Archinect - University of Houston (Michael)

Skin Studies

2008-11-22T20:46:17-05:00

I know we all have heard it expressed in many different ways how the bottom-up design process works for us in school as a design student. Quite honestly, I really enjoy the concept, but it is not like I specifically think "I must design with the bottom up process to achieve desirable and interesting Architecture School results." I am experimenting...the process is vague, not well documented, and I am loving it.

I struggle between two schools of thought...literally. For 2 years, I was shown how to make Architecture based on a functional approach or how buildings can be organized, then detailed well with materials...this apparently makes Architecture. Then, I had the opportunity to go to Vienna and hang out with the Wolf D. Prix school of thought that essentially says "fuck program..space is the program!" We experimented and made stuff and then considered its Architectural implications and possibilities. Apparently, this too makes Architecture. Personally, I enjoy the latter much mo...

Recent Work: Mine+Undergrad Studio

2008-11-18T12:46:55-05:00

Here is what I have been working on an investigating. It might appear so, but the study is not completely formal. The models came out yesterday. I let them clean for about 12 hours, but I couldn't get all the support material off. I am going to try again soon. So, the darker parts that show up is what I could not get to come off. I was pretty satisfied with the quality of work demonstrated by my Level I undergrad students. These images are of a larger project completed recently.

Studio Space Update

2008-11-03T12:01:35-05:00

I have not posted much about what is actually being made in Studio because, honestly, it is not much. I am not interested in making excuses, but it has been difficult. Personally, Studio for me is where I can focus, make things, and even relax when I need to. Unfortunately, I have not had the ability to make my studio space what I need it to be based on how I work and like to work. I don't have a setup at home to work at, so I mostly find myself and my laptop at coffee shops in the Heights or fighting for a decent workspace in the MD Anderson Library on campus.

Fortunately, I can come down to my undergraduate's studio space and work at their desks before they show up. I usually work down here with them and if they have questions, I can answer them. I hope to get some images up of what I have been making and experimenting with, but for now, I have some images of the construction work that has overtaken what use to be graduate studio spaces

Later

UH Lecture: Mark Mueckenheim

2008-10-06T18:08:53-04:00

Come if you can

UH+Ike: All School Meeting and Building Pictures

2008-09-22T22:13:08-04:00

Today, Dean Mashburn along with various representatives from the College as well as the University held an all College meeting to discuss the course of action after hurricane Ike hitting last week. Our building suffered the most damage within the entire University (ironic?), and therefore, a whole lot is going on. Here's basically a breakdown of issues the College is facing:

1. 4th floor has mold growth in addition to the rest of the building-mold is growing rapidly.
Despite this issue, experts have indicated that air quality indoors is better than outdoor(but this is Houston so I guess that is a relative statement)

2. Library & Slide Library devastated
South Side of Library Collection has been moved to the MD Anderson Main University Library
North Side Collection taken off site to be treated for mold. Significant amount of collection destroyed including various items in rare book collection
*Luckily, the slide, video, and dvd collection was backed up digitally.

3. Comput...

Riding out Ike

2008-09-12T14:58:32-04:00

Thursday was a waste of time as far as actually going to school. I spent the night building models and working on drawings for our first review,but studio was quickly canceled with the majority of Houston evacuating due to the hurricane.

Since I am teaching undergrad studio, I had to make an executive decision about canceling as well (which I did). The majority of my students commute and wouldn't have been there anyhow. So, I was hoping to show some of the initial ideas of our studio in addition to the work my undergraduates have been doing, but that'll have to wait until the storm passes.

Thursday was spent at long lines at the grocery store buying the essentials. I am camping out with a few Architecture friends in an apartment here in the city-tape is one the windows and we're about to board them up. Luckily, we made it out today to get a good breakfast before the tropical storms make their way. I think we'll be safe.

The majority of Houston is staying put which is directly op...

