Last week was about understanding architectural trajectories. The Eisenman + Koolhaas split was the content of a lecture given by Hernan in our SoftTECH seminar. Our generation is integrating these two trajectories into a hybrid, similar to Morphosis (and many more that I am not astute enough to... View full entry

Flidays at Flive $Sx%3# ... lots of characters. I gotta say, as I get to know the people in my studio, I'm really glad I am here. Truly, there are a lot of characters. Open bar on Fridays is great because the masks get lifted to reveal some great personalities. Tonight a few of us went out for... View full entry

Hey, mon... you da Archinect guy, right? Fucks? -- uh, no... it's Fooks, like Books. OK, mon, we was just having a discussion about it over der (Friday's @ five). Well, all this exposure (to be honest, just a face with a name around school) has brought my work to the eyes of many. Not to mention... View full entry

"Everybody was Kung Foo figh - ting..." Sorry, one too many beers after 'Friday's @ 5' (a school bonding program setup by the student union for everyone to get 1/2 lit and discuss everything from the latest projects to who's sleeping with who). Needless to say, I have not heard too much yet about... View full entry

First day of History/Theory... Michael Speaks was great! Slightly disorganized but full of architectural prowess -- and a little bit of himself, too. You have to admire him for being passionate about our architectural discourse. The title of the course was either changed or further defined:Modern... View full entry

First day of studio for an informal meet and greet. Hernan and Elena seem to have a good balance of intensity and sense of humor. In short, all of our preconceived notions of architecture are going to be challenged: program, budget, etc. This semester will be an exploration in dynamic form using... View full entry

This could not have been a better last day of my old life. I surfed a 7 hour session in town without taking a break. The waves were 8-14 ft faces and conditions were hot, no wetsuit, and good people in the water. Even a few outta-towners were pleasant to talk to. I got last minute advice from some... View full entry

I took a drive by my first real project. Of course I've done a lot of work for local contractors & developers, including working for Obelisk Architects and 2.5 books with Dr. Osamu Wakita. But this project is special to me. From start to permit, and now continuing to help resolve design... View full entry

6:00 am Damn Alarm Clock 6:30 am Damn Alarm Clock 6:45 am Shower + Shave 7:15 am Internet + Email 7:30 am Leave for Work at Client's Office I figured out that I have to work 3 hrs 20 mins, 5 days a week to pay all my bills (ie support my family) while in school. This is without having to take out... View full entry

Today, studio space was designated in "miracle 1/4 mile". Note to self: don't forget your skateboard ever again. My toes got all raw from walking around the building so much today. I even wore thick socks. Scooters and skateboards are the preferred method of transportation at school; there's even... View full entry

Norman Klein lectured. Funny guy with a tremendous depth of knowledge about the history and cultural development of Los Angeles. He was humerously quirky and very engaging. After lecture, we were sent off on our own and told to carpool around LA. Since I am one of the only LA natives, my small... View full entry

Spent the day bumming around school and got the photoblog idea. Went to the library to read up on the history of SCI-Arc: it's origins, key players, and building history. After some debate, Kevin, our seasoned librarian, referred me to "Ray Kappe Retrospective" which was so totally appropriate... View full entry

Oops... yesterday I had a case of the mistaken Norms. View full entry

Foster's philosophy: "It's never too late. If you have a dream, one you really believe in, are motivated by, and become passionate about, then it's possible." Norman Foster is the orientation speaker today (I found out by keeping in touch with admissions). So, I figured I'd 'google' him a bit to... View full entry

Meet and greet. EOM in suede pumas & a sweatshirt. Staff intros. Lunch. Technology rules & discussion. Financial Aid Salesman. Building tour. CNC check-in. After party with new friends. I'm contemplating making this a photoblog...Stairway | To HellStairway | To HeavenSkateboard Ramp | On... View full entry

There's nothing more supportive than mentors & family. Tonight, the last night before orientation, I spent 3+ hours on the phone with -- let's call him Morpheus. He's a friend, an architectural confidant, M.Arch Columbia grad, and designer for an NY starchitect. We met on EFNET which seems... View full entry

INTRODUCTIONSteve Fuchs : www.virtual-architect.comSCI-Arc | M.Arch 2 (4 + 2.5 year program) This course, specifically designed to build upon and reconsider knowledge gained from undergraduate degrees in Architecture, has as its aim the reappraisal of the discipline of Architecture. Students are... View full entry

RETRO POST #11: TERMINALS 2003 Studio @ SCI-Arc From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-08-01 @ 09:26:04 PMhttp://www.sciarc.edu/users/hernan Again, doing research... found this -- a precursor to the Columbia Spring 2004 Studio. Am I wrong, or does it look like SCI-Arc students... View full entry

RETRO POST #10: Eminate.org Lecture | 7/22/04 From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-08-01 @ 06:01:52 PME M I N A T E . O R G "Evening Conversations Series"Materials & Applications Webcast | July 22, 2004 Speakers : Paul Preissner / Marcelo Spina / Hernan Diaz AlonsoCLICK TO... View full entry

RETRO POST #09: Hernan's Spring 2004 Studio "Terminals" (Columbia) From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-07-20 @ 08:30:20 PM I started an interesting thread on Archinect.com's Discussion Board inquiring about one of Hernan's Spring 2004 Studios.Here's a link to the most amazing... View full entry

RETRO POST #08: Current State of Mind From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-07-10 @ 02:20:02 AM Well... I have been reading a LOT (mostly theory readers and an occasional typography or photography book), traveled to Vegas to see the spendors of the Venetian (Mayne's Tsunami and... View full entry

RETRO POST #07: Maya - Exploring Renaissance Paintings From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-05-30 @ 08:40:05 AMThe Magic of Illusion, The Renaissance and Maya Leonardo Da Vinci, Andrea Pozzo and Piero Della Francesco. In one short burst of intense artistic progress, these... View full entry

RETRO POST #06: ROTO|phosis (part 1) From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-05-27 @ 07:07:07 AM Yesterday at LAHC's ARCH34 Critique I got a chance to prepare for, observe and engage Michael Rotondi -- it is a funny story actually.Preparation Before the critique I made sure to... View full entry

RETRO POST #05: Rigid vs. Fluid From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-05-09 @ 05:42:23 AM One of my peer mentors, Matt Uselman, once suggested to explore the fluid side of my interest in water sports, specifically surfing, and incorporate the excellence I've attained in my... View full entry

RETRO POST #04: Prefab Investigations From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored 2004-05-05 @ 09:54:47 PM Over the last 2 weeks I've been investigating the use of prefab homes for a development along the Colorado River. What I've found is amazing. I know this stuff is not new, but it... View full entry

RETRO POST #03: 3D Terrain Modeling From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored 2004-04-25 @ 04:09:23 AM** 01/13/05 NOTE: Little did I know this would come in VERY handy while preparing a SurfCAM-able terrain for Eric Cheong's thesis. Found a better way than using formZ to create terrain... View full entry

RETRO POST #02: Personal Blog Colophon From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored 2004-04-21 thru 2004-04-25** 01/13/05 NOTE: These posts are an accumulation of colophon items while working on setting up my personal blog (investigations & customizations). Though they are not entirely... View full entry

RETRO POST #01: In the beginning... From my personal blog (before Archinect)Authored on 2004-04-21 at 01:57:51 AM Less than a week ago, I was verbally accepted, via phone call, into the Graduate Program (M.Arch2) at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). This signals the... View full entry