ahhhh.... congrats, ap...

thanks Phil, and Paul...

we're safe and sound...the airport thing was pretty bad for the building (still closed i think), but only 4-5 people were injured bad enough to need to go to the hospital....

and i put this on twitter, but in addition to my award, MK (my fiance) was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Medal.   i'm more than happy to be 2nd to her...

AP, dude, you totally rocking....and in rocking company apparently

way cool

So we finally got the go ahead to release the call for papers for our school journal where I presently preside as editor.

WonderK, Phillip, jump, Nam, or anyone else for that matter please drop us an email if you are interested in being published in an international academic journal on architecture. The deadline for abstracts aren't until the middle of summer. If you have any questions on the review process or anything else please let me know.

Now onto something completely different - I attended a Hindu baby shower today. The expectant mother sits around (uncharacteristically with the expectant father) and gets blessed by all the other mothers who come up one at a time and don flowers over their heads and feed them fruit and nuts. It really was beautiful to watch. I love that we have such active ethnic communities here. It was magical.

It's a good place ,ok!~

Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how could we communicate?

grinder mill
impact crusher

AP, so exciting to see you win all these accolades - you deserve them!

What do we do if we see spam - like the post ^^^ above me?  I'd love to be able to wipe it clean myself.

But Donna, if you wipe it clean, how can we all go "huh?" - with one eyebrow raised of course, and make fun of it?  I mean this guy has a grinder mill, and apparently it's for amusement, and it's good.  So the question is, is it the illegal  "grinder mill" in La Grange, or the legal on in Nevada?

Donna, are you going to start a thread, ala Mr. Ward's bathroom thread, for your new bathroom?  I can't speak for us all, but I'm way interested!

Sarah I'm just sticking to posting bathroom project images on Facebook - it's HOPEFULLY going to be a very quick, week-long project.  I'm most excited about the MCM office credenza I'm turning into a vanity.

Congrats, AP!

I just saw this picture of the Ito's Mediatheque post-earthquake.  I found it to be pretty visually stunning/startling.  

N, that's what my kids closet looks like most days.  It's also why we don't have bookshelves out in the open.

David thanks for the heads up.

I will keep in mind as a work on some things over the spring/summer.

N_ that is a cool photo...

morning all. it is only 11:30 on Monday and I already feel behind on work.

Had a good Easter. Went to a place called Black Bayou, hiked around saw an alligator and some heron. drove around looking at houses for sale. saw this awesome mcm that had a for sale sign got out, saw one brick detail and proclaimed a damn good architect did this. walked around was in pretty good condition peeked in the windows saw lots of old furniture and household items that said, someone old just died here. walked around some more and this guy rolled up in a van got out with a motorized cart. he just bought it. he had the original plans, he let us go inside awesome features, terrazo floor,  built in hidden turntable, with sound system, intercom system, wetbar, kitchen built in blender unit. open the door under the sink and the garbage can slides out to greet you and opens its lid. so cool. so out of the price range.

congrats, AP! 

I don't know quite what to do with the work updates now, because I find that if I post a work update then that's one fewer post that I'll make here or in the jobsite pic of the day thread, which is a touch sad. So in the meantime I'll post a tiny personal project I've been working on, just a little fun with a mid-century dresser I found on craigslist... (a pic of the more substantial project I've been taking on outside of work is of course in my work updates)

Erin that is really, really well-done.  Paint or applique?  SO very cool.

since I haven't gotten my user profile all 3.0 yet, I'm slacking on posting work-updates. The past few weeks have had the afterburners on leading up to my interview in NYC on Thursday. The I get to return just in time for final reviews and start prepping for interview #2 while simultaneously gearing up for teaching a 3 week intensive 'M-Term'.

At least the end is in sight.

Donna, that's all paint. It could be a little neater up close, but definitely from a couple feet away I'm happy with how it turned out.

my wife's office looked like that n_.  she is on the 8th floor where the shaking was tremendous.  can't imagine how it was in taller building.

i would hate to have the job of putting all those books back on the shelf.  maybe its time to go all digital...

that is really quite beautiful Erin. Does it wrap all the way around to the back?

I glimpsed through TC, say the photograph of the books on the floor and just assumed it was an installation piece. Interesting how the mind of an architect works.

Long day at the beach, I'm drained and dreading tomorrow. Got to love 4 day weekends 

and I never did tell you about my random MCM find when scouting plants and flowers for our wedding. A total shocker and it had a great story that went with it that I won't bore you with. Of course I sat in it, and of course I suggested rather cooly and casually that it would make a fine wedding present.

erin nice....like the graphic.

night all.

