A few weekends ago I took a spontaneous trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What I love about spontaneity is the air of not knowing. You never know what your day will have in store - anything is possible! So I saw a great show by Anderson .Paak on a Friday night and drove straight up to Philly right after. After wandering around the city Saturday morning, visiting the Liberty Bell and finding Ben Franklin quotes and statues at every corner, my travel buddy and I found our way to the Center for Architecture. There was an interesting display in the gallery of notable architecture sites to visit around the city. One in particular caught my eye - the Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP). After reading the short blurb about the building, I knew I had to go. We changed up our relatively inexistent travel itinerary and hailed an Uber across town (by way of the Barnes Foundation and a Philly Cheesesteak stand first). At this point you're probably asking why I voluntarily went to prison. It's ok - the Uber driver asked us the same thing. For those of you unfamiliar with the place, the building is a former prison. The structure opened in 1829 as the world's first penitentiary with a revolutionary new system of rehabilitating prisoners through penitence versus punishment. ESP closed its doors in the 70's and fell into neglect. Plans for its redevelopment were introduced in the 80's, but preservationists ultimately won out, using a the typology of a museum to educate visitors on America's prison system. Unlike many historic structures that have been spared from the demolishing ball, ESP wears its age on its sleeves. The paint is cracked and peeling off, rubble is present in many of the open cells, and even tree roots can be seen coming in through some of the walls. Yet this is where the true beauty of the building lies. ESP doesn't try to be perfect; it's decaying. Yet you see the effects of time with your own eyes. For me, there's something romantic about these places. Not saying date night should be at the old state prison, but for me it's hard not to fall in love with these crumbling buildings. The question is, what can I do as an architect to make them significant? More importantly, how can this be the basis of a thesis project? If only I had a Delorean with a flux capacitor to drive off into the future at 88 mph...
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After another long break, I have decided to give some love to my neglected blog. A lot has happened since...last August - wow, it has been that long! Well, I have successfully made myself at home in Maryland. I finished my first (of two and a half) years of grad school at the University of Maryland! While I haven't been able to travel like my year spent in Europe, something I truly miss these days, the past year in the States working towards my Master of Architecture has been its own rewarding journey. Now I am back to the commuter life, traveling between College Park and Baltimore as I attempt to juggle summer classes, teaching, and a summer internship. Besides using this blog as a medium to document my continuing study abroad on the East Coast, I hope to use my future writing as a way to flush out ideas for thesis...ahhh, thesis - a word that signifies both the end of grad school and the beginning of hell. Luckily for me, thesis is still a year away, but it's never too early to start thinking about it, just like it's never too early to make your Christmas list for Santa. Seriously. That guy takes months to plan, so you better let him know what you want now... Of the very few things I do know about my thesis at this point, it's only fair to list the few things I do know:
-It will have something to do with adaptive reuse. -It will most likely take place in Chicago...though in reality it could be anywhere. -Landscape will come into the mix in some shape or form. I know...I am SO ahead of the game with a list like that. But uncertainty is o.k. at this point, and I am trying to relish the open endedness for the time being. I am curious to understand how to make significance out of seemingly insignificant places. Europe is so good at doing this...but what about here in the US? Hopefully questions like these will get me closer to finding a focus for my work and give you some insight into my thought process along the way. As an added bonus, I will get to look back at these posts years from now and laugh about how young and naive I once was...or marvel at a rare stroke of genius. Only time will tell. The year is more than halfway over, and when I look back on the past 7 months, it all seems like it happened yesterday. Now I'm done with work and I'm being constantly reminded by my mom to pack for Maryland (mother always knows best) which is in T-minus 5 days. HEL-LO! Talk about a rude awakening. If only summer had a snooze button so you could make it last longer! So what have I been up to this past month and a half besides NOT taking my thoughts to the inter-webs? I never thought you'd ask. Work, for starters, was awesome. The song from the "Lego Movie" (yes, the really annoying but VERY catchy one) is a base-level introduction into a typical day for me, or just a commentary on my child-like perspective of the world. I can't even begin to scratch the surface on some of the cool projects I got to see and work on. Being on-site almost every day made for an active and memorable summer. I got to climb up roof hatches for roof inspections; scratch my head at water leakage under sidewalk vaults; conduct a critical facade exam from the house rig of a 64-story tall skyscraper; watch water testing on a new construction project in Iowa; and walk through one of Chicago's oldest skyscrapers currently being renovated into a boutique hotel. