Discovering Perspective

Botanical Research Centre design for studio project

I don't know if it is what a hot toddy is supposed to taste like... but it is good.

1tsp butter
2tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
cinnamon and nutmeg
3/4 c. boiling water
1 shot of rhum

But I guess I am feeling a bit fuzzy in the head from the cold. Somehow Nietzsche and Marx are a bit more challenging tonight. Maybe in the morning.

Caughing for two weeks and a very sore, red nose from snuffle-paper-over-usage over the past three days. But I feel perfectly fine otherwise. Not fair. I want an excuse for slacking off other that this being my last term. I mean, I'm not slacking off.

I think I will attempt the hot-buttered-rhum-toddy solution. At least I'll have an excuse for falling asleep.

-site story for Urban Studies Workshop-

The thirsty front takes a large swig of the fresh Great Lake water where it is caught by the cold north air and freezes. A large, thick white blanket now covers the great elephant's body 'til the warm south air once again wins its battle against the north air, forcing it to retreat. Along the great elephant's back, a river of water defies the cold as long as possible and continues to flow, replenishing the Great Lake. Downstream of where this brave river forks is Wonderland, whose gardens were my childhood winter playground.

Dressed in our winter armour, the least favourite piece being snowpants because of the swishing sound they would make as the legs rubbed together with every step. We weren't very stealthy dressed like this, my siblings, cousins and I, but we were warm. Two pairs of socks made our boots a size too tight, but again, we were warm. A little too warm packed in the car with our crazy carpet chariots for the trek from home to the gardens.

Finally we would arrive and fall out of the car off to rediscover the hill and claim our ground. We would take care to locate the snow snakes so as to not disturb them. We never saw any, our snowpants likely alerting them to our approach, but we could trace their tracks. They always traveled in pairs along the path that followed the river.

Goldielocks would come with us from time to time. Normally she hated the woods. She had been abandoned there when very young. But she loved the snow covered hill and would pounce up and down like a white rabbit.

I passed by the hill on occasion during the summer but the sweet fragrance of roses just beyond was far more interesting than the bleak grassy hill. There was no more trace of the snow snakes which I presume migrate North for the summer. Goldielocks no longer wished to join us for adventures in the woods. She missed out on seeing the dragons race down the river. Perhaps Wonderland would have held more appeal in the summer if the pool were still open and the large bandstand where the bands delighted in regaling the public with Guy Lombardo tunes from the good old days. His museum stands nearby but no one ever goes, no one hears his music except for the buzzing orchestra of automobiles which he conducts down the road.

Just a brief preview of how my last semester is shaping up.

-Studio-
Everyone got there first choice for profs which is nice. I have
Lucie, a prof and not a sessional so I can't complain. Our group has
two choices for the term. Both start with the same project, Vision
Akureyri, which is a competition for an Urban Renewal plan for the
town of Akureyri in Iceland.
(http://www.vision-akureyri.is/keppni_en.asp) It's a short
competition, only three weeks, and team work but it seems like a
really interesting project. Then part of the group will go on with
another two competitions; a pavilion for one of the rides on Connie
Island, and a trailer park redesign (design an affordable, safe,
pleasant community in place of the existing trailer park). The other
option is an extension to the Ottawa Art Gallery which is to include a
condo tower. I still haven't decided which way I want to go but for
now Iceland should keep me occupied.
I kept my studio spot from last term but rearranged my desk so that it
isn't as exposed to the walker-bys/thiefs.

-Research and Criticism-
Seems like it should be a challenging course. The first lecture was
on Plato, Aristotle and Vitruvius. We have a hunk of readings along
with a 500-600 word assignment each week which will keep me busy.
Luckily the prof rephrased the reading assignments for the week.
Initially, it appeared that we had to read all of Plato's Republic,
Aristotle's Poetics and Physics, and Vitruvius' Ten Books of
Architecture. Actually it is only the first Five books of
Architecture and the rest are 'helpful readings'. The course is
designed to be a good intro to Graduate level studies so it should be
good and slightly more intelligent than my Philosophy of Art class
last term.

-Urban Studies Workshop-
Still a bit fuzzy on the details for this class. The prof wants to
make a book of Canada's 'Invisible Cities' (ie every architect's
favourite book) based on everyone's home town. We're to pick a site
in our hometown to depict in a short story and then create an
installation piece to go up during our reading week, document it and
then bring them all together on a site in Ottawa. We're assigned a
'mentor' artist to help guide us. Sounds interesting. I'm thinking
of Wonderland Gardens but not absolutely sure yet. And I guess that
means I will be coming home sometime during reading week.

That's it. The next three and a half months of my life and then I get
to put those fun initials (B.A.S.) after my name.

Winter vacation was short and semi-sweet (the way I like chocolate and vacations). Now it is back to the pain... the agony and the ecstasy (for you Charleton Heston/Michelangelo fans). One semester left and I think it should be a good end note to my four years of architorture.

Started the morning off with a good Plato vs. Aristotle lecture. Always fun. I feel like such a university student on days like this. This is what t.v. and the movies make you think university is. The prof also enlightened us as to the difference between American and Canadian university students. American students will not do the readings but spend the whole class stating why they think Plato is full of crap. Canadian students will do the readings and think Plato is full of crap but not say anything in class.

Actually I think it is architecture students. It always happens in my architecture theory classes (though I think it is due mostly to the scheduling of them at 8:30am). We're intelligent people and yet must come off as incredibly dumb to our professors because no one answers questions or even raises their hand in response to the typical poling who thinks this questions. Then we shock our profs when they grade our papers. Wow, you actually know stuff. In my other classes, it tends to be the opposite and closer to the American case example. No one knows anything but will babble on forever convinced that they do and I sit quietly bashing my head into the wall sighing.

I'm not sure why exactly. For the most part, architecture students are anything but shy. We're used to getting shot down during our crits. Something about the classroom atmosphere shuts everyone up. Maybe because we are accustomed to a less formal relation with our profs and to see the prof you chat with casually at your desk or in passing on the street dressed in a suit at the lecturn in front of the class, standing while you are sitting, speaking freely while you must raise your hand, throws us off.

Anyways, putting in time til the next class which will likely only be a ten minute intro. I hate the first week of classes. Lots of waiting around for little gain. We don't even have work to do to keep us occupied between classes. That will all change soon enough though.