Consciousness and Architecture

Software

2011-10-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about SCI-Arc is the exposure to technology and software. For the past 5 weeks I've been here I've learned Maya, Rhino, 3Ds Max, Adobe Illustrator and Indesign. I've also been using AutoDesk and Photoshop as well.

Though I am still very new to Maya, I played around with it enough to be unafraid and I've been using it quite a bit in my design studio class. Maya, according to my Visual Studies instructor, was originally used for designing ships. It is widely used now for animation and modeling. If you spend enough time understanding the logic behind the commands, it is not that difficult to figure it out. It must be mentioned that Maya is very different from AutoCADD and Rhino. I am taking Visual Studies 1 class now and we are using Maya. I made below using Maya in my summer transfer digital design class.

I've been introduced to Rhino and everyone uses it much more than I do and I plan to polish up my Rhino skills as well. Rhino works pretty much like AutoCAD and the commands are pretty similar. Can do accurate and precise drawings unlike Maya which is great for free forming and can do pretty accurate as well.

3Ds Max is a software that my current studio professor said he uses the most. He did a quick demo that really impressed us. It seems like a good balance between Maya and Rhino. I played around with a bit and I am still not using it for any classes but I plan on using it this semester for my studio classes as well.

I think its quite important to learn different software to be able to have the freedom to use different tools when we research and experiment various design ideas. I don't think we should stop making physical models but I think its very important to try it out in a software for accuracy and precision.

Ambivalent Phenomena of Projectiology

2011-10-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

There is a great article that gives a good introduction to Projectiology that I want to share with you. This article is published in the IAC Blog.

Ambivalent Phenomena of Projectiology

by Nanci Trivellato & Wagner Alegretti

There are many types of phenomena and paranormal activities, but some of them, like regression and clairvoyance, for example, are subjective phenomena. Thus, they cannot be seen and occur inside of the person’s own microuniverse. We have previously analyzed these intimate phenomena of the consciousness, so we will concentrate on the objective, or ambivalent phenomena, which can be seen or proven. We can cite several of them. For example:

Materialization: This is a well known phenomenon in which a paranormal performs the materialization of objects which were before “non-existent,” and turns them totally visible. There are various registered cases studied on the topic of materialization. Some of the names that are better known in this field are: Rudy Schneider and Madam d’Esperance. To realize a phenomenon such as this one, the psychic should have control over a type of bioenergy called ectoplasm.

Telekinesis: Telekinesis is a phenomenon in which the person is able to move objects and transform the structure of physical things without touching them, in other words, using only the strength of its bioenergies. Diverse laboratory experiments, primarily in Russia, have been performed in order to verify this phenomenon which is today accepted. One of the best known psychics in the field of telekinesis is Uri Gueler, seen often on television, bending spoons, moving the hands on a watch, etc. Nevertheless, there have been many others who perform telekinesis which have been studied with results greater than those of Uri Gueler.

To read the full article, click here

Bioenergies: A Vital Component of Human Existence

2011-09-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time to write for the blog lately but I want to share some cool articles. These weren't written by me but they are excellent for anyone interested in learning about the consciousness (ourselves) more and related phenomena. You can find more articles like this in the IAC blog

Bioenergies: A Vital Component of Human Existence
by Sandie Gustus & Nanci Trivellato

What is bioenergy?

Bioenergy is one of many known terms used to describe the energy field that envelops every living being. A non-physical energy, it has nevertheless been identified and acknowledged throughout the ages by different cultures in different parts of the world. The yogis in India call it prana , Chinese acupuncturists know it as chi and modern day psychics refer to it as aura. Other expressions commonly used to describe this type of energy include immanent energy, subtle energy, vital energy, magnetic energy and universal energy.

Many studies have already been undertaken and others are currently in progress to better understand bioenergy (prana, chi, subtle energy). Attempts have also been made to develop instruments and other means of registering it. Kirlian photography for example, a technique that was discovered by accident in 1939, shows that when a high-voltage electric field is applied to an object placed on a photographic plate, an image of the signals emitted by the object is generated. This image is said to be a physical representation of the object's aura.

Among other experiments performed in this field, many noteworthy investigations into bioenergies have been led by the Russians. Results of their research showed that individuals can utilize their own bioenergies for self-healing or to heal another person, to move an object without touching it, or to engage in a telepathic or mental transmission of information.

Other researchers into parapsychic phenomena have concluded that this type of energy is an essential component of a whole range of occurrences such as acupressure, acupuncture, the bending of metal at will, dematerializations and rematerializations, ectoplasmy, homeopathy, poltergeist activities, teleportation and psychic surgery.

Despite some modest success in creating instruments capable of recording bioenergy (prana, chi), it remains largely too subtle to be measured with any precision by scientific equipment. The most efficient tool for this purpose is the sensitivity of the human being. Given that humans have the inherent capacity to detect and analyze the bioenergy fields (aura, energetic body, etheric double) generated by others, they are invaluable research tools in experiments of this nature.

To read the full article click here

Student Tips: Paying for school and student loans

2011-08-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

A few students who applied to SCI-Arc as transfer students, couldn't make it here even after they got accepted, because of finances. I thought of sharing some experiences that could help you organize yourself financially so you could receive a very good education.

I can't stress enough how important it is to apply to multiple schools. My friends I spoke of above were all ready to move to LA. They were looking for car movers and places to rent. Then something unexpected happened. Their student loans got rejected. If SCI-Arc was the only school they applied to, today they would be without a school. Thankfully they had applied to UF and got admitted there as well so it worked out for them.

The second thing I can't stress enough about is to have a strong application along with a very good letter of intent, an excellent portfolio and very good recommendation letters. This will increase your chances of winning a scholarship from the school. If you are eligible for academic scholarships or any scholarships for that matter, you should apply. You should aim for a scholarship that will cover most, if not all, of your tuition.

Next step would be to apply for federal aid - FAFSA. One of the most important steps in applying to college is filing your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). You will need your tax information from the previous year to file the FAFSA. All details about filing for FAFSA can be found in their website here. If you want help filing your FAFSA usually the school financial aid office can help you with this. But trust me, you can fill it on your own online, just read the instructions carefully.

Then you should apply for financial aid with your school. Usually, all schools have a set of documents they would require you to fill for financial aid. These documents can be found at the financial aid office of the school and there will be staff who can help you with this. You should talk to them and don't be afraid to ask questions until you have absolute clarity. Remember, when in doubt, and that you will be, ask for them. Financial aid applications and the process can be confusing. Take time to do it. Don't miss the deadlines because money gets allocated pretty fast.

Between federal aid and financial aid with school, you should get a combination of grants, scholarships and loans. There are various grants like Pell Grant and grants from the school that you don't have to pay back. There are loans from the federal government such as the Stafford loans and PLUS loan. Based on if you are an independent student or a dependent student, you should get a combination of these options that should cover a good chunk of your tuition and other study expenses.

I fit in the category of an independent student because I file taxes on my own and I'm married. Your financial aid from the government and the school will vary greatly upon your dependent status.

Until I started at SCI-Arc, I didn't have any student loans. But, like any private school, SCI-Arc's high tuition required me to seek loans to pay the tuition. I'm taking all the Stafford loans they are offering me and I had to take out a private loan to pay the Summer tuition.

As far as I know, there are 3 types of federal student loans. The subsidized Stafford loan, the unsubsidized Stafford loan and the PLUS loan. Click here to read more about the Stafford loans & the PLUS loans.

Private loans are a bit tricky. Usually your school can provide you a list of approved or preferred lenders. This list will usually consist of a few banks and specialized student loan providers like Sallie Mae. I went with Sallie Mae because they know the drill about student loans, that's their specialty so they know the kind of problems you face and they know how to find solutions faster. They are pretty quick in processing the loans too.

The main thing to remember about student loans is that you have a good credit score and if you have a co-signer, that they have a good credit score and a good pay stub to show to the bank. I would check with the school before applying for the loan just to make sure that your chances of getting the loan approved is pretty good.

You have also remember, you may have to chase the bank and the financial aid office to see through that the loan money gets dispensed on time. So be on top of them.

As you can see, you have to be quite organized with the whole process. Do your research. Read on line, talk to people. Be careful not to apply for too much money in loans than you actually, absolutely need. You don't want to graduate and walk out with $ 150,000 in debt and not know how to pay it off. Loan Payment calculators such as this, can help you figure out how much money you will be repaying over how long.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions :)

SCI-Arc experience: The move & week 1

2011-07-17T02:57:00.000-07:00

So I picked SCI-Arc to finish my degree. I moved to LA 19 days ago. A big change. Miami is a small place compared to LA. And moving was hectic. For about 3 weeks prior to the move was when I finally got all the info from SCI-Arc. Like I said in one of my previous posts, one of the things about SCI-Arc is that their decision making process is very slow and the wait is painfully long. But in the end it ended up being worth it. I got a very good scholarship and good financial aid. Everyone was very helpful in getting the documents processed.

To give you an idea of how I planned the move and everything, this is the time-line. (**Note: I started from week minus seven working up to week zero being the week I actually moved**)

Week -7:
Order packing kit. Think about drawing out an initial moving plan and do the math to see how much money I can spend on the move, etc. Start researching which areas in LA are good to living, read reviews, check prices, look for pet friendly places, etc. Craigslist.com & apartments.com was very helpful for this research.

Week -6:
Schedule appointments for house hunting. Start initial packing & pre-packing sorting process

Week -5:
Trip to LA for house hunting. I had short listed 16 places and actually visited 8 places. But I found a place I like the very 1st day and on the 4th day before I left I went back to this place and we put down the deposit, etc. Make sure to take checks with you for deposits.

Week-4: Looked for movers, car shipping company. Read reviews online. Check with Better Business Bureau to see if they have any complains, etc and address the issues.

Week -3: Decision from SCI-Arc, along with placement & scholarship information received. Time to pack, pack, pack

Week -2: Finalize the movers and sign contracts, etc. Pack, pack, pack!!!

Week -1: Finish packing. Ship the car & the household items

Week 0: Move

Week 1: First week in LA
Took time to adjust - the time change and all. But everything went well. Car movers were ok, household movers were splendid. (if you want references, email me)

Week2: SCI-Arc Summer transfer session started
So the first week at school has been great. I love the instructors we have. I was recommended to take only 1 class out of 4 classes by the application review committee. So my load has been pretty easy. I'm already learning Maya & Rhino. It's very exciting.

keep checking back for more updates... I promise to post more regularly...... :)

Student Tips: Picking the right school

2011-06-17T02:23:00.000-07:00

After submitting all applications and fulfilling the application requirements, then came the time for waiting.... Finally when I've heard back from all the schools I had to make a decision. I'm sharing a few things about that process.

Always apply to more than one college. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. I know a few people who applied to only one school and they got turned down/ rejected and then they have to wait a whole year to apply again.

Even if you apply to just one school and get accepted, having a few options to choose from works better because you may get more scholarships or financial aid from different schools.

You should visit the schools you are applying to. You have to see if you like the place. Also speak to an academic adviser to see if there are any classes you can or should take before you transfer into the upper division school.

Get your parents and family involved in making the decision.