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've definitely gained a new perspective on a more technical side of the architectural profession. I haven't gotten far enough in a design project to talk about water-proofing details or how my roof will drain, yet it's these details that are SO important! After all, it's Mies who said, "God is in the details." Anyone can come up with a design for a building - just ask any kindergartner to draw their dream house - but not everyone can design a building to last. It's amazing to see how some of Chicago's oldest buildings have survived as long as they have, and architects didn't have the tools like we have today! If we're going to be more "responsible" architects in the future, we have to start designing them to last and become better stewards of our existing building stock. When I wasn't at work, you could usually find me at a music festival, or some other music-oriented event. This was my first year at Pitchfork in Chicago's Union Park and my first FULL time at Lollapalooza in Grant Park. Speaking of firsts, this was the first time I've been caught in the rain during a festival. I've been long overdue; I've only gotten by with pure luck thus far. So instead of evacuating the park at Pitchfork, my friends and I hid in a Porta Potty. Hey - no judgement: we were some of the driest people there after the rain stopped! As my brother told me, you may not remember the acts you saw twenty years from now, but you'll always remember the moments with the people you were with...like that one time in the Porta Potty, and dancing to Florence and the Machine during a lightning storm. But now it's August, and the Sunday ads are telling me summer is over and it's time to get my rear back to the land of higher education. For me, that means new year, new state, new school, and, more importantly, new apartment with 0 furniture! Oh, yea, so that's the other thing I've been up to lately - furniture shopping. I wish I could say it's been fun, but it's really just a pain in the ass that drains your energy and your patience. The 12 hour drive to College Park will be the real test. So if I can survive the drive, it should be smooth sailing from there...at least in theory.
It's important to have a balance between work and life no matter what your profession is. When I'm not completing my training towards becoming a Master Architect, I find enjoyment in music - listening, playing, watching, collecting, you name it. My idea of "vacation" these days is taking a week off to go to the middle-of-nowhere-Tennessee to stand for hours on end under the merciless Southern Sun to listen to some of the best musical acts from around the globe. Yes, I put on my hippie camouflage for four days to join music-lovers from across the country (and even the globe, hard to believe) to attend Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. I was never much of a camper growing up. I did Girl Scouts during my elementary school years, but the closest we got to camping were sleepovers in each others basements...with a touch of arts and crafts and S'mores over a fire-pit. Yup. Being a Brownie was hard stuff. ANYWAYS, my point is, I don't have much, if any, camping experience, and this is a camping festival. For most non-camping-enthusiasts, this would be a problem. I don't travel to the middle of nowhere to camp for the fun of it; I do it for the music. Despite my minimal camping experience, I somehow find a way to survive the ruff and rugged lifestyle. Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone to experience the best of what life has to offer. It's hard to explain what makes the trip to Bonnaroo so enjoyable for me, but the atmosphere there is a big part of it. There's something quite fascinating about seeing people so different come together for one purpose and live peacefully with 0 cares in the world. You see people from all walks of life, of every age, shape and size standing next to you as you wait for your favorite band to come on; doing interpretive dances with hula-hoops like no one is watching; or catching some z's under the shade of a large tree. What more can I say? It's a jolly good time. Not to mention, I get to see a handful of my favorite artists all in one spot - Royal Blood, Alabama Shakes, Earth Wind & Fire, Bleachers, Florence + The Machine, Twenty One Pilots, D'Angelo and the Vanguards...the list goes on and on! When my view isn't blocked by some giant in front of me (which with my luck is usually the case), I get the chance to see something truly amazing - people like you and me doing what they love. A lot of these artists never imagined in their wildest dreams having the chance to play at a festival like this, and now that they're here...well, that's a feeling you can't quite put into words.
