For it being just a couple days after break, there's a lot going on. I was able use the week off to play catch-up with updating and finalizing my resume and portfolio. I sent those out to a couple firms close to home in New Haven in search for a summer internship, but the timing is not great. The market for any job in architecture is not promising at the moment, but I'm just looking to get any experience I can before I have to start applying for my January co-op next year.

Overall though, my break was pretty relaxing. I got to just be home with family and friends, somewhat away from the stresses of school, which was most definitely needed. I also get to look forward to friends from home coming to visit this weekend, so I'll be able to show them around the city (in much warmer weather than last time they visited). So that's something to look forward to to get me through my rather stressful week.

I have a presentation in my espionage seminar on the autobiography of Markus Wolf (known as the 'man without a face') who was East Germany's greatest spymaster for over thirty years. It was a really interesting topic that I had no real prior knowledge of. But I also had another 350 page book to read for that class, in addition to a 20th century history reading summary, studio work, and working on a structures project, so needless to say I didn't get to enjoy it to its fullest extent. The project for my structures course is producing the construction documents for a masonry wall (showing in section the foundation, masonry structure, window openings, floor joists, interior finishes, etc.) But this will also feature a green roof design, which helps to incorporate the course's focus on sustainability. We had a guest lecture on the design and construction of green roofs, and we also spent the last class period discussing the various components and their organization.

Coincidentally, the lecture on Monday for the School of Architecture's lecture series dealt a great deal with green roofs. Richard Cook, one of the architects working on the Bank of America building in Bryant Park. The lecture discussed the 'eco-skyscraper' in terms of sustainability, creating a comfortable and productive work space for employees, and how it addresses the streetscape and existing structure. He also introduced the sustainable project he and his firm just won for office buildings, which I believe will be on Congress St. in Boston. The submitted project for the competition looked particularly interesting in, not only that it had a series of expansive green roofs that covered the various building types, but also it's form is very different from the building's already making up Boston's skyline.

I'm aware that admitted students will now be making their decisions about which university they will be attending next year, so as always, feel free to ask any questions you may have!