Needless to say, financial aid & scholarship money play a big role in the decision.

You should research the living expenses in the city your school is at. Consider rent, food expenses, distance to school that affects the gas money, etc.

Placement: most private schools evaluate to see which studio class they are going to place you in. You should make a case to them that you don't want to repeat a class you've taken already. This will save you time and money.

Before you make definitive plans, check to see if your scholarships and financial aid from school/ federal government fills the tuition, fees, books & materials, room & board & other expenses. If it doesn't, then you may have to get private loans. Check to see if you qualify for a loan and if you would get approved.

Research the city you are moving to. It should be safe and you should like living there. Being in a new city, without family and friends, starting at 3rd yr can be really tough. So you have to be mentally prepared to handle all of these.

Last 3 yrs of the Bachelors of Architecture program can be very challenging. So make the decision carefully. After all, you are chasing your dream and you should be able to enjoy the ride...

College Review: A student perspective - University of Miami

2011-05-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

University of Miami (UM)

**Please note this review is mainly from a transfer student's perspective.

Location: Coral Gables, Miami

Degrees offered: B. Arch & M. Arch

# of Faculty: 75 full-time and part-time faculty and 7 associated faculty, collaborative associations among faculty and students are the norm. Of the 33 full-time faculty, 72% are involved in professional practice, 75% have terminal degrees in the discipline and the remaining 25% have terminal degrees in related fields, including fine art, art history or planning.

# of Students: nearly 400 students

Class size: small class sizes - around 10 students per studio

Cost: undergrad 2010/2011 Academic year

Tuition - $ 38440 / yr
Fees - $ 1214 / yr
Books & Material - $ 4000 a semester ( from my experience this is actually like $ 6000 a yr but could be more)

Click here for all price details

Financial Aid & Scholarships: Available. Click here

Application Requirements: Application to UM (Common Application), Application to School of Architecture, Application fee, 3 academic recommendation letters, Letter of intent, resume, Portfolio, Letter from the dean of student services, transcripts. Click here for detailed description of transfer applicant requirements

Deadlines: Undergrad transfer Click here , Undergrad freshman click here.

Pros: Small class sizes, professional degree, aimed at professional practicing. Very convenient and beautiful location, the real college experience, experienced professional faculty

Cons: I loved the school setting so I am going to be bias. The biggest drawback would be the high cost.

Notes: Set in beautiful Coral Gables, a wonderful and a convenient location, UM is a school that offers small class sizes and probably the best Architecture undergraduate experience in Miami. A good place to study if you are planning to become a practitioner. Make sure to meet the dean of student affairs and find out what classes they will accept and what classes you can take before you transfer there. Their staff is very, very helpful.

Thought of the day

2011-04-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

It is important to be informed so you can make up your own mind and form an opinion. Not just any opinion, an educated opinion that YOU made and not an opinion made FOR you by someone else. It is also important to be open to new possibilities. All around us we see there are infinite possibilities in life. So your opinions could change over time. It is OK. We are all evolving all the time.

College Review: A student perspective - SCI-Arc

2011-04-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm in California right now with a group from my school. We visited SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture) yesterday. After the visit, I got an idea to review a bunch of schools I've visited. So let me start with SciARC

SCI-Arc

Location: Downtown Los Angeles, California
Degrees offered: B. Arch & M. Arch
# of Faculty: 85
# of Students: 500 (50% B. Arch 50% M. Arch)
Class size: 15 - 18 students undergrad
Cost: undergrad 2010/2011 Academic year

Tuition - $ 15,125 per semester ($ 3o,250 / yr)
Fees - $ 200 ($ 400 / yr)
Books & Material - $ 4000 a semester ( from my experience this is actually like $ 6000 a yr but could be more)

Click here for all price details

Financial Aid & Scholarships: Available
Application Requirements: Application, Application fee, 3 recommendation letters, Letter of intent, resume, Portfolio, transcripts
Deadlines: Click here

Pros: Small & close knit architecture community, latest technology - equipment and software, lots of visiting lectures, All the professors are practitioners so you can land on internships and actual projects easily. Did I mention latest technology? You can bring your pets to school. They bring in the big guns to do the final thesis reviews like Thom Mayne.

Cons: Hmm... this is a tough one because I loved it there. But not everyone may like the warehouse-look of the building. It's a quarter mile long old warehouse building, nothing fancy on the outside. I would say looks definitely are deceiving - its like a nerd's dream school :) One more thing is that it's located in the warehouse district so not your fancy-neighborhood school. But most architecture students care less about stuff like these - I didn't find this a reason why I wouldn't go there. It's a private university. So it is a bit expensive. This is a bit of a draw back considering the high cost of living in LA. But it would be an investment in your future.

Notes: Like I said, I loved it. Los Angeles is full of architecture and SCI-Arc is definitely the place to be. I was there at SCI-Arc when the finals were going on, so it was intense. You can feel the intellectual intensity in the air. They have a bunch of installations inside the school and in the parking lot - made by students with faculty's help. They have a gallery with exhibits. They have their own library, supply store, print shop, workshop with industrial grade wood and metal tools, many 3D printers, etc. (Read more about the full list of resources here). They are bringing in 6 or 7 robotic arms that will be installed in May 2011. So latest technology ! You get to work with software like Rhino, Maya, 3D Max, Grasshopper and more. Very computer intensive environment. Students work hard - almost every single one I met and I like that about SCI-Arc. If you are serious about architecture, you want an experimental design experience, and a non conventional educational institute then you should check them out.

Student Tips - How to write a letter of intent

2011-03-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Blogger has a very useful tool that shows me what keywords people are searching for and other useful statistics. So I saw someone searched how to write a letter of intent and I thought what a great idea, let me write about that !!

Writing doesn't come naturally to me but I am somewhat articulate in my verbal communication. So I'm using that strong trait and I'm writing as if I'm speaking. Writing this blog definitely helped me get comfortable with the whole idea of writing. I sometimes have my husband or my friends read over and give me feedback so I'm becoming more and more confident on my style. I suggest everyone take up at least writing a journal so you get used to expressing yourself well.

Getting back to the point, a letter of intent (or a statement of purpose) is something most schools require you to do as a part of the application documentation. They want to hear what you have to say, why are you studying what you are studying, what makes you unique and what should they take you.

When SciARC visited our school in February, they said don't be afraid to show who you really are; it's better to go on the bragging side. Show why and how you are unique. One of the most common "cheesy" reasons student give as what got them into architecture was playing with Lego as a kid and SciARC said, stay away from that.

I had trouble writing down all the accomplishments without sounding like bragging. I like to be modest and that totally felt wrong. So one day I got an inspiration to write it from the third person's perspective - meaning referring to myself as she and her. In the end, I produced a pretty cool letter of intent. Some people felt it was a bit flamboyant - some loved it. Most importantly, I found a way to express everything i wanted to say and who I am in a single piece of paper and I love how it came out.

The thing about writing is, from the little bit I know, you have to find your own voice. I guess this is true about many things. We, as architecture students, constantly look to find our own unique style. Creativity has a lot to do with the unique language / voice / style.

Take time to write the letter of intent. Don't try to wing it or come out with it in 2 hours. Some people naturally have this ability - but I think most architects do not. So ponder on what you want to say (you can't tell your entire life story in it) and how you want to say it.

Here's a link on some general tips: http://www.ehow.com/about_5068239_letter-intent-college.html

Good luck..!!!

Student tips - What is a good resume & why is it important to have a good resume?

2011-03-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

A resume shows who you are at a glance to a potential school or an employer. A resume is useful not only when you are applying to schools or for a job but also you need a resume when you apply for scholarships, awards, when you want to submit an article to a journal, if you want to have a book published, if you want to get an interview with the media or simply to impress an important contact.

A resume should capture your qualifications, your strengths and your character. It should display your skills, your abilities and should give an idea of the person who you are. I have realized over the years that resume formats differ from country to country. So you may want to do a search on the web or buy a resume writing book to pick the best format you like.

At the top of your resume, basic information such as your name and your contact information should be listed. When you put your email, make sure to put a formal or a professional email address. I have seen some people have email addresses like lovebug@email.com**, etc. While this may seem funny, it doesn't reflect professionalism. In my opinion its always better to give an impression of professionalism and maturity and then expose the fun / funky side of you at the interview, etc.

If you are applying to a school, for a scholarship, award or anything academic:

Make sure to include your educational qualifications, starting from the most recent at the very top.
List your work experience, even the part time jobs - mention the post / title, duration you were employed there, duties performed (short and sweet), and how many hours you put in a week, if part time.
List all your awards, recognitions, honors you have received in and out of school.
If you have done any community work, make sure to list them too
List your skills, interests
Since you are an architecture student, add some graphic work to it to impress the reader. Don't over crowd it, don't make the graphic standout more than content itself. But make it "you".

Good luck on putting together a fantastic resume !!

** Fictional email address. Did not intend to make fun of anyone and used just as an example.

Student tips - College applications & Design Portfolio

2011-02-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

I spoke about selecting the right college in a previous post. Find out which schools are the best architecture schools in the USA in 2011 here.

The next step I went through was to apply for colleges. Some things to bare in mind:

1) Submitting the application well ahead without waiting till the last minute. Some schools require an essay. Make sure you have someone else proof read it and revise before submitting.

2) Ask for recommendation letters wayyyy ahead. I would say, at least 2 - 3 months before the deadline. When asking for a recommendation letter:

first politely mention to the professor that you are thinking about asking for a recommendation letter from him / her and if they can write one? Most of the time, almost of them will say yes.
Then make sure to print out the recommendation letter format from the school, fill in your information
Make sure to waive your rights to access the letter of recommendation. This will give the professor more confidence in saying the truthful academic and other assessments about you. Also this shows you trust them.
Give the signed & filled format, along with an addressed envelope (or a label) and a stamp to the professor you are requesting the letter of recommendation.
These should be with the professor at least 1 - 1.5 months ahead of the deadline.

3) Submit transcript requests at least 3 weeks before the deadline. Some schools do overnight electronic transcript transmission but some schools only do it the old fashioned way.

4) Make a nice resume. Sometimes you can submit it with the application. If not, submit it along with your supporting documents.

5) Most important part of an Architecture student's application is the portfolio. Portfolio requirements from school to school differs. However, there are certain guidelines one should follow. Here are some the general guidelines + some tips to create an excellent portfolio.

