i am finding very nearly so, manta. classes are 2 days a week. 2 lectures a day, no studio right now. prep takes me ages. i am keeping up, but just barely. work is super busy now too for whatever reason so am leaning on others in the office to get things done on time, but still have to put in hours. so i am wondering really and truly how so many people out there apparently do this for years...do they sleep? or is there a trick of some sort?
Synergy i like manta's suggestion. Some sort of integrated shelving/screen system.
Jump, sounds like a challenging time. Yet, teaching and practicing seems the norm for the profession. Nothing like too much work. I might actually get some overtime for once this weekend.
Hi melt.
Also, although i have a clawfoot i want a soaking tub...
Nite all.
2 lectures a day, twice a week -- you are preparing 4 lectures a week?! And you aren't recycling any of them from previous classes?? I'm serious, I don't know how you could do that and work at ALL, let alone run a firm and a family both. That's an enormous amount of prep time (unless of course you prepped them all summer, in advance, but I seem to recall they only gave you a week's notice or so...)
You are wondering how other profs do that -- other profs don't do that. In my observation, those crazy "teaching" star-chitects usually barely show up at all, and they are not lecturing every day when they do (usually "leading" a studio with the help of a bevy of TAs to do most of the actual desk-critting).
The answer is, jump, most profs don't teach 2 classes AND run a firm, "for years". Not that I know of, at least. You're either dedicated to it as full-time faculty -- in which case your practice is somewhat haphazard -- or you work full-time and squeeze in one class, which is pretty hellish right there.
I should be clear that I'm only speaking from observation here. But, jump, if you're looking for tricks, the only trick I know of is to lean heavily on your TAs. Make sure you're not, for example, scanning anything yourself. Jot down the list of buildings or building typologies or drawings or whatever that you're considering for your next upcoming lecture, and have your TAs spend a week chasing down all available imagery. That will save you a ton of time right there. You can cull from those images and ask TAs to find others to supplement as necessary.
jump, the trick is that they don't teach two new classes at the same time. Developing lectures is hell, but next year when you've already got the base for the course (even if you make some tweaks, which you probably will) it will be SO much easier.
Manta, Thanksgiving plans are unclear as of yet. It depends on the job and money situation. Fingers crossed on that... I'm going on a freelance trial at a firm tomorrow, we'll see what happens.
funny thing about the tub...they bought it in japan and paid next to nothing compaired to the american market.....just had it shipped over in a container with the rest of their product coming from japan.
jump be careful. My biggest regret was not actually preparing all the lectures during the summer. However I've found that some topics I can prepare from the top of my head with limited research, others not so much. I even fell behind one entire week because I was doing so much research (to be honest it was the additional classes I had to pick up)
Well, I got my midterm algebra grades this evening, and I've pretty much decided to pull the ejection handle on this class while I still can. If I withdraw, the worst-case scenario is that I'm out a few hundred bucks and that I may need to re-take the class or its equivalent sometime in the future. If I stick it out, the worst-case scenario is that I have a permanent black mark on my transcripts, I don't finish my portfolio in time for M.Arch. admissions deadlines, and/or I may still be out a few hundred bucks and need to re-take the class in the future. So I'm going with Option A.
Given my past academic history, I have a strong desire to see the class through to the end. But many of my past troubles were the result of staying in a bad situation until it was too late to avoid disaster, and I can't afford to let that happen again.
Synergy, what about window treatments? Sheer blinds? Sheer drapes?
In my old rowhouse you could see clear from the front door out the kitchen window to the fence. We actually laid it out that way. AND the home was situated at the top of a T-intersection. All that is bad feng shui but I never had a problem.
I assumed Synergy did not actually care about the "feng shui" (ugh) but rather just that the whole was on display the minute you open the front door. It's not a problem I personally care about although I completely understand the feeling -- my parents have been bothered by that in their house for years; there's no unfolding, or revelation, or discovery in their house. It's like, you walk in, and voila! Am I right, Synergy? Or is it really the feng shui?
I like the blinds idea, definitely. You could also of course consider hanging a curtain somewhere in the space itself -- personally that would be a lot easier to deal with than a screen, and you could very quickly get it out of the way when you need to. Consider embedding a curved track in the ceiling, similar to this from the Broad Museum (argh can't find a better picture showing the detail of the awesome curved track, or showing how it impacts the scale of the space), or this one a little closer to home...
Think of how interestingly curtains can be used to shape space!
@jump what are you teaching? There are some things you can do to lessen your workload and still have the students get a lot out of your class... yeah, you're going to have to put in the work in the beginning... but you could do stuff like show videos - bring in guests - have the students give presentations (this also requires some prepping of the students, but if you do it well, the students should be able to do a pretty good job)... etc...
one idea I've been wanting to try to is to have all the students submit images around a certain theme and then attempt to give an entire lecture with these random images without looking at them before class... would only work if you are very comfortable talking on a certain subject, though... not only would it be entertaining for your students, you've just gotten them to assemble all your visual material for class!
the Jongerius house project I was looking for but it is fascinating. Read the description on how the spaces of the house are created through successive layers of curtain "walls".
