MOROCCO

so i guess this is my final blog. I would like to say thank you to everyone for making this semester awesome! thank you professor mills for educating me. thank you fellow student for being my friends.

...sniff sniff...

well im over it. right now im sitting in an interior garden of a Riad with a pool in the center and orange trees growing around it. Our room is upstairs with a patio looking into the garden and a roof terrace, where we get breakfast and tea. We also had free lunch here today. couscous and tajeb. it was delicious. I love morocco. I even like their system of goverment the King sounds like an awesome guy, everyone loves him. The people are incredibly nice but they will take your money in a heartbeat. Everyone is very willing to help you get whatever you need...but it doesn't come free. I had to pay to take a picture with a monkey (worth every durham) There are orange trees and roses everywhere! oranges are falling in the garden courtyard im sitting in right now. We saw a lot of old palaces and gardens today. More of that tomorrow. Most of them though have already been stripped of all their glory and are merely ruins. Still exciting though, i feel like indiana jones running around underneath an old palace. The food has all been delicious (we'll see what i think about it later...if you know what i mean) All the other tourists are french, and everyone here assumes you are french, but they usually speak spanish as well. They will address you in french, then spanish, then english...if you continue to ignore them. For the most part i tell people i am spanish. im not sure why. its not that they don't like americans...they do. It is just a whole lot easier to communicate in spanish than english, and i like being able to convince people that i am from spain (something i haven't been able to do in Barcelona)

Well...that's all folks.

I guess i will see most of you back in Clemson

O yea...the architecture here is really....good...and old...and there are arches and stuff.

Barca! Barca! Baaaarca!!!

So...these past couple of weeks have been HELL to say the least. After the grueling week of no sleep for the final review, we had one day of rest, then back to presentations and more work. This week was definitely interesting as far as the work load that we have had to/still have to endure. We had our final presentation for one class on Tuesday, a final exam and project due today (Wednesday), and another final exam and book due tomorrow. I can't wait until tomorrow night to finally be finished, at least for this week, because we still have a 15 page paper due on Monday. Tomorrow night, Mills is taking us to the final dinner of the semester. I cannot believe it has gone by this fast...where did the time go? Some people are leaving right after we are done tomorrow and some during this coming weekend. I can't believe that! I know they just want to get back and they miss home, but I really feel like this semester has flown by and I have missed out on so much. I spoke to my parents this week about missing my sister's graduation on May 14th, which is when I am supposed to go back, and stay an extra month. My dad said I was crazy for NOT staying and to consider going to a graduation instead of spending more time here and see what I want to see. So I am staying! That was probably the best news I have had all semester, even though it was probably the worst for my boyfriend. Carla was already staying that long, so we began planning our time that is left. We are going to Valencia on Monday, traveling through train, Southern Spain, maybe Morocco, then back to Barcelona. Then another trip to Italy to see Florence,Venice, and maybe go back to Rome. THEN, if my loan money lasts, try to go to Switzerland, drive to Ronchamp for the day (in France), go to Germany, and Prague. Again, this is all hoping, but would love to do. This past weekend began the festivities of travel or seeing some things I want to see...like FC Barcelona play!!! It was so amazing being in the stands of Nou Camp! I saw MESSI! And HENRY!!! Too bad Eto'o wasn't playing, but it was still amazing game. They played Recreativo and won 2-0. Advise to whoever reads this, if you come here to study, make sure you don't book your ticket to leave a week or two after classes end because you will not have time to travel during the semester and will want to travel when you are done. I love it here...I never want to go back...

Independent Travel...Oh the fun!

I knew planning this trip was going to be a fun experience, but I had no idea how amazing and spectacular it was going to be seeing everything in person that I had admired in books I read at Barnes and Noble. Arriving in Rome first, I was exhausted, had not slept the night before, and needed some food in my stomach. I met Carla and Josh there and they took me from the airport to the closest restaurant near our house. I ordered my first meal in Italian...Pizza! It was probably the best thing I had ever eaten, and it was so simple. My first cup of cappuccino warmed my throat as it sank and tasted like perfection in a cup. I fell in love with Rome before seeing a thing. The next morning, we went to the Vatican, and I had goosebumps as I entered the colonnade. Luckily, because Josh lives in Tuscania, he had friends that were staying in Rome (where we stayed), and their class that day was to tour the Vatican! How terrible for them! We tagged along and toured the Vatican, saw this magnificent structure, saw the PIETA!! It was magical and holy. We then went to the Vatican Museum, which was one of the most amazing museums I had ever visited, and saw some of the most beautiful art and architecture. I did not like the signs everywhere you walked that told you where the "Sistine Chapel" is. Of COURSE I wanted to see it, but give me a surprise for goodness sake! People were rushing by us, missing so much around them just to see it. It was magnificent though...no words. It felt insane to be there knowing who drew it and why, and what took place there. Having the audio guide definitely helped me understand the history that I had never known. Always get them! As Carla and I walked out of the Vatican City, we were completely silent in awe. At the same time, she asked me something. She asked me about my faith, about God, about the Church. Why would God and the Church want so much glamour and riches when there are so many homeless and poor people living right outside of the Vatican City. At first, I defended my faith and what I had known for so many years, bu then stood back and listened...and agreed. As beautiful as everything was, is it worth it? Is that what Christianity had become now?