Take a portfolio making / presentations class if you must. Polish up your graphic design skills much ahead of time.
Start working on the portfolio months ahead
Document your work - take photographs of your models, scan your drawings. make a database of your work. From experience I found out, no matter how many photos you think you may have, you will find yourself wishing for that specific shot from a specific angle. So take many, many photos from different angles, different light settings, different distances. Keep your models as safe as possible at least until you have a great portfolio. Take high resolution photos.
When scanning drawings, make sure to scan them at a 300dpi or higher resolution.
Make it personal. Add a lot of your personal work. Add sketches and anything that will make you stand out - in a positive way - among the other applicants.
Show process of how you arrived at a final design. The best way to do this is to show progression using a combination of sketches, drawings, process models, graphics, etc.
One of the comments I got when a professor from SciARC reviewed my portfolio is that they want to see details. So put photos of different scales of your models, photos that show details.
Most schools don't want you to spend a lot of time/money on fancy covers and packaging. Keep it simple, professional and original.
Have a strong letter of intent or a statement of purpose. One of my professors always say that we architects are no great readers or writers. So always have someone else proof read.
Depending on your choice, you could also include your resume in the portfolio.
Personal work - you can add photography, travel, artwork, poetry and anything that shows that you have additional skills you bring in to help succeed in your career.
Some schools give a limit of how many pages they want you to submit in your portfolio. When they don't, its ok to call them up or better yet go and visit the school and ask how many pages they think is OK to have in the portfolio. Most schools will say, bring everything you have and more the merrier. So include all your work - as much as possible.
Make sure you leave enough time to get it from the printer and have it checked. You will see small details that need to be adjusted. Show the portfolio to your design and or presentations professor before printing. Show the portfolio to at least 3 professors / professionals before turning the final version into the school. The portfolio - most of the time - decided if you get into the school and if you get any scholarship money. Put your best effort into it.

6) Supplemental documents - Some schools require extra paperwork other than the above list. For example, University of Miami won't even open the file until they have received the form from the dean of student services. Make sure to check with the schools you are applying to. Ask them for a checklist.

7) Financial Aid - again, different schools have different requirements but all schools will require you to fill the FAFSA. Ask your schools for their FAFSA Codes, take your Tax documents and file the FAFSA as soon as possible.

8) Scholarships - Most schools have some scholarship opportunities for both 1st year (Freshman) students and transfer students. Be sure to check with the respective financial aid offices / scholarship offices in the schools you are applying to. Put your name down for scholarships. Don't be shy to ask for the money that is available out there. Every year so much money in scholarships go unused.

I'm still in the process of applying to schools myself. So I will keep you posted about the many exciting opportunities and challenges up ahead.

Exhibit: Atelier - An Education of an Architect

2011-01-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

My design professor Mario Ortega put together an exhibit with student work that opens tomorrow at the Coral Gables Museum. Student work from Design studios 1 - 4 will be on display.

If you are in the area please come by the museum. I have some of my studio work there as well...

Education in Architecture

2011-01-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

It is that time of the year when lower division architecture students start applying to upper division schools for transferring out.

Finding the correct school can be challenging and time consuming, also many factors should be considered while doing so.

Some schools such as the one I am in right now, has 2 year lower division programs. They offer an Associate in arts or architecture degrees. Then there are 5 year schools. They have both lower and upper division programs. They typically offer B. Arch degrees that are accredited by the NAAB (To find an accredited program click here) . Then there are 4 yr architecture schools that offer Bachelors in Science or Arts of technology degrees. These are not accredited meaning you will not be able to get your Architecture license registration with this degree but with an accredited Masters degree for additional 2 years you will be able to solve this problem. If you are in a 2 yr degree program like me, then you have to search for an upper division school to complete the rest of your education.

The most important factor as I see it, when trying to decide which school I want to go to, is to find out what is it that I want to do with my career - what are my professional goals, where do I plan to end up in 15 yrs?

In my case I want to pursue a career in design research. I do want to be a practicing architect but I also want to be an educator and I think I will be able to continue my research work at an academic background better. One thing about knowing what to do is accepting the fact that what you think what needs to be done changes over time. My idea of what I must do with my life has evolved, but I the basic idea still remains since I was 16. So I am open to the idea that this idea of what I want to do with my career will evolve and transform as I go along.

Once you have the answer to this question, it would be wise to look at programs that suits your career goals - a program that is likely to support you achieving your goals. Of course, the majority of the responsibility is in the student's hands. It is up to the student to work hard and take themselves there. Even though the school you attend may play only a small role in your career, things such as the direction of the program and the focus of the program could be important in giving you the exposure you need to get to where you want. For example, if the school you pick has a program that focuses on historical architecture and you want to study experimental design research, that school may not be the right fit for your career choice. So do a bit of research, look at student work and see if you would like what the school does.

Then I would consider the other factors such as location, tuition fees and scholarship opportunities. Some cities are a lot more expensive than the others. Some colleges offer full scholarships to deserving students. In state colleges are cheaper than the out of state colleges in some occasions. Some private universities have scholarship opportunities that is not known much.

Often architecture is perceived as just designing a beautiful building. This has been my experience with my friends and family who cannot be blamed for thinking as such because even most people who go into studying Architecture start out this way. I must confess, even though I knew to a certain degree my architecture education will involve addressing issues like structural stability and addressing various issues in the environment, until I started taking design studios I didn't know how much critical thinking, design intellect, how much communication skills, how much patience and maturity will be required of me to become an architect. I now know the profession requires me to be a scientist, a philosopher, a designer, a critic, a team worker, show leadership, be innovative. I am glad I picked this profession. But there is a long way to go for me to become an Architect. The next step is for me to find that right school.

Interview with Dr. Pim van Lommel - Consciousness Beyond Life

2010-11-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

Excellent interview for consciousness researchers out there....

Student Tips: Working with chemicals (Glues & Paints) for model making

2010-10-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

There are various types of glues and paints out there in the market. You will have to use these and other materials that have chemicals in them at one point or another during your architecture student career.

During my first studio class, I noticed I started developing bad reactions to glues such as Loctite, Zap-a-gap, EZ bond, Super Glue, Crazy Glue, Weldon, etc. I tried the liquid glues, the gel types and I tried wearing a mask & goggles but I was showing signs of allergies to these chemicals. I think the chemical that I react badly towards mostly is Cyanoacrylate. Over the past 3 semesters it has gotten worse and now I can't even go near an open container of glue for a few seconds. I also realized, the hard way, that my body reacts the same way for certain types of spray paint and last time I ended up at the doctor's office having to take an adrenaline shot and Asthma medication.

If you are like me and can't use these materials anymore, don't give up Architecture just yet. I would like to share some work-around methods I've figured out that might help you as well.

Use natural rubber based glues with wood and paper: there are so many brands out there in the market such as Tacky Glue, Sobo, Elmer's, etc. They work well with wooden elements and paper material such as museum board, chip board, etc. They do take slightly longer to dry than gel based chemical glues (maybe 1 - 2 minutes max). But it does the trick.

Cut grooves & make joints: When using even small wooden elements, you can cut small grooves or make small joints so it gives extra strength to the bonds you make with the rubber glue. Some of the types of joints I do are: Butt Joints, Lap Joints

Plexi glass: Plexi glass is hard to use. Cutting it is difficult, scoring it is difficult, handling it is difficult. The last thing you want is restriction with the types of glues you can work with. This is the biggest challenge I am facing right now with not being able to use chemical bonding glues. I have come up with 2 solutions for this. I use linear elements to secure the plexi glass. One of the methods is to drill small holes at the corners or identified places and use wooden linear element running through the plexi that will be glued to the main structure. The other method is to frame the plexi with linear elements. I am also going to try a new glue I found that doesn't have that chemical, I will use it later tonight or tomorrow for the first time and I will keep you posted about that.

Use a painter's mask, goggles and gloves: Don't use a surgical mask, take my word for it, it doesn't stop giving you the allergies. You can buy a painter's mask at any Home Depot or similar store.

Good luck and I will share with you if I have any new info about these....

Retrocognitions - Interview with Wagner Alegretti

2010-09-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

I found this video on YouTube. It is an interview with Wagner Alegretti, the author of the book Retrocognitions: An investigation into memories of past lives and the periods between lives.

The video is in Portuguese but you can see English subtitles.

If you are interested in watching the whole video, click here

Student Tips - Understanding Architectural Principles

2010-08-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Understanding fundamental principles in architecture helped me when I started my design classes. It helped me work on a concept and design based on the concept that I selected.

Some of the important elements I got started with and still working on today are:

Symmetry
Axis
Proportion
Modular
Scale
Golden Section
Hierarchy
Limits, Boundaries & Edges
Path
Transition
Transformation
Order & Organization
Epicenter

One of the best books that I referenced to understand these concepts were Francis DK Ching's Architecture: Form, Space & Order. If you are an architecture student, I would highly recommend for your personal library.

On the internet you can find many valuable resources too. I found this article on Vitruvius's Fundamentals of Architecture.

My design professor keeps urging how important it is to work on a concept and design based on that. Also that we should able to present and justify why we decided to design a certain element in a specific way and why it is in alignment with our concept.

Student Tips - Architectural Drawing

2010-08-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

Most schools, if not all, will start their students with manual architectural drawings before moving on to computer based applications.

According to many experienced architects, free hand sketching is vital at any stage of an architects career. Since I have been drawing since I was in my teens, I found it quite enjoyable to start sketching again and I know most students in my classes carry multiple sketchbooks with them and sketch whenever they can. This is a good habit to get into early on....

Another thing that our professors have us practice is to make various drawings of constructs (Models) we make and make analytical drawings. These exercises were not quite enjoyable in the beginning but I have come to appreciate the analytical drawings a lot.

There are various types of architectural drawings. I found this article in Wikipedia that describe each type in detail. The main type of drawings one will do at the very beginning stage of their architectural career as a student are these:

Image from Wikipedia Gallery

One of the other most important type of drawing a student must try to understand and excel at are perspective drawings. Perspective drawings interpret apparent dimensions into a flat surface using a mathematical system.

There are a few types of perspective drawings:

Single-Point Perspective - Lines extending from all objects in the drawing converge back to one single vanishing point in the horizon.

Single point Perspective drawing - (c) utdallas.edu gallery

Two-Point Perspective - There are 2 vanishing points at the horizon. Lines originating at these 2 points define the depth and spaces in the drawing.

Two-point Perspective drawing - from utdallas.edu gallery

There are also multipoint perspectives such as 3 point perspectives. I have not done any drawings with 3 point perspectives yet.

There are a bunch of videos in YouTube on how to draw perspectives. I like this one a lot...

Study Abroad Trip: Part 4 - Turkey

2010-06-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

Day 9: Turkey

Turkey, to my surprise, was a lush, well cultured, rich and beautiful country that I would have never imagined I would be so taken by everything they had to offer. I was so fascinated and felt a very deep connection to the areas we visited, I made a mental note that this is a place I would want to visit and spend at least 2 weeks exploring the place.

We first visited the ancient Ephesus area. Most notably known for the Library of Celcus, the entire ancient city, in ruins today, spreads over a very large area. I would say, this city must have been one of the leading modern cities of its time; it had an amphitheater, hospital, advanced and complex waste water & portable water system, it had public bath houses, public toilet systems, it had a LIBRARY !!!, market place and of course housing.

Ephesus, Turkey - Images (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

If visiting the ruins weren't enough, we had the opportunity to enjoy the local culture and hospitality a bit. One of the things I will not forget about Turkey was how nice all locals were. They are extremely friendly and courteous.

Then we made our way to Church of St. John the Apostle. It is quite amazing how after all these years since his time, a church with the final resting place of St. John the apostle is still intact.

St. John's ChImages (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

We had an opportunity to visit a Carpet Weaving school of Turkey Ministry of Education. It was a beautiful experience. If you want to buy a Genuine Turkish Carpet, we heard this is one of the cheapest places you can find one.

