It's been ten years since we began our architecture education in Manhattan, Kansas but I still call these friends some of my favorites. When it came time to leave, we had our pick then of jobs and the possibilities of our dreams were limitless. We scattered to different corners of the world... each one of us taking our own unique approach to our trade. We've gone to far off lands and stayed to explore known
Read Morei visited the Cathedral of Christ the Light (click on photos in the gallery on the left of the page) a few weeks back to hear the architect from SOM tell about the project. it's the first time i've gone to a lecture about a building in the building and it really got me thinking about what a different experience that was. rather than show photos of the 4 stories of wooden slats, he just
Read More’so, what do you do here in the city?’ i get this question a lot. it’s the natural result of being a new person… i get asked the most basic of questions over and over again. and the benefit of the exercise is i’ve had countless opportunities to practice my response. the ironic thing, i still cannot figure out how to answer. ‘well,’ i hesitatingly begin, ‘i’m an architect by education,’ immediate eye brow raise and two points
Read Morecross it off of my list of things to do in life. been there, done that; i’ve seen the taj mahal. what did i think? you may ask. overrated. i would reply. i know that sounds arrogant, it’s one of the world’s seven wonders. yes, it’s beautiful. it’s a brilliant white marble tomb. the finest example of mughal architecture, combining elements of persian, turkish, indian, and islamic architctural styles. it’s carefully crafted details, standing majestically in front of the blue sky. but still overrated. one
Read Morebecause i never told you why… i’ll never forget that first day of design studio. ‘what is architecture? what is space? why have you entered this profession?‘ the question seemed easy…but i was at a loss. every answer i could come up with didn’t seem enough. i knew there was more than i understood. i was at the beginning of something. everything i thought about architecture was thrown out the window that day. whatever i knew it entailed
Read Morethe clear, logical development of a work of architecture depends on rational and objective criteria. when i permit subjective and unconsidered ideas to intervene in the objective course of the design process, i acknowledge the significance of personal feelings in my work. when architects talk about their buildings, what they say is often at odds with the statements of the buildings themselves. this probably connected with the fact that they tend to talk a good deal
Read Morei'll never forget that first day of studio. 'what is architecture? what is space? why have you entered this profession?' the question seemed easy enough...but i was at a loss. every answer i could come up with didn't seem enough. i knew there was more than i understood. i was at the beginning of something. everything i thought about architecture was thrown out the window that day. whatever i knew it entailed or believed it to be
Read Moreit was one of those weeks full of extremes, the really good and the really bad, the hot and the cold. nothing luke warm. i think subconsciously, i tried to relive final's week in the real world. it was horrible. okay, not horrible, but by far the most work-induced-stress-related week yet...a whole 65 hours of it. and i got to thinking, half of my waking hours are spent "on the clock" and i have but
Read More0600 left home 0930 meeting 1100 meeting 1500 meeting 1600 meeting missed because 1500 meeting ran over 1711 left office to save sanity. ran on eliptical. 1806 bean burrito at taco bell [hold the onions please] 1838 back to work 2153 still working.... 2246 fatal autocad error. explicit uttered. file recovered. 2307 left for home remind me why i became an architect. remind me why i belong in this profession. remind me why, for some sick reason, i love this. [note to self: things still take 3 times longer
Read Moreit was final project week. i had left at 3am to rest my mind and my body before returning 6am. i liked coming in at this time because all of my classmates were leaving in order to avoid the 7am parking tickets. the lights were off, the room was still, i was in flow. instant messenger was my tunnel to the outside world during final projects; the only way i interacted with people outside of
Read Moretomorrow i leave for my first professional trip. [the last statement does not posses the excitement i feel as i write it] at the beginning of june, i wrote an essay in regards to my feelings on internship. you see, technically, i am not yet an architect. i am an intern architect. i cannot practice as an "architect" until i become licensed as one, which requires me to first go through idp and then pass 9 architect
Read Morelife is full of mile markers, things we use to catalog our lives. my parents fondly remember my first smile and my first memory was of pain as i fell from my crib. i remember carefully picking out my outfit for kindergarten and hearing the word sex for the first time, wondering why my teacher wouldn't let us talk about it. i stopped sucking my thumb immediately after i was made fun of on the
Read More“The thing that approaches the very limits of His power is the very thing we as disciples of Jesus ought to believe He will do. We impoverish and weaken His ministry in us the moment we forget He is almighty.” - My Utmost for His Highest Today, I saw my first real castle. It was just as I imagined it to be; on the top of a green hill, made of stone, and a
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