Archinect - New Jersey Institute of Technology (Gene)

NJSoA Fall Lecture Series

2009-09-10T12:47:14-04:00

Our Fall lecture series. Looks good!

The Soundtrack of Studio

2009-04-05T23:30:35-04:00

I'm sitting here doing some mundane cad/rhino/grasshopper work for what will probably be the billionth time this semester, listening to some music on my headphones. This is making me wonder... what constitutes "studio music"?

My playlists tend to be erratic at best, spanning a lot of artists and genres. While my music library is not the largest (~4300 songs), I like to think it's pretty diverse. I have largely everything from Coltrane to King Crimson, to The Who & Lou Reed, to Galactic & Soulive... the list goes on. There are some genres I don't like (Rap, Metal, Country (but I LOVE bluegrass... go figure)) but largely I'm up for anything.

For me, the best studio music depends on what you're doing. For design/thinking work, I like more instrumental jazz or classical, played softly on speakers. There's this great band called Zilla (ironically not where my screename comes from) that does completely improvised live music, with just a drummer, bassist and hammered dulcimer player on ...

The Listening Lab: Part 2

2009-04-03T15:47:18-04:00

Earlier this week, Brooks Atwood from POD Design completed the installation on the Listening Lab at the League For the Hard of Hearing in NYC. It was fun being able to be there (for a few hours at least) to help assemble my handiwork a bit and watch it come together.

I stopped by The League last week to check the progress, and they had gotten the front and back walls up and were just in the process of installing the first ceiling rib. All seemed to be going well, until I got 3 text messages and 2 phone calls from Brooks on Friday morning, saying he needed to re-cut things because "the room shrunk". He dropped off 3 more sheets of plywood for us to cut seven new ceiling ribs from and came back Monday morning to pick them up. I went back into the city on Monday afternoon to check the progress, and arrived just in time to share in the glory of installing the ceiling ribs. Thankfully they all went in without much drama, and the installation found itself largely complete. Brooks wants ...

The Listening Lab: Part 1

2009-03-24T23:43:40-04:00

Once again, the intrepid FabLab team of Kevin, Ben and Gene worked tirelessly on yet another plywood project. This time around we cut 22 sheets of Panelam (basically half inch ply with an ABS sheeting on both sides) and 9 sheets of birch veneer ply for an installation designed by Brooks Atwood of POD Design + Media. For better info on the actual project than I can provide, visit the link to the project here:

The Listening Studio

And now for some gratuitous shots of us cutting.

Yours Truly

Student Work Exhibiton opening

2009-03-08T15:37:43-04:00

It's been awhile since I've done an actual school-y entry here. Since we had a gallery opening last night it's the perfect opportunity to post some images of life at NJSoA.

A short rant first: the school is 'technically' no longer called New Jersey School of Architecture. We're now the College of Architecture and Design, or CAD for short (ugh), reflecting the inclusion of the new Industrial Design, Fine Arts, Interior Design, Digital Design, and Graphic Design majors. Under the umbrella of "CAD" is NJSoA, but our name is off the door, both literally and figuratively. They put up these new signs on the MLK and Ramp sides of the main building that are probably the ugliest pieces of signwork I've seen in awhile. First, they chose a horrible serif-font, akin to Times Roman or similar. Second, the word "college" is on a slight arc above the word "of", which is bordered by two round dots. "Architecture and Design" follows below. The funny thing is, it's not so much the name change of th...

The sacrifices for Architecture

2009-02-28T18:39:34-05:00

After staying up all night last Wednesday into Thursday to finish work for my Advanced Construction class, I was ready to go back to my room and pass out. However, I decided that I needed to run home first and grab my new printer that had just arrived in the mail. A friend and I jumped into my car and drove to my house which is about 20 minutes west of NJIT. We picked up the new printer and stopped at staples on the way back to get some paper for it. While on 280 heading back towards school, we spontaneously decided to drive to Ikea in Elizabeth and pick up a replacement for the plant in our room that has since died. We drive in and get nearly front-row parking, and wander through the store to do our shopping. Here's where the fun begins.

We go up to the self-checkout lanes to pay for the new plant and two strings of christmas-light things we picked up. I scan everything, swipe my credit card and sign the pin pad, when the whole world starts to go woozy. The next thing I know, I'm...

