BoatmanDesignBlog

Summertime and the livin’ is easy… or not!

2010-09-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

There have been a number of meetings this summer (I could count… but the number easily surpasses 50) to prepare for the upcoming school year. There have been the expected Student Council meetings, the subcommittees and the like. Then there are the Student Survey Taskforce (and subcommittees) meetings, the NAAB Visit preparations, and the preparations for orientation and convocation. Oh yes, then there were the AIAS meetings, the CSIs and CSI meetings, and the one ASID meeting I was able to attend. More than once this Summer, I have wondered if I was in the right place at the right time.

All that being said, I am very excited about the progress made in these meetings and looking forward to an exciting new year at NewSchool of Architecture + Design. The Summer Break was not really long enough for me to get all the things done that I had planned. And yet, it was long enough that I am, now, looking forward to going back to school.

I already tried to get books for my classes, piling about $250.00 worth on the counter at KB books near City College. Unfortunately, they were not prepared to sell them to me with their typical guarantee that you can return them up to the Drop-Add date. While I don’t anticipate that I am going to change my schedule, I am certain that there will be changes made that will affect some scheduling this year. Could it be mine that gets changed? Perhaps. So their return policy offer was thirty days OR until Drop-Add, which-ever comes first. I was more than thirty days ahead… So I guess I will buy from Amazon, for less, with a guarantee of return-ability.

Other signs that I am ready for school to start: I have already checked out a space in the studio that was used for fourth-year cohort last year. It is noisy; being un-air-conditioned and adjacent to the Trolley tracks. And the light is abundant, though glarey. There is only one orientation of the desks that will allow the use of a computer without direct glare on the screen. And the studio spaces that hold two desks were originally designed for one student; a typical working arrangement for an architectural workplace. Now the growth of NewSchool means that two students will be working in a space originally intended for one. I rearranged the furniture in one of the spaces and discovered that the glare on the screen was reduced, and the space for seating was increased. Leave it to the interior designer to figure out the furniture arrangement.

There will be approximately 100 additional students on the NewSchool campus this coming year, and space will be tight. The school has made arrangements for an additional studio space about three blocks away from the current complex of buildings. This means planning for additional time between classes, and probably some schedule snafus on the first few days of classes. And the new studios are air-conditioned! And quiet. I am hoping…

There will be a lot of change in this coming year. The new Dean, Chris Genik, will start with the new school year. While I have great respect for the current Dean, Gil Cooke, I am looking forward to the infusion of a complementary energy into NewSchool. Other changes: the Student Council, of which I am President, will be incorporating representatives from all the degree programs (NewSchool is adding a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management and a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture to the existing array of programs). CSI-s, the student chapter of CSI San Diego, will be developing new programs to integrate the student community into the professional world, and NSAD AIAS will be developing new leadership programs, competitions, and community service projects as well.

I have begun to investigate the climate for one of my pet projects. I would like to see NewSchool create a BIM project in conjunction with students at other colleges and universities with complementary programs in the building, design and construction industry. This will hopefully be developed to include structural and mechanical data from engineering students, interior design data from student interior design program participants, and construction data from construction management program students; perhaps utilizing existing project data from a sponsor organization. Learning which software is available at which schools will be an important first step. And creating interest in this practical exercise will be important.

If God is in the details….

2010-08-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Summer Vacation is being able to travel a bit to see some sites and sights. I had the opportunity to see two iconic temples of Modernism this summer, while on a trip to the Midwest. I visited Renzo Piano’s addition to the Art Institute of Chicago, dubbed the Modern Wing, and Mies van der Rohe’s Edith Farnsworth house in Plano, IL. Both of these projects are chock-full with unique and interesting details. As temples of Modernism, they are dramatically different in their scale and affect. And as architectural masterworks, they score quite differently.

While most visitors to the Modern Wing are inside, looking at the art and design represented within some of the daylight-rich galleries, I found myself on the outside. I was fascinated by the uniquely designed parts (probably thousands of them) of the building. There were purpose-built, and very elegant, polished stainless steel struts and anchors holding the huge variety of fins and louvers, portico covers and screens. I saw fascinating glazing frame details holding translucent and opaque panels; some only partially framed. There were capitals and plinth details holding the sharpened pencil-thin columns creating the rhythm of a classical order; indeed a temple arcade without decoration. There were frameworks and facades suspended on top of facades creating the second skin required to moderate the brutal Chicago weather; and to hold their own against the fabled Chicago winds.

We are taught in architectural theory classes and in history classes that architectural distinction lives in the details of a design. I look forward to an opportunity to express this in design studio where there appears to be less emphasis on detailing. I do believe this is a critical flaw in the NAAB curriculum standards followed rigorously at NewSchool of Architecture + Design. For in the real world, it is the detailing that consumes the lion’s share of the architectural design effort. It is also the place, typically in the construction documents phase, wherein lies the profit in architecture.

Learning to “design” a building, let alone an icon, is a multi-faceted problem. What will it look like? How will it stand? How does it relate to its site and surroundings? What are the materials? Further, figuring out how to lay out a building is the key to its function. Still, detailing the same building is the key to its ability to shed water, withstand wind, remain structurally stable, hold in heated or cooled air, enable seismic loads to be dissipated without significant damage, maintain occupant comfort, to utilize abundant day-lighting, natural convection driven ventilation, and to minimize the use of scarce and dear resources (among myriad other details).

At the Farnsworth house, I enjoyed seeing, in-person, an iconic mid-century house with a challenged and checkered past. While undisputedly THE residential icon of European Modernism (even with its location in Plano, IL, firmly ensconced in the heartland of the United States of America) this property exemplifies all of the pluses and minuses of architectural Modernism. Perhaps even more deeply flawed than the houses designed by Mies van der Rohe’s contemporary, Frank Lloyd Wright (known for their leaks, creaks and other challenges), this house didn’t really work for the owner. It is as if, in spite of its stated purpose, occasional use, and riverfront floodplain location, an iconic temple was designed and built to demonstrate a Modernist ideal; and the client be damned.

Still, despite the above assessment, the Edith Farnsworth house is a masterful collection of details; however ineffective they may be at keeping out the floods, keeping the interiors comfortable, and providing the respite requested by the owner. There are beautiful details in the structural steel work, including a punch-welded frame, with welds ground smooth, and painted white so as to make the juncture nearly invisible. The modular grid is evident in the lines of the travertine flooring which travel from inside to outdoor terraces. The specified polished plate glass is evident only because a single replacement panel is of the less-costly float glass used today. The perfect, mirror-like reflections of the polished glass panels are clearly discernable next to the distorted and rippled reflections seen in the float glass. The masterful and clever invention of the furniture-like “cabin-ette” for bathing and cooking, set squarely upon the temple-like floor, is visually stunning.

While these details are masterfully drawn (some documents are available at the site) and executed, they are in one sense flawed by their inability to meet the requirements of this site, the initial owner’s brief, and the admittedly brutal environment. Mies, an apparent advocate of style-less design, was inexplicably locked in a style paradigm that worked better in several other contexts; notably the Lakeshore Drive multi-family complex completed at about the same time, and the prosaic architecture school building at Illinois Institute of Technology. In the ensuing years, we have learned more about thermal comfort analysis with notions of internally-loaded and externally-loaded buildings. Perhaps the relatively diminutive scale of the house inverted the notion of the thermal loading as compared with the other, much larger, and more thermally massive structures.

While I love the ideal of the house as a “temple of Modernism,” the unfortunate reality demonstrates the error of ocular centrism in Modernist design. Far too many times, the sculptural ideal has been utilized to justify the shape, the location, the execution of a design that is inadequately reasoned, and in-elegantly justified, however masterfully executed and detailed. One need only review the recent starchitecure of Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Thom Maine’s Morphosis, and numerous others to find buildings (while detailed to the nth degree) that are inappropriate contextual partners, unfortunate expenditures of rare and precious materials, and leaky substitutes for shelter. But I digress…

So, if God is in the details, Renzo Piano is today flying much closer to God than was Mies at the time of the Farnsworth house. Time, only, will tell how the Modern Wing maintains its rank among its peers. Somewhat a temple in its design and layout, the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago clearly has a place in the iconography where it stands, in my opinion, head and shoulders above its peers in the recent spate of museum architecture.

Acknowledgement

2010-07-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

While not yet "official" (in that I have not received the letter), I am clear that my academic performance this quarter has placed me on the Dean's list at NewSchool of Architecture & Design again. I have been wondering if that designation is worth anything any more. And the fact that I have made that list three times in an academic year now places me on the "President's List." Other than the ability to place a "cum laude" (or better?) on the resume when looking for a job, I wonder if it matters to anyone? In fact, I really wonder if it even matters to the people who will review that resume (????).

I have decided that it matters to me; in a way that may be different from what one might assume. I decided when returning to school to study architecture that it was not the quality of the faculty, nor the reputation of the institution, nor the challenge of the various parts of the curriculum that I would encounter that would be my gauge of success. In fact it was to be something completely internal. For I wanted to satisfy my longstanding hunger for knowledge about the whys and wherefores of design. Learning these things was more important to me than the accolades, the grades, the embarrassments of experimentation which I would encounter.

I have long ago decided that I needed to study architecture for myself. In fact, who in their right mind would actually pursue a career in architecture? We are the lowest paid among the professions, and carry high liability insurance costs for large dollar value projects with possible defaults and risks yet unknown. And the grueling educational requirements and three years of internship requirements are not all that dissimilar to our "professional peers" (the M.D. and the J.D.). Still we are compensated at about half the rate of these other professions. Why bother?

Well, it is quite something to actually see a project come out of the ground and know that it is your handiwork; this I know. Then there is the simple joy of figuring out the solution and solving the architectonic dilemma for the particular project. And there is some benefit in leaving a legacy that is greater than yourself; I suppose. It is another thing entirely to realise that you have made a significant contribution to the well-being of mankind (or some small unit of mankind). I suppose these items in some way compensate for the challenges architects face in the arena of compensation and value for work exchanged. But I digress....

The acknowledgement I was considering when I titled this post was the acknowledgement of my superiors at school; acknowledging the work I have accomplished. One way in which that acknowledgement matters is in the scholarship arena (and I refer here to the funds for education, rather than the abstract notion of study). I am grateful to have received acknowledgement of my academic progress in the form of scholarship funds. Now in addition to paying for school, I have to figure out how to pay taxes on the scholarship income!!! It strikes me as a pitiful situation when scholarship funds are taxed as income (income I never actually see, nor can touch in any other circumstance).

Though I must admit; this is another situation where I hear the words of my mother who said: "you needn't feel sorry for people who complain about paying taxes." So I will take the acknowledgement and appreciate it for what it is worth (significantly reduced though it may be due to the taxes required). Can anybody do something about this? But again, I digress...