Carpet Weaving School, Turkey - Images (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

I have always admired the beautiful hand-woven rugs but never had the desire to make one mine. After visiting this place, I now can't wait till the day I can own a hand woven Turkish rug.

We then went to visit house of Mary, the place where Mary - mother of Jesus, spent her last days. A small charming chapel does not have a burial chamber for this is not her last resting place but they still have sermons for the tourists and the Christian Minority to take part in. I have never sat through an entire mass service and a sermon before and I had the privilege to do so here. Though I am not a Christian or Catholic, I appreciated the experiences.

House of Mary - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

I hope I get to visit Turkey in the near future and spend more time there.

Study Abroad Trip: Part 3 - Greece: Athens & Rhodes

2010-06-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Day 7: Athens, Greece

We weren't certain if we would actually get to visit Athens. It was only the day before our scheduled arrival, Greece had massive strikes and violence in Athens due to the failing economy. The port workers were also on strike so even if the cruise line said everything would be resolved by the time we were scheduled to arrive there, I was still skeptical. But thankfully, I was wrong and the strike ended at 6am and we birth the port at 9am.

Athens is a very interesting city. One of the oldest cities in the world, due to population growth and urbanization, the city has been pushed to its limits. For a European city its quite dirty but, then again it is one of the oldest mega cities in the world.

But it is still worth visiting Athens because there are only handful of places that can beat that experience.

The Acropolis: Athens, Greece - Images (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

Athens is one of those places everyone should try to visit at least once in their lifetime.

Panoramic Athens - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

The other highlight of Athens was visiting the New Acropolis Museum. Photographs of inside of the museum were not allowed so I don't have any images to share with you. But this amazing structure by Bernard Tschumi is one of the most elegant, thought provoking architectural masterpieces I have visited this life.

It is pretty cool how the structure is build on an actual architectural dig, without destroying or blocking the site. You can still see the excavations happening below the museum. And through the glass floors of each floor, as you browse through the exhibits, you can observe the excavation from different angles.

The New Acropolis Museum - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

The Entrance to the New Acropolis Museum - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

The archeological dig underneath the New Acropolis Museum - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

The New Acropolis Museum - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

Day 8: Rhodes, Greece

This charming Greek Island played an important role in the ancient Greece. Rhodes, famous for Colossus of Rhodes has two main things one must explore. The old city, which is the city built in the ancient Greek days with the acropolis of Rhodes and the new city or the medieval city built by the Knights Templar.

The old city / The Acropolis of Rhodes - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

The Medieval City, Rhodes, Greece - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

Both days, I wish I had more time to see and to explore the cities and enjoy the beauty and the craftsmanship of these ancient creations.

Study Abroad trip : Part 2 - Naples: Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius

2010-06-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Day 5:

After a day of relaxing on the ship, we arrived at Naples. Our first destination was Mt. Vesuvius. After quite a drive, we arrived at the vicinity of the mountain. Our tour guide provided by the Cruise liner, a native to the region informed us about the local culture, history of Mt. Vesuvius and about the current political, economical and environmental status of the region.

Mt. Vesuvius probably is one of the most famous volcanoes of our history, everyone knows about the massive eruption that buried Pompeii in 79 AD. It was not difficult to notice how the local flora & fauna changed as we approached the volcano.

Travel tip: An advantage of going on the cruise was that the entrance fee to the places we were going were already included (except for in Egypt) and we didn't have to wait in line to get the tickets

Climbing a volcano has been in my bucket list for the longest time and I was more than pleased I got to do it. It was one of the biggest highlights of my trip. It certainly did help that I was working out prior to the trip because climbing a volcano was no easy task. The first 5 minutes into the hike uphill, I nearly gave up. I was tired and my legs nearly gave up. Then I realized, the body takes a bit time to adjust to the high altitude, plus, here I am in front of a volcano and I have been wanting to do this for a long time, so buckle up Manori. I also realized, this is about as close I could get to intense and pure geo-energy so absorb all I can. All my buddies had already passed me but I stopped. I took a few deep breaths and started absorbing the energy through my feet. In less than 5 minutes I was feeling very energized, I felt like I was energizer bunny :). So I started climbing the mountain again, this time at a steady pace - not too fast and not too slow.

Climbing up Mt Vesuvius, Italy - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

When we started climbing, it was quite warm. But when we were close to the summit, it cooled down rapidly. You could see the surrounding towns in the horizon and fast approaching clouds seem lower than where we were. It was breath taking.

A view from Mt Vesuvius, Italy - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

We reached the summit and it was the coolest thing ever! The crater was deep but the very bottom of it could be seen from the fenced mouth of the crater. Around the rim, there was steamy smoke coming out in some places. There weren't any vegetation growth inside of the crater. You can walk almost all around the crater and enjoy the view from many angles.

The crate & smoky rim - Mt Vesuvius, Italy - Images (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

At the very top, you can find a small souvenir shop. I bought a small sculpture of a ladybird or a lady bug as Americans call it, carved out of volcanic rock to remember being there - not that I would forget the experience anytime soon.

Me at the Souvenir shop, altitude 1167 mtrs - Mt Vesuvius, Italy - Image (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

While we were enjoying the summit, the clouds rolled in covering the entire area in a foggy blanket. We could hardly see 50 ft ahead of us. It got chilly and We had to soon start our descend.

Travel tip: Don't spend a lot at the souvenir shop on top of Mt. Vesuvius. You can buy the same stuff for much cheaper in Pompeii.
We made our way back to the guided tour bus and started heading towards Pompeii. Our tour guide, the sweetest lady ever, first took us to a small tourist shopping area. In these shops, we found many wonderful things. I have a habit of buying souvenir magnets from places I go to and put them on our fridge. I learnt it from my sister-in-law. Among the many wonderful stuff we came across were the many curious sculptures of erected male genitalia. Inquiring after this (because it was extremely funny) we found there was a famous temple of fertility in ancient Pompeii and a male penis was the symbol of the fertility god.. how curious !!!

Travel tip: Bargain with the shop owners. They usually tell a very high price if they know you are American. Have lots of change so you can give exact change amount for the price you bargained.
At the entrance to the ancient city of Pompeii, we were all given our entrance tickets and a map by our tour guide. One thing you will notice as you enter this place is the number of stray dogs roaming about. According to our guide, the legend says that these dogs were souls of those who were victims of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Highlights of Pompeii:
There is the school of gladiators, Gladiators houses, the paved roads, The amphitheater, Ancient "restaurants", Water fountains, the brothel, the houses the temples & the museum with the petrified people. Remarkable amount of structures are in extremely good condition, preserved as they were buried under layers of volcanic ash, pumice and lava. (Difference between lava & magma read this article) The city was completely destroyed in 79 AD, forgotten for around 1600 years and rediscovered during late 16th century.

Ancient Pompeii, Italy - Images (c) Manori Sumanasinghe 2010

The architecture is amazing, the site is beautiful. Some of the paintings and tile work are still well preserved. Pompeii is a place that is worth visiting at least once in a life time....

Study Abroad trip : Part 1 - Rome

2010-06-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Day 1:

We arrived in Rome on the 15th of May. It was around 10 am and it was rainy and cold, the latter was quite unusual for May in Rome I hear. Tired from a long journey across the Atlantic, 18 of us huddled into the bus that was provided by Royal Caribbean. A friendly guide greeted us and informed us about the agenda and we made our way to the hotel where we stayed for the next 3 nights.

Then we made our first mistake. Instead of resting and grabbing bite, anxious to see the city, we set off to the train station soon after we checked into the hotel. Later we realized we should have just rested that day so that all of us could have enjoyed Rome in a more calm and relaxed manner.

Travel tip # 1: No matter how anxious you are to see the city, have a proper meal, take a shower and at least a short nap before you venture out into the city so that you won't be tired for days to follow. Jet lag won't go away just because you want it to...!!

Travel tip # 2: Buy a Roma pass. This is good for 3 days unlimited travel in the Rome Metro AND you get entrance to 2 or 3 monuments for free. We went to the Colosseum and the Forum with the free pass.

In the rain, we took the train and then walked to the Vatican - St. Peters' square. It was packed, there were long lines and it was cold. Realizing we should visit the Vatican on a sunny day, and arrive there early in the morning, we took off by foot to see the Pantheon.

Travel Tip # 3: It maybe the summer but make sure to take at least one thick sweeter and buy yourself a nice umbrella if it looks like it is going to rain. And take a pair of comfortable, water-proof shoes. You are going to walking a lot and you don't want to be cold.

On our way to the Pantheon, we stopped at Piazza Navona briefly. Made a mental note that we should visit here again, should time permit, to see the full glory on a sunnier day.

Then we headed on to the mighty Pantheon. Just as magnificent as we all have heard, it is an amazing, huge structure. Large columns, and thick walls towering above all the other structures near by, it was truly an amazing site. I had first heard about the Pantheon in history lessons years ago, it instantly went in to my bucket list and I was so glad I was standing right there, on this rainy-gloomy-cold-day, looking at this amazing building constructed over 2000 years ago. We couldn't go in just yet because of the mass that was taking place inside.

The Pantheon was initially built as a temple for all gods by Marcus Agrippa and then was rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian during 126 AD. In the early 7th century, it was gifted to the pope who converted it to a Catholic Church as you will witness it today.

Our instructor, Prof. Mario Ortega from Miami-Dade college who organized this study abroad trip, noted how on a sunny day one could see the 20ft Oculus at the center of the dome-shaped roof lights up the entire interior of the Pantheon and how we should probably come by here again when the weather conditions have improved.

Then we made our way to the Trevi fountain. Again, like many sculptures and art pieces you find in Rome, this took my breath away. Much larger than I had pictured and more beautiful and detail oriented than I could have ever imagined, the Trevi fountain is a true work of art that I didn't want to leave there.

Day 2

We started the day by visiting the famous Colosseum. If you use the Roma pass, you don't have to wait in a long line for hours to get in. No words can explain how amazing it is to be inside there. To realize you are standing on a structure that was built over 2,000 years ago and to imagine how it was built without the aid of modern technology we take for grated ,can make the hair stand at the back of your neck. I don't approve of how they used the place for brutal means of entertainment but it is an amazing theater.

Romans are known for their Arches. Here at the Colosseum, you can see arches are used to add aesthetic beauty and structural stability.

The baring walls are wide closer to the foundation of the Colosseum, you will feel how minuscule a person is, comparatively.

There is a permanent exhibit at the Colosseum and that is not to be missed as well.

40,000 - 50,000 spectators were said to have filled the Colosseum during operational times in the Roman Empire.

Then we headed towards the Roman Forum.

The Roman forum, during the golden days of the Roman empire, housed the senate and the most important civic buildings. At this site, there are ruins of hundreds of ancient buildings. This is, by far, my favorite place in Rome. I was enchanted with the Forum. A strong sense of "this is where democracy, as we know it, shaped" took over me. There is a feeling of a deep connection that I still can't shake off - a month after I have been there. I am still, truly amazed.

On our way back, we stopped by at the Vittorio Emanuel memorial and as I got the opportunity to visit there again later in the trip, i will write about that later.

