For the first time in 18 years I am not going back to school. So I guess technically I'm no longer a school blogger. That's why I'm here to say goodbye. Our time was short, just one year, but it was the most important year as I earned my Master of Architecture. So now its time to apply my knowledge acquired through six years of formal architectural education in the real world.

I'm one of the fortunate ones who successfully landed a job upon graduation. After six weeks in Europe, I began my architecture career in mid-July. As my sixth week comes to a close, I'm 99.9% sure I'm doing what I love. And though I'm officially finished with school, the learning never stops. The amount of knowledge I've acquired in just six weeks on the job is astounding. Most of it is "stuff" that can't be taught in school.

If you want to continue to follow me, head over to thebldgbloc(k) where I am chronicling my new job. Along with insights from my job I post random thoughts on architecture and the allied fields. I'll be hanging out in the forums, but don't be a stranger at my blog. I do work on some pretty awesome projects. So stop in to check them out and say hello.

So now I'll step aside and let the returning and new school bloggers take over, and maybe I can provide some insight along the way...

I'm not going back to school.

The vacation's over. Well not really considering at the completion of the project we have a week divided between Florence and Rome. But the preservation work at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Crespi d'Adda has begun. It started on Monday and will continue through the end of next week. The group... View full entry

Commencement is tomorrow. But I'll be at home packing for my European adventures that begin Tuesday. A lot of friends think I'm crazy for not walking, but its no big deal to me. I know the work it took to earn my Masters degrees and I don't need a public acknowledge of my success. And I'm not... View full entry

Sorry, but I can't pass on an obvious 80s reference. I think the official countdown is 12 days, but I really don't care. I've already done the whole graduation thing and dressing like that one time will suffice. Oh yeah, I was even the graduation speaker. All I'm concerned with is completing all... View full entry

As I've mentioned before, part of my thesis project involved the engagement of the Richmond, IN community. From the outset I worked with a gentleman from the area as a direct contact to the community. He has restored some historic buildings downtown and continues to play a role in the preservation... View full entry

Now that my thesis presentation has come and gone, its time to look towards more exciting things. No I'm not talking about the small report I have to write about my thesis due in a few weeks, but rather my summer travels in Europe. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that I am finishing off my... View full entry

It's done. On Monday, six years of architectural education culminated in my final thesis presentation. I didn't know what to expect, but I certainly though it'd be more than a desk crit or mid-review. I was mistaken. I presented nearly two semesters worth of research, along with 10 weeks of design... View full entry

One week. Seven days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. 604,800 seconds. Seems like a long time when its broken down in to seconds. But no matter how you slice it, that's how long I have until my final thesis studio presentation/review. For for all intents and purposes the designing has ceased and the... View full entry

After spending the first half of spring break working on my thesis project (which is now due in 17 days!) I've headed home to relax for a few days and not think about architecture. Well, at least try and not think about architecture. When you're surrounded by it nearly 24/7 its hard to get away... View full entry

After consulting my advisor and favorite studio professor today, I feel comfortable where I'm at with my thesis project to let it be for a few days and enjoy a short break. Spring break officially begins with the close of classes on Friday, but since I don't have class on Thursday, I'm skipping... View full entry

Good In my attempt to avoid the real world for as long as possible (and lets not kid ourselves, there are no jobs out there- more on that later in the post) I've decided to finish my college education by participating in a study abroad program in Milan, Italy. Working with students from the... View full entry

I should have known that things weren’t going to go as planned for my thesis mid-review when the jury scheduled to critique my project thought they were finished for the day with the previous presenter and were readying themselves to grab some coffee. Let’s just say it may have been... View full entry

I can't recall the last time I posted (without looking I'm guessing it was at least 2 weeks ago). It's not as though I've been super busy, though busy nonetheless. Thesis project mid-reviews started today. I was lucky (or unlucky, depends on perspective) enough to be assigned a Friday review date... View full entry