The subject of this blog post, titled "Acknowledgement," is really the realization I had, early in my first quarter, that one makes one's own education. I am learning what is required to get an A in course requirements because I am working to master the overall material at hand. I suppose it is the combination of a longstanding desire, and knowing where it is that I am going. I am not subject to the distractions of youth; distractions I know very well (as they kept me from my stated goal some thirty-five years ago). Regardless of the instructor's skill, the subjective nature of the review, or the complexity of the subject, I have a burning desire to know the information and understand its application. And this is really the reason I am acknowledged in this setting.

Thirty years ago, I was naive and thought that the acknowledgement was all there was. And I pursued the acknowledgement to the detriment of learning. I would ace a test and then immediately forget the material only to realize some years later that my high-school and early college education resided solely in short-term memory. It was of little use beyond garnering that acknowledgement. Today, I am learning how to apply the information and place it, hopefully, in much higher regard... and hopefully in long-term memory. And this I am doing because I want to learn; more than merely excel.

Another One Bites the Dust

2010-06-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Well, my friends, the Spring Quarter of 2010 school year has come and gone. The grueling "third year" of architecture school is over. It is amazing how time flies! It seems just a short time ago I was contemplating returning to school to get my Bachelor of Architecture Degree. Now I am within two years of that commitment (though realistically, I started working on it 35 years ago).

The quarter ended very well which is a blessing considering the challenges faced last quarter. I received a grade "A" for my studio work this time around. In fact, the instructor kept all of the work that I and my team partner produced including five concept models, the large massing / site model, a mid-scale structural section model, and a "data scape" model as well as our presentation boards. No need to worry about what to do with the models, so painstakingly built, after the quarter ended. The presentation is being retained for the NAAB gallery (National Architecture Accreditation Board) and will be utilized to show a comprehensive project completed by a NewSchool student group!

I also volunteered to help, and attend, graduation this year as a couple of friends were graduating. This was also about keeping my eye on the goal. Graduation takes place in the very beautiful courtyard of the Salk Institute in La Jolla. This is one of two structures in all of San Diego county that someone from afar might come to visit. It is, of course, named for Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the vaccine for Polio; among other things. As an architecture student, it is famous for being the architectural work of Louis Kahn. The Salk Institute building can be seen in the documentary film "My Architect."

Having sought this goal (B. Arch Degree) for some time, I was aware of the potential for emotional response to the graduation ceremony. I wanted to try to reduce the emotional load a bit by previewing the circumstances. I will probably want to help with graduation again next year; for the same reason. As it was, I teared up a number of times thinking about how my parents might have considered the experience. The families gathering to cheer on their loved ones as their name was called was quite heart warming.

The next couple of months will be a much needed break for this student. I have plans to do nothing this week; a long awaited nothing. I spent the last few weeks of the quarter burning the candle at both ends, and in the middle. Today's nap was well deserved, I might add.

And, there is the list of things that didn't get done while I was spending all my time studying and or nose buried in my laptop in either AutoCad, or Sketchup, or VRay; among other software. Oh, and then there is the extra ten pounds I am carrying as a result of sitting with my nose in my laptop. Architecture school really is bad for your health!

So a long, brisk walk and / or a roller-blading excursion each day, some (not much, mind you) healthy food, and some rest and relaxation will be the antidote to Architecture School for now. Then I can start all over again next fall.

Habits of Being

2010-05-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

I was thinking this morning about habits of being. These are the little habits we inherit from our loved ones; waking up to a cup of coffee every morning, or listening to classical piano music to fall asleep at night... Whatever the habits, they inform who we are being. More importantly, to this author, they reflect directly on our interactions with others on a daily basis.

If we are in the habit of waking cheerfully, with energy and enthusiasm for a new day, our habit of being will impact the others around us on a daily basis. If, on the other hand we are in the habit of waking up grumpy and insolent, then our being will have another effect on those around us. Not being a parent, I can only surmise that the habits of being reflected for ones children influence the habits of being those children acquire.

The above thoughts on habits of being became obvious to me this morning when my nephew woke up, the first morning as a guest in our house for the summer, and I saw in his morning reaction a glimpse of his father, and a glimpse of my father (his paternal grandfather) as well. There was some slight evidence of habits of being that, perhaps, got passed on from grandfather to father to son. Curiously, my nephew snapped out of the habit when he began to interact with me.

I was reminded of a conversation overheard at school yesterday where a student previously unknown to me approached my professor to request a grade review. While this process is not unheard of (architecture school is notoriously subjective when it comes to grading), it was intriguing to me. The student essentially wanted a revision of all his previous quarter's grades. Admittedly, I know nothing about this student's circumstance or talent or ability. So for me to opine without expertise is bad form. Suffice to say that the habit of being represented in this encounter was intriguing to me.

I thought about approaching an instructor for a grade review once. I had misunderstood an assignment; though it was fairly clearly spelled out in the course syllabus. I had relied upon my understanding of the assignment without reading the detail in the syllabus. As a result I didn't properly complete the requirements. And further, as a result, I didn't get the grade I thought I deserved. So for a moment, I considered asking for a review.

It was then I realized that the grade I got actually accurately represented the effort I made. It was my first quarter back at school after some 30 years. I was confused, I didn't make a special effort to understand, and I was graded accordingly. So I learned to make an extra effort to ensure that I read, and re-read the course syllabus each and every time; and whenever an assignment is provided. In this way, I have learned a great deal more, and pushed my self to be on top of the many requirements. I guess one could say it has become a habit now.

Habits of being have great impact on the interactions we have with others. And this is true whether one is interacting with loved ones, family members, or someone driving next to you on the notoriously impersonal Southern California freeway system. The curious thing about habits of being is that we acquire them so unknowingly. And we exhibit them, for the most part, without knowing they are there. Only when one is in the position to freely examine their habits can change occur. Occasionally, we get a glimpse that changes everything.

Habits spread like a virus. One day, the word "cool" as an expression of completeness, or of praise for circumstance, crept into my awareness. Now I realize I use it as if I was born in Southern California (which as a Midwesterner, growing up, seemed to be the epitome of "cool"). Still, it feels odd to know that I am a fifty-something professional interior designer and using the word "cool" in this way now seems a little funny to me. As habits go, it may not be the worst thing.

Ultimately, the real question is this: Do the habits of being we exhibit serve to improve our circumstance? ...or to degrade our circumstance?

Wisdom

2010-04-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

It is not without thought that I undertake to write. My mind has been churning since my last post. The mash-up of the carts (as in the last post) has continued producing some new awareness and insight. While my "being" has been deeply affected by my process in the last quarter, I think I have resolved a great conflict in my mind between the last post and this one. And hopefully, who I am being, from this point forward, is all the wiser for the experience.

I'll never be twenty-something again. While I have, seemingly all my life, said I would go to architecture school some day, I realize that the day may have come and passed when it would have been easiest / best to accomplish this task. My expectations of life are different now than when I made this goal proclamation at twenty-five, thirty-five and forty-five. This is not to say that I have changed my mind about the immediate goal at hand; for, in fact, my resolve is even stronger. Still I am now aware that I cannot relive my past.

I may have wanted to have the archetypal collegiate experience; to pick up where I left off, some thirty years ago. I suppose I wanted, all those years, to regain an experience I lost, misplaced, or one that was disrupted by my circumstances. As it turns out, I am having a different experience than the one I thought I wanted, during all those years. And the lesson, in that awareness is this: The meaning behind the phrase "you can't go home again" is that every experience one has had changed the way you were.

The way I address a situation today is so completely different than the way I might have addressed that same situation at twenty-something. This applies to school work, and the collegiate experience, professional work, and social settings. It applies when I speak to a colleague from school about a project on which we are working. It applies when I speak to a professor about their work, their life-long interests, and their aspirations. I cannot not bring this experience to bear as it has shaped me, changed my expectations, and made me who I am. I must bring this experience to every situation as I cannot un-live my life.

And this is an existential difference between me and my "peers" at school. Unique in its international connections, the school has a very diverse population. To generalize the experiences of the many students does not serve well each individual situation. Yet, while I don't disregard their unique experiences, it is clear that our paths have been different, if only for the amount of time I have wandered along my path. My exposure to the world has not been virtual. My experience in the design field has been first-hand (with so many lessons learned that are not taught in school). My travels and travails have been formative and substantive in ways that are simply not possible at age twenty-something. Or even at age thirty-something and forty-something;

An example of the differences in life experience became obvious during my last quarter. Having worked on two 400 unit multi-family housing projects in developments in Cairo, ARE , and a third multi-housing project of 375 units on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, near El Alamein, I have some first-hand knowledge of how a building like this gets put together in reality. I can't unlearn what I know of design and construction in the real world; just as I must bring my life's experience to bear in every circumstance in which I live.

My studio project last quarter was a multi-unit housing project. When I shared with my group my experience as demonstrated in my portfolio, they were motivated to share their portfolio of school design projects (never built, never tested by MEP engineers for compatibility with A/C ducting, plumbing, and electrical codes, never evaluated for structural engineering, with design theories never tested by professional peers in other related fields...) I was absolutely stunned by the arrogance and ignorance I represented in feebly trying to demonstrate my experience and qualifications, and that which I received in return. What I learned is that a twenty-something with virtual world experience has a blinding grasp of enthusiasm and energy; no matter the experience.

This lesson was reinforced in the development of the NewSchool Haiti Project . In my proposal (see 9 February 2010 posting) I outlined some approaches to the problem of dealing with the apparent lack of understanding about earthquake resistant construction in Haiti . In my proposal I suggest creating a graphic communication response teaching suitable building techniques.

The twenty-something response to my proposal was so enthusiastic. I was amazed at the burst of energy which was showered upon the project. As a fifty-something, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for doing something physical. In the end, the project went two directions at once; developing a physical prototype and purpose-built solution to housing crises on one hand, while continuing to educate ourselves about the focus of aid in response to disaster on the other. In the end, the group decided, based upon the participation of an individual providing medical care on the ground in Haiti, that our best approach was to abandon the physical response (as other groups could do this far more efficiently and cost effectively). We decided to do this in favor of an educational emphasis including graphic communication of information about suitable means of building to resist earthquake.

A corollary lesson for me here was learning that I had great instinctual response when considering the project proposal and suggested approach. What I didn’t have was the ability to communicate my vision at the start in a way that marked a clear course. And, I had the overwhelming energy and enthusiasm of the twenty-something response to the situation. This blind ambition overpowered my sensible approach only to come back, at conclusion, to the place where I proposed we start. This is not to say that our efforts were for naught. For in the process, the group has learned and is changed by that learning. And we now are clearly aware of our next step.

Today the NewSchool Haiti Project is not new. Haiti is less and less in the news. The urgent issues that seemed to drive the participation of the twenty-something students are not so urgent any more. And the problem of a cultural lack of understanding of suitable building techniques still remains. It will be interesting to see what this new quarter brings in the way of progress toward this goal. And the interesting thing, for me, will be learning leadership.

