puddles can you at least tell us, specifically, what a withc doctor is? Because you've used that terminology several times so it must not be a misspelling. It sounds much more subtle and thus intriguing than a plain old witch doctor.
Sarah, I like your comment directed at puddles, too. Sorry about the practice test but hey, it's only practice.
Drinking Beer and listening to local politics on election night and plotting drawings to take to the printer in the morning. May the best Politico..win! (if there is such a thing).
Orhan i couldn't tell if you posted the quote or were talking to puddles.
Personally, my favorite recent post by him was or you could just have some balloons and be all like, fuck it, i've got ballooons
Sarah sucks but i am sure you can study a bit and pass if you want to.
I wonder what kind of omlets. I love that they really aren't just for breakfast anymore. But there's something about them when you've been out on the piss with tomatoes and potatoes thrown in (is that a Spanish omlet by chance??) I can't remember the name of the necteur who was a chef but now designed professional kitchens.... he was fun.
My drawer at work is now filled with 65 papers to grade and the number is increasing, I should get another 20 on Monday. All grading has to be complete by December 4th
Morning all,
Archi, the omelet had onion, portabella srooms, courgette (aka zucchini), tomatoes, herbs and cheese. Plus some great sourdough bread..
One thing i don't miss from when i was teaching was all the grading..
Has anyone else felt like they have been run over by a train(in a funk/exhausted) for the last week or two?
Hi Vado!!!
Is it directing you to porn sites by chance? I had one of those a couple of years ago, somehow it got on my work computer...Maybe from music mixes i downloaded???
The more I work with architects the less I think they are capable of reviewing a destination and its effectiveness as a place. I have worked with many, many architects and have almost 40 years of working on public spaces, so I would stand by what I said. I do believe that there should be some architects/designers on a jury, but a jury of only architects/designers would be very problematic. I also do not think peer review should only be done by designers. I know more about how a place works as a public environment on many dimensions that are different than what an architect focuses on.
That's a quote from an email I received from Fred Kent, director of Project for Public Spaces. Ironically, the local Urban Design program just sent me an email inviting me to participate in a workshop with Ethan Kent of PPS, who I assume is Fred's son. Should I go and raise a ruckus?
a-techno, it's Mightylittle - the best ex-pro chef on the 'nect...
yesterday was a marathon literature search that ended with 184 articles and books for my scheme to earn tenure project (and maybe get a $$$k grant along the way) - and that's just the start. My head is still spinning as I'm off to the library to see how many of these journals I have access to. then this afternoon is a crit. my class tonight has a guest, so I don't have to prepare a lecture (phew).
LB - I actually agree with that statement. Most architects aren't equipped to really understand the greater forces that contribute to what makes a good public "place."
I think the statement is good that it recognising that the best solution is a mixed bag, however to state that the problem rest solely with the architect is sadly misstated and that's all I'll say about it.
I'm in a funk. It's raining I suspect I may drain a bottle of red wine solo and go mark a couple papers.
nobody knows what makes a good public space. in some places its a blank wall, in another its a green nook, in others its a huge plaza. and then when demographics change or some building gets torn down or put up the formula changes. so yah, like whatever.
it is also possible that the fellow simply has not worked with good architects or planners. unless his experience is with West 8?
So he should qualify that and restate...like "]most mediocre architects, like the ones i work with, who are competent with detailing and shit like that, basically are not interested in what happens outside of the CMU wall, because you know that's what they are into sort of thing, and so they totally suck with the public space issue. but i don't because i use my brain in special ways. so there."
my brain-stem tells me that people are fickle and "good" as a value changes. it also says that eiffel tower was very nearly torn down because the architects and other elites in charge of the site thought it was bollocks. now it is icon. not sure if that is evidence for or against his case. probably both. point is architects at least actually give a fuck, which is in my experience not something most burea-cats have going for them.
