Maybe I Should Post Something About Architecture School

So I realized that this became more of a rant blog than what the title might imply. So I'm going to try to pull it back.
I'm not going to go into depth about what my project is about, but instead show you how I'm going about designing it. I'm currently in the middle of Comprehensive Studio, where my studio partner (Nithin... yes that Nithin) and I basically have to design a community centre from start to finish.

We started with some really general ideas and presented them through sketch models.

 Embedding into site landscape

 Programmatic plugs that literally plug in

 (Nithin's) Cantilever out over the landscape

My second, more developed version of embedding

Basically a lot of ideas were shot down. But we did get the green light on one of our favourite ideas which was to create a completely flexible space that would give its users the freedom to manipulate the space with movable walls and such. From here Nithin and I split up the work, where I worked on the building and the programming and Nithin worked on the landscape.

This is where I went to model everything in computer programs. I've been bouncing back and forth between CAD and Rhino and even a little bit of Revit later on, and I think I've finally had enough of computer programs for now. Here's the progression from mid-Feb.

Level 0 Floor Plan

Level 1 Floor Plan

Reflected Ceiling Plan

Rhino 3D Iterative Models

Final 3D Model for Mid Review (Without the Roof)

And then I got back together with Nithin to put our ideas back together to see if everything still works. And it does more or less. Here's the sketch model we presented for mid-review.

South Facade

Aerial View Looking North

West Facade

My Crappy Attempt at Rendering the Interior with Bad Material Mapping

My Better Attempt at Rendering the Exterior with Good Environment Mapping

My programmatic layout wasn't well received, but our Miesian influence definitely showed through with a little of Tadao Ando and that seemed to excite the crits. I really wanted to design a simple building, where walls would extend out into the landscape and frame the spaces especially when we also spent equal amount of time designing the landscape around the community centre. And to create an interesting space within the rectangular, I thought we could put a little Arthur Erickson "stramp" feature that leads the users from level 1 to level 0. I think the crits liked it... just not where I put it...

Now I'm a little stuck. The rectangular building is so hard to deal with because I don't want to put any programs in it to intrude on the purity of the space. But I had to... and this is the result as of today.

Level 0 Plan

 Level 1 Plan

Massing Iterations

What I Settled On

I can't use computer programs to visualize the space anymore... My brain goes blank when I stare at the grey background of CAD and Rhino. And I started using Revit, but that was just another headache in itself from trying to remember what I learned last Summer at Stantec. So I started to make mini models to begin to understand what kind of spaces I've been designing. The models are at 1:50.

Section of North Facade and into Interior Balcony with Windows Closed (Skate Change Area)

Section of North Facade with Windows Open

Another View from the Interior Out

Gantry System that Might Be Considered for Enabling Movable Walls

(I'm so proud of myself because I didn't use any glue for this model and it has wheels!)

Gantry System with Wall Moving Around

Gantry System without Wall

And this is where I left the project today. I really enjoyed the physical models and that will probably be my approach from here on out. We have a 1:20 detail model to present for the next pin-up, so might as well start now. Besides, my model making skills have always been better than my graphic representing skills, so instead of plans and sections maybe I'll make plan models and section models!

NITHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY ROOMMATE IS THE WORST. OK maybe that's it bit far... but not that far... he's definitely f*cking annoying. Like before he was kind of funny-annoying but after what just happened (or what happened this morning) he's straight up f*cking annoying. Words can't describe it so I'm going to just SHOW YOU. You are disgusting.

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

Photo4

Photo5

Photo6

So the story is that my roommate bought this shaver from Winners. It sucks. I told him multiple times. When he shaves it's as if his face exploded with hair trimmings. So I suggested he shave with a bag over his head. Ridiculous I know... until this happened. He did something that made a little more sense, shave in the tub. EXCEPT now that he shaves in the tub he has no idea how to clean it. Like how do you get water over there into the tub where the shavings are to wash it down the drain? I'm at a lost. I guess that wasn't so smart because apparently that's physically impossible. Like, water? in a bathtub? Why not just suggest he shave in the garbage room right? That's actually a better idea. 

I'm going to walk through the disgusting photos you just looked at. 

Photo 1 is a photo of his hair trimmings beside a rusting faucet. 

Photo 2 is a photo of his shavings beside a sink that hasn't been wiped in a while. (My fault really)

Photo 3 is a photo of his attempt to shave in the tub after he realized his mistake in shaving by the sink, and his inability to clean up. 