Here is the Shigeru Ban Curtain House image that wouldn't show above:
Last but not least :
There is a super-cheap way to achieve this effect, courtesy of Ikea. The only downside is that while they provide awesome cheap "curtains", the curtains are in approx. 2.5' wide panels, which means you'd never be able to completely pull them out of the way of your space (unless you had a curved track which allowed the panels to turn 90deg. and tuck against the wall). System can be found here; check the "features" to find out how it can be installed on the ceiling hanging downwards (my parents did it this way).
...can you tell I'm procrastinating exam studying? ugh. my loss is your gain -- hopefully -- synergy. I still vote bookshelves #1, but they are less flexible than curtains, and curtains are more flexible AND less clunky AND less wasted space than a folding screen.
Synergy - maybe get the rooms furnished first - tables and all that - before deciding - I've been doing/redoing a small space for months now, and everything changes with one new piece of furniture... So far: added table -> figured out a place for the sofa, added shelves -> moved sofa, added more shelves -> moved sofa -> changed table, added shelves -> ...
My partner bears half the responsibility for all this though, but its getting better all the time...
---
atp - great choice, my favourite Aalto - a good, bold and "civic" form, and a suitably small scale in the spaces themselves.
LIG withdrawing sounds a good idea if you can't pull the grades. a few hundred bucks is not so bad.
manta, rationalist, toaster, archi, thanks for comments.
thing is i met or know about 4 professors who are really good and in world class schools who also maintain practices that are equally famous. my own professor for phd, who is not so famous has done it for 25 years and his mentor (fumihiko maki, no less) did it for years before that. so i know it is possible. i am pretty sure my prof didn't sleep. i was hoping to avoid that fate...sounds like not possible...ah well.
i am teaching a course on modern architecture and another on the history of tokyo as a city, starting from edo and ending with the present. i inherited slides from fellow i am stepping in for, but a lot of the content was in his head - and apparently included a lot of theory of film. i am learning a lot about walter benjamin recently ;-) so it means i am really starting with lectures only half finished and quite a few i am doing from scratch because i have different ideas about what is important and what not...
am def doing all your ideas toasteroven. i think without assignments and a film here and there i would be incredibly taxed. love the idea of students finding images. no idea how it would play out but would be fun. cheers for ideas/thoughts all!
Thanks for all the ideas and photographs everyone!
I do not care much about the Feng Shui of the room, however my wife and to a greater extent, her family do care about it. Her parents are really sweet people who have a really cool and very traditional chinese jade shop in Hong Kong. A big part of the chinese jade industry is selling statues, sculptures, bracelets, carvings etc. that are supposed to bring the owner things like good health, more wealth etc. Belief in Feng Shui is really important to the trade. That being said, I don't really like seeing through the entire house either, so in that way, the feng shui ideal and my own are in close alignment.
I don't belief in the concepts of Feng Shui, but I'm not antognistic about it, if they want things a certain way, and it doesn't cause some terrible inconvenience for me, I mostly just let it go.
I believe I will install some sort of vertical blinds or curtains on the window, but won't want to have them drawn all the time. I'm trying to think of ways of blocking the view, but still allowing the light in to reflect off of surfaces and enter the space.
jump, i'd suggest that you make arrangements with the espresso express to chaffeur you between office, school & home in one of their little brown vans. the caffeine should keep you going.
jump, i'd suggest that you make arrangements with the espresso express to chaffeur you between office, school & home in one of their little brown vans. the caffeine should keep you going.
Synergy, I like thelarge shelf idea. Look at the square book cases at Ikea. Maybe if the Mrs sees them done up, it will be easier to convince her. Maybe?
Remember how I mentioned I'd been designing my mother's guestroom? Here it is.
Its nothing fancy-pants modern, but she loves it, and I'm pleased with it. I was going for luxurious, and relaxing. We bought the table and bench new, as well as most of the decor, but the bed and artwork on the right of the window were all hers.
Jump, if you need some sort of help, maybe I could do something for you. Dont know what, but I'm here.
Manta, I emailed you yesterday. Twice, actually. What test are you studying for?
jump - "work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction" in the context of the history of tokyo? that sounds awesome! I want to sit in on your class.
is there a separate discussion section? how many students in your classes? if it's small enough (15 and under) it could make sense to have a discussion period as part of the class - that would make your lectures shorter, and give you a chance to gain some interesting insights from the students on the readings that you could use to inform your next lecture (and helps you gauge whether or not the students are actually getting something out of the course)... IMO - it's much easier to respond to something than it is to invent something new each time...
modern architecture is tough - you have to cover a lot of ground... aren't those typically taught by people who have PhDs in arch history or something?
the tokyo course I think you could get away with more discussion than the modern arch course...
anyway - let me know if you try to do the image thing and if it worked... it'll be a few years before I get to try it...
nam, I had to do that for one class. Every week we had readings and discussed them one day, and the next day the class met we each had to do a Pecha Kucha in lieu of a response paper. It was kind of hellish actually, but definitely let the prof avoid having to prepare lectures!
Sarah that room looks beautiful. Obviously not the style most of us would pick for ourselves, but equally obviously tastefully done and very pleasing to the eye. I love the color choices and the bench -- I'm a sucker for an inviting windowseat! This looks like a guestroom I could be happy in, which is the point, right? Well done. It's so much harder to design in a style to which you aren't personally connected / invested, I think.