Day 3

We took of early in the morning to the Vatican. It was a bright sunny day with mild temperatures and it was perfect. The line to enter the Vatican is long but it moves fast and entrance is free. However, you can only go inside the St. Peter's Basilica and you have to wait on another line to enter the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel. Entrance to the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum is not free and the lines to enter is miles long.

Travel tip # 4: For about 5 - 10 Euros more (around 35 Euros total) , you can join a guided tour and you get priority entrance to all 3 places. You can stay with the tour guide if you prefer but from our experience, they talk a lot and don't spend enough time looking at the art and architecture. So we took off on our own sometime into the tour once inside the museum.

Do stop and take time to see the art and architecture. Some of the world's best art pieces were acquired (not always very ethically) by the Vatican and are preserved there. The architecture of the building itself should not be ignored.

There is so much art & architecture at this museum than I could have possibly documented and than I could post here. But do not miss the opportunity if you ever go there, take time and walk through, just allow yourself to be surrounded by some of the best artworks on earth.

The museum lead us to the Sistine Chapel. Inside the Sistine Chapel, photography is not allowed. The ceilings pf the Sistine are covered with Michaelangelo's famous frescos. You can also find Rafael's, Bernini's & Botticelli's frescos as well.

From there we proceeded to the Papal Catacombs. If you were expecting to see something similar to the catacombs of Paris, behold ! You are in for a surprise. It is more like a fancy underground burial chamber than a normal catacomb. Again, pictures are not allowed so I don't have any pictures to share with you but if you are in the Vatican, please do take time to visit there.

From here we made our way to the St. Peter's Basilica. One thing NOT TO MISS here is the "Pieta". That was a major check in my bucket list, I have been dreaming of seeing Michaelangelo's Pieta & David ever since my first Art history lesson way back in early 90's. I have yet to see David but I sure plan to one day.

The Basilica is full of art & sculpture. I have to apologize to my readers but I will not post many images from there simply because there are so many and it is difficult to pick.

From the Vatican, we headed back to the Pantheon to see the bright sunlight coming through the Oculus and light up the interior. Any picture cannot justify how it looks and feels inside the Pantheon. Truly breathtaking.

From there we headed the Spanish Steps, one last stop before heading back to the hotel.

Day 4

The day that we embarked on the Cruise... !!

Await more posts with our journeys in the Mediterranean....

Back from my trip

2010-06-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

I returned from my 17-day Mediterranean and Egypt trip last Monday. Unfortunately I caught when I returned and I am finally recovering.

I was hoping I would have access to the Internet much more than I did during the entire trip. Sadly I did not but I did the next best thing, making notes on a journal. So during the next few days I will try to upload these notes & pictures and share one of the best experiences I have had in my life so far.

On that note, a few recommendations on traveling as an Architecture students or otherwise.

I realized taking a cruise in a cruise liner is the best way to see the world. I am not sure if it is the cheapest but it sure is the easiest and the safest. You will come to see why when I upload the above mentioned notes
Try traveling in a a group. Not only it is fun but it is also the safest.
If you are a student, take part in at least one study abroad program. If you are in Miami-Dade area you can check with the program I did. I will post more info about that..

I checked-off a few of my bucket list in this trip:

Rome (Everything about Rome) - Check
The Parthenon in Athens - Check
Climb a Volcano : Mt. Vesuvius - Check
Great Pyramids of Giza - Check

Await more pictures and info.....

Why is there something as opposed to nothing?

2010-06-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Is there something?

As Descartes would have said, "I think, therefore I am." We look around and we see mater and we measure energy.

Was there ever a time where there was nothing? If so, "something" would have had to come out of "nothing". Since this is not logically possible, we can assume that - since there is something today and it could not have come out of nothing - there has always been something.

So, we have two possibilities: Either, there has always been something, or there has never been anything. There could not have been a scenario where there was nothing because you and I, we, are here and we are something. Hence, there must have always been something.

Thus the question "Why" is irrelevant because something had always existed. Why has always something existed?, because you can't make something out of nothing. In fact, why comes from the fact that we exist and we can formulate "why." So, while we cannot make something out of nothing, we can take what is and has always been and make it better - for us and for each other.

- excerpt from a discussion with my nerdy husband on a lovely Friday night

Upcoming trip

2010-05-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a study abroad trip with our school. We will be leaving in 2 days and I am excited beyond words.

We will be first visiting Italy - Rome, Naples, Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius, Sicily. Then we will be going to Greece - Athens, Rhodes. The to Turkey - Ephesus and finally to Egypt - to Alexandria & Cairo.

I have always wanted to visit these places and it was perfect when the school announced it, I jumped at it.

So await more posts with details & pictures from the Mediterranian & Egypt. :)

Evidence for life before and after lives

2010-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Interesting series of videos

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

This is an interview with Dr. Jim Tucker, University of Virginia:

Life Purpose

2010-03-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Since I was a kid, I've always had this profound sense that there must be something more to life than just doing a great job, having a family and wealth. A sense that I must be here to do something beyond just my own interest. Of course ,I took the wrong paths a few times, tried to immitate others and then realized I must find my own unique path and my own unique goals.

Some of the techniques that worked for me were:

Trying to understand what I deeply cared about, what I valued and what I really liked
Trying to know my skills
Use these skills to find what I cared about, valued and really liked

One of the important things I learned over the years was that things change, I change, my likes and dislikes change and my goals change. I needed to build up and improve the techniques further. Also never stop looking for what needs to be done.

During this quest, I fortunately came across a few very good tools. A few years back I came across Anthony Robin's book "Awaken the Giant Within" and saw some of his books. There were some very good pointers into figuring out your potential and fulfilling your potential. I had taken the CDP course at the IAC previously and wanted to take their Advanced program on self knowledge. It filled in some more of the gaps in this big puzzle I was trying to put together.

Last weekend, one of the best lectures I've heard on the topic happened here in Miami. Wagner Alegretti from Portugal gave an 8 hr lecture of "Identifying your Existential Program". He introduced the concept of Existential Program, which is an integral term for life purpose or life mission; how assistance is an essential part of it; how we have an obligation to ourselves, our families and friends, to the community and to the bigger world. He also introduced some techniques and asked questions that we could ask ourselves in order go deep into this topic.

It is important to stop and think about what kind of life do I want? Then think about what kind of a life do I have now? The idea is to figure out how to match these two but also to go beyond.

We have to understand the concept of Karma. Using this knowledge we can begin to address the obligations starting with ourselves, our families and friends and to the community.

We can start with a comprehensive analysis of ourselves and identify what are the talents, strengths, strong qualities and abilities we posses. We should also identify what are the characteristics of ourselves that are weaknesses, less than admirable and/or than needs to be improved.

Ask important questions from ourselves continuously to keep a tab of the direction we are heading; also, ask yourself from time to time if you die today will you be happy about the life you spent?

One more aspect to consider when trying to figure out our existential program is the need in a particular place we live or the people we live around with. It makes sense to use your talents and skills in an area to help people where help is needed the most.

One of the effective techniques you can use is one more year of life technique. Chasing daylight is a related book you can read that can inspire you. The Journal of Conscientiology volume 10, # 40 reviews this book in comparison to this technique.

Be aware, you will not instantaneously know every detail of the whole journey you have to take and everything about what you have to do with life. Every single step of the way, you will find a new piece of the puzzle that will lead you closer to the goal.

Knowing what we want in life, what we have to do and the direction we must take is quite crucial. This enables us to have a satisfying life and complete the goals to move on to the next level in our evolution.

PS: Recommendation - Dr. Vieira's Existential Program manual is a book to read if you are willing to dive deep into this topic.

TV interview :)

2010-03-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

We did an interview on our school TV station on Consciousness & Architecture. Hope you enjoy it.

Model making material tips for students - Part 3

2010-02-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Plexi 101:

You can by Plexi glass or acrylic sheets at Utretch or Pearl or art supplies stores.. For thicker plexi glass - anything ticker than 1/4 inche, go to Homedepot. If the model / construct is of a very small scale, don't buy very thick ones because they are harder to cut through. And don't buy acetate paper, that doesn't serve the same purpose as Plexi glass.

Scoring (I hope this is the way to spell it)
Scoring is to draw a delicate line on the plexi using a cutting knife. Don't score deep or it will break. Do a matrix scoring so it follows the concept of you model. And make sure to use 3 plexi panels together always, to create encolsed spaces. Do not use plexi as windows. And continuity of the score lines through out all 3 panels was something prof mentioned yesterday as well.

Cutting plexi
You can use a plexi cutter, box cutter or your xato knife for this. Score deep a few times and fold gently at the score line. This will give a clean cut.

Frosting Plexi
Plexi glass planels as it is will be called Transparent elements. If you want to make then translucent (Semi-transparent) you can frost the plexi. You can do one of the 2 things...

Use Glass frosting spray found at the art store or
Use a soft sand paper and sand on both sides to give a nice soft but even frosty look.

Gluing Plexi
You will see once you start using that working with plexi is more difficult than working with other materials we have used so far. You have to use a tiny-tiny bit of glue, the TOXIC glue that is, and glue it in one shot. If you wobble it or move it, it could potentially leave ugly glue marks. And if you have glue allergies like me, good luck... I am still in search of a glue that will bond plexi but will not make me sick.

How to integrate plexi into your model?
Use your Dremel and make 4 tiny holes at the 4 corners or the panel. Slide tiny linear element pieces through the holes. And paste them on to the linear elements or panels near where the plexi planel is supposed to go. (I was going to put an image here but I can't find the cable for my camera. If I find it, I will upload a picture later today)

*Disclaimer - Above info is not the only way in which one make your model. And this is only from my personal experience. So don't hold me to it if it doesn't quite work out :). Try out on a few small pieces before you move into the actual model pieces.

Model making material tips for students - Part 2

2010-02-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

These are some of the basic materials used for model making in D 1 & 2 stages and some tips how to use them.

Wood:

Bass wood is better than Balsa wood. Balsa wood tends to warp and distort when it absorbs humidity and exposed to sunlight. Make a library of various linear (Sticks) and planer elements (Wider sticks). Use Xato knif to cut these. Available in different widths/thicknesses and sizes. Can find at art supply stores and lumber stores for thicker planes or pieces.

Chipboard:

Use Xato knif to cut these. Models don't end up looking as nice as when made with wood or museum board. Available in different thicknesses - 1 ply, 2 ply, etc.

Museum Board

Museum boards are available in different colors. White and Grey particularly look clean when a model is complete. Available in different thicknesses - 1 ply, 2 ply, etc.

Plexi Glass

See plexi 1o1 tutorial.

Glues

This is a tricky thing. You want a glue that will give a clean finish, doesn't leave glue marks & not messy, that will not take too long to dry and if you have sensitivities to certain fumes like me, you want to find a glue that will not give allergies.

For Wood - Tacky Glue, Elmer Glue, TiteBond II, or any other Commercial wood Glue

For Chip Board & Museum Board - These get dirty fast and you need to wash your hand periodically when working with these material. Otherwise you will leave nasty finger prints all over the panels. Tacky Glue or Elmer Glue works for these

For Plexiglass and Acetates - Glues with Cyanoacrylate - Loctite, Zap-a-gap, EZBond

There are many other variety of materials out there in the market. But this should get you started.

