We've all been there: it's time to write a cover letter to apply for the job you've always dreamed of, but all that you can seem to muster are tired phrases and generic expressions. Well, in walks Étienne Duval to put us all to shame. Duval, a 30-year old architect, wanted to work at BIG, with "Yes is More"-man Bjarke Ingels. And what kind of cover letter did Étienne write? A rap... with an accompanying video. It's witty, well-done and (in our humble opinion) a perfect fit for BIG.
After the video made the rounds here at ArchDaily, we had some burning questions for Étienne. Check out the video, which has racked up over 20,000 views, and the short interview below.
ArchDaily: What inspired you to create a video for your application?
Étienne Duval: To catch a big fish you need a big hook! I began this application like an architectural project, by finding the key criteria and playing with it. A cover letter is an ego trip, so I thought about this hip hop video clips and told myself “why wouldn't I do the same?”
ArchDaily: How much time did you put into creating this application?
I wrote the lyrics and did the storyboard during a two weeks trip. I spent two days on the music which includes composing the beat, recording the different vocal tracks and mixing everything. Add to that at least a week for the video.
ArchDaily: Would you consider doing the same for any application, or is it something you would only do for BIG?
No, I wouldn’t do it for any application! A lot of architecture firms are rather afraid by this kind of fun. BIG says they don’t make any design decision just for fun, but on the other side, I felt that they are not scared of being funny.
ArchDaily: Have you received an official response from BIG?
Yes, it’s currently in discussion.
ArchDaily: Do you hope to make more videos about architecture?
Sure! I really enjoyed doing this!
He concluded, "I think that we as architects have to cope with a rather low level of knowledge about architecture inside common people. They don't have the tools to evaluate a building, the keys to appreciate space. I think that every young architect should write a letter to himself at the beginning of his studies, explaining to himself what the building of his dreams would look like. He should open that letter when he graduates and keep in mind that he has to understand and communicate with this person whose eyes and mind have not been educated to space. The gap between the architects and the non-architects ended up being much too wide and I would be very happy to be able to work on fixing this gap by making accessible educational videos."