I got your recipes -- THANKS! I am sorry I'm slow to respond -- the exam is dominating my thought. This one will be Building Design & Construction Systems. So far, suspiciously easy -- but that's how I've felt about all of them, until I get to the exam and get whollopped. I can tell from the recipes that they're going to be DELICIOUS. I am going to try them next week -- I have most of the ingredients sitting around and have been looking for an excuse to bust out some dough. Thanks!
I have an apple & mushroom thingy that I'm going to try tonight... Like a side dish, with carmelized onions, carmelized apples, and sauteed mushrooms. Can't wait. Will probably throw in a bit of bacon, or make a bacon - pasta confection to go with.
Also, syn, that string screen that puddles posted above reminds me of another of my favorite tricks... you could actually "build" your own screen by driving nails to floor & ceiling, banging down the heads so they form a slight curve or hook, and run your own string screen creation between them! I've long wanted to do a modified version of this around my ceilings in a particular way.
I'm not sure if this will work, but here is crude plan i have drawn up. keep in mind I usually only draw stick drawings with "W18x35" written all over them. The hallway is fairly wide, though the exact proportions i'm showing may be somewhat off.
Sarah, I totally agree with manta - your guestroom looks like a lovely respite from travel, a welcoming space to drop your suitcase and relax at the end of the road. Really well done and elegant without being stuffy. I'd change out the ceiling fan but it's hard to imagine one that would look as appropriately elegant as the rest of the room does - ceiling fans are hard.
toasteroven the lecture idea is awesome - have students bring their own images and wing it, in the context of a more formal course that would be a fun day!
I was just held captive for almost an hour by a fabricator telling me war stories, all about contractors and clients I don't like already or now know to steer clear of.
I'd rather be teaching. Today, I'm writing copy for a proposal for a recreation center, library, church, and 'Celebration of Life Center'. A Celebration of Life Center is a euphemism for a funeral parlor. This RFP seems very appropriate for the halloween season, I look forward to borrowing a a few caskets the next time I go to the library. why do I even bother?
Wow, TK. I only did Funeral Homes, and we never had anything that crazy.
So someone got into my car last night. I say "got into" because the doors were unlocked, so they didnt break in. Strangly, nothing was taken, or damaged. I actually thought that maybe Husband was looking for something before he went to work this morning. THe glove box was open, and so was the ash tray, and my bible was on the front seat. Strange. Nothing else was moved, and the garage was fine too. THe Bender costume was right out front, so if I'd been a hooligan, that'd been the first thing I took. Lucky me. I reported it anyway just in case, for history's sake.
SH - nice colors in that room - it's tough to get that combo right.
tk - sounds like you're heading into my kind of project territory... either it could be a linear progression in the order you mentioned - or you could combine programmatic elements from each to create some kind of church-library-"life" lifestyle center - branding it:
"when you're contemplating the meaning of life, we'll be there to fill all your needs."
I'm a little late, but I hope no one took my feng shui thing too seriously. I have no clue about feng shui.
I was semi-joking about liking enfilades. Joking in that its really not a true enfilade, but conceptually, I do like it when you can see straight through the house. In Philly (I'm not sure if LB was describing her former house here), there are a lot of rowhouses where you can see through to their private garden. I always thought that was kind of charming because these gardens are inaccessible and invisible to most people. So if you're driving through the city, all you see is the anonymous face of the millions of rowhouses. But once in a while you get these glimpses into these houses and you can see through the whole thing, and its like you're looking into a whole different world. Reminds me of people that have a cold exterior, but are really charming inside.
sarah that room is great. well done. costume and play house also very nice. cool that you are using your time doing interesting stuff like. thanks for offer to help as well. think i am fine but thanks just the same.
modern architecture is fairly easy to teach, even for a fellow with phd in planning like me. frampton and curtis and all the other usual suspects make it possible. i am also throwing in some theory so the students can go out into the city and try applying what we are talking about to the real city. when there is world class architecture so close it seems silly to be listening to me all the time. we are supposed to start construction on a possibly really cool house next month or so , so will probs give a tour to interested students as well. which is really rather odd idea, but why not?
toasteroven, only 30 students in class but few of them speak out. i am teaching in english so most of them are listening and speaking in a second language and are understandably shy. i am hoping they will get more into it, but is a bit hard some ways.
most interesting conversation i had so far was with class on utopia and the haussman rebuilding of paris. the students from china thought it was great even though it looked like a war-zone (i was showing images of the city under construction), while students from korea were saying it was horrible. frankly i hadnt thought about it before but the students were living the history i was teaching so it was entirely real for them. very fascinating. the discussion stopped with "i think it is good" and "i think it is bad", sadly, no matter how much i prodded for more depth. i am going to have to learn mass interviewing skills or something...
jump if you need lecture notes by all means let me know. I teach 4th year History dubbed Modern Ideas and Architecture (url=http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/entry.php?id=92774_0_39_0_C482]more[/url]). We are presently inbetween units (1. the myth of modernism 2. Fragments, Images and Innovation). I inherited much of the course but unfortunately with no notes. I've been showing a great deal of videos mostly the BBC series Dreamspaces with David Adjaye from the early parts of this decade. Simply because it engages discussion.