Model making material tips for students - Part 1

2010-02-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Some of the things you need to get started;-

Sketch Book

Xacto Knife & Refill blades - Trick is to use sharp blades, always. This will give a nice sharp cut and you will less likely to get injured. Believe it or not, blunt blades are known to cause more injuries than the sharp once due to slipping.

Image from : http://lemurking.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/xacto.jpg

Self Healing Cutting Mat

Image from : http://salestores.com/stores/images/images_747/GBM3648.jpg

Non-slip metal ruler - Has a cork or foam stripe on the reverse side to stop slipping.

Image from : http://www.custom-wholesale.co.uk/upload/upimg1/Printable-Centimeter-Ruler-9041.jpg

Mechanical Pencils - 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm & 0.9mm

T - Square

Image from : http://www.drawger.com/show.php?show_id=32&image_id=981

T Rulers - You can use this to prevent injuries when cutting Wood, Plexi and boards

Image from: http://www.cngoldmonkey.com/images/pro/2009112511716.jpg

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

2010-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

Vizcaya Museum and Garden is another important landmark in Miami. Located almost bordering downtown, this beautiful garden and its museum are magnificent. One simply does not expect to find such an amazing garden in a metropolitan area like this. The entrance is only a few blocks away from the highway but once you enter the property you no longer feel that you were just on a highway 2 minutes ago.

** Tip- Students can gain entrance to Vizcaya at a discounted rate of $ 10 by showing the student ID. Trust me, you are going to appreciate what you see for the money you pay.

I started the tour by viewing the main house. Constructed in the early 1900's was the winter residence of James Deering from 1916 up until his time of death in 1925. Destroyed during a hurricane in 1926, it was restored in 1933 - 1934. Later Deering's heirs sold the house and the garden to Dade County below market value to be turned into a public museum. It opened to the public in 1953.

Originally Vizcaya was 180 acres, but after Deering's death and presumable subsequent trouble with finances led the majority of the land to be sold for real estate development. In 1955, the county bought back some of the land from the village and integrated it back to the Garden and the Museum. When you are at the museum, you can find the maps and pictures from the original estate.

The main house is still in very beautiful condition. Credit should be given to those who worked on the restorations all these years. Most of the original fixtures and almost all original furniture are still on display at the museum. Photography is not allowed inside the main house. I am not at all surprised about this considering how old all the wall paintings, furniture, ornaments and rugs, etc. are. It reminds me of a small palace or a European villa.

There were 3 designers involved in the construction of the house and the garden. Paul Chalfin supervised the project as the Artistic coordinator. The Architect for the house and other buildings was F. Burral Hoffman and Diego Suarez was the landscape architect. Together they created one of the most treasured architectural masterpieces in Miami.

Science Museum, Universe and possibilities

2010-01-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

As a part of the local attractions we were taking my parents to, we visited the Science Museum of Miami. It is more fun for Children I would say but we, the young at heart (heheh), much enjoyed the trip as well.

There were a few shows particularly educative and fun for the kids like the Lazer planetarium show and the Science or Magic show. I love planetariums because the universe is always inspirational. The Planetarium in Miami is no match to the Planetarium in New York yet it triggers the same inspirations and emotions.

I can't help but to wonder a few times a week what is out there. All those millions and billions of stars, potential "suns" that have solar systems just like ours. They must be having at least a handful of "live" planets with intelligent beings. We can't be the only ones out here alone. I wonder, what kinds of languages must exist in this universe, what kind of species are out there, what do they do?

One way to find out is to have an exoprojection. An exoprojection is an Out-of-Body Experience that takes place in out space, beyond the atmosphere of our earth. There are many recorded accounts of these experiences; among the most notable are books by Dr. Waldo Vieira, Robert Monroe, Robert Crookall, and Ernesto Bozzano. I found this article written by Wagner Alegretti on Exoprojections in the IAC Website.

I would love to have an exoprojection and visit another world. It would be quite amazing to be able to see and learn about life outside of our little blue planet and how they do things. Imagine, if we can see if they have superior technology that can help us help people better here on earth, that would be just fantastic. I would love to learn about architecture outside of earth... exoarchitecture - not as in computers but exoarchitecture as in architecture outside of our planet. That would be a pretty cool thing to study...

Coral Castle - Miami, FL

2010-01-04T16:22:00.001-08:00

Happy 2010! I am hoping this year would bring new challenges and that everyone would find strength to face them successfully.

Also, Thank you for visiting my blog last year and continuing to visit.... I'm really enjoying this....

On the 2nd of January, we visited one of the local attractions here in Miami - the Coral Castle. Latvian American Edward Leedskalnin built it all by himself. Built entirely out of stone, there are a couple of megaliths and many beautiful stone furniture. The history of the Coral Castle is as interesting as the things you find there...

There are megaliths, polaris telescope, water well, fountain and a sun dial. If you are in Miami, I would recommend you to take a trip to the Coral Castle and I am sure you would enjoy it....

Last week's trip to NYC

2009-12-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Thursday 17th of December

So we visited the glorious Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is the 6th or the 7th time I've visited there during the past two and a half years. Its just an amazing place. I love going there, each time. There are new things to see each time I go there and never get tired of looking at paintings, sculptures and various artifacts.

We spent a lot of time in the Egyptian section this visit. Over 4000 years old, its amazing how they must have created all those amazing structures. For a long time it was speculated that huge armies of slaves built the pyramids and the great temples. Archeologists and experts now say these workers who built these great structures were skilled craftsmen who voluntarily worked at these sites. Looking at the artifacts at the MET, I am not surprised if all the workers who built them are skilled and trained craftsmen.

Then we went over to the Greek and Roman Section. Its almost retrocognetive...

Friday 18th of December

On Friday we visited the Rockefeller center observation deck. The panoramic view of New York city is quite amazing.

One of these days I should try and figure out how to make a panoramic pictures....

Then I showed the Times Square to my parents.

We walked to the Grand Central from there, my favorite building in New York. I have an entire post about Grand Central - read it here.

Saturday 19th of December

We visited the American Museum of Natural History & Hayden planetarium on Saturday. If you are a student, don't forget to get your student rate. Also the IMAX space show and the Hyden planetarium are a must see...!!

I'm back

2009-12-23T21:24:00.001-08:00

Sorry I didn't post for a while... again!!! My final exams are finally over and my parents finally arrived in the US for the first time. So its time to sit back and blog again... :)

While I was in NYC last week with my parents I watched 2 randomly selected movies that had an alien back-theme, which now looking back is a kind of a coincidence... because we visited the AMNH and the Planetarium also. It was a good cosmic dose ;) .... The movie "Contact" had such a wonderful concept to it, it was amazing. if you haven't watched it already, I would highly recommend it to you. There was an awesome line there, here it is;-
Young Ellie: Dad, do you think there's people on other planets?
Ted Arroway: I don't know, Sparks. But I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space.

That is such a cool line. Its something to think about.... We could potentially be surrounded by hundreds and thousands of other planets that has life on them, and they could be of all different shapes and sizes. They could have total different everything that we can't even imagine of them...

Think of all the possibilities ...!! What if there are consciousnesses out there who can inhabit machines? And what are defined as machines in these places? (Strictly speaking we are also using a very organic machine)... Ahhh !! the endless possibilities....

I was thinking about all the movies that came out this year with stories that has Aliens in them. Its so cool because it will be so natural for all the kids who are growing up now to know about existence of life forms outside of our little earth.

I used to get so excited thinking about the universe when I was a kid and at 29, I still get as excited as much and I'm glad. Since I can't afford to go to space yet and I don't think I will be an astronaut like I wanted to be when I was 15, I have to settle in for seeing the movies and stuff... better yet, an Exoprojection: an out of body experience where a person travels to outer space...!!

Happy Holidays and catch you around soon....

Back in Lisbon

2009-11-14T23:24:00.000-08:00

We are back in Lisbon after visiting the campus. It was such a lovely experience to be there. Taking the labs and seeing everyone from around the world, you just can't compare the feeling to anything ...

We had one more day to do touristy stuff before we head back to US and we decided to make the best of it. We head back to square Rossio. There is an observation deck that you can visit near the square and you can see the skyline of the entire city. You have to take this beautiful old-style elevator to get to the deck. (Tip - If you buy an entire day pass for 4.50 Euros, you can use the train & the bus as much as you want. There was a bonus, we found out that we can gain entrance to the elevator using the same pass, for Free !!! )

The elevator itself was quite charming. It was built in Gothic style architecture, complimenting what you are about to see when you go up the elevator.

Once we finished admiring the skyline, we decided to see what is at this level in the city. There is a small bridge from the elevator connecting to a higher elevation of the city. There were some ruins of what seem to be an ancient Gothic Cathedral or something like that and we decided to explore that. I must say, that was one of the best decisions I made during this trip.

It was a structure that built in 1389 and was destroyed during the earthquake in Lisbon on the 1st of November 1755. Church of Carmo Covent was then turned into a museum and it houses all the remaining original pieces of the building and other artifacts from the monasteries of the era. The building is massive, one can see where the ceilings must have been looking up at the ruins of the vaults. Its a very tall building, typical of traditional Gothic architecture. Beautiful pointed arches and elaborate, decorated columns are just breath taking...

The indoor display section also house many, many beautiful artifacts.

I have so many more pictures and so much to tell but I want to tell about the other places I went to so I would stop about the Church of Carmo Covent for now. But I would highly recommend for you to take time to visit this place.

Our next stop was to be the Castle you can see across from the Church / Museum. So we walked back to Square Russio. We didn't take the elevator, instead we walked through beautiful narrow roads of Lisbon. Its amazing how narrow the streets are but how people drive cars in both direction and still manage not to knock the pedestrians down.

Back at the Square, it was packed with people. We immediately knew all these people were tourists from Bosnia who were there to see the Portugal vs Bosnia Soccer match. It was like a sea of people wearing Blue and Yellow clothing, drinking beer, singing (I assume) were Bosnian songs. It was quite entertaining actually.

Then we head off to the Castle. You can get entrance to the Castle of S. Jorge for 5.oo Euros if you are a student and I think around 15.00 Euros for others. By the time we arrived there, I was pretty tired so I didn't look around much for the history but I found some details in the internet later. You can read more about the castle here.

We decided to walk down the hill instead of taking the bus down back to Sq. Rossio. On the way back we saw the most oddly shaped, majestic Gothic Church - Church of Santa Maria Maior.

Don't be fooled and think this is just a beautiful Gothic cathedral. Once you finish seeing the beautiful church, buy a ticket and go to the Archeological dig... You will be just fascinated - I was! This cathedral was built on ruins from 1st and 4th century A.D !!! Archeologists have dug up Roman streets, steps and stores; also Islamic and medieval structures. There are parts of structures from 14th & 18th Century as well. ....!! It was interesting, all that history in one place and to feel the energy from all these different times.....

Church of Santa Maria Maior is a must see if you are in Lisbon.!!!

