On the drive home from the final crit, the sun was just setting as the days have been getting longer and longer. The jacarada petals littered the street and the sweet scent of citrus was in the air. All these small minutia that signaled the start of summer seemed heightened. Inside, I felt a sense of excitement and freedom that I haven't felt since I was maybe in elementary school.
This isn't to say that I didn't have a good year. Quite the contrary. It's just that the intensity of it all definitely was wearing thin on my fragile psyche. Wednesday after the final, I was out with a few friends and a sudden anxiety spread through my mind until I realized I was worried about studio. I quickly realized there was no impending studio project and went back to my tasty beverage.
Academia really is an ivory tower / bubble that absorbs you and owns you faster than you realize. I've learned a lot and produced a lot. But by the same token, it's shown me how far I've got to go still. I know I can be a better designer and get better at production. Though it's hard at this point of exhaustion to really muster up the enthusiasm.
The quarter system itself is a rough one. I don't know if I'm really a fan or not. Based on talking to friends at other programs it doesn't seem like semesters or quarters really have any difference at all in terms of workload. If anything it's a stress level factor. While other studios endure the mid-review/final-review mayhem twice, we're forced to go through it three times. In addition, 10 weeks is a hell of a schedule. This past quarter, I know most students would've had drastically improved projects. I think there was a lot happening at 9 weeks that never got fully realized as production mode took over. But perhaps we'll get used to it.
It's hard to imagine that a year has flown by and we have two left. But this summer will be a well enjoyed moment of respite. I've got a nice trip to the bookstore planned with nary a hint of any manifestos or critique or the architectural-like.
I'll do a full post of the final review stuff in the following days but in the meantime, I'm headed off to New York for the week. My sister injured herself quite severely this past Friday and I am going to Brooklyn to help her out. Anyone have any suggestions? I haven't been back to NY for ages so I'm not really sure what's going on.
Teasers from the final review:
Mesh Analysis
6 Comments
Sorry to hear about your sis.
Design Life Now Exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt
http://cooperhewitt.org/exhibitions/triennial/design_life_now.asp
* If you can, please take some longer exposure pictures of the conservatory for me. I played a major part in the design and fabrication of the Panelite interior and have not had a chance to visit, yet.
Don't forget about PS1
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/06/12/young-architects-program-ps1/
Coney Island is fun for 4th of July, though PACKED... ride the roller coaster!!!
What app are you using to do mesh analysis?
By longer exposure, I mean evening / night shots on a tripod and long enough exposure times for the glass room to "pop" with the colors of the interior lighting shining through the Panelite walls... thanks :)
they don't let you take pictures in that exhibit, but is definately worth seeing.
mesh analysis done w/ a few plugins for rhino. i haven't found a good way to export data very well yet but i'm starting to get into the nitty gritty rhino stuff and want to try doing some scripting in the near future.
anyone know a good archi book store in manhattan or brooklyn?
there is a Taschen bookstore in Soho (107 Greene Street) and I think there is a book store at the Center For Architecture (536 La Guardia Place) but I'm not 100% sure about that
ACfA, I'm going to be doing the reverse as you...I went through the quarter system in undergrad and I'm going into semesters for grad. I'm a little concerned but for different reasons....I liked the pace of the quarters and not having to endure a particularly tedious lecturer for more than 10 weeks. I have a short attention span. I anticipate that after 11 or 12 weeks of the semester I'll be itching to start a new subject, but I don't have that luxury! We will see.
What are your plans for the summer?
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