Work has begun. My internship that is. I'm just wrapping up my second week, and I love my job. It's been two weeks, and I feel like I've learned SO much! It's definitely not your typical architectural internship. At Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE), we don't design buildings. Instead, we restore them. And to clarify, I do mean we. I'm not the coffee girl, running mindless errands. No. I'm considered part of the team! So, here is a quick glimpse into some of the fun-tivities I've been doing during my first weeks on the job: For my fellow architects (and non-architects alike), to give you a sense of what we do, WJE is considered a consultant. As I said, we don't design the building or the spaces inside it. We are typically part of the post-construction process, after the dust settles and people start inhabiting the spaces that have been designed for them...except there's a problem, like meddlesome Mother Nature coming into your apartment in the form of water stains on the wall; or there are visible cracks in the concrete that makes up the exterior of your condo building; or you just can't figure out why the stainless steel St. Louis Arch suddenly has discoloration on the outside...hopefully this gives you an idea of the kind of projects I have gotten a chance to work on and the scope of projects WJE tackles on a day-to-day basis. When I have the opportunity to go on site visits, which actually happen quite often (yay for breaking free from the confinements of cubicle-life!), I feel like I'm part of a CSI episode...although without the blood, gore, and horrible acting. My fellow investigators and I enter the scene of the crime and listen to what the witnesses on scene have to say as they take us around the site. With our Spiderman-like "Spidey-senses" (moreso for my colleagues - I'm more like Robin, the sidekick), we can pick up on details unseen to the casual observer, and, using our vast knowledge of all things architectural, solve the mystery! I feel like the "theme" of my year thus far has been about "home" - leaving my new home in Barcelona, returning to my home in the States, and finding a new home at WJE. The office culture is so welcoming and exciting. I never have a dull day when I look at work like I'm solving a mystery. It's somewhat ironic because I've never been particularly fond of Whodunnit's...well, there's hope for me yet!
...and just like that it's over. I'm officially and alumnus of the University of Illinois - WHAT!? I keep looking at the cornfields and suburbia around me and take a second look, expecting to see the palm trees and mountains around Barcelona. It's definitely a bit of a culture shock and will take some time getting used to. Speaking of shocks, I had my first public speaking experience this past weekend, having the honor of speaking at my commencement ceremony. I had been thinking of doing it ever since watching my brother's graduation at Purdue last May, and I thought it was such a unique experience to be able to speak in front of your peers and inspire them. So, porque no? I started drafting out ideas during my trip to Croatia over the Easter break. What I could I tell 100 or so of my fellow archies that could inspire them to achieve greatness in their future careers? I wrote in my journal at any chance I got, but by the time I came home and started typing there wasn't anything special about it. Well, that's nothing a little coffee and Baileys can't help, well, the Spanish version that is, and I basically did a physical memory dump onto Microsoft Word. When I read over what I had the next morning, somehow I had a real speech...after some slight editing here and there. I wanted to tell my peers, my friends, that even though we have a degree in architecture, we shouldn't feel like we're confined to being just architects. With an architecture degree, you can do anything you want, because we've learned valuable skills - problem-solving, communication, thinking outside the box, collaboration - that will help us be successful in whatever we do; the only limitation is ourselves. It was quite nerve-racking the day of - I had never spoken in front of that many people before! Not to mention seeing faces I hadn't seen for 9 months all in the same room right before the ceremony...it was a lot to take in. But after a few deep breaths, words of encouragement from friends, and a wonderful introduction from my Barcelona pal, Nick, I found a way to get comfortable at that podium, speaking to a bunch of bright lights and dark faces. Before I knew it, it was over! Life is full of experiences, and this is one I am glad to have under my belt. As I look back on the past four years, I can't help but look forward as well. Though my time in Barcelona and Champaign-Urbana is over, a new chapter is about to begin. I've got a great internship this summer in Chicago (which hopefully I'll be able to share over the next few months) and new adventures awaiting me at the University of Maryland this fall. So join me for my next adventures in the months ahead!