Hey Synergy the advice given seems to hit the spot, but an organic solution could be a massive potted plant with leaves at eye level. You could either get a tall one or just place it on a table/bench. My $0.02
All you lecturers sound so amazing. It all sounds so thought provoking. If I'm lucky, I'll be teaching a bunch of punk kids about Texas History. Stuff they dont care to know at all, in a place they dont want to be.
I'm really not that jaded about it. I promise.
Jump, I learned yesterday that Abram's music class teacher is from Japan. Her name is Eri, and she has the most beautiful accent. I didn't think she was Japanese or Chinese because her accent was different. Must just be her. Said she came over when she was 18 for school. If I were a silly high schooler, this is where I'd ask if you know her. I do wonder, though... Her daughter's name is Julia, and she calls her Julchan, or somehting like that. Do you call your daughters my diminutive names as well?
As of yesterday evening my sister once again has a full skull. The docs replaced the piece removed during the craniotomy right after the accident. She was kept in overnight but is being released home tomorrow.
did you try comparing parts of the paris plan to public spaces (and political movements) in the student's home countries (or around campus)? Did you only realize this afterward? It's tough getting students to give informed opinions about something if they don't have the depth of knowledge to draw from - if you can help them make connections to places they've actually been and experienced and have them give descriptions of what the noticed works and doesn't work, you could start to overcome good vs. bad syndrome in discussions. there's probably a fancy education theory term for it, but I know it as "speak to the student's own experiences." plus, like you discovered, you'll get to keep all those insights and use them next time.
sounds like you are working to your strengths - bringing students on site is a great idea - even if it doesn't totally relate to what is happening in your class...
Back from traveling and finally have enough energy to comment.
SH - I agree with manta, rationalist and LB. Beautiful job. Looks like an absolutely great place to rest and relax after a long bout of traveling. It is a hard color combination to successfully do but you completely nailed it. Awesome job. Also your play house and apple dumplings look amazing. And the Bender costume is cool too.
Manta - I too, am on a quest to find a perfect chicken pot pie recipe. I ordered a great one from a local bistro here, but didn't have the nerve to ask them what was in it. If you ever find one and feel so beooved, I'd love to have it emailed to me so I can try it too.
Synergy - I personally like the bookcase idea. A friend of mine did it in her house and it turned out pretty cool. It lets light into the space and keeps the open feel but helps define the different spaces.
LIG - Tough call on the class thing. I found myself in a position similar to yours a couple of time and I think in one circumstance I withdrew and the other I stuck with it. I always go for the gut feeling and it looks like you did that.
Nam - Glad to hear your sister has a full skull again. I'm sending good vibes for a full recovery.
Well, tuna, the pot pie recipe that Sarah sent over looks pretty damn good. Ask her for it. I'll probably make it this week and will Report Back!
I'm a huge fan of beef pot pie and someday hope to figure out how to make it. Mmmm.... I can make some damned good yorkshire pudding though (as a related foodstuff)
LiG, I would withdraw. Sometimes it's better to just streamline your focus and do a better job in 1 or 2 areas than trying to spread yourself too thin. Nobody will care, it sounds like.
Manta, I only wrote it in that email to you, and since it was sent with Archinect, I no longer have it. Can I be so bold as to ask you to send it to both me and Melt? That'd be super awesome of you.
I am really suprised to hear the colour combo is tough. I've never thought about it before. I suppose if the interior folks say it is, then it must be. THe toughest part was trying to explain why things should be the way they should be to my mother. She watches lots of HGTV and would spout out things they say on there about arrangments and colours, and space. Drove me nuts. Most of the time, I still do things by instinct. How do you explain that? I would just try to come up with BS reasoning most of the time.
Just wait till you see her office, and my guest room. I'm great at picking paint colours for others, but always blow it on my own. Oh well.
sure, SH. I have your email address but not tuna's. Tuna send me your email address.
Instinct = intuition = natural talent reinforced by years of years of training and experience. Just deal with her like any client w/ bad off-the-cuff ideas : agree to her face, then do what you want while designing, come up with a sketch and present like this is exactly what she asked for. Usually client will have either a) forgotten what they talked about last time (since it was off-the-cuff) or b) will like what you did and your confident description of it and your visualization will win over their imagination.
A client with a very STRONG bad idea, that they refuse to abandon, on the other hand, requires a different response.
(And of course this is always pre-supposing that you DO listen to the bad idea and consider its merits, in case it turns out not to be such a bad idea after all. But when it IS... see above.)
Thread Central
that and they only 'teach' a few weeks out of the entire semester.
Still alive...
i am finding very nearly so, manta. classes are 2 days a week. 2 lectures a day, no studio right now. prep takes me ages. i am keeping up, but just barely. work is super busy now too for whatever reason so am leaning on others in the office to get things done on time, but still have to put in hours. so i am wondering really and truly how so many people out there apparently do this for years...do they sleep? or is there a trick of some sort?
Synergy i like manta's suggestion. Some sort of integrated shelving/screen system.
Jump, sounds like a challenging time. Yet, teaching and practicing seems the norm for the profession. Nothing like too much work. I might actually get some overtime for once this weekend.
Hi melt.
Also, although i have a clawfoot i want a soaking tub...
Nite all.
