What do you consider a good critique, or a critique at all for that matter?
The word critique can be generally defined as an act of criticism, or an outside perspective / comment towards another’s work. The sessions of directing and indirect critiquing are the foundation of our learning and development, not only architecturally but in life. Through my experience I have seen the individuals that tend grow the most are those most open minded to criticism. No one wants to be picked and prodded to the point of personal disgust or embarrassment, this creates a nearly impossible environment for one to learn and more importantly, listen. Simply meaning that the approach of the one giving the crit is as important to the one receiving it. What I believe to be the key to getting the most of our subjective field of study is to simply open our minds for listening and closing our fears of taking critiques personally. It is with this mental strength and attribute that we separate ourselves from the careers of more technical and practical bases.
As with most things in life, the more time you put in to something the more you will get out of it. Bringing almost anything and everything to the table during a projects early development can not only show obvious past progression and effort, but it can be used as a key tool for future progression.
Critiques are not an environment for solutions, but more an environment to uncover and create problems. They create the uncomfortable zone for our minds to digest a perspective not of our own. When we are uncomfortable we tend to think differently, and when we think differently it is likely good things will come of it.
This is merely my own opinion of why we go through what we go through in our academic, and for some, professional career of choice. Since we know firsthand that opinions in architecture our some of the strongest out there, what might yours be?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
By Erik Illies
As the stress from school builds our priorities can shift from working to create the best to working to get it done. Hopefully when that happens we can at least recognize the moral infraction being committed, even if we are unable or unwilling to correct it. Regardless, the result is devoid of emotion (positive/ negative) until we assign emotion to it. And often times it is a result of the perspective we take.
So that's what this is about... perspective. Every experience is defined by its perspective, and the perspective is usually a reflection of our emotions. But I like to think that the mirror can work both ways and that our emotions can become reflections of the way we choose to look at things. So far, however, these shifts in perspective are always retrospective, which is okay.
I've rambled too long, I'm lost in my own thoughts now and am typing as randomly as I'm thinking. All I can feel or think are fragments of the chaos inside my head. Never ending chaos that haunts my dreams and impedes clear thought. Fatigue is compounds the madness I see when I close my eyes.
Right now my perspective is from a chair in front of a desk in a studio in a building of a university that I am ready to graduate from, again. But eventually I'll be somewhere else, hopefully happier because of the chair I'm in now. But happiness, or at least some change of emotion doesn't have to wait until I'm gone from here because it is happening right now. I just shifted my perspective to appreciate the aggravation and frustration I'm feeling right now, because I am optimistic it will help me in the future. Already, I hate this chair and desk and studio a lot less. Simply realizing this and saying it is enough to shift my perspective. Imagine how often we don't look at things from another point of view... how many thoughts and feelings could have been different. Be careful of the slippery slope of past speculation.
I also like to believe in the power of optimism. Almost always, things can be better. More often than not, things aren't really bad to begin with (depending on your perspective): insert snare and symbol rim-shot! How great would it be to live life with the greatest possible outcome in mind all the time. Why is it even a notion to have to imagine that kind of life?
I don't even know what I'm thinking anymore, I just know I want them to be happy thoughts. I'll never quiet the loud noises going on in my head, but if I change my way of looking at them just so I might find that I've been listening to beautiful music all along. Looking for the station tuner, trying to dial in a bright blue sunshiny day!
As the stress from school builds our priorities can shift from working to create the best to working to get it done. Hopefully when that happens we can at least recognize the moral infraction being committed, even if we are unable or unwilling to correct it. Regardless, the result is devoid of emotion (positive/ negative) until we assign emotion to it. And often times it is a result of the perspective we take.
So that's what this is about... perspective. Every experience is defined by its perspective, and the perspective is usually a reflection of our emotions. But I like to think that the mirror can work both ways and that our emotions can become reflections of the way we choose to look at things. So far, however, these shifts in perspective are always retrospective, which is okay.
I've rambled too long, I'm lost in my own thoughts now and am typing as randomly as I'm thinking. All I can feel or think are fragments of the chaos inside my head. Never ending chaos that haunts my dreams and impedes clear thought. Fatigue is compounds the madness I see when I close my eyes.
Right now my perspective is from a chair in front of a desk in a studio in a building of a university that I am ready to graduate from, again. But eventually I'll be somewhere else, hopefully happier because of the chair I'm in now. But happiness, or at least some change of emotion doesn't have to wait until I'm gone from here because it is happening right now. I just shifted my perspective to appreciate the aggravation and frustration I'm feeling right now, because I am optimistic it will help me in the future. Already, I hate this chair and desk and studio a lot less. Simply realizing this and saying it is enough to shift my perspective. Imagine how often we don't look at things from another point of view... how many thoughts and feelings could have been different. Be careful of the slippery slope of past speculation.
I also like to believe in the power of optimism. Almost always, things can be better. More often than not, things aren't really bad to begin with (depending on your perspective): insert snare and symbol rim-shot! How great would it be to live life with the greatest possible outcome in mind all the time. Why is it even a notion to have to imagine that kind of life?
I don't even know what I'm thinking anymore, I just know I want them to be happy thoughts. I'll never quiet the loud noises going on in my head, but if I change my way of looking at them just so I might find that I've been listening to beautiful music all along. Looking for the station tuner, trying to dial in a bright blue sunshiny day!
Fire, Laser, and Dust
By Andrew Wyne
If there is one thing you should know about while attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) and studying architecture is that there is a Digital Fabrication Lab (DFL). On most projects you will end up making a model, whether it is a mass model or finish model, and that takes time to cut material. At SIUC we have a nifty machine that can cut most any type of material in seconds. The cardboard that would have taken five hours to cut out will now only take twenty minutes to cut out. It is easy, simple, and worth the money for the amount of time that you save.
http://siucfablab.wordpress.com/ is the website that will help guide you through the process of getting a time slot scheduled, as well as providing a template for the laser cutter. You need the AutoCAD template so the laser cutter can know what to cut out. The laser cutter has the ability to cut out 24”x12” sheet of material, anything from plexiglas to cardboard to wood. It can handle up to 1/4” thick material. There are many different scales set up on the template that are usual for models (i.e. 1/16”=1’0”) and you take your full scale drawings and place them into the designated boxes on the template. There are also different layers for cutting and scoring. Some layers are also designated for cutting before others. The system is easy use and is well explained. There is also a staff of student workers that are available to help with AutoCAD and the laser cutter.
As the laser cutter cuts there is no fire, yes it is a laser, but that could usually be worked around and not something you have to worry about. But being a laser it will char the edges and you may need to sand and/or paint your model in the end, which is not a bad tradeoff for the amount of money you will end up saving in the end. The above website has everything you need with information about the whole process as well as resources.
Now, there is a cost. There is a small fee to counter the cost to maintain the laser cutter. The cost is $0.75 a minute for the first fifteen minutes and then $0.50 a minute after that. The LFD is open in the evenings. Please consult the website for specific times and details.
If there is one thing you should know about while attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) and studying architecture is that there is a Digital Fabrication Lab (DFL). On most projects you will end up making a model, whether it is a mass model or finish model, and that takes time to cut material. At SIUC we have a nifty machine that can cut most any type of material in seconds. The cardboard that would have taken five hours to cut out will now only take twenty minutes to cut out. It is easy, simple, and worth the money for the amount of time that you save.
http://siucfablab.wordpress.com/ is the website that will help guide you through the process of getting a time slot scheduled, as well as providing a template for the laser cutter. You need the AutoCAD template so the laser cutter can know what to cut out. The laser cutter has the ability to cut out 24”x12” sheet of material, anything from plexiglas to cardboard to wood. It can handle up to 1/4” thick material. There are many different scales set up on the template that are usual for models (i.e. 1/16”=1’0”) and you take your full scale drawings and place them into the designated boxes on the template. There are also different layers for cutting and scoring. Some layers are also designated for cutting before others. The system is easy use and is well explained. There is also a staff of student workers that are available to help with AutoCAD and the laser cutter.
As the laser cutter cuts there is no fire, yes it is a laser, but that could usually be worked around and not something you have to worry about. But being a laser it will char the edges and you may need to sand and/or paint your model in the end, which is not a bad tradeoff for the amount of money you will end up saving in the end. The above website has everything you need with information about the whole process as well as resources.
Now, there is a cost. There is a small fee to counter the cost to maintain the laser cutter. The cost is $0.75 a minute for the first fifteen minutes and then $0.50 a minute after that. The LFD is open in the evenings. Please consult the website for specific times and details.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The way we work will change.
By Jason Skidmore
The recent release of Design Review Mobile for the iPad and iPhone has sparked my interest in how technology is being used within the industry and how it may change the industry. This puts BIM in the hands of those in the field so they can review things on the go. Previously AutoCADWS was the premiere mobile app to review documents on. This just didn’t suffice for those who use BIM software. The amount of information and ease of access to information in this way is incredible. In my mind, someone in the office can change the building while a person in the field gets the revisions in real time. Advancements in technology have always enabled us to do things quicker and more efficiently. Holding an iPad is much easier than holding any other media that could possibly be used to view the same information. If a company can take the software being developed for the iPad and iPhone and integrate it into the way they do business, I think it will help them cope with the changes that are imminently coming to the world of computers. It not only is easier to use products like the iPad it also will eventually save a company money by decreasing the amount of traditional paper plots. I believe eventually everything we do on paper will be more easily done digitally. Red marking, sketching, modeling, collaboration, etc… If you can name an aspect of design, technology most likely has an answer for it. Another piece of technology that is picking up steam in the industry is cloud computing. An example would be Autodesk Project Neon. This enables a person to send a 3D view from Revit to Autodesk to have it rendered quickly without using any resources from your personal work station. This is important because it frees up your computer for other tasks instead of waiting for hours for a rendering to complete. I have not used this product yet personally, but I plan on using it sometime this Fall. Some other cloud based products Autodesk offers are; eTransmit, Project Freewheel, Project Galileo, Project Photofly, Project Spark, and Project Quickshare. All of these cloud based softwares are definitely worth looking into and at the least, trying out.
http://labs.autodesk.com/aec/
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/design-review-mobile/id459112753?mt=8
The recent release of Design Review Mobile for the iPad and iPhone has sparked my interest in how technology is being used within the industry and how it may change the industry. This puts BIM in the hands of those in the field so they can review things on the go. Previously AutoCADWS was the premiere mobile app to review documents on. This just didn’t suffice for those who use BIM software. The amount of information and ease of access to information in this way is incredible. In my mind, someone in the office can change the building while a person in the field gets the revisions in real time. Advancements in technology have always enabled us to do things quicker and more efficiently. Holding an iPad is much easier than holding any other media that could possibly be used to view the same information. If a company can take the software being developed for the iPad and iPhone and integrate it into the way they do business, I think it will help them cope with the changes that are imminently coming to the world of computers. It not only is easier to use products like the iPad it also will eventually save a company money by decreasing the amount of traditional paper plots. I believe eventually everything we do on paper will be more easily done digitally. Red marking, sketching, modeling, collaboration, etc… If you can name an aspect of design, technology most likely has an answer for it. Another piece of technology that is picking up steam in the industry is cloud computing. An example would be Autodesk Project Neon. This enables a person to send a 3D view from Revit to Autodesk to have it rendered quickly without using any resources from your personal work station. This is important because it frees up your computer for other tasks instead of waiting for hours for a rendering to complete. I have not used this product yet personally, but I plan on using it sometime this Fall. Some other cloud based products Autodesk offers are; eTransmit, Project Freewheel, Project Galileo, Project Photofly, Project Spark, and Project Quickshare. All of these cloud based softwares are definitely worth looking into and at the least, trying out.
http://labs.autodesk.com/aec/
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/design-review-mobile/id459112753?mt=8
Bart Prince
By Dempson Haney
Bart prince’s life began in New Mexico on June 24, 1947. His fascination for Wright’s architecture fueled his desire to become an architect, and thus had decided his field of study. From 1965 to 1970, Prince attended Arizona State University School of Architecture. While in the middle of his third year design studio, he was given the option of advancing to the second semester of fourth year studio. Up to this point, never has this taken place at Arizona State University. During his senior days, he won the Weaver and Drover competition, designing a high rise multi use structure that stretched across the Black Canyon Freeway in Phoenix, Arizona. It was this honor that awarded him the opportunity to work for Cwmbran Development Corporation in Wales over the summer. After his return, he spent the next year fabricating his thesis. While over in Wales, Prince had compiled a 65 page book of his analysis on Cwmbran’s existing conditions, socially, politically, and physically. His next notion was that the social fabrication of the New Town Centre was in adequate after Great Britain’s approach to new cities development. Prince wrote, “Social life cannot be regulated to any fixed pattern.” He wanted a more organic solution that promoted growth and evolution. He then began to derive his solution and record it through ink and wash drawings. When Prince returned to Arizona he met Bruce Goff. Goff had been lecturing at Arizona and quickly noticed Prince’s work. Bruce was then to Prince as what Sullivan was to Wright. After the death of Bruce Goff in 1988, Prince then begins his solo partnership, only to hire occasionally to complete projects.
Prince’s work takes on a highly organic form, very fluid like. His work is like the remains of prehistoric marine life fossilized within the western American deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and California to the rolling plains of Colorado, Idaho, and even Ohio. At one glance the one can see the influence of Wright’s later work. Bart Prince also practices the use of total design with built in furniture, light fixtures, and non-traditional use of building materials. Like Wright, he stays true to the material’s natural elements. Wood is not painted over but rather exposed and showcased as a piece of finely polished furniture. The most interesting aspect of his work is how form follows structure or vice versa. The form of his buildings are structurally driven and showcased as skilled carpentry. The atmosphere conceived within his interior spaces, directly correlates with that of its exterior. This technique erases the heavy line separating the two.
Mead, Christopher Curtis., Bart Prince, and Michele M. Penhall. The Architecture of Bart Prince: a Pragmatics of Place. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2010. Print.
Bart Prince - Architect. Web. 28 Sept. 2011..