To a certain extent, I have been able to have some of the collegiate experience I was seeking at NewSchool. My work on the Haiti Project has developed some new friendships that I will carry with me throughout my life. Still, I am aware that one has totally different priorities at age fifty-something then when age twenty-something; or even thirty-something. And that, my friends, is the real difference in my experience.

W. Edward Demming is reported to have said: “Change is not necessary. Survival is not mandatory.” And yet, to live is to experience change, even as we resist it through our attachment to ideas, ideals, hopes and dreams. Experience is change. To deny it is counter to the life force and process. And this process goes on, ad-infinitum, as long as we live. As the saying goes, "you get old, or you get dead; there are only two options." Hopefully, we also become wise as we get old.

In the Crucible; no not that one....

2010-02-25T01:23:00.000-08:00

I lit a candle tonight to celebrate the fact that I am in the crucible of learning. It is the middle of the night, Thursday AM in fact, and I am struggling with sleep. This is how I know I am in the crucible: I am struggling to sleep on Thursday after getting up Tuesday AM and running some errands, going to school in the morning, working on my studio project for 25 hours straight through, going home for a bath and a 20 minute nap, and going back to school 1-1/2 hours later for another 6 hours; then coming home to drop on the bed in a deep sleep. For 5 hours, I slept; blissfully stationary.

And then it hit me. My mind started racing with thoughts, and thoughts, and thoughts. It amazes me with all the thoughts that race through the human mind, that we have any time to actually speak (supposedly disrupting the racing of thought going on behind the scenes; though in most instances the synapses continue their inevitable processes (see the paragraph below on inspiration)). In my unstudied opinion, what changes when we speak, is this: the incessant drone of thoughts is, by contrast, lulled into a quiet hush by the greater noise of creating vocal tone. It is unfortunate when the only reason some speak is to attempt to hush the inevitable processing of thoughts going on in the background..., and that speaking loses quality due to its quantity and its unfortunate purpose. Talk for talk's sake.

So, gentle reader, what is it that distiguishes talk for talk's sake (the gibberish of the insane, or the quiet pleadings of the marginalized homeless, for example) from blog for blog's sake? I sometimes wonder what distiguishes the midnight blogging of one individual (starved for sleep, if not words) from the midnight talking of someone who talks in their sleep. ...Or further, from the talk of politicians motivated by drowning their sorry racing thoughts into speaking in endless mobius strips of rhetorical filibuster. Is it possible that this "national gridlock" and dearth of ideas of substance is nothing more than the filibustering techniques of political players dominating our conscience while droning on and on; in hopes that we will give in to their thoughts on the matter at hand? ...which, by the way, is what?

For my mind, and specifically my waking thoughts this night, I envision a sort of automated robotic warehouse of various things stored on rolling carts. These carts form a series of walls of information including experiences of the day, visions remembered, ideas considered, and so on. Everything in lifes experience has a place there. It is all in there somewhere; catalogued and ordered by the mind in some such way(s) that mankind has not, as of yet uncovered. (Great mystery, that!) The carts operate with seeming autonomy; rolling in and out of their storage spots in a sort of rythmic dance. Each cart of memories has a spin around the floor in the warehouse, looking for dance partners with which to mix.

Inspiration Strikes
And suddenly with great fanfare and a truly quiet hush of all the other musings, two carts of experience and ideas merge into a unique cart, as if by accident. The robotic ways of the rythmic dance have created an idea (that otherwise comes from nothing). The symbiotic merger of two carts into one creates a taller cart with a mix of seemingly random and unrelated items; reshelved and resorted by the experience of the mash-up. And a new synthesis is formed... a new idea... an awakening... or an inspiration.

And so the process goes, and goes. Altogether too slowly for some, it is for the most part, too quick to notice for many, and sadly too quiet to be heard above the din of talk; the purpose of much of which is to simply mask the seeming chaos of the warehouse of the human mind.

So in the middle of the night, in the middle of my sleepless week, having gone to bed well aware of the notion of being in the crucible of learning, I awaken to the crash of carts of information in my mind. My increasing frustration with the unreality of school projects forces me to think in terms of finding the purpose for each learning endeavor I undertake these days. I have struggled a bit this quarter with the notion of being uniquely able to solve design problems in an effective and measurably better way.

The arbitrary and subjective, almost capricious, way in which architectural design is taught leaves me wondering about my ability. It is not a question of my ability to design that I ask now. It is rather, a question of my ability to endure the arbitary, subjective, and capricious process of learning.

For in the end, there may be no right answer except that which is deemed right, and justified, and subjectively sold to the jury of the moment. And great architecture today seems to be subject to the random mash-up of carts of information. Or is it?

To Be Continued.

Musings at Mid-year (in school calendar)

2010-02-21T08:04:00.001-08:00

This is the middle of the middle. For students planning to achieve their B-Arch degree, we are half-way to the goal. Only 7.5 more quarters to graduation (assuming all goes well). The perception of time changes so dramatically as one ages. This time will pass so quickly...

Speaking of time passing, I must write that I am looking forward to my Summer break, 2010. I have attended NewSchool of Architecture & Design fulltime since Summer 2009. So by the time Summer 2010 rolls around, it will have been an entire year. While "edutopia" is a nice experience, I am looking forward to being grounded in reality again. Assuming I can find some work experience in architecture for the summer, I look forward to that change.

Reality is also, perhaps, part of my enthusiasm for the NewSchool Haiti Project as there is no getting around reality there.

One of the fascinating things about the study of Architecture and its applications is practicing a non-linear, matrix-based problem solving approach. This is one unique difference between the study of architecture and the study of structural engineering (for one example). When all the parameters of the project are considered the matrix of information, upon which one draws to solve an architectural design problem, is quite broad. It is this non-linear problem-solving skillset that seems most appropriate to use in addressing the NewSchool Haiti Project. And it is the application of this skill, in an evolving real-world project matrix that is missing in edutopia.

To elaborate, one might consider the economic implications on surrounding businesses of developing a property that houses a farmer's market, the spatial requirements for getting the variety of produce shipment vehicles into and out of the market, the transportation of customers to and from the market, the occupant loading at peak times and the safety of the occupants in an emergency, the means of egress from the space under in an emergency, the code implications (both building codes and land use requirements placed by local government) and all this before one considers the appropriate form and design of a building to house the market, the various required facilities, and so on...

The architectural design of a farmer's market structure is decidedly more subjective and complex than the matter of resolving the forces in the building so that the structure can distribute its weight and the wieght of occupants to the foundation. (I mean no disrespect to the structural engineering profession and remain in awe of the unique understanding and skill possessed. My point is that one process is decidedly more linear, and the other -architectural design specifically- is rarely linear).

It is not that student projects are not real; in fact they seem very real in some sense. Having had plenty of years of working in the design professions in the real world, I believe I can state the difference. It is the difference between a matrix that is stationary, with fixed inputs, and one that is evolving in real time. I guess I like a challenge. Dealing with an evolving, real-time matrix is far more stimulating than one fixed by convention.

In my proposal for the Haiti Project, I indicated a fear that, relatively speaking, the affluence we enjoy in Southern California would make difficult the comprehension and understanding of the circumstances, tectonic opportunities, and solutions in Haiti. (Learning this week about the lack of sewage treatment facilities in most of Haiti is an example of the challenges to be faced). Still, the real-time matrix of the Haiti project is both challenging and intriguing as it is real, and not bound or fixed by convention.

It is sobering to note that the matrix of challenge in Haiti also includes many unfortunate realities; some not directly related to the earthquake. And the challenge of any helper is to make certain that the assistance offered does, in fact, help and not hinder the lives of those for whom help is intended. Most critically, the input of those being helped is required for the matrix of information to be sufficient. Only then does the process of non-linear, matrix-based problem solving really lead to a solution.

Hiati Project: Designing Disaster Response gets Green Light from NewSchool of Architecture & Design Student Council

2010-02-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Haiti Project:
Designing Disaster ResponseExecutive Summary

This proposal for a Disaster Response Design Charrette at NewSchool of Architecture & Design provides students learning opportunities and enables the community to respond to the recent crisis in Haiti.

Problem Statement:
• Seeming conundrum of heavy hurricane-resistant vs light earthquake- resistant construction.
• Vernacular structure and poverty may lead to quick repeat of history.
• Communication of potential dangers of return to existing vernacular buildings is critical.

Proposal:
• Design charrette with students and professionals creates new possibilities.
• Cross-cultural education with industries’ best practices to benefit students and the people of Haiti.

Timeframe:
• Spring Quarter charette at NewSchool benefits students, faculty and the institution, enhances curriculum with real practical problems.
• Four-day NewSchool charrette, beginning April 8, 2010.
• Charrette Thursday, 8 April 2010 through Sunday, 11 April 2010
• Exhibition Friday, Saturday and Sunday 16-18 April 2010
Looking Ahead:
Sponsored teams to build designed solutions in Haiti, possibly in Summer 2010.

Budget Considerations:
Budgeting will be the first priority for newly established committee of the board pending program participation requirements from NewSchool faculty.

Conclusion:
Ultimately, creating real and lasting good to the benefit of the people of Haiti is the goal.

Recommendation:
Commitment of the NewSchool of Architecture & Design Student Council solicited.
Pending the commitment of the Student Council, several factors have been explored that will place this project on a very fast-track. The administration of NewSchool has “given a green light” to explore this process and indicated support for the ideas presented. The Faculty of NewSchool will review this proposal at their meeting on Monday, 8 February 2010 (Coinciding with the Student Council Meeting). The faculty will be considering how it fits into curriculum plans for Spring Quarter, 2010. Initial, informal, faculty and student response has been generally positive including strong positive feedback from members of AIAS.

The Haiti Project:
Designing Disaster Response

Note: Executive summary in bold italics at the beginning of each paragraph.

Introduction:
NewSchool of Architecture & Design students respond to crisis in Haiti.In response to the overwhelming destruction of life and property in Haiti following the January Earthquake there, it occurs that a great opportunity to do real and lasting good is upon us. As architecture students, we at NewSchool of Architecture & Design, located in San Diego, CA, have a unique opportunity to help. Being in a seismic activity zone with similar risk, we are surrounded by architectural design and structural engineering professionals who are experts in the challenges of seismic design suitable for Haiti.

Statement of the Problem:
Vernacular structure and poverty may lead to quick repeat of history.The destruction of property in Haiti was in large part due to a vernacular construction type that is directly counter to modern seismic theory. Inexpensive, un-reinforced masonry buildings of one or two stories are precisely the type of heavy, rigid buildings that absorb the energy of an earthquake and quickly crumble under the strain. This fact, coupled with the lack of earthquake understanding (there hasn’t been a significant seismic event in the collective memory of the last several generations) and the poverty of available means of building, creates an unfortunate opportunity for history to quickly repeat itself. Add to this the frequency of hurricanes in the Caribbean (for which heavy buildings are the proper engineering solution) and a seemingly unsolvable conundrum is created.