TK, don't you have access through springer or similar? sounds like fun though. good luck!
we went out last night with very interesting archi-writer yesterday. i drank too much (not a lot, just too much), but hopefully was not utter moron. came home to hear my daughter's school is closed for the rest of the week because of flu. so i am working from home today. we are so lucky i am able to do that - must be a bit of a hardship for lots of parents.
point is architects at least actually give a fuck, which is in my experience not something most burea-cats have going for them
This is exactly the point. People for Public Spaces, or at least Fred Kent, has bolstered their position as "specialists" by putting forth the tired stereotype of architects as ego-driven monument builders who don't care about actual people. Personally, my undergraduate education was almost completely focused on what makes a good place for people to be: exterior spaces, diversity of options, vibrant city streets, all the Jane Jacobs stuff. PPS is making themselves look good by creating an "other" against whom they rant.
I'm not against the creation of a quality built environment for all - that's why I'm an architect. What I'm against is my very expertise in a topic being used as the reason why I shouldn't be allowed to participate in public discussion about that topic! It's senseless and selfish.
Liberty, maybe you should direct him to this current exhibit at the graham foundation which is all about the ways in which visionary architects have positively transformed or impacted the urban environment. Tell him that architects are trained to envision; to be visionaries. Sometimes the visions work out amazingly; other times not quite so well. But the idea is that we are thinking forward, outside of the same ideas that everybody else has already tried.
Maybe after that, you could encourage him to read a little bit of his own field's history and find out how an architect transformed the urban life of Curitiba through visionary measures, over the heads of his own planning ministers.
I'm not saying that architects are always right and planners are always wrong; far from it! But we fill a key role as instigators and imagine-ors. We provide a push and there have to be others to provide a push back. It's a give and take, and leaving us out of the equation altogether -- or generically stereotyping all of our efforts as misguided -- would be the most damaging route a planner could take.
On a side note, the Graham is hosting a great lecture series in conjunction with the exhibit; I got to see Sergio Palleroni there a couple weeks ago (although that was actually organized by UIC) -- he was excellent. If you're in Chicago at any point in the next couple of months I encourage you stop by. It's free anyway, and the house is beautiful (if you haven't been there before).
agree, it is utter rubbish LB. stupid how little we are respected even by people who should know better. mr. kent should be looking for good architects instead of assuming that his low-grade personal experience is representative. i am naturally biased, but still think he is a self-important wanker. funny how folks like that get listened to, especially in america. ;-)
I met with the librarian yesterday, 1/3rd of the journals are subscribed to by the U, the others I should be able to access through an interlibrary loan. Springerlink only works for the journals that the U subscribes to. I'm still getting my head around how the U's library works - just one of those things that I haven't had much time to invest in and every college is slightly different.
we had a great guest last night, the PM for the solardecathlon - it was really nice not to have to prepare a lecture, so I could focus on other things for a few days. 'nother guest next week, so wooohooo!
think I surprised my students when I shared the 'why be a arch student' winner last night at the end of class - wonder how many will start frequenting the 'nect now?
mr. kent should be looking for good architects instead of assuming that his low-grade personal experience is representative. i am naturally biased, but still think he is a self-important wanker. funny how folks like that get listened to, especially in america. ;-)
sadly - even though he is a douche and stereotypes all architects, his low-grade experience is actually pretty representative - at least if he's been to many of the panel discussions I've been to...
perhaps it's just who gets invited to these things...
LB and jump i thought this was somewhat related to your discussion
What are the big cultural implications? For starters, Mr. Pritchard talked about “a new kind of empowerment.” He was referring to the prospect of using virtual-reality models to allow the public to judge all sorts of proposed urban plans. The drawings and computer simulations long cooked up by developers and architects will be replaced by more detailed, easier-to-comprehend, more objective views, in essence democratizing knowledge.
From an article in NYT on a team of Scots who use laser technology to create detailed 3d virtual scans of buildings..
i'm a "self important wanker" yet america doesn't seem to listen to me at all...though it obviously should.
"...the prospect of using virtual-reality models to allow the public to judge all sorts of proposed urban plans. The drawings and computer simulations long cooked up by developers and architects will be replaced by more detailed, easier-to-comprehend, more objective views..."
that sounds like a disaster for a community if anybody wants to actually build anything. on the other, if a community values lots of long discussions about what should be built then such "virtual reality models" will be a perfect exercises in keeping arch interns* busy through the night (likely at lesser & lesser wages) while also driving developers crazy.