Bart prince’s life began in New Mexico on June 24, 1947. His fascination for Wright’s architecture fueled his desire to become an architect, and thus had decided his field of study. From 1965 to 1970, Prince attended Arizona State University School of Architecture. While in the middle of his third year design studio, he was given the option of advancing to the second semester of fourth year studio. Up to this point, never has this taken place at Arizona State University. During his senior days, he won the Weaver and Drover competition, designing a high rise multi use structure that stretched across the Black Canyon Freeway in Phoenix, Arizona. It was this honor that awarded him the opportunity to work for Cwmbran Development Corporation in Wales over the summer. After his return, he spent the next year fabricating his thesis. While over in Wales, Prince had compiled a 65 page book of his analysis on Cwmbran’s existing conditions, socially, politically, and physically. His next notion was that the social fabrication of the New Town Centre was in adequate after Great Britain’s approach to new cities development. Prince wrote, “Social life cannot be regulated to any fixed pattern.” He wanted a more organic solution that promoted growth and evolution. He then began to derive his solution and record it through ink and wash drawings. When Prince returned to Arizona he met Bruce Goff. Goff had been lecturing at Arizona and quickly noticed Prince’s work. Bruce was then to Prince as what Sullivan was to Wright. After the death of Bruce Goff in 1988, Prince then begins his solo partnership, only to hire occasionally to complete projects.
Prince’s work takes on a highly organic form, very fluid like. His work is like the remains of prehistoric marine life fossilized within the western American deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and California to the rolling plains of Colorado, Idaho, and even Ohio. At one glance the one can see the influence of Wright’s later work. Bart Prince also practices the use of total design with built in furniture, light fixtures, and non-traditional use of building materials. Like Wright, he stays true to the material’s natural elements. Wood is not painted over but rather exposed and showcased as a piece of finely polished furniture. The most interesting aspect of his work is how form follows structure or vice versa. The form of his buildings are structurally driven and showcased as skilled carpentry. The atmosphere conceived within his interior spaces, directly correlates with that of its exterior. This technique erases the heavy line separating the two.
Mead, Christopher Curtis., Bart Prince, and Michele M. Penhall. The Architecture of Bart Prince: a Pragmatics of Place. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2010. Print.
Bart Prince - Architect. Web. 28 Sept. 2011.
Design Mishaps
By Audrey Treece
As design professionals, we will have a lot of responsibility. All of our decisions will not only influence the space aesthetically but will also influence the people that use those spaces. Things can be easily overlooked and something that may seem like a good idea could turn out to be a disaster.
I came across an article the other day on cnn.com about a recently completed $105 million courthouse in Franklin County, Ohio. The building contains a really unique glass staircase that aesthetically completes the design and was put in place with innocent intentions. The designer, however, did not think about half of the population that would be using the space. Women and I suppose men for whatever reason, that choose to wear dresses or skirts cannot use the staircase due to the transparent nature of the material. Those who wear skirts are warned by the courthouse security about the problem and encourage those persons to avoid using the staircase. A female judge, who works at the courthouse, has said that even though she chooses to wear skirts and dresses, she does not trust people to be mature and/or with today’s technology, she doesn’t trust cell phones with cameras. She fears that she will end up on the internet by just innocently walking up or down the stairs at her place of employment. On the other hand, some women are still using the staircase with the hopes that people will be mature about the situation.
I have to admit that even though I am female and sometimes where skirts and dresses, I am not sure that I would have thought about this being an issue during the design process. This just goes to show how easily things can turn into a disaster by not thinking through a design problem.
A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor, Dr. Kathryn H. Anthony, has started a website called Disadvantaged by Design where her goal and research is, “to challenge and change design education and practice, inspiring faculty and professional architects to create more humane learning and working environments. Her work stresses the critical importance of designing for diversity and creating spaces for people.” (www.disadvantagedbydesign.com)
I encourage everyone to visit and frequent this website to see what is happening out in the profession that unintentionally affects people who will use our designs.
If you want to read more about the glass staircase visit: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/09/glass-staircase-not-dress-friendly/.
As design professionals, we will have a lot of responsibility. All of our decisions will not only influence the space aesthetically but will also influence the people that use those spaces. Things can be easily overlooked and something that may seem like a good idea could turn out to be a disaster.
I came across an article the other day on cnn.com about a recently completed $105 million courthouse in Franklin County, Ohio. The building contains a really unique glass staircase that aesthetically completes the design and was put in place with innocent intentions. The designer, however, did not think about half of the population that would be using the space. Women and I suppose men for whatever reason, that choose to wear dresses or skirts cannot use the staircase due to the transparent nature of the material. Those who wear skirts are warned by the courthouse security about the problem and encourage those persons to avoid using the staircase. A female judge, who works at the courthouse, has said that even though she chooses to wear skirts and dresses, she does not trust people to be mature and/or with today’s technology, she doesn’t trust cell phones with cameras. She fears that she will end up on the internet by just innocently walking up or down the stairs at her place of employment. On the other hand, some women are still using the staircase with the hopes that people will be mature about the situation.
I have to admit that even though I am female and sometimes where skirts and dresses, I am not sure that I would have thought about this being an issue during the design process. This just goes to show how easily things can turn into a disaster by not thinking through a design problem.
A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor, Dr. Kathryn H. Anthony, has started a website called Disadvantaged by Design where her goal and research is, “to challenge and change design education and practice, inspiring faculty and professional architects to create more humane learning and working environments. Her work stresses the critical importance of designing for diversity and creating spaces for people.” (www.disadvantagedbydesign.com)
I encourage everyone to visit and frequent this website to see what is happening out in the profession that unintentionally affects people who will use our designs.
If you want to read more about the glass staircase visit: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/09/glass-staircase-not-dress-friendly/.
HISTORIC NEWARI SETTLEMENT: KIRTIPUR, NEPAL Continue………..
By Jabina Shrestha
Kirtipur as a fort town was established according to “Sadhya Kosh Saar” i.e. water-body on the outer periphery, fort wall. The Kirtipur town was designed in the social hierarchy according to which; the Pradhans and Amatyas (ministers) lived in the central Layaku (palace complex). Similarly, other trades-men & service men were radiating to outward zone. Jyapus (farmers), Manandhars (oil-pressers), and Tandukaars (royal palanquin-bearers) were placed on the outskirts.
During the Malla rule, the defense wall was constructed around the wall with 12 main entrances/gates. Prior to 12th century there was another defense wall that falls within the present wall and confines a smaller areas of the upper portion and surrounds gwa-pukhu, nayaga choga, manatwa, chilancho and bhariya-pukhu. This shows that Kirtipur was a growing city but after 1987 as the built up areas increased and houses began to be built on cultivating land, the fortified walls were destroyed to accommodate denser population. The green belt around the city not only protected it from foreign invasion but also gave firewood to the people. The density of trees helped in balancing the environmental ecology, thus giving healthy and safe life to the civilians.
The whole site is classified as monumental zone, traditional residential zone, new development zone, eco- zone, educational zone, service zone and new housing zone. The monumental zone includes the areas of Bagh Bhairav Temple, Chilancho Stupa and Uma-Maheshwor Temple. The traditional residential zone includes the surrounding periphery revealing some of the traditional character in buildings around the monumental zone, which can also be termed as transitional zone. The new development zone is the area of Naya-Bazaar where the encroachment of modern construction is rapid and excessive. This is the mixed zone of residential and commercial purposes. Then is the Eco-zone with open spaces and dense trees, which have balance the ecology of that place. The area towards the east of Kirtipur hill where exits the Tribhuvan University is termed as the educational zone. The area with the public services like telecom office, water supply office, electricity office and municipal offices are designated as service zone. As the population of the town is rising and in few years, the people will be searching new destination for dwellings, the area near to Kirtipur valley like Panga, Nagaon can be termed as new housing zone.
Kirtipur as a fort town was established according to “Sadhya Kosh Saar” i.e. water-body on the outer periphery, fort wall. The Kirtipur town was designed in the social hierarchy according to which; the Pradhans and Amatyas (ministers) lived in the central Layaku (palace complex). Similarly, other trades-men & service men were radiating to outward zone. Jyapus (farmers), Manandhars (oil-pressers), and Tandukaars (royal palanquin-bearers) were placed on the outskirts.
During the Malla rule, the defense wall was constructed around the wall with 12 main entrances/gates. Prior to 12th century there was another defense wall that falls within the present wall and confines a smaller areas of the upper portion and surrounds gwa-pukhu, nayaga choga, manatwa, chilancho and bhariya-pukhu. This shows that Kirtipur was a growing city but after 1987 as the built up areas increased and houses began to be built on cultivating land, the fortified walls were destroyed to accommodate denser population. The green belt around the city not only protected it from foreign invasion but also gave firewood to the people. The density of trees helped in balancing the environmental ecology, thus giving healthy and safe life to the civilians.
The whole site is classified as monumental zone, traditional residential zone, new development zone, eco- zone, educational zone, service zone and new housing zone. The monumental zone includes the areas of Bagh Bhairav Temple, Chilancho Stupa and Uma-Maheshwor Temple. The traditional residential zone includes the surrounding periphery revealing some of the traditional character in buildings around the monumental zone, which can also be termed as transitional zone. The new development zone is the area of Naya-Bazaar where the encroachment of modern construction is rapid and excessive. This is the mixed zone of residential and commercial purposes. Then is the Eco-zone with open spaces and dense trees, which have balance the ecology of that place. The area towards the east of Kirtipur hill where exits the Tribhuvan University is termed as the educational zone. The area with the public services like telecom office, water supply office, electricity office and municipal offices are designated as service zone. As the population of the town is rising and in few years, the people will be searching new destination for dwellings, the area near to Kirtipur valley like Panga, Nagaon can be termed as new housing zone.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
September 11th Memorial
By Zac Collins
This past Sunday, September 11th, 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and hijacked plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. In honor and remembrance of such a tragic event, the 9/11 Memorial had a private opening to the victim’s families. On Monday, it was then opened for the public.
Starting in 2003, an international design competition was opened up for the selection of the new memorial design. There was a total of 5,201 design entries coming from 63 nations. There was an impressive amount of “want & care” to be a part of this historical monument by designers. In the end though, partner Michael Arad of Handel Architects won the competition, and Peter Walker and Partners was the landscape architect. Arad’s concept for the memorial is “Reflecting Absence.” The following is Arad’s explanation of his concept.
“This memorial proposes a space that resonates with the feelings of loss and absence...It is located in a field of trees that is interrupted by two large voids containing recessed pools. Standing there at the water’s edge, looking at a pool of water that is flowing away into an abyss, a visitor to the site can sense that what is beyond this parapet edge is inaccessible. They are large voids, open and visible reminders of the absence. The surface of the memorial plaza is punctuated by...rows of deciduous trees, forming clusters, clearings and groves. Through its annual cycle of rebirth, the living park extends and deepens the experience of the memorial. The memorial grounds will not be isolated from the rest of the city; they will be a living part of it.”
The Memorial site is located on the 16 acre site of the World Trade Center Complex occupying only half of it. When entering the site, visitors pass through a grove of swamp white oak trees with a clearing in the middle for congregating and ceremonial spaces. Moving on, visitors finally reach the vast void of the two footprints of the twin towers. The footprints of the towers are 30 feet deep that is a part of the beautiful fountains that feed into it. Along the perimeters, the names of the 2,977 victims of the attacks and the six who died in the bombing of the trade center in 1993 are stamped on bronze plates. On the site, there are six electronic directories showing visitors where to find the locations of the names they are looking for. Interestingly, the names are not in alphabetical order, but grouped by the connections and relationships between co-workers, firefighters, other victims, flight crews, etc. It is truly an emotional stimulating place.
Also on site is the Memorial Museum that is still under construction and scheduled for opening in 2012. The memorial and museum has been estimated at a cost of $700 million.
I believe personally, that this memorial is somewhat a “pilgrimage” if I may use that word loosely. I think that it is a journey that should be taken by everyone to see this “sacred” place, this place of significance. I hope one day I will be able to visit New York City, and go to this site, this memorial. It is a major piece of American history, tragic history, but nonetheless. history that I witnessed in my generation. I cannot even imagine how I will feel once I am there experiencing this extraordinary place.
References:
http://www.911memorial.org
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/12/911-memorial-plaza-in-nyc_n_958224.html
This past Sunday, September 11th, 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and hijacked plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. In honor and remembrance of such a tragic event, the 9/11 Memorial had a private opening to the victim’s families. On Monday, it was then opened for the public.
Starting in 2003, an international design competition was opened up for the selection of the new memorial design. There was a total of 5,201 design entries coming from 63 nations. There was an impressive amount of “want & care” to be a part of this historical monument by designers. In the end though, partner Michael Arad of Handel Architects won the competition, and Peter Walker and Partners was the landscape architect. Arad’s concept for the memorial is “Reflecting Absence.” The following is Arad’s explanation of his concept.
“This memorial proposes a space that resonates with the feelings of loss and absence...It is located in a field of trees that is interrupted by two large voids containing recessed pools. Standing there at the water’s edge, looking at a pool of water that is flowing away into an abyss, a visitor to the site can sense that what is beyond this parapet edge is inaccessible. They are large voids, open and visible reminders of the absence. The surface of the memorial plaza is punctuated by...rows of deciduous trees, forming clusters, clearings and groves. Through its annual cycle of rebirth, the living park extends and deepens the experience of the memorial. The memorial grounds will not be isolated from the rest of the city; they will be a living part of it.”
The Memorial site is located on the 16 acre site of the World Trade Center Complex occupying only half of it. When entering the site, visitors pass through a grove of swamp white oak trees with a clearing in the middle for congregating and ceremonial spaces. Moving on, visitors finally reach the vast void of the two footprints of the twin towers. The footprints of the towers are 30 feet deep that is a part of the beautiful fountains that feed into it. Along the perimeters, the names of the 2,977 victims of the attacks and the six who died in the bombing of the trade center in 1993 are stamped on bronze plates. On the site, there are six electronic directories showing visitors where to find the locations of the names they are looking for. Interestingly, the names are not in alphabetical order, but grouped by the connections and relationships between co-workers, firefighters, other victims, flight crews, etc. It is truly an emotional stimulating place.
