We were recommended at the beginning of the semester to subscribe to different Architecture websites, read books and magazines which are architecture related. I followed this advice and thanks to http://news.architecture.sk/2010 ,  a website that shows a different buildings, residences, etc I get to see a variety of architecture everyday.

This is an old one but it's a project that I really liked. The name of the project is "House in a Church" and the core idea is how the everyday life mixes with the spiritual life. One of the element that I enjoy the most is how the destination or main attraction of the house is where the altar used to be. Talk about Destination! I think this goes very well with the whole idea of the relationship between the Everyday and the Spiritual. The atrium serves as a major light source and as a form of communication between both floors.

The real communication between the everyday and the spiritual can be noted as how the house was built. The residence was essential built inside the church. The atrium serves as the interaction between what was the old church and what is the new residence. The private area of the living space (bedrooms, bathrooms, etc) is almost completely closed to this interaction except for a window that is facing the atrium space.

You can see the interaction of the spaces here

grid work!!

So this is our third week or day working on our grid drawing in our ENDS 115 class (I don't remember exactly, the days have started to blur together jaja).

We were asked to create a classical garden while paying attention to what we have learned about grids.

This is mine. I think I did pretty well. It's not finished but I thought I would get ahead since this weekend I'll be playing in San Marcos!!! BTHO Texas State Round Robin!!!

Research Symposium

So this week, we were required to attend one of the lectures of a Research Symposium presented at the College of Architecture and write in our blogs what we thought about them.

I attended two: "Computational Aesthetics" and "Managing Creative Process for Innovation" by our dean, Jorge Vanegas.

First one went over my head. I could understand why creating a system, or computer, that was able to classify aesthetics was important. However, the lecturer went from talking about this system to only talking about aesthetics. I felt like he wasn't following through with his thesis. A system such as the one mentioned, is near impossible to create since there are so many variables to consider while making an algorithm to establish what is aesthetically good or bad. The perception of the person on the receiving end varies from person to person, since no pleasure system is the same.

On the other hand, Vanegas lecture was sort of mind blowing. It wasn't anything I haven't heard of before or knew but how he presented his lecture. The way he delivered it almost seemed as if he had some kind of power over his audience and he just took over our minds to make us follow his point. It was impressive, to say the least.

 When are we most creative? I think the answer is when we are children. Think about it, we were able to imagine whole worlds while playing. Let it be with dolls, action figures, construction blocks, socks etc. We always found ways to have fun. Ow why has our creativity declined over the years? Maybe it's because the first words we hear are: "No", "Don't do that", "Stop", etc. These words make it seem as though our creative process was someting bad instead of something that needed cherishing and nurshing.
Schools wanted us to think alike so they would have to deal with people in different levels, and those who were a little more creative, who doodled on their notes, read in class, wrote or found any kind of creative outlet were shund. (or at least in some of my schools)
Despite this controlled part of our childhood, we are now expected to oversome the obstacles place before us to develop into "knowledge creators" instead of becoming cookiecutter molds of our teachers.

Some things we have to do are:

1. Remove fear. The fear we have that our ideas would be rejected has to clmpletely leave our mind. We have to forget of people's opionions and just create.
2. Innovation has to become part of our performance review. Are we groing in our creative porcess? are we using knowledge form other areas to help us create?
3. Document innovation process. This is why we have a sketch journal. Any and everythinng we find interesting should be documented. As well as the outcomes of the ideas documented.
4. Explore all possibilities.
5. Need to be aware of the environment. New trends, technologies and changes in customers mindset are to be considered.
6. Diversity in thinking experiences, styles, perspectives, etc.

If we follow this steps our generation should be able to grow in the kind of people that would make the changes in the creative department.

Behavioral setting Cont.

I wen through changes in spacing.  My bedrooms were facing north and were closed off from the lake's breeze. So basically I switched sides from south to north and vice versa. Geoff had also mentioned something about not making my angles completely arbitrary. I don't think I'm at that point yet, my angles still feel random, I have to find a way to make them meet in a certain way in order for them to have a certain structure.
I love how when you enter you are automatically facing the glass wall which allows a view to the lake. It creates focal importance and it helps with my idea of attracting the communication to the social aspect of my house. Still need to work on my roof and other things. I'll keep updating as the weeks go on!

I also have to make my windows to feel cohesive...

view from the entrance!!

Behavioral setting sketch model.

This is my behavioral setting

My core idea is how the social (specifically the area related to the sharing of food, etc) can create an ambience of familiarity with the residents. Therefore the Kitchen is the core of my design and movement revolves around that center area. Living and Dinning are connected with the kitchen and are facing the lake and outer deck.

Behavioral Setting!!

Next project up is our Behavioral Setting. We have been asinged a plot of land, which is actually owned by our professor. In this land we have to design a residence which complies with ADA regulations, weather of the area, etc. Meaning we take into account wind direction, sun placement in winter and summer (as well as its place on the sky), the lake next to the location, etc.

Geoff, our TA, gave us the advice to make diagrams which showed the way people who visit the residence to experience it.  I have had various ideas but I still believe that the perfect flow of movement is elusive to me.

Here are some of my some of my designs and diagrams:

This was to see in what relationship did I consider certain room to coexist with each other.