Perpetuating my Procrastination

2009-02-16T09:40:17-05:00

Instead of immediately starting on the mountain of work in front of me, I figured I'd spend a few minutes and post some of the pictures I've been collecting with my phone for the past couple days. This may seem random and pointless, but I'd like at least something to show for the fact that I woke up at 7 this morning.

Oh and I guess big-ish news in my world is that I bought an 11x17 printer off ebay yesterday. The guy selling supposedly has like whole pallets of these things at a steep (read: store going out of business) discount. I was skeptical until I saw that they're all new, in-box HP deskjet 9800's. I figure if I'm going to be freelancing for awhile after I get out of here, It can't hurt to have a printer. I'm also debating picking up the Adobe CS at the student price while I'm still a student. Anyway, on to the pics:

The view out of this place. Not terrible until the hobos start coming by at 4am knocking on the windows looking for money, food, booze or all of the above.

Casey...

Creativity Black Hole

2009-02-12T03:33:22-05:00

So I'm in the middle of my first all-nighter of the semester and figured I'd dash off a quick entry to illustrate how ungodly horrible my studio space is.

If you scroll back a few entries you'll find a similar picture taken from the webcam in my monitor of the view behind my desk from last semester. I was on the 7th floor of the archie building, with a fantastic view of Newark and New York City. Now, for my final semester of undergrad architecture, they stuck us in the parking deck studios. For those of you who don't go to NJSoA, it should be described at this point that the parking deck is a full block away from the archie building proper, so we're completely removed from things like the printroom, fablab, model shop, library, and the ASU supply shop. It doesn't help that there's only 2 studios in here, with a total of 18 people. On a good night (like tonight) there were 7 of us in here. Typically its 2, maybe 3, since most people work on their laptops either at home or in their ...

NJSoA Spring Lecture Series

2009-02-03T02:42:46-05:00

Hot off the presses, just in today!

The fine print on the bottom reads:

"Lectures are held on Mondays, 5:30 p.m. at the NJSoA Weston Lecture Hall unless otherwise noted and are open to the public. For more information or reservations please call (973) 596-3080. The 2009 Lecture Series is registered with the AIA continuing education system (CES) and offers learning units which may be self reported. The New Jersey School of Architecture is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and is in compliance with all criteria standards."

The weekend of site visits

2009-01-24T18:14:43-05:00

Inevitably, when anyone thinks about doing initial site visits during the spring semester, one word pops into their mind: cold. Since January in the northeast tends to be the coldest of the months, and the spring semester conveniently starts in January, I have not had a warm site visit in the spring in about 3 years. Nonetheless, we all pulled on our under armor and Ushankas and ventured out into the cold.

Site Visit 1: Far Rockaway/Fort Tilden

Matt Peckham has assigned us our project for Advanced Construction. We're to design a small (1800 sq. ft.) community sauna, to be placed on a piece of land adjacent to the ocean in Fort Tilden, which is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. If any of you are in the New York area and have access to a car, I highly recommend you take a drive and check this area out. It's pretty hard to believe standing on a dune, surrounded by sea grass and the sounds of the ocean that you're still standing in New York City.

The Site, as seen from the ...

What I did on my (Last) Winter Vacation

2009-01-19T14:06:02-05:00

Standing on the threshold of my final semester of Undergraduate Architecture, I'm wondering where the last five years have gone. I know it sounds cliche and stereotypical but, looking back on it, it really feels like it absolutely flew by. With the big nut of Comprehensive Studio completed, it's just a matter now of finishing my final options studio and some electives (and the stupid physics requirement I put off) and I'm done, ready to be released into one of the worst recessions in recent memory.

Choices for studio this semester seem a little thin, with only 4 critics teaching Options. By contrast, there are 6 teaching Pre-Comp. The 4 projects I have to choose from are: A retail space for a high-end architectural glass company in Manhattan, An expansion of the Museum of Modern Art in Jersey City, whatever Don Wall is doing, and a Dynamic City, focusing on the redevelopment of the waterfront between Bayonne and Brooklyn along the lower New York Bay. Right now, I'm leaning towards...

It's over now, has it just begun?

2008-12-16T14:11:02-05:00

So for the first time in my life, I am happy to have passed studio... just. This semester, besides being one of the most intense work-wise, was also one of the worst grade wise I think I can remember from my five years.

