Final semester juries are two weeks away in the DRL. On the first floor Phase 1 robots are climbing, spraying dropping, drawing, pushing, giggling and even rocking out to queen. On the second level Phase 2 agents are flocking, aggregating, negotiating superbodies and in general being impressively indecipherable to Phase 1 students. The curious thing about the last two and the next two week is that this is the time where flocking agents and giggling robots are coerced into producing architecture. I would go so far as to say that these agents and servos have even been threatened into becoming buildings where words like ‘apartments’ replace the much sexier ‘superbodies.’ It’s a transformation that amuses me deeply because I just spent the last few months struggling to divorce myself in many ways from this concretely architectural way of looking at work here. At the same time it is incredibly fascinating to see these months of experimentation, invention and fantasy begin to formulate serious proposals for buildings with specific program in a particular site.

This repetitive culture shock I am sure will grow as we begin to help Phase 2 students finalize their projects and presentations. For me, their work is still comprised primarily of magic and it is incredibly daunting to think that in a little more than a month they will not be here anymore to answer questions and give advice. With Phase 2 in the building it seems like the answer is always close, you just have to find the right person to ask. With them gone I fear the learning curve will change dramatically. More to come of the materialization of this ProtoDesign agenda.