We are edging towards the end of the semester and I feel as though I'm about to fall over a cliff. Everything is due at once: two models and two rendering for my Maya class, (models that must be done using machines like the 3D plastic printer, which has a line 3 days long); a presentation on Mark Wigley for my theory class; models, elevations and sections for studio (did I mention that I don't have a building yet?); and most upsetting of all, I have to ask for an extension for my independent study, or else drop the “class,” such as it is. But why drop, you ask? The intention of this independent study is to do excellent, thorough research and write an excellent, thoughtful paper. If I can't do this, then why hand in a mediocre paper just to get some course credits? I'll only be disappointing myself. I don't actually need the credits, anyway. Either way, the paper will get written and it will be good... eventually.

Here's a look back at the midterm reviews.



What dawn looks like. Captured at 5am after a night of model-making.



The post-pro review features Dean Stern (white shirt), Brigitte Shim (third from right), Sarah Whiting (fifth from right), and Fred Koetter (second from left), among others. Fred Koetter and Ed Mitchell co-teach the first-semester-post-pro-studio annually.



The Murcutteers' review was also graced by Brigitte Shim (third from left), as well as Todd Williams (in the black t-shirt). Our much-missed Dean Peggy Deamer made an appearance; she's second from left. (Peggy is on leave this semester.) Glenn Murcutt is standing in the lower part of the frame with only his head in view. To the far right is Dean John Jacobson, documenting for posterity.
The name "Murcutteers" was coined by the studio in honor of Open House. They put up a poster of Australia upside-down with "Murcutteers" emblazoned across it in some woodsy font. The Eisenman studio hung up a banner that read, "Eisenmania," with the "E" in red. It was Helvetica, I think.
We had a colonial flag with an elegant sketch of Leon in white, and the Plattus studio had a Mao-ified version of Alan Plattus in yellow on a red background with the word "platypus" written under it in Chinese; or so we think. And where do we get all this time?



Finally, the Krier review. Here we see Paolo giving a wonderful off-the-cuff introduction to Williamsburg, Virginia and everything we had produced so far in the semester. No one knew in advance how the review was to be conducted, so we all had to think on our feet and prepare a mini-speech in about two minutes. This was in regards to our initial research, which was not all that extensive, but looked okay up on the wall. The plasma screen displayed a rolling slide show of our photographs, an excellent distraction to the gaps in our presentation.



Leon Krier (right) is from Luxembourg and so is Emmanuel Petit (left), but the two men couldn't be more different, ideologically. I happen to be in both their classes but I've learned nothing in the way of Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch) so far. That's the national language, along with French and German; it seems to be Germanic. Their national motto (and what's ours, “you're either with us or you're against us?”) is, “We wish to stay what we are.” Nothing could be truer of Leon Krier. He lives in France, however.



This is the lovely Susan, who's always been so nice to me. Susan, you're a doll. Now put down the coffee and go get some sleep.



The discussion was very engaging for the visitors...



...but less so for the students. Nicole, in the foreground, is thinking, “Why am I here?”



The remains of the day. Paper. Abandoned.



And finally, this is how undergrads make models.

Ciao!