Back from Vienna

2008-08-19T22:37:33-04:00

I haven't posted in a long while. It has been too long actually. The past year was spent in Vienna at Studio Prix at die Angewandte. Overall, I had a blast and learned a lot. Honestly, the studio culture was quite confusing at times, but I was very fortunate to be able to listen to people like Prix, Hadid, Greg, Hernan, Kivi, Mayne, etc... share ideas and actually talk critically about work that I did and others in the groups I worked with. It is interesting how sometimes we learn more by not doing as well as we would like-I guess I felt this way a lot in the sense that I, for some reason, was not producing work at the level I know I am capable of. Despite the fact, I really appreciated the insight and encouragement I received.

Specifically, Reiner Zettl is the the head assistant in the Studio and really offers students amazing insight. The guy is brilliant and looks at things in such an interesting way-this I appreciated very much so.I think I have new found energy when it comes ...

Angewandte Guest Review: The Bartlett Interactive Architecture Workshop

2008-03-14T08:20:56-04:00

per email from school:

Students of The Bartlett Interactive
Architecture Workshop (unit 14), led
by Prof. Stephen Gage, Phil Ayres and
James O'Leary, will be presenting
studio work in progress (*).

Critics will include staff of both
Bartlett School and Angewandte

schedule:
11:30 introduction (Prof. S. Gage)
12:15 M.Sc.-Projects (2)
13:15 lunch
14:15 Diploma-Projects (7)
18:00 gallery visit (Färbergasse 6)
interactive installations

(*) work in progress means the projects that
students of the studio are currently doing;
they are halfway through their year which
ends late june 08.

Cairo: Garbage City

2008-02-28T05:11:20-05:00

Studio Prix had the month of February off, so my wife and I took advantage of travel time. We hiked in Cinque Terre in Italy along with some short visits in Venice, Florence, and Rome making our way to Cairo where my sister teaches in Maadi.
We've been here for 9 days and are headed back tomorrow to get ready for the upcoming semester. I had the opportunity to visit Garbage City in Cairo which many of you may be familiar with already. Luckily, I was able to get out and walk a bit through the streets to take some pictures and brief video of it all.

For those unfamiliar like I was, Garbage City is where a significant amount of Cairo's trash is brought. A very specific system exists in which the trash is sorted and then recycled to make new products for use once again. This is all done by those literally living in all the trash.

I hope to document what I have learned in more detail when I have the chance, but for now, here are a few pictures that I took.

Other than that, it'll b...

Diploma+Studio Final Reviews: Die Angewandte

2008-01-21T17:33:48-05:00

If you're in Vienna you ought to stop by:

Beyond the Blue Coop Himmelb[L]au Exhibit at the MAK + Crit with Jeffrey Kipnis and Thom Mayne

2007-12-12T13:28:37-05:00

The past two nights have been interesting and rewarding. The Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna just opened a show displaying all of Coop Himmelb[L]au's work over the past 30+ years. Present was Prix, Kipnis (who envisioned with the curators the exhibit), the President of Austria, and the President of the MAK. If you're in Vienna over the holidays you ought to stop by and see all the work. It was a great teaching tool because not only are the final presentation models present, but many of the working models that describes the office's and Prix's design methodology.

In addition to Kipnis, Thom Mayne was in town and both he and Kipnis came to studio this afternoon to offer any help they could for the devlopment of our projects. Two students are working on their Diploma projects so the most time was spent there which was great because we all got to hear what Kipnis and Mayne had to say about their own personal approaches. It was specifically interesting to listen to Mayne discuss his i...

Studio Prix Mid Review: Neuroplasticity+Turkish Delight

2007-11-28T18:59:45-05:00

I haven't posted in a while. To say I am busy is silly-of course we're all busy. We've only had about 2 weeks dedicated to the development of our Istanbul project, but mid review is still mid review. Prix will be in Studio at noon with a few other outside reviewers. I think we all get about 20 minutes each as he also has to meet with Diploma students. Anyhow, the concept is the collision of diametric entities. Tschumi stuff I guess. it has been difficult to put a presentation together when our ideas are still vague or not fully realized yet. Here is the presentation minus the site analysis which is still being edited for print. you can also go to portfolio+studiotravelblog to see the image a little larger. It is the 3rd hyperlink down. We'll see how it goes-I am presenting for our group.

