http://www.thersa.org/sda/home
Sunday 24 February 2013
Friday 22 February 2013
21FEB: syllabus - Mau, Studio school, Free unit mix
One of my tasks this semester is to device a whole new Studio and Drawing class syllabus for the very first semester of the fresh students starting in Fall 2013.
These are the official descriptions:
105. (ARCH 1403) Design Foundations I. (1-4). Credit 3. I, S
Visual and functional design principles; development of skills in perception, thought and craft as they apply to the formation of two- and three-dimensional relationships; design attitudes and environmental awareness. Prerequisite: Classification in environmental design, construction science or landscape architecture.
106. Design Foundations II. (1-4). Credit 3. II, S
Approaches to problem identification and problem solving emphasizing an awareness of human, physical and cultural factors influencing design; reinforcement of visual and verbal communication as applied to the design process. Prerequisite: ENDS 105.
I have been gathering ideas, meanwhile assisting in Dr. Rogers' class.
ideas:
Institute without Boundaries in Toronto (Bruce Mau)
The Institute without Boundaries offers a learning experience that equips graduates with the capacity to solve complex challenges, by focusing the program around real design projects with tangible outcomes. Our students learn by doing – researching and developing original ideas in a realistic community context – with the full support, mentorship and resources of the Institute. Throughout the semester, students engage in a process of research, analysis, conceptualization, proposition, visualization, experimentation, testing, revision and presentation of theories in the public domain.
Our aim is to produce graduates who, in the words of Buckminster Fuller, are ‘a synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist, and evolutionary strategist.’ To do so, we need to eliminate boundaries between design and other professions, and between designers and the local and global constituents they serve.
Coming out of the Institute without Boundaries, graduates will be able to effectively collaborate in the design process, whether they are designers or not.
We aim to create:
We aim to create:
- New design models that are collaborative and consider the ecology, social equity, cultural values and economic properties of the world;
- A vision that affirms the possibility of developing healthy and creatively interactive relationships between the natural environment and human settlements, and;
- An affirmative design agenda that encourages us to fashion beautiful, holistic environments for all constituents.
Studio Schools in the UK (Geoff Mulgan)
The Studio School is a new concept in education, which seeks to address the growing gap between the skills and knowledge that young people require to succeed, and those that the current education system provides. Studio Schools pioneer a bold new approach to learning which includes teaching through enterprise projects and real work. This approach ensures students' learning in is rooted in the real world and helps them to develop the skills they need to flourish in life.
The Free Unit in London, Robert Mull, Catrina Beevor, Peter Carl
In order to be effective, architects must connect what they design with how they feel about the world. They must mobilize their identity and personal resources in the service of what they believe not what they are told to believe by the mediated world of high architectural culture and education. As a diploma/MA student you have an obligation to explore the limits of your personal design identity and develop certainties that are capable of sustaining you in practice. This is a unique privilege.
The Free Unit will help you do this by offering an alternative to the traditional studio programme - giving you the opportunity to propose, develop and realize independent projects or to become involved in your own live projects supported by the professional infrastructure of ASD projects.
19FEB: The Strategy of Economic Development Albert O. Hirschman
a summary and an example from experience on:
The Strategy of Economic Development
Albert O. Hirschman
1958
Chapter 6: Interdependence and Industrialization
The chapter explains forces that drive, allow and create new industries. The author explains that
developing country often find themselves in a position of an enclave. Either an export one, where a natural resource is being extracted from the country and exported without leaving much capital behind. For example cotton is collected and exported as a raw material, rather than employing local population and turning cotton into clothes and exporting that. These are called forward linkages. The author shows that the less developed country the more primary sources are being exported. On the other hand an import enclave is also typical for developing countries. In this instance ‘near final’product are imported into a country, where local population adds final touches to the product. These instances have proven to have better effect on the host country as there are cases where the import has been over time substituted with local resources. These are called backward linkages. The author argues that the more linkages within a country the better and to that it is possible to calculate approximately the ‘value’ of linkages and the correct sequence of starting development in underdeveloped country by introducing new industry.
I would like to hope that the project for Las Lomas Colonia, which identified a demand in housing and local material resources, has a potential to start such industry. In the case local soil caliche can be used for manufacturing of unfired blocks, which can be used for building of homes. The technology needed is a hydraulic press, which can be ‘imported’ from another region. The block making is a backward linkage to the building industry. The raw material is present and so is the greatly unemployed labor resource. What is missing!?