Communication of potential dangers of return to existing buildings is critical.
A significant challenge is the communication of information about the potentials for earthquakes and new responses to vernacular building. With precious resources thinly spread, the natural inclination may be for Haitians to rebuild quickly without seeking additional information. Providing information, in easily understandable terms and visuals, about earthquake conditions and other environmental concerns will be an important part of a solution in Haiti. With critical civic infrastructure hobbled by their own facilities being reduced to rubble, assistance with this basic communication need is more critical.

Project Proposal:
Design charrette with students and professionals creates new possibilities.The project I am proposing is a design charrette which would bring together interested NewSchool of Architecture & Design students with affiliated professionals in Southern California, including NewSchool faculty and other advisors to produce a design charrette. This charrette will be a response to the unique conditions surrounding disaster response in Haiti. It is my vision that the design teams would be provided leadership, encouragement and material support through corporate donations / sponsorships and the involvement of captains of industry in Southern California.

Cross-cultural education with industries’ best practices to benefit students.
This project is of educational benefit to the students at NewSchool as it provides a real-world experience, in addition to the opportunities for mentorship and exposure to the architectural design, structural engineering and construction industries’ best practices. The opportunity to work with students on ground-breaking new designs and the opportunity for exposure to the captains of industry will be the primary motivations for the industry professionals. And the opportunity to lead, mentor and learn about architecture and construction while providing a visible response to the crisis in Haiti represents a major PR opportunity for corporate and community leadership.

Timeframe:
Spring charette at NewSchool benefits students, faculty and the institution.This charrette would take place at NewSchool of Architecture & Design during the first two weeks of class in Spring Quarter, 2010, when all students are in attendance. Pending design studio instructors syllabi and intentions, the design charrette could be a part of creditable work for the quarter. It is perhaps no small consequence that NewSchool of Architecture and Design would reap the public relations benefits of a special initiative project not unlike the now infamous Rural Studio work of the late Samuel Mockbee, of Auburn University.

Schedule:
Four-day NewSchool charrette, beginning April 8, 2010.
Beginning on Thursday, 8 April, 2010:
A session titled Culture of Haiti opens the charrette. Participants will be treated to multi-media presentations about the norms, values and conditions of Haitian life, its cultural institutions, and its opportunities and resources. Speakers with significant endeavors in Haiti and citizens of Haiti will be invited to present relevant personal experiences.

Friday, 9 April, 2010:
This Workshop Series will be an opportunity to prepare the participants to understand Haitian vernacular architecture, available technologies and tectonic opportunities, island seismology, and environmental concerns including soil and climate conditions. The presentation of identified sites for various design typologies will be made at this time. At the end of the day, informal teams will be created with an architecture professional, an engineering professional, a faculty member, and students at a minimum.

Saturday, 10 April, 2010:
Design Day participants will work in teams to create design solutions to selected typological problems. Emphasis will be on design ideas and development of design response. Documentation can be in many forms including the typical sketches, drawings and other 2-D media. 3-D media and multi-media will be encouraged.

Sunday, 11 April, 2010:
Design solutions created in the previous day will be presented to the participants. At this time, the designs will be schematic and informally developed (due to time constraints). This session could be organized to evaluate and synthesize information and recommend “best” solutions. Further development of preliminary documentation is possible by student participants prior to exhibition.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday April 16-18, 2010
A Public Exhibition at NewSchool of Architecture & Design (Main Hall and Auditorium). This event would work best with student docents stationed to explain the exhibits and solicit contributions toward construction of the various solutions.

Looking ahead:
Sponsored teams might build designed solutions in Haiti in Summer 2010.While many non-government organizations (NGO) are having difficulty operating missions to Haiti as of this writing, it may be challenging to propose that actually building some of the developed solutions could be the ultimate goal of this process. Further, it may be risky for students to deal with issues of liability and safety of participants traveling to Haiti during the near future due to compromised infrastructure. Still, I would like to propose that the some (or perhaps all) of the design teams’ solutions could actually be funded and constructed in Haiti (ideally by teams of NewSchool of Architecture & Design students, faculty, and interested charrette team members, sponsors and others during the Summer of 2010).

Building charrette results in Haiti would require significant financial and international political support and contributions from NewSchool sponsors as well as cooperation with the team(s) of design professionals already organized in Haiti. This project could represent an opportunity to collaborate with Architecture for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity, and other NGOs. This collaboration might include grant funding and gifts-in-kind from corporations, foundations and other sources. Funds for materials, travel expenditures, and construction costs would need to be pledged and collected during the late-Winter and Spring of 2010 for this to happen. And this project could continue long into the future as further resources are secured to fund the construction of additional solutions in Haiti.

Required Resources:
Basic resource needs will include the following; pending detailed analysis. (in no particular order):
1) Grant writer to secure funding / underwriting / sponsorship commitments from industry, foundations, and other givers

2) Use of IRS designation “501 (3) c” entity status and special banking accounts to secure and manage funds; grant tax-deductible status to contributors

3) Administrative staff time to assist with management of funds, official NewSchool correspondence, public relations and related tasks

4) Location (NewSchool is proposed) suitable for large-group participation with resources for design materials production / reproduction

5) Location and fees for electronic meetings to coordinate, plan and facilitate international communication with Haitian representatives, possibly requiring video

6) Travel / housing expenditures associated with bringing Haitian representatives to NewSchool for the design charrette

7) Travel / housing expenditures associated with sending NewSchool students to Haiti in Summer 2010 to build designed solutions

8) In-kind donations of studio and building materials and resources necessary to complete the charrette and any required modeling

9) In-kind donations of services from architecture and structural engineering and other professionals to assist with design charrette

10) A designated faculty member to provide mentorship and advise students regarding the charrette process, networking with professionals, and corporate sponsorship opportunities

11) Student volunteer time and resources to prepare documentation, secure resources, invite design professionals, solicit donations, record events, create models, build mock-ups, and -pending funding- to construct solutions in Haiti

12) NewSchool faculty participation to teach , coach, and mentor the process and facilitate results, assist with scheduling, and participate in charrette, and lead student construction teams

13) French language interpreters may be required for facilitation of some communications

14) Food and beverages for participants in design charrette, guests at receptions, visitors

Budget Considerations:
Budgeting will be the first priority for newly established committee of the board pending program participation requirements from NewSchool faculty.The primary considerations for this project will be guaranteeing expenditures that are over- and-above proceeds of grants or gifts specific to the project. It is difficult, in advance of approval and creation of acceptable preliminary plans, and determining the number of participants to estimate a budget. Typical expenses might include:

1) Supplies for charrette process (can be donated) including typical studio materials
2) Food and Beverage for charrette participants: Opening reception refreshments, Continental breakfasts, Box lunches for participants, Exhibition Opening refreshments
3) Hospitality and travel arrangements for guest speakers, Haitian participants
4) Digital resources including “Go-to-Meeting” or similar, file-sharing (BIM) and others
5) Video, photographic, and website documentation of process, outcomes
6) Publicity, networking and marketing expenses for press-kits, posters, advertisements, postage for mailers and communication processes, “courtship” of local professionals’ participation, etc…

Conclusion:
Ultimately, creating real and lasting good to the benefit of Haiti is the goal.Design professionals have been meeting, daily, in Haiti since the morning after the earthquake on 12 January 2010. They are working to envision a new Haiti; frankly aware that the old Haiti did not work. This charrette process will be best suited to help the people of Haiti if it also incorporates the culture of leadership of these design professionals. This process might involve some international electronic meeting techniques and if possible, the inclusion of representatives of the Haitian design-professionals community. While the change they envision may be greater than the subject of this project, any steps toward their goals will include providing for the shelter and health safety and welfare of the community at large.

Recommendation and Request:
Commitment of the NewSchool of Architecture & Design Student Council solicited.It is with great enthusiasm and some fear that I present this proposal to the student council for consideration. My enthusiasm for the project is perhaps self-evident. The desire to do real and lasting good comes of my upbringing and my values. It has been my motto to leave each situation I encounter better than I found it. While this encounter with the disaster in Haiti presents a new level of challenge, it is one I believe we can accomplish together. However, it will only be accomplished as a project of the student body, working in conjunction with our institutional support, and the in-kind and financial support and goodwill of a community of professionals and leaders in Southern California.

I ask that the Student Council establish a committee of the board to explore, budget, create process, and solicit participation in The Haiti Project: Designing Disaster Response. I offer my services to the board to chair such a committee and to further develop the communications with the board of the Student Council, the administration of NewSchool, and Faculty as well as the professional communities for which participation will be appropriate.

The challenge of opening this project represents engagement in a culture and a way of life that is quite foreign to our experience of living in Southern California (regardless of our origins). My fear is that we, as students trained in the art and science of architecture, are accustomed to the high aspirations that often accompany exclusive design. We may be, perhaps, blind to this real opportunity to create something new that comes from nothing. This project may require the design of mundane and simple systems and projects, to be built of recycled and reused materials the origins of which many among us may not be able to conceive.

While the interface with industry professionals and community leadership will have its benefits, and the public relations values are important considerations, this project represents far more. Participation with industry best practices will encourage practical application of our knowledge. Engagement in another culture, with a unique history and opportunity, provides a shared experience of cross-cultural learning and architectural practice that is of pragmatic benefit in our increasingly global design industry. Construction of systems and shelters and buildings built of available materials will be a unique tectonic challenge. However, it is ultimately the opportunity to create hope, working with and for the people of Haiti (for whom hope has long been a dream) that provides the real meaning of this project.

Respectfully submitted,
R. Lyle Boatman, ASID, NewSchool of Architecture & Design, B-Arch, Class of 2012

For further information, please contact me as follows:

R. Lyle Boatman, ASID
lyle@boatmandesign.com

Haiti: The glimmer of an idea in response to crisis

2010-01-24T15:32:00.000-08:00

The title of the book, “Glimmer,” by Warren Berger, (the Penguin Press, New York, 2009) refers to the notion of the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case, the glimmer of light in a sea of darkness that inspires the creative type to move into action on a particular idea. It is a phenomenon that is, hopefully for the creative type, familiar. It is also often referred to as that “a ha” moment when one grasps an idea that has been hard to assimilate.

