Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Catching Up

A month has passed and I am amazed. Time really flies when you are having fun.
I received notice from the NewSchool of Architecture & Design offices that I made the Dean's List for academic achievement in the Summer Quarter. Now the pressure is really on! People are watching!

And this quarter's projects are a lot more interesting. I am working on a new school of architecture based upon the programs offered at NewSchool. Interestingly, the proposed site overlooks Balboa Park (San Diego's answer to Central Park, and home of the world renown San Diego Zoo, among other attractions). Unfortunately it is under the flight path of landing planes coming into Lindbergh Field (San Diego's downtown airport). So again, I am dealing with height restrictions and noise as the proposed site is not too far from the fire station I designed this past summer.

Initially I developed a series of boxes on the site to fit the almost 200,000 sqft program requirement into the 49,800 sqft "shoebox" site. Then inspiration struck in the form of a piece of pie. Suddenly the studio building (almost 45,000 sqft on its own) became round with movable segmented walls on the radius. The simple structure requirements and opportunity for flexibility seem to meet the program needs quite nicely.

My next working model will be a building with another variation: the individual floors of the studio will not be concentric (eccentric?), and not truly round either. I am afraid it will be one of those unreasonable student projects that would, if constructed, cost an arm and a leg. Oh well, I guess that is where I am supposed to be. I get little but positive feedback. Moving right along....

I received word that "Metropolitan Home Magazine" will cease publication after the end of 2009. Wow; another cultural icon bites the dust. I remember in the 1970's and early 80's when it was still called Apartment Life and full of clever solutions for small-space living. Hmmm I wonder where that market is today? Up until about 9 years ago, I had every issue, since the beginning. Who knew that they might become collectible (???).