This summer is not a vacation from school but it is a vacation from studio. I'm taking one class for my Sustainable Environments minor called Energy for Sustainable Society's. It is getting more interesting as the class goes on. We just recently talked about oil, natural gas, and coal, where they come from and what they're uses are. We also recently covered pollution, what causes it and ways to minimize it. While I had my doubts at the beginning when we were covering basic physics, I think it will turn out to be a worthwhile class.
Otherwise my summer has been pretty dull. With all my friends gone home, no studio to fill all my waking hours, and my boyfriend starting a new job, I've been bored and lonely. I've been trying to work on a project for my parents, a new kitchen and deck, but getting myself motivated has been difficult. Getting myself motivated about anything has been difficult, even things that I really enjoy. The only thing I can follow through with is cleaning my apartment. I think that unless I feel that it needs to get done, I'm procrastinating. I'm worried that I've forgotten how to enjoy things.
The summer has gone by very quickly and there's not much time left before I go home to Seattle, but I'm determined to enjoy the rest of it. One day at a time.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Review Coming Up
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE POSTED LAST MONDAY. THE REVIEW WAS TODAY.
Our midterm review is next Monday. Of course I'm not as far as I'd like to be but my professor seems to be okay with what I've got so far. I really dread talking to him about my project, although that's true with all my professors. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way. Last time he came by he told me I haven't seen enough of the world yet, so that probably has something to do with it. He just seems too practical, and I usually like the practical professors because I tend to be much more practical than my peers. He told me not to do two angled walls because it was too complicated and that's why you don't see it very often in other buildings. He said other architects don't do what's too complicated. Well, those weren't his exact words but you get the gist. Anyway, that is complete bull. Complicated is interesting (not that simple isn't), and a lot of architects want interesting. His comments aren't all bad though. He has given me some good direction.
I just wish that I could explain my ideas eloquently. I never know what to say in a review or even a desk crit. What exactly does architectural style mean anyway? I mean specifically. And when he asks me what architectural style I'm using, is that really what he's asking? Most likely not. It seems like he really just wants to talk because he jumps in whenever I start talking.
Bah. I'm done ranting.
I have structural models and a floor plan to do before Monday. Plus whatever I feel like throwing in. If I don't make it, I will be very ashamed.
Our midterm review is next Monday. Of course I'm not as far as I'd like to be but my professor seems to be okay with what I've got so far. I really dread talking to him about my project, although that's true with all my professors. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way. Last time he came by he told me I haven't seen enough of the world yet, so that probably has something to do with it. He just seems too practical, and I usually like the practical professors because I tend to be much more practical than my peers. He told me not to do two angled walls because it was too complicated and that's why you don't see it very often in other buildings. He said other architects don't do what's too complicated. Well, those weren't his exact words but you get the gist. Anyway, that is complete bull. Complicated is interesting (not that simple isn't), and a lot of architects want interesting. His comments aren't all bad though. He has given me some good direction.
I just wish that I could explain my ideas eloquently. I never know what to say in a review or even a desk crit. What exactly does architectural style mean anyway? I mean specifically. And when he asks me what architectural style I'm using, is that really what he's asking? Most likely not. It seems like he really just wants to talk because he jumps in whenever I start talking.
Bah. I'm done ranting.
I have structural models and a floor plan to do before Monday. Plus whatever I feel like throwing in. If I don't make it, I will be very ashamed.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Lazy
This class is not good for me. My professor is way too laid back. I feel like I'm falling way behind, except he's not asking us for anything. Unfortunately, I'm realizing that I usually use studio to keep me on track with all my other classes and since I haven't been doing anything for studio I haven't really been doing anything. That's not true. It just feels that way. I've been keeping up with my readings for ethics and practice and my group project for EDES is only now picking up. I guess it just feels like I'm being a slacker because I haven't been asked to do as much as I'm used to.
But it's fourth week already. How is that possible?
Anyway, two midterms next week so I will be studying this weekend. Woo.
But it's fourth week already. How is that possible?