We are leaving Lisbon tomorrow. I'm sad. It's a beautiful city. And I haven't even seen a fraction of it's beauty. But I will be back again, hopefully next year. Until then ... Adeus Querida Lisboa..!!

COP15 video

2009-11-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

IAC decided to submit an entry to a competition that took small videos about Environment and Climate issues that is related to the Copenhagen summit in December. So we got to work and got our hands dirty.....

IAC being a truly international organization we decided to have volunteers from different countries talk about our responsibilities to our environment in their native languages. It was also appropriate to produce this video at the campus because conservation and sustainability is a big part of the facility.

The video came out pretty cool. Check it out here .

Here is the transcript in case you don't understand all the languages :D

The International Academy of Consciousness is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization dedicated to consciousness research and education. We have taught in 40 cities around the world, from L.A. to Tokyo, but we are making an appeal to you today from our Campus in the Alentejo region in southern Portugal: let us work together to raise awareness on climate change!

We study what is popularly known as human essence, atman, ego, spirit, or intelligence principle – that which we all are. Our scientific research into extraordinary experiences such as near-death and out-of-body experiences has led us to a new, non-mechanistic paradigm. Rather than seeing ourselves and all living beings as things or machines, we discover that consciousness and life extend beyond the physical dimension and common senses. Our experience shows us that this kind of paradigm shift leads to many positive changes, including greater ecological awareness.

We present IAC’s Phytoenergy Laboratory. It is designed to facilitate the connection between individuals and nature, through the perception of bioenergy. Bioenergy has been part of cultures throughout history and around the world. It is also known as chi, qi, prana, axe, vital energy and dozens of other terms. In the US, for instance, the National Institutes of Healths are researching it as the biofield.

In this laboratory, people are able to perceive their subtle energy field as well as that of the trees and so on. This helps us realize a greater communion with nature and our School of Spiritual Evolution called Earth.

The Projectarium is the world’s first laboratory specifically designed to facilitate the projection of the consciousness, also known as out-of-body experience or OBE. The OBE and allied phenomena can be used to extend scientific investigation beyond the normal physical senses. Similarly, the IAC trains individuals to achieve OBE’s as a way discover that they are more than the physical body through personal experience.

Research shows that people have near-death and out-of-body experiences tend to become more fraternal and universalist with a greater sense of stewartship for the Earth.

Faced with the realization that our life can have real purpose, that our thoughts and energy have a real impact, and that we survive death and will likely return to Earth in future life times, we inevitably have a keep ecological awareness. This is reflected in our sustainable construction and living practices at the IAC Campus.

Our buildings have been constructed with the highest thermal efficiency. All laboratories, including our tree-top laboratory, have been constructed without damaging the local flora. We have an active OASIS Project, which aims to enhance the local flora and fauna at the IAC Campus, which is one of the few no-hunting zones in the area. The campus has an ongoing taxonomy project that catalogs the thousands of species of the ecosystem.

Besides our conservation practices, we are developing a rain water reclamation system to help us deal with the increasing drought in this already arid region. Climate change has a direct impact in the sustainability of this facility and the entire region.

We will continue to promote multidimensional self-awareness and building our campus in a sustainable way…

Raise your voice... raise your awareness on climate change!

… A healthy Earth is vital for the evolution and survival of humankind. !

That's me right at the very end of the video, speaking in Sinhalese... :)

Projectarium

2009-11-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

It’s 11:45 am; sunny autumn day at the beautiful IAC campus in Evoramonte. I am going to use the Projectarium for the first time and try and have an out-of-body experience (OBE).

The Projectarium is a full spherical structure at the center of the campus. It’s the only projectarium in the world and it’s a laboratory built specifically to experiment with OBEs.

There is a platform extending to the center of the sphere (Like Cerebro in X men) and has a bed at the end with All white bed linen. Temperature and lighting is controlled in the lab. Light is emitting from underneath the platform and I believe the AC / heather is also underneath the platform hidden from the researcher’s view. The Tempurpedic bed can be adjusted to elevate the head & legs at the desired position of the researcher.

Image Credit : IAC

Some myths about OBEs:

1. That you need to take a drug to induce an OBE.

2. If you go out of your body that you will not go back in again.

3. Someone else will posses your body if you project your consciousness and you will not be able to enter.

4. Only selected ones can project and have experiences

Scientfic research and thousands of reported spontaneous cases have reported these are not true. Personal experiences suggest that when you think about your physical body while you are projected that you immediately come back. The silver cord acts as a natural, personalized connection that responds to the physical environmental changes and prevents the psychosoma from completely disconnecting from the physical body. This disconnection happens only once in our life time, that is during out actual desoma or death of the body.

What did I do at the lab?

I have 10 minutes for preparation before the lab session. I selected a technique that I will apply to have an OBE and I selected a goal that I will try to achieve or reach during this projection. Then I set the timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes and lay down on the bed. I adjusted the bed elevations, put small cessions under my elbows and knees and put a light blanket over me so I don’t get cold during the experiment.

Then I thought about my goals and make a mental note of all sensations I felt. I applied a relaxation technique to become calm, serene and focused. Then I started circulation of energy from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet and back up. Gradually I intensified the amount of energy that was moving and increased the speed. I tried to achieve a vibrational state but I was not able to. Once I stopped, I thought about my goal again and started applying the technique.

I was feeling calmer and focused than usual. There is the Annual General Meeting going on at the campus and I came to the lab in the middle of the meeting so I was expecting to be much more anxious but, surprisingly I was calmer than usual.

After the first attempt, I was able to only project my hand. But through out the entire time, I was able to feel energetic movement around me and my psychosoma. I felt my psychosoma nearly fully projected from my soma. There were certain points in time I felt very curious sensations in parts of my body. During the second attempt I was able to partially disconnect from my body momentarily.

After the set time, the timer when off and I connected with the physical body. I felt very calm and I felt energized. I gathered my thoughts and thought about what to document about the experience.

It is important to document the procedure and everything involving the experiment. For this purpose projectors usually keep a pen and paper on the side of the bed. Some prefer personal voice recorders or a laptop.

To learn more about Techniques to project, preparation and setting projective goals, you can read selected chapters from Projectiology by Dr. Waldo Vieira. To read accounts of various types of projections you can check out Projections of the consciousness also written by Dr. Vieira. Robert Monroe has written a few books about OBEs as well.

Estremoz

2009-11-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

It's the 9th of November and we arrived at the IAC campus for our Annual General Meeting. We took a bus from Lisbon and it was nice smooth bus ride. (The bus station in Libson has the best cafeteria ever !!)

The bus took us to Estremoz, a small town close to the campus. With a population of around 2000 people its a charming little town you would absolutely fall in love with. We called in for a taxi once we arrived there so we can go to the campus. While we waited, I started checking around the local architecture. The building that is used as the bus station is an old unused train-stop, has truly impressive traditional tile work. I was fascinated with the intricacy of the artwork and the details...

On the way to the campus, we saw a real marble quarry. I wish I had time to stop by and go there but unfortunately I couldn't. I surely will cover this next time but if you are in the area, check it out.

After the first day of the meeting, we went back to Estremoz and checked into a small hotel. Cafe Alentejano is a cute little family run place that was quite affordable. A double room was 35 Euros a night, breakfast included. Cool thing about this place was that they have a cafeteria in the first floor where local old folks hang about all the time, the second floor is a restaurant and take it from a person who loves food, THEY ARE GOOD !!! The third floor are rooms. They only have a very few room and the rooms are small but clean and adequate. You will find fresh bed linen, a TV, heat / Air conditioning and a clean bath room that gets cleaned everyday.

You will notice how even the smallest places have beautiful marble flooring and fixtures. I was so taken back and I thought this was just wonderful.........

Oceanarium

2009-11-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

Its the 8th of November and we set out to explore Lisbon again.

Did I mention that you have to go with a map and dictionary or you will be lost? Well, we kept getting lost like zillion times but accidentally bumped into this mosque. It reminds me of the Great Mosque at Samarra in Iraq.

We eventually arrived at the Nation's park, which was the 1998 Expo ground . If you ever visit Lisbon you must visit this place, especially the Oceanarium. It's just breathtaking! From the location to architecture to the beautiful creatures themselves, it is just amazing.

At the entrance is a gigantic sculpture made out of recycled material (I think its crushed soda cans) in the shape of an ancient sea monster that is hanging from the ceiling.

Before you catch your breath, you will notice something odd about the backdrop of this sculpture. True to Portuguese architecture, the architects have used white and blue patterned tiles. Up close it seems all random.... and then you step back !! Lo-and-behold, it is a beautiful mural, a mosaic of sort, of fish !! Modern way of using a traditional art form, very clever indeed.

I haven't been to all that many aquariums but this was nothing like I've ever seen before. It was truly amazing.. Giant tanks and fish of all sizes and varieties, it was mesmerizing.

The photos don't do justice to the true beauty of this experience so, I highly recommend you to swing by the Oceanarium when you are in Lisbon the next time.

And don't forget to take the cable car trip when you come out of the Oceanarium. You will love the skyline of the Nation's park and Lisbon....!!

While you are there, enjoy the modern Lisbon architecture...

From Lisbon

2009-11-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Lisbon on Friday, 6^th November. We spent some quality time with our 2 nieces. It must have been amusing to watch the two kids and myself trying to communicate with each other. They don’t speak English and I don’t speak Portuguese… :)

On Saturday, we visited a ship from the 19^th century D. Fernando II e Gloria. It’s a permanent display after restoration at the trasportation hub at Cacilhas by the Tagus river (Portuguese name of the river is Tejo). It was not even one of the biggest ships from that time. Its just amazing……!!

** For more pictures of the ship click here

We took the ferry and crossed the river and went to the center of Lisbon. I must warn you, pick a travel guide book and a dictionary. Nelson is native Portuguese but we kept getting lost because different people gave different directions. We eventually arrived at the city center but all the trouble of getting lost and getting wet caught up in the rain was all worth it.

We started at Rossio Square. There are 2 amazing large fountains and a huge monument at the center of the square. All the structures around the square and the square itself dates back a few hundred years.

Square Rossio, Lisbon

Every building has such amazing architecture and details its just breathtaking. The contrast to what we are used to here in the USA from what you find in your average European city is just amazing. Very Elaborate doorways / entrances to buildings made out of not just in any-old material but marble ...people ! Real beautiful Marble !!!! Narrow streets with hand-laid asymmetrical tiles and patterns, magnificent arches ..... I can just go on!! Its just so BEAUTIFUL !!!!

Entrance to a transportation hub

The other wonderful thing is the little cafés you find everywhere on little, little streets. And the food is marvelous no matter where you go. Ahh the Olives, chocolates and wines... Can't get enough of all of the wonderful stuff in Lisbon.

Lovely Lisbon street. This one is wider than most..

Stay tuned to read about Portugal, Architecture, IAC Campus and more.....

Rebirth and pastlife recall - A Halloween note

2009-10-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween...!!

An interesting thought came to my mind while I was thinking about the whole spooky-night frenzy. Is there any use of knowing who we were in our past lives and knowing what we did?