We went to all the areas that we could possibly go to in Rome. I cannot possibly sit here and explain my entire trip because it would be a book long. We saw the Spanish steps, the Colleseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Roman ruins, the Pantheon, and so much more. We also saw modern architecture, like the Renzo Piano Theatre, which was GORGEOUS, and ended up buying a boy's ticket to a concert spontaneously, because he hates orchestras, even though his grandfather bought him amazing seats. Then we left for Milan. We knew going there, that there was a huge differentiation between Rome and Milan, due to the idea of "Relaxed Romans" versus "Workaholic Milanese." It was a completely different place, that I ended up hating. The only places that I loved were the Duomo Basilica, of course! Its BEAUTIFUL! The opera house (La Scala), and of course Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper. After seeing these, we hoped to shop a little and relax after our busy touring in Rome, but of course everything was super expensive and we felt very out of place. Most of the people were wearing their Prada, and Gucci, and Dior. It was sickening to see everyone have something and we couldnt dream of paying that much. Surprisingly though, our hostel was amazing. We met Egyptians that owned it and I spoke to them in Arabic, and we became good friends fast. Another surprise was seeing John Legend was coming that same night to Milan for a concert, so we had to go! We walked the streets and a guy sold us tickets for 25 euros (thanks to Carla's negotiation skills), when the tickets cost 35 for everyone else! He was right in front of us and it was a dream! We couldnt have been happier....until.....THERE HE WAS! BECKHAM!!! We were screaming louder and louder, Beckham was only 20 meters away from us in the VIP section! Milan ended up being a pretty good journey after all. For our final destination, which I will try to cut short, was Paris. We saw the Eiffel Tower from the plane, and our hearts dropped. We knew this was going to be amazing, and it was. Eventhough it was a very busy schedule, we had a blast. We saw the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Arc de Triomf, Quai Branly, Villa Savoye, and so much more! I dont think that I can ever be tired of Paris. That is the one place you will never be bored in. It is AMAZING and I will never be able to see everything, including the never-ending Louvre. I love that city! But one downside...too much crime, and wayyyy too expensive.

I can talk forever about my trip, but I don't think anyone will like that. I love to travel and meet new people. I love to explore new places and get lost just to find my way again. I love to talk to people, like the Egyptians or the two guys that we met in Rome, and talk about life, religion, everything. I love people. I love places. Life means so much more to me after this experience and after studying abroad. I see things deeper, I feel things deeper, and I learn deeper.

Final review was a bit of a let down. Even though there were seven people in the panel, it seemed they were telling us the same thing over and over, more or less. At least in Clemson, with a varied review panel you literally have professors arguing amongst themselves over issues on the project, leading to interesting discussion. Particularly in our groups case (Kevin, Kelly, Jeff), I really felt that their initial comments were a bit... unfair. I see what they meant, but starting with such a negative comment only started a chain reaction among the review panel and in the end we didn't receive any critique at all about the actual design museum, only to go back to general site layout issues. It's not even that I disagreed with them. Oh well, all reviews can't be perfect. In the end I still think our hard work was recognized, I suppose that's what really matters. This probably doesn't make any sense because it was so long ago now but I really need a blog entry.

OVERview

I got a lot closer to Jesus yesterday.....in a mostly literal sense, I went to the top of Tibidabo.

And as he looks out over the city this is what he sees, but I wonder what he thinks...

I too was asked what I thought life meant. I remember i wrote, " its simple, the meaning of life is happiness." If you try to add to this statement you've done to much. Do less. In understanding the statement, the key to happiness i think is balance. Balance in everything you do. That is why architecture is so fulfilling for me. We are supposed to know a lot about a lot of different things and be interested in many areas and proficient in doing many things. I think my time here in Barcelona has made me a more balanced person. I don't know that I could live in a large city for any longer than I have been here but having done it has given me necessary knowledge and experience. I understand that there is no one right answer to happiness. While I may be much happier away from the city, I know that it is necessary for balance, variety, and the happiness of millions of others that occupy the planet.

Additionally, I would just like to add that most of my favorite memories from this semester are about sharing food and playing music with the great group that came here. Also, I have listened to Eddie Vedder's Garaunteed ten times in a row while writting this.....

what is life? a young man from the studio above asked this question of us. what is life he said. write it down on the piece of paper and give a single word or phrase describing what life means to you. i responded life = nature. below this i wrote "i saw a man and he smiled."

we play music to be free. we play music to bond with one another. we play because it gives us life. it fuels us and it uplifts our spirits to a place that no other item can take us. when band good plays, we share a common passion. we do not judge one another. we do not look at appearances. we only feel the music. we communicate on a different level; an almost surreal level.

the students of barcelona riot in the streets. they are angry becasue the government is cutting funds for the arts programs. they take to the streets, bodies exposed. they hold the catalan flag. one man brings down his flag onto a riot policeman. immediately twenty other flags come down. the police begin to beat the students with their bureaucratic batons. blood is shed, but the students are not afraid to speak. of course, they have rights too. right?