Most of what designers do is assimilation. The challenge is in managing the type of information with which one surrounds oneself. If, for example in the current crisis in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake, all one knows is the humble construction of un-reinforced masonry, and all one has at ones disposal is mud brick and mortar, then one might rebuild a house with the same process by which it was built before. And since there hasn’t been a significant quake on the fault line between the American plate and the Caribbean plate in perhaps 200 years, one might be reasonable to think that the January earthquake was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

If, on the other hand, one has surrounded oneself with a knowledge of building technology, an awareness of materials and processes, one might, in a moment of inspiration, find the glimmer of an idea (in that sea of darkness and despair) that revolutionizes the way of building a home in Haiti. Perhaps, in lieu of a brick and mortar construction, one considers that some new, light-weight material made of recycled polystyrenes and polypropylenes with a simple baling-wire lashing to connect them is a possibility for making a quick, habitable space that is flexible enough to quiver with the earth, and light enough to avoid absorbing the energy of another quake. What is this material? And how does one make this happen?

Of course, one would have to have an education that considered the effects of earthquakes, the causes, the resulting damage, and the means available to avoid damage. One would have to know something about building, a little something about architecture, and a little bit about housing in a tropical climate. Possibly more importantly, one would have to be able to transform ideas into actions, and find solutions in discarded refuse.

In a world where leadership is considered a high-paying job (think of corporate leaders) has anyone organized a charette among the leadership of corporate San Diego to design solutions to the problems in Haiti? Or for that matter, since we students of architecture are learning something about the effects of earthquakes, the causes, the resulting damage, and the means available to avoid that damage, has anyone thought to organize a design charette? We know something about building, a little something about architecture, and a little bit about housing in a tropical climate. What is it that we can do about this crisis?

Being in receipt of an e-mail from Steve Altman, President, NewSchool of Architecture & Design, encouraging students to consider giving to a Haiti charity, I am tempted to wonder, in addition, what else we can do that is more related to our education. The president’s assessment of the situation is helpful and accurate owing to the fact that a significant sum could be contributed with one-days’ lunch money for the student body. I wonder what more we could all learn if we applied a little more effort and created a community response that considered design solutions in addition to lunch money (?).

Could we, for example, utilize some of the funds from the student activity fee to create a design-response-learning-charette that would help us all to learn about creating means of shelter after earthquakes and other disasters? Could we, I don’t know, learn something about Haitian culture that would help us to design solutions to the problems, perhaps inherent, in traditional means of construction on the island (?). Could we have a voice in creating designs and solutions that might address the housing crisis they are about to endure (?). Could we assemble a team of students willing to donate their summer months off to spend time directly affecting the cause of rebuilding in Haiti (?). Could we contribute more, learn more, and build community in the process(?)

Is this, perhaps, the glimmer of an idea?

Modernism: An Interesting Stylistic “Dabble“, or the Generic Distillation of All Architecture?

2010-01-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

How odd it must have seemed, at the turn of the last century, when one could begin to see the fascinating decoration and design which followed. The sinuous and sensual flowering of the late 19th Century Art Noveau style was strikingly unusual in its context of boxy furniture designs and architecture dotted and decorated with machine made rosettes and inexpensively mass-produced bric-a-brac. While the Industrial Revolution produced many great things and processes which we take for granted, it is possibly most notable for the counter-revolution it spawned. Indeed, many would-be designers of the 21st Century are still hoeing the counter-revolutionary row.

The somewhat reactionary Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th Century, heralded as the triumph of “hand-made” over the machine, unwittingly, opened Pandora’s box. The century which followed had no lasting official style nor architectural design idiom. Suddenly, the intellectual rigors of Edwardian times were discarded in favor of style-of-the-day proclamations. The impact, at roughly the same time, of the burgeoning mass media and the seeding of what would eventually be called “the Age of Information” further skewered the decorative arts and architecture.

All of this culminated in a hundred years in which no particular style reigned, and no particular aesthetic virtue remained. The eventual result of the Arts and Crafts movement is the parody of design that is HGTV’s home-makeover-in-a-weekend-for-five-hundred-dollars. Does the HGTV acronym stand for homogenized TV or homogenized design? Everybody has a “hand-made” opinion; indeed everyone is a designer, and each believes in their right to comment, and even to influence design, regardless of their aesthetic training. In this context, there is little particular value for rigorous design training, aesthetic education, nor patronage of the arts; particularly architecture.

During the same hundred years, however, there has been a consistent development of increasing pragmatism (as in economy of means) in the design and construction of buildings. This development has, at its core, the economic impacts of our evolving times. Our decreasing supplies of affordable fossil fuels and increasing costs of energy development have impacted design in ways which would cause Mies to twitch in his grave. God is no-longer in the details; but lives in the economic equation which factors form, function, aesthetic parameters, health and safety, liability, present day and unknowable future maintenance costs, durability, technological parity, and -most recently- energy and material sustainability. This equation says little or nothing of space-making or place-making, and only peripherally deals with the creation of architecture.

Rem Koolhaas has shed some light upon this evolution of architecture and decorative arts in the form of sarcastic commentary in his essay known as “Generic City.” For while the organized chaos that is modern culture has been working its magic, a generic distillation of the forms and functions of our buildings and urban environments has been at work. While his commentary is not specific to any particular work of architecture or design, it is clear that he has opinions.

In general, Koolhaas comments on the lack of architectural power or prowess available to deal with the statistical and economic realities of the modern urban environment. His sarcasm and inventive inquiries are best understood as coercive jabs pushing at the limits of collective knowledge about architecture and design. He is, in his own way, asking his reader to venture out of the armchair to see what he sees. One cannot help but think that this might be an interesting journey.

And one can see, in our own environment in San Diego, certain parallels to his commentary. The inevitable sprawl that a city center, located on the edge of the continent induces is part of this equation. The population of the area of roughly one half of the circle of sprawl that surrounds most cities is forced onto the half of the circle around downtown San Diego that is not under water. This situation is further exacerbated by the ridge of mountains not twenty miles from the Pacific Ocean making our local sprawl into a long stretch along the sea.

This evolution of San Diego has produced the challenges of infrastructure and culture on which Koolhaas comments; most notably a distortion of identity, and a longing for a history long ago razed. In its place, a few mediocre buildings are meticulously preserved and celebrated as the “Gaslamp District.” Not altogether unlike Koolhaas’ analysis, this is the place in San Diego where the boundaries of cultural conservativism and sexual experimentation are often crossed. Indeed, the very area now celebrated as the “historic Gaslamp district” was at one time riddled with flop-houses, drug dens, and prostitution.

Koolhaas goes on to discuss the rewinding of the scene; metaphorically emptying the city of its contents. This consideration of another urban exodus is far from likely. Statistically speaking, the urban regions of the globe show consistent growth trends and evolution. It is far more likely that an architecture that deals with this trend is in development. By whose hands it is designed remains to be seen. The pragmatic developers work toward some ideal formula based upon the aforementioned equation. Their approach leads to a generic standard while the romantic starchitects develop esoteric and uniquely personal, sculptural plans.

There is one consideration that may bring it all together: Is it possible that the generalizing of architecture and design to which Koolhaas alludes is simply a continuing refinement of the Modern architecture envisioned by Le Corbusier? Is it possible that a Modern architecture of simplicity, parsimony and elegance is the refinement and the eventual zenith of all architecture?

Today, we have a modern architecture that is something much broader than Le Corbusier’s invention. Indeed, Le Corbusier’s Modern, will look as foreign in a few years as it did upon its invention (nearly a hundred years ago) as the new sustainable architecture of the 21st Century unfolds. As Jurgen Habermas comments in his essay “Modernity -An Incomplete Project,” the word “modern” comes from the Latin word “modernus;” first used in the 5th Century to distinguish the, then, present from ancient Rome. In this context, the word Modern can be applied to all the architecture and design since the word’s invention in the 5th Century. This could mean that all the architecture since the 5th Century is Modern; and Le Corbusier’s 20th century invention of Modern architecture (later named the International Style) is really just a variation on a theme.

In this case, perhaps Koolhaas’ use of the term “generic” is in fact a variation of semantics representative of a continuing, distilling, evolution of the Modern. I, for one, look forward to uncovering further the generic distillation within Modern architecture. While Vitruvius may have summed up his view of architecture with the oft repeated triumvirate, Firmness / Commodity / and Delight, I would add that Simplicity, Parsimony, and Elegance need to be considered in this lexicon. For me, the counter-revolution begun with the “hand-made” ethos of the Arts and Crafts continues with the ongoing distillation of the generic essence of the Modern; most pointedly not homogenized.

2010-01-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

The documentary film, "Visual Acoustics," about the late Julius Schulman is a must-see. I was impressed with the subject's singular focus; and early childhood development of that same focus (however unclear the target may have been in the early years). It is clear that the world has lost an important and extremely talented man due to his death last year. The title refers to comments made by Schulman referencing his talent for controlling the visual noise surrounding the subject(s) in his photographs. Schulman is known for creating the iconic images of modern architecture; especially his photograph(s) of the Pierre Koenig Case Study house.

"Visual Acoustics" was presented in conjunction with some of Schulman's photographs (from his archive) of buildings in San Diego; courtesy of ModernSanDiego.com. I was fascinated to learn that many of the photographs are of wonderful buildings now razed. An additional group of photos was of mid-century architect-designed homes about which there seems to be no current record. Many of these homes were built in Rancho Santa Fe; an exclusive suburban San Diego community known for its lack of street addresses. Frankly, no-one knows if these notable homes exist, or in what state they exist, as they are referenced by PO Box address only.

This brings to mind a question about the ownership of architectural designs. And this question, ultimately, references back to the debate about the definition(s) of architecture. If a private individual with construction talents builds a purpose-built chicken coop, according to the vernacular tradition of chicken coops in the particular region in which the chicken farm resides, is it architecture? If one builds a very large "chicken coop," using the same structure system, bedecking the nesting shelves with velvet theater seats, and suspending great chandeliers from the crossing point of the truss, or from the ridge of the ceiling to light the space (subsequently called a theater), is it architecture? If one builds the earlier mentioned vernacular chicken coop in Times Square in New York City, using the nesting shelves as bunk beds, and the structure as shelter for the homeless, is it architecture?

When, really, does a structure or a building become architecture? It has been said that the definition requires "design with aesthetic intent." This amplifies the process, certainly. I am not certain that it clarifies the situation. Clearly, aesthetics is in the realm of subjective considerations. Is this definition referring to the aesthetics of the builder? For example, the economy of means used in assembling a building might be of aesthetic value to the builder. So is a cheap building that is quick to assemble, using little means, architecture?

Or, does the "aesthetic intent" refer to that of the possibly-unschooled designer whose misguided attempts at beautification might include the re-presentation of some architectural detail borrowed from another time, another climate, another structural system, or another material. As witness: look around San Diego at all the "Tuscan" influences in buildings great and small. Then go to Tuscany and see the real thing (One should be amazed at the difference). Faux this-and-that is no substitute for the real things, used in simply honest ways, with indigenous materials. So, clearly, the idea of "aesthetic intent" has no calibration for error: intentions might be noble and the results disastrous.