*and yes it will still be architects & their interns doing this work because nobody else will be willing to do it for less.
Based on laser scan technology? As in point clouds?
Its impressive stuff, but WAY too much information than neccessary. If anything, I'd like to see it in use for forensics and analytical work, not neccessarily for the public. I don't know what kind of user interface would be applicable in that case. Whats wrong with abstraction or concentration of neccessary information? Do the public really want every single piece of information available? The idea of a neutral or "objective" information is difficult to define, I think, let alone if its the right thing to do in the first place.
WWTCD? Let me know if I should create a new thread about this... Basically, after years of working, I've signed up for a full-fellowship to study for a masters outside of the country. It was a long shot by far, and I didn't expect anything. It turns out I made it to the final round, and have about a 1 in 4 shot to get this after face to face interviews. The fellowship advisor thinks I need to get first-hand accounts of the program/school. What do you think, will first-hand accounts from fellow archinectors be enough? Try to find people in the real world?
slart, congrats on making the first cut. I'd say go ahead and start a thread about it - an archinector may be able to put you in contact with someone in the real world with first hand experience.
i think that the guy in new york times had an idea and then needed a justification and came up with that argument about democratisation of knowledge. not sure why he thinks thoughtful design should be replaced with conventional wisdom (i know he didn't say that, but rush limbaugh told me that's what he means).
am certain there are americans out there who would love to listen to you puddles! you could do a seminar. call it puddle-love, or something catchy like that. make a theme song; change the world.
slarti, i did similar for phd (which was funded by the japanese govt along with a meager salary for living). i needed to get support from professor in toyko to do it and so made a tour of several schools and profs. it did help to talk to them in person. also got to speak to other students who went through same process, which was definitely worth it.
but depends on your exact situational. maybe not necessary for you. starting with archinect seems a good idea as long as you don't mind it being public...
congrats on making it that far! is definitely an achievement.
I received an e-mail this past weekend from another architect I worked on a Project with and the Subject was, "Design Flaw"....There was no message in the email and no attachment. He sent it out to a number of people including myself and of course the client we are working for. I emailed him back and let him know that there was nothing there....so I decided it might be his inability to work with computers which created this e-mail. I'm still trying to figure out what the Design Flaw is... "Oh don't mind the rail it is just a Design Flaw!"
That's awesome news Slart. Congratulations!!!! I definitely think the thread thing is a great idea.
Just found out today we are one step closer to having my project FINALLY begin. All that needs to be done is some proposal tweaking and we're good to go. Once that happens it'll be happy jig time for me. Though I'll still more than likely be working only 32 hours, I feel a load of weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
Crossing my fingers for everyone else out there that more things begin to shake loose. I think we're all due for some good news and good stuff coming to us.
Oh my god - it's Plenty of Fish dot com, not Plenty Offish dot com! I could never figure out why a dating site would call itself Offish - in my mind it translated to being "put off" by someone.
I'm an idiot. Not that we all needed further proof of that, but yeah. Plenty of fish in the sea.
hah hah Sarah that's one way of keep hubby home - food poisoning. By the way saw the flickr pics of Abe, he's grown up so fast - and he's gorgeous.
I've just left a 3.5 hour staff meeting and I'm spent. I would reach for the bottle of red wine but I have a lecture to prepare for tomorrow. So on that note - I'm out
Thanks all. It turns out I may be able to get some contacts of some that have attended the school.
I'm lucky to have gone this far. I've spent a lot of time on filling out applications, essays, getting reccommendations... Although I guess it takes everyone that long to go through the process. Its quite an investment of time, and hope its going to work out. Although, I'm not so hopeful that I'll be devastated if it doesn't work out.
Slart, good going on making it this far. I think the key to the first-hand accounts is being able to take them with a grain of the proper spice: know the person's work and whether you respect it or not. Two accounts of the same program will vary widely and SO much of it depends on the quality of the person. I know in the program I went through, about 80% of a person's perspective depended on how their work was viewed by the faculty.
