Gotta Love Powell's Books

I popped into Powell's Books the other day while I waited for a friend and I came upon a book that tells the history of Portland's South Park Blocks. Although I wasn't looking for this book consciously nor did I know it existed, in a way, it found me.

What's amazing about this book is that it has everything to do with my terminal thesis project site. Currently, its a surface parking lot and I haven't been able to find out much about the previous developments. The only trail left behind is this giant sycamore tree at the corner of sw 9th and main that's designated as a Portland Heritage Tree.

Native to Canada, Sylvester Farrel and his wife Honora came to Portland from San Francisco near 1867. Sylvester was a businessman who initially worked in the grain trade and then later took up interests in logging. He built an Italianate styled house which he later added another floor and with a gabled roof.

Sylvester Farrell was a distinguished man in Portland. He served as a city councilman, a member of the fire commission, and as a member of the state legislature.

About the tree, the story goes that Sylvester was given five of these Sycamore trees as a gift from US Senator from Oregon, J.N. Dolph. Only one was planted at the corner and the other four were said to be given away. The tree was designated as a city landmark in 1973.

The house was removed from the site in 1941 and become a gas station on the one condition that the tree remained.

It's exciting to learn so much about a place especially when nothing but a tree remains.

Getting Published

For the very first time I got my work published! Okay well kind of. For Architectural Programming Class, we wrote short research papers and then submitted them to Scholars Bank. For anyone interested, here is the URL: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/8043

Here is the abstract: A case study looking at the Music Department facility at Portland State University. The thesis states, at a college of music, rehearsal space is the most important type of space. The paper is derived from a 1.5 hour tour documented using notes and photographs.

enjoy

Post Review, review...

Day after my final studio review and all I feel is numbness.

I learn something from every studio. Each time I get up there and present my work I'm always nervous and just want to get it over with. I often feel disappointed and the event is always anti-climatic. I spend so much time trying to develop my ideas over the course of ten weeks and I never get to the point where I hit that home run at the final review.

This time around the reviewers were stiff and very critical. Getting feedback about my work is important to me and it helps me learn how to take my ideas further. Yesterday on the other hand was not helpful and really just felt like a bashing. It was if the reviewers were tired from the their days work and just didn't have the patients to explore my concept further. It didn't help that I printed at too small of a scale for a large presentation. I had a strong concept and presented my project well but the inability to read the details of my drawings became the failing point. The focus dwell ed on the scale of my drawings and never really moved on to talking about my design ideas.

If I could do it again, I would print my drawings at twice the size and show more of my process. I ran out of time so I didn't have nice perspective renderings which also became problematic to reviewers as they had to use their imagination to picture what I was showing in plan, section, elevation, and verbal description.

I get more from the process throughout the term than I do from my final reviews. Some terms I have very nice renderings but my building design is too simple. Or I spend all my time developing my program and how pieces work but can't get the renderings done. Some terms I have time to build a really nice physical model but the reviewers don't bother looking or talking about it. It's very frustrating to work so hard and not have a satisfying review.

With that said, its over and done with. The important thing for me is to take away the lessons learned and thoughtfully apply them to my future work.

Two more terms to go!

Fully Electric Roadster Car

I just read about a Company Called Tesla (NOT THE BAND)Motors who has been developing the first fully electric high performance sports car (U.S.). I wanted to talk about this because, it kick ass, and the article, NY Times, discussed how the company has run out of money from its initial investors and in order to develop a second generation of their concept in the form of a less expensive sedan model, they need help from the Government in the form of Tax payers money. Is this a good investment for us?

The fact that battery technology currently does not progress like computer technology increases the expense of developing electric cars. The chemistry of a lithium Ion battery does not allow you to cram more stored power in a smaller and smaller battery. Computer chips on the other hand, double in capacity and become cheaper to produce by the week. The NY Times article quoted Moore's Law (rule of thumb in the computer industry) which implies that costs drop by half every two years while transistors on integrated circuits double. If this were true for battery technology, several auto makers would have better electric options today.