Back to the Schulman photographs of now "lost" San Diego buildings! At the point at which our rather fickle and fluid culture defines a building as architecture (allowing for the gray areas as above) who owns that architecture? Does it belong to the pantheon of architecture reaching all the way back to the ancients? At what point does the architectural value supersede the real-estate value and become worthy of preservation, documentation, and rescue? Does architecture always subject itself to being razed in the interest of progress (however defined)?

At what point does the glimmer of an architectural idea (or ideal) get the respect of renovation; hopefully consistent with the original design intent? As contrasted with razing and transferring to waste in a land-fill, is there a respect that is due a building which has, until said point in time, faithfully and willingly served its purpose?

I am reminded of a project I once worked on (in another state) where great lengths were taken to preserve the original character of an historic home. The home was not protected by registry; still the (then) owners' preference was to respect the design intent of the original architect. Built in another century, the Edwardian-style home was updated with respect for the original fittings and details including: 1) remaking the knives which cut new moldings to match those which were original to the structure, 2) and having new brass hardware custom cast in newly made molds so that hardware matching the original door handles could be used on all the new doors, 3) a custom door manufacturer was solicited to create matches to the solid wood doors used throughout the original structure, 4) Copper gutters and valleys were extended by old-technology roofers so that the slate roof would appear consistent and preserve the craftsmanship of another era, 5) antique tile details were matched in new materials so that the indoor swimming pool could look as though it had always been there, 6) an expensive, imported conservatory was added to the house with careful attention paid to antique tile details and lighting that might have been utilized at the time of construction of the original house, 7) a custom wall covering printed by Bradbury & Bradbury was utilized to fill the frieze space above custom detailed cabinetry designed to mimic the glass covered bookshelves in another space in the home, replete with matching hardware, 8) old-technology Rumford fireplaces were hand-built of masonry to match specifications from another era, and so on, ad-infinitum...

I have heard that the house has been recently gutted by a new owner who, owing to the spectacular siting of the home, and their taste for contemporary design, wanted a contemporary style home in that setting. Who owns that architecture? And further, by what right is the disposal of all those materials (let alone hours of design intention) justified? It comes down to the same old question: By what right does the driver of a Hummer utilize more precious resources than the driver of a Prius? And, at what point does the common good unseat the power of cold hard cash?

Again, I digress! So back to the point of when a building becomes architecture, how is that architecture held in trust? Or is architecture always subject to the whims of the real-estate title holder? I am perplexed. And I would love to see the responses of the gentle readers of this blog.

Catching Up

2009-11-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

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 (???).

2009-09-22T03:46:00.001-07:00

So the quarter has finally come to an end. And it was nip and tuck right up to the end on Friday. At the last minute, or so it seemed, a new assignment fell to my desk. Seems that every quarter at NewSchool of Architecture & Design, students put together a portfolio presentation that represents the work done over the past quarter. It is meant to be a record of the work and really helps the student to analyze their progress over the quarter. The studio instructors also use it to recall the work they have reviewed in the various critiques over the quarter (ie: ones grade comes more-or-less directly from this process).

During the Wednesday session of our final week, after the fire station was due, we were treated to a lecture on the merits of "In Design," an Adobe program designed for the tasks at hand in creating a book or magazine. I was panic stricken as I thought I was expected to put together a "book" of my work. Well, some of that panic was appropriate. However, in lieu of learning a new, and quite sophisticated, program I did a MS PowerPoint presentation which accomplished the same end. ....without the two day panic of learning new software.

So when I finally get around to publishing some photos, you will see how it all came out. I was working on tutorials for Adobe Photoshop last night. Interestingly, there is a culture at NewSchool which I find challenges my ethics. I bought a student version of Adobe Photoshop. I went through the rigmarole of getting vetted by Adobe as a bonafied and legitimate student. And quite a rigmarole it was. They must have thought that somebody who wanted to pay for the software was actually trying to cheat them (???).

Perhaps the folks at Adobe might have been surprised by the idea that a student actually wanted to purchase their software. This is because they probably know that, apparently, most students rip-off the software from other students. Which brings me to the point of ethics and workability.

It seems to me that a system which condones or tolerates the, patently illegal, pirating of software is on the wrong side of the ethical and workability paradigm. That this same system is promoting the proprietary nature of designers' solutions is paradoxical, at the very least. I wonder about a workable solution to this problem (???).

The software which students learn in schools like NewSchool of Architecture & Design is expensive. There is no question that the software manufacturers are interested in leading students to the conclusion that their software is the "best thing since sliced bread" when it comes to solutions for some particular set of architectural or graphic communication problems. And, I am quite certain, that there is some advantage for the software companies considering lenience when it comes to enforcing copyright laws. No software company would want the bad PR of coming down on the future market for their products.

Some software companies take the approach of providing the software free of charge to bonafide students. This lessens the pressure for illegal pirating and promotes the use of the software in an environment of trust and mutual gain. For eventually, the student becomes a professional and is in an environment where resources can be made available. It would only be prudent for the student to recommend that software "X" be purchased. After all, it is the one software they will know inside and out.

It seems to me that it behooves the institutions of learning to band together to demand this approach from the software companies they serve. To assume that students will always do the right thing is assuming too much. It is not unlike assuming that a dog will sit back, not lunging for the food on the coffee table during the only moment when no one is looking. Students are a product of the environment in which they are tutored. There is no getting around this.

Counting Down

2009-09-01T20:52:00.001-07:00

I am counting down to the wire as we wrap up the fire station projects and move on into long-span structures. I am looking forward to designing an airport (I think). I haven't posted much lately as I have been spending alot of time working in the studio. The callous is back on my index finger and I haven't even started my final model for the fire station yet!

The final model is more about presentation than about design opportunity. I am very pleased with the various reviews my new concept has received. And so it is now up to me to demonstrate model building skills that are in concert with my design. I am thinking three-ply chipboard (a type of cardboard, most similar to the cardboard back of a yellow legal pad; just two or three times the thickness).

I did a rendering yesterday that well illustrated the concept as viewed from the neighborhood across the street. I was pleased to see that the private areas remained private, and the public areas were obviously accessible. I think that my concept will work (and I pledge to add pictures to this blog just as soon as the quarter is over).

I am excited about this process and the prospect of wrapping up this project. There comes a time when it is simply a production problem with limited design yet to be input. This is that time.... time to crank out the work.

At the same time, I am feeling pretty good about my other classes. I am sure I will be stumped by the challenges of studying for finals while attempting to complete a huge amount of work in studio for the final jury on this project. But that is what enthusiasm and inspiration (that comes from nothing) is all about.

That's all for now.

No Mundane Design Allowed!

2009-08-23T11:37:00.001-07:00

I just posted on Facebook that I am aware that I will never design a building in my career that will be dependent upon fossil fuels as its main source of energy. It is a fact that any building I draw will have a design life-time that will outlive fossil fuel on this planet. I am amazed by this consideration, and I am wondering how all the old buildings, whose design life-time has not been fully utilized, will be adapted. Surely we cannot continue to discard the resources that have gone into all those existing buildings designed before this awareness arrived (???).

Having read recently that the Sears Tower in Chicago is being retrofitted to meet "new building" energy standards, I am aware that there is a lot of work to be done. Imagine how one might redesign such a monolithic structure so that natural ventilation (convection) and day-lighting are even possible (???). Or consider that it might need to be covered on its South-most facades with active solar photovoltaic panels to acquire enough solar electric to power the building. This is truly a mammoth undertaking.

I have considered that, in five or ten years, the profession of Architecture will not be as we know it today. I am aware that the considerations which will be foremost in our minds will no longer be so focused upon what the building looks like. Blade Runner, one of my movie favorites, was made in 1982 (Ridley Scott, Director) and set in 2016 (just seven years from now). The architecture looks nothing like what we see being built around us in downtown San Diego. I wonder how much things will change; and how prescient Ridley Scott's notion of this nearby future will turn out to be (???).

I had a midterm jury review for my fire station (see Abstract Concepts and Mundane Buildings, below). My presentation was well received. I was praised for my process, and my graphic presentation. I was happy with the critique; and even expected the comment that this building looks a little like an '80's Schoolhouse (read as mundane). I was, however unclear where to go from there.

I took a day off to ponder (actually I took a day off to recover, as the preparations for the jury took more than I anticipated -my first "all-nighter") and came back to my project with a renewed perspective. I am convinced that the creative process comes "from nothing" and that inspiration and innovation are the result of providing the creative mind room to work, with limited distraction. It was as if a new vista had formed over the day I spent catching up on sleep, laundry, housekeeping, grocery shopping and the like.

I sat down to review the comments made by the jurors and was inspired to revise, completely, my design concept. In the process, I have created a new building that does not suffer in the realm 0f the mundane. If anything, it is architecture in a new light. It is like nothing I have ever seen before, and like nothing I could have preconceived. I am jazzed by the new ideas, the new forms and the reinterpretation of function, if not necessarily in that order.

And I have the challenge of learning how to make this building, and every one I design, from here on out, to be as independent as possible when it comes to resources; particularly energy. I have heard that there is a new Dean, Jennifer Wolch, at UC Berkeley in the College of Environmental Design. Her expertise is in the area of Sustainability. I am excited to think that this is one place where the expectations of the future in architecture are being considered, now. I am looking forward to an opportunity to tap into that environment. And I look forward to bringing that same standard of inquiry to my work at NewSchool of Architecture & Design in the meantime.

Teddy Cruz speaks at NewSchool

2009-08-11T03:38:00.000-07:00

This afternoon's studio was interrupted with a presentation from Teddy Cruz of Estudio Teddy Cruz. Mr. Cruz is a former NewSchool faculty member who did his undergraduate work in Architecture at CalPoly in San Luis Obispo, CA and his Master's in Architecture at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. He is an impassioned speaker with a fascinating ability for complex thinking. His speaking was supplemented with fantastic graphics illustrative of his sophisticated conceptual approach (though somewhat unsophisticated in their graphic style).

I was intrigued by his characterizations of architecture as a manipulation of money and process. He created a dichotomy by describing the difference between those projects with "clever money and stupid process, and those with stupid money and clever process." It is a fascinating spectrum I am sure; particularly when one can evaluate from his perspective on a wide(er) range of projects.

The practice of Estudio Teddy Cruz, as presented, is not so much about Architecture (as I have come to know it- having to do with the creation of buildings, place-making and space-making), but rather a complex dialogue in Urban Planning and Environmental Design that is informed by Architecture, and social and economic studies. His work, as presented, certainly takes one away from the ocular-centric (myopic) approach that is the focus of most of my projects at NewSchool of Architecture & Design (thus far; remembering I am in my first quarter).