____________________
I on the other hand, got some not-so-good news this week. I went on a trial for a firm I liked, and did very good work (verified by the boss, not just my opinion), but once they actually got me in there they realized that they didn't have enough extra work to keep me occupied fulltime. I may freelance from them occasionally, but I'm pretty bummed that it didn't work out to be a real job. I've got another interview next week though, so trying to not dwell on it too much that it affects how I present myself.
too true ratonalist. pity about the work thing, but am sure you will come out ahead in the end.
slarti, it took me one year of essays, applications, letters, then interviews and more interviews, before i was given the fellowship/scholarship.
turns out that was only beginning. after getting the promise of money and a place to do research had to then write another proposal and take a 3 hour exam on architecture theory and practice (that mixed a drafting and planning section with questions asking to explain the tragedy of the commons etc). THEN had to give a lecture before a committe describing m.arch work and why i was good enough to do phd. At which point they let me in. these things are always long haul endeavours. really tough to plan a life around that kind of process. impossible actually ;-)
This fellowship is a weird one. Its not funded by the school itself. Basically, they will pick you as one of the scholars and then try to get you into the school of your choice (I guess schools rarely say no, since the student will be paid for). I should actually know by the end of the month (interviews next week) so we'll see how this goes... I would be so happy to just buckle down and study/design/research...
Thread Central
quote of the day. two thumbs up.;.)
i'm sorry...but i've got better things to do than "be specific" - puddles
puddles can you at least tell us, specifically, what a withc doctor is? Because you've used that terminology several times so it must not be a misspelling. It sounds much more subtle and thus intriguing than a plain old witch doctor.
Sarah, I like your comment directed at puddles, too. Sorry about the practice test but hey, it's only practice.
Drinking Beer and listening to local politics on election night and plotting drawings to take to the printer in the morning. May the best Politico..win! (if there is such a thing).
toast i saw pancakes/or flapjacks...
Orhan i couldn't tell if you posted the quote or were talking to puddles.
Personally, my favorite recent post by him was
or you could just have some balloons and be all like, fuck it, i've got ballooons
Sarah sucks but i am sure you can study a bit and pass if you want to.
i meant i say
Nite all. I am making an omelet and then to bed.
I wonder what kind of omlets. I love that they really aren't just for breakfast anymore. But there's something about them when you've been out on the piss with tomatoes and potatoes thrown in (is that a Spanish omlet by chance??) I can't remember the name of the necteur who was a chef but now designed professional kitchens.... he was fun.
My drawer at work is now filled with 65 papers to grade and the number is increasing, I should get another 20 on Monday. All grading has to be complete by December 4th
Morning all,
Archi, the omelet had onion, portabella srooms, courgette (aka zucchini), tomatoes, herbs and cheese. Plus some great sourdough bread..
One thing i don't miss from when i was teaching was all the grading..
Has anyone else felt like they have been run over by a train(in a funk/exhausted) for the last week or two?
Hi Vado!!!
Is it directing you to porn sites by chance? I had one of those a couple of years ago, somehow it got on my work computer...Maybe from music mixes i downloaded???
They had to reinstall the entire OS.
hey nam. no it was just directing to random pages. i seem to have fixed it.
vado, download malwarebytes anti-malware program and run it to see if you're computer is still infected.
That's a quote from an email I received from Fred Kent, director of Project for Public Spaces. Ironically, the local Urban Design program just sent me an email inviting me to participate in a workshop with Ethan Kent of PPS, who I assume is Fred's son. Should I go and raise a ruckus?
a-techno, it's Mightylittle - the best ex-pro chef on the 'nect...
yesterday was a marathon literature search that ended with 184 articles and books for my scheme to earn tenure project (and maybe get a $$$k grant along the way) - and that's just the start. My head is still spinning as I'm off to the library to see how many of these journals I have access to. then this afternoon is a crit. my class tonight has a guest, so I don't have to prepare a lecture (phew).
<i>I'm off to the library to see how many of these journals I have access to<i/>
at virginia tech, locals could check out books from the uni libraries - here in seattle, not so much.