Also on site is the Memorial Museum that is still under construction and scheduled for opening in 2012. The memorial and museum has been estimated at a cost of $700 million.
I believe personally, that this memorial is somewhat a “pilgrimage” if I may use that word loosely. I think that it is a journey that should be taken by everyone to see this “sacred” place, this place of significance. I hope one day I will be able to visit New York City, and go to this site, this memorial. It is a major piece of American history, tragic history, but nonetheless. history that I witnessed in my generation. I cannot even imagine how I will feel once I am there experiencing this extraordinary place.
References:
http://www.911memorial.org
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/12/911-memorial-plaza-in-nyc_n_958224.html
Studio update.....
by Sean Koeting
Welcome back,
It's been about 2 weeks since my last blog post, since then our comprehensive architectural design studio has continued its preliminary investigations of East St. Louis, Illinois. This round of group studies focused on issues specific to East St. Louis: it's history and culture, building typologies, environmental factors, land-uses, transit studies, and figure ground relationships to name a few. Our group findings were then digitally presented to the class as a whole, with the goal being to increases everyone's understanding of the pertinent issues.
My particular group focused its research efforts on classifying the sites surrounding area into specific land-uses diagrams, while creating a variety of figure ground studies to further accentuate these relationships. We began our project by compiling a high resolution map of the area using "bing maps", this image was then brought into CAD where every sidewalk, street, parking lot, building, green space, and relative site feature was tracked over. This CAD working drawing was then taken into Photoshop to create a layered file. This interactive file contained the following layers, 1.city streets, 2.highspeed roadways, 3.railways, 4.sidewalks, 5. buildings, 6.greenspaces, 7.miscellaneous paved areas, 8.gravel covered areas. These eight layers can be displayed individually or in concert in any combination to meet the user's needs in both negative and positive formats. A few examples of these figure ground image combinations are as follows:
Next week’s presentations will look into group preliminary master plan studies along with individual precedent case studies. I look forward to updating you in two weeks with our findings.
Thanks for reading.
Welcome back,
It's been about 2 weeks since my last blog post, since then our comprehensive architectural design studio has continued its preliminary investigations of East St. Louis, Illinois. This round of group studies focused on issues specific to East St. Louis: it's history and culture, building typologies, environmental factors, land-uses, transit studies, and figure ground relationships to name a few. Our group findings were then digitally presented to the class as a whole, with the goal being to increases everyone's understanding of the pertinent issues.
My particular group focused its research efforts on classifying the sites surrounding area into specific land-uses diagrams, while creating a variety of figure ground studies to further accentuate these relationships. We began our project by compiling a high resolution map of the area using "bing maps", this image was then brought into CAD where every sidewalk, street, parking lot, building, green space, and relative site feature was tracked over. This CAD working drawing was then taken into Photoshop to create a layered file. This interactive file contained the following layers, 1.city streets, 2.highspeed roadways, 3.railways, 4.sidewalks, 5. buildings, 6.greenspaces, 7.miscellaneous paved areas, 8.gravel covered areas. These eight layers can be displayed individually or in concert in any combination to meet the user's needs in both negative and positive formats. A few examples of these figure ground image combinations are as follows:
Next week’s presentations will look into group preliminary master plan studies along with individual precedent case studies. I look forward to updating you in two weeks with our findings.
Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
How do you define home?
By Debra Eilering
The bark hut differs greatly from the steel and glass Modernist style that now dominates sustainable architecture. Importance must be given to what can be learned from these ancient/semi-ancient cultures, the materials they used and the architecture they created. "Nature is to the Aborigines a system in which natural species and phenomena are related, or associated, in space and time"(Elkin, 1943). Before an attempt is made to analyze the architecture of the Aborigine in Australia, it is most important to identify their cultural characteristics. The idea of context and place for the aborigines was and still is paramount. The writings of their mythical beliefs help us to understand their deep attachment with the environment they lived in. For example the naming of groups of people of different areas: "These names imply that the Aborigines recognized the effects of environmental difference on their lives, sufficiently important to warrant the use of distinguished names" (Drew, 1985). These different names, (not to be confused with the separate naming of tribes) were derived from the particular characteristics of the environment and the food sources. For example the 'Jabu': people of the rocky range country, 'Bila': people of sand and spinifex and 'Ka-wadji': of the coastal north area.
It is clear that the primary commodity of the Aborigine was land. This land covered a specific area, its boundaries handed down through generations. This difference in values to the white settler can be seen as the driving force behind the continued disputes over land rights and Aboriginal title in contemporary Australia. However for the study of their architectural structures it is important to understand that the Aborigines: "were aware of even small differences in their environment and recognized the effect these had on their economic life" (Elkin, 1943). This statement helps to explain their extremely nomadic lifestyle. Seasonal variations in climate and known hot spots such as water wells and river tracts were all important in these movements.
Fathy states, " I believe that shelters made by Aboriginal Australians were actually a demonstration of architectural design. To do this I examined the parallel between the design of tools and weaponry as well as sheltering (architecture)" (Fathy).
The aboriginals made their shelter out of bark, sticks, grass and stone also some Aboriginals lived in caves. In the hot windy districts the Aboriginals made windbreaks from bark, branches or grass. These windbreaks gave shade and shelter. In the wet districts, Aboriginal huts had frames made of branches and a thick covering of grass or bark over the frame kept out the rain. Some huts were also built on stilts and a smoky fire was lit underneath to keep mosquitoes away from the huts. The forest was their Home Depot.
The bark hut differs greatly from the steel and glass Modernist style that now dominates sustainable architecture. Importance must be given to what can be learned from these ancient/semi-ancient cultures, the materials they used and the architecture they created. "Nature is to the Aborigines a system in which natural species and phenomena are related, or associated, in space and time"(Elkin, 1943). Before an attempt is made to analyze the architecture of the Aborigine in Australia, it is most important to identify their cultural characteristics. The idea of context and place for the aborigines was and still is paramount. The writings of their mythical beliefs help us to understand their deep attachment with the environment they lived in. For example the naming of groups of people of different areas: "These names imply that the Aborigines recognized the effects of environmental difference on their lives, sufficiently important to warrant the use of distinguished names" (Drew, 1985). These different names, (not to be confused with the separate naming of tribes) were derived from the particular characteristics of the environment and the food sources. For example the 'Jabu': people of the rocky range country, 'Bila': people of sand and spinifex and 'Ka-wadji': of the coastal north area.
It is clear that the primary commodity of the Aborigine was land. This land covered a specific area, its boundaries handed down through generations. This difference in values to the white settler can be seen as the driving force behind the continued disputes over land rights and Aboriginal title in contemporary Australia. However for the study of their architectural structures it is important to understand that the Aborigines: "were aware of even small differences in their environment and recognized the effect these had on their economic life" (Elkin, 1943). This statement helps to explain their extremely nomadic lifestyle. Seasonal variations in climate and known hot spots such as water wells and river tracts were all important in these movements.
Fathy states, " I believe that shelters made by Aboriginal Australians were actually a demonstration of architectural design. To do this I examined the parallel between the design of tools and weaponry as well as sheltering (architecture)" (Fathy).
The aboriginals made their shelter out of bark, sticks, grass and stone also some Aboriginals lived in caves. In the hot windy districts the Aboriginals made windbreaks from bark, branches or grass. These windbreaks gave shade and shelter. In the wet districts, Aboriginal huts had frames made of branches and a thick covering of grass or bark over the frame kept out the rain. Some huts were also built on stilts and a smoky fire was lit underneath to keep mosquitoes away from the huts. The forest was their Home Depot.
Studio Culture(shock)
By Joel Wallace
After recently reading an article on Studio Culture (and an abnormally loud day in studio) I began thinking of the shock factor of returning to school a few years ago and the challenges of that adjustment. Though I had several years of experience within an architectural office prior to returning to school, I wasn’t necessarily prepared for what a university architecture program considered a working environment. Now at the graduate level, it’s safe to say that I have adjusted, but it honestly took a few semesters to do so. It’s obvious my age has played a factor in the adjustment (28 upon my return), but I believe the biggest adjustment was the overall atmosphere itself. Ringing phones and daily progress meetings, turned to blaring speakers and group projects with “fun” craved, salivating 19 year olds; targeting project budget’s and completion deadlines morphed in to the development of par-ti diagrams and concept statements, just a slight change in lifestyle. My professional colleagues always mentioned the days of Studio, whether it was good or bad, with a sense of pride and accomplishment. After a almost four years, and many loud days of shaken concentration, I have grown to understand that though a Studio environment may or may not be for everyone, it is an a experience in which one will learn from and remember.
Below is an excerpt from an article of the AIAS Studio Culture Task Force on the myths and reputations that some may perceive an Architectural Studio to be. Very interesting to relate how our own beliefs and interpretations may stack up to those of other programs around the country.
Studio culture can also be characterized by the myths it perpetuates. These myths influence the mentality of students and promote certain behaviors and patterns. The following prevail within many design studios, if not within every school:
Architectural education should require personal and physical sacrifice.
The creation of architecture should be a solo, artistic struggle.
The best students are those who spend the most hours in studio.
Design studio courses are more important than other architecture or liberal arts courses.
Success in architecture school is only attained by investing all of your energy in studio.
It is impossible to be a successful architect unless you excel in the design studio.
Students should not have a life outside of architecture school.
The best design ideas only come in the middle of the night.
Creative energy only comes from the pressure of deadlines.
Students must devote themselves to studio in order to belong to the architecture community.
Collaboration with other students means giving up the best ideas.
It is more important to finish a few extra drawings than sleep or mentally prepare for the design review.
It is possible to learn about complex social and cultural issues while spending the majority of time sitting at a studio desk.
Students do not have the power to make changes within architecture programs or the design studio.
After recently reading an article on Studio Culture (and an abnormally loud day in studio) I began thinking of the shock factor of returning to school a few years ago and the challenges of that adjustment. Though I had several years of experience within an architectural office prior to returning to school, I wasn’t necessarily prepared for what a university architecture program considered a working environment. Now at the graduate level, it’s safe to say that I have adjusted, but it honestly took a few semesters to do so. It’s obvious my age has played a factor in the adjustment (28 upon my return), but I believe the biggest adjustment was the overall atmosphere itself. Ringing phones and daily progress meetings, turned to blaring speakers and group projects with “fun” craved, salivating 19 year olds; targeting project budget’s and completion deadlines morphed in to the development of par-ti diagrams and concept statements, just a slight change in lifestyle. My professional colleagues always mentioned the days of Studio, whether it was good or bad, with a sense of pride and accomplishment. After a almost four years, and many loud days of shaken concentration, I have grown to understand that though a Studio environment may or may not be for everyone, it is an a experience in which one will learn from and remember.
Below is an excerpt from an article of the AIAS Studio Culture Task Force on the myths and reputations that some may perceive an Architectural Studio to be. Very interesting to relate how our own beliefs and interpretations may stack up to those of other programs around the country.
Studio culture can also be characterized by the myths it perpetuates. These myths influence the mentality of students and promote certain behaviors and patterns. The following prevail within many design studios, if not within every school:
Architectural education should require personal and physical sacrifice.
The creation of architecture should be a solo, artistic struggle.
The best students are those who spend the most hours in studio.
Design studio courses are more important than other architecture or liberal arts courses.
Success in architecture school is only attained by investing all of your energy in studio.
It is impossible to be a successful architect unless you excel in the design studio.
Students should not have a life outside of architecture school.
The best design ideas only come in the middle of the night.
Creative energy only comes from the pressure of deadlines.
Students must devote themselves to studio in order to belong to the architecture community.
Collaboration with other students means giving up the best ideas.
It is more important to finish a few extra drawings than sleep or mentally prepare for the design review.
It is possible to learn about complex social and cultural issues while spending the majority of time sitting at a studio desk.
Students do not have the power to make changes within architecture programs or the design studio.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
By Matt Owens
Next month Chicago is launching the first ‘Chicago Ideas Week’. Starting Monday October 10th and going through October 16, it is a week-long event focusing on innovation and creativity. The week consists of 100 guest speakers from multiple fields leading tours, discussions, debates, and hosting seminars. The intent of these speakers is to engage an audience and inspire creativity. Among the list of guest speakers are some big names; Chicago’s new mayor Rahm Emanuel, as well as former mayor Richard Daley, New York’s mayor Bloomberg, Northwestern grad and founder of Groupon Andrew Mason, Richard Stengel editor of TIME, Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman, founder of Pandora Tim Westergren, and Mitch Lowe president of Redbox, and Vice President of Netflix.
And what would an Ideas Week in Chicago be without Architecture. Two prominent names in architecture will be hosting a talk at the Chicago History Museum on Monday October 10th at 4pm. Gordon Gill partner of Adrian Smith at the firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill and Jeanne Gang founder of Studio Gang will be leading the talk.
AS+GG is a Chicago based firm, whose work mostly consists of super tall buildings in the Middle East and Asia. Adrian Smith was the lead architect behind the Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest), while still at SOM. If you check out their web site now they have announced that they will be working on the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia which will be the new world’s tallest. Needless to say Gordon Gill is on the front line of pushing the limits of architecture skyward.
Studio Gang another Chicago based firm, responsible for the Aqua Tower in Chicago. Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang have won numerous awards for the Aqua Tower, and continue to be innovators in architecture.
Along with the talk with Jeanne Gang and Gordon Gill there are a couple other Architecture focused tours during the week which include; Chicago Temples Sky Chapel, the original Marshall Field’s board room, the Monadnock’s penthouse, Lake Point Tower’s rooftop garden, backstage at the Pritzker Pavilion, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Emil Bach House. These are not places you can visit any day unless you have some connections, so this would be an awesome chance to see these spaces. The Tours are free but the talk with Jeanne Gang and Gordon Gill are $15.
So if you are looking for something to do during the fall break you might think on heading to Chicago for the Chicago Ideas Week. There will be a whole lot of interesting stuff going on and the architecture tours and talk would be very cool to see.