David,

You are living the lfe!

Donna check this out...http://obsolescing.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/seeking-skeuomorphs/

@erin. love it.

@techno. get it.

morning all

david what does mcm stand for?

i believe mcm = mid-century modern...

Don't worry Nam, I was confused too, until I happened to come across an add on craigslist using the abbreviation, only then did I put it all together.  I ask, what's wrong with using actual words?  Why do we have to shorten everything into letters?  Is it the world of social networking and texting, or is it a trickle down affect from the government?

Morning!

Ok, so I'm working on the thank you note/book inscription for my Mentor teacher.  I'd like to run it by you all first.  Keep in mind that my mentor teaches animation.  Is this too much?

"A dream is a wish your heart makes, and I have always dreamed of teaching, I just never thought I'd dream of teaching anything other than Architecture.

Thank you for opening A Whole New World to me, and thank you for letting me be Part of Your World.  After Following the Leader, I now know that You Can Fly is actually a truism; it just takes a bit a pixie dust.

Thank you for teaching me that sometimes you only need to teach the Bear Necessities, and that sometimes you have to really accomodate the Poor Unfortunate Souls. 

Always remember to Step in Time, Love to Laugh, and to Whistle While You Work (but change the line up every once and a while).

You've got a friend in me,"

Too cheesy?  Is it obvious what I'm trying to do?

as the father of a 5 yr old and a 3yr old, it made me cringe. but others may not have that reaction...

Sarah, not too cheesy at all.  It's delightful in every sense.

See, now you two have me just a worried as before.  You totally cancelled each other out.

sarah - I guess if your mentor is really into Disney movies...

Sarah, did your mentor also donate you a kidney? If not, it does come off like 14 year old is hitting on her teacher. It's an animation class, so your note is cute & clever, but waaay over the top. I'm talking affair level here.

Yeah.  I think I'm going to take off that first paragraph.  It's too mushy sounding.  You guys thank that will help a lot?

Sarah, I think something like that is all about tapping into the recipient's sense of humor, so since I don't know him/her I don't really feel qualified to comment.

David, no it doesn't wrap because the one part of the dresser that's a little crummy is the back which is a basic thin mdf sheet, so I never plan on exposing that side to the world anyways. I'm so happy you guys like it, I never expected people to react so positively to such a silly little furniture project! 

Erin truth be told I did stalk your flickr account to see more pictures of it. It's very graphic which gives it a punchy contemporary feeling with that timelessness you only get with a mid century piece and I could easily imagine it being a series. 

Sarah your note does seem to capture your enthusiasm but perhaps the message may be best delivered without the "tag lines" and say why you felt the way you feel. 

Sarah maybe the way to approach it is use one paragraph of silly cartoon quotes - which I think are cute and will be appreciated - then a follow up paragraph that very simply says what you feel (as David suggests), maybe very little more than: "In all seriousness, you affected my life positively.  Thank you."

Greetings, all... Thought I'd check in for a minute. Archinect 3.0 looks pretty sharp.

So far my first year of grad school at DAAP is going reasonably well, although it's been stressful as hell (not that I was really expecting otherwise). The program and my professors have been great, but my biggest frustrations have had to do with my own crappy study habits that I've had since, well, about first grade. I'm surrounded by a bunch of over-achievers who are fresh out of undergrad who think nothing about staying up all night in studio five nights a week, while I'd rather sleep in late, grab a few beers at my favorite bar, and throw something together at the last minute. It's not that I'm lazy or untaltented; I just have a hard time giving a shit.

Structures in particular has been kicking my ass, to that point where I'm considering withdrawing from the class and retaking it later. Unfortunately, this might delay my graduation date. I have a pretty good intuitive understanding of how structural elements work, but when actual formulas come up, I feel like it's all a foreign language to me.

On top of that, lately I've been trying to figure out what I want to do with my life once I grow up... The one thing I know for certain is that if, ten years from now, I'm still sitting in a cubicle farm in some corporate firm pumping Revit or AutoCAD, I seriously hope somebody shoots me in the face. Working at bar has been more professionally satisfying than being a CAD/BIM monkey, and there's a part of me that would be perfectly content to stay in the bar business. (Unfortunately, there's a reason you don't see too many middle-aged or older bartenders. The pay is good, but it's exhausting work and there's no healthcare or retirement benefits.)