Your faculty card should give you access to the online journal networks, via your university, no?
LB - I actually agree with that statement. Most architects aren't equipped to really understand the greater forces that contribute to what makes a good public "place."
I think the statement is good that it recognising that the best solution is a mixed bag, however to state that the problem rest solely with the architect is sadly misstated and that's all I'll say about it.
I'm in a funk. It's raining I suspect I may drain a bottle of red wine solo and go mark a couple papers.
nobody knows what makes a good public space. in some places its a blank wall, in another its a green nook, in others its a huge plaza. and then when demographics change or some building gets torn down or put up the formula changes. so yah, like whatever.
it is also possible that the fellow simply has not worked with good architects or planners. unless his experience is with West 8?
So he should qualify that and restate...like "]most mediocre architects, like the ones i work with, who are competent with detailing and shit like that, basically are not interested in what happens outside of the CMU wall, because you know that's what they are into sort of thing, and so they totally suck with the public space issue. but i don't because i use my brain in special ways. so there."
my brain-stem tells me that people are fickle and "good" as a value changes. it also says that eiffel tower was very nearly torn down because the architects and other elites in charge of the site thought it was bollocks. now it is icon. not sure if that is evidence for or against his case. probably both. point is architects at least actually give a fuck, which is in my experience not something most burea-cats have going for them.
TK, don't you have access through springer or similar? sounds like fun though. good luck!
we went out last night with very interesting archi-writer yesterday. i drank too much (not a lot, just too much), but hopefully was not utter moron. came home to hear my daughter's school is closed for the rest of the week because of flu. so i am working from home today. we are so lucky i am able to do that - must be a bit of a hardship for lots of parents.
This is exactly the point. People for Public Spaces, or at least Fred Kent, has bolstered their position as "specialists" by putting forth the tired stereotype of architects as ego-driven monument builders who don't care about actual people. Personally, my undergraduate education was almost completely focused on what makes a good place for people to be: exterior spaces, diversity of options, vibrant city streets, all the Jane Jacobs stuff. PPS is making themselves look good by creating an "other" against whom they rant.
I'm not against the creation of a quality built environment for all - that's why I'm an architect. What I'm against is my very expertise in a topic being used as the reason why I shouldn't be allowed to participate in public discussion about that topic! It's senseless and selfish.
Liberty, maybe you should direct him to this current exhibit at the graham foundation which is all about the ways in which visionary architects have positively transformed or impacted the urban environment. Tell him that architects are trained to envision; to be visionaries. Sometimes the visions work out amazingly; other times not quite so well. But the idea is that we are thinking forward, outside of the same ideas that everybody else has already tried.
Maybe after that, you could encourage him to read a little bit of his own field's history and find out how an architect transformed the urban life of Curitiba through visionary measures, over the heads of his own planning ministers.
I'm not saying that architects are always right and planners are always wrong; far from it! But we fill a key role as instigators and imagine-ors. We provide a push and there have to be others to provide a push back. It's a give and take, and leaving us out of the equation altogether -- or generically stereotyping all of our efforts as misguided -- would be the most damaging route a planner could take.
On a side note, the Graham is hosting a great lecture series in conjunction with the exhibit; I got to see Sergio Palleroni there a couple weeks ago (although that was actually organized by UIC) -- he was excellent. If you're in Chicago at any point in the next couple of months I encourage you stop by. It's free anyway, and the house is beautiful (if you haven't been there before).
Yahooo! I just won tickets to go see this group on Sunday Night:
http://www.dirtydozenbrass.com/ It makes working late a good thing!
awesome snook. love those guys.
agree, it is utter rubbish LB. stupid how little we are respected even by people who should know better. mr. kent should be looking for good architects instead of assuming that his low-grade personal experience is representative. i am naturally biased, but still think he is a self-important wanker. funny how folks like that get listened to, especially in america. ;-)
I agree with Atechno - a mixed jury would be advantageous; but to state that he knows more about public spaces than architects is just plain arrogant.
Aaaaagh the number pile is teetering over and about to fall aaaagh.......