Next month Chicago is launching the first ‘Chicago Ideas Week’. Starting Monday October 10th and going through October 16, it is a week-long event focusing on innovation and creativity. The week consists of 100 guest speakers from multiple fields leading tours, discussions, debates, and hosting seminars. The intent of these speakers is to engage an audience and inspire creativity. Among the list of guest speakers are some big names; Chicago’s new mayor Rahm Emanuel, as well as former mayor Richard Daley, New York’s mayor Bloomberg, Northwestern grad and founder of Groupon Andrew Mason, Richard Stengel editor of TIME, Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman, founder of Pandora Tim Westergren, and Mitch Lowe president of Redbox, and Vice President of Netflix.
And what would an Ideas Week in Chicago be without Architecture. Two prominent names in architecture will be hosting a talk at the Chicago History Museum on Monday October 10th at 4pm. Gordon Gill partner of Adrian Smith at the firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill and Jeanne Gang founder of Studio Gang will be leading the talk.
AS+GG is a Chicago based firm, whose work mostly consists of super tall buildings in the Middle East and Asia. Adrian Smith was the lead architect behind the Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest), while still at SOM. If you check out their web site now they have announced that they will be working on the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia which will be the new world’s tallest. Needless to say Gordon Gill is on the front line of pushing the limits of architecture skyward.
Studio Gang another Chicago based firm, responsible for the Aqua Tower in Chicago. Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang have won numerous awards for the Aqua Tower, and continue to be innovators in architecture.
Along with the talk with Jeanne Gang and Gordon Gill there are a couple other Architecture focused tours during the week which include; Chicago Temples Sky Chapel, the original Marshall Field’s board room, the Monadnock’s penthouse, Lake Point Tower’s rooftop garden, backstage at the Pritzker Pavilion, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Emil Bach House. These are not places you can visit any day unless you have some connections, so this would be an awesome chance to see these spaces. The Tours are free but the talk with Jeanne Gang and Gordon Gill are $15.
So if you are looking for something to do during the fall break you might think on heading to Chicago for the Chicago Ideas Week. There will be a whole lot of interesting stuff going on and the architecture tours and talk would be very cool to see.
How to use the print lab.....
By Sean Hartman
As projects start to be due you wonder if you are going to have time to print. I will give some advice during this blog that will help when it come to printing. First off do not wait till the last minute to print. The print lab is only open so many hours a week and can have hardware and mechanical error. If you give yourself a 24 hour buffer zone before the project is due to, printing won't be such a problem. Like I said the print lab is only open certain times of the day. The times are as followed:
Sundays: 1pm - 11pm
Monday: 11am - 1pm & 6pm - 11pm
Tuesday: 11am - 2pm & 6pm - 11pm
Wednesday: 11am - 1pm & 6pm - 11pm
Thursday: 11am - 2pm & 6pm - 11pm
Friday: 8am - 1pm
Saturday 8am - 11pm
As you can see the print lab is open about the same time each day. There is always an Architecture Graduate Assistant in the lab during those hours so if you have any problems with trying to print they are there to help you out. Please be patient the lab can get very busy at certain times throughout the semester and there is only one Grad working during each of those times.
We have three types of paper we use in the lab. The first one is translucent trans-bond. This paper is great for print black and white line drawings on and for doing check plots. The next paper is the presentation paper. This paper is good for printing your presentation boards on when you have to give a presentation in class. The third is glossy. This is great for print images on that you want to give an appearance of being like a photo. It gives you the glossy sheen like the pictures you were to print at Wallmart.
Also if you are having computer problems with your laptop, keep in mind that the School of Architectures computer lab has 27 work stations that you can come in and do you work on during the posted hours above. The Graduate Assistants are knowledgeable on most of the software that is being used in the computer lab. Also when working in the computer lab be courteous and leave all food and drinks outside of the lab as we strive to keep this area as clean as possible. If you have a question regarding how to do something in certain software don't hesitate to ask the Grads. We will do our best to try and answer your questions.
As you can see from the information above there is a wide range of times that the computer lab is open, paper types you can print on, and work stations available to work on. If you have any questions about the computer lab or would like more information on it please feel free to stop by during the above hours and ask the Grad that is working. We look forward to helping you out during the school year.
As projects start to be due you wonder if you are going to have time to print. I will give some advice during this blog that will help when it come to printing. First off do not wait till the last minute to print. The print lab is only open so many hours a week and can have hardware and mechanical error. If you give yourself a 24 hour buffer zone before the project is due to, printing won't be such a problem. Like I said the print lab is only open certain times of the day. The times are as followed:
Sundays: 1pm - 11pm
Monday: 11am - 1pm & 6pm - 11pm
Tuesday: 11am - 2pm & 6pm - 11pm
Wednesday: 11am - 1pm & 6pm - 11pm
Thursday: 11am - 2pm & 6pm - 11pm
Friday: 8am - 1pm
Saturday 8am - 11pm
As you can see the print lab is open about the same time each day. There is always an Architecture Graduate Assistant in the lab during those hours so if you have any problems with trying to print they are there to help you out. Please be patient the lab can get very busy at certain times throughout the semester and there is only one Grad working during each of those times.
We have three types of paper we use in the lab. The first one is translucent trans-bond. This paper is great for print black and white line drawings on and for doing check plots. The next paper is the presentation paper. This paper is good for printing your presentation boards on when you have to give a presentation in class. The third is glossy. This is great for print images on that you want to give an appearance of being like a photo. It gives you the glossy sheen like the pictures you were to print at Wallmart.
Also if you are having computer problems with your laptop, keep in mind that the School of Architectures computer lab has 27 work stations that you can come in and do you work on during the posted hours above. The Graduate Assistants are knowledgeable on most of the software that is being used in the computer lab. Also when working in the computer lab be courteous and leave all food and drinks outside of the lab as we strive to keep this area as clean as possible. If you have a question regarding how to do something in certain software don't hesitate to ask the Grads. We will do our best to try and answer your questions.
As you can see from the information above there is a wide range of times that the computer lab is open, paper types you can print on, and work stations available to work on. If you have any questions about the computer lab or would like more information on it please feel free to stop by during the above hours and ask the Grad that is working. We look forward to helping you out during the school year.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Choose Electives Wisely...
By Laura Thomas
All Graduate Students are required to have 42 credits in order to complete the Masters of Architecture degree. The 15 month curriculum is pretty rigid and allows one slot for an elective in the spring semester. However, in my case and a few others who attended SIUC before the Masters program was established, Professional Practice was a required course for the undergrad program. Now it is taught at the graduate level allowing me to have an opening in my fall schedule and in need of a class to take.
Back in March, I met with Mr. Dobbins to discuss the program and classes in more detail and what my options were for elective courses. Dobbins offered several great suggestions that previous students had taken and loved. Among his suggestions were ANTH 410K - Ecological Anthropology and PSAS 480-851 - Designing Outdoor Spaces. His other suggestion was to find a class related to my thesis that would provide additional resources and insight.
I knew that I wanted to take PSAS 480-851 as it would relate to my thesis and every project for the rest of my career. Since it is an online course that can be taken in the fall or spring, I had several options and a tough decision to make about what class I wanted to take as my *bonus* class.
I spent hours looking through every class offered across every major at the masters level. I didn't want a complete blow off class just to fill the hole. I wanted a class that would benefit me and give me an advantage over other candidates. What I chose was MFGS 550 - Project Leadership. The catalog entry description reads, "This course is designed to develop a graduate student's human relationship skills for leading project teams. Through the use of case studies and practical applications, students will learn effective leadership, team development, motivational, organizational planning, and conflict resolution practices." If this doesn't scream architecture, I don't know what other course on campus does (outside of the school of architecture or interior design that is). This course is required for engineering graduates, and should be amongst the top list of classes that architectural students consider taking. Project Leadership is something that architects deal with every day of their career, but my experience has shown me, most do not deal with it appropriately because they were never trained or educated about how to do it effectively.
I absolutely love this class. It is without a doubt my favorite course this semester and the one I look forward going to every time. The work load is light compared to the architectural courses but that probably holds true for every course that doesn't have ARC in front of it. Our main focus for the first section of the semester is dealing with the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encouraging the Heart.
So far, during class we have had open discussions on a specific topic regarding effective ways to be a leader, a mentor, and a follower. We do in-class exercises such as company memos to inspire your team, exchange a story with another classmate about a topic, and what they took or gave to that event. We have discussed what kind and level of work deserves additional celebration and what is appropriate for the work performed.
Our work load each week is to read a chapter to discuss for the next class and read a 3+ page article relating to the weekly topic and write a one page summary about the topic and how you can utilize the practices in your life. There are three "big projects", again in architecture terms, these "big projects" would be equivalent to our daily work that is assigned on Monday and due by Wednesday. They are a project manager interview paper, a personal leadership improvement plan, and a communication improvement plan.
Unfortunately, it is too late for any current grad level student to take this course as it is only offered in the fall. This blog is directed towards the undergrads who still have a choice in the classes they choose to take. I cannot stress how valuable this class will be to all of you in your future and your development in a firm to becoming licensed, especially when the time comes where you are no longer the intern, but you have become the leader and are a mentor for interns looking to you for guidance for their future.
All Graduate Students are required to have 42 credits in order to complete the Masters of Architecture degree. The 15 month curriculum is pretty rigid and allows one slot for an elective in the spring semester. However, in my case and a few others who attended SIUC before the Masters program was established, Professional Practice was a required course for the undergrad program. Now it is taught at the graduate level allowing me to have an opening in my fall schedule and in need of a class to take.
Back in March, I met with Mr. Dobbins to discuss the program and classes in more detail and what my options were for elective courses. Dobbins offered several great suggestions that previous students had taken and loved. Among his suggestions were ANTH 410K - Ecological Anthropology and PSAS 480-851 - Designing Outdoor Spaces. His other suggestion was to find a class related to my thesis that would provide additional resources and insight.
I knew that I wanted to take PSAS 480-851 as it would relate to my thesis and every project for the rest of my career. Since it is an online course that can be taken in the fall or spring, I had several options and a tough decision to make about what class I wanted to take as my *bonus* class.
I spent hours looking through every class offered across every major at the masters level. I didn't want a complete blow off class just to fill the hole. I wanted a class that would benefit me and give me an advantage over other candidates. What I chose was MFGS 550 - Project Leadership. The catalog entry description reads, "This course is designed to develop a graduate student's human relationship skills for leading project teams. Through the use of case studies and practical applications, students will learn effective leadership, team development, motivational, organizational planning, and conflict resolution practices." If this doesn't scream architecture, I don't know what other course on campus does (outside of the school of architecture or interior design that is). This course is required for engineering graduates, and should be amongst the top list of classes that architectural students consider taking. Project Leadership is something that architects deal with every day of their career, but my experience has shown me, most do not deal with it appropriately because they were never trained or educated about how to do it effectively.
I absolutely love this class. It is without a doubt my favorite course this semester and the one I look forward going to every time. The work load is light compared to the architectural courses but that probably holds true for every course that doesn't have ARC in front of it. Our main focus for the first section of the semester is dealing with the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encouraging the Heart.
So far, during class we have had open discussions on a specific topic regarding effective ways to be a leader, a mentor, and a follower. We do in-class exercises such as company memos to inspire your team, exchange a story with another classmate about a topic, and what they took or gave to that event. We have discussed what kind and level of work deserves additional celebration and what is appropriate for the work performed.
Our work load each week is to read a chapter to discuss for the next class and read a 3+ page article relating to the weekly topic and write a one page summary about the topic and how you can utilize the practices in your life. There are three "big projects", again in architecture terms, these "big projects" would be equivalent to our daily work that is assigned on Monday and due by Wednesday. They are a project manager interview paper, a personal leadership improvement plan, and a communication improvement plan.
Unfortunately, it is too late for any current grad level student to take this course as it is only offered in the fall. This blog is directed towards the undergrads who still have a choice in the classes they choose to take. I cannot stress how valuable this class will be to all of you in your future and your development in a firm to becoming licensed, especially when the time comes where you are no longer the intern, but you have become the leader and are a mentor for interns looking to you for guidance for their future.
XS
By Dempson Haney
Does size matter?
When you think of architecture, at what size do you picture it being? With Australia you think of the Sydney Opera House, but what about the Bug in Vienna. With England comes the grand Cathedrals, but also the Rolling Summer house. France is well known for the Eiffel Tower, but you are unlikely to have heard of the Information Point. Great architecture doesn’t have to come with a great price. Sometimes that is the only way a community is able to afford great architecture is if it comes in a small package. A great book given to me as a gift is “XS” by Phyllis Richardson. It can be found at Barnes and Noble or Books a Million for $30. This book is pretty much full of precedent studies of small architecture that normally doesn’t get the glory as its larger predecessors. There are three editions and I myself own the 3rd which focuses more on “work of those who are stretching definitions, perceptions and expectations, as well as, in a more literal sense, material performance, site specificity and function.” (Richardson p11) Small structures are a great way for an emerging or existing architect to experiment with different materials, arrangement of spaces, and other aspects of architecture ready to make their mark. The perk of small structures is that they usually don’t end in a catastrophic failure more common with the typical building.
Karim and Rames Najjar brothers conceived what is now known as the Bug. The Bug’s, “envelope is an instrument of communication.” (Richardson p24) Apparently it undergoes a shape change based on the movement inside. The Bug is capable of holding only one occupant and as the occupant moves throughout the structure it shifts its center of gravity to stabilize itself. The Bug is allowed to shift by its use of coordinating planes and hinges. The concept is put best by the author.
“The Bug is a philosophical exploration that strives to visualize the solitude of man in his environment. In the same way that a hermit, in seclusion, can have an impact on society by the fact that people know he exists, the Bug allows a person to be separate from the world , but since his movements are echoed in the shifting of the structure, he is still visible and in the world as the box changes shape.”
Besides pretty pictures, this book also touches base on the philosophical side of it’s architecture. There are also the occasional details which are nice for those who are concerned on how it works. These details aren’t highly explainable but understandable. The book contains a total of 46 case studies ranging from pavilions and park sculptures to homes and laboratories. This book has a small price compared to most design/architecture books, takes up a small space on the shelf, but leaves a big impression.