19FEB: Regional Economic Development Essay in honor of Francois Perroux
a summary and an example from experience on:
Regional Economic Development
Essay in honor of Francois Perroux
1988
Chapter 2: The pole of development’s new place in a general theory of economic activity
The essay argues that development historically only happens through the development poles.
Development pole can be described as a (big) firm investing into an enterprise that will create profit, physical structures, employment, transportation links etc. The pole can be fixed to region or to (existing) firms. The surrounding population can negotiate with the firm in professional, institutional or informal manners to distribute the forthcoming wealth.
The development poles have the potential to be growth inducing. They inevitably influence the local status quo – create demand for services for new workers, offer business opportunities along new transportation links etc. The author defines a fundamental difference between growth pole and development pole. Growth means a sustained increase in e.g. GDP; development is the sum of the changes in social patterns and mentalities through which the production device is coupled with the population: Product that serves the population rather than is an ‘alien’ to it.
I wonder if the above argued difference is indeed the major flaw of the recent ‘retrofit – robin hood’ attempts by big firms to pay back to the exploited land. For example The Business in the Community is a company, which helps big international firms do exactly that. BITC helps companies like BP identify a need somewhere in the developing world and plans how to spend money in the region on ‘development’ which will also serve as an eco/poverty conscious marketing tool for the firm. I was aware that this ‘guilt laundering’ has flaws – it is a retrofit, it is using poverty for marketing purposes, it is perhaps a tic-box exercise, but above all it does not connect the product of the big firm with the population in the first place.
Tuesday 19 February 2013
19FEB: front and backword economic linkages
Regional Economic Development Essay in honor of Francois Perroux
1988
Chapter 2: The pole of development’s new place in a general theory of economic activity
The essay argues that development historically only happens through the development poles. Development pole can be described as a (big) firm investing into an enterprise that will create profit, physical structures, employment, transportation links etc. The pole can be fixed to region or to (existing) firms. The surrounding population can negotiate with the firm in professional, institutional or informal manners to distribute the forthcoming wealth.
The development poles have the potential to be growth inducing. They inevitably influence the local status quo – create demand for services for new workers, offer business opportunities along new transportation links etc.
The author defines a fundamental difference between growth pole and development pole. Growth means a sustained increase in e.g. GDP; development is the sum of the changes in social patterns and mentalities through which the production device is coupled with the population: Product that serves the population rather than is an ‘alien’ to it.
I wonder if the above argued difference is indeed the major flaw of the recent ‘retrofit – robin hood’ attempts by big firms to pay back to the exploited land. For example The Business in the Community is a company, which helps big international firms do exactly that. BITC helps companies like BP identify a need somewhere in the developing world and plans how to spend money in the region on ‘development’ which will also serve as an eco/poverty conscious marketing tool for the firm. I was aware that this ‘guilt laundering’ has flaws – it is a retrofit, it is using poverty for marketing purposes, it is perhaps a tic-box exercise, but above all it does not connect the product of the big firm with the population in the first place.
The Strategy of Economic Development
Albert O. Hirschman 1958
Chapter 6: Interdependence and Industrialization
The chapter explains forces that drive, allow and create new industries. The author explains that developing country often find themselves in a position of an enclave. Either an export one, where a natural resource is being extracted from the country and exported without leaving much capital behind. For example cotton is collected and exported as a raw material, rather than employing local population and turning cotton into clothes and exporting that. These are called forward linkages. The author shows that the less developed country the more primary sources are being exported. On the other hand an import enclave is also typical for developing countries. In this instance ‘near final’ product are imported into a country, where local population adds final touches to the product. These instances have proven to have better effect on the host country as there are cases where the import has been over time substituted with local resources. These are called backward linkages. The author argues that the more linkages within a country the better and to that it is possible to calculate approximately the ‘value’ of linkages and the correct sequence of starting development in underdeveloped country by introducing new industry.
I would like to hope that the project for Las Lomas Colonia, which identified a demand in housing and local material resources, has a potential to start such industry. In the case local soil caliche can be used for manufacturing of unfired blocks, which can be used for building of homes. The technology needed is a hydraulic press, which can be ‘imported’ from another region. The block making is a backward linkage to the building industry. The raw material is present and so is the greatly unemployed labor resource. What is missing!?