Studio Prix "Turkish Delight Trip"

2007-11-04T08:06:44-05:00

Well, after a week and a half of a stomach virus and an infection, I have found the time to post an entry. It was as if the virus was waiting to overcome me until I got back to Vienna, because as soon as we landed, it was hell for a week and a half. I guess it was all the Kebabs I ate on both the European and Asian sides of the city. Oh well, I am glad to report I am feeling much better.

Coop Himmelb[L]au is working on a competition project for a dense urban program containing a shopping mall, residential and office towers, entertainment/event space,etc...so, as a studio, we get the same project for the semester. I think that possibly, Prix might use it as a way to generate ideas for his office because I am told he likes to come to studio and work with students one on one when he has the time, but the possibility that someone's concept would be used for their scheme seems unlikely. Anyhow, we investigated the city and the way it works for a week. I have never seen a city move like ...

Studio Prix: Dissection and Istanbul

2007-10-06T11:25:39-04:00

Hey Guys,
I haven't posted in a long long time. My wife and I made it to Vienna rather easily, although we had to leave her iMac behind because I couldn't carry it on. Apparently mac sells a iLugger that we may by to take it back. Fortunatley we have a family connection that shipped it priority and it arrived within a few days. Now, we are waiting for internet to get set up at our apartment...so I am outside on the patio in a sweater and jacket bumming internet off someone without a WEP password. Lucky me.

My wife and I traveled by train to Salzburg and Innsbruck before my studio started. It was pretty nice-somewhat touristy. The mountains were beautiful.

I met up with the entire studio Friday(yesterday). The new students that just finished their entrance projects were there in addition to the students that have been around a while. The studio ranges from guys and girls from all over Europe: Poland, Germany, Slavenia, Austira, Russia, etc...and then there is me, the American. I...

Vienna-University of Applied Arts, Studio Prix

2007-08-21T03:26:42-04:00

Well, in a few weeks I will be headed off to Vienna. My wife and I are going to go visit home (Nashville) for a few days to see family, and then I'll be starting in Studio Prix October 1. I am looking forward to it. I anticipate learning a lot from fellow students in addition to the professors that will be there while I attend. Essentially, I will take the studio sequence there and fulfill the remainder of my course requirements by myself. The freedom of that really excites me; however, it is a little daring in that I will definitely have to stay on top of things.

In addition to studio, the syllabus I am preparing with a professor at school goes something like this:

1.Architecture Seminar Elective: The Avant Garde in Austria

Research, Photographic documentation, Writing

Austria has continually served as a center for exploration and discovery in art, design, and architecture. Academically, culturally, and in professional practice, a culture exists that continually tests the bou...

Summer?

2007-08-06T03:52:07-04:00

I haven't posted anything in a while, but not much as been going on-well, that isn't true, I think it is just something we all like to say even if when we stop and think about it, much has actually happened and is about to happen.

I taught summer discovery with about 10 others which was a lot of fun. It's great to see younger kids with talent come up with interesting things.

In addition to teaching, I primarily cranked out renderings for various companies-you know...the good ole radiosity interiors that look more or less cartoonish despite their overused title "photorealistic."

The summer has been somewhat frustrating in regard to the following year. I am suppose to* go to Vienna for my final year and work in the Prix Studio at the University of Applied Arts. Everyone is on vacation and we haven't gotten the final "go ahead" yet. Apparently, it's this way every year-because our school's schedules are so different, timing isn't easy. So, my wife is waiting patiently until she can...

Final Review: Pittsburgh Steel Museum...Vienna...

2007-05-08T00:14:15-04:00

I have neglected to update this blog and I commend those who were able to in the midst of crazy studio deadlines. Tomorrow is our final review of the work we've done for the Steel Museum competition for Pittsburgh. It will be a "walk through" review open to the school in addition to specific reviewers who will come and speak with us individually about our work.

Also, I was asked if I was interested in finishing my thesis year (next year) at the College of Applied Arts in Vienna. Of course, I said yes. I'll be in
Wolf D. Prix's studio. The program begins in October, so my wife and I will be headed off early September. I really appreciated the exposure I got to architecture being new to it out of undergrad, and am very pleased that I'll be able to gain further insight in Vienna and Europe from the architects and designers that will be guiding me.