It’s hard to believe that a month ago I was in France. It feels like the time is slipping right through my hands! Easter came and went with a much needed vacation to Croatia. I say “vacation” because it felt like it – no rushing around to see a list of places, no schedules to follow, no assignments to do – it was beautiful, and so was Croatia! I just wish it was warmer – the beaches looked gorgeous! Spring is finally here in Sant Cugat. While the weather has been mild over the past couple of months, the signs of spring are here: the flowers are in bloom, the weather is starting to get warm enough for shorts, and the Americans are tanning outside in our free time. Lord knows I'm in for quite a climate shock when I get back to American winters and springs, especially next year on the east coast at the University of Maryland!
Speaking of which, I'm currently on the housing hunt for my new home-away-from-home next year in College Park. I forgot how frustratingly annoying it is to look for apartments...online...thousands of miles away. Half the places you look at have no pictures or no website, and all you can do is call someone for "more information." UIUC I am already missing your off-campus housing prices; know that you are dearly missed. Hopefully I'll be able to find a place to make my UMD experience feel just as home-y as it has been the past four years at UIUC! May 15th is fast approaching and as ready as I am to go home, I'm not! Still working on crossing things off my Barcelona Bucket List; you know, important things like buying one of those Cookie Monster-looking donuts outside the L3 metro stop at Placa Catalunya and seeing the Font Màgica de Montjuïc at night. I never want to leave this magical place. Time seems to be passing in an unending blur. One moment its January and in the blink of an eye it's already March. I've been on two breaks and I'm about to leave for "Spring Break" in France tomorrow - is this real life?! By the time I get back on the 20th, I will be home in less than two months. I look around my apartment these days thinking about what it was like to see everything for the first time in September, and now I'm trying to figure out what stays and what comes home with me. I feel like I've never had to deal with this before - it really makes you consider what possessions you really value. Anyways, enough with the philosophical sentiments; it's time to catch y'all up to speed. In my almost two months of absence, I've been quite the busy bee. I've been to Italy, Hungary, and Southern Spain - all were amazing places with their own unique qualities and memories. I traveled to Naples and Milan with my partner in crime, Maya, back in the end of January. Both were lovely cities, although the "beach-side" vacation we pictured in Naples ended up being somewhat dreary and cold (cold for us being 50F...), not to mention the Blue Grotto we planned to see in Capri, a small island off the coast of Naples, was closed for the season - turn down for what? Travel lesson learned: always check the "off season" for beach-side places. Despite the disappointment, we still had a lovely time. Afterwards, I went to Budapest, Hungary for a week-long travel workshop analyzing the evolution of architectural styles in the city led by a professor from the University of Illinois at home. What an AMAZING city! First of all, the food is cheap, like "I can buy a gourmet meal for under $10" cheap - music to the ears of any college student. The city had a lot to offer architecturally as well. I thoroughly enjoyed filling my sketchbook with sketches of architectural details of the buildings we visited. I made a collage of them all for the final deliverable for the workshop, and my project along with some of my fellow Budapest-ers will be on display in the Temple Hoyne Buell Hall Gallery at UIUC in April! After Budapest, I traveled with some fellow archis to the Eternal City - Roma. You can never spend enough time in Rome to see it all, especially three days. Still, I got to see a lot of the main highlights. My two favorite buildings were the Pantheon and the Tempietto. It's very surreal to see buildings from your architectural textbooks come to life before your eyes. I still can't believe I got to see the Pantheon whose famous oculus has provided inspiration and precedent for many of my studio projects. I also got to make my pilgrimage to the Vatican. Seeing a rainbow from the top of St. Peter's Basilica was absolutely stunning. Needless to say Rome left a lasting impression on me that I won't soon forget. And that was two weeks of traveling. It is unbelieveably exhausting. I hate living out of a backpack for 15 days - you're always moving; always on the go; always wearing the same 4 or so tops (I did do laundry at one point, mind you); always trying to fit in as much to see as possible; always in constant motion. Yet, how else can you see all that this amazing continent has to offer in such a short period of