1988
Chapter 2: The pole of development’s new place in a general theory of economic activity
The essay argues that development historically only happens through the development poles. Development pole can be described as a (big) firm investing into an enterprise that will create profit, physical structures, employment, transportation links etc. The pole can be fixed to region or to (existing) firms. The surrounding population can negotiate with the firm in professional, institutional or informal manners to distribute the forthcoming wealth.
The development poles have the potential to be growth inducing. They inevitably influence the local status quo – create demand for services for new workers, offer business opportunities along new transportation links etc.
The author defines a fundamental difference between growth pole and development pole. Growth means a sustained increase in e.g. GDP; development is the sum of the changes in social patterns and mentalities through which the production device is coupled with the population: Product that serves the population rather than is an ‘alien’ to it.
I wonder if the above argued difference is indeed the major flaw of the recent ‘retrofit – robin hood’ attempts by big firms to pay back to the exploited land. For example The Business in the Community is a company, which helps big international firms do exactly that. BITC helps companies like BP identify a need somewhere in the developing world and plans how to spend money in the region on ‘development’ which will also serve as an eco/poverty conscious marketing tool for the firm. I was aware that this ‘guilt laundering’ has flaws – it is a retrofit, it is using poverty for marketing purposes, it is perhaps a tic-box exercise, but above all it does not connect the product of the big firm with the population in the first place.
The Strategy of Economic Development
Albert O. Hirschman 1958
Chapter 6: Interdependence and Industrialization
The chapter explains forces that drive, allow and create new industries. The author explains that developing country often find themselves in a position of an enclave. Either an export one, where a natural resource is being extracted from the country and exported without leaving much capital behind. For example cotton is collected and exported as a raw material, rather than employing local population and turning cotton into clothes and exporting that. These are called forward linkages. The author shows that the less developed country the more primary sources are being exported. On the other hand an import enclave is also typical for developing countries. In this instance ‘near final’ product are imported into a country, where local population adds final touches to the product. These instances have proven to have better effect on the host country as there are cases where the import has been over time substituted with local resources. These are called backward linkages. The author argues that the more linkages within a country the better and to that it is possible to calculate approximately the ‘value’ of linkages and the correct sequence of starting development in underdeveloped country by introducing new industry.
I would like to hope that the project for Las Lomas Colonia, which identified a demand in housing and local material resources, has a potential to start such industry. In the case local soil caliche can be used for manufacturing of unfired blocks, which can be used for building of homes. The technology needed is a hydraulic press, which can be ‘imported’ from another region. The block making is a backward linkage to the building industry. The raw material is present and so is the greatly unemployed labor resource. What is missing!?
17FEB: discussions with Zu and Gil
- topic relevant in the future
- good for job hunting
- important to give lots consideration, this will be the course of future steps
- good for job hunting
- important to give lots consideration, this will be the course of future steps
13FEB: Niccolo Casas - 3D printing fractal generated objects
Summary of the lecture by Niccolo Casas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Niccolo started the lecture with what he understands was perceived as beauty in the 90s: symmetrical faces of conventionally beautiful models like Claudia Shiffer and young Naomi Campbell. Then he went on the 00s with a commercial showing conventionally imperfect models with crooked teeth etc. 'Now' for Niccolo is represented by Georgia Jagger's portrait who does not seem to care what the photographer or us or anyone for that matter thinks.
He used this intro to lead us into his own observation that we are now in the state of decay and decadence.
Niccolo went on showing quotes about or by people affiliated with decadence to support his argument. He observed that state of decadence seems to be historically reoccurring after a significant change in the means of communication. So far the lecture was bias to his own point, yet very interesting.
Followed a lengthy display of his photographs of details of somewhat decaying flowers with an explanation that 'that is what I did, because I could not use Maya'. I am sure that this transition could be justified or reflected on better and much more concisely. Followed a similarly lengthy show of filters applied to blown up photographs, 3D scans, filters applied to those and 3D printing of the objects or modified objects.
At this point Niccolo discovered fractals and explains a little bit about those. Not quite enough for a first timer to understand. The lecture was getting exciting until he switched to: 'and then I got invited to the 3D print festival and without knowing what I was doing, I designed in the "style" of fractals: 3D printed jewelry'. Having 'googled' Niccolo before, as far as I was aware and as the time indicated this was a grand finale that was slightly non grand considering the potential.