2 lectures a day, twice a week -- you are preparing 4 lectures a week?! And you aren't recycling any of them from previous classes?? I'm serious, I don't know how you could do that and work at ALL, let alone run a firm and a family both. That's an enormous amount of prep time (unless of course you prepped them all summer, in advance, but I seem to recall they only gave you a week's notice or so...)
You are wondering how other profs do that -- other profs don't do that. In my observation, those crazy "teaching" star-chitects usually barely show up at all, and they are not lecturing every day when they do (usually "leading" a studio with the help of a bevy of TAs to do most of the actual desk-critting).
The answer is, jump, most profs don't teach 2 classes AND run a firm, "for years". Not that I know of, at least. You're either dedicated to it as full-time faculty -- in which case your practice is somewhat haphazard -- or you work full-time and squeeze in one class, which is pretty hellish right there.
I should be clear that I'm only speaking from observation here. But, jump, if you're looking for tricks, the only trick I know of is to lean heavily on your TAs. Make sure you're not, for example, scanning anything yourself. Jot down the list of buildings or building typologies or drawings or whatever that you're considering for your next upcoming lecture, and have your TAs spend a week chasing down all available imagery. That will save you a ton of time right there. You can cull from those images and ask TAs to find others to supplement as necessary.
jump, the trick is that they don't teach two new classes at the same time. Developing lectures is hell, but next year when you've already got the base for the course (even if you make some tweaks, which you probably will) it will be SO much easier.
Manta, Thanksgiving plans are unclear as of yet. It depends on the job and money situation. Fingers crossed on that... I'm going on a freelance trial at a firm tomorrow, we'll see what happens.
funny thing about the tub...they bought it in japan and paid next to nothing compaired to the american market.....just had it shipped over in a container with the rest of their product coming from japan.
jump be careful. My biggest regret was not actually preparing all the lectures during the summer. However I've found that some topics I can prepare from the top of my head with limited research, others not so much. I even fell behind one entire week because I was doing so much research (to be honest it was the additional classes I had to pick up)
Well, I got my midterm algebra grades this evening, and I've pretty much decided to pull the ejection handle on this class while I still can. If I withdraw, the worst-case scenario is that I'm out a few hundred bucks and that I may need to re-take the class or its equivalent sometime in the future. If I stick it out, the worst-case scenario is that I have a permanent black mark on my transcripts, I don't finish my portfolio in time for M.Arch. admissions deadlines, and/or I may still be out a few hundred bucks and need to re-take the class in the future. So I'm going with Option A.
Given my past academic history, I have a strong desire to see the class through to the end. But many of my past troubles were the result of staying in a bad situation until it was too late to avoid disaster, and I can't afford to let that happen again.
LiG, I think withdrawing is a good idea.
Synergy, what about window treatments? Sheer blinds? Sheer drapes?
In my old rowhouse you could see clear from the front door out the kitchen window to the fence. We actually laid it out that way. AND the home was situated at the top of a T-intersection. All that is bad feng shui but I never had a problem.
not to be a prat or anything, but Gin if you think you have it bad
I assumed Synergy did not actually care about the "feng shui" (ugh) but rather just that the whole was on display the minute you open the front door. It's not a problem I personally care about although I completely understand the feeling -- my parents have been bothered by that in their house for years; there's no unfolding, or revelation, or discovery in their house. It's like, you walk in, and voila! Am I right, Synergy? Or is it really the feng shui?
I like the blinds idea, definitely. You could also of course consider hanging a curtain somewhere in the space itself -- personally that would be a lot easier to deal with than a screen, and you could very quickly get it out of the way when you need to. Consider embedding a curved track in the ceiling, similar to this from the Broad Museum (argh can't find a better picture showing the detail of the awesome curved track, or showing how it impacts the scale of the space), or this one a little closer to home...
Think of how interestingly curtains can be used to shape space!
(Curtain House, Shigeru Ban)
awesome Polish curtain house
I know Hella Jongerius has done a cool curtain house but I can't find any images on the web.
@jump what are you teaching? There are some things you can do to lessen your workload and still have the students get a lot out of your class... yeah, you're going to have to put in the work in the beginning... but you could do stuff like show videos - bring in guests - have the students give presentations (this also requires some prepping of the students, but if you do it well, the students should be able to do a pretty good job)... etc...
one idea I've been wanting to try to is to have all the students submit images around a certain theme and then attempt to give an entire lecture with these random images without looking at them before class... would only work if you are very comfortable talking on a certain subject, though... not only would it be entertaining for your students, you've just gotten them to assemble all your visual material for class!
the Jongerius house project I was looking for but it is fascinating. Read the description on how the spaces of the house are created through successive layers of curtain "walls".
Here is the Shigeru Ban Curtain House image that wouldn't show above:
Last but not least :
There is a super-cheap way to achieve this effect, courtesy of Ikea. The only downside is that while they provide awesome cheap "curtains", the curtains are in approx. 2.5' wide panels, which means you'd never be able to completely pull them out of the way of your space (unless you had a curved track which allowed the panels to turn 90deg. and tuck against the wall). System can be found here; check the "features" to find out how it can be installed on the ceiling hanging downwards (my parents did it this way).
...can you tell I'm procrastinating exam studying? ugh. my loss is your gain -- hopefully -- synergy. I still vote bookshelves #1, but they are less flexible than curtains, and curtains are more flexible AND less clunky AND less wasted space than a folding screen.