I met with the librarian yesterday, 1/3rd of the journals are subscribed to by the U, the others I should be able to access through an interlibrary loan. Springerlink only works for the journals that the U subscribes to. I'm still getting my head around how the U's library works - just one of those things that I haven't had much time to invest in and every college is slightly different.
we had a great guest last night, the PM for the solardecathlon - it was really nice not to have to prepare a lecture, so I could focus on other things for a few days. 'nother guest next week, so wooohooo!
think I surprised my students when I shared the 'why be a arch student' winner last night at the end of class - wonder how many will start frequenting the 'nect now?
sadly - even though he is a douche and stereotypes all architects, his low-grade experience is actually pretty representative - at least if he's been to many of the panel discussions I've been to...
perhaps it's just who gets invited to these things...
Hi all,
I am extremely full from an early lunch at a Thai buffet...
Mmmmmm.
LB and jump i thought this was somewhat related to your discussion
What are the big cultural implications? For starters, Mr. Pritchard talked about “a new kind of empowerment.” He was referring to the prospect of using virtual-reality models to allow the public to judge all sorts of proposed urban plans. The drawings and computer simulations long cooked up by developers and architects will be replaced by more detailed, easier-to-comprehend, more objective views, in essence democratizing knowledge.
From an article in NYT on a team of Scots who use laser technology to create detailed 3d virtual scans of buildings..
oh and Mr. Pritchard is an architect by training..
i worry when "people" start using cliches like "democratizing knowledge," as if knowledge could be democratized. dim wits.
i'm a "self important wanker" yet america doesn't seem to listen to me at all...though it obviously should.
"...the prospect of using virtual-reality models to allow the public to judge all sorts of proposed urban plans. The drawings and computer simulations long cooked up by developers and architects will be replaced by more detailed, easier-to-comprehend, more objective views..."
that sounds like a disaster for a community if anybody wants to actually build anything. on the other, if a community values lots of long discussions about what should be built then such "virtual reality models" will be a perfect exercises in keeping arch interns* busy through the night (likely at lesser & lesser wages) while also driving developers crazy.
*and yes it will still be architects & their interns doing this work because nobody else will be willing to do it for less.
Based on laser scan technology? As in point clouds?
Its impressive stuff, but WAY too much information than neccessary. If anything, I'd like to see it in use for forensics and analytical work, not neccessarily for the public. I don't know what kind of user interface would be applicable in that case. Whats wrong with abstraction or concentration of neccessary information? Do the public really want every single piece of information available? The idea of a neutral or "objective" information is difficult to define, I think, let alone if its the right thing to do in the first place.
WWTCD? Let me know if I should create a new thread about this... Basically, after years of working, I've signed up for a full-fellowship to study for a masters outside of the country. It was a long shot by far, and I didn't expect anything. It turns out I made it to the final round, and have about a 1 in 4 shot to get this after face to face interviews. The fellowship advisor thinks I need to get first-hand accounts of the program/school. What do you think, will first-hand accounts from fellow archinectors be enough? Try to find people in the real world?
slarti- go for it! face-to-face will improve your odds of landing the fellowship.
slart, congrats on making the first cut. I'd say go ahead and start a thread about it - an archinector may be able to put you in contact with someone in the real world with first hand experience.
i think that the guy in new york times had an idea and then needed a justification and came up with that argument about democratisation of knowledge. not sure why he thinks thoughtful design should be replaced with conventional wisdom (i know he didn't say that, but rush limbaugh told me that's what he means).
am certain there are americans out there who would love to listen to you puddles! you could do a seminar. call it puddle-love, or something catchy like that. make a theme song; change the world.
slarti, i did similar for phd (which was funded by the japanese govt along with a meager salary for living). i needed to get support from professor in toyko to do it and so made a tour of several schools and profs. it did help to talk to them in person. also got to speak to other students who went through same process, which was definitely worth it.
but depends on your exact situational. maybe not necessary for you. starting with archinect seems a good idea as long as you don't mind it being public...
congrats on making it that far! is definitely an achievement.
Congrats slarti! Congrats Steven if I haven't said so already.