And only then, the very last animation showed a new piece of jewelry generated by a simple algorithm with the fractal number, that he explained before - we are programmed to like, a state of slight decay. The discussion that followed made us all understand the metaphysical context Niccolo just started uncovering, the never-ending slightly crooked cycles in nature that result in peaceful harmonies of iterations of species, their parts, patterns, and on the other end of the spectrum: the cummulations of species, materials all the way to the cosmic scale. We touched on the ever present and repeating desire of designers to come closer to understanding and replicating the magic of fractals in the baroque, rococo, and Niccolo - without mentioning it verbally - touched on to the Ancient Egyptian aesthetic mixed with abstract native tattoo techniques in his attempted first fractal accessories line. These references spanning millennia all managed to hang off off a comment about repetitive and speeding nature of the changing -isms in the society. This added a dimension of fractal number to time, on top of the space and left my brain running for the rest of the day in amazement.
Iam not sure this all has anything to do with decay, perhaps rather with the imperfection.
Niccolo did not do himself, fractals, or the whole Mother Nature justice, not intentionally, not yet, but what a lecture.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Niccolo started the lecture with what he understands was perceived as beauty in the 90s: symmetrical faces of conventionally beautiful models like Claudia Shiffer and young Naomi Campbell. Then he went on the 00s with a commercial showing conventionally imperfect models with crooked teeth etc. 'Now' for Niccolo is represented by Georgia Jagger's portrait who does not seem to care what the photographer or us or anyone for that matter thinks.
He used this intro to lead us into his own observation that we are now in the state of decay and decadence.
Niccolo went on showing quotes about or by people affiliated with decadence to support his argument. He observed that state of decadence seems to be historically reoccurring after a significant change in the means of communication. So far the lecture was bias to his own point, yet very interesting.
Followed a lengthy display of his photographs of details of somewhat decaying flowers with an explanation that 'that is what I did, because I could not use Maya'. I am sure that this transition could be justified or reflected on better and much more concisely. Followed a similarly lengthy show of filters applied to blown up photographs, 3D scans, filters applied to those and 3D printing of the objects or modified objects.
At this point Niccolo discovered fractals and explains a little bit about those. Not quite enough for a first timer to understand. The lecture was getting exciting until he switched to: 'and then I got invited to the 3D print festival and without knowing what I was doing, I designed in the "style" of fractals: 3D printed jewelry'. Having 'googled' Niccolo before, as far as I was aware and as the time indicated this was a grand finale that was slightly non grand considering the potential.
And only then, the very last animation showed a new piece of jewelry generated by a simple algorithm with the fractal number, that he explained before - we are programmed to like, a state of slight decay. The discussion that followed made us all understand the metaphysical context Niccolo just started uncovering, the never-ending slightly crooked cycles in nature that result in peaceful harmonies of iterations of species, their parts, patterns, and on the other end of the spectrum: the cummulations of species, materials all the way to the cosmic scale. We touched on the ever present and repeating desire of designers to come closer to understanding and replicating the magic of fractals in the baroque, rococo, and Niccolo - without mentioning it verbally - touched on to the Ancient Egyptian aesthetic mixed with abstract native tattoo techniques in his attempted first fractal accessories line. These references spanning millennia all managed to hang off off a comment about repetitive and speeding nature of the changing -isms in the society. This added a dimension of fractal number to time, on top of the space and left my brain running for the rest of the day in amazement.
Iam not sure this all has anything to do with decay, perhaps rather with the imperfection.
Niccolo did not do himself, fractals, or the whole Mother Nature justice, not intentionally, not yet, but what a lecture.
Wednesday 13 February 2013
Sunday 3 February 2013
03FEB BP competition: Reduce your carbon footprint and win Brompton MADE ME SO FURIOUS
I spotted the competition advert on FB, It read something like: reduce your carbon footprint and you will have a chance to win a Brompton bike. It made me so furious I decided I will enter with a thorough list of how much pollution BP is releasing in every-form possible they are suggesting that they close their company and ideally all oil related companies around the world.
well I cant find a trace of that competition anywhere on-line.
I was NOT THE ONLY FURIOUS one, I think thats why
the whole project is not to be found.
look at these comments:
well I cant find a trace of that competition anywhere on-line.