There are some options on the market like the gas-electric hybrid car that somewhat reduce emissions and decrease demand for gasoline but the fact is we need alternatives that emit zero carbon dioxide and use energy that can be renewed. Period. If the tax payers are giving billions to wall street to go on half million dollar retreats then we should give some millions to this company or any company that seems like they have a realistic chance of pushing these technologies forward.

End of The Term

Wow! the term is almost over but it doesn't seem like its been 9+ weeks. I'm feeling concerned about these next two weeks though. I have sooooo much to do and my final review is this week! Design Studio is suppose to be the meat of my education but for this term, I feel like all my other classes have taken priority especially my thesis prep class.

My final review is this Wednesday evening. I know I don't have time to make steller renderings and build a professional looking model even if I stay up for the next three days straight...which I've done before but mainly because I took off one afternoon and drove up to Portland to see the final world cup championship at the Pioneer Courthouse Square after two days without sleep and then drove back down to Eugene to finish up for my final review the next morning. I was a mess....so my lesson learned...NOT WORTH IT!!!

This time around, I feel like I have a choice to focus my time on the displaying the important elements of my design and underlying concept to my project. I designed a pedestrian bridge-inhabited bridge that crosses the Willamette River connecting the two Salmon Streets. The bridge is different then the ones we're use to seeing here in Portland. To follow with how I've been describing the design all term, I would say it most resembles a necklace loosely strung across the water with an oval pendent, the gem which gently pulls at the necklace, curving the direction of the bridge path in response to the direction the river flows. The experience is to bring you close to the water and not only provide breathtaking views of the city as your traverse the river, but to create a place, a destination on the water.

Back to the stress part. I have a lot of drawings using AutoCAD and it takes time to get everything all the line weights just right and placed into a layout. Not to mention that we spent two weeks as a studio building a physical site model; I don't know if there is time to build my bridge to fit into the site model???

First things first, drawings and layout....all nighter models can be a decision made later.

"until the fat lady sings" as they say...

Music Inspiration

So I might be a little slowwwww to the ambient scene, but I just became aware of a band out of British Columbia called, Loscil.

The Song "Chinook" from Plume.
Very cool how the movements of the piece flow into one another. The old verse exits the new verse ever so subtle, just as it entered overlapping and then gently un-lapping. Very Nice!

Maybe this is a good analogy to the more plastic rhythms found in today's architectural rhythms?

Check it out if you haven't heard.

Enjoy!

Rhythm in Architecture

What does rhythm in architecture mean?

As found in music and dance, rhythm can create a feeling of sound and motion. But with music and dance, the sound or movement starts with silence or motionlessness and then becomes something you experience and then resolves to what is was before.

Rhythm is a time element based on movement. But architecture generally speaking doesn't move. In the idea of physical work. It is easy to see how sub-dividing the difficult labor into short regular intervals is less tiresome then to do it in one long stretch. Therefore, by creating some kind of rhythm, where regularity exists, where one gives rise to the next without conscious effort changing from one interval to the next, the work load is lightened.

Although architecture is static, we still experience a rhythm about it. Visually we follow patterns that although no sound or motion about its self occurs, we can follow it with our eyes or physically move past and through these spaces ourselves. Vertically, horizontally, as well as 3-dimensionally, architecture creates rhythm.

In the example of the terraced houses in London during the 18th century, The facades were subdivided by three bays with the entrance to one side. The patter visually created a triplet or waltz rhythm. As architecture progressed these rhythms became more complex and occurred on not just one level but differed from one level to another; as to create a composition of alternating rhythms as your eyes read both horizontally and vertically.

In the example of the Venetians and their four story homes. The rhythms alternated from floor to floor and the outdoor chimney would act similar to that of the vertical bar of a music score, keeping order over notes on the staff.

