Archinect - Christopher Parsley Blogs

A Student's Hopes

2021-05-01T19:25:44-04:00

When going into my first year at Woodbury University last year for architecture, the energy that each of my classmates gave off is what motivated me to keep on working and to try to improve on my drawings and concepts. Pushing me to my limits because they were right beside me going through the same struggles that I was. Everyone working together was the true studio environment and that is when we all thrived, until spring break rolled around and we all left campus and a majority of us have yet to step foot on it again because of the covid-19 pandemic. I am now finishing my second year at Woodbury completely online with the renewed hope that I will be seeing my studio family again this fall.

The expectations for this fall will be nothing like that entering my first year because there will still be restrictions in place. The hope is that the energy I felt back then will resurface sometime in my last three years here. For the fall I expect there to be dividers and maybe some sort of so...

Preserving History

2021-04-12T12:18:00-04:00

In a world of constant demolition and construction it becomes difficult to keep the close ties to what used to exist, and once something is gone physically many start to even forget it was ever there. Not only does the historical tie diminish, but pollution in the area increases due to the total deconstruction that occurs over and over again whenever someone wants to start anew.

When the building has a strong connection to its past this allows for the public to learn from it and understand the community better. When the connection is lost then there is not really much of a deeper meaning as a whole. Some architects today focus solely on new innovations with structures and facades, which is amazing work in itself, but what if that same mindset was put to focus on improving what was already there. Building upon existing buildings and keeping the main aspects of what was there is not a new concept; however, it is something that should be done more when possible.

Look at the Kolumba M...

Valuing Uniqueness

2021-03-15T12:52:15-04:00

Originality and creativity is one of the main things that architects can put into their designs, and of course they can draw upon ideas that came before them; however, still trying to adapt them to fit within the site it’s placed. When buildings start to follow this cookie cutter concept we lose that uniqueness and personal connection to the site.

This article is not to say that all repetition in this sense is frowned upon because in certain circumstances where materials are short and a common design helps to facilitate resources it is totally acceptable. Though once you change locations and circumstances change then the design should change with it. For instance, a company keeping the same layout of all of their buildings no matter where it is located. Yes this allows for the customer to know exactly what experience they should expect, but is the goal really to create a place that may not belong or work with its surroundings.

Site adaptation is how architects tackle the constr...

Circulation Story Telling

2021-02-24T12:17:08-05:00

Story telling, whether that be in a movie, book, or video game, the order is key. These stories create vivid images of the architecture and its circulation; however, what becomes difficult is when the one experiencing the story has free movement in a video game. The task at hand then becomes a forced circulation within the design of the virtual building.

Every design decision is intentional and meant to keep the player on track with the story so no information is lost. With the Halo series all bases within the story mode are made using wreckage and locked doors in order to force the circulation of the player. In a way looking at the city planning of the map, by limiting accessible spaces players are more likely to run across each other and engage with the game.

Majority of the maps follow a symmetrical scheme for Halo,like Blood Gulch or LongBow, in order to create more of a fair playing ground on the slayer mode. The designers here work on changing facades in order to distinct t...