I was NOT THE ONLY FURIOUS one, I think thats why
the whole project is not to be found.
look at these comments:
31JAN books
Richard L. Kagan: Urban Images of The Hispanic World 1493 - 1793
Edited by Richard T LeGates, Frederic Stout: The City Reader
cruelty & utopia, Cities and Landscapes of Latin America
Edited by Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner, Urban-Think Tank: Torre David
Edited by Richard T LeGates, Frederic Stout: The City Reader
cruelty & utopia, Cities and Landscapes of Latin America
Edited by Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner, Urban-Think Tank: Torre David
31JAN talk with Sarah Deyong
- lets revive the project
- Pliny Fisk
- Dialogos conference 203
- Sketch d3space competition
- Torre de David, Urban Think Tank
26JAN Houston: Project Row Houses
http://projectrowhouses.org/
by Rick Lowe
extract from the website:
"Project Row Houses (PRH) is a neighborhood-based nonprofit art and cultural organization in Houston’s Northern Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African-American communities. PRH began in 1993 as a result of discussions among African-American artists who wanted to establish a positive, creative presence in their own community. Artist and community activist Rick Lowe spearheaded the pursuit of this vision when he discovered the abandoned 1 1/2 block site of twenty-two shotgun-style houses in Houston’s Third Ward. The shotgun houses became the perfect opportunity to pursue the creation of a new form of art. They had two key elements: 1) a beautiful form recognized by the renowned Houston artist Dr. John Biggers to be filled with architectural, spiritual, and social significance, and 2) a need for social action among the community to bring the project to life."
by Rick Lowe
extract from the website:
"Project Row Houses (PRH) is a neighborhood-based nonprofit art and cultural organization in Houston’s Northern Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African-American communities. PRH began in 1993 as a result of discussions among African-American artists who wanted to establish a positive, creative presence in their own community. Artist and community activist Rick Lowe spearheaded the pursuit of this vision when he discovered the abandoned 1 1/2 block site of twenty-two shotgun-style houses in Houston’s Third Ward. The shotgun houses became the perfect opportunity to pursue the creation of a new form of art. They had two key elements: 1) a beautiful form recognized by the renowned Houston artist Dr. John Biggers to be filled with architectural, spiritual, and social significance, and 2) a need for social action among the community to bring the project to life."
26JAN Houston: Roni Self's house
Private house on the cliff overlooking the 25lanes of Highway No. 8 :)
Jewell.
Jewell.
24JAN Diane Ghirardo: Industrial Wastelands
“Architecture
after Modernism, Chapter: Industrial Wastelands” by Diane Ghirardo.
Thames & Hudson, Fall 1996, p. 171 - 193
Bara
Safarova
Introduction:
The
material to be reviewed is the introduction to the Chapter Three of
the Architecture after Modernism book by Diane Ghirardo:
Reconfiguring the Urban Sphere and the first of it's three
parts: Industrial wastelands. The chapter is concerned with
the industrial 'ruins' and social gaps left after the departure of an
industry from a city. The aim of the text is to show different
redevelopment approaches to varied 'industrial wastelands'. Overall
the author concludes that large
leftovers present large
problems.
The
text is insightful, the author shows various examples, categorizes
them by size and industry, explains causes for the obsolescence and
solutions in varying depth. The approaches are described at both
political and architectural levels, which supports the argument.
There are exciting yet slightly diverting moments where the author
discusses the role of architects. The main argument is that small
redevelopments come out as delightful and elegant, and big
redevelopments result in controlled, privately owned, and detached
non-cities.
Objective
part:
Ghirardo
starts by pointing out that in the last hundred years there has been
a shift in what commissions architects take on or disdain: e.g.
industrial buildings or minimalls (previously of no interest to
architects, who criticized the décor of a suburban mall and failed
to recognize the social needs it addressed). Today architects fight
for large
industrial redevelopment commissions.
She
continues by explaining how today's mobile economies allow companies
to move around the globe in search for cheaper labor and taxes
abandoning buildings ('wastelands'). She outlines three main
approaches: refurbishment for consumption, demolition for
entrepreneural set up of light industries which leads to
gentrification, and - the argument of the chapter - that large
re-development sites present big problems.
Examples
in support of the argument follow: Fiat Lingotto, a counter example:
Iba at Emscher Park represents a bottom up approach. Obsolete ports
form another supporting example. The main example describes in
detail London Docklands.