this past week in studio has been once again, an adventure. i have worked side by side with the majority of my colleagues and it has been an awesome experience. the bonds created will never be broken and i enjoyed feeling the energy and absorbing the creative energy that flowed through everyone. the biggest bust for me was the review session with the various professors. it appears to me sometimes that a person of higher learning and greater experience has a hard time relating to one who is just beginning to learn and who is maturing every day of his life. the projects were all great and expressive of the person who created them and who dreamed them up. i feel both the student and the reviewer (aka professor) have a lot of responsibility. it is our job to create a project that expresses the need of the site and to release our inner creativity. it is our job to use the tools given to us and to give it our best shot. we should do our best in the drawings, process and presentation. whether or not we did well in any of these is on our shoulders. the professor needs to drop the guard and relate to the student (the learner). i feel like the reviews were biased at times and did not attempt to grasp the overall intent of the project. if we, the learner, did a poor job of presenting, then it should be somewhat understandable as we are still learning. for instance, when a professor tells me that the scale of an art installation is scaled poorly and then proceeds to explain further, i feel a little annoyed. of course these issues are of extreme importance, but a space is more than just some pieces of art (although the pieces were an important piece). the building and the park itself are pieces of art. how about comment on the layout of a space and how it relates to the site as a whole. look into the details layed out in plan and attempt to realise the space in your mind. instead of the details about the skin of a building and bashing a young learner about the way it is represented how about you tell us how to make it better and attempt to experience the space as we have. it is about a picture, not the tube of paint used to create the picture. it is just very frustrating when you have spent an entire semester and someone cannot give you the respect you deserve, drop their inhibitions, release their educated and experienced guard, and attempt to appreciate the work a student has dedicated so much time to. we are not perfect, we do not know as much as the reviewer and we know this. being a candidate of the undergraduat landscape architecture program at clemson university, i feel a bit let down about the project. i have journeyed thousands of miles to learn with another profession. i have attempted to combine ideas and work with other professionals as i will do in the real world. what i would have liked to have had was a little more consideration for my background of learning and a little more respect for my profession. i wish i had a little more professional guidance and especially a little more attention to the work i had done in the review session. ten minutes is not a long and yes i do understand this, but somehow it is dissapointing. for me, this experience was an eye opener. it was a journey and i did in fact enjoy the majority of it. you make what you want out of an experience. in the airport in charlotte, north carolina, i wrote down my goals for this trip. i wanted to explore self, i wanted to explore another culture, and i wanted to learn. i feel like these goals have been met. i have learned a good bit (structures, bcn history) that i did not previously know and i enjoyed this. i have definitely experienced another culture and i have explored self every single day of this time. this blog is about people, it is about a shared experience, it is about exploring self to me. i feel at liberty to say the comments posted only because i am a human being like the rest of us. we are all maturing adults and we have our own opinions and judgements about certain areas of life. i do appreciate this expressive opportunity and i always feel that we shoud express our own ideas and reactions to life. we do not live long, so we should always be open to letting ourselves go and attempting to grasp the roots of existence.

Italy: Esape from cerveza, beer, hash, cocinita, and marijuana(aka Spain)

Italy was a nice change of pace. People were really friendly, food was amazing, wine was delicious, and the architecture was historical and beautiful. The modern architecture was tough to find so it may not have been such a good trip for what we have due, but it was definitely a trip of a lifetime. I saw the Collosseum, the Sistine Chapel, the Forum, the Vatican, Duomo in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio, and all of Venice. The Piazza San Marco in Venice was one of the most amazing spaces I have ever been in. Three sides of the piazza were lined by amazingly tall and ornate facades leading you to St. Mark's Basilica. The space was so large and the buildings around were huge, but the feel of it was open and spacious. Venice was a perfect example of city adaptation in relation to the land it was built on. There are over 100 canals and 400 bridges that link all the pedestrian pathways. A boat is used like we would use a bus connecting you to every part of the island, including smaller islands off of the main island. It was so strange and entertaining to travel from place to place on a boat. It made me want to get out and go somewhere just so I could get a nice little boat ride out of the process. I have so much more to say about Italy in general but I will save it for our exciting presentations on Wednesday. Back to work.

siloDAM

One of my first big research projects in architecture at Clemson was on a architecture firm MVRDV and a building called silodam. I remember thinking how strange it was. As I started to research it more I began to love it. The thought of being able to see it in person never even occurred to me. While we were on the ferry in Amsterdam I saw it and I was blown away. Something about seeing it in person really made me appreciate it more. You can only get so much from pictures, diagrams, and plans. Then later, walking through it I loved knowing the little details about it. It just goes to show that architecture research will continue to payoff and I look forward to researching buildings back at Clemson that I have seen while on this journey.

Won't be long....

Since the mood of the blog seems to be nostalgia, this is where I will be not long from now and not soon enough. And these will be the guys waiting there.


I have learned a lot this semester. It is the first time I've designed in model form and not used them simple for display. Definitely, I have been pushed to think outside the "box". Even the oddest looking building can have a reasonable construction. Method to the madness.

However, this isnt even the last blog and I really need to get back to work.....Presentations on Monday!

Is it a Small World, After All?

Eleven days of traveling done, and we're all back in BCN. But the memories I made over Spring Break will definitely last me a life time.
Dublin is a fabulous city and I suggest anyone who can visit do so! Especially around St. Patrick's Day. They really do love our Spanish friend Mr. Santiago Calatrava over there. One bridge named for the famous James Joyce is already in existence, and while there I learned another has been commissioned. I spent a good bit of time here wandering the edges of the Liffey River and I found a few interesting buildings. One in particular stuck out to me, but I have yet to find out what it is. Currently under construction, there were no signs marking what the future of the building had in store or who designed it. It seemed to be a play with the intersection of forms: a "glass cylinder," if you will, intersected with a more traditionally rectangular building. I'm still on a mission to find out what the building is - I'll keep you updated. As for the culture and atmosphere there - it was great. And the pints of Guinness there truly are "perfect pints." I made friends with people from Texas (but they weren't Aggies), Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Australia. And I'm fairly sure I saw a Clemson hat roaming through a crowd somewhere in the Temple Bar area. AND I think I might have seen someone from my high school walking around, but who knows? I could say so much more about Dublin, but I should probably move on to...
Vienna was also fabulous! The city center was busy and it truly is a great location to visit. The St. Stephen's Cathedral which I just happened to stumble on in my search for another building was beautiful! I only wish they had such monuments in the U.S. The Coop Himmelblau works throughout the city are also very interesting. However, after having studied it in AAH 101, I think my favorite project there was the Post Office Savings Bank by Otto Wagner. I showed up just before 2:50, not realizing there was a museum that closed at 3 and had a 5 euro admission, but the one employee there let me in for free! The layout in the foyer of the bank is seemingly simple, but it truly is an elegant space. The Gasometer City project was also pretty interesting - gas container spaces transformed into shopping spaces. Got 5 euro ORANGE shoes there! Sandwiches there are also pretty fabulous.
Copenhagen was also amazing, and probably by far my favorite. Remember how I met someone from Copenhagen? Well, she got a great little hotel room for me where she works there! Never underestimate the power of connections! Aside from our lovely accomodation, the city of Copenhagen is a great place to stay, especially from an architectural point of view. All the BIG projects throughout the city are interesting to see, but their office was by far my favorite. I loved seeing the models and certainly enjoyed the legos used to label everything, but possibly my favorite aspect was the openness of the office and the interaction that such openness makes possible. The BIG exhibit at the Danish Architecture Centre was also interesting - it's something I'm not accustomed to be able to directly interact with someone's projects and not be prohibited to take pictures. Perhaps the most interesting part of our stay in Copenhagen however was the ability to, on a whim, buy a ticket and ride a train into Malmö, Sweden to see the Turning Torso - an interesting piece of architecture, for sure, but the cold we endured to see it was rough, to say the least.

