studio for the remaining two sessions. I chose to take the course in Strategies for Urban Livability because it’s something tangentially related to Architecture that I’m very passionate about. The course was fantastic, and I was able to learn about and see first-hand (on bike tours!) parts of the city I never knew existed. I will delve more into this course and my current Architecture Studio in a future post!
As I mentioned earlier, I’m an avid rower. Fortunately the Danes are pretty big on rowing, too! I’ve been able to join Danske Studenters Roklub while I’m here in Denmark. It’s a fantastic rowing club, rich with history. I’ve found joining a sports club to be a fantastic way to meet locals, and interact with the city of Copenhagen in a truly unique way. To any student-athletes who are considering studying abroad at DIS, rest assured – there are both communities and facilities to help you to pursue any of your athletic goals!
So, that’s a little bit about me. I can’t wait to share my adventures at DIS Copenhagen with you all!
Tusind tak,
Sean