[Prelude: This blog is a week and a half too late because I was having technical difficulties but I feel this is an important part of my thesis project pro- cess/gress]

Last [Week] Monday we had our second pin up to show our design progress. Our department just started to do this mandatory check points this year to I guess keep my fellow seniors and I “in check” and avoid the catastrophe that happen last year. I and a number of students are doubtful to the usefulness of this process because it seems like a waste of time preparing presentation quality material of a project that is still on an early development stage.

Since the beginning of the quarter our projects were judge based on a list of categories with a quantitative numerical value [seen below]. I feel that this system is not very helpful unless it was explained the reasoning behind their opinions….thus in these evaluation sheets about 1/3 of the space was left for “Notes / Sketches”… sadly most professors don’t use this space. I didn’t help also that students were left out from this progress review, so we do not know what really happen in it. I do not mean to be rude but after seeing my pseudo-report card after many all-nighters and countless amount of caffeine, my initial thought was “No sh*t Sherlock, tell me something I do not know.” And it is especially not helpful when the faculty “bubbled-in” Not applicable without any explanation…



But enough with the ranting, the link below shows what I pinned up for last [Week]Monday…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36975301@N06/5637530550/in/set-72157626611171772/

After Last [Week] Monday I did learn a couple of things.

First, there is a difference between a senior project and thesis project.

Second, it is the middle week 4 of the 10 week senior project design process and I still don’t have a project. . I have been struggling to transition from research to design but I think I know what I need to do… which is to focus on a key issue and try providing both architectural and programmatic solutions for it. What I have been doing for the past weeks is experimenting on different schemes that sensibly respond to the nature of the project… Currently I am leaning towards tackling issues as a housing project and how do design/define the meaning of house/shelter for what appears to be most one of inhabitable place to live.

Third (and last because that’s all I can figure out right now), is I need to grow some balls and stop being timid and start making decisions. Which I am starting to right now…
[More to follow soon]