Those eleven days were certainly interesting, but I can say with the greatest certainty that I was exhausted and ready to be back to Barcelona, yet again proving that this place is becoming home for me more and more. I can only wonder how much I'm going to miss it when I get back to Clemson.

Exhausted

so, spring break was a total success. in ten days, my collegues and i (bryce and kelly) managed to conquer four countries and countless lasting memories. the architecture (since this is what this blog is for) was phenomenal, and in copenhagen the sites far outweighed the price of a $70 bucket of chicken from KFC, and no we didn't buy it. but truly from the BIG studio to the touristic sites of Paris, our 10 day travels were much worth the expense. the biggest problem with travel is rest, never underestimate the amount of wear and tear your body will experience with that amt. of travel. i strongly suggest to future students to take time to rest before you get back into class, especially studio. with studio on the brain, i'd like to let everyone know that our final reviews will be a week from tomorrow, on the morning of April 6. With the end of the semester right around the corner, work is really starting to pile up from presentations to seminar research to an entire building design, but it's definitely been worth it. speaking of work, i need to go get some plans done.

what's the point?

i'm just curIous as to whether anyone ever reads what i have to say...i mean, i put a lot of tIme and thought Into these thIngs and i would apprecIate It If somebody out there would take the tIme to sIt down and read what i have wrItten. thankyou

I have a feeling that the upcoming weeks are going to be influencial ones. That is...containing a lot of influence. This "influence" i predict... is going to be largely targeted on myself (and possibly those around me as well)

Architecture. i mean... it's a cool idea i guess, but does it really work? Is it actually doing all these things it claims?

If this whole thing was a just a test...all of it...every single detail... would you pass? or would you just read the questions over and over until you gave up and handed it in blank?   I don't think you would.

Where does inspiration come from? within? without?  or is it a state of being without?

Barcelona has seven beaches...but i only have two legs. how does that make sense?

If you are reading this...and i hope you are, cause otherwise you are just staring a words on a screen... then you are probably wondering... 

..."what would it be like to be illiterate?"

it might be kinda like playing basketball for the Gamecocks. (boom! roasted!)

I'm done now

thanks for reading. 

                                                                 your welcome

Paris/London/Copenhagen

That was the most flying/walking/sightseeing I've ever done in a 10-day period, very exhausting. I probably can't even recall over half of all the buildings we went to see. Overall, though, I think it went pretty well considering how last-minute we planned the whole trip.

Paris [1.5 days]: the first day we just got there so we did all the tourist-y attractions, then the next day was our only full day actually in Paris. We managed to visit about 10 or so buildings, but unfortunately did not have much luck with LeCorbusier's stuff... It was also pretty hectic trying to make the most of that day though. Oh well. I'm probably going back after classes are done. Also of note: Paris is pretty smelly. For some reason I felt like Paris didn't live up to how great it seemed to be.

London [3.5 days]: London on the other hand, I have always heard it was just so cold and gloomy and rainy and overall depressing, but I guess we hit it on a good week because it was sunny the entire time. Being able to space out our sightseeing a bit more since we had more days here was a relief. It was also nice to be able to speak to native English speakers. A little weird actually because it's been such a long time. However, I think it was pretty much the least interesting architecture-wise. For cool architecture see ---vvv

Copenhagen (+Malmö) [3.5 days]: Copenhagen had a really nice atmosphere, sort of similar to Amsterdam/Holland with a good bit of the city being very modern (and clean). I just wish it wasn't so expensive there. I've never felt so poor. It was really cool to see a bunch of BIG projects, see their exhibit, and then actually be able to take a mini-tour of their studio. Thank you press lady with a semi-hangover. It was pretty funny that we took the train into Malmö and only stayed for a couple hours just to see the twisting torso building.

Independent Travel

Back from independent travel and still exhausted from the trip. We made a quick tour through Paris and tried to see several projects, though we were unsuccessful when it came to the LeCorbusier work. At least it made for some good memories. On our way to Villa Savoye the people on the bus were so nice, practically holding our hands to take us to our destination. However, it was past closing time by about half an hour and Kevin almost got eaten by the guard dog. There’s more, but it’s one of those “you had to be there” stories.

London was perhaps my favorite city we visited. It helped that the weather was beautiful and clear the whole time we were there. I can’t really explain it, but the atmosphere of the city just felt right. We were able to visit several works, and it was so easy to get around by bus or the metro. We also took a walking tour and caught the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Our tour guide was great; he had a ton of fun stories to tell throughout the tour.