In the example of a cathedral, each bay alone has no meaning; it is only in their rhythmic relation to each other that they become something of meaning.

The rhythm in architecture is easy for one to experience and absorb. Often without any conscious effort, architectural rhythms allow the mind to be free to experience the more complex and adventurous elements of space. Rhythm is more then a construct of function. Rhythm in architecture creates the foundation for the visual and physical transformation one experiences within built space. Creating feelings of tension and mystery as seen in Gothic architecture or harmony and clarity as seen in Renaissance architecture. Furthermore, rhythm can create spatial sequencing; a series of individual spaces dynamically connected rhythmically to create the whole. If you were to take one space away from the series it would feel incomplete. Rhythm then creates feelings of completeness. Wholeness.

Today in architecture we have seen a change in rhythm from the rigid frontal style to a more plastic style. I will speak to this as I learn more. If anyone cares to make a comment on this topic feel free to respond to this blog or email me.

to be continued...

Music & Concrete

I spoke with an acoustian-auditorium designer the other day to get the 411 on music performance halls. Since I'm designing for a space that will be used for amplified music, the materials have to become more massive to mitigate the lower sound frequencies. Which means a lot of concrete. Even in the example he gave of Allen Hall in New York where some use of a glass curtain wall was employed, the glass was minimal, located high up the wall, and included two pieces of glass with a 3 foot air gap to dampen the frequencies. Shit. I don't want to make the concrete black box of death but I don't want ugly details and wasted space just to make the space more light and transparent.

Furthermore, the consultant gave me some good advise to my approach on the programming for this college of music that I'm designing. Next up. Setting the number of potential students for this theoretical school of music and then programming around their needs.

Reflections on Mass Media

The act of absorbing information and the media at which it travels is quite an interesting thing. We send and receive information everyday both consciously and unconsciously. Information helps us communicate to one another or to many to express needs, wants, demands, findings, expression of feelings, thought etc. The transfer of information occurs through our bodies senses: touch, smell, sight, hearing, as well as taste.

We had some disagreements in our last class regarding the current state of how much our information is mediated via the Internet. Obviously since the advent of the Internet, the amount of information and the ability to share and access from all over the world has taken leaps and bounds undefinable. Although we have such means to create and consume information across the entire world, the question I pose is this; Why does this matter? What are you going to do with this information once you've absorbed it? Can you ever know enough to know that you have correct information?

In principle, I think the attempt to find the most accurate and honest information is imperative. But in retrospect, knowing the most accurate, honest, unmediated information doesn't always matter. Maybe it mattered to me at the time, but because there are so many sources of information on the internet, it is easy for one to become mislead or confused. This leads me to feel that in our current state of information sharing, we have too much information which can often lessen our ability to gain control over our lives.

And isn't this the main reason why we want so much information. To have control over our lives. To have the answers to the "whys" so we know our purpose is not trivial. For me, it's hard to say if we have control as a World, country, culture, let alone myself. Although I attempt to keep my life in order, I find many of my experiences are due to circumstances. We can choose to be somewhere at a certain time with a specific purpose but others are making choices and sometimes those choices affect our lives unexpectedly. These circumstantial events can influence our lives both in a positive or negative way.

I enjoy having the ability to access worlds of information over the internet but I feel like we as a country, are becoming less in control over our government, our communities and our lives.

Sorry for the run ons but I just wanted to get it all out. :)

First Things First 1964 Manifesto

Is advertising really the best way to utilize the talents and time of professionally trained designers and photographers? Can a consumer society ever reach a point where advertising reaches its end? Is it possible to make value judgments on the work we do or the things we consume? Can one job, say designing the cover to a diet book, be any less respectable then another job of designing a math book for 6Th graders?

In the 1964 First Things First Manifesto, the point is made to me that its not an all or nothing scenario. But some form of balance or at the least, a shift in priority over high pressure consumer advertising must occur.