Anyway, comp is done.... I just have one last options and a few electives to finish next semester and I'm done and can graduate with my B. Arch, straight into one of the worst economic downturns the world has seen in quite some time.

Time to hide out in grad school perhaps?

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

2008-12-04T18:13:40-05:00

(See title... Comp Final is MONDAY!!!!!!)

Charrette Checklist

2008-11-18T21:19:28-05:00

A handy guide to everyone's favorite time of the semester.

1. 22" Widescreen LCD (main work space)
2. Sennheiser HD-600 Headphones (pricey but SO worth it... www.headphone.com)
3. 19" LCD (secondary work space, rhino/illustrator tool palette overflow)
4. 15" MBP (iTunes, email, internet, make2D's, renders)
5. Trace (many, many, many rolls)
6. Mac Keyboard (excellent space-saver, even used on a PC)
6. Logitech MX518 (best mouse in the world, been by my side since freshman year)
7. Venti Starbucks Expensive-atte
8. Red and Black Pentel Sign Pens

Just Shown at the top of the image:
Desk Lamp (w/ CFL bulb)
Shelf w/ reference books and model bits

Not Shown:
Dell Precision 360 workstation
Graphic Standards/Studio Companion
Modeling Supplies
iPhone
Hundreds of empty coffee cups
uncomfortable chair
bleary-eyed studiomates
the many mice that scurry around this place

Who wants to watch me work? (Extended through Wednesday!)

2008-11-12T00:02:21-05:00

Due to the overwhelming response... this has been extended thru wednesday.

Live streaming video by Ustream

The project you're watching me work on is the Temporary Addition to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, as I mentioned in an earlier post. What I'm hoping to accomplish tonight is the complete integration of the floor structure, a series of concrete trusses that run under the entire 1800' length of the project. I have already modeled the exterior walls and glazing that enclose the paintings, as well as the primary circulation paths and the entry/exit points. Desk Crits at 8:30 tomorrow, let's see what happens!

Coming up for air

2008-11-03T13:02:22-05:00

This could be the last post for awhile. Our final review for Comp is three weeks(!!!) away and I'm still feeling like I'm pretty far behind. The group dynamic (at least for us three) fell apart like a cheap suit about three weeks ago. We've been pursuing individual projects since. This, combined with needing to take a significant amount of time off for a personal family related issue, the pressures of other classes, TA work on the router/z printers, the CfA board/presentation/opening, and my own inexorable need for at least a couple hours of free time have combined to push me further and further back in Studio.

I see this post as me filling up the scuba tanks for that last push to the wreckage that is going to be final review.

The space behind me will gradually get more and more chaotic.

Good Morning Newark!

2008-10-16T02:47:33-04:00

I have this habit of taking pictures of sunrises on the mornings of all-nighters. Since my studio this semester faces east and is on the seventh floor, we're in prime sunrise viewing territory. This morning's was particularly majestic:

Joint studio review that was supposed to be today was pushed back to tomorrow (thursday). Mid review is next thursday. Mid-review, already? Where does the time go?

CfA Teaser

2008-10-12T22:35:01-04:00

My board for the CfA is done! It'll be on display at the Center for Architecture in Manhattan from October 18th until December 19th, alongside "exemplary" work from 13 other northeastern architecture schools. Look for a full write-up following the opening party next Saturday evening, but for now I'll post a teaser of the board.

Center for Architecture

I am hopelessly addicted...

2008-10-10T23:05:16-04:00

to notcot.org.

notcot

Photoblog

2008-10-08T21:03:19-04:00

Remember the first time you got a new toy, and it was the coolest thing in the world? You played with it all day, slept next to it at night and never thought the fun would wear off. Eventually the excitement would pass and you would get bored, and the toy would lay forgotten in the yard during a huge rainstorm, and then never work right again. That is sort of the story of me and the CNC Router at school, except I'm still using that toy on a daily basis at the bidding of others. I speak of course of the TA work myself and two other students are doing, helping others in the school cut their projects on the router. Especially now with studio really ramping up and time being even more precious, I feel like a complete waste sitting down there watching the router cut out just one more eggcrate model from plywood, or one more stupid foam shape. I'll finish this out with some photos of this afternoon's cutting efforts.

*ben watching the router

*Ever take a picture with your camera and fo...