Photo 4 is a mixture of his shavings and the hair that is falling out of his head on the ground he refuses to clean. 

Photo 5 is a picture of what I can only assume to be his attempt to shave in the toilet bowl after his failed attempt by the sink and in the tub. 

Photo 6 is the main reason why I'm so pissed right now. Photo 6 is a photo of his shavings inside my hair product. OK, my fault for leaving it open before I left. I admit I'm half at fault. But this is so expected that he would not notice it opened on the counter it makes me mad. The lack of attention to his surroundings. This is all the frickin time. He has no sense of his surroundings.

So ROOMMATE IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU BETTER SHAVE WITH A BAG OVER YOUR HEAD OR IN THE GARBAGE ROOM. 

I f*cking shave too and I've never made a mess 1/4 of that size. OK I do admit I probably don't have 1/4 of the facial hair this guy has, but still, IF I SAW MY TRIMMINGS ON THE WASHROOM COUNTER I WOULD CLEAN IT. I'm really just asking you to CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. If you live with someone you need to CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. CLEAN. UP. AFTER. YOURSELF. PLEASE... I'M BEGGING NOW. 

Just f*cking ridiculous. Now some other pics of his ridiculousness. 

Nithin if you're reading this be warned I'm going to either move out or do something horrible to your studio desk or else I will not be able to stand you for another 2-3 months.

Today I had no idea how I would continue this blog. Nothing interesting happened today. Canada's men's hockey team beat USA this afternoon. I went to school and made a small model. I put two layers of varathane on the chair I made last year. Not interesting stuff. But after talking to a friend over Facebook, I realized what I could blog about today.
I'm going to physically list out what I want from a partner, because maybe I'm not that sure. Yea I'm definitely not sure. So I'm going to list this out on the fly, and maybe one day I'll look back at this post and think I was crazy, or I get lucky enough to find this person.

1. Loves to travel and has travels extensively
2. Shares a common intellectual(ish) hobby so we can pretend to be smart and talk with big words
3. Wants children (note the plural)
4. Education at least to post-secondary
5. Sense of humour... because who doesn't like to laugh. But not too crazy, just the same amount as me
6. Appreciate the small given moments in life
7. Positive thinker. Glass is always full no matter what comes your way
8. Doesn't have to be rich, but very liberal with her spending on others
9. Can tell me how old Batman's Alfred is
10. Plays an instrument or sings

While we're at lists, I have a list of things I need to buy. So I'm going to publish it here just as a documentation for me to refer to.

1. Port
2. Bike wheel
3. Rim tape
4. Tires
5. Winter Shoes
6. GPS watch

There's also a list of deliverables for Monday's studio mid term pin-up.

1. Idea Representation
2. Sketch Model 1:250
3. Site Plan 1:500
4. Ground Floor Plan 1:250
5. Cross Section (minimum one) 1:250
6. A Representative Perceptual Image

Maybe I'll continue this when I have a better idea of what I want from a relationship. But as for now, pics of random things I saw today! Except the port... that was from the weekend.

Can I tell you about a bad day? Sure that's why you're still reading.