I feel like there is a shift in the utilization of design talent. Consumers are become more educated and more sophisticated in what they like. Clothes, furniture, movies, music, art, architecture and so on are all growing at many levels. The only problem and that's if you think its a problem, is that as consumer markets of the world become more interconnected, more aggressive mass advertising will occur.

I should back up. The real problem in my mind is this. 100 years ago our world had about 1.5 billion people. Today, we have over 6.5 billion humans on this Earth. I think the real problem is that we have too many people to sell stuff to. For instance, World wide this year, 233,344,500 and counting computers have been sold, 42,402,810 cars have been produced, 89,025,400 bikes have been made, 10,369,177,000 movie visitors, 4,283,293,400 Tons of food has been produced, and over 27.7 billion dollars has been spent on dieting in the US alone to date this year.

My point is that we produce and consume a lot! I'm not inferring that consumption is equal for every person on the planet, but I'm saying we have a lot of people to put to work. People that need jobs and hence become consumers themselves.

As long as people have enough money (whether they actually have cash or its credit) they will want things. And as long as people have jobs, products and services will be available for consumers to purchase.

I believe as consumers become more educated about the goods and services they are purchasing they will demand better and more sophisticated designed goods. Its only been since the 1950s that modern advertising and the concept new has come about. And its a two way process, designers have to lead the way and persuade consumers that good design is worth their money. All those things mentioned in the manifesto as more noble effort: (street signs, buildings, books & periodicals, educational aids and so forth) are all part of the consumer market.

FYI: As a World, we have emitted over 18.2 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide this year. As designers, we need to develop sustainable solutions from the beginning. Can this material in one product after its used up be safely reused in some other product?

What Is Music & Why Do We Like It?

Music is an artistic form of communication consisting of sound and silence. Elements of music are pitch, (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (with its associated tempos, meter, and articulation) dynamics, structure, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. Furthermore, music goes beyond this simple definition and crosses over into cultural dimensions that evolve over time.

Music's relentless rhythmic pulse or other repetitive architectural elements helps explain time and set up the frame work to match new phrases against the old. Contrasting differences with change, music works well when the change is merely a slight shift from the original similar to thought and vision. Often this slight change from the original best reveals the object's form and even acknowledges that the original exists.

Playing music has been around since before recorded history. It is something that brings people together, breaks down barriers and most often leads to a good time. Making music is fun! Even more so, playing music is good for you brain in developing spatial-temporal reasoning. Playing music is good for your body be relieving stress, increased levels of melatonin which all helps support a healthy immune system. Playing music is great for the soul by reducing stress, anxiety, depression and even loneliness. Which brings me to how playing music is good for ones social life. Yes, you could play music by yourself, but one of the most beautiful things about music, is that you're interacting and communicating with others in a creative way.

Music whether played or listened to, can impact emotions. For pleasure or misery, music is necessary for so many aspects of our lives. It can enhance the atmosphere of the party, it can lead you to cues in a play or movie, it can lift you spiritually or calm you after a stressful day. Music is educational as it reflects the culture and history of people and their countries.

Thesis Site Selection

This winter term, I will begin my thesis project and I have decided to design a school of music located here in Portland, Oregon. I have been playing the drums and various percussion instruments for over 16 years and played all over the West Coast, Canada, and in several countries in Western Europe. I love all styles of music but I always come back to Jazz and Blues. Of course I love Miles Davis and John Coltrane, but many people forget or never get into the music of say, Dextor Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Jo Jones, or Charles Mingus. The list could go on forever with each musician bringing something to the table in their own way.

So for my thesis, I'm currently writing my thesis statement and selecting my site. Last week I thought I found the perfect site and to my surprise, I found an even better location while I was on foot.

I am proposing my thesis project to be in Portland, Oregon located in the Cultural District on the corner of SW Park Ave and SW Main Street. The location is currently a surface parking lot. The Portland Art Museum is the next block south on SW Park Avenue. Other places of interest that are immediately near by are: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Oregon Historical Society Museum, as well as the South Park Blocks. Similar to Berklee School of Music in Boston, this school's curriculum would center around Jazz, Blues, R&B, World Music and beyond.