Richardson, P(2009). Small Structures. (third ed.). New York: Universe Publishing.
Does size matter?
When you think of architecture, at what size do you picture it being? With Australia you think of the Sydney Opera House, but what about the Bug in Vienna. With England comes the grand Cathedrals, but also the Rolling Summer house. France is well known for the Eiffel Tower, but you are unlikely to have heard of the Information Point. Great architecture doesn’t have to come with a great price. Sometimes that is the only way a community is able to afford great architecture is if it comes in a small package. A great book given to me as a gift is “XS” by Phyllis Richardson. It can be found at Barnes and Noble or Books a Million for $30. This book is pretty much full of precedent studies of small architecture that normally doesn’t get the glory as its larger predecessors. There are three editions and I myself own the 3rd which focuses more on “work of those who are stretching definitions, perceptions and expectations, as well as, in a more literal sense, material performance, site specificity and function.” (Richardson p11) Small structures are a great way for an emerging or existing architect to experiment with different materials, arrangement of spaces, and other aspects of architecture ready to make their mark. The perk of small structures is that they usually don’t end in a catastrophic failure more common with the typical building.
Karim and Rames Najjar brothers conceived what is now known as the Bug. The Bug’s, “envelope is an instrument of communication.” (Richardson p24) Apparently it undergoes a shape change based on the movement inside. The Bug is capable of holding only one occupant and as the occupant moves throughout the structure it shifts its center of gravity to stabilize itself. The Bug is allowed to shift by its use of coordinating planes and hinges. The concept is put best by the author.
“The Bug is a philosophical exploration that strives to visualize the solitude of man in his environment. In the same way that a hermit, in seclusion, can have an impact on society by the fact that people know he exists, the Bug allows a person to be separate from the world , but since his movements are echoed in the shifting of the structure, he is still visible and in the world as the box changes shape.”
Besides pretty pictures, this book also touches base on the philosophical side of it’s architecture. There are also the occasional details which are nice for those who are concerned on how it works. These details aren’t highly explainable but understandable. The book contains a total of 46 case studies ranging from pavilions and park sculptures to homes and laboratories. This book has a small price compared to most design/architecture books, takes up a small space on the shelf, but leaves a big impression.
Richardson, P(2009). Small Structures. (third ed.). New York: Universe Publishing.
Studio and Neighborhood Experience....
By Erik Illies
Productive day on site today for my studio class. Our project location is downtown East St. Louis and has probably more issues than potential... but that's the challenge! Admittedly, I had some preconceived notions about this project specifically because of the site location, and now that we've toured the area and met with a local developer I feel pretty much the same. I live about 15 minutes from East Side, and used to drive into downtown at night with friends for fun. That being said, we weren't the smartest teenagers. The whole point was to get the thrill of adrenaline from driving into the scariest place we knew. Stop signs were meaningless, unless you were picking up some cheap weed or blow. Most of the time there were other cars slowly driving around almost seeming lost, but they aren't... they circle blocks of their territory waiting for someone to pull up to their corner and stop. Anytime you stopped on the street shadows would start to move and the wandering cars would quickly catch to you or throw it in reverse to "see what you want". We knew this going in and would play a little game with the drug dealers by slowly creeping to a curb or stop sign for just long enough to get their attention, and as soon as the reverse lights came on we were gone. This was all good and sufficiently excited us from the ever present element of danger, until the time they got out of they're car.
It was the beginning of any normal "urban jungle safari" and we hadn't gotten very far into the "bad neighborhoods". I felt relatively safe still since the streets were still lit and traffic was somewhat constant... that was the big mistake of the first mistake of continuing to tempt chance in this area. The next mistake was not paying attention to the g-ride cutlass that had been following us since we pulled off the highway. And the bigger still mistake was stopping at the stop sign. I had no idea anything was "up" until I saw the cutlass in my peripheral vision very close to my car. It pulled up close and at an angle to try and block us. Almost just as quickly some people started moving out of the shadows of buildings and down the sidewalk toward us. I hadn't yet decided to panic because the normal routine was "we would play like we were interested in making a deal, and then flake and they would recede", and I thought that as soon as I started to move again they would assume they made a mistake. It was no mistake, they wanted the car! I made instant eye contact with the passenger and glanced quickly enough to notice the 3 other guys in the car with him as I was starting to pull away. But by this time the people of the shadows were in the street in front of my car and along side of us. The passenger never blinked while opening his door and starting to step out toward us, and I don't think I blinked either while I shifted into reverse to get the hell out of there. For whatever reason they didn't chase, but three of the four of them were already out of their car by the time I was spinning my car around in the other direction. We had to assume they wanted the car because as we were making a neat 3 point turn in the middle of this street we clearly saw the guns they had in hand.
That was about 10 years ago now, and I still feel like an idiot for making those trips. Seriously, who the hell am I to play a game with what those people called life? It would be easy to say they shouldn't have been there selling drugs or jacking cars in the first place, and I should have been able to freely drive through their neighborhood at 3am, but I started the story admitting that I knew what we were getting into. I am totally to blame for that incident and don't make excuses for it, besides the fact I was young and very dumb. The more I think about that night, and the kinds of lives some people in East St. Louis have to/ or maybe even choose to live, the more I understand how ignorant I am to that world. Even after living nearby for over 25 years I can't relate to them and never will. Oh well, now I can make it up to them by offering an irresponsible development program that no one intends to follow up with.
Productive day on site today for my studio class. Our project location is downtown East St. Louis and has probably more issues than potential... but that's the challenge! Admittedly, I had some preconceived notions about this project specifically because of the site location, and now that we've toured the area and met with a local developer I feel pretty much the same. I live about 15 minutes from East Side, and used to drive into downtown at night with friends for fun. That being said, we weren't the smartest teenagers. The whole point was to get the thrill of adrenaline from driving into the scariest place we knew. Stop signs were meaningless, unless you were picking up some cheap weed or blow. Most of the time there were other cars slowly driving around almost seeming lost, but they aren't... they circle blocks of their territory waiting for someone to pull up to their corner and stop. Anytime you stopped on the street shadows would start to move and the wandering cars would quickly catch to you or throw it in reverse to "see what you want". We knew this going in and would play a little game with the drug dealers by slowly creeping to a curb or stop sign for just long enough to get their attention, and as soon as the reverse lights came on we were gone. This was all good and sufficiently excited us from the ever present element of danger, until the time they got out of they're car.
It was the beginning of any normal "urban jungle safari" and we hadn't gotten very far into the "bad neighborhoods". I felt relatively safe still since the streets were still lit and traffic was somewhat constant... that was the big mistake of the first mistake of continuing to tempt chance in this area. The next mistake was not paying attention to the g-ride cutlass that had been following us since we pulled off the highway. And the bigger still mistake was stopping at the stop sign. I had no idea anything was "up" until I saw the cutlass in my peripheral vision very close to my car. It pulled up close and at an angle to try and block us. Almost just as quickly some people started moving out of the shadows of buildings and down the sidewalk toward us. I hadn't yet decided to panic because the normal routine was "we would play like we were interested in making a deal, and then flake and they would recede", and I thought that as soon as I started to move again they would assume they made a mistake. It was no mistake, they wanted the car! I made instant eye contact with the passenger and glanced quickly enough to notice the 3 other guys in the car with him as I was starting to pull away. But by this time the people of the shadows were in the street in front of my car and along side of us. The passenger never blinked while opening his door and starting to step out toward us, and I don't think I blinked either while I shifted into reverse to get the hell out of there. For whatever reason they didn't chase, but three of the four of them were already out of their car by the time I was spinning my car around in the other direction. We had to assume they wanted the car because as we were making a neat 3 point turn in the middle of this street we clearly saw the guns they had in hand.
That was about 10 years ago now, and I still feel like an idiot for making those trips. Seriously, who the hell am I to play a game with what those people called life? It would be easy to say they shouldn't have been there selling drugs or jacking cars in the first place, and I should have been able to freely drive through their neighborhood at 3am, but I started the story admitting that I knew what we were getting into. I am totally to blame for that incident and don't make excuses for it, besides the fact I was young and very dumb. The more I think about that night, and the kinds of lives some people in East St. Louis have to/ or maybe even choose to live, the more I understand how ignorant I am to that world. Even after living nearby for over 25 years I can't relate to them and never will. Oh well, now I can make it up to them by offering an irresponsible development program that no one intends to follow up with.
Networking
By Audrey Treece
My friend made a comment to me this weekend that I had over eight hundred friends on my Facebook account. She then followed up with, “do you really know all of those people, or do you just friend anyone and everyone that asks?” I, in return, took a look and started deciphering how I actually do know these people that are my so called “friends.”
Okay, so honestly, no, I do not talk to every single person that I associate as my “friend.” However, after looking through the list, I concluded that I could make a connection with every person even if I do not talk to them every day. I attempted to begin deleting some people off of my “friend” list, but I kept justifying their friendship by what my future could hold.
I believe that any job worth having will not be advertised. Of course, however, once you get in the door somewhere you are going to have to prove yourself, but in order to get in the door it is all about who you know. Networking is the most valuable tool there is to assist in job hunts and with today’s technology, networks and relationships are extremely easy to maintain.
If you ask ten people how they got their job recently, I am almost certain that the majority of them will tell you that they got it through networking. Our school’s Career Services program offers some valuable information on networking and I highly suggest everyone should take a look and some notes…http://careerservices.siuc.edu/students/jobsearch/networking.htm.
My friend made a comment to me this weekend that I had over eight hundred friends on my Facebook account. She then followed up with, “do you really know all of those people, or do you just friend anyone and everyone that asks?” I, in return, took a look and started deciphering how I actually do know these people that are my so called “friends.”
Okay, so honestly, no, I do not talk to every single person that I associate as my “friend.” However, after looking through the list, I concluded that I could make a connection with every person even if I do not talk to them every day. I attempted to begin deleting some people off of my “friend” list, but I kept justifying their friendship by what my future could hold.
I believe that any job worth having will not be advertised. Of course, however, once you get in the door somewhere you are going to have to prove yourself, but in order to get in the door it is all about who you know. Networking is the most valuable tool there is to assist in job hunts and with today’s technology, networks and relationships are extremely easy to maintain.
If you ask ten people how they got their job recently, I am almost certain that the majority of them will tell you that they got it through networking. Our school’s Career Services program offers some valuable information on networking and I highly suggest everyone should take a look and some notes…http://careerservices.siuc.edu/students/jobsearch/networking.htm.
Sleeping and Caffeine
By Andrew Wyne
After being an undergraduate and graduate school in architecture, I have noticed more than a slight increase in sleep deprivation and caffeine consumption. I have definitely pulled my fair share of all-nighters and regularly consume caffeinated beverages. All in order to get my projects done and turned in on time. Based on conversations with fellow architecture students, I have come to the conclusion that an average architecture student is going to have a three to four all-nighters a semester and will drink caffeinated drinks regularly; typically soda, coffee, or energy drinks. I have recently read some different articles that discuss healthy amounts of sleep and caffeine and the possible down falls of these habits becoming a life style.
A study in 2005 was done to discover what the golden number of hours of sleep that someone needs a night to be the most productive and they found there is no golden number. Everyone is different and their body has different needs; however, there are averages that everyone should consider in estimating how many hours a night they plan on sleeping. For most college aged individuals, seven to nine hours of sleep a night is recommended. That amount varies from person to person. Some people need only six while others need closer to ten, it is up to you to discover what is optimal for you and your body.
Most of the students in the architecture department seem to sleep only an average of four to five hours of sleep a night and by the standards above is definitely not adequate. Another 2005 study shows that if you do not acquire the needed amount of sleep a night many side effects can result other than poor performance in school.
“..short sleep duration is linked with:
• Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation
• Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information”
(more information on the study at http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need)
Sleep is one of those things we never seem to really place as a high priority, but the above information (“How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?” By National Sleep Foundation) clearly states that everyone should make it more of a top priority.
The article also mentions other ways individuals can help regulate their sleep. Perhaps holding off on the social calls and making more of an effort to complete projects on time, instead of procrastination, could be another answer. Holding off on the caffeine will aid in the ability to sleep instead of trying to stay awake. Often times I find myself drinking more caffeine then I need to stay up to finish a project, and then I am wide awake for the hours after the project is done. I recently read an article that said the majority of people have no idea how much caffeine is even in the beverages that they consume. An NPR (National Public Radio) article says
“Dr. ROLAND GRIFFITHS (Professor of Behavioral Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine): A Coke delivers about 34 milligrams of caffeine, and a Red Bull delivers about 80, and then we have other products like Wired and Fixx that deliver over 500 milligrams. And that's in the range that you'd expect caffeine overdose symptoms.”
Rest of the article is at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94973371
So is it bad to consume massive amounts of caffeine? Well according to this article it shows that heart problems, insomnia, and other problems can result in large consumptions of caffeine. You may not need to quit caffeine all together. There are many Americans and people all over the world that are not as affected when consuming caffeine, nutnit is important to be aware of the amount of caffeine you drink. Read the whole NPR article for more examples of what too much caffeine can do to your body.
After being an undergraduate and graduate school in architecture, I have noticed more than a slight increase in sleep deprivation and caffeine consumption. I have definitely pulled my fair share of all-nighters and regularly consume caffeinated beverages. All in order to get my projects done and turned in on time. Based on conversations with fellow architecture students, I have come to the conclusion that an average architecture student is going to have a three to four all-nighters a semester and will drink caffeinated drinks regularly; typically soda, coffee, or energy drinks. I have recently read some different articles that discuss healthy amounts of sleep and caffeine and the possible down falls of these habits becoming a life style.
A study in 2005 was done to discover what the golden number of hours of sleep that someone needs a night to be the most productive and they found there is no golden number. Everyone is different and their body has different needs; however, there are averages that everyone should consider in estimating how many hours a night they plan on sleeping. For most college aged individuals, seven to nine hours of sleep a night is recommended. That amount varies from person to person. Some people need only six while others need closer to ten, it is up to you to discover what is optimal for you and your body.