Here is the work I'll be presenting tomorrow. Because it was a competition, we weren't required to build a physical model. I felt a li...

Spring Break...Almost

2007-03-06T00:59:50-05:00

Today: Materials & Methods Mid Term
Wednesday: Crit (model and drawings)
Friday: Quantitative Environmental Systems Mid Term

A busy week indeed. I finished a model this weekend. It's huge. The requirement for the crit was a 1"=50', but I did 1"=20' because I wanted to look at it in greater detail. It's for the Museum of Steel competition going on for Pittsburgh.

Since I had it finished early, and due to its size making it stick out rather vividly on my studio desk, I got a crit with one prof. whom I appreciate a lot. He is Austrian and worked with Gunther Domenig for a long while and I think worked on some Morphosis projects. Anyhow, he had positive things to say about it.

The design is still incredibly diagrammatic. Hopefully, over the break I will settle the plan and develop the section a bit more in detail.

The program describes the museum site not only being for the museum itself, but also a revitalization plan to create a museum park. The site it 7 miles south of pitts...

Project 1 Done. Starting competition Thursday

2007-02-21T18:40:13-05:00

Here are some images of the work I completed for our first project. I guess everyone has to design a house in architecture school. I was a little frustrated in regard to the way final requirements are handled: we spend all kinds of time talking and considering the project with rough study models being refined day in and day out, and then at the last minute, we have all this work to do. I wished we had more time to put towards presentation work. So, I did what I could in the time I had:

We start the Steel Museum competition project Thursday. I wish I knew a great deal more about steel. Oh well, I'll do my best.

I got second place-I get to choose a book-Ideas Please

2007-02-15T10:50:53-05:00

I got second place for my symphony poster design. Anyhow, the Dean is paying for each of the four finalists to get any architecture book they want. We're going with our studio professors after studio today.

I'll take suggestions.

First Diagram Model

2007-02-04T23:14:09-05:00

This is the first diagrammatic model I have built for the house we're designing. I should have a few more that I will build this week. We're spending about 2 more weeks on it and then we're moving into a 10 week competition project.

Symphony Poster...second try

2007-01-28T21:35:32-05:00

Here's my second shot for the Symphony Poster competition:

I changed the text in the background to be read as a gradiant rather than the radmon opacity changes
in the earlier poster:

The House After Joseph Cornell

2007-01-25T20:02:55-05:00

I feel like there is a similar train of thought that guides the minds of design professors over the age of 50. When they look at your work, they try to relate it to anything they can think of and then try to understand it in those terms. If your work begins to deviate from that notion even the slighest bit then a typical phrase follows: "well so and so didn't really do it that way, so I think you ought to develop it in a different way."
Another condition might also present itself. If the professor can't think of an architectural example similar or even vaguely similar to the work you're describing then another typical response will follow: "well, I'm having a hard time trying to think of what this might be like, so you'll have to keep working on it."

Is it just me, or does every person's work need to have precedent?
This isn't the reality of the whole design studio. We have other professors that are eager to look at our work for what it is and be constructively critical-sure, ...

My First Stab at Marketing/Graphic Design

2007-01-19T17:48:26-05:00

The Houston Symphony has held a national competition for young people for the past 31 years. This year, our studio was asked to design the posters that will go out to all the universities advertising the event. The past posters have been pretty traditional. I wanted to try to make mine a little more relevant to young people. I haven't ever really done anything like this. Of course, I use Illustrator and Photoshop for architecture boards. Anyhow, here is my first idea. I'll take any suggestions.

The filler text could be moved around anywhere. I just put it in for now to look at it. I recognize there might be a better way to organize it.

Christmas Break in Nashville: The Gulch,etc...

2007-01-10T17:47:10-05:00

Both my parents and my wife's parents live in Nashville. We both grew up here, so we went back for the break for about a week. I got back to Houston and still had 2 weeks left before classes started so a friend of mine and I decided to drive back as he had never visited before. Here are a few pictures of some of the areas we checked out. The Gulch is a district consisting of warehouses being converted into apartments as well as office spaces. In addition is an area converted into bars/performance space that were once really bad country music wax museums and other crap. The area begins at the end of music row at a newly constructed roundabout.