So if you're interested or know the area very well (maybe you live near by) feel free to suggest and or make comments about this area. Anything cool I should check out. Anything that could be related or supportive toward the vision of a school of music project.

Cradle to Cradle

I'm reading the book, Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. They develop this metaphor between the Titanic Ship and the Industrial Machine, "It attempts to work by its own rules, which are contrary to those of nature" and thus bring decline to almost every ecosystem on the planet. But this opposition to nature, as to work toward economic progress does not have to be so. We as humans can design products and systems that celebrate human ingenuity, culture, and productivity.

Although I'm aware of our landfill waste problems, this book has brought to my attention that our industrial system in most cases is a linear one way process where many of the materials after consumer use still has material asset value; and that stuff just sits in a waste heap un used.

At some point, we must find a way to rethink the way we produce. We need enough forethought and collaboration between designers product specialist (chemists) to design products that not only last longer and work more efficient but as they expire, their materials can become the input for the production of new products. Oh, and without making me sick or leaching toxins into my drinking water too.

Sbux

So I'm coming out and admitting it. I've kept it from most people but I thought its time to just get it off my chest and once and for all just let it out... I work for Starbucks Coffee Company. There. I said it. I've worked at various coffee shops as a Barista over the last, oh man I think going on 7 years now. I take pride in my work and I enjoy talking with people as they take their coffee breaks. I think most people can relate. The breaks in the day where you're just like, "man I can't work on these TPS reports anymore, i need some coffee". Well I've been that guy you chat it up with in the mean time between failure so to speak. And even though these conversations are short and most of the time single serving, I personally take away something that helps me gain perspective of my life. In short, my life's experiences (good and bad) become a little more relative in relation to the people I meet and talk with.

Working at Starbucks in comparison to small, less corporate coffee companies, I have seen first hand how they have sucked all that's good about a coffee house and created a production line for the coffee industry. Its suppose to be customer service driven. But its the most unfriendly(fake) impersonal, hurry the customer through their order, lowered standards for speed efficiency coffee shop I've ever worked for.

I don't really make drinks anymore. I'd call it pushing a button or two , putting a lid on that cup and proceed to yell out in perfect order, "decaf venti 2 and a half pump vanilla extra hot no foam skinny vanilla latte" when the person is just a few feet away. Oh, and I remember to say thank you. Not thanks, or thanks again, but thank you because that's what I'm told I have to do. Its a part time job for now while I'm school but sometimes I reminisce of the good days when a macchiato was simply espresso with a mark of foam. Ahh. The good old days

Media - What is it?

I really enjoyed Dana Plautz's lecture today! The way she defined this new media was fascinating because its something that continually changes. Change created often by the collaboration between artist and scientist. "New Media provides a new common ground between art, technology, and science." But most importantly, "its the connection you make through it". The connection between artist and scientist is very interesting. In the E.A.T. short video, the narrator expressed how the two are complementing to one another. One is imaginative and creative while the other is empirical and calculating. Yet they both share so many similarities: exploration into the unknown, experimentation, observation, openness, analysis, and the process of discovery. This lecture brings me back to the idea I had several years ago of incorporating nanotechnology with various building materials as to development an architectural element that through the use of electrical signals, you can create shapes and shape-shifting walls, panels, and the alike.

Beginning of the End

I'm new to blogging. This marks the first term of my 3rd and final year here at the UO Masters of Architecture Program. I may use this opportunity to document my experience over the course of this year. I spent the last summer delivering autoparts and the thought crossed my mind of making a mini documentary. Between the various mechanics I delivered to...Russian, Ukrainian, South American, Korean, American, and the diverse characters that I worked with back at the parts store, lets just say it truely could have been a reality Tv show.