The
chapter continues with examples of urban interventions, and
contrasting medium and small size office buildings, parking
structures, etc. which are not part of this summary. Ghirardo
comments that: “The small, individual projects … are
overwhelmingly distinguished works of architecture, which are
elegantly inserted into their surroundings.” The chapter ends with
her main point about massive
urban interventions: they
result in privately controlled, socially disconnected and
discriminatory spaces.
Critical
part:
The
reviewed part of the text is the introduction and a series of
examples of large redevelopments. This is followed by parts
concerning urban and small redevelopments, which further help support
the main argument: large interventions result in socially
irresponsible corporate non-cities.
It
is helpful for the argument that Ghirardo shows how top down and
bottom up approaches lead to unsatisfactory results. The majority of
examples are top down methods, which perhaps reflects the ratio in
reality, a table showing a list of all examples known would have
supported her point to the dot. She assesses built schemes, which
gives her supporting points validity. She explains the process in
varying depth depending on the complexity of the project. She divides
the cases into categories as follows: redevelopment into a place of
consumption (Fiat), bottom up approach (Iba), the docks. She does not
expand on the category mentioned in the introduction: redevelopments
leading to gentrification, which is a shame.
In
her first example Ghirardo explains how Fiat Lingotto left a large
complex with little infrastructure and a lot of unemployment and how
turning it into a center for consumption excluded the working class,
did not provide much employment and the city ended up paying for the
additional infrastructure after all the years of subsidizing the
firm. In this example Ghirardo makes a very clear point that large
firms take subsidies from cities in exchange for providing
employment, but the moment they leave, there is no law that would
enforce a social responsibility onto them.
Iba
at Emscher Park represents a bottom up approach, where residents were
involved in adapting the industrial complex. Ghirardo comments that:
“These were not ideal and broad-scale programs, but actions that
could be reasonably undertaken in a brief period of time.” This
example makes a weaker point, however it is important to mention that
there are approaches that result in socially responsible projects,
which are not sustainable financially. This point would perhaps
deserve more attention and elaboration, so that the author's position
was clear.
Obsolete
ports form another supporting example. The frequent approach is to
turn them into shopping malls to make up for the loss of taxes and
jobs. The example repeats the Fiat case approach. The repetition of
approaches in different instances re-inforces Ghirardo's argument.
The
main example is the London Docklands, where she unfolds the full
history of the rise and decline of the original industry, spends time
explaining the lengthy political struggles, setting up an agency
responsible for the redevelopment and it's strategy to find an
investor, the investor's strategy to find tenants and finally the
brief role of the architect. By simply describing in detail the
processes and showing the years pass by, the author manages to give
the reader a real sense of how much risk and uncertainty there is in
making big decisions about large areas of cities. The reader gets a
fair sense of the financial rules of this kind of 'monopoly game'.
The point where Ghirardo finds the main argument in the very
developer's press release is a sad moment of realization for the
reader and an excellent way to argue a point: “Signature
architecture serves as an important instrument for two related goals:
marketing office space and focusing criticism on form.” Ghirardo
yet again makes a point about the fact that cities are trying to
re-gain loss of revenue and employment. To do so councils try to
attract large investors, in this instance by creating an 'Enterprise
zones' clear of planning requirements and with tax benefits. This
approach led to unbalanced relationship between the investor and the
city, the enterprise zone became detached from it's 'host city' and
yet again ended up catering mostly for the money-spending layer of
society.
The
main body of the text, where Ghirardo describes examples in support
of her argument is mostly clear and somewhat marches in one specific
direction. The introduction to the chapter, where Ghirardo talks
about the shift (architects now take on mundane commissions and
industrial redevelopment projects) is pointing towards a discussion
about the role of architects. It seems that the author is blaming
architects for participating in these colossal interventions. But it
is not the architects who have the power to make decisions whether to
build bottom up or top down or decide the program of the proposals.
They are, as she find later in the press release, mere puppets in the
hands of huge corporations. The parts concerning the role of
architect slightly dilute otherwise well argued point.
Reading
the article made me aware of the political and institutional level of
decision-making, the time frame and the involvement of architects. It
has yet again contributed to my opinion that architects,
master-planners or other development practitioners should be involved
in earlier – political stages of projects to mediate between the
financial interests and the welfare of the community and the planet.
22JAN Ghosts of Machu Picchu video
21JAN - Mumford & Jacobs
Lewis Mumford:
What is a City ?
