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    Is this Architecture?

    By Mark Bearak
    Oct 23, '07 3:54 PM EST


    Here is my final project from Hernan Diaz Alonso's studio from Spring 2007.

    The assignment was to prepare a stadium based on the anatomy of a bug. I focused on bugs behavior and I presented the project without a narrative.

    The idea was to present a cinematic experience, the first video was my midterm; the interlude was a stop frame animation that I prepared with Dora Kelle; the second video was the final project which was meant to be darker, and the final video was meant to answer some lingering questions from the first two videos.

    Looking back at this project I have to ask myself, "Is this Architecture?"


    *Disclaimer: This project does not reflect the work of Hernan Diaz Alonso


     
    • 14 Comments

    • zivotinja

      I do not think so. However if you had fun you did alright especially if it pushes you closer to your goal of becoming an architect. I can only suggest to more carefully choose your instructors since you can not drop them once you realize what idiots they are.

      Oct 23, 07 4:14 pm  · 
       · 

      perhaps i just don't get it but i think that bloc party may have summed it up best... so fuckin' useless...

      Oct 23, 07 4:48 pm  · 
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      Arjun Bhat

      wow ... well i'd have to agree with zivo as to the usefulness of a studio is in the questions it forces you to ask yourself. but, I would argue that some questions are more useful than others .....

      It would be interesting to see what would come out of an Atelier Bow-Wow "ugly architecture" studio at Columbia.


      Oct 23, 07 6:15 pm  · 
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      LaBoule

      Yes definitively, this is interesting for people who wanna work for Pixar, Disney or an animation company (I believe there is some architects working there) but I feel like you lost your time (& your money if u don't wanna do that...). What I dislike is the fact that with a more conceptual video and 3d forms, u can come closer to a real personal art research. (come on, I don't have anything against ur video, Mark, but is the story with the E.T. so important?)

      What about François Roche studio?

      Oct 23, 07 7:54 pm  · 
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      LaBoule

      And yes I would be definitly interested by what Bow-Wow is doing in Columbia.

      Oct 23, 07 7:56 pm  · 
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      Mark Bearak

      It is really difficult to compare Francois and Hernan and I'm glad to have taken them back-to-back. Hernan is a really great guy and Francois is an amazing thinker. I was able to experiment in Hernan's class and her gave us plenty of freedom. Francois and Marc have taken the time to get my work under control and I cannot appreciate it enough. On our first meeting I laid out my scenario and Francois said one of the most educated comments that I have ever heard. He said I can go as deep into my own world as I'd like, but at some point he simply would not be able to give me feedback. I think my Hernan project is an example of me going to deeply into my own world. With Francois the studio carefully negotiates reality and fiction and I think it is exactly where I need to be.

      Oct 23, 07 10:19 pm  · 
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      Apurimac

      I think your best option is to consider these videos sketches, they are simply ideas going towards a larger logic their applications are not immediately visible in the real world but there is some level of thought going on there that is rooted in logical systems that will benefit you no matter who you are or what you do. Thinking of cities as vital, organic things can be a very powerful idea, and trying to make an architecture that functions more like an organism and less like a static entity is an idea I find power in and is something applicable today in the real world.

      Oct 23, 07 10:40 pm  · 
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      boxy

      you're in school--who cares if it's architecture. i'm sure it was really fun.

      Oct 23, 07 11:38 pm  · 
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      xacto

      why would you use a bug's anatomy as a model for designing a stadium?

      Oct 24, 07 10:46 am  · 
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      ooid

      it is really interesting to see hernan's children producing "charlie's and chocolate factory fields", while he is commenting on drl's las-vegas casino like buildings...i guess all these things happen to be a big joke of our times..

      (c:

      Oct 24, 07 6:51 pm  · 
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      mdler

      if I were in your position I would seriously consider the following...fuck architecture and go into computer modeling / music video directing. Whatever you want to call these, I enjoyed them. The 1st one especially told a story and reinforced the music; I really enjoyed it. It doesnt matter one way or the other if it is architecture.

      PS- Hernan makes his $$$ in film, not architecture

      Oct 24, 07 11:16 pm  · 
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      LaBoule

      that's the point!

      Oct 27, 07 7:33 pm  · 
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      LaBoule

      Let's share our education!

      I'm not arguing against america's university, but I just feel we have a really different way of teaching in Europe. I mean, nobody is teaching us even how to use Rhino or 3ds. I know lot of people unable to use them when they are graduated; from this point of view, Europe is late compared to USA, but at the other side we are learning a lot about context, typology, landscape planning in Architecture School (not a planning prg). When I imagine how much time you spent on your videos (and for sure it must be fun & interesting), and as it's well known that american are better in mathematics than us, I believe you must be a superhero to study also what we are learning about landscape, material's workshops etc...
      Are you still sleeping a bit ???

      Moreover about François Roche, is he a good teacher? Could u please explain us what he's trying to explain u in his studio? He comes from my country where he's actually not so famous...

      Oct 27, 07 7:39 pm  · 
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      Apurimac

      This guy never went to an american blob/script school. He is my personal arch. god at the moment:



      Enrique Miralles, Graduated for ETSAB in Barcelona, and is currently R.I.P.

      Oct 29, 07 10:31 pm  · 
       · 

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