The Westinghouse Project

2008-10-05T02:11:09-04:00

For those of you who have either been in or passed by Newark on route 280, you may remember the old Westinghouse building, behind the Broad Street train station on the south side of the highway. Matt Gosser sure did, and he's created an entire art exhibit based around recovered artifacts from the building. This isn't the first exhibit like this Matt has created; there have been ones featuring the former Pabst Brewery (think: the giant red bottle, visible from the Parkway) and the old Newark Jail, now just a ruin. The opening night parties always end up being a blast, and this year should follow suit. If you're in the area on October 11th, stop by and check it out.

This isn't the actual exhibition poster, just a graphic I grabbed from his website.

www.gosser.info

Also, more related to my world... my birthday just passed and my wonderful parents gave me a 22" widescreen monitor. I'm currently rocking a tri-screen setup, with the 22", my old 19" lcd and my 15" macbook. It's like nerd ...

NJSoA Fall Lecture Series

2008-09-29T13:48:09-04:00

Our Fall lecture series is out!!! Looks pretty good...

Is anyone else sitting in a review right now?

2008-09-24T10:52:21-04:00

A show of hands, please.

A very busy couple weeks

2008-09-21T13:48:15-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've done one of these, and as you might imagine quite a lot has gone on in the intervening week and a half. I'll do a quick roundup here.

Studio:

The "five year visitor" has progressed along nicely. We did a modeling exercise during Thursday studio where we were given 55 minutes with each site model (we have one at 1/4 scale and one at 1/16 scale) to begin to develop a site strategy and formal response to the conditions. From this aspect, my studio partner brought in a very interesting modeling material- seat belt. He had about 30' of the stuff, and I must say that even though I was skeptical at first, we wound up creating a very interesting massing study from nothing but some wire and seat belt pieces. Now we're going back and creating parti diagrams and initial 3D model studies to attempt to hash out some of the finer points of the Idea. The interesting thing about our studio is that because we're working in groups, there are 4 'big' ideas in the wo...

A Five-Year Visitor

2008-09-11T11:11:26-04:00

My studio this semester is focusing on a project in Florence, Italy. The site is a roughly eighty foot wide by one thousand foot long stretch of mud flat on the northern edge of the Arno River, between the Ponte Vecchio and alle Grazie bridges. The program is a temporary structure for the Uffizi Gallery, into which they will transfer their priceless collection of Renaissance artwork while their existing gallery spaces are renovated. Also as a part of the program, there is to be a permanent plaza space which will remain after the building's brief (five-year) lifespan.

It's too early for this.

2008-09-03T02:59:34-04:00

I'm in the midst of my first all-nighter for this semester. Excited? You bet! What could I possibly be working on, you wonder, with term having only started Tuesday morning? Why, my project from last semester, of course!

Okay, enough with the sarcasm. For some reason or another, my crit from last semester selected my project for display at the Center for Architecture's "Arch Schools 2008" exhibition, going up this fall. It's an honor, don't get me wrong, but for once I just wish someone else had been chosen. I was done with this project the moment final review ended last semester, and since then I've had to re-draw parts of it once for the Dean's Design Awards (which I didn't even place in), and then re-present it at my office over the summer. Now, with just a day to go before studios are chosen for next semester, I'm stuck with attempting to re-layout old drawings onto a 48x144 board.

If you make it to the exhibit, mine will be easily distinguishable as the one with the really ...

It's Sunday Again.

2008-08-24T20:34:27-04:00

So the NJSoA finally got itself a new website. It's good, if a tad corporate. Our old website was, I believe, from around the time when people still thought animated GIF's were cool. The nice thing is, it actually features current student work, so prospective students can see all the fun we're having. It's also a flash page, which I guess is the fad at the moment. If you have a minute to check it out, please do. (It won't resize your browser window, I promise!)

architecture.njit.edu

As the title of the entry suggests, I'm writing this on a rather muggy Sunday afternoon, sitting in my home studio space (a door on two sawhorses in a spare bedroom). The start of the new term is looming ahead, a week from this Tuesday.

As of now, I have only one of the 5 syllabi for the Comprehensive studios in my possession, so it's still too early to make a decision in terms of which critic to choose. NJSoA(NJIT) doesn't do Thesis year, as most schools seem to, we instead have a year of what are kno...