Almost Done

2006-12-13T09:26:23-05:00

Well. It doesn't look like too may people are checking out my previous entry-maybe I don't blame you. The review was pretty frustrating but also a relief. It was informal in the sense that we only had one outside reviewer. I guess that makes sense as we only spent 2.5 weeks on the project. We did have a "visiting professor" as the program said that came to help teach this final project and he was the most frustrating one. The Program was titled: Walden III:Seeking the New City, and he got into his mind this idea similar to that of FLW in Broadacre City that everyone would experience solitude and rediscover the sacred with their own piece of land. However, he neglected to consider that the program required us to develop the first phase on 16 acres and accomodate 4000 people-which implies a dense building typology. He didn't even hardly listen to ways people tried to resolve this dilemma between density and solitude and so any project that had a desne building vocabulary he immediatle...

Walden 3 Crit Tomorrow

2006-12-10T23:20:48-05:00

Here is the outcome of our 3 week study of how to "design" a new city. We have all been a bit discouraged as the program seemed to be similar to one that should really take a whole semester or even a year, but we had to consider it in only 3 weeks. It is really rough with a lot more left to be developed and considered. So, anyhow, here is the board we put together. We couldn't use more than 5 16x16 inch boards, so we decided to run it horizontal:

My studio prof is a huge writer. He use to be the editor for CITE magazine and still writes reguarly for it. So, he wanted us to all come up with a short written description of our work. Grant, in my group, wrote it up. He kind of gave it a name which I am still trying to figure out what it means:

A new city. A virgin landscape. There are no natural landforms here (save the distant western mountains) to determine the constructed forms of our city. We are faced with a bleak, blank canvas that is freeing, yet also confounding. How do we...

Walden III: Seeking A New City

2006-11-27T21:52:19-05:00

We've been charged to discover new implications for the city. We've been given a program that allows for a city to evolve in phases-2-4 thousand each phase to a maximum of 30 thousand. the Site is in the desert in Nevada about 80 miles from a medium sized city. A research and manufacturing plant is to be the primary reason for the new city.
We've been told the typical suburban life will not do, but we are to consider new ways of making the city.

Personally, I feel like the program is setting us up to fail. A visiting professor who teaches our Level II theory course that deals specificaly with urban determinants is joining our studio as a design critic. The esays we have read deal specifically with all the things that have screwed cities up-primarily anything that has been predetermined, platonic, and controlling.
The task makes me feel so timid because it is basically an absurd task to try to make something from scratch-something that characteristically evolves over time.

Her...

Final Review:Public Gallery & Criticism for Bozeman, Montana Municipal Airport

2006-11-15T20:09:46-05:00

It has been over a month since I posted last. I am impressed with guys like +q who manage to post with the demands of the GSD. I poured myself into this project. I have been working on presentation drawings and the final model for a while.
Today was our Final Review of sorts;however, it was more in the form of a public gallery. We pinned up in the archieve room and the space was open to other students and faculty. Our prof invited specific professors to come and walk around to talk to us specifically about our work. So, we made sure to stay close to offer a defense when asked.
All together I was satisfied. Conceptually, I consdiered making the airport more than a function of transport but also a public amenity. I organized it bilaterally with public space and airport functional space co exisiting on the main concourse level.

Here are some pictures of my work and some other pictures of models and drawings for my fellow studio mates.

I loaded them a little out of order. Anyhow...

Montana Airport: Specific Diagrams & Section Studies Deadline

2006-10-11T00:36:14-04:00

Bruce Webb headed to Chicago today for something. So, studio was a little more relaxed. We have a week to work on updated plans, a site plan, and a section model. The section model is to be a 40' section detailing the construction of the airport. I was still in limbo as to how I am going to actually do that, so I worked out a few more diagrammatic studies to wrap up my design so that the building construction will flow seemlessly-as I hope. As mentioned earlier, the very beginning of the process took into close consideration of how it would actually get built, but now it is time to get down to the specifics. Here are a few pictures: our new studio coffee pot, some study models of my airport, and the diagrams I worked out.