With it being Ball State's Fall Break over the weekend, I took to the road and headed back to my Alma Mater at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The occasion was an Illinois/Indiana football game (I've now seen Indiana get whooped by Ball State and Illinois this season) but while I was there I got to check out the recently completed College of Business Instructional Facility by UIUC alumnus Cesar Pelli as well as the construction progress of the McFarland Memorial Bell Tower. One is a beauty the other is a beast. Please check out my thoughts and some pictures of both projects at thebldgbloc(k).

I just finished my Professional Practice mid-term assignment. Want to see how well you would do? We use The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice by the AIA and that's where all the answers came from so feel free to use it if you've got it on hand.

1. Under an unmodified B141 Contract, what is the architect obligated to do if the lowest Bid exceeds his or her last Cost Opinion or Estimate?

2. What is "Cost of the Work"? What does it include? Not include?

3. What are three of the Owner's responsibilities under B141 contract?

4. List the five standard phases of a Project as described in B141. List one typical architect activity of each phase.

5. List five items that compromise the Contract Documents as described in A101.

6. Define "substantial completion". Why is it important?

7. What are the main deficiencies of AIA standardized forms? Main benefits?

8. Who holds the rights of ownership of the Drawings and Specifications?

9. Why would an architect propose the use of a B163 contract over a B141 contract?

10. Identify the "Six Archetypes", describe the characteristics of each, and identify one design firm from each archetype.

And finally, its once again time to request courses for next semester. Per usual, I am encountering the same problems I always do. Currently the Historic Preservation elective I want to take (I don't have to take the course as I will have the 9 required concentration electives at the end of the this semester) the follow-up course to Historic Preservation Technology (the second course is the hands on field study and lab tests) is scheduled at the same time as a required course, Architectural Theory. But I guess that's why you request them, so they can work out the kinks and then you register for them.

And then there's the fact that I am required to take Fundamentals of Historic Preservation for Architects because its a so-called "core" course. I'm currently taking two HP electives (the aforementioned HP Tech, as well as, HP Documentation and Registration) that hit upon everything mentioned in the Fundamentals course description. I guess its on a more basic level.

There is no need for a student following the HP concentration path to take this course unless it is required during the first semester in grad school. I'm not required to take a sustainability elective, but those following the sustainability concentration have to take this HP "core" course. So I'm going to make a stand and battle to the end, to get out of taking Fundamentals. I don't want to be loaded down during my Thesis semester, and ridding myself of 3 unnecessary hours, will allow me to also pick up the follow-up course to HP Doc & Reg.

Well after that long weekend, I'm refreshed and ready to push until Thanksgiving break. I'll be busy this week working on both studio (which isn't formally meeting because most of the HP students are at the National Trust conference in Tulsa) and thesis. I guess the timings perfect as its now colder and wet. Ugh.