My recent experience working for global development concern, Emaar, in the Newport Beach, CA offices, was experience working with the kind of "top-down" development approach that Cruz distrusts. His philosophical approach is more grass-roots oriented; dealing with the density of socio-economic transactions per acre rather than the number of salable housing units per acre.

Curiously, the whole time I was working for Emaar, I was fascinated by the global marketing of the SoCal suburban design approach practiced by Emaar. What has not worked so well here in Southern California (based upon the approaching demise of sustainability of suburbia caused by depletion of essential fossil fuel resources) seems highly desirable in the face of the challenging conditions existing in suburban Cairo. And while it may be that our SoCal suburban dream is more desirable than the existing options in Cairo, one wonders if the projects we were working on at Emaar Design Studio will ever be built as planned; and if the density of units will continue to be one of their defining factors.

What is compelling about this lecture was the depiction of a larger opportunity for design. Not unlike the evolution of a species, the design of the built environment is evolving to survive in conditions which threaten its continuation. Our ever present awareness of the depletion of fossil fuel resources means that structures designed today cannot be built with any expectation of dependence upon fossil fuel. The lifetime of buildings on the drawing boards today will see the depletion of those resources on this planet. So to co-op a phrase from process planning today, we must design with our "best-practices" in mind while at the same time fulfilling the role of the seer; looking into the future in a way we have not dared before.

The feel-good moment in the lecture was realizing that we (as architecture students, prospective architects, environmental designers, etc...) have the opportunity to insert the learnings of our failed policies and practices into the opportunities of developing cultures. Complex thinking indeed.

Abstract Concepts and Mundane Buildings

2009-08-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

After a greuling session of formal critiques by studio mates, instructors and TA's, I am spent. Yesterday's pin-up of progress drawings was an amazing learning experience. I was fascinated by the variety of solutions to what appeared to be a simple program with some narrowly defined parameters (not the least of which is a too-small site crammed up against a freeway that is more than ten feet higher than the average elevation of the site).

The most fascinating thing was the abstraction(s) of process by some of my classmates. Perhaps I have been in the world of work for too long... or not in the world of education for so long... My in-progress drawings are solidly in the realm of construction documents. Admittedly, there are flaws, unknowns, details which have yet to be created, structural elements that are possbily the wrong size, or the wrong visual weight. And all of that can be resolved in the next five weeks.

I believe my building is actually build-able without too-terribly much stretching of the current technology. It looks a little mundane (in elevation views, all the sculptural richness is flattened out) and that troubles me. So what's the problem??? I am guessing that my mind is grounded in a way that the other students are not. I have no abstract reasoning that is too difficult to graphically communicate. I have no abstract concepts that have never before been built. I have no abstract reasoning that I do not have words to adequately express. And I feel bad about this. (???)

Still, the building will address a standard of sustainability that is far beyond anything attempted in most municipal construction projects. The facility will depend heavily on natural daylighting, stored solar thermal, and solar electric that is grid connected for net-zero (design goal) night-lighting and AC, recycled "gray" water for site landscaping, natural ventilation / convection in the public spaces, and sustainable materials use wherever possible. The firefighters will be treated to spaces that are created with spiritually restorative qualities meant to manage the stress of life as a firefighter/medical "first responder."

What am I missing?

3D Thinking

2009-08-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

After developing a new set of muscles, due to holding pressure on the railroad board and the steel rule while cutting with an Xacto knife, and developing a callous on my index finger from driving the Xacto blade through the various other modelling materials, I am finally seeing some light. I always thought I had excellent 3D modelling in my head. Having thought so means that I was skeptical that model making had much purpose; save for developing "brains in my finger tips." I became even more skeptical as the callous on my index finger over-took the growth of the "brains."

This past week, upon revising (and revising again) my concept models for the fire station I am working on (designed to replace station house #3 in San Diego with a modern, up-to-date facility suitable for a larger crew), I saw the light. I realised that there were some things I could learn from the modelling process that I couldn't grasp any other way. And there is the reason for this exercise.

Currently in production of drawings to support my design concept, I am moving back into the documentation phase having sculpted a concept for a building about which I and my instructors are satisfied. It doesn't look anything like my initial concept. And it doesn't look anything like what I saw in my mind's eye. I guess this is progress as, in fact, it looks better.

I am reveling in my sense of being suited to the work I am undertaking. I have no question in my mind that this is the place and time for me to be doing this. I am clear, however, that I am in a process of credentialing a good deal of design process knowledge which I already possess. Still, there are the new things which I can learn. Much of this is technological rather than theoretical knowledge (Obama's "retooling"). I need to update my technological skills to support my design processing.

I am beginning by updating my 3D thinking. While the idea of "brains in my fingertips" is still to gel, I am certain that there is a way in which I have created some new muscles that are not related to the physical craft of modelling. And I am certain that more 3D modelling (digitally speaking) will be coming soon.

Conceptualizing

2009-07-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Watching Alan Rosenblum, Newschool of Architecture & Design faculty, talk about de-constructing "concept" was inspiring to me. After spending the afternoon working on a an abstract concept model (not to scale, just shapes and inter-relationships, a loosy-goosy sort of thing), I learned just how abstract the process of conceptualizing can be. The first year graduate students were dealing with a way of deconstructing and reconstructing concept that was truly fascinating to me.

The assignment forced the students to look beyond their preconceived notions of concept and then turn out results that were beautiful and strikingly original. And in the systematic process, the result you might have thought was your solution gets destroyed (literally cut to shreds) and reassembled in a new way. Twice!!! The whole process repeats and you destroy the second solution, only to begin again (anew). The resulting output was fascinating to view and the process stunning to comprehend.

While intuition and pre-conception are often thought to be at the essence of creative thought, this exercise opens ones eyes to the possibility of process driving creativity. While I do think that the process can be made to enhance the result, there is still an intuitive assess/catalogue/analyze/assemble function (or series of functions) that is dependent upon the intuitive application of some principles of design. Why one solution derived from the process turns out better than another is solely dependent upon some "creative inspiration that comes from nothing."

To this day, this creative process is not able to be automated. For if design could be exclusively process driven, then robots could do it. And goodness knows lots of companies would prefer to have robots doing design; rather than the chaos and excitement, frustrations and triumphs, and the happy accidents that surround most of us creative types.

The efficiency experts might love it if automation could overtake the creative process. And then there would be the unhappy result of a world of uninspired solutions to design problems. A process driven sameness and monotony would overwhelm the senses like too much rich food overwhelms the digestion. Or like (supposedly) Tuscan inspired villas have overtaken Southern California. The resultant would be a clamor for unique solutions to separate "us" from "them" via unique expressions of personality and tres banal cliches of....

Wait! This already sounds so familiar. Did design get automated already? Did I miss something?

Group Project: Site Analysis

2009-07-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

I just completed an assignment that involved working in a small group. I joined a group for this assignment because I felt like I would be able to learn something more from the others in the group. I am still feeling my way in this new educational environment. Going it alone doesn't seem to be the right course of action.

Thankfully, I also realized early-on that the percentage of work completed would be more-or-less equivalent to the amount learned. That is to say, doing the entire assignment by myself would be more work; and with less opportunity to learn from others. It seemed like a winning situation. And it was, though not quite for the reasons I forecast.

I learned much in completing the assignment because I did a lot of the work on my own. This was a particular area of Architecture about which I know very little. I have never had to make a site analysis presentation. Most of my work as an interior designer involved projects where site analysis meant redesigning the furniture assortment for the deck and / or patio. ...Not considerations of the impact of zoning regulations, or the fact that the site was within an area considered to be an aircraft landing buffer zone.

What was most educational for me was realizing that no matter how much energy one puts into a group project, the outcome, in terms of learning, is proportional. This was very obviously true for one member of our group whose participation was limited (due to a previously planned trip between last week's assignment and this week's due date). His lack of participation showed when our Professor asked questions about the Site Analysis and its implications for the design solution.

In the end, I was genuinely proud of my work and that of my teammates. I think we delivered the "Team 1" spirit we were determined to show. And the analysis showed that spirit as well. Now the challenging, creative, work of turning that analysis into inspired concepts begins. I continue to be inspired (with inspiration that comes from nothing!). And for this I am truly grateful. That, and for the sound sleep that comes of being past the previous deadline, and ahead of the clock on the next one. ...tick, tock, tick, tock...

Pacing

2009-07-16T21:21:00.001-07:00

There are several meanings to the word: Pacing. I can think of it in terms of pacing back and forth when I am processing thought. It doesn't really serve any particular purpose; save dispelling some pent up emotions or relieving some kinetic stress. Then there is the pacing one does when one is trying to conserve energy in any particular drill.

I guess that, lately, I have been doing both. I am fascinated by my work in school. There is great opportunity and challenge here, if not particularly as I might have thought. I am learning most, it seems right now, about the process of Architectural education. I pace. And I am pacing myself in anticipation of the opportunity to really dig into some deep topic in Architectural Theory.

One of my instructors started out with great enthusiasm and the possibilities appeared quite good. The front page of the course syllabus has a quote from Peter Eisenman: " When music teachers teach their students, they don't teach them composition by having them compose. Instead, they have them listen to music. In architecture schools very few people listen to the music, as it were. They're thrown right in and asked to design."

This is the same instructor who gave a 48 hour Case Study of a Super Hero assignment, and immediately followed with the resultant 5 day assignment to design the Lair of the Super Hero and create a scale model of the design (see prior post). Thrown right in, all right. Where is the listening in that? (To be clear, there is a Field Trip on the docket).

I continue to be grateful to other studio-mates who have been enormously helpful in directing me to resources, stimulating thought about solutions, and sharing ideas about education and career. There is a camaraderie here that is wonderful. I hope I can live up to the challenge and provide my share of assistance in the future. The scales seem un-balanced today as there is so much I need to learn.

An example of this is the large amount of technology which must be gotten under control. When last I used a Scientific Calculator, the alternative was a Slide Rule. Does anybody know what that is anymore? I asked a dear friend if she was familiar with a Slide Rule and she replied "Is that something like an abacus?" Not quite, but close in concept, if not in age. Oh, and the Newfangled Scientific Calculators were $179.00. The one I just purchased was $12.99. Another example is the need for AutoCad and other computer graphics packages.

So I sat down to take a quiz in my Statics class earlier this week. I was prepared; or so I thought. I knew the process to resolve the effect of two different forces on an object. I knew the parallelogram method. I knew the formula (from trigonometry over 35 years ago) thanks to a brief refresher on the first day of Statics. So I wrote out the solution and then turned on my new Scientific Calculator. There was a code in the window that I did not understand. And the calculator would take no inputs.

