5/16/2014
“Slowly, ever so slowly at first, and with many setbacks, the strength, self-confidence and reputation of the school grew. Key to that process was – and continues to be – our understanding that we can be, indeed must be, better: an understanding that every success, every advance, must be recognized as a foundation from which to strive for higher achievement.” ... (more)
5/15/2014
During most of our education in our traditional architecture studios we are in a fantasy of pure design. For the purpose of this essay I will say that in school we are merely ‘designers’ (at least more designers than architects) as we are in total control and have complete authority over the situation. We have not yet been exposed to the truth that architecture is a messy subject shaped by contingencies... (more)
5/15/2014
One of the biggest mysteries of woodworking is how to finish the final product. There is a myriad of products and processes. As architecture students in design+make, we struggled as beginner woodworkers to find the correct solution. We have spent countless hours producing solid wood tabletops from repurposed pallet wood- and they need to be able to stand the test of time to serve our client. A well-crafted piece of wood furniture can long outlast its’ maker. Shaker furniture made in the mid 1800’s in the Northeast is still available... (more)
5/14/2014
This semester Design+Make found themselves a unique partner in Restart and Evie. Restart is exploring uncharted territory. When I asked her to describe her vision of this housing project and communal design intervention Evie informed me that this project is one of the first in the country, that offers permanent housing aimed at the largest growing homeless population in its own community and for kids who are being shut out of foster care. While this is a noteworthy project, one still might wonder, ”why design?” especially under specific conditions such as government funding... (more)
Previous Posts
5/14/2014
The structure of a fifth year architecture studio at Kansas State University, College of Architecture, Planning and Design was a always a mystery to me. Now that I have experienced it, I understand what is written in the syllabus does not always come to fruition. Three out of the five studios had to switch projects due to cancellations or lack of funding. This left faculty and students grumbling about the lack of studio organization. These series of events raise a fundamental question; what is appropriate for a final masters thesis studio?... (more)