Copenhagen was TOO EXPENSIVE. Eight dollars for a coke or a fifty dollar bucket of chicken is just ridiculous. It definitely made me miss my free refills from home. However, there was a lot of great architecture there and we even got to go to the BIG office and see their working environment.

I can’t believe it’s only been a week since we got back. I feel like the trip was weeks ago. I’ll be excited when classes start wrapping up though so that I can rest and enjoy Barcelona.

its been a while since we have all posted. a lot has changed, occurred, and stayed the same here in bcn. we are all desperately working towards some sort of presentable final studio project. the other classes are weighting our efforts down as usual, but this is nothing new to the student of architecture. all of the spring breaks were a success as far as i can tell. i could spend days talking about my experience in london, edinburgh, and dublin, but i believe i'll speak about my hands.

my hands are too clean. they have seen no work for some time and its beginning to bother me. my hands are missing the woods. my hands are missing the joy of physical labor and the satisfaction gained from it. my hands have not felt dirt for too long. they are longing for a few cuts, a few bruises, and a few more scars. they miss being alone without seeing a single person. they miss home is what they miss.

i have been in barcelona for three months. at first, it was a great experience and all of the sites filled my soul. the people did not. it has been a rather pleasant stay in the big city, but a man begins to learn what it is he wants in life and where he belongs. as much as i like barcelona, i could not reside in such a busy place. i mean, damn, i cannot do anything without seeing a person. i cannot walk in the woods (untouched forest, not parc guell). i cannot have my woodshop here. i cannot sit outdoors without the site of a woman urinating or a million pigeons pooping everywhere.

i have been listening to some eddie vedder (thanks clay) and his lyrics are pretty close to how i feel. in his soundtrack to the movie "into the wild", there are many powerful songs. i knew the rules but the rules did not know me. society, you're a crazy breed. i hope you're not lonely without me. you think you have to want more than you need, until you have it all you won't be free. when you think more than you need, your thoughts begin to bleed. i think i need a bigger place.

don't get me wrong, i respect the city for all it encompasses. it is a phenomena of collaborative efforts between huge amounts of people, planners, landscape architects, engineers, and architects. it works without too many flaws, it gives the people what they need, it brings life to a place. however, it is not home to the simple man who needs the natural world to survive.

a man goes through life searching for the right answers. he wonders many place, meets many people, and risks it all for just one piece of the puzzle. one day, he will stumble upon the key to the door. the door of pure nirvana and happiness. the door will lead him to a place of complete harmony between man and surroundings. this place is his refuge, his birthplace, his home, his life.

my hands are too clean. i don't want to live where i don't belong.

This blog should have been written from Granada

I don't usually use this space to complain but i just want to say that clickair sucks and their customer service hung up on me. Also, they nearly crash with every takeoff.

Anyway, there is too much from independent travel to even think about. I went to Basel, Berlin, and Prague and they were all excellent. I suppose I could point out one of my favorite buildings. It is definitely my favorite museum of the trip, the Beyeler Foundation right outside of Basel. It is such a simple building but it works, just four long rectangular bays with high ceilings. No need for crazy random shapes which become wastes of space such as in Gehry's vitra museum. The Beyeler museum is more about the detailing. I love the way that the interior floor is flush with the pond outside. You can stand at the window and look at all the connections....or turn around and look at the art but who would want to do that. There are a lot of neat sunscreens as well.

Thank you Renzo

DUBLIN

Irish people are some of the nicest people on God's green earth. It is one of the few places in Europe I've been (the only place) where they actually like americans....wierd. You might think Dublin is lacking in the realm of architecture but you would be wrong. The Guiness museum is an incredible building designed in the style of the Chicago School of Architecture, but that's not all...Dublin is also home to one of Calatrava's famous bridges.

BERLIN

Honestly...kinda dreary. it rained the whole time we were there. So i guess i'll talk about the buildings. Sony center was incredible! The Jewish Museum was also interesting but the exterior kinda fell flat for me. It looks much better in pictures than it does in person. Berlin is full of amazing history, architecture and bratwurst (or bockwurst).

MILAN

We only spent a day and a half in Milan. It was more than enough. The Duomo is amazing and so is the surrounding shopping area but honestly....that's all there is to see. Also...Diablo hotel, probably not the best idea i've ever had in my life. The New Trade Fair building is not only difficult to find but CLOSED. It is still under construction to we could only see it from outside the fence. We arrived only a week before it opened. shucks!

PARIS

That's right....four cities....boom....roasted. Needless to say, Paris is pretty cool. We spend 3 full days there and saw EVERYTHING! we didn't stop moving the entire time. I think Paris might be my favorite city so far. Le Corbusier's Apartment building (although not easy to find) is worth seeing if you are in Paris, he's kind of a big deal. There is also this think called the Eiffel Tower, highly recommend it. 

     So...to sum it all up, im exhausted!

AMSTERDAM!...

...is a really cool place. I enjoyed our time, however short, getting to explore the famous Dutch city. One of the things that really struck me there was the bicyclists. I was aware before going there that they would definitely be numerous. I think I was warned something along the lines of "Be careful of the bicycles - people will run you over." That's definitely something we all experienced there.

However, homicide by bicycle aside - I truly am impressed by the way the Dutch utilize bicycles so much. It's really nice to see something like this. In general it's a healthy habit, but that's not just to say so for a person's body - it's healthy for the environment as it truly is carbon-neutral and it's wallet-healthy as it's the only vehicle that gets "∞ mpg" as I read on a nifty tee-shirt once.
I really hope this is a habit I can pick up when I get back to Clemson - it's refreshing, and I can certainly use a few extra bucks in my wallet!

