Archinect - E.T.S.A.B. (Oliver Bayliss)

Libraries!....dying breed or cultural necessity?

2006-02-15T14:13:21-05:00

So, my project for the second semester is asking for a new library in Reus, a quaint satellite town an hour or so south of Barcelona where, as it turns out, Gaudi was born. My initial reaction was then how to approach such a project. In an age where the humble book is a slow and cumbersome way of gathering information, are libraries actually needed anymore?

In some respect the traditional idea of a library may be thought of as becoming extinct, however a fresh new batch of libraries seem to be springing up all over the place. More so then ever, towns or cities seem to crave the presence of a place that acts as a cultural point of reference and in that way maybe the idea of a library has changed? They are no longer thought of as a place of quiet concentration where books are the overriding theme but are now places where people go not to just to read. They go to meet others, listen to music, read the papers and have a coffee. So has the conventional idea of the library changed? Do th...

Why do we bother with this university nonsense?

2006-01-02T09:14:33-05:00

Well 2006 is upon us and I think I might take advantage of this time off to write a very long overdue entry to my blog. As I haven't written for a while I'll start with a quick reminder for those who are not aware of what I'm up to. I'm currently undertaking a year abroad, my final year, studying at ETSAB in Barcelona. I started the semester a little concerned about the way in which they teach here but as the semester draws to a close I must admit although the styles of teaching here are somewhat traditional, I feel I have benefited enormously from what is essentially a style of education that is taken more from the point of view of the architect as engineer rather than architect as ”˜thinker'.

After two years working in London, I started my Diploma at LondonMet craving for a student project where I could design a ”˜building' that not only dealt with the theoretical challenges of urban/landscape design but also allowed us to hone our understanding of the ways in which materials g...

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside....

2005-10-15T18:59:37-04:00

Ok, well let me first thank my friend Chris Daniel at the Bartlett. He's seems to be very excited that I'm doing this archinect thing, mostly as it seems so he can see my photography! Well I hope not to disappoint! Let me also say that for someone who takes pictures of absolutely everything, including patches of grass and other tundra, Mr Daniel does actually produce some very interesting photos himself. So it would be nice to see more of his work splattered across our screens....venga Christopher!!

So, I think for this entry I will write a little about my first few experiences here at ETSAB. I think I'll save the particulars of my project until the next addition when I have some more work. That way I won't have to write so much.....he says!

I have chosen two modules, one is a construction module for which I have to detail a project that I designed whilst studying in Newcastle. I touched on this briefly in my last entry.

For my design module, I originally wanted to go into the u...

first photo

2005-10-08T13:15:56-04:00

ok....as requested.

nyc 04

er.....Que?

2005-10-07T16:56:10-04:00

Well I've started my first semester here in Barcelona. As expected my first week was a pretty confusing experience! All notices were in Catalan and all the other students looked very busy whilst I spent the week walking around with a very obvious expression of Â¿Que? engraved on my face! To my rescue was Miguel; the student/international relations officer/hero. He explained all the procedures about what subjects I could choose where to do it!

The university here is huge! There are 3000 architecture students alone and the set up is very much like being back at school. There are classrooms with blackboards! Teachers stand at the front and hammer out three hour lectures about the luminosity of a light bulb to a room full of 50 mulleted Catalans! A slightly different approach to what I ”˜m used to. Last year I was studying at London Metropolitan University and most of our time was spent discussing the correct proportions for mixing plaster. Fun as it was, it seems very far removed from...