Most of the students in the architecture department seem to sleep only an average of four to five hours of sleep a night and by the standards above is definitely not adequate. Another 2005 study shows that if you do not acquire the needed amount of sleep a night many side effects can result other than poor performance in school.
“..short sleep duration is linked with:
• Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation
• Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information”
(more information on the study at http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need)
Sleep is one of those things we never seem to really place as a high priority, but the above information (“How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?” By National Sleep Foundation) clearly states that everyone should make it more of a top priority.
The article also mentions other ways individuals can help regulate their sleep. Perhaps holding off on the social calls and making more of an effort to complete projects on time, instead of procrastination, could be another answer. Holding off on the caffeine will aid in the ability to sleep instead of trying to stay awake. Often times I find myself drinking more caffeine then I need to stay up to finish a project, and then I am wide awake for the hours after the project is done. I recently read an article that said the majority of people have no idea how much caffeine is even in the beverages that they consume. An NPR (National Public Radio) article says
“Dr. ROLAND GRIFFITHS (Professor of Behavioral Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine): A Coke delivers about 34 milligrams of caffeine, and a Red Bull delivers about 80, and then we have other products like Wired and Fixx that deliver over 500 milligrams. And that's in the range that you'd expect caffeine overdose symptoms.”
Rest of the article is at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94973371
So is it bad to consume massive amounts of caffeine? Well according to this article it shows that heart problems, insomnia, and other problems can result in large consumptions of caffeine. You may not need to quit caffeine all together. There are many Americans and people all over the world that are not as affected when consuming caffeine, nutnit is important to be aware of the amount of caffeine you drink. Read the whole NPR article for more examples of what too much caffeine can do to your body.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
What is your definition of structure?
By Audrey Treece
Throughout my undergraduate career at Southern Illinois University Carbondale I had the unique opportunity of completing two degrees simultaneously, History and Architectural Studies. I truly believe that having the chance to explore two completely different programs within two completely different schools enriched my understanding and value of my education. I struggled with the constant battle of relating the two disciplines but when I made connections it made the struggle well worth the time.
During my final semester as an undergraduate, I had to choose a Senior Seminar to complete my history requirements. I have to admit, they do not give you much of an option and everything varies by semester. I have to honestly say that I hit the jackpot when I was able to enroll in a seminar titled Disasters, Accidents and Emergencies. I thought, if nothing else, that it had to be interesting. Not only was the course interesting and one of the most organized I have ever taken, but it was also one of my “ah ha” moments when the two disciplines came full circle and made sense on how they were related.
After eight weeks of readings, research and discussions we were set out to explore a topic of our choice with the only requirement of keeping the paper historical or as my professor defined it, “change over time.” I wanted to relate to architecture is some way to force myself into trying to define the relationship between the two. I chose Hurricane Katrina as my disaster, accident or emergency to explore and specifically wanted to focus on the rebuilding component. After numerous hours of research I finally zoned in on a topic that provoked my thinking. I kept seeing the word “structure” used in much different context than I was used to. I realized that I had never thought of the “structure” as being anything more than the mere outcome of construction or the required class I had to take in order to graduate from the architecture program. I ran with the opportunity to expand my thinking and used “structure” as the basis for my paper.
When I started to research the various meanings that structure could have, I realized that when a city, like New Orleans, begins to rebuild from a disaster, they have to rebuild all of the meanings of structure besides just the physical. Using this as a starting point, I started to explore the rebuilding initiatives of New Orleans, post-Katrina. I used questions like: Rebuilding for whom? Who makes the decisions? How do we restore New Orleans and create a new sense of community, culture, home and history? The end result of these questions led me to: After addressing the physical, cultural, economical, social, historical, emotional and environmental components that make up the “structure,” New Orleans can become a rebuilt and revitalized city.
I addressed throughout my paper that the devastation imposed on New Orleans was the breakdown in structure which led to the disaster, not nature. The hurricane merely brought forward all of the issues that otherwise would have been hidden or ignored. The rebuilding initiative needs to address all forms of “structure” to allow New Orleans to find the road to recovery. After addressing these issues and incorporating them into the rebuilding process, New Orleans will again be able to prosper without losing the culture that it had from pre-Katrina society.
After introducing the hurricane, the background on structure, and my argument, I went through each structural component and explored the rebuilding initiatives within it. I concluded my paper with that no matter who creates the plan, New Orleans will be rebuilt. The structural components are extremely important in the road to recovery for New Orleans and to erase the image of Katrina from the natives.
One of the main challenges that I encountered throughout the writing process was keeping the paper strictly historical, dealing in some fashion with change over time, versus steering towards an architectural analysis. Although it was tough at times, I valued the experience and enjoyed the break away from an architectural stance and exploring a different meaning of structure. Needless to say, my definition of structure is now completely different.
Throughout my undergraduate career at Southern Illinois University Carbondale I had the unique opportunity of completing two degrees simultaneously, History and Architectural Studies. I truly believe that having the chance to explore two completely different programs within two completely different schools enriched my understanding and value of my education. I struggled with the constant battle of relating the two disciplines but when I made connections it made the struggle well worth the time.
During my final semester as an undergraduate, I had to choose a Senior Seminar to complete my history requirements. I have to admit, they do not give you much of an option and everything varies by semester. I have to honestly say that I hit the jackpot when I was able to enroll in a seminar titled Disasters, Accidents and Emergencies. I thought, if nothing else, that it had to be interesting. Not only was the course interesting and one of the most organized I have ever taken, but it was also one of my “ah ha” moments when the two disciplines came full circle and made sense on how they were related.
After eight weeks of readings, research and discussions we were set out to explore a topic of our choice with the only requirement of keeping the paper historical or as my professor defined it, “change over time.” I wanted to relate to architecture is some way to force myself into trying to define the relationship between the two. I chose Hurricane Katrina as my disaster, accident or emergency to explore and specifically wanted to focus on the rebuilding component. After numerous hours of research I finally zoned in on a topic that provoked my thinking. I kept seeing the word “structure” used in much different context than I was used to. I realized that I had never thought of the “structure” as being anything more than the mere outcome of construction or the required class I had to take in order to graduate from the architecture program. I ran with the opportunity to expand my thinking and used “structure” as the basis for my paper.
When I started to research the various meanings that structure could have, I realized that when a city, like New Orleans, begins to rebuild from a disaster, they have to rebuild all of the meanings of structure besides just the physical. Using this as a starting point, I started to explore the rebuilding initiatives of New Orleans, post-Katrina. I used questions like: Rebuilding for whom? Who makes the decisions? How do we restore New Orleans and create a new sense of community, culture, home and history? The end result of these questions led me to: After addressing the physical, cultural, economical, social, historical, emotional and environmental components that make up the “structure,” New Orleans can become a rebuilt and revitalized city.
I addressed throughout my paper that the devastation imposed on New Orleans was the breakdown in structure which led to the disaster, not nature. The hurricane merely brought forward all of the issues that otherwise would have been hidden or ignored. The rebuilding initiative needs to address all forms of “structure” to allow New Orleans to find the road to recovery. After addressing these issues and incorporating them into the rebuilding process, New Orleans will again be able to prosper without losing the culture that it had from pre-Katrina society.
After introducing the hurricane, the background on structure, and my argument, I went through each structural component and explored the rebuilding initiatives within it. I concluded my paper with that no matter who creates the plan, New Orleans will be rebuilt. The structural components are extremely important in the road to recovery for New Orleans and to erase the image of Katrina from the natives.
One of the main challenges that I encountered throughout the writing process was keeping the paper strictly historical, dealing in some fashion with change over time, versus steering towards an architectural analysis. Although it was tough at times, I valued the experience and enjoyed the break away from an architectural stance and exploring a different meaning of structure. Needless to say, my definition of structure is now completely different.
Studio Update....
By Sean Keoting
I’ll begin my blog postings with a brief introduction of myself: My name is Sean Koetting and I am currently a graduate student at Southern Illinois University working on my Masters of Architecture degree. I will be using my blog postings to track and inform you of the work done by myself and fellow classmates throughout our Comprehensive Architectural Design Studio, ARC551.
This semesters, (fall 2011), project aims to revitalize a heavily deteriorated section of downtown East St. Louis, IL which is faced with ever increasing poverty and crime. We are focusing on developing a portion of land near a Metro-Link train station terminal into a “transit village”. This transit village is planned to feature multifamily housing, daycare facilities, health clinic, branch library, career center, history center, head start facility, police substation, big box retailer, boys & girls club, and community recreation center. All of these spaces will be divided amongst three multistory structures which will comprise the master plan.
To begin the project, the studio as a whole was divided into eight groups of three or four individuals, with each group set to design a different master plan to help solve the East St. Louis situation. Along the way each group will also focus on different areas of background research which is presented and shared with the class to benefit everyone’s knowledge and understanding of the context of the site and surrounding areas.
My group’s first investigation was focused on creating a digital presentation and graphical analysis of all things affecting daycare design. We researched everything from code requirements to environmental considerations to the psychological and development needs of children. A few sample slides of our findings are as follows:
Next week’s digital presentation will look into figure ground studies of the site and surrounding context along with a zoning and landuse analysis. I look forward to updating you in two weeks with our findings.
I’ll begin my blog postings with a brief introduction of myself: My name is Sean Koetting and I am currently a graduate student at Southern Illinois University working on my Masters of Architecture degree. I will be using my blog postings to track and inform you of the work done by myself and fellow classmates throughout our Comprehensive Architectural Design Studio, ARC551.
This semesters, (fall 2011), project aims to revitalize a heavily deteriorated section of downtown East St. Louis, IL which is faced with ever increasing poverty and crime. We are focusing on developing a portion of land near a Metro-Link train station terminal into a “transit village”. This transit village is planned to feature multifamily housing, daycare facilities, health clinic, branch library, career center, history center, head start facility, police substation, big box retailer, boys & girls club, and community recreation center. All of these spaces will be divided amongst three multistory structures which will comprise the master plan.
To begin the project, the studio as a whole was divided into eight groups of three or four individuals, with each group set to design a different master plan to help solve the East St. Louis situation. Along the way each group will also focus on different areas of background research which is presented and shared with the class to benefit everyone’s knowledge and understanding of the context of the site and surrounding areas.
My group’s first investigation was focused on creating a digital presentation and graphical analysis of all things affecting daycare design. We researched everything from code requirements to environmental considerations to the psychological and development needs of children. A few sample slides of our findings are as follows:
Next week’s digital presentation will look into figure ground studies of the site and surrounding context along with a zoning and landuse analysis. I look forward to updating you in two weeks with our findings.
By Zach Collins
At the end of last week, I had finalized my idea for my thesis project that I will be working on for the next year. I had decided on doing a Hotel/Casino high-rise with restaurants, clubs, lounges, and resort-like amenities in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During my meeting with Craig about my thesis project, possible committee members were discussed with an emphasis for Shannon McDonald to potentially be my Committee Chair. Afterwards, I ran into Shannon in the hall and talked to her about my thesis and asked if she would be interested and be my chair. After expressing great interest in my project, she gave me something to look up for my benefit. She had just heard on NPR that they were in the discussion of imploding an unopened, new hotel in Las Vegas. This interested me, so I went online to see what I could find.
The following information is according to NPR guest, Oskar Garcia, a reporter for the Associated Press, and Howard Stutz for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
With how the economy has been and the housing market slump along with the latest American recession, Vegas has suffered from unemployment rises and less tourism. In turn, there was an increase in available hotel rooms but not enough visitors to fill them. So, when MGM Resorts International proposed to implode the Harmon Tower, the new hotel that is a part of the 8.5 billion dollar City Center Complex, it seems that it could be because of the unused rooms. But in actuality, the tower hasn’t ever been open to the public. It is a beautiful blue building, but nonetheless, an empty shell.
The real reason for the proposed implosion is safety. A structural engineering firm inspected the tower and said that in the case of a major earthquake, the tower could collapse. MGM’s experts said that for public safety, the fastest and safest way to “fix” the problem was to implode it.
However, according to the Perini Building Co., who are the General Contractors for the project, said they could fix the problem. But they think MGM wants to cover up its design errors by destroying the building, in turn, destroying the evidence. Whether this is true, it is not known. But it does seem suspicious as why they wouldn’t want to try and fix it. Possibly too much money to repair? Or because of design flaws? Politics? The firm said that it would take 12-14 months to know for sure if they can repair the tower.
As of now, MGM is in the legalities of this situation and the approval process is underway for implosion. So it will be a while before knowing the fate for the Harmon Tower. Will it become a part of the esteemed Las Vegas skyline or simply be a lost idea in a brief moment of Vegas History?
References:
NPR. “New Hotel on Las Vegas Strip Could Be Imploded.” 25 August 2011.
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/25/139934184/mgm-resorts-seeks-approval-to-implode-new-las-vegas-tower
Stutz, Howard. “MGM Resorts Says It Will Demolish Harmon Tower.” 15 August 2011.
http://www.lvrj.com/business/mgm-resorts-seeks-clark-county-approval-to-implode-harmon-tower-127762883.html
At the end of last week, I had finalized my idea for my thesis project that I will be working on for the next year. I had decided on doing a Hotel/Casino high-rise with restaurants, clubs, lounges, and resort-like amenities in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During my meeting with Craig about my thesis project, possible committee members were discussed with an emphasis for Shannon McDonald to potentially be my Committee Chair. Afterwards, I ran into Shannon in the hall and talked to her about my thesis and asked if she would be interested and be my chair. After expressing great interest in my project, she gave me something to look up for my benefit. She had just heard on NPR that they were in the discussion of imploding an unopened, new hotel in Las Vegas. This interested me, so I went online to see what I could find.