I spent a portion of my weekend counting bricks. That's one of the many joys of working with old buildings. After a lot of correspondence with various people, I determined that even if any drawings of the abandoned Richmond Gas Company building do exist, it was going to be quite difficult for me... View full entry

After a short search I managed to find a ruin (within a reasonable distance from Muncie) that will work perfect for my thesis creative design project. The building is the abandoned Richmond Gas Company Building located an hour east of Muncie in Richmond, IN. Richmond has a rich history of historic... View full entry

What I'd give to be a meteorologist. Sure they predicted snow, but they were off by at least 4 inches or nearly 50% of what they predicted for maximum accumulation. Imagine spec'ing a roof that was 4 inches off?! Exactly. We got about a foot here in Muncie so Ball State canceled all classes for... View full entry

Before I get too far along with this semester, I thought it'd be best to show you what my historic preservation studio produced in the fall. To briefly summarize the project, we were tasked with proposing a revitalization plan for East 10th Street in Indianapolis, IN between Arsenal and Olney... View full entry

Anybody who knows the reference in the title is a friend of mine. It's back to school, again, but also for the last time. (Since I have not filled out a single application to pursue a PhD, it is surely the end...for now. There will probably come a time when I head back to school for my PhD in... View full entry

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. I can't believe we've reached the final week of 2008. Where did all the time go? 2008 was a great year. It found me transitioning from working 7 months in Chicago to school at Ball State for graduate school. It found me returning home to Louisville for... View full entry

The semester is over. Okay, so I have an exam on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, but for all intents and purposes it is complete. On Wednesday I submitted my thesis proposal, which topped out around 10,000 words. As soon as I get it compiled and PDFed I'll link it from here so anybody interested... View full entry

I've been in self imposed solitary confinement all weekend as I work towards the final draft of my thesis proposal. I don't know if the way I do it is the best way to do it, but its way I've done it forever and it works so I stick with it. Here's the organized chaos... Essentially all I have left... View full entry

I just completed reading and noting 18 articles and scholarly papers relevant to my thesis topic of memory, identity, and architecture. I'm knee deep in thesis since the final draft of my thesis proposal is due Wednesday. One might suspect after a long day of reading I'd be tired of thesis and my... View full entry

We were notified today that next semester's "thesis" studio will be run as a superstudio with all 30 graduate students working in the same space with three professors who are not assigned to any particular group. I'm sure it won't be as powerful or as efficient as a supercomputer, but I like the... View full entry

One thing that never fails is deadlines congregating around the same date. Another thing that never fails is that no matter how well you think you've planned for the onslaught, you're woefully under prepared. Last week I completed a building facade rehabilitation design as well as a research... View full entry

Over the past two days I was lucky enough to spend nearly five hours with Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP. I don't want to call him a genius (since that's a term I use only to describe myself) but he's certainly a visionary within the field of architecture. I learned a semester's worth of knowledge in... View full entry

The fun never stops. Today I submitted the second draft (of three) of my thesis proposal. That was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, only to realize the third and final draft is due in just three weeks. But I'm very happy with the progress I have made, submitting 35 pages when only 20 was... View full entry

Today the CAP announced Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP will be lecturing next Friday, November 14. Here's the announcement:Dear CAP Faculty and Students: The 2008 CAP Sappenfield Lecture will offer us a wonderful opportunity to hear from a designer and a design firm that have become extremely... View full entry

Today in Professional Practice we had a great presentation by Wil Marquez of Indianapolis, IN based design firm, A2SO4. The presentation looked at the changing face of architecture and the bigger picture of using design to solve challenges of all varieties. Wil challenged us to ask big questions... View full entry

The calendar has turned another page and things are starting to heat up as the semester quickly comes to a close. November is one of my least favorite months (after February, of course) as winter moves in and the workload increases. Between now and November 19 things are going to be hectic, so its... View full entry

Alright, I have a request of the Archinect community out there. I was recently assigned a small case study for my professional practice course and was hoping one of the many architects out there could help me out. The case study involves examining a "project from a practice/service/process... View full entry