Also, look, not all cyclists are terribly mean-spirited. How cute!:

And on a final random side note: that sushi was the bomb!

Hey wall...it's me again. 

Just got back from the Netherlands and this travel train just keeps on a moving. Next stop...Spring Break Station.  

Of course, there's a storm a coming here in Barcelona, a BIG ONE. Wednesday night is going to be rough sailing. Drawing sections till the break of dawn. 

Thursday night however, smooth sailing. We leave for Dublin, then Berlin, then Milan, and finally good ole Paris! (i hear it's nice there)

Why the sailing analogy you ask?...because all this traveling makes me feel like ODYSSEUS! Trip after trip, tale after tale, some trials and tribulations, a few heroic battles, but in the end this whole semester is going to be one big Epic Journey! A lot has been discovered so far...but even more is still unkown...where will this journey end? Only time will tell

On a more architectural note:

The architecture in Amsterdam was incredibly inspiring. The city is certainly a unique place full of impressive architectural accomplishments. I found the use of materials there to be especially interesting. I also appreciate the experimental mindset of the architecture there and the acceptance of new ideas. I think that it is this mentality that allows new ideas to arise there and actually become what the architect intended. It is an ideal work environment for a designer aspiring to do new and innovative things with his work. 

It’s been one week since we got back from Amsterdam, but it feels like we were there so long ago. I guess in a way I’m glad because I feel like our semester is winding down and I just don’t want this experience to end too soon. Being in the Netherlands was incredible, and the people were actually very friendly. The only bad part was that it was freezing and rainy, but at least the positive outweighed the negative.

My favorite part was Almere and seeing the housing on top of the commercial buildings. It felt as though you were actually at ground level when we went outside on the roof terrace to see the housing. The housing in Amsterdam was very interesting too and I enjoyed seeing how different architect’s handled the space within each lot. I have been thinking that I would like to go into residential architecture so it was really inspiring to see these different works.

Next week is independent travel and I am so excited and overwhelmed at the same time! I’ve never had to plan a whole trip by myself, and even though I’m not traveling alone its different than having travel plans with a class where everything is laid out for you. It should be interesting to see how well we can get around and hopefully we’ll get to see everything important. Especially the Eiffel Tower… in London… hahaha

the welcoming spirits and hospitable actions of the dutch were very nice interjections to the usual experience we encounter in barcelona. from the sound of english to a wave to a light for your magical herb, the people of amsterdam were very accepting of the american tourists.

the sites observed in amsterdam were just as beautiful as the people. they were genuine, aesthetically pleasing, and functional. you could tell that the inhabitants loved life and life loved them back. the architecture was sort of majestic. it possessed magnificence, but not for self-fulfillment. in many countries, it seems that architecture is to be some sort of status symbol and the more elegant and elaborate it is, the more of a pompous people you are. in amsterdam, i believe the architecture represented the love the people had for life. they built out of pleasure and as a expressive art form. i could be one hundred percent incorrect, but these are simply first impressions of the space.

as i continue the reading of human nature and existence, i am glad that i was able to enter the realm of yet another interesting body of people. my independent travels and further life travels will continue to complete the puzzle.

As we walked and biked through Amsterdam, one thing that surprised me was how much housing we stopped to look at on our tours. It was really interesting to me that they have preserved the historical district of Amsterdam and have built islands on which to put more housing. The row of houses on the first island we visited where each plot owner got to design their own house really intrigued me. The simple yet bold moves on each house made the entire row interesting and fun. I really liked seeing all of the "experimental" architecture in Amsterdam. Even though we didn't make it to Rotterdam on our free day, the Anne Frank museum was probably one of my favorite things that we saw there.



On another note, it's hard to believe that we only have 3 weeks of school left! After going skiing this weekend, I feel like each moment is valuable in Spain because who knows when I'll be back. Seeing the views at the top of the mountain was breathtaking and awesome. Getting to see other parts of Spain and experience them-what more could you ask for? I feel like time is slipping away and I don't want to waste any of it. Spring break is already here! I will be leaving at 9:45am on Saturday to go to our first city-Zurich and I can't wait to explore more of Europe!

tres semanas mas

so, with only three more weeks of class more and more thoughts have come to mind, like where the hell did this semester go to? b/c it does not seem like i've been here for this long. though the curriculum has been hellacious and the times hard, i can't say that i regret ever coming here. the learning experiences and the overall success of studio has proven to be some of the most intensive things in my life. and though i've continually forgotten to post things during the appropriate times, none of the experiences here will be forgotten and in the words of mr claiborne tucker, better late than never.

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,
So this week I got the fantastic opportunity to travel to the Netherlands. They were so beautiful. The architecture was so inspiring to me; modern and clean, historical and classical. I definitely came away from the trip with a new perspective on design. The bike ride was by far my favorite part of the trip. I loved feeling the wind in my hair as I rode the streets of the old town. Hilversum was also a treat because we got to see all of our wonderful friends from Texas A&M. I never knew I could miss them so much. It has been such a blessing to get to know all of them over the past two months. I had an interesting thought the other day: if everyone from Clemson and A&M were single, I think this trip would be MUCH more interesting. Drama, drama, drama! Hey guys, everyone should post who the couples would be! Well g2g, ttyl.
Until next week,
Matt R. Clev Clev

Amstel Dam

Gray, Gray, Gray! Everywhere we go is always cold and cloudy and usually wet...but still fun!