Anyway, two midterms next week so I will be studying this weekend. Woo.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Late As Usual
Haven't been doing much for studio. We're supposed to go visit the possible sites on Monday. In the meantime, here's what I did for my precedent board:
Friday, April 2, 2010
Spring Quarter
Week One is already over. Only nine more to go before finals and then SUMMER!! It's too bad I'm taking classes summer quarter.
Anywho, week one was pretty uneventful, hence the lack of posts. Monday was the intro to the class and the getting of the keys. Wednesday was a holiday, thank you Cesar Chavez. And today we had precedent study presentation for two hours and then my prof had to leave early to attend his daughter's wedding rehearsal/rehearsal dinner. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The project for this quarter is a winery at one of three sites (we get to choose). We have a pretty open program. We get to choose what kind of people we want to design for, how big the winery is, etc. It'll be interesting. I'm a bit worried because my prof seems REALLY laid back and I'm not sure I'll be able to motivate myself enough. I'm really excited to learn about wine, wine making, and wineries though.
My precedent study is on the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars (not to be confused with the Stags' Leap Winery) in the Napa Valley. I found it at the top of a Top 10 Wineries in the U.S. list, and when I first saw it I wasn't that impressed. However, I kept searching and didn't find much else that I liked and the more I thought back to it, the more I liked it. I also found out that this winery's Cabernet Sauvignon won the red wine taste test at the famous 1976 Paris tasting that pitted French wines against California wines and brought California wine making to the world stage. The movie "Bottle Shock" is about this birth of this taste test and centers around the winery that won for the white wine category with their Chardonnay, Chateau Montelena, another Napa Valley winery. I just thought that was cool.
My prof wanted a slide show for today, but a 20 x 20 board for Monday, so I'll just post that rather than individual slides. More to come!
Anywho, week one was pretty uneventful, hence the lack of posts. Monday was the intro to the class and the getting of the keys. Wednesday was a holiday, thank you Cesar Chavez. And today we had precedent study presentation for two hours and then my prof had to leave early to attend his daughter's wedding rehearsal/rehearsal dinner. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The project for this quarter is a winery at one of three sites (we get to choose). We have a pretty open program. We get to choose what kind of people we want to design for, how big the winery is, etc. It'll be interesting. I'm a bit worried because my prof seems REALLY laid back and I'm not sure I'll be able to motivate myself enough. I'm really excited to learn about wine, wine making, and wineries though.
My precedent study is on the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars (not to be confused with the Stags' Leap Winery) in the Napa Valley. I found it at the top of a Top 10 Wineries in the U.S. list, and when I first saw it I wasn't that impressed. However, I kept searching and didn't find much else that I liked and the more I thought back to it, the more I liked it. I also found out that this winery's Cabernet Sauvignon won the red wine taste test at the famous 1976 Paris tasting that pitted French wines against California wines and brought California wine making to the world stage. The movie "Bottle Shock" is about this birth of this taste test and centers around the winery that won for the white wine category with their Chardonnay, Chateau Montelena, another Napa Valley winery. I just thought that was cool.
My prof wanted a slide show for today, but a 20 x 20 board for Monday, so I'll just post that rather than individual slides. More to come!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Review
It was a struggle to get everything done. I barely finished in time and I didn't have everything he asked for, but I think he didn't really expect us to have absolutely everything. My review went really well. The guy who talked to me seemed to get everything that I was trying to do. Except for the sustainability stuff, but that was my fault. As is always mentioned I need to work on my visual presentation. I really need to figure out how to sell my ideas apparently. If only I had time to take a marketing class. I'll just have to devote more time to learning how to render well in Photoshop and some other programs. I should probably learn sketchup too.
Here are the three sheets I did for the presentation:
Here are the three sheets I did for the presentation:
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
One Week
Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My Windows beta expired so I literally spent all day trying to install the upgrade. I'm still working on it. I got absolutely nothing done on my project and I only have one week left! I'm definitely not going to make my personal deadline of Friday. Maybe Monday, but it doesn't look good. I'd say I'm about halfway through most of my drawings, I still have a lot to do on my site plan, and I have to finish prepping my Rhino files for the laser cutter. Hopefully, I'll get Windows working by tonight. Fun times coming up this weekend.
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