I made pasta dough again. Last time I gave my husband and myself food poisoning.
I received an e-mail this past weekend from another architect I worked on a Project with and the Subject was, "Design Flaw"....There was no message in the email and no attachment. He sent it out to a number of people including myself and of course the client we are working for. I emailed him back and let him know that there was nothing there....so I decided it might be his inability to work with computers which created this e-mail. I'm still trying to figure out what the Design Flaw is... "Oh don't mind the rail it is just a Design Flaw!"
That's awesome news Slart. Congratulations!!!! I definitely think the thread thing is a great idea.
Just found out today we are one step closer to having my project FINALLY begin. All that needs to be done is some proposal tweaking and we're good to go. Once that happens it'll be happy jig time for me. Though I'll still more than likely be working only 32 hours, I feel a load of weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
Crossing my fingers for everyone else out there that more things begin to shake loose. I think we're all due for some good news and good stuff coming to us.
Oh my god - it's Plenty of Fish dot com, not Plenty Offish dot com! I could never figure out why a dating site would call itself Offish - in my mind it translated to being "put off" by someone.
I'm an idiot. Not that we all needed further proof of that, but yeah. Plenty of fish in the sea.
hehe.
hah hah Sarah that's one way of keep hubby home - food poisoning. By the way saw the flickr pics of Abe, he's grown up so fast - and he's gorgeous.
I've just left a 3.5 hour staff meeting and I'm spent. I would reach for the bottle of red wine but I have a lecture to prepare for tomorrow. So on that note - I'm out
Thanks all. It turns out I may be able to get some contacts of some that have attended the school.
I'm lucky to have gone this far. I've spent a lot of time on filling out applications, essays, getting reccommendations... Although I guess it takes everyone that long to go through the process. Its quite an investment of time, and hope its going to work out. Although, I'm not so hopeful that I'll be devastated if it doesn't work out.
we needed a banner for the page
things are starting to happen....head is starting to spin....i may just make it out....alive.
Slart, good going on making it this far. I think the key to the first-hand accounts is being able to take them with a grain of the proper spice: know the person's work and whether you respect it or not. Two accounts of the same program will vary widely and SO much of it depends on the quality of the person. I know in the program I went through, about 80% of a person's perspective depended on how their work was viewed by the faculty.
____________________
I on the other hand, got some not-so-good news this week. I went on a trial for a firm I liked, and did very good work (verified by the boss, not just my opinion), but once they actually got me in there they realized that they didn't have enough extra work to keep me occupied fulltime. I may freelance from them occasionally, but I'm pretty bummed that it didn't work out to be a real job. I've got another interview next week though, so trying to not dwell on it too much that it affects how I present myself.
too true ratonalist. pity about the work thing, but am sure you will come out ahead in the end.
slarti, it took me one year of essays, applications, letters, then interviews and more interviews, before i was given the fellowship/scholarship.
turns out that was only beginning. after getting the promise of money and a place to do research had to then write another proposal and take a 3 hour exam on architecture theory and practice (that mixed a drafting and planning section with questions asking to explain the tragedy of the commons etc). THEN had to give a lecture before a committe describing m.arch work and why i was good enough to do phd. At which point they let me in. these things are always long haul endeavours. really tough to plan a life around that kind of process. impossible actually ;-)
my computer needs a Breathalyzer before i get on it.
I have to go to the land of fish stink and irish monday.... job interview.
still alive...but im probably goin to die soon if i keep up current behavior. woke up at abut 5am in my car with vomit all over the place.
i think i'm still drunk too. sometimes even i'm not very happy with myself. if this if my last word here lets meake it something good. how abhout...
joy
Thanks Rationalist and Jump for the tips...
This fellowship is a weird one. Its not funded by the school itself. Basically, they will pick you as one of the scholars and then try to get you into the school of your choice (I guess schools rarely say no, since the student will be paid for). I should actually know by the end of the month (interviews next week) so we'll see how this goes... I would be so happy to just buckle down and study/design/research...
ok still alive...& still hungover
but this is the kind of news that cactually knocks my socks off & makes me want to keep living.
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