Last week we were in Amsterdam and toured many housing districts of the city. It wasn't until recently that the dutch laws were changed allowing individual clients and owners to hire a personal architect. The result is pictured above. It is a hodge podge, a case in which each architect was given one slim facade, an eight meter wide canvas. On the one hand, it makes for very individualistic expression, but on the other hand I wonder what is the point. Does your house need to match your limegreen car?

I am much more intrigued by what is parked across the street. (My future house) An old and out of commission tug boat renovated into a living space.

Oh the work...

So...this trip is truly amazing, BUT the amount of work that we have to do really takes away from the experience, not to mention this flu that has not gone away yet. I don't think that I have ever worked as hard as I have here, and I payed triple the money to come here. Studio is always asking us to produce more and more, even right after a review, and all our other classes do the same. It is so exhausting to try to get all your work done because you want to do well here, yet there is so much out there that we could be seeing! I think everyone envies the Texas A&M students because they are only taking 12 hours, of which studio takes up 6; whereas we have to take 18 hours!! I just always feel like I am wasting time on this trip, like instead of being in class looking at the hours and hours long PowerPoints, why can we not go out and explore more? Why can we not have a real three day weekend every weekend to go to other cities? I hate that everyone gets to visit places outside of Barcelona, and we don't. We are always doing work, night after night. The only new places I have visited this week have been with Professors Mills and Kathrin. We went walking to Monjuic and saw the Joan Miro Museum, and other parts in Monjuic, then we went with Kathrin and saw the Barcelona University Library and other parts near the port. As much as I love it here and would never want to go back, I really am very disappointed with the program, just because we have all this work. I will miss a very exciting festivity called Carnival in Sitges because I have so much do to. That upsets me so much, because this is an opportunity I will never get again.

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

We, with Professor Kathrin, made an outing to the Universitat Pompeu Fabra last Wednesday. There were many interesting spaces within the building, such as the mentioned water deposit rooftop (which turned out to be a playground for big kids, at least for us), the library, and the huge atrium space. The library had a really cool atmosphere and feeling to it, because of the varying ceiling heights, long desktop lamps, and hallways within rows of bookcases.


The large atrium space had a pretty weird feeling to it, almost like you were outside and inside at the same time. You were indoors, but the hardscape features, tall lamp posts, and natural lighting coming in from the partially exposed roof created the illusion of being outdoors. I would compare the feeling as being similar to your first day of high school. I guess it just felt so new because I've never experienced a space like that before.

DAMMIT

so, yeah on top of the countless other things we have to do in a semester abroad, this blog has become quite the thorn in my side to remember haha, but as clay tucker has been quoted to say on here, better late than never i suppose.

architecture.....

okay, so skip the architecture for now, my entire focus since my arrival here has been built upon experiences, both through archtecture and w/o architecture. It's these experiences that i find to be most influential in both what i see in spaces that surround me, and the spaces that i've become increasingly interested in designing.

tonight we went to the parade here in barcelona to celebrate the carnival in sitges that happens every year, it proved to be a success. the one thing i think i've taken from the parade, or through any "happiness" i've experienced here, is that it's all on a budget. the very first "float" in the parade delt entirely w/ bankruptcy which has become a heavier weight to bear on everyone's shoulders in the past few months, yet it's possible to experience, fun, excitement, architecture with a budget. whether that means designing on a tighter budget or designing to increase a budget, i feel that it's a powerful thought none the less. yes it's become "cool" in architecture to be LEED certified or whatever, but what i'm refering to is the simplicities in architecture that people can do on a budget, to increase the quality and performance of a building. not to be "cool" but to be smart, because it's not just us as designers that are on a budget, it's the world. it's a global problem that we are first hand designing to improve. sorry mills for my tardiness, please don't hate me, i'll probably fail your midterm monday anyway :( .....good luck fellow bloggers b/c monday's gonna....well..suck.

As we have explored the city of Barcelona, we have looked at and studied many landmarks and important buildings. While some of these seem to fit into the city better than others, I have found all of them to be important to the identity of the city. When someone sees for example the Torre Agbar or Sagrada Familia, they know immediately that it's Barcelona. When we went to the rooftop of the library to see the water deposit, we could see almost all of these landmarks on all sides. The mountain with Tibidabo is always visible to one side with the sloping land down to the sea on the other. The Torre Agbar didn't look too far away and the Olympic buildings always stand out on the coast. I think that that is one of the best parts about Barcelona; you could be lost, but there will always be something that you can see to compare your location to. Sarah and I went on a walk one day to just wander around and having no idea where we were going on side streets, ended up at Plaza Reial. And yesterday, while exploring with some friends, we took a random metro stop and got off to explore the area. We really had no idea where we were going, but we found a delicious bakery, an architecture firm, and Diagonal, helping us to find our bearings. We came upon old buildings with tiles and stucco directly next to new buildings made with glass facades. This is another favorite aspect of the city: the mixture and coherence of the Barcelona architecture that gives each street character and life.

