Spring break is so close now, only a couple days! But there are still a million and one things to do between now and then. I have a presentation tomorrow in my history for espionage seminar on the WWII Anglo-Soviet parachute agents of Operation 'Pickaxe,' which I found to be a interesting because it's a side of World War II that is not portrayed in any standard history courses.
I also have been plugging along with studio work. We are concluding our site analysis officially on Friday, which has consisted of a lot of diagramming and modeling of various observations and conclusions about the site for the elementary school we will be designing. We have started to think about the programming of schools in general as well as how these organizational strategies will work within the site, considering all of the analysis we have already completed.
Last week I finished up with probably the biggest project of the semester for my Structures (Tectonics) course. After learning about light wood construction, we were to design a small watchtower following a number of design constraints, such as a cantilevered roof and second story. We then were to complete construction drawings and finally a VERY time consuming model of all the frame work. Though it took several long nights to finish, I was happy with the results. It is definitely a project that I want to feature in my portfolio.
Speaking of which, I've been working really hard to finalize my portfolio (to at least as final as a portfolio can get as we are always finishing new work) and my resume for the application process to find a summer internship. The prospects are not looking promising at the moment though, considering the economy. Most likely, I will have something only part-time and probably unpaid. Still, its worth the effort if I'm able to get some firm experience before I start to apply for co-op for next spring.
So, per usual, I've had a lot going on the past couple weeks, and needless to say spring break is looking really good, even if I'm just going home to Connecticut. I'm probably gonna have to budget in sometime though to keep up with work for several classes. Still, to be able to catch up on some rest and relaxation and see friends and family is much needed.

Posted by Jessica Wilcock at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So my schedule the past couple of weeks has been packed to say the least with a 20th Century Architecture midterm and an ongoing Structures: Tectonics project that requires us to design a small watchtower and all the wood-framing for it. We will be not only producing construction documents, but also a physical basswood model. Studio work has picked up as we get farther into the semester as well. We are currently working on mapping and analyzing the site for our school design, which is located in the South End between Washington St. and Harrison Ave. It's one of the most interesting sites I think we have looked at thus far; it has a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial spaces within a relatively small zone. And I've been finding it really interesting to examine the existing conditions as much as we are, looking at building program, typology, materiality, circulation, etc. We have never taken site analysis to this depth before, and its been both challenging and interesting. We have been producing numerous diagrams digitally, and now manually, as well a diagram projection model (meaning we will be extracting patterns from the site to try to generate ideas about the form our building design will take in relation to the surroundings).

(some images from the very snowy site visit we took last week).

On top of all this, the architecture department organizes a lecture series almost every Monday night that the undergrad students are required to attend. In the past these lectures were sometimes a struggle to sit through after a long day of classes; however, they have taken on a new format that seems to be working much better where the speaker links all the works they discuss with a unifying theme. Monday's was by Rahul Mehrotra of RMA Architects on his work in Bombay/Mumbai, covering several different ideas from his wide range of work on a large number of projects. He discussed his work on preserving the Taj Mahal and the importance of understanding both preservation and new construction. He also shared one of the most original project types that I have seen, where he worked to design a living community for elephants and their caretakers outside the city where they work.
With what little time I've had this past weekend, I was able to go dinner at a really great thai restaurant with probably about fifteen friends for my roommates birthday. It was really nice to get all these people in one room for a couple hours considering how difficult it's been to visit because everyone's schedules are so conflicting this year, as course loads have picked up significantly and a lot of students (particularly in business and engineering) have started co-op already.

Posted by Jessica Wilcock at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)