Architecture... Revealed!

For everyone out there familiar with Gob (pronounced Job, like in the scrips) from "Arrested Development", I'm about to do the unacceptable and reveal a big secret behind the magic of architecture. This is the first post in a series that will try and break down architecture into manageable pieces and create a better understanding of the eccentricities that are attached to the profession. I realize that I'm embarking on an endeavor that may very well end in failure, but if you'll bear with me I think that it should prove informative.


I would like to begin with a "simple" example, that of creating a tree house. This is particularly pertinent because I'm currently doing just that, designing and building a treehouse. About a month ago I received a phone call and interesting proposition from my aunt, Pam Covey. She asked if I would be interested in designing and creating a treehouse this summer for their family. I quickly agreed to undertake the job, and proceeded to tell my wife about the oportunity. After a few minutes of kind-hearted ridicule about my excitement from my well intentioned wife, I realized that it was going to be a long road. I understand her feelings, how would you feel if your husband came home and told you that he wasn't going to "find a real job" this summer to build a treehouse? I would assume that he should have grown out of that phase years ago, and I'd probably make my feelings aparent. I love her!

By this point I've already overcome one of the largest challenges known to architects, that of finding a willing client, especially in this economic climate. I also realized that I would probably need a partner, as the workload is often better shared with another able architect. A few days before the summer-changing phone call I'd been discussing a possible summer project with a classmate, Chase Hearn. I quickly extended the offer, which he readily accepted (probably to the dismay of his wife as well). We met and discussed the opportunity, really without any idea of what we were getting ourselves into. We had no idea what the client wanted, how much they were willing to spend, and how big of time commitment we were making.

A couple of weeks later, after surviving the hurricanes of finals week, we made our first official contact with the client. The meeting consisted of a ten minute meeting with my aunt, a short tour of the site, and obtaining a cut-out from a magazine about a tree-house. After our first encounter the buzz-word was "hobbit architecture". The Covey's wanted a treehouse that was reminiscent of the beloved hobbits in J.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Ring saga. They provided a picture of such a tree house:

It's seems simple enough right? We could probably just copy this house with minor changes and it would be great... right? Unfortunately, it was anything but simple. As Chase and I began our research we realized that we had a duty to investigate the possibilities, not just rely on what we felt is safe. The majority of suburban architecture is based on the idea that if it is working, do the same thing over and over. This results in boring architecture, plain buildings with no imagination or unique design elements. Rather than take a passive approach to our design we spent hours researching tree houses. You'd be amazed at the designs out there, every thing from simple platforms to pirate ships to abstract blob houses to 7 million dollar hotels, all built in the context of nature.As you can see, the possibilities are endless. In my next post I'll talk about how we applied what we learned from our research, and where it lead us as we began to design.

Springtime... Finally.

Yesterday Caitlin and I briefly reminisced about my 9th grade English class. I thought about it a little more today and remembered that we had to memorize a piece of classic poetry every term and stand in front of the class and recite it. One of the poems that was lucky enough to be recited by yours truly was "The Daffodils" by William Wordsworth, and I thought that the belated arrival of springtime could be appropriately celebrated. It reads:

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Happy Springtime!

Æsop Rocks

"Sour Grapes, count one's chickens before they are hatched, the lion's share, look before you leap." Ever heard one of these familiar phrases? All have become common vernacular, coined by the wise sage Æsop. Born approximately in 650 b.c. in Greece, Aesop likely spent a life in slavery. He was aquanted with hardship, difficulty, and likely lacked the education to succeed. Traditionally he was extremely ugly and deformed, perhaps leading to the line "every child is beautiful in its mother’s eyes" found in a lesser known work Jupiter and the Monkey.
He is renowned with the best of Greek philosophers, and probably has better name recognition than Socrates or Plato, and is definetly more widely read. My personal favorites are the Lion and the Mouse, followed closely of course by the Hare and the Tortoise. I'm sure all can reminisce about their first time hearing his timeless classics with the clear and simple moral attached. I am grateful for the social lessons available in his fables, and would encourage all to check out a collection of fables and reflect on which morals are most applicable in our day.

A modern day Æsop has been traveling the country and spreading his own moralistic messages. He goes by the logical name of Æsop Rock. I first encountered this modern sage a little over a year ago, and have slowly became more of a supporter of his lyrical sermons.

Ian Matthias Bavitz was born on May 11, 1976 in Long Island, New York. He emerged at the forefront of the underground hip-hop scene in the late 90's, and he continues to produce gritty East Coast style lyrics. As an up-and-coming artist he helped white rap-artists gain respect as a minority in the hip-hop community. After producing a number of edgy, underground albums he decided to move to San Fransisco. New York purists, were distraught, and suspected they'd heard the last of Rock's true style, as West Coast hip-hop is often more upbeat and poppy. In 2007 he released two albums to confirm that he won't change, but that he will evolve with his music. Both of his albums are incredible. Nike asked him to create a 45 minute workout track called All Day, which is fantastic. It's a 45 minute journey through majestic soundscapes, checked occasionaly by some "encouragement" from Rock. I'd reccomend this album to all, as it is lyrically clean and motivating. His other 2007 release, None Shall Pass creates a much more enthralling listening experience. His fast paced lyrical scheme demands concetration and a willingness to listen four or five times to understand what he means. Some people describe his rapping as a "disjointed stream of consciousness", but I don't think that it's merely nonsensical jibberish. When asked about his lyrics he said "It's not exactly fast food but when people pretend I'm just spewing non-sequiturs and gibberish I can’t help but think they simply haven’t listened." I agree of course. I think that may be one reason that I've become so attached to his music, it isn't just a casual listening experience, and if that is what you like, Aesop most likely isn't for you. I also wouldn't recomend him if you have "sensitive" ears, as he can become fairly "expressive". For those of you who are interested, I'd recommend getting your mitts on None Shall Pass, and checking out his video for None Shall Pass and Fast Cars. He also re-released his latest album "None Shall Pass" today, splitting tracks into instrumental and acapella, allowing listeners to greater comprehend his skill as a musician and lyrisist. I'd recommend this album after you are a little more familiar with his style. Anyways, long live Aesop, regardless if you like either of them!

Genesis

Hello... World. Lately I've been floundering. I've felt a possibly self-destructive urge to express myself in some small and likely insignificant way to the world. Whether it be my feelings about life, or God, or society, or that frustrating character on a silly reality tv show, I've longed for an appropriate forum for expression. All of us have experienced it, a longing to be heard, an inner conflict needing exterior perspective and resolution. I hope that this blog can accomplish such, and create opportunities for others to do the same. So it begins...