Synergy - maybe get the rooms furnished first - tables and all that - before deciding - I've been doing/redoing a small space for months now, and everything changes with one new piece of furniture... So far: added table -> figured out a place for the sofa, added shelves -> moved sofa, added more shelves -> moved sofa -> changed table, added shelves -> ...
My partner bears half the responsibility for all this though, but its getting better all the time...
---
atp - great choice, my favourite Aalto - a good, bold and "civic" form, and a suitably small scale in the spaces themselves.
those crazy japanese architects.
LIG withdrawing sounds a good idea if you can't pull the grades. a few hundred bucks is not so bad.
manta, rationalist, toaster, archi, thanks for comments.
thing is i met or know about 4 professors who are really good and in world class schools who also maintain practices that are equally famous. my own professor for phd, who is not so famous has done it for 25 years and his mentor (fumihiko maki, no less) did it for years before that. so i know it is possible. i am pretty sure my prof didn't sleep. i was hoping to avoid that fate...sounds like not possible...ah well.
i am teaching a course on modern architecture and another on the history of tokyo as a city, starting from edo and ending with the present. i inherited slides from fellow i am stepping in for, but a lot of the content was in his head - and apparently included a lot of theory of film. i am learning a lot about walter benjamin recently ;-) so it means i am really starting with lectures only half finished and quite a few i am doing from scratch because i have different ideas about what is important and what not...
am def doing all your ideas toasteroven. i think without assignments and a film here and there i would be incredibly taxed. love the idea of students finding images. no idea how it would play out but would be fun. cheers for ideas/thoughts all!
Thanks for all the ideas and photographs everyone!
I do not care much about the Feng Shui of the room, however my wife and to a greater extent, her family do care about it. Her parents are really sweet people who have a really cool and very traditional chinese jade shop in Hong Kong. A big part of the chinese jade industry is selling statues, sculptures, bracelets, carvings etc. that are supposed to bring the owner things like good health, more wealth etc. Belief in Feng Shui is really important to the trade. That being said, I don't really like seeing through the entire house either, so in that way, the feng shui ideal and my own are in close alignment.
I don't belief in the concepts of Feng Shui, but I'm not antognistic about it, if they want things a certain way, and it doesn't cause some terrible inconvenience for me, I mostly just let it go.
I believe I will install some sort of vertical blinds or curtains on the window, but won't want to have them drawn all the time. I'm trying to think of ways of blocking the view, but still allowing the light in to reflect off of surfaces and enter the space.
Synergy i but into Feng shui more as a spatial concept having to do with flows (air, sight etc) than as a energetic/spiritual/ideology one...
I my mind it was always closely associated with Confucianism/Taoism as world views...
Maybe not correct but this westerners image of...
also, toast i think using student submitted images as a way to structure a lecture or two is a great idea. Almost liek Student Pecha Kucha???
...maybe?
but probably bookshelf is better
jump, i'd suggest that you make arrangements with the espresso express to chaffeur you between office, school & home in one of their little brown vans. the caffeine should keep you going.
...maybe?
but probably bookshelf is better
jump, i'd suggest that you make arrangements with the espresso express to chaffeur you between office, school & home in one of their little brown vans. the caffeine should keep you going.
Synergy, I like thelarge shelf idea. Look at the square book cases at Ikea. Maybe if the Mrs sees them done up, it will be easier to convince her. Maybe?
Remember how I mentioned I'd been designing my mother's guestroom? Here it is.
Its nothing fancy-pants modern, but she loves it, and I'm pleased with it. I was going for luxurious, and relaxing. We bought the table and bench new, as well as most of the decor, but the bed and artwork on the right of the window were all hers.
Jump, if you need some sort of help, maybe I could do something for you. Dont know what, but I'm here.
Manta, I emailed you yesterday. Twice, actually. What test are you studying for?
jump - "work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction" in the context of the history of tokyo? that sounds awesome! I want to sit in on your class.
is there a separate discussion section? how many students in your classes? if it's small enough (15 and under) it could make sense to have a discussion period as part of the class - that would make your lectures shorter, and give you a chance to gain some interesting insights from the students on the readings that you could use to inform your next lecture (and helps you gauge whether or not the students are actually getting something out of the course)... IMO - it's much easier to respond to something than it is to invent something new each time...
modern architecture is tough - you have to cover a lot of ground... aren't those typically taught by people who have PhDs in arch history or something?
the tokyo course I think you could get away with more discussion than the modern arch course...
anyway - let me know if you try to do the image thing and if it worked... it'll be a few years before I get to try it...
Then, Synergy, what baout a floor to ceiling fritted glass panel? It would reflect and pass light. Can we get a floor plan?
nam, I had to do that for one class. Every week we had readings and discussed them one day, and the next day the class met we each had to do a Pecha Kucha in lieu of a response paper. It was kind of hellish actually, but definitely let the prof avoid having to prepare lectures!
Synergy, I'm totally on board with the shelf idea, I do that a lot myself actually. As discussed on Apartment Therapy.
Sarah room looks very inviting....