The following information is according to NPR guest, Oskar Garcia, a reporter for the Associated Press, and Howard Stutz for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
With how the economy has been and the housing market slump along with the latest American recession, Vegas has suffered from unemployment rises and less tourism. In turn, there was an increase in available hotel rooms but not enough visitors to fill them. So, when MGM Resorts International proposed to implode the Harmon Tower, the new hotel that is a part of the 8.5 billion dollar City Center Complex, it seems that it could be because of the unused rooms. But in actuality, the tower hasn’t ever been open to the public. It is a beautiful blue building, but nonetheless, an empty shell.
The real reason for the proposed implosion is safety. A structural engineering firm inspected the tower and said that in the case of a major earthquake, the tower could collapse. MGM’s experts said that for public safety, the fastest and safest way to “fix” the problem was to implode it.
However, according to the Perini Building Co., who are the General Contractors for the project, said they could fix the problem. But they think MGM wants to cover up its design errors by destroying the building, in turn, destroying the evidence. Whether this is true, it is not known. But it does seem suspicious as why they wouldn’t want to try and fix it. Possibly too much money to repair? Or because of design flaws? Politics? The firm said that it would take 12-14 months to know for sure if they can repair the tower.
As of now, MGM is in the legalities of this situation and the approval process is underway for implosion. So it will be a while before knowing the fate for the Harmon Tower. Will it become a part of the esteemed Las Vegas skyline or simply be a lost idea in a brief moment of Vegas History?
References:
NPR. “New Hotel on Las Vegas Strip Could Be Imploded.” 25 August 2011.
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/25/139934184/mgm-resorts-seeks-approval-to-implode-new-las-vegas-tower
Stutz, Howard. “MGM Resorts Says It Will Demolish Harmon Tower.” 15 August 2011.
http://www.lvrj.com/business/mgm-resorts-seeks-clark-county-approval-to-implode-harmon-tower-127762883.html
HISTORIC NEWARI SETTLEMENT: KIRTIPUR, NEPAL
By Jabina Shrestha
To understand the past, is to know the present. This is a step to regain a lost identity. Nepal opened up to the world in mid fifties of the last century. What has been but a mere fifty years, has brought about enormous changes to our society and our cities. Preserving the odd monument is no replacement to our identity. The much talked about urban fabric of Newari settlements has now fast disappeared in the concrete jungles. To control changes; a realization of our worth is in need: a permitted fantasy in today’s mess.
It is for all Nepali people to perceive the original of the past. Studying the development and the structure of settlements that have grown because of their own unique needs, we can appreciate how people have adapted themselves according to the rising needs, and changing situations.
The subject is Kirtipur, which is a Newari town where original essence of the newari architecture and urban planning is still appreciably visible. Consisting entirely of Jyapu population, who are considered the core of the whole Newari system, the town is hardly occupied by other groups. This social stratification in this town is unique for a Newari settlement which usually has a hierarchy of castes living together, which affects the structuring the settlement, both in social, as well as the physical sense.
KIRTIPUR meaning the city of glory is a small town in the Kathmandu Valley, about five kilometers southeast of the capital, Kathmandu. Kirtipur, also known as KIPU and KYAPU, is one of the oldest settlements in the valley, and is recorded as an ancient capital of Nepal. The town inhabited by Newars the earliest population group of the valley, occupies the top of a steep rocky hill, a location very different from the other main towns of the valley
Kirtipur, which emerged as the fourth royal city, is one of the last remaining refuges of a conservative Hindu urban culture, which has been enriched by an inflow of Buddhist and indigenous elements of the local newar population.Kirtipur, a comparatively compact small settlement has developed on a non-irrigated high plateau with surrounding farmland. Kirtipur commands an excellent birds- eye- view of the capital city Kathmandu and the panoramic view of recanting snow plates of the Himalayas.
The traditional Newari house has evolved over hundreds of years into a uniform construction reflecting and integrating the demands of culture, religion and daily activities as well as the environmental considerations and availability of building materials. The dense urban settlement of kirtipur is characterized by the terraced houses set up from the street on stone podia, their flat, red brick facades incorporating splendid carved timber struts. The houses are built in a most compact form using as little horizontal space as possible but showing the strong tendency towards vertical expansion. Behind the houses lining the streets lie internal courtyards giving access to further houses, or open spaces providing vegetable gardens. When a family needs more space, they will extend, if land is available, or demolish and reconstruct their house, rather than move to a different, larger house.
Additional information regarding the topic will be continued in next blog.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Architecture's Potential Impact on the Worker's of Foxconn
By Jason Skidmore
One of the worst work environments in the world is found at many of the factories owned and operated by Foxconn. The Taiwanese company makes components for many of the gadgets that the world lusts over. This lust has created a demand for products that leaves the company with no choice but to work their employees to the point of exhaustion and/or “replace the workers with robots” according to the Guardian newspaper. The treatment of the employees has been described as “labor camps”. An article by Rueters cites that at least 13 workers committed suicide in 2010 alone. Not only are the work hours unendurable, but the workers usually live close to the factory in dormitories that many of us across the pond wouldn't live in during our early college years. This is life for many of the workers employed by Foxconn. I beg the question, “Can architecture solve this problem and increase the quality of life for these workers?”
The answer to this question in my humble opinion is, “YES!” Architects are suppose to solve problems. The problem at Foxconn is not only a work condition problem, it is a living condition problem. A problem that needs solved. The only solution to this point has been to install nets on the facilities to catch suicidal workers. This is just not a solution to the problem. A problem that with great design can be solved. Imagine life for these people if they loved their surroundings. If they had the amenities available to them that the workers of Google's headquarters have. They may not care to work 18 hours a day in those situations. This is just not the case. These people deserve surroundings that they can enjoy and can lift their spirits every day. A total redesign of the dormitories along with the factory itself might make bring these conditions from darkness into light and in the process save lives. A great article on this issue can be found in Wired's March 2011 edition. The article is entitled, “1 Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Who’s to Blame?”
One of the worst work environments in the world is found at many of the factories owned and operated by Foxconn. The Taiwanese company makes components for many of the gadgets that the world lusts over. This lust has created a demand for products that leaves the company with no choice but to work their employees to the point of exhaustion and/or “replace the workers with robots” according to the Guardian newspaper. The treatment of the employees has been described as “labor camps”. An article by Rueters cites that at least 13 workers committed suicide in 2010 alone. Not only are the work hours unendurable, but the workers usually live close to the factory in dormitories that many of us across the pond wouldn't live in during our early college years. This is life for many of the workers employed by Foxconn. I beg the question, “Can architecture solve this problem and increase the quality of life for these workers?”
The answer to this question in my humble opinion is, “YES!” Architects are suppose to solve problems. The problem at Foxconn is not only a work condition problem, it is a living condition problem. A problem that needs solved. The only solution to this point has been to install nets on the facilities to catch suicidal workers. This is just not a solution to the problem. A problem that with great design can be solved. Imagine life for these people if they loved their surroundings. If they had the amenities available to them that the workers of Google's headquarters have. They may not care to work 18 hours a day in those situations. This is just not the case. These people deserve surroundings that they can enjoy and can lift their spirits every day. A total redesign of the dormitories along with the factory itself might make bring these conditions from darkness into light and in the process save lives. A great article on this issue can be found in Wired's March 2011 edition. The article is entitled, “1 Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Who’s to Blame?”
Introduction and Interests...
By Micah Jacobson
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Micah Jacobson. I am the tutor for the structures 1 and 2 courses. I am here working on the M.Arch degree. I came from Columbia, MO a year ago where I completed a B.S. in Civil Engineering. My experience in engineering and architecture has led me to pick a thesis project that relates to both.
Structure, in architecture, is what resists the external and internal forced caused by loads on a building. These loads include, but are not limited to, the weight of the building, the occupants, wind, rain, snow, earthquake and storms. Structure can come in many different forms and materials. In many modern buildings the structure is hidden, as if the building needed no skeleton. This neglects a multitude of possibilities that the design of structure can add to architecture.
Structure can be used to define spaces, create openings and can increase or decrease the depth and density of the space. It also plays a key role in the geometry and grid of a building. A building expresses its true nature when the structure is expressed and celebrated. Structure should be analyzed not only as a means to physically support the architecture, but to play a key role in the experience of the architecture.
Once upon a time the architect and engineer were one in the same. With the progression of the profession the two emerged as separate specialties and now are often times looked at as two distinct and different professions. For my thesis project I will undertake to merge the two into one complete design process and to investigate the contributions of structure, and structural engineering, to the world of architecture.
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Micah Jacobson. I am the tutor for the structures 1 and 2 courses. I am here working on the M.Arch degree. I came from Columbia, MO a year ago where I completed a B.S. in Civil Engineering. My experience in engineering and architecture has led me to pick a thesis project that relates to both.
Structure, in architecture, is what resists the external and internal forced caused by loads on a building. These loads include, but are not limited to, the weight of the building, the occupants, wind, rain, snow, earthquake and storms. Structure can come in many different forms and materials. In many modern buildings the structure is hidden, as if the building needed no skeleton. This neglects a multitude of possibilities that the design of structure can add to architecture.
Structure can be used to define spaces, create openings and can increase or decrease the depth and density of the space. It also plays a key role in the geometry and grid of a building. A building expresses its true nature when the structure is expressed and celebrated. Structure should be analyzed not only as a means to physically support the architecture, but to play a key role in the experience of the architecture.
Once upon a time the architect and engineer were one in the same. With the progression of the profession the two emerged as separate specialties and now are often times looked at as two distinct and different professions. For my thesis project I will undertake to merge the two into one complete design process and to investigate the contributions of structure, and structural engineering, to the world of architecture.
Studio intro.....
By Sean Hartman
The first week of classes have come and gone. There are many new faces to welcome into the undergraduate program, graduate program and to the faculty. They bring many new teaching methods and techniques to the program. As the semester started we quickly found out what we anticipated of having separate studios working on two different projects was thrown out the door. Instead of working on two separate projects we found out that the whole studio would be working on one project. With this said the positive side to this is that it gives different views and different though processes to our project. I look forward to see what other changes are brought to the Graduate program. Things can only get better from here! This year will be a great year.
On another note, I am currently looking to do my thesis on Advanced Trauma Center Reorganization to improve time on which patrons receive medical attention and to help improve response times on the victims that have sustained life threatening injuries from an accident. I will also be looking into placing a small version trauma center underneath helipads on the hospitals to improve response time of the victims who are life flighted to the hospital. I would like to see if this is possible and how we would go about implementing this type of trauma center into hospitals. I look forward to see where this project takes me as I continue my research on this topic.
The first week of classes have come and gone. There are many new faces to welcome into the undergraduate program, graduate program and to the faculty. They bring many new teaching methods and techniques to the program. As the semester started we quickly found out what we anticipated of having separate studios working on two different projects was thrown out the door. Instead of working on two separate projects we found out that the whole studio would be working on one project. With this said the positive side to this is that it gives different views and different though processes to our project. I look forward to see what other changes are brought to the Graduate program. Things can only get better from here! This year will be a great year.
On another note, I am currently looking to do my thesis on Advanced Trauma Center Reorganization to improve time on which patrons receive medical attention and to help improve response times on the victims that have sustained life threatening injuries from an accident. I will also be looking into placing a small version trauma center underneath helipads on the hospitals to improve response time of the victims who are life flighted to the hospital. I would like to see if this is possible and how we would go about implementing this type of trauma center into hospitals. I look forward to see where this project takes me as I continue my research on this topic.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Studio Update...
By Erik Illies
Productive day on site today for my studio class. Our project location is downtown East St. Louis and has probably more issues than potential... but that's the challenge! Admittedly, I had some preconceived notions about this project specifically because of the site location, and now that we've toured the area and met with a local developer I feel pretty much the same. I live about 15 minutes from East Side, and used to drive into downtown at night with friends for fun. That being said, we weren't the smartest teenagers. The whole point was to get the thrill of adrenaline from driving into the scariest place we knew. Stop signs were meaningless, unless you were picking up some cheap weed or blow. Most of the time there were other cars slowly driving around almost seeming lost, but they aren't... they circle blocks of their territory waiting for someone to pull up to their corner and stop. Anytime you stopped on the street shadows would start to move and the wandering cars would quickly catch to you or throw it in reverse to "see what you want". We knew this going in and would play a little game with the drug dealers by slowly creeping to a curb or stop sign for just long enough to get their attention, and as soon as the reverse lights came on we were gone. This was all good and sufficiently excited us from the ever present element of danger, until the time they got out of they're car.
It was the beginning of any normal "urban jungle safari" and we hadn't gotten very far into the "bad neighborhoods". I felt relatively safe still since the streets were still lit and traffic was somewhat constant... that was the big mistake of the first mistake of continuing to tempt chance in this area. The next mistake was not paying attention to the g-ride cutlass that had been following us since we pulled off the highway. And the bigger still mistake was stopping at the stop sign. I had no idea anything was "up" until I saw the cutlass in my peripheral vision very close to my car. It pulled up close and at an angle to try and block us. Almost just as quickly some people started moving out of the shadows of buildings and down the sidewalk toward us. I hadn't yet decided to panic because the normal routine was "we would play like we were interested in making a deal, and then flake and they would recede", and I thought that as soon as I started to move again they would assume they made a mistake. It was no mistake, they wanted the car! I made instant eye contact with the passenger and glanced quickly enough to notice the 3 other guys in the car with him as I was starting to pull away. But by this time the people of the shadows were in the street in front of my car and along side of us. The passenger never blinked while opening his door and starting to step out toward us, and I don't think I blinked either while I shifted into reverse to get the hell out of there. For whatever reason they didn't chase, but three of the four of them were already out of their car by the time I was spinning my car around in the other direction. We had to assume they wanted the car because as we were making a neat 3 point turn in the middle of this street we clearly saw the guns they had in hand.
That was about 10 years ago now, and I still feel like an idiot for making those trips. Seriously, who the hell am I to play a game with what those people called life? It would be easy to say they shouldn't have been there selling drugs or jacking cars in the first place, and I should have been able to freely drive through their neighborhood at 3am, but I started the story admitting that I knew what we were getting into. I am totally to blame for that incident and don't make excuses for it, besides the fact I was young and very dumb. The more I think about that night, and the kinds of lives some people in East St. Louis have to/ or maybe even choose to live, the more I understand how ignorant I am to that world. Even after living nearby for over 25 years I can't relate to them and never will. Oh well, now I can make it up to them by offering an irresponsible development program that no one intends to follow up with.
