Midway through his Bachelor of Architecture degree at The Boston Architectural College (BAC), Hossein Abdavies, B.Arch'24, chose to enlist in the U.S. Military Reserves.

Covid numbers were soaring, and people needed help. Hossein says, “Personally, it just felt like something I had to do, and I knew that it was right for me.”

He took a semester off from the BAC to complete Basic Training in Great Lakes, Illinois, then returned to the BAC full-time while juggling weekend service with the United States Naval Construction Battalion, widely known as the Navy Seabees.

“Designing something from the ground up is what gets me really intrigued about architecture,” Hossein says.

As a kid growing up first in Iran and later in Marlborough, Massachusetts, Hossein played with LEGO nonstop. He believes that his childhood passion led the way to a career in design and his work in the Seabees. Now, as an Equipment Operator, he says, “I get to play with the big toys.”

Several weekends each month he reports to military job sites around New England to join ground crews. It’s his role to operate heavy machinery like “bulldozers, tractor trailers, dump trucks, loaders, and backhoes.” He is enthusiastic about eventually applying for additional specialized training down the road if he wants to upskill and operate more advanced equipment.

Hossein believes, “The military opens doors for you that you didn't even know were there. It can help you reach out across the world to help millions of other people. It gives you opportunities that you may not be able to reach in the private sector or the civilian world.”

As someone drawn to the building side of the design process, contributing to construction missions has given Hossein’s career a strong foundation–and he’s serving his country in a meaningful way.

During the week, when he isn’t studying hard, Hossein works part time for a boutique design-build firm, trying his hand at both commercial and residential projects. “I get to bring together small projects using CAD software – from field measures to schematic to construction documents. Then one of the two principals will review my work and we will send it out to the clients,” he explains.

At work, he applies the skills and design thinking he’s acquired at the BAC. His favorite class was an influential elective on contemporary landscape architecture seminar taught by Margarita Iglesia which examined the progression of the city from the 18th century to the present day.

Although it would overwhelm many others, for Hossein, who is highly organized, focused, and collaborative, the hustle between school, military responsibilities, and work comes naturally.

Both the BAC and the military teach him to lean into teamwork to get big things done. “I’ve learned to not be afraid to ask for help. There is always somebody that has been in your shoes who can help you. For me, that’s my group members at school or my co-workers on the job.”

Right now, his main goal is to complete his degree at the BAC, an accomplishment that will no doubt lead to new professional horizons both in the Seabees and in civilian life.

As Veterans Day approaches, Hossein urges everyone at the BAC to take time to thank someone who has served in uniform. “It doesn’t matter if they're military, first responders, or veterans, we are fortunate to have them go out every day, put on a uniform, and keep our community and our kids safe.”

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