Previous Posts
Since the beginning of human race, architecture has been a very important part of history. From the rough rock cave in the mountains, to the 100-story skyscraper in the highly civilized city, architecture has bonded with people’s daily life. Since Marc-Antoine Laugier illustrated his version of The Primitive Hut[1], humans started the endless debate about the true fundamental of architecture. What is architecture for? At the beginning, architecture was for shelter and security, a place that provides protection to people in order to keep them away from the external danger, inclement weather and other hazards. ... (more)
2/17/2017
Based on the title of this blog I am sure that most, if not all, of my studio peers are laughing simply because I can probably be quoted several times throughout the two semesters asking this exact question. Most likely some will think I am just joking when I ask this, but as the semesters have rolled on it became a more common thought among quite a few of us. Mainly because walking into the fall semester we were all under the impression that we were designing and building one project and instead we are road tripping back and forth to Kansas City to take on the challenge of affordable housing. ... (more)
2/20/2017
Architecture is like a puzzle. But more challenging than the typical one where all of the pieces are predetermined to fit in a specific way to complete an image; sometimes, the pieces of an architectural problem have yet to be formed. This is why understanding the problem, so that it can be well defined, is vital to a successful end. Architecture can only begin to be the solution after the problem has been fully defined. Every piece must be considered and thoroughly investigated because leaving an element untouched can result in a new set of problems down the road. ... (more)
2/22/2017
I will not generalize this studio’s opinions into one, as someone wise once told me, “I don’t like stating your enthusiasm… I am enthusiastically enthusiastic is how that sounds.” As the Design+Make Studio Six, we are thirteen different individuals, with completely unique backgrounds. We all see this studio in our own light but I cannot help but think about how truly enthusiastic we all are every time we step on site at 7509 Pennsylvania Ave Kansas City, Missouri. The reality and fruits of our labor, throughout not just the past 6 months but these last 5 years of architecture school, have finally put a real building in front of us. ... (more)
2/26/2017
There are two common idioms that seemingly contradict each other. The first states that “the devil is in the details”. The intent of this phrase is to warn people that mistakes are most often made at the most minute levels and that such mistakes can greatly complicate the effort. Often people tend to get the broader strokes right, however, issues arise when it comes to smaller more intricate parts of whatever task or assignment is at hand – in the present case it is the design and construction of the Waldo Duplex. ... (more)
2/28/2017
There is this idea in architectural criticism that something is bad because it doesn’t fit in. [1] Why? This idea that once a solution is created for one architectural site it can then be mass multiplied is baffling. Especially in America, the place where people are encouraged to be different. We are a melting pot of culture and ideas and yet have become the blandest in the land. Architecture is an artistic expression. It causes emotions that combined with our personal experiences evoke feelings. If everything is identical does it not create a sense of blandness? The best example of this is seen in suburban areas. ... (more)
03/02/2017