Jane Jacobs: The
Uses of Sidewalks: Safety
Bara Safarova
Both Jane Jacobs
(1916 - 2006) and Lewis Mumford (1895 – 1990) wrote about the city
and what constitutes a city. They were both concerned with the
quality of the cities of their times. Jacobs was a grassroot
neighborhood activist, who caused near scandal when she published her
book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) in
which she confronted the planning system and the large scale urban
renewal projects of the time. Lewis Mumford was an American
historian, sociologist, philosopher and literary critic who argued
that those who designed the cities did not know what was the city's
social function and thus created handicapped cities. Lewis in his
article What is a City? travels
back to Elizabethan London to find the definition of a city by 'an
honest observer – not a city planner: City is where men by mutual
society and companying grow to alliencies, commonalities and
corporations.' He rephrases this to say that city is where primary
groups (family) and secondary groups (companies, corporations,
institutions) mutually economically support each other. Similarly to
Jacobs, he finds that a 'social drama' is created and enacted in
cities, not in rural areas. His main argument is that there is a
limit to how many residences can feed on a social nuclei and that
sprawl is damaging to the society.
20JAN Pep talk with Peter Lang
the important stuff:
PhD
- first spread the interest base wide
- clear all compulsory credits
- search for what is on offer at TAMU - research in what field is available, who teaches what etc.
- look for a 'chair' (of my future committee), look for coaches, director
- build bibliography
- make sure all class work is related to my research
Teaching
- look at styles and techniques present at TAMU
- prepare syllabus up front
- think of the portfolio of classes
Dialogos
- conference on the border
18JAN Lina Bo Bardi - lecture by Renato Anelli
Renato Anelli: Lina Bo Bardi in the frame of Brazil
evening lecture summary
Renato explained at the beginning that he talks about Lina Bo Bardi, because he thinks there is too much emphasis on Oscar Niemeyer.
The lecture was a chronological summary of Lina Bo Bardi's projects on the background of the history of art and architecture in Brazil.
Lina Bo Bardi and her husband Pietro Maria Bardi lived in Italy, after the war they decided to move to Brazil to experience the 'freedom of modernity' which sprung up in Brazil after the nationalist revolution in the 30s.
Modern paintings of the time show mountains and infrastructure in simplified geometrical shapes, emphasise the horizontality and the 'smallness' of men. The early examples of modernist architecture bear similarities with the simplicity of the visual arts.
Lina started her career with the design of the Institute of Contemporary Art, including the visual identity, architectural magazine and furniture. The trend amongst the modernist architects was to open up buildings to the landscape and to use the interior as a display for pieces of art, furniture, often historic furniture – transparent house.
During the 60s the idea to create a 'social Brazil' became important. Lina started designing MASP – a museum of modern art which lifts off the ground and leaves the public space underneath for everyone.
In the 70s Lina works on stage design.
In the 80s the post-modernism strives in Brazil, Lina distances herself from this wave, yet never criticises Oscar Niemeyer's late work.
Lina died in 1992.
Venice Bienale curated by Kazuyo Sejima in 2010, with a small room dedicated to Lina Bo Bardi started new interest and fascination with Lina Bo Bardi's work.
I enjoyed the extensive use of drawings and visual arts references, which were used throughout the presentation and supported what was being said in a subtle an surprising way. It would have been interesting to compare the work of Lina Bo Bardi with what was happening in Europe at the time – Bauhaus, functionalism, Adolf Loos, etc.
evening lecture summary
Renato explained at the beginning that he talks about Lina Bo Bardi, because he thinks there is too much emphasis on Oscar Niemeyer.
The lecture was a chronological summary of Lina Bo Bardi's projects on the background of the history of art and architecture in Brazil.
Lina Bo Bardi and her husband Pietro Maria Bardi lived in Italy, after the war they decided to move to Brazil to experience the 'freedom of modernity' which sprung up in Brazil after the nationalist revolution in the 30s.
Modern paintings of the time show mountains and infrastructure in simplified geometrical shapes, emphasise the horizontality and the 'smallness' of men. The early examples of modernist architecture bear similarities with the simplicity of the visual arts.
Lina started her career with the design of the Institute of Contemporary Art, including the visual identity, architectural magazine and furniture. The trend amongst the modernist architects was to open up buildings to the landscape and to use the interior as a display for pieces of art, furniture, often historic furniture – transparent house.
During the 60s the idea to create a 'social Brazil' became important. Lina started designing MASP – a museum of modern art which lifts off the ground and leaves the public space underneath for everyone.