Well to be completely accurate, it was more like a bad 24 hours.
11:00PM EST Feb. 19, 2014
My good friend back in Vancouver calls, like he promised earlier in the day. We have a group chat on our smart phones so I thought to myself, "He must have something important to tell me." So we begin our chats with just catching up on each other lives and the lives of our close friends, all the while I began to brace myself for some kind of shocking news. I knew exactly when the news was about to be delivered.
He said, "So Jmak, do you still want me to help you with something next month?"
You see, next month consists of the birthday of a girl I've been interested in for a bit.
I then replied, "Ummm... maybe. Why are you asking me so early?" Then he drops the bomb about how she is most likely seeing someone else right now. Fair enough, I knew it was bound to happen. I even made a bet with this good friend that she would be seeing someone within 3 months of January. I can't say this was completely bad news because the wager was a steak dinner, and there was a third party involved, so I actually got myself two steak dinners.
Depressed a little more than usual after the phone call, I headed to bed to try to feel really sorry for myself, but what I realized is that I was not bothered all that much, not even sure if I was actually sad. I think when these sort of things happen frequently, you just don't have the energy to continue feeling sorry for yourself. Yes, you can run of energy feeling sorry for yourself apparently.
11:00AM Feb. 20, 2014
When I woke up the next morning, I looked outside and it looked like a good day to ride my bike to school. I got ready an hour early (which is super duper rare), and watched the news for a bit before I headed downstairs. Now usually, when I bike to school, I give myself about 5 mins to get from door to door, usually resulting in being about 5 mins late. But today, I decided to leave early so I can grab a coffee before heading to the studio. Every time I get downstairs from my apartment I always wonder, "Is my bike still there?", always bracing myself in the case that when I look over and there was no bike where I left mine. Today, I went outside and turned to my right to check the bike racks. Sure enough, my bicycle was there, but an essential part of it was missing. I had one back wheel and no front wheel. That meant I had to walk to school, but because I got ready so early, I was able to make to class 5 minutes early. Good thing right? I didn't get upset at all while I thought about it as I walked through the aftermath of snow storms upon snow storms that was of ice and slush. I created a story in my head instead. Someone must've been riding their bike along the street I lived on when suddenly, their wheel broke off and flew into the night, never to be found again. Looking around he sees a bike with a decent looking wheel, and he thought to himself, "good thing today I carried my trusty wrenches with me." Little did he know, that wheel had a net worth of $20 because last year I replaced the wobbly tire with a $20 tire from MEC.
1:00PM Feb. 20, 2014
If I were to list every "bad" thing that happened at school today, I would sound like a big baby whining about how everything sucks, people suck, and life is the worst thing that's happened to me.

So here's the list:

• Bought a Tim's coffee, rolled the rim twice and not one winner
• Phone died within minutes of arriving to school
• Tried to print with the 4th floor printer but it wasn't working, so I had to go down an entire floor to pick up my prints
• Couldn't understand why my dashed lines were so huge in AutoCAD
• No one was messaging me for me to chat with all day

10:00PM Feb. 20, 2014

I would list what happened on my way home too, but I feel like it would be better conveyed as a narrative than a list. At 10 o'clock I decided I wanted to go home and just end the day. Little did I know, fate had other plans for me. I packed up all my stuff and then reached in my pocket for my headphones. They were not there. What was going to keep me company on my walk home? Life was falling apart at this point. I just wanted to go home. I looked out the window and it was raining. No biggie, I grew up in the rain. Not this kind of rain. I got outside and these rain drops were the size of ketchup packets. Good thing I wore the shoes that had never failed me in the face of rain water.

I began walking and within a few minutes I looked down at my jacket and realized the water had already soaked through my first layer. While looking at myself, I slipped a few times before I finally understood that I had to watch where I was going. The entire floor was ice. With that being said, I had to walk extra carefully. Now think of the situation at hand; it was raining harder than my clothes can handle, and now I'm forced to walk very slowly and carefully.
Well I'm only a 15-20 walk away from home anyway. I will survive.

When I finally got the hang of walking on ice, I suddenly stepped in a giant puddle that engulfed my shoe. "Ha ha", I told the puddle, "these shoes have never let water in before no matter how deep the puddle." The puddle then said... well it didn't say anything. But what happened next made me realize just how bad of a day I was having. Water got into my shoes for the first time in two years. THERE'S A HOLE IN MY AWESOME SHOES! I was about to cry at this point. I then gave up on walking carefully, and thought it was actually getting kind of funny. So I walked normally into multiple puddles, splashing water all over myself without a care since my degree of soaked-ness had reached Underwear. I couldn't help but laugh. I started just singing in the rain, literally, because I had not one care in that moment. I was soaked from head to toe and nothing mattered.

Anyway, did I mention I haven't had dinner yet? So I decided to go to the nearby McDonald's to pick up that fan pack they have been selling for the Olympic celebration. I thought I could share it with my roommate who also hadn't eaten dinner yet and I can get those collector Coca-Cola pins for my mom. When I got there they no longer had the advertisement up for the box. Disappointed, I just ordered nuggets and waited patiently for my food. The lady after me was in a very good mood. 

In her uppity voice she says, "Hi there! How are you? Do you still have that fan pack?" 

The clerk behind the till answers monotonously, "Yea. Fifteen ninety nine."

"O wow that's expensive, I don't need that much food. Just get me a nugget meal please," replies the lady. As if she KNEW I wanted the fan pack, as if she KNEW I failed to get the fan pack because I didn't ask.
11:00PM Feb. 20, 2014

Finally defeated by the day, I walked back to the apartment. As I took out my keys, there they were just sitting in the wrong pocket (left pocket); my headphones.