Productive day on site today for my studio class. Our project location is downtown East St. Louis and has probably more issues than potential... but that's the challenge! Admittedly, I had some preconceived notions about this project specifically because of the site location, and now that we've toured the area and met with a local developer I feel pretty much the same. I live about 15 minutes from East Side, and used to drive into downtown at night with friends for fun. That being said, we weren't the smartest teenagers. The whole point was to get the thrill of adrenaline from driving into the scariest place we knew. Stop signs were meaningless, unless you were picking up some cheap weed or blow. Most of the time there were other cars slowly driving around almost seeming lost, but they aren't... they circle blocks of their territory waiting for someone to pull up to their corner and stop. Anytime you stopped on the street shadows would start to move and the wandering cars would quickly catch to you or throw it in reverse to "see what you want". We knew this going in and would play a little game with the drug dealers by slowly creeping to a curb or stop sign for just long enough to get their attention, and as soon as the reverse lights came on we were gone. This was all good and sufficiently excited us from the ever present element of danger, until the time they got out of they're car.
It was the beginning of any normal "urban jungle safari" and we hadn't gotten very far into the "bad neighborhoods". I felt relatively safe still since the streets were still lit and traffic was somewhat constant... that was the big mistake of the first mistake of continuing to tempt chance in this area. The next mistake was not paying attention to the g-ride cutlass that had been following us since we pulled off the highway. And the bigger still mistake was stopping at the stop sign. I had no idea anything was "up" until I saw the cutlass in my peripheral vision very close to my car. It pulled up close and at an angle to try and block us. Almost just as quickly some people started moving out of the shadows of buildings and down the sidewalk toward us. I hadn't yet decided to panic because the normal routine was "we would play like we were interested in making a deal, and then flake and they would recede", and I thought that as soon as I started to move again they would assume they made a mistake. It was no mistake, they wanted the car! I made instant eye contact with the passenger and glanced quickly enough to notice the 3 other guys in the car with him as I was starting to pull away. But by this time the people of the shadows were in the street in front of my car and along side of us. The passenger never blinked while opening his door and starting to step out toward us, and I don't think I blinked either while I shifted into reverse to get the hell out of there. For whatever reason they didn't chase, but three of the four of them were already out of their car by the time I was spinning my car around in the other direction. We had to assume they wanted the car because as we were making a neat 3 point turn in the middle of this street we clearly saw the guns they had in hand.
That was about 10 years ago now, and I still feel like an idiot for making those trips. Seriously, who the hell am I to play a game with what those people called life? It would be easy to say they shouldn't have been there selling drugs or jacking cars in the first place, and I should have been able to freely drive through their neighborhood at 3am, but I started the story admitting that I knew what we were getting into. I am totally to blame for that incident and don't make excuses for it, besides the fact I was young and very dumb. The more I think about that night, and the kinds of lives some people in East St. Louis have to/ or maybe even choose to live, the more I understand how ignorant I am to that world. Even after living nearby for over 25 years I can't relate to them and never will. Oh well, now I can make it up to them by offering an irresponsible development program that no one intends to follow up with.
Cave Hill Cemetary
By Joel Wallace
Below is an opening excerpt from a paper of mine in the fall of 2010. It is about a place that has both architectural and spiritual influence that can be felt, almost literally, as you enter it’s gates. Should you ever drive through my home of Louisville, KY., I hope you will take the time to visit it….
Within an area of rebuilding eclectic scenery in Louisville Kentucky, lies a piece of historic pride, pure beauty, and sacred ground. Cave Hill National Cemetery is recognized not only by local Louisvillians, but also by the National Registry of Historic Places for which it was added in 1979. From early stages of transformation from farmland to monumental garden, Cave Hill has always been seen as a place of elevating spirit. Upon entry, mature trees and winding pathways set the tone for what will appear as nearly 300 acres of undisturbed, perfectly honed nature within its fenced perimeter. The design of cemetery comes from a garden concept that was captured and executed by civil Engineer Edmond Francis Lee in the year 1846. If only the historic grounds could talk to what they have endured during their many years of settlement prior to that of their current condition. This property has seen farmers, flirtatious endeavors of quarrying stone, and has even housed the city’s Pest House, and isolated home for those suffering from eruptive and contagious disease. These transformations have only added to the story behind this sacredly respected part of city and what it means to those who frequent it. Whether it is for the burying of a loved one, or a peaceful stroll to forget life’s tensions, Cave Hill is truly a calming place that surrounds you with a pure sense of self by the experience of life, death, and everywhere in between.
Below is an opening excerpt from a paper of mine in the fall of 2010. It is about a place that has both architectural and spiritual influence that can be felt, almost literally, as you enter it’s gates. Should you ever drive through my home of Louisville, KY., I hope you will take the time to visit it….
Within an area of rebuilding eclectic scenery in Louisville Kentucky, lies a piece of historic pride, pure beauty, and sacred ground. Cave Hill National Cemetery is recognized not only by local Louisvillians, but also by the National Registry of Historic Places for which it was added in 1979. From early stages of transformation from farmland to monumental garden, Cave Hill has always been seen as a place of elevating spirit. Upon entry, mature trees and winding pathways set the tone for what will appear as nearly 300 acres of undisturbed, perfectly honed nature within its fenced perimeter. The design of cemetery comes from a garden concept that was captured and executed by civil Engineer Edmond Francis Lee in the year 1846. If only the historic grounds could talk to what they have endured during their many years of settlement prior to that of their current condition. This property has seen farmers, flirtatious endeavors of quarrying stone, and has even housed the city’s Pest House, and isolated home for those suffering from eruptive and contagious disease. These transformations have only added to the story behind this sacredly respected part of city and what it means to those who frequent it. Whether it is for the burying of a loved one, or a peaceful stroll to forget life’s tensions, Cave Hill is truly a calming place that surrounds you with a pure sense of self by the experience of life, death, and everywhere in between.
Thermal Delight
By Dempson Haney
“Thermal Delight in Architecture” is a little black book that can be found at 710 and in the hands of those within Arc481 Environmental Systems and Design. This book is a light read, one that myself finished in just two hours. It was written by Lisa Herchong. When designing a soar building, she found the reference of examples scarce. She then set out to publish this book that would dab into many aspects, theory, and case study of the attributes of thermal energy.
The first chapter is titled “Necessity”. These first pages talk about life and its thermal need. Starting with mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and then humans; it explains comfort zones and how it affects our lives and body.
The next chapter is “Delight”. It was here she describes the temperature (or thermal) fluctuation as a human’s means of refreshment and recreation. Thermal does not restrictively refer to the warmer side of our senses, but also the cooler. “People like to hang a lantern or wind chime under the roof of the veranda. The lightly swaying lantern gives a suggestion of refreshing wind and coolness.” (Herchong 25) This anecdote suggests a psychological reference of our thermal behavior.
Following Delight is “Affection”. It is here she begins to touch base on how thermal interacts with the physical environment of architecture and urban design. She mentions the inglenook, gazebo, porch swing, and what role they played in this thermal interaction. There is also an account of an anthropologist, his family; and what it was like to move from a home with central heat to one where each room needed to be heated via fireplace or salamander. Another precedent is the social center of Japanese hot baths. These baths are similar to Roman baths. Herchong elaborates on their function and how they become a part of their daily routine.
The final chapter in the book is “Sacredness”. Herchong isn’t just talking about the religious complications of thermal transfer. Sacredness also refers to the daily lives of those who interact with a particle form of thermal transfer. One case study is Karen Terry’s home in Sante Fe, designed by avid Wright. “a passively solar-heated house may go through an air temperature flux as great as 20 degrees per day. People learn to live with this flux by putting on a sweater of moving to the part of the house with the most desirable conditions.” (Herchong 56) It also mentions that Karin maintains a sort of migration strategy with her home. It states that thermal comfort is sometimes a luxury and even a status symbol in different parts of the world. One account states that during the medieval times, an Islamic Sultan’s throne was cooled thought evaporation using elaborate fountain systems to create a heat barrier or curtain. Today some of the coolest places in India are stone temples.
My small blog does not do this book justice. There is just so much packed within this small and inexpensive book. You may not be able to write a report on it but you can learn where to start with it. Simply buying this book for the list of sources in the notes is worth the pocket change. Because it touches base on various religions, culture, and regions it is a great way to diverse your knowledge on this particular topic and easy with it being all in one place.
“Thermal Delight in Architecture” is a little black book that can be found at 710 and in the hands of those within Arc481 Environmental Systems and Design. This book is a light read, one that myself finished in just two hours. It was written by Lisa Herchong. When designing a soar building, she found the reference of examples scarce. She then set out to publish this book that would dab into many aspects, theory, and case study of the attributes of thermal energy.
The first chapter is titled “Necessity”. These first pages talk about life and its thermal need. Starting with mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and then humans; it explains comfort zones and how it affects our lives and body.
The next chapter is “Delight”. It was here she describes the temperature (or thermal) fluctuation as a human’s means of refreshment and recreation. Thermal does not restrictively refer to the warmer side of our senses, but also the cooler. “People like to hang a lantern or wind chime under the roof of the veranda. The lightly swaying lantern gives a suggestion of refreshing wind and coolness.” (Herchong 25) This anecdote suggests a psychological reference of our thermal behavior.
Following Delight is “Affection”. It is here she begins to touch base on how thermal interacts with the physical environment of architecture and urban design. She mentions the inglenook, gazebo, porch swing, and what role they played in this thermal interaction. There is also an account of an anthropologist, his family; and what it was like to move from a home with central heat to one where each room needed to be heated via fireplace or salamander. Another precedent is the social center of Japanese hot baths. These baths are similar to Roman baths. Herchong elaborates on their function and how they become a part of their daily routine.
The final chapter in the book is “Sacredness”. Herchong isn’t just talking about the religious complications of thermal transfer. Sacredness also refers to the daily lives of those who interact with a particle form of thermal transfer. One case study is Karen Terry’s home in Sante Fe, designed by avid Wright. “a passively solar-heated house may go through an air temperature flux as great as 20 degrees per day. People learn to live with this flux by putting on a sweater of moving to the part of the house with the most desirable conditions.” (Herchong 56) It also mentions that Karin maintains a sort of migration strategy with her home. It states that thermal comfort is sometimes a luxury and even a status symbol in different parts of the world. One account states that during the medieval times, an Islamic Sultan’s throne was cooled thought evaporation using elaborate fountain systems to create a heat barrier or curtain. Today some of the coolest places in India are stone temples.
My small blog does not do this book justice. There is just so much packed within this small and inexpensive book. You may not be able to write a report on it but you can learn where to start with it. Simply buying this book for the list of sources in the notes is worth the pocket change. Because it touches base on various religions, culture, and regions it is a great way to diverse your knowledge on this particular topic and easy with it being all in one place.
Jobs and Salary
By Andrew Wyne
So you have decided to become an architect? In doing a little digging, I have found some statistics and information that you may want to consider as you complete your undergraduate courses. The job description of an architect is different then what is usually perceived and the qualifications for the job changes the expected salary of an architect. Architecture is more than just designing buildings and few people actually design huge buildings by themselves. It is a difficult profession. Below are a few numbers and statistics of starting architects’ salaries and what is to be expected.
“Median annual wages of wage-and-salary architects were $70,320 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $53,480 and $91,870. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $41,320, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $119,220. Those just starting their internships can expect to earn considerably less.” (http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos038.htm#earnings)
Notice the above statistic is referring to licensed architects. An architecture student must complete graduate school in order to become licensed. Undergraduate level architecture graduates are paid considerably less. Another source supports the theory that entry level architects make about half of the $70,320 salary listed above. Less experience correlates with less pay. (http://www1.salary.com/Architect-I-salary.html)
Another thing to consider is whether you love architecture or if it is simply a job to pay the bills. It is said that the architects that love their work have a higher success rate and earn a higher salary. It is not simply going to work and doing a good job, but being able to work harder than everyone else. Successful architects devote time outside of the job by buying endless amounts of books and magazines about architecture. They even plan their vacations around the projects on which they are working.
One last helpful hint about the business of architecture; never burn any bridges with anyone you know in the field of architecture. You never know when they may be a connection to a job or project and can often offer hints and advice on how to succeed in architecture. So to put it all simply: work hard, love what you are doing, and play nice.
(http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/architects-salary-wanna-know/) this is a link to a blog of helpful advice.
So you have decided to become an architect? In doing a little digging, I have found some statistics and information that you may want to consider as you complete your undergraduate courses. The job description of an architect is different then what is usually perceived and the qualifications for the job changes the expected salary of an architect. Architecture is more than just designing buildings and few people actually design huge buildings by themselves. It is a difficult profession. Below are a few numbers and statistics of starting architects’ salaries and what is to be expected.
“Median annual wages of wage-and-salary architects were $70,320 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $53,480 and $91,870. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $41,320, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $119,220. Those just starting their internships can expect to earn considerably less.” (http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos038.htm#earnings)
Notice the above statistic is referring to licensed architects. An architecture student must complete graduate school in order to become licensed. Undergraduate level architecture graduates are paid considerably less. Another source supports the theory that entry level architects make about half of the $70,320 salary listed above. Less experience correlates with less pay. (http://www1.salary.com/Architect-I-salary.html)
Another thing to consider is whether you love architecture or if it is simply a job to pay the bills. It is said that the architects that love their work have a higher success rate and earn a higher salary. It is not simply going to work and doing a good job, but being able to work harder than everyone else. Successful architects devote time outside of the job by buying endless amounts of books and magazines about architecture. They even plan their vacations around the projects on which they are working.
One last helpful hint about the business of architecture; never burn any bridges with anyone you know in the field of architecture. You never know when they may be a connection to a job or project and can often offer hints and advice on how to succeed in architecture. So to put it all simply: work hard, love what you are doing, and play nice.
(http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/architects-salary-wanna-know/) this is a link to a blog of helpful advice.
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