7-21-10

We reached the halfway point for Experiences in Architecture. We celebrated it by visiting three memorials and one museum all before 3pm! All four EiA instructors took turns lecturing throughout the day.

Jesse kicked off the day lecturing at the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial by Maya Lin.







Miles took the next leg of the journey and we headed to the Korean War Veterans Memorial.



Andy led a discussion at the World War II Memorial which was a great place to sketch and stay cool after a long morning in the sun.





After a lunch break we ended our excursion at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Cindy gave a talk to the students about the emotional effects of the architecture of the museum.





After a long day of sketching and reflection, we headed back to studio where the students continued work for their final presentations of project 2 tomorrow.

7-20-10

Today we visited the Finnish Embassy and toured the building inside and out. An interesting aspect of the embassy is the front facade which has a green wall of plant life growing on it. The deciduous plant's leaves keep out the sun's rays in the summer, and allow in the much needed warmth in the winter.

Cindy giving a quick talk before we enter the embassy:


The main hall:


The "pier":


A wall of the sauna, where "diplomats spend a lot of their time":


A stair:


LAYERING!


Jesse and our new student Lucille:


Tommy contemplating the structure:


Group shot!


The second half of the day was spent in studio developing Project 1. All students were hard at work and have really settled in to the "studio culture" here at CUA.

Vince plugging away at his model:


Matt working on his project:


Devan demonstrating his mad exacto knife skills:

7-19-10

First formal Pin Up! The entire morning today was taken up with a mid-review of Project 1. Each student presented their work to a panel of jurors, who in turn gave the budding architects great feedback on how the projects could be improved. Even though all students were tired from the long weekend of work, the review was a great success!

Maria and the Jurors:


Oliver and his debonair style:


Lauren presenting her work:


The second half of the day was mostly used for lectures. The first lecture, presented by Dave Shove-Brown, focused on architecture and fabrication, and the CUA-DC program here at school. The second lecture was presented by Barry Yatt and focused on professional practice and what the students can expect from a career in architecture.

Barry Yatt presenting to the students:

07-16-10

Definitely a productive day at CUA! We started with a lesson on one-point perspective in the studio from EiA instructor, Andy. The students put their new skills to the test with a field trip to the National Shrine. Though the space was challenging to sketch, the students handled their assignment with a lot of enthusiasm.

After lunch, we took a walk over to the John Paul II Cultural Center where another EiA instructor, Jessica, introduced the concept of phenomenal transparency. Students used this concept to study the facade of the JPII Center and diagram form and order.

We wrapped up the day by taking a look at the student's sketch books and introduced them to the next project. The sketch books are starting to look really good! Its hard to believe that it has only been one week of work!

7-15-10

Phew! What a day! EiA 2010 traveled to the heart of Washington D.C. to explore the Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The students got a chance to explore the grand lobby of the Library of Congress and really analyze and document some its most beautiful and ornate details through sketching.














After an intense session of sketching, the students returned to studio to put the finishing touches on the collages that they have been working on all week. Today was the student's first big presentation for a group of jurors. The students were broken up into groups of 2 or 3 and develop 2 collages that relate to each other, explore the the tension between man-made objects and nature, and work in their own concept at the same time! It has only been 4 days and the students are already doing a fantastic job.

7-14-10

Today started with our a field trip to the National Building Museum. We began our first field sketching exercises by analyzing the rhythm of the interior arcades or the central gallery space.








In the afternoon, we had our second lecture with Professor Eric Jenkins.



Eric took the students outside so that they could start practicing some of the sketching methods.







The students ended the day with continuing studio work on the first project, which is due tomorrow.