time!? ...but there's more. After two weeks of travel, we had two weeks to get settled into our routine of classes for the semester before heading off on another short-lived adventure, this time to the cities of Seville, Cordoba, and Granada in Southern Spain. It was a super fun ladies weekend with Maya - gotta make the most of it before we split off on our separate grad school adventures. ¡Qué lástima! That's a story for another day though. Back to Spain. I think I can safely say I'm in love with Southern Spain. I don't know if it was the flamenco, the weather, or the ridiculous number of orange trees, but it was hands down my favorite trip of the year thus far (and that's saying a lot since there's really only two trips left)! The Moorish architecture that characterizes the region was breathtaking. The pictures I have don't even begin to do them justice, so you must go see it for yourself. So. Now that I've FINALLY gotten around to getting the blog up to speed, I'm off on another adventure. The students of the IASAP-BV are off on Spring Break tomorrow! Well, technically it's a field trip...in spring...to France...with the main destination of Paris...with some sketching and educational reading involved...good enough to be Spring Break in my book! Eventually I'll get all those pictures up, along with my travels through Spain, Italy, and Hungary. But, to quote one of my favorite movies, "Up," "Adventure is out there," so off I go!
The past two weeks have been great. Upon returning from my holiday travels, I was greeted at the airport by one of my best friends from home, Rebecca. She unfortunately had to leave us last Friday to return to "Chi-beria," but we had a great time while she was here. On the 5th, we indulged our inner child and went into Barcelona to welcome the Three Kings for the Epiphany on the 6th. SO.MANY.CHILDREN - and I thought trying to get a good view at festivals was bad. I guess that's what you get for attending a festival that in Spain is essentially the equivalent of Christmas Eve for children in the States - on the eve of the Epiphany, children set out food and drinks for the Three Kings and their camels (how can Rudolph even compare!?) before going to sleep in anticipation for what gifts the Kings will bring them on the 6th. Why can't we have this in the US? I'm all for extending the Holiday Season; after all, it's the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"! Last weekend, Rebecca and I traveled to the scenic area of Montjuïc. The views of the city from here were stunning, especially looking down Plaça d'Espanya from the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). We also realized that Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion was in the same neighborhood ("The Barcelona Pavilion is in Barcelona!?"), so the two aspiring architects just had to pay a visit. Working our way up the hill, we came across the '92 Olympic grounds denoted by the Torre Calatrava. Admittedly this is the sunniest Olympic venue I've seen (the two I saw in Munich and Berlin were just eerie...goes to show how much of a difference the weather makes), and it was an overall gorgeous day to be out and about it Barcelona. A visit to Barcelona would not be complete without a trip to the Bunkers del Carmel, and that's exactly where we went on Rebecca's last night in town. A trip at any time of the day to this panoramic viewpoint above the city is to-die-for. Being surrounded by friends at some of the most scenic places in Barcelona has made me realize how I have taken the beauty of this city for granted. Saying goodbye to Rebecca and others as they make their way home is making me look towards May with dread - I'm really going to miss this place when it's my turn to step on that plane. BUT, there's no better time to live than in the present, and unfortunately this project for my design charrette won't finish itself!
I'm back from the dead! After what looks like two months of hibernation, I'm ready to return to blogging. To save time typing for me and reading for you, I will give a short recap of all the shenanigans I have been up to since my last post:
Now it's back to "work." I'm currently back in the studio working in a short two week design charrette before heading off to Budapest for a week-long workshop (and, if all goes according to plan, a quick stop to Italy). The upcoming semester will be full of excitement: traveling, studio, job searching, grad school admission decisions, and *gasp* graduation looming at the end of a not-so-gloomy tunnel. Only four and a half months left in Spain and I've got to make the most of it!
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About me...Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am a young Jedi apprentice of architecture, navigating the vast unknown of architecture school and the professional world on my journey to becoming a Master Architect. Archives
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