Sarah that room looks beautiful. Obviously not the style most of us would pick for ourselves, but equally obviously tastefully done and very pleasing to the eye. I love the color choices and the bench -- I'm a sucker for an inviting windowseat! This looks like a guestroom I could be happy in, which is the point, right? Well done. It's so much harder to design in a style to which you aren't personally connected / invested, I think.
I got your recipes -- THANKS! I am sorry I'm slow to respond -- the exam is dominating my thought. This one will be Building Design & Construction Systems. So far, suspiciously easy -- but that's how I've felt about all of them, until I get to the exam and get whollopped. I can tell from the recipes that they're going to be DELICIOUS. I am going to try them next week -- I have most of the ingredients sitting around and have been looking for an excuse to bust out some dough. Thanks!
I have an apple & mushroom thingy that I'm going to try tonight... Like a side dish, with carmelized onions, carmelized apples, and sauteed mushrooms. Can't wait. Will probably throw in a bit of bacon, or make a bacon - pasta confection to go with.
Also, syn, that string screen that puddles posted above reminds me of another of my favorite tricks... you could actually "build" your own screen by driving nails to floor & ceiling, banging down the heads so they form a slight curve or hook, and run your own string screen creation between them! I've long wanted to do a modified version of this around my ceilings in a particular way.
I'm not sure if this will work, but here is crude plan i have drawn up. keep in mind I usually only draw stick drawings with "W18x35" written all over them. The hallway is fairly wide, though the exact proportions i'm showing may be somewhat off.
Dang, how can I link photographs from Picassa?
Sarah, I totally agree with manta - your guestroom looks like a lovely respite from travel, a welcoming space to drop your suitcase and relax at the end of the road. Really well done and elegant without being stuffy. I'd change out the ceiling fan but it's hard to imagine one that would look as appropriately elegant as the rest of the room does - ceiling fans are hard.
toasteroven the lecture idea is awesome - have students bring their own images and wing it, in the context of a more formal course that would be a fun day!
I was just held captive for almost an hour by a fabricator telling me war stories, all about contractors and clients I don't like already or now know to steer clear of.
I'd rather be teaching. Today, I'm writing copy for a proposal for a recreation center, library, church, and 'Celebration of Life Center'. A Celebration of Life Center is a euphemism for a funeral parlor. This RFP seems very appropriate for the halloween season, I look forward to borrowing a a few caskets the next time I go to the library. why do I even bother?
Wow, TK. I only did Funeral Homes, and we never had anything that crazy.
So someone got into my car last night. I say "got into" because the doors were unlocked, so they didnt break in. Strangly, nothing was taken, or damaged. I actually thought that maybe Husband was looking for something before he went to work this morning. THe glove box was open, and so was the ash tray, and my bible was on the front seat. Strange. Nothing else was moved, and the garage was fine too. THe Bender costume was right out front, so if I'd been a hooligan, that'd been the first thing I took. Lucky me. I reported it anyway just in case, for history's sake.
Sarah, I'm glad to hear nothing was taken. Good call on reporting it anyway, I think it is important that these things get reported regardless.
SH - nice colors in that room - it's tough to get that combo right.
tk - sounds like you're heading into my kind of project territory... either it could be a linear progression in the order you mentioned - or you could combine programmatic elements from each to create some kind of church-library-"life" lifestyle center - branding it:
"when you're contemplating the meaning of life, we'll be there to fill all your needs."
I'm a little late, but I hope no one took my feng shui thing too seriously. I have no clue about feng shui.
I was semi-joking about liking enfilades. Joking in that its really not a true enfilade, but conceptually, I do like it when you can see straight through the house. In Philly (I'm not sure if LB was describing her former house here), there are a lot of rowhouses where you can see through to their private garden. I always thought that was kind of charming because these gardens are inaccessible and invisible to most people. So if you're driving through the city, all you see is the anonymous face of the millions of rowhouses. But once in a while you get these glimpses into these houses and you can see through the whole thing, and its like you're looking into a whole different world. Reminds me of people that have a cold exterior, but are really charming inside.
Shelving sounds interesting.
I'm looking at houses too!
espresso express! awesome!
sarah that room is great. well done. costume and play house also very nice. cool that you are using your time doing interesting stuff like. thanks for offer to help as well. think i am fine but thanks just the same.
modern architecture is fairly easy to teach, even for a fellow with phd in planning like me. frampton and curtis and all the other usual suspects make it possible. i am also throwing in some theory so the students can go out into the city and try applying what we are talking about to the real city. when there is world class architecture so close it seems silly to be listening to me all the time. we are supposed to start construction on a possibly really cool house next month or so , so will probs give a tour to interested students as well. which is really rather odd idea, but why not?
toasteroven, only 30 students in class but few of them speak out. i am teaching in english so most of them are listening and speaking in a second language and are understandably shy. i am hoping they will get more into it, but is a bit hard some ways.
most interesting conversation i had so far was with class on utopia and the haussman rebuilding of paris. the students from china thought it was great even though it looked like a war-zone (i was showing images of the city under construction), while students from korea were saying it was horrible. frankly i hadnt thought about it before but the students were living the history i was teaching so it was entirely real for them. very fascinating. the discussion stopped with "i think it is good" and "i think it is bad", sadly, no matter how much i prodded for more depth. i am going to have to learn mass interviewing skills or something...