I did it. I survived the day. Drenched from head to toe I smiled to myself and thought, "someone needs to know what happened to me today." So I opened up the blog I've neglected for two years almost and began typing.

I am so grateful for today. My bike wasn't stolen. I got to school early for once. I danced around ice and in the rain all the way home. I still have a chance to get those Coca-Cola pins. I didn't lose my headphones. I reawakened my blog. 

I also learned a lesson. A bad day isn't out of your control. While I waited for my food at McDonald's, the difference was between asking if they still had the fan pack or not. We (most of the time) have total control of what happens, and it's how we react and perceive the situation that makes events good or bad.
I knew it was raining very hard. The weatherman told me before I went to school. I was watching news, remember? I could've taken a variety of preventive measure.
The bike; I could have kept it in a safer place. But it also costed $60 a month and I am not paying half the worth of my bike per month to keep it safe.
I could have checked my other pocket before concluding that I had lost my headphones.
But if I did all that, then where would be the fun? 

Today I had a pretty rough day, and I had so much fun! 

The last two weeks have been quite a journey. It's not even real class time yet, and I can't remember when I was so stressed out. Quick overview of the first week, I had to sketch up a piece of cloth, then dissect the piece of cloth and note down the sections that I made, then take the sections and distort it axonometrically (on a 45 degree angle with no perspective) and recreate the piece of cloth in drawing. I didn't take specific pictures of it... so if you can't understand hold on. I have a final picture of everything I've done I'll put in last.
The second week we were asked to come up with 3 polygons. With these 3 polygons, we moved onto model making. I had to somehow orientate these shapes in a way that they create a volume. Like so:

That was one day's worth of work. So you can start to understand that I'm little short on time. The next thing we had to do was pick out one model and create a final model, where every little detail mattered. Not allowed to show glue, edges, and no imperfections. I had Wednesday and Thursday to do this. Meanwhile, I also have to make a collage in photoshop to put this model in a real life situation. Shiet... I'm running low on time. By Thursday night I had this finished:

 So as you can see, I am far from being finished. I didn't even start my collage yet! After I got home I mocked up a version of the collage but I needed to have my final model finished before I can do the final collage.
The presentation was held at 1pm Friday, so I had the morning to finish my project. Guess what it decides to do? FALL APART ON ME. CRAP. So I had to think fast. Tape. Lets tape the shit out of it. And tape it I did. 11am and I had this finished:

Not bad right? Can't see the tape? Me neither, until I looked closely. O.M.G I'm screwed. But I needed to move on. I needed to have some sort of collage to show. So at about 12:30pm, I had this done up and it was good enough for me since I had to start setting up for my presentation.

Haha it's not even that different from my photo. BUT IT SHOWS SCALE. When it was my turn to be critiqued, they didn't mention too much about my craft, since I preemptive striked them by saying I didn't have time to understand how to use the materials I chose. Btw it's made of corrugated plastic, illustration board, and SCOTCH TAPE. The critics were 2 profs I would encounter throughout my first year and the two third year students running the workshop. They seemed to like the idea, since no one else had the idea of inversing the shapes and creating a giant void. Anyway, this is how I presented it:

 And this is the kind of pressure we were under (although this isn't my presentation)

After wrapping up the two weeks of preparation, the two students running the show decide to invite us out to have a beer at the Graduate Student Union Pub (GSU Pub). We were a party of 9. We started with 2 pitchers, then I bought one, then someone else bought one, then another, then another 2. By 9pm, the leftover 6 of us were about 10 pitchers deep. I was quite drunk, I can't remember what we talked about but it was pretty intense. That's what beer does. It makes people want to talk very loud and passionate about anything. I do remember talking about our hobbies and interests, and it turns out that we all like the same kind of stuff. Ya I'm sure you guys are like "jeeze Jeff no shit Sherlock you guys are all architect geeks" but noooo noo nooooo. The friends I made in this workshop come from a Biology, Micro-Biology, Psychology, Econ, and something that sounded really crazy that I forgot. ALSO, my new friend from Biology REJECTED his acceptance to med school to do architecture (I guess he didn't do his research on what kind of wages an architect makes).

After these two weeks, stress aside, I had a lot of fun. I didn't stay late at school because I had to (well that's not the ONLY reason) but I WANTED to stay and work on my model and my drawings. I think I'm gonna fit in just fine. =)

Big thanks to Melissa Tovar and Ultan Byrne, the two who ran the workshop for the two weeks.