Archinect - Giselle's Blog

My Path

2021-05-01T00:08:17-04:00

I feel it’s really hard to predict the future. Especially with architecture, which continues to change and develop along with time. After my five years of walking up and down the campus, typing and clicking on my laptop, and measuring and sizing my models, I imagine myself to hopefully be doing what I’ve studied to do with the most of my capabilities.

Believe it or not, like many, I am afraid of failure. I’m afraid of the impact what my failure can do, not only to myself but to others as well. Because of this, I would always start small and slowly try to make my way up as far as I can. Although slow, starting small results in myself being able to gauge myself correctly of what I am capable of, at the moment, and what I will need to learn for the future.

In the future, besides being successful in my career choice, I hope to become someone that my family and friends would be proud to talk about. I want to be a great daughter that doesn’t let my parents worry, a role model cousin t...

Nobody's Perfect

2021-04-12T15:21:34-04:00

At one point in time everyone wants to be perfect. We compare ourselves to those viewed as the top and yearn to be the same as them. To follow their perfect lines and perfect symmetry to make something “clean” and, in our eyes, “perfect.” However, like many people have told us, nobody’s perfect. While being perfect can be viewed as exquisite and beautiful, so can imperfection. Nature for example is imperfect, but at the same time has its own beauty of imperfection.

The beauty and art of imperfection is known to be a Japanese art, specifically based on nature and the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. This art is called Wabisabi, Wabi derives from the meaning of root ‘wa’, referring to peace and harmony, and Sabi meaning “flowers of time” referring to the natural flow of time. The combination of the two come together bringing the philosophy of the beauty of imperfection and respect for passage of time. It is the art of undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discover...

Japanese Architecture - Notes of the Past

2021-03-22T04:49:35-04:00

Like being born and growing up, everyone, everything has their origin. Traditional architecture maintains our link to the past. Our designs and ideas don’t just spring up from thin air. They are thought and created by the influence of the past. Letting us know what already works and doesn’t work, the past helps us develop ourselves. This also goes for Architecture. Traditional architecture can help us develop our own current designs by learning and observing how traditional architecture was influenced to be designed the way it is. On top of that, the type of traditional architecture also plays an important part of design development. Traditional Japanese Architecture, for example, is heavily influenced by Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. Additionally, their architecture was influenced by many other characters like climate and material.

Japan’s Shinto and Buddhist beliefs have influenced its architecture greatly from its site to the material. They influence the design of their building...

Our Modern Treehouses

2021-03-01T02:58:19-05:00

When I was younger, I never knew the joy of having and being in a tree house. It is funny when just a structure lifted high by nature. Like a bird nest. However, I think just that simple idea of being similar to that of a bird nest, is what made it special. With the progression of technology and society’s movement towards the future of electronics, the special feeling of a tree house seems to have been forgotten. Technology has sort of detached us from the originality of where we came from. Nature.

Biophilic design is a approach to bring back society to nature. It seeks to connecting building occupants more closely to nature. To fulfill this, these types of buildings are incorporated with things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features, and other elements for creating a more productive and healthier built environment for people. The goal in biophilic design is to bring characteristic of the natural world into the built spaces. Studies have even shown the ben...