CADing a kitchen plan while listening to a lecture by Michael Speaks. My professional life is too attenuated.
jump if you need lecture notes by all means let me know. I teach 4th year History dubbed Modern Ideas and Architecture (url=http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/entry.php?id=92774_0_39_0_C482]more[/url]). We are presently inbetween units (1. the myth of modernism 2. Fragments, Images and Innovation). I inherited much of the course but unfortunately with no notes. I've been showing a great deal of videos mostly the BBC series Dreamspaces with David Adjaye from the early parts of this decade. Simply because it engages discussion.
Hey Synergy the advice given seems to hit the spot, but an organic solution could be a massive potted plant with leaves at eye level. You could either get a tall one or just place it on a table/bench. My $0.02
just in case you didn't know what page it was ;-)
hey thanks archi. i will check those videos out.
Morning.
All you lecturers sound so amazing. It all sounds so thought provoking. If I'm lucky, I'll be teaching a bunch of punk kids about Texas History. Stuff they dont care to know at all, in a place they dont want to be.
I'm really not that jaded about it. I promise.
Jump, I learned yesterday that Abram's music class teacher is from Japan. Her name is Eri, and she has the most beautiful accent. I didn't think she was Japanese or Chinese because her accent was different. Must just be her. Said she came over when she was 18 for school. If I were a silly high schooler, this is where I'd ask if you know her. I do wonder, though... Her daughter's name is Julia, and she calls her Julchan, or somehting like that. Do you call your daughters my diminutive names as well?
Good morning all,
As of yesterday evening my sister once again has a full skull. The docs replaced the piece removed during the craniotomy right after the accident. She was kept in overnight but is being released home tomorrow.
Now she can start growing her hair out again!!
Also, is this week over yet?
jump -
did you try comparing parts of the paris plan to public spaces (and political movements) in the student's home countries (or around campus)? Did you only realize this afterward? It's tough getting students to give informed opinions about something if they don't have the depth of knowledge to draw from - if you can help them make connections to places they've actually been and experienced and have them give descriptions of what the noticed works and doesn't work, you could start to overcome good vs. bad syndrome in discussions. there's probably a fancy education theory term for it, but I know it as "speak to the student's own experiences." plus, like you discovered, you'll get to keep all those insights and use them next time.
sounds like you are working to your strengths - bringing students on site is a great idea - even if it doesn't totally relate to what is happening in your class...
link to a feature video on the motoya espresso express. i think i want one...the whole thing.
Back from traveling and finally have enough energy to comment.
SH - I agree with manta, rationalist and LB. Beautiful job. Looks like an absolutely great place to rest and relax after a long bout of traveling. It is a hard color combination to successfully do but you completely nailed it. Awesome job. Also your play house and apple dumplings look amazing. And the Bender costume is cool too.
Manta - I too, am on a quest to find a perfect chicken pot pie recipe. I ordered a great one from a local bistro here, but didn't have the nerve to ask them what was in it. If you ever find one and feel so beooved, I'd love to have it emailed to me so I can try it too.
Synergy - I personally like the bookcase idea. A friend of mine did it in her house and it turned out pretty cool. It lets light into the space and keeps the open feel but helps define the different spaces.
LIG - Tough call on the class thing. I found myself in a position similar to yours a couple of time and I think in one circumstance I withdrew and the other I stuck with it. I always go for the gut feeling and it looks like you did that.
Nam - Glad to hear your sister has a full skull again. I'm sending good vibes for a full recovery.
Well, tuna, the pot pie recipe that Sarah sent over looks pretty damn good. Ask her for it. I'll probably make it this week and will Report Back!
I'm a huge fan of beef pot pie and someday hope to figure out how to make it. Mmmm.... I can make some damned good yorkshire pudding though (as a related foodstuff)
LiG, I would withdraw. Sometimes it's better to just streamline your focus and do a better job in 1 or 2 areas than trying to spread yourself too thin. Nobody will care, it sounds like.
Manta, I only wrote it in that email to you, and since it was sent with Archinect, I no longer have it. Can I be so bold as to ask you to send it to both me and Melt? That'd be super awesome of you.
I am really suprised to hear the colour combo is tough. I've never thought about it before. I suppose if the interior folks say it is, then it must be. THe toughest part was trying to explain why things should be the way they should be to my mother. She watches lots of HGTV and would spout out things they say on there about arrangments and colours, and space. Drove me nuts. Most of the time, I still do things by instinct. How do you explain that? I would just try to come up with BS reasoning most of the time.
Just wait till you see her office, and my guest room. I'm great at picking paint colours for others, but always blow it on my own. Oh well.
sure, SH. I have your email address but not tuna's. Tuna send me your email address.
Instinct = intuition = natural talent reinforced by years of years of training and experience. Just deal with her like any client w/ bad off-the-cuff ideas : agree to her face, then do what you want while designing, come up with a sketch and present like this is exactly what she asked for. Usually client will have either a) forgotten what they talked about last time (since it was off-the-cuff) or b) will like what you did and your confident description of it and your visualization will win over their imagination.
A client with a very STRONG bad idea, that they refuse to abandon, on the other hand, requires a different response.
(And of course this is always pre-supposing that you DO listen to the bad idea and consider its merits, in case it turns out not to be such a bad idea after all. But when it IS... see above.)
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