So, a lot has happened since the last time I posted anything. I'm finally realizing that this isn't just some European vacation, that I am really here for a whole year, and that I need to get my act together and start some work! I've spent the last few weeks exploring London and getting to know my way around the place which is no easy feat. I don't think that they know what STRAIGHT is in terms of streets around here. But anyway, I really like the city, even when it rains which it does a lot. I just have to carry an umbrella with me everywhere I go.

Well, on to happenings of the school...
The M. Arch group was given their tutors. Unlike the diploma units where you get to choose your top three instructors, we were just assigned to one. It is kind of strange, but just about everyone that I know was put in a group that they wanted to study with. Its funny how that works sometimes. Here is who is teaching:

Nic Clear
Phil Watson
Andrew Porter
Simon Herron
Stuart Munro

All of the groups are pretty evenly split, except for Andrew Porter's group, they only have three. Sorry guys!

I am in Phil Watson's group. Phil co-teaches Unit 19 with Neil Spiller. So far, we've only met with Phil twice. He lives in Northern Wales, about 350 miles North West of London, and is only in town on Wednesdays. He wants us to begin by building stuff, which I like a lot. The only thing that our 'construction' has to take into account is motion, in some form or another.

Right now I'm working on trying to create a text that is a motion and then translate it out into some sort of 'device' dealing with the motion that the text sets up. The idea of translating ideas from one medium to another is something that has always interested me. I think that looking at a motion text (not a text that describes a motion, but is a motion in itself, its construction and the way it communicates) could be really interesting. Once I feel that these texts are ready for the public, I'll post them up here so you can see what I'm talking about.

Once a week we have a set of lectures, one from Neil Spiller followed by one from Nic Clear. Neil's are geared towards the history on 20th century architecture. Nic's are geared to practicing theory and theorizing practice, as he likes to put it.

As a class, we're going to Florence in the beginning of November. We're going to be there for a week. A few of us decided to extend our little trip and head to Venice before Florence so we could catch the Biennale! I've never been to Europe before, so I'm taking advantage of every opportunity to see the world while I'm here. I'm also going with Phil's group up to Wales, Phil's house, for a weekend in the end of October. Phil owns a bookshop and several buildings up there and he wants us to come up and 'walk amongst the hills and the sea ad talk about our projects'. He also teaches in Nottingham and said that we could tag along for the day if we wanted, which sounds like a great opportunity.

I had taken some pictures around studio and the building to put up here, but I continently left my camera and memory reader at school, so those will have to be for another time. I'm going to a really interesting gallery exhibition in the morning. Phil said that we should see this. The artist is Conrad Shawcross and his show is at the VictoriaMiro gallery in London.


Conrad Shawcross
Loop System - Major Third 5:4, 4 part Counterpoint, 2006
mixed media
225 x 300 x 250 cm