In other news, I've moved into a kick-ass apartment in Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Loft layout, exposed brick, hardwood floors, etc... It's the kind of place everybody thinks they'll live in when they move to New York City, except this place is actually within my price range. I've made some great friends and have an awesome social life here in Cincinnati (the Archinector formerly known as SuperHeavy is even part of my circle), but part of me still wants to stretch my horizons, maybe by giving NYC another chance, or by moving to the Pacific Northwest or to London someday. I guess it will all depend on what sort of opportunities are available to me once I get my M.Arch. degree. Lots of big decisions over the next few years.... Maybe I'll just quit this whole architecture thing, move to London, and open a pub.

Anyway, I hope all is well....

hi Gin, good to see you have your spirits about you. Pun intended. Your frank "having a hard time giving a shit" attitude is refreshing. I guess it's what happens when the survival tactics we  have become accustomed to are supposed to be replaced with academic attentiveness.   I'm sure the path will become clearer with each step. But opening a pub in blighty sounds awesome!!

HI GIN!  good to hear you are living the good life. 

the not giving a shit thing is tough.  i suppose that is the hardest part about going back to uni after working in the real world ?

opening a pub in london would be fun.  stressful.  challenging.  and EXPENSIVE!

hope you find your way through school and a place you can give a shit about.

GIN! good to hear from you, the not giving a shit sounds like some of it may be the result of you having a bit more perspective or at least other priorities in life other than just school.

sounds healthy as long as you can keep the grades and forward progress up.

hi jump, david and everybody else!

Wow, Gin, glad things are so much better for you now.

Yeah, on that letter thing, I was going to put it inside the book, but chickened out, and instead, after omitting the first paragraph, wrote it in a card so he can throw it away after.  Inside the books, I simple wrote Thank you.

He gets it all today.  Now, actually.  I'm a little nervous. 

gin - isn't  DAAP a co-op program?  do you have to take a semester off to work in an office?

Gin,

i can actually think of a lot of middle aged bartenders here in nyc..

i guess they don't generally do it into old age..but at that point usually you've made enough money (or should have) that you can relax a bit and manage one or two places or more.. with the idea of living off your investment in gin as it were.  there are exceptions of course.. like the international or something? that bar that has a father and son that works the bar and the father seems to be in his 80s or so..  i'm with you on the idea of considering other careers... architecture in itself can be very tiring and there's often no healthcare or benefits either.  and it doesn't seem like a profession that you can ever retire from...simply cause you'll never afford it.. i've been trying to figure out a way to supplement my income or replace it with a new path for years.

i'm interested that you'd even consider moving back here.. from all your posts it seems like you were miserable here in nyc...and that you're quite happy in cincy.

It's good to see you here, Gin.

Does UCincy have free access to tutors for students?  Would some one-on-one time with a structures tutor help?  My experience with structures - all math, actually - is it doesn't make sense over and over and over then suddenly something clicks and it ALL makes sense.  But then that magical window closes and it doesn't make sense again.  The trick is to have that window open during the exam, and to also allow the momentary absorption of the intuitive sense of structures - which is all we really need anyway - to absorb deeply.

Anyway, it's nice to see you here.

Lars:

I guess it's a case of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence," and probably says more about my own issues than about the merits of any given locale.

That said, where I end up will ultimately depend on what sort of opportunities are available to me once I finish my degree... If I end up doing work I love here in Cincinnati, then I'd be more than happy to stay here, but if the only available jobs involve pumping Revit for Walgreens roll-outs, then I'll likely look elsewhere. While I have some major issues with NYC, there's also a lot of things I love about New York, and I'd probably be willing to consider returning if the circumstances were right (i.e., working for a cool office and making enough money to afford a somewhat decent standard of living).

Toasteroven:

Yes, DAAP has a co-op program, and I've already completed one co-op quarter so far, with three more to go. During the winter I worked for a mid-sized corporate firm here in Cincinnati and I was absolutely miserable. I'm hoping to end up at a smaller firm this summer, and I've applied to some local firms as well as firms in NYC and Seattle. Next year I'll have two consecutive co-op quarters which will form a solid six-month block, and I'm really hoping to end up in London for that.

sorry to hear about your shitty co-op experience - hope the next one goes better.

btw - if you're pushing walgreens you are most likely not going to be using revit.

I really need to trim my nails.  It's getting hard to type.

Is puddles really gone forever?

I experienced the most interesting phenomenon this afternoon.  Listening to a grown man devolve into a 2 year old having a temper tantrum cuz we didn't give him what he wanted.  Although tiring, it will be even more fun to see what happens when the landlord rejects his proposal and we have to go back to my original design cuz his didn't meet their criteria. 

Wonder when I should start popping the popcorn?

melt - first time?  get used to it... just be happy it wasn't your boss.

unrelated - I'm wondering - how many of you actually fully understand the economics of the particular project type you usually work on? do you know where the money comes from?