In the 70s Lina works on stage design.
In the 80s the post-modernism strives in Brazil, Lina distances herself from this wave, yet never criticises Oscar Niemeyer's late work.
Lina died in 1992.
Venice Bienale curated by Kazuyo Sejima in 2010, with a small room dedicated to Lina Bo Bardi started new interest and fascination with Lina Bo Bardi's work.
I enjoyed the extensive use of drawings and visual arts references, which were used throughout the presentation and supported what was being said in a subtle an surprising way. It would have been interesting to compare the work of Lina Bo Bardi with what was happening in Europe at the time – Bauhaus, functionalism, Adolf Loos, etc.
14JAN - start of Spring Semester at TAMU
- tonne of paperwork
- ISS online and in person orientation
- TB jab
- signing up for classes
- ID card, SSN card, health insurance cover, bank account, ..
02JAN - F-1 student visa saga
On the 2nd of January I was finally granted student visa to pursue a PhD in architecture at Texas A&M.
The whole process started with application to the program on December 15th 2011, half a year after graduating from London Met:
- Statement of Purpose
- Resume
- Outline PhD proposal
The following had to be provided subsequently:
- all official transcripts and diplomas from all universities attended ( 4 in my case) in English and in original language
- three letters of recommendation
- GRE test to a TAMU minimum standard ( test in FEB 2012 to submit results it in time to qualify for scholarships starting in AUG 2012 at TAMU)
Once I was admitted and offered a GAT position in JUL 2012, I had to clear the ISS (immigration procedures), it was very soon clear that I will not make the AUG 2012 Fall semester
- various immigration questionnaires and passport/visa status information
to obtain THE I-20 document necessary:
- evidence of finances available for 1 year in the USA, which was an epic exercise including bank statements dating 3 months back, numerous forms, statements and letters by my 'sponsors'
The actual form I-20 has to arrive from university by 'analogue' post as the embassy requires original - it was possible to ship 2 A4 peices of paper from Texas to London in 3 days. (for about $90)
- The visa appointment with the US embassy cannot be scheduled without the I-20 physically in hand, however, it is possible if one knows the exact day of the start of the semester.
The appointment at the US embassy revolved around finances, as that is the point where the actual assessment takes place.
From then it takes 5 business days to process and 1 buss day to deliver.
And that was it, I could start arranging housing arrangements, travels, etc.
12th January - departure date, direction: Houston
indeed a day full of emotions.
The whole process started with application to the program on December 15th 2011, half a year after graduating from London Met:
- Statement of Purpose
- Resume
- Outline PhD proposal
The following had to be provided subsequently:
- all official transcripts and diplomas from all universities attended ( 4 in my case) in English and in original language
- three letters of recommendation
- GRE test to a TAMU minimum standard ( test in FEB 2012 to submit results it in time to qualify for scholarships starting in AUG 2012 at TAMU)
Once I was admitted and offered a GAT position in JUL 2012, I had to clear the ISS (immigration procedures), it was very soon clear that I will not make the AUG 2012 Fall semester
- various immigration questionnaires and passport/visa status information
to obtain THE I-20 document necessary:
- evidence of finances available for 1 year in the USA, which was an epic exercise including bank statements dating 3 months back, numerous forms, statements and letters by my 'sponsors'
The actual form I-20 has to arrive from university by 'analogue' post as the embassy requires original - it was possible to ship 2 A4 peices of paper from Texas to London in 3 days. (for about $90)
- The visa appointment with the US embassy cannot be scheduled without the I-20 physically in hand, however, it is possible if one knows the exact day of the start of the semester.
The appointment at the US embassy revolved around finances, as that is the point where the actual assessment takes place.
From then it takes 5 business days to process and 1 buss day to deliver.
And that was it, I could start arranging housing arrangements, travels, etc.
12th January - departure date, direction: Houston
indeed a day full of emotions.
17NOV - 18NOV ASF seminar
conclusion:
"we dont need another architect going out to Africa building a SCHOOL. "
:)
the seminar was an eye opener about the 'competition' in the pond of NGOs and enormous bureaucracy that accompanies any aid work.
"we dont need another architect going out to Africa building a SCHOOL. "
:)
the seminar was an eye opener about the 'competition' in the pond of NGOs and enormous bureaucracy that accompanies any aid work.
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