It is these random outings that I think help me to learn more about the city. I hope to do more of it in the future because it was really fun to just explore the city more by taking random streets and alleys through the city.

perception

as we have visited various sites and works, i have tried to analyze quite thoroughly the spaces created by each. we have visited extreme architecture and simple layouts, each with its own fan base and purpose.

i think perhaps the most profound place yet visited was the water deposit at palau fabra. this place previously served as a military compound with housing and offices. it has recently been converted into the main campus of a university. the water deposit consists of a large structure with a pool on top of it. the pool was positioned on top of the structure so that gravity would provide the water pressure needed. it is a simple and ingenious solution. the supporting structure has been converted into a very unique library while the roof top pool area is a sort of plaza.

what intriqued me was the amount of enjoyment this rooftop plaza gave to our class. this was probably the most enjoyable and accepted site we have visited, yet it was the simplest. as you arrived the plaza through a winding staircase, the light from outside filtered through windows and the door at the top. you stepped out onto the roof and could see for miles. there was maybe a 10 foot strip around the pool to walk on. at the time the pool was drained so we could jump down into it. lily-pad-like structures would have otherwise granted us access from the outside of the pool to the central landing. this space contains very few elements yet was so complex in human interaction. there was the upper level surrounding the pool and the lower level of the pool itself. we all enjoyed jumping down into the pool. there was the outer edge and then the central landing area. we all ventured from one space to the other.

this place further supported a belief of mine. the most successful spaces are not radical and extremely complex designs. they are the simple spaces that human beings relate to. they are simple spaces positioned within a complex context (ie a city). humans want to feel comfortable and they dictate a space for the most part. the roof top space was simple, yet positioned in a complex city network. we determined the use and we determined the activities. we were left alone by forced, designed purposes and allowed to wonder and experience a space as we wished. the programming was set up by us and not some artificial design.

of course there are times when complex interventions may be necessary, but for the most part the complexity lies within the users, not the design. what we really need to do is to design for the user and not for some visual elegance on a piece of paper. perception is key.

No more wasting time

One thing that I regret from the time that I’ve been here is that I haven’t spent enough time getting to fully take in the city. After reading through several of my colleagues’ blog posts, I have realized that there are several events and activities that I had no idea were even occurring around me! I saw the stage set up in Plaza Reial as I walked by it on my way to studio last weekend…but unfortunately I never saw anything happening on it. Apparently there were puppet shows for children and several bands playing… somewhere else there was even some sort of drumline parade that I missed!

I know that we will have free time once classes are over to explore, (though I had planned on taking some trips to other countries during that time to take advantage of the fact that I’m already in Europe) but I don’t want to miss out on what is happening around me now. These everyday experiences of the culture are just as important as all the beautiful places we have gotten to see as a class. If that means less sleep for me because I have to work in more time to wander, well, that’s just what I’m going to have to do. Life is too short... I can't waste time.

Culture Out the Ass

Barcelona is chock-a-block full of museums. It's a very "artsy" city. The closest to our residence is the MACBA designed by Richard Meier. It's White.....big surprise. The modern art is...interesting, to say the least. However, The best part about it is that every now and then they have free exhibition opening parties. There are live bands, avant-garde art, and open bar! It makes me feel so cultured to be here.

Friendly Barcelona

The title is obviously suppose to be ironic. Since arriving here the most underused words I have heard are gracious and de nada. It is tough to go out at night without getting harassed by the strangest and otherwise most worthless people. I love this city and I love walking through it because there is never a time when I don't notice something new. I just wish that there were not so many people out on the streets ruining an otherwise amazing experience. The other day at 1 in the afternoon I saw a drunk man going to the bathroom right in the middle of placa de catalunya. I was rather sheltered from city life before I came here and I knew I would be rather overwhelmed at first, but this city seems to have more then a few problems with its street activity, especially at night. To end it on a positive note though, today I watched a man in a wheelchair get helped over a doorstop by a random stranger walking down the street. It was one of the first kind deeds I had seen since arriving here and it made me a little more optimistic that there are some nice people in this city.

I have not written in here for a week now because I really did not have anything to write about, due to the fact that we have been imprisoned in studio for seven days at least. Do not get me wrong is a cool place, I love it, but I feel like the days are just sprucing through and everything is going by so fast we are not enjoying it.

Something happened today though, it started early in the morning when we were coming back from the club(I decided to start off my weekend yesterday due to studio suppression of the past 265 hours). The club closed at three and the metro was still closed, so we were going to take taxi. Then I remembered Josh, how he wouldn't get on the metro because he was missing a big part of his day and of such beautiful place into a hole in the ground. So we walked home from the Olympic Village, I realized it was the first time, considering we have been here for a month and week that my feet touched the sand, and the second I actually took time to look at the stars.

Anyways we got back home, went to sleep, woke up for class (liza was sick) so I put on some clothes and left. I got to studio to realize that there was no one there but Kathryn, there was no way, today was my first day early to class! So I head on out and decided to go to the pharmacy try to see about the antibiotics. The guy lectured me for about fifteen minutes about how she should have finished them, and then me and Nick headed on to studio.

In studio, prof. Costa gave a lecture, which was awesome. About the early history of the city and its layers. From the Roman colony, the first expansion, the addition of the Raval to Cerda. I came to realize how la Rambla used to be one of the limits of the city, a part of the city wall. And that it is actually the main road that divides the old city, I always thought it went east to west, and today 4 weeks after being here I realized is not.

So after class, I went to the art store, and as I was walking there I decided I was just gonna go see what he was talking about. So I ended up walking for 2 hours. I walked along the main axis of the first city. I saw the city in a completely different way, from the main plaza, the cathedral, the palace, I went to Santa Catherina and the back neighborhood. This neighborhood when Kathryn talked about it, she said it was new and the market was trying to bring people into it. I had never even seen past the market. Anyways, is beautiful, is all these new apartment blocks, they are all different colors but they have the old buildings as well, sometimes they intermingle one beside the other, sometimes within them. It is definitely more local as well. I sat on a parc for a while and just drew, it felt so nice, getting away from the camera. I have taken 1006 pictures since we have been here, and today I felt like I was actually really looking at a place more than just an object.

So I guess after this long book that I just wrote what I am trying to get at is that we have been so rushed to look at stuff, to go to all these places, we don't really pay attention to how we get there or the details. We see and don't look, and we are missing the stuff that really make this city so wonderful.