I sighed heavily, embarrassed to the core, and took my plight (and the calculator) to the instructor's desk to explain why I was going to fail the quiz. She offered her super-duper extra fantastic Scientific Calculator for my use and gave a quick lesson. I returned to my desk thinking perhaps the day was saved. I struggled to do the calculations and began to throw in the towel. The instructor returned my calculator to my desk, saying she wasn't certain how it happened, but the code was gone, and the calculator was taking inputs. Hallelujah. With a clickety clack of key strokes, I was done in a flash. Thank goodness for small favors.

I realize that I am somewhat of an albatross in the class room. I ask questions. Challenge the teachers on matters of importance to me. Wonder about the outcomes of this or that process and the inter-relationships of all the new things I am learning. I am certain that I will be challenged to find ways of learning that suit my perspective on life. And thank goodness there are others around who share that desire to learn. I love listening to the music.

Me, Modeling?

2009-07-11T17:44:00.001-07:00

Well, only three days into my first quarter in Architecture school, I got an assignment that totally stopped me in my tracks. After completing an old-school marker-rendering of the thinking man's super-hero (Batman, of course, in the pose of Rodin's The Thinker), I was asked to design Batman's lair (the Batcave) and build a scale model. What a fascinating (literally) assignment! And of course, it is made all the more fascinating by the fact that I have never before made a to-scale architectural model. Oh, did I tell you it is due to be critiqued on Monday afternoon? Guess where I am spending the weekend?

So I am learning first hand the value of the studio experience. A kind, young man with lots of model making expertise has been very helpful. It is amazing how the studio depends upon the value and expertise of each individual member. This is particularly true in the studio called Vertical Studio. When I registered, I considered that it might be about high-rise design. It is not... This studio is called Vertical because it is one of the few studios that are offered to all levels of students, from beginning undergrads to graduate level students. Also fascinating.

The school studio environment is a little "quiet" when it comes to critiques. I anticipated lively critiques and interactive discussions in the studio. I am finding, most people keep to themselves. Still, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from the more advanced students and to share what I know with them and the beginners alike. I guess it only takes a few out-going folks to broaden the perspective.

Also on my dockett, is my first CADD assignment. I think I can already see how this appeals to many designers. Still, for someone who can draw, it is a little like switching from a fineline felt-tip to a calligraphy brush. They are both tools, useful for different kinds of communication. There is something vrey comforting about feeling ones way through a design problem with a felt-tip pen in hand. The motions and gestures of drawing are so mesmerizing; as are those of the calligrapher with a fine brush. I am certain with practice CADD can become a way-of-life, too.

I am planning to post a picture after I complete my model for the Batcave. I am liking how it is turning out. That is to say, I am liking it at this stage. I remember the 1960's TV series "Batman" and have gotten most of my context for the design from that programs many episodes. Time will tell if my studio thinks that I have gotten it right. Certainly, I will have learned alot about modeling.

First Day of School

2009-07-06T08:24:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day of Summer Session '09 and I am so looking forward to school. I remember this enthusiasm from my childhood years. Of course, by the time I got to high school, and my first days at St. Olaf College, I was less than wildly enthusiastic. Today, however, is an exciting milestone for me. I have been wanting to study architecture since I was about 12 or 13 years old. And I start with Environmental Biology, and Vertical Studio.

I remember the genesis of my interest in architecture very clearly. I was in a Boy Scouts of America "Explorer" program created by an architect who was also our Scoutmaster. One Saturday, we went to the offices of Armstrong, Torseth, Skold and Rydeen (of Minneapolis, MN). The day's activities included a brief design charrette, of sorts, for a fountain plaza at the entrance to a building. I remember that day, fondly, as the day I first learned something about process-thinking. More importantly, I remember the fascination I felt, and the inspiration (which came from nothing). I was in awe of it then; and I remain in awe of creative inspiration to this day.

In my family, the idea of being an architect was supported and encouraged as an ideal; if not particularly practicable. Neither of my parents had graduated from college. Their support was of the variety: "you can do whatever you decide." That idealism, born of a rush of middle-class growth, following my parents' depression-era upbringings and WWII resettlement, was a significant part of the challenge. That there was freedom was clear. Unfortunately, there were other distractions calling for my attention.

One might consider the distractions with regret. I prefer to consider those distractions with honor as they have made me the person I am. We are, however, a product of our circumstances only to the extent that we allow those circumstances to speak for us. Recently, I have learned that I can create my "being," without regard for the circumstances. It is this learning that allows me the opportunity to create a new career at this stage of my life. That, and the support of all my friends, clients, and loved ones.

So here am I, at the beginning of a new era in my life. When my peers will be processing payouts for their retirement plans in the not-too-distant future, I will be beginning a new career in architecture. At long last, after all these years.

Lyle IS My Name

2009-07-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

After all these years of not dealing with educational institutions (it has been awhile), I am facing the challenge of being unique. As multi-cultural as our world has become, it is fascinating to me that institutions still have limited name categories. The world of names is fascinating in and of itself; what with hyphenated names becoming more popular. And then there are the cultural differences in names. One would think that the increasingly global education market would force educational institutions to rethink the somewhat predicatable (and very Anglo-saxon) way that names are categorized.

I am fascinated when people take exception (or make what I find to be embarassing jokes) regarding names from other cultures which seem to mimic words from their own languages. An example of this is a new friend named Hai; pronounced like the English slang greeting: hi. To giggle or poke fun at this name is really sophomoric; and quite possibly antagonistic. While there is some confusion associated with the greeting, upon meeting: "Hi Hai!" it can only be due to one's own myopia.

The world is full of names. In fact, it is peculiarly human to categorize and name things. And this is where I run into problems with my name. The inflexible categories created by institutions never seem to fit me. And for that, I am chastised; something which I find particularly offensive. At registration at NewSchool of Architecture and Design, I was told that I could file a "nick-name" request. This points up a flaw in the institution's record keeping because I don't have a "nick-name."

While I realise that my name is a little uncommon, there is nothing nicky about it. It is not a shortened version, or a favorite or pet name created by some acronym or combination of names. Tradition, in my family, dictated my given name. And I have always, since birth (with the short term exception of a transition period when my identity was in flux during my teenage years) been called Lyle. During the period in question, one of my teachers tried to give me a real nick-name based upon my "institutional" name. This just didn't identify me and, in fact, was confusing to all those who already were using that nick-name for their own name. So I quickly re-identified myself as Lyle.

Then there is the uniqueness of being a professional interior designer with more than 20 years of experience practicing under my given name. Only when airlines started enforcing the rule of identification did I begin to create travel documents using my "institutional" name. I remember the akward moment when I received travel documents for a trip to a client's home in Michigan with my name all mixed up. This was after September 11, and clearly those documents would not admit me to the airplane. Thankfully the airline was able to correct the error. Since then, I always make sure every one clearly understands my name. My name is Lyle; it is my given name. The only thing particularly unique is that I am not called by my first name (which I will from now refer to as my "institutional" name).

This rant will probably have no impact upon the institutions which create name records. I am certain that, in these tough economic times, there are issues of far, far greater importance. If perhaps ones own consciousness is raised, as mine has been recently by meeting Hai, the possibility of a future in full recognition of the significance and meaning of names will exist. And maybe, just maybe, an institutional record will be created that fits my name.

Architecture Walking Tour of Banker's Hill / Hillcrest

2009-06-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

It is amazing that we can each view the same scene and see different things. Under the direction of Michael Stepner, FAIA, former City Architect for the City of San Diego, and current faculty member at NewSchool of Architecture & Design, I saw some new things in previously viewed scenery; thank you Michael Stepner. I have been in the vicinity of the first suspension bridge in California (Spruce Street Bridge) before; even walked accross. Today, I learned that several of Irving Gill's home designs in the area were spec-homes built by a 'couple' of women contractor/developers in the first two decades of the 1900's. Awesome.

I also learned that San Diego has had two different 'sanctioned' styles; one before the Balboa Park development that is based upon our famous Missions, and one after Balboa Park based upon Spanish Revival architecture (imported by way of a New York "society" design firm). Seems that the early taste for Spanish Revival after the 1915 Panama-California Exhibition overcame (in popularity) the honest simplicity of form and materials offered by our favorite son, if not native, Irving Gill. Does anybody know the name of the Architect who directed the design of the Spanish Revival Balboa Park structures? Thought so. Honesty and simplicity, elegance and parsimony seem to win out every time. And Architecture, good or bad, has a long, long, long memory.

With newly opened eyes, I looked at some new mixed-use development and urban infill. The Hillcrest Rite-Aid is a challenging example of poor design and unfortunate siting. The inward facing store concept is suitable for a freeway site, with bold graphics gestures that would be recognizable at freeway speeds. In the intimate neighborhood setting, it fails, miserably, to address the street with any type of human scale or interaction. Three sides of the building are nothing but tall, brick walls at the edge of the sidewalk; not very suitable for the walkable neighborhood. And Michael Stepner pointed out that the parking lot, with few trees and little other vegitation, does little more than raise the ambient temperature of the neighborhood with its black asphalt surface.

Having seen the sprawling, nearby Atlas complex grow during my years here, I was fascinated to hear the following from Michael Stepner, FAIA. I think I will paraphrase: It is a good thing to have good ideas; just don't use all of them on one building. I wholeheartedly agree. Having been inside one unit plan in this complex, I can now say that I am "underwhelmed" by the complex; inside and out. It really is amazing what people will pay for bad design.

The economy may have had some effect on the leasing of Atlas' ground floor retail spaces; it appears pretty bleak. I wonder if the real problem wasn't poor planning (design); creating not-so-highly visible retail spaces on such a highly travelled street. Many of the spaces have recessed windows, which when viewed on-angle from a passing car, are obscurred by the alcove columns. Further, in broad (typical in San Diego is very broad) daylight, the highly reflective low-E coatings used on the retail windows also create mirrors of outdoor, daylit activity. If given the opportunity, I will endeavor to design some mixed-use spaces where the efficiency of planning more nearly mirrors the need and uses for space; and no recessed, mirrored windows will be in use; thereby providing accessible retail space with a clear view.

Oh, and then we saw Trilogy. Hmmm. I am reminded of a story a dear friend and Architect in Palm Springs tells of his time in architecture school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. A professor he admired would comment, when a student project was off the mark, "I never would have thought of that." This is akin to the commonly used "well that is one way to solve this problem." One way indeed; and the Trilogy could have used a few more reviews prior to being rushed to market. Will anyone remember that architects name?

Of great interest was the discussion among those participating in the tour. One recent graduate of the Masters Degree program at NewSchool was heard to say: "Find your focus early and work on it throughout your program. The years pass quickly, and you will want to focus so you don't end up being finished" (without learning what you want to learn). He was more poetic than that statement, but that is the gist of the commentary. I like this thought. I still have a few days to decide my focus (my orientation to the school, campus, policies, is next week, classes begin the following week). Learning how to avoid hearing "I never would have thought of that!" or "that is one way to solve the problem" just won't be quite enough.