For once, I had a day that didn't revolve around architecture. That sounds so weird for an architecture student to say. I feel like everywhere I go, I'm observing buildings, photographing buildings, sketching buildings; basically everything and anything related to buildings. I love buildings just as much as the next architect, but sometimes you need a change of pace; a breath of fresh air. Today I've made up for all the fresh air I've been missing out on from staying inside working by going on a huge "nature tour" around Bilbao, a city in the Basque Country of northern Spain. Thankfully, one of my Spanish friends is from the area and he was happy to take a group of us around to some of his favorite spots. Everything has been breathtaking. I've never felt more adventurous in my life. I hiked up and down multiple mountains (ok, not MOUNTAINS in the literal sense - more like a very steep hillside that is as close to hiking up/down a mountain as I"ll ever get), navigated my way through rocky beaches, explored caves, and strolled through a painted forest. |
I think as architects, we get so wrapped up in the "built environment" that we forget there's a world outside the one we create on paper. In fact, it's right outside our door just waiting to be explored! Nature is filled with wonderful examples of architecture, as I found out today. It may be the arrangement of a grove of pines or the residual space within a cliff that forms the basis of a cave. Architecture is truly everywhere - you just have to open your eyes to see it.