Landscaping

When most people think of a landscape, they usually think of some sort of natural setting be it an open field, valley, mountain range, etc. The landscape is said to "comprise the visible features of an area of land, including physical elements such as landforms, living elements of flora and fauna, abstract elements like lighting and weather conditions, and human elements like human activity and the built environment" (Wikipedia). Landscapes don't always have to be made strictly by nature however. There are manufactured landscapes as well. Even ruins left behind can be considered as a landscape.

My favorite type of landscape is considered both natural and manufactured. Built by an architect, the golf course is all about framing views and creating circulation so you start and finish near the clubhouse. From the tee box, a certain threshold is created by the surrounding trees, bunker traps, etc., leading up to the green (your destination). I have been to some courses where they have used shorter, wider trees and shrubs to help frame the low line horizon of the surrounding area, same as Frank Lloyd Wright designed low, long houses to do the same. However, these landscapes take a great deal of maintenance to keep up, which could end up to be beneficial because, if the money is there, these landscapes could stand the test of time and outlast other landscapes that are being ruined by harsh weather, neglect, and pollution. Being manufactured, made by the hand, it is being treated and taken care of daily. The "Old Course" at ST. Andrews is said to have been around since 1506, played by King James IV. Some say that it is in the best condition now than it has ever been. With that being said, why can't we use the same techniques to preserve all other natural landscapes regardless of whether they are a national park or not?

Code of Ethics

The last two weeks, we as a class have been developing a 'code of ethics' for the LA Tech School of Architecture. We were each asked to come up with some suggestions of what should be in it or how to present it, etc. I feel that most people these days are very visual, I know I am. So I thought a diagram would be a good representation for our 'code of ethics'. I created it in an architectural program called Rhinoceros 4.0 using a tool called Grasshopper. Basically, the words in the middle are verbs or character traits that best describe how young professionals should be or act in a sense, and the outer words describe who we have that responsibility or obligation to.

Obligations of Studio Culture (Code of Ethics)

As architecture students at Louisiana Tech University, I feel we have obligations to ourselves first and foremost, our professors and fellow students, the university, and the community around us. We have an obligation to ourselves to strive to go above and beyond what is expected of us, to further our education, and to produce good work. Without these expectations, what good are we to the firms we apply to when we graduate. The more we learn and know, the more we bring to the table. We also have an obligation to our teachers to produce good, coherent, and new work every time we talk to them to not waste their time. We have an obligation to our fellow students, to respect them, their work, and their work space. Don't steal things from your fellow students such as their tools and their work. We should show interest in our friends work. I've had many of my classmates help me out with my projects, giving me advise on things that I may have never seen before to better my projects, and I have returned the favor. That is what studio culture is all about. We also have an obligation to Louisiana Tech University, as they are the ones that supplied us with our facilities and equipment that we use, such as the plot room, laser cutter, router, etc. We should show respect to them by treating the facilities and equipment with the utmost care. We should also strive to participate more in school activities to better the university. Finally, we have an obligation to the community around us. With classes such as CDAC (Community Design Assistance Center) and Habitat For Humanity, we have a voice in the community, and we need to use it to possibly help the community and raise awareness of green architecture to help the environment. These obligations, i think, are very important to consider when writing a code of ethics for the School of Architecture at LA Tech.

Studio Culture

Some people see studio as a class, I see it as the only place where we can be as creative as we want without being criticized for it. It is the one place where we can express ourselves and find our own style of architecture before we get to the real world. When working for a firm with real clients, one has to be a little reserve because you are working with other people in the firm and the clients already have an idea of what they want, so you can't do exactly what you want whether you like it or not. The other good aspect of studio is being able to work with your peers, a social networking if you will. I can't begin to count how many times I ask my friends what they think about an idea that I have and how much good feedback I will receive. Most of the time I will get more feedback from my peers than I will my teachers, not because the teachers don't help, but because my peers have the ability to explain certain things better. I guess that's because most of us know each others projects in and out and have a little more incite into what we are trying to accomplish. I also believe it has a lot to do with the ability to communicate easier with my peers than my teachers, so my peers understand what I'm talking about more than the teachers do. The only problem with studio I have, where I think it can improve, is the space layout of the studio. Its only set up for studio and not for the ability to work on other classes while taking a break from your project. It can get pretty loud and disorganized very quickly in there. I would like to see some quiet spaces in studio for studying and things like that so you wouldn't have to leave the studio. That and because the projects can get somewhat big, I feel the desks are a little small and I don't have enough room to work, which is why I will do a lot of my work at my apartment because I have more room to stretch out and feel more comfortable. That problem however may not be fixable though. With that exception, studio is greatly needed in architecture and I hope it never goes away.

4 Reasons to call it Home

This week we have been asked to describe our domicile that fixes upon four topics:
1. an object of sentimental value
2. a piece of furniture that has value to you or your family
3. aspects of a specific room
4. a description of a memorable event that took place in the home

The first thing that makes it home for me is an old beat up car that doesn't even run, sitting in our driveway, collecting pollen half of the year. However, to me its the coolest car ever. It was my grandfather's old work car that he used to pick me up from school in and go to the race track to bet on some horses, but that's not all. It was also my very first car when I was old enough to drive. My grandpa bought himself a new car and gave me the old one because my parents couldn't afford one at the time. It smelled like paint because that's what he used it for, but I was proud of it. Eventually, I was involved in a wreck and it was near totaled. Ever since then its been sitting in the driveway, where it has been my escape from the world by spending time fixing it up piece by piece. It means a lot to me because my grandpa passed away and that's all he was able to leave me along with his navy metals. I have vowed to restore it one day, and it will drive again.
The second thing that makes it home is the chandelier hanging over the the dining room table. When my parents got married and bought a house, it was one of the first items that they picked out together, or so I've been told. It moved with us to the apartment that we lived in for a while and is now at the house that we live in now hanging over the same dining room table. My parents always tell me that it is very special to them and to always hang on to it when they are gone and I have a place of my own.
The third thing that makes it home is the space under the dining room table. When I was little, my sister and I would hide under the dining room table because it was surrounded by boxes and other things, and the only entrance was under the chair that sat at the head of the table. My sister and I were the only ones small enough to fit. It was our fort of solitude. When would go under there and play Uno and draw pictures; it was our escape. Now, every time I see a dining table, I am reminded of those times.
Last but not least, the fourth thing that makes it home is an event that takes place every time I go back home to visit and that is dinner at the kitchen table. As a kid I wanted to watch television while we ate, but my parents made us sit together at the table an eat, while listening to music and talking about our day. Now that I'm older and not home all the time, I have learned to appreciate it and look forward to it when I go home. It gives us all a chance to catch up with whats happening in our lives now that we're all older and don't get a chance to see each other that often.
In The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard discusses how a certain smell, darkness or lightness of a room, or even a piece of furniture can cause us to recall a past memory in our childhood, whether good or bad. I find a lot of truth in this because every time I smell paint, it reminds me of my grandpa's car, and every time I see a dining table, it brings me back to my childhood days. As architects, when designing spaces we have to keep in mind that we may be causing the people to remember their past whether good or bad and make it experiential for them.