My Buddhist upbringing is not the only reason why I understood that there is existential seriality, or in plain English - continuation of the consciousness from one life to another. When I was a child, I was taught there is rebirth; that I had a life before and I will have a life after this one. For the most of my childhood through early twenties, I believed there is life before and after death. Then, in my mid twenties I realized that I can't just go on blindly believing something and need to have proof myself; that it will no longer be just a belief but it is something I know and understand. So I sat down and started analyzing the facts.

Though I was born to an average Sri Lankan family, I had quite a few different characteristics in me that set me apart from the rest of my family. I was not your typical, obedient Sri Lankan girl who will do exactly and as only as the parents say. I had a lot to say about a lot of things, all the time. I was the rebel. No one in my entire family had ever traveled outside of the country before (except for one of my aunt's husband before he was married); no one had the flare for speaking English; silly things like love for olives and olive oil. No one was very artistic in my family and I was a relatively accomplished artist with 2 solo exhibits under my belt by the time I was 22. And I was pretty much a self-taught artist (I must give credit to those few artists in SL who were kind enough to share a few tips with me). These were subtle hints that I did not inherit nor acquire these qualities and characteristics through my family or the environment that I was brought up in.

When I came to the US for the first time at 16, I felt that I'was finally home. I made friends with a guy I had such a strong bond with that felt I must have know this person before. Today, I have a group of friends that I am so close to and we share the strongest connection, I can only describe our relationships as we know each other from lives before. These reasons strongly pointed toward the existence of life before this life.

Then at the IAC educational center, I tried out a few techniques to have out-of-body experiences. That sealed the deal. I now know life exists beyond the human body and I have first hand experience to back my assumption.

There is extensive research done by Brazilian doctor Waldo Vieira, M.D. on OBEs. His books Projections of the Consciousness, a diary of various experiences he had with OBEs and Projectiology, a large book very meticulously documenting everything about and around the phenomena are a must-read. They are great because Dr. Vieira has managed to scientifically analyze the information about the phenomena at great depth, it really helped me question my beliefs about rebirth and seriality and separate facts from instill beliefs.

Anyway, getting back to the original question, is there any use of knowing who we were in our past lives and knowing what we did?

One can argue, what is the use of knowing if I was Cleopatra some lifetimes ago? Or what if I was a peasant? What if I was a reckless soldier who had taken many lives of others? Isn't this knowledge only going to make me feel really good briefly or make me feel really horrible?

Lets stop and think about some of the advantages. What if I can find out who I was and what I did in a past life? What if I am able to link some traits I have in this life that are similar to some traits of the past? I can now use this knowledge to work on my weak traits and to strengthen my strong traits. What if I had started some task in a past life that I could not complete before death and now I have the opportunity to see it to completion? What if I had done a lot of good things in my life before, and knowing that I am in a better condition to do even more and use that as extra motivation? And if I did not have a very productive, accomplished life before and realizing that I can't do the same thing again in this life and I must try harder and do much, much better?

There are four brilliant researchers who have published books on the topic of rebirth and retrocognitions, or past-life recall.

University of Virginia's Ian Stevenson's Twenty cases suggestive of reincarnation
University of Virginia's Jim Tucker's Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives
Brian Wiess's Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives
Wagner Algretti's Retrocognitions: An investigation into memories of past lives and the periods between lives

Its a good place to start if you are interested in learning more about these topics.....

Grand Central Building - NYC

2009-10-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

The paper I have to submit for my History 1 class reminded me of a paper I did for one of my other classes back in 2008. So I dug it up and here it is.......

-----------------------------------------------

Manori Sumanasinghe

Spring 2008 - NYCCT

Italian Renaissance Art And Architecture – Prof. C. Santore

Architecture across time:

A Modern Structure reflecting Classical and Renaissance Architecture

Throughout the history, artists and Architects have looked in to the works of our ancestors and learnt from their examples. When Artists and Architects during the Italian Renaissance turned to classical Greek and Roman art and architecture to learn about structures, not only they created art work reflecting characteristics of classical art and architecture, they also raised the standards for definition of perfection in an artwork. Modern day artists still look into Classical and Renaissance architecture and Grand Central building in Manhattan, New York built in late 19^th Century is an example of this trend.

One of the main characteristics of Classical and Renaissance architecture is the Monumental nature of the structures. The exterior and the interior of Grand central building is very monumental. This can be seen with the larger sculptures, large columns on the outside of the building, very high ceilings and the large windows and doorways. Also as in many classical & Renaissance structures, the Grand Central building uses Marbles on walls & Floors. (It can be assumed that the walls are Marble clad unlike the classical structures, Constructing with Marble in modern times would be relatively expensive than constructing with Cement.)

Picture 1.1

Picture 1.2

The entablature on the exterior of the building, the Doric style columns, the intricate sculptures and Metopes are characteristics of classical architecture.

Picture 1.3

Picture 1.4

Picture 1.5

The main concourse is a large, beautiful, open room with a very high barrel vault ceiling. The celestial and zodiac designs adorning the green background of the ceiling can remind the viewer of Greek mythology which has been the subject of many artworks from the classical and renaissance era.

Picture 2.1

Picture 2.2

The large windows in the main concourse resemble the windows of a church or a cathedral or a roman basilica. The window openings in the ceiling also reminds of the window openings of a nave in a roman basilica.

Picture 2.3

Picture 2.4

The grand stair cases on either ends of the main concourse bare similarities to those from the renaissance period.

Picture 2.5

Picture 2.6

The acoustic room at the lower level dining concourse has a very interesting ceiling in the shape of a sail vault (picture 3.1 & 3.2). Renaissance architect Brunelleschi used sail vaults in his designs and structures.

Picture 3.1

Picture 3.2

There are many arches that can be found throughout the building adorned with simple yet elegant keystones, Voussoirs and imposts. These arches are elliptical arches or three centered arches.

Picture 4.1

Picture 4.2

Ceiling details at the lower level (picture 5.1) resembles the details of an interior of a renaissance building.

Picture 5.1

Though volutes were made with marble and stone during the classical and renaissance period at the Grand central building these volutes are made out of steel as can be seen in picture 6.1.

Picture 6.1

Grand Central building serves as a transportation hub, a tourist destination and a commercial location with offices, apartments, shopping centers and dining. Like many classical and renaissance structures we see today, this building is a public building and used by the general public. It attracts tourists and marvels its users. The architecture of the building leaves an impression on the minds of its admirers as the classical structures continuous to do so in our minds.

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Credits:
Image 1.1
http://newyorkcitysites.blogspot.com/2006/04/grand-central-station.html
Image 1.2
http://www.top-things-to-do.com/united-states/new-york-city/what-to-do-in-nyc.html
Image 1.3
http://www.ronsaari.com/stockImages/nyc/grandCentralStationDetail.jpg
Image 2.1
http://www.visitingdc.com/new-york/grand-central-station-address.asp
Image 3.1
http://localoaf.org/index.php?paged=2&s=ken

All other images by (C) Manori Sumanasinghe, 2008

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Some of my first few models

2009-10-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

These are some of the first few models & drawings I made for my design 1 class...

http://picasaweb.google.com/manori.sumanasinghe/ArchitecturalDesign1Album1#

They are very linear right now and I wonder when we will shift towards more organic shapes. I am not a big fan of corners, for me they symbolize the limitations we create for ourselves.

I wonder.....
.... What if the shape of the space we occupy predispose us to think in a limited way?
.... Is there a connection between the subtle energies within a given space to the shape of this space?
.... If there is a connection, how do we incorporate this knowledge into our design?

Visit to Portugal and other news

2009-10-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

My husband Nelson and I are going to visit the IAC Campus in Portugal in 2 weeks time and I'm really looking forward to that. The campus itself has very unique architecture. There are two dome-shaped laboratories named Cosmoconscientiarium and Immobilitarium. There is also one spherical laboratory designed specifically to research out-of-body experiences called the Projectarium and a laboratory that looks like an expensive tree house called Phytoenergy Lab there. I have never taken any lab sessions there before but this visit I managed to get bookings to do self experimentation.

The area where the campus is located is historically very significant. So we plan to visit the archeological sites, Castles, Roman ruins and aqueducts in Evora area. If we have time we will cross the boarder over to Spain to see some places too. Back in Lisbon, we will go to see the museums and castles. Nelson's brother-in-law is an archeologist so hopefully we will have our own family archeology expert guiding us around.

On other news, Nelson wrote a chapter in a book which got published recently. Its available in Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com now... (Click image to read more about this book)

He also gave an interview to a blog recently, click here to read it.

We got interviewed on MDC TV Architecture forum recently about Consciousness and Architecture. I don't know when it will be aired yet but when I have the video, I will try to publish it here.

Architecture in Miami

2009-10-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

One of the assignments for our Architecture History 1 class was to identify buildings/ structures/ gardens with historical architectural styles and influences in Miami and write up a paper.

On Saturday 27th, one of my colleagues and I set off to look for these buildings. We were only able to go to 11 places but it was amazing to see how many interesting places are just around the neighborhood and we never stop to appreciate them.

In Coral Gables area we went to see the Cocoplum woman's club, Schenley park, Church of the little flower, Coral Gables Congregational church, Biltmore hotel, Fountain at the circle by Biltmore, Venetian pool, City hall of Coral Gables. Moving towards Miami, we were able to visit Beth David Congregation, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church and Chinese styles homes by Sansovino Ave and Maggiore.

1. Cocoplum Woman's club

2. Schenley park

3. Church of the little flower

4. Coral Gables Congregational church

5. The Biltmore hotel

6. Fountain at the circle by Biltmore

7. Venetian pool

8. City hall of Coral Gables

9. Beth David Congregation

10. St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church

11. Chinese styles homes by Sansovino Ave and Maggiore.

We plan to go to Downtown Miami, Opa-Loca and North Miami to see some more buildings next week. I will post the paper once I submit it to the professor.

So stay tuned for that and more.....

** All images by (c) Manori Sumanasinghe, 2009

Welcome / Introduction

2009-10-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm an Architecture student and I am interested in finding out more about the relationship between Architecture and consciousness.

Archiecture:
I first got interested in Architecture when I saw the blue prints of my parents' home. I must have been 6 or 7 years old and my parents were overlooking their home being built. I was fascinated with the drawings; I was fascinated watching the house being built. I started drawing & designing doll houses, then my dream house as a teenager. When I was 16 yrs old, I got this unique opportunity to come to the US to take part in a Summer program. (By the way, did I mention I'm from Sri Lanka?.. Ok now you know) When I went back, I sat down and thought "wow, its a whole big world out there loaded with opportunities. What do I want to do with my life? How do I make these opportunities come my way?". So I sat down and decided I will put my skills, talents and interests together and figure out what is the best thing to do. That is how I decided I want to be an Architect. (By the way, I'm an Artist too.) It took me another 10 years to get to college and I will tell that story later. But, in 2007 I finally made it to college to Study Architecture. Currently I'm a lower division Architecture student at MDC.

Consciousness & related stuff:
(**Consciousness: The human spirit, intelligence principle, self)
I was born in Sri Lanka, to a very Buddhist family. My mother meditates and studies the Buddhist philosophy. I started meditating when I was 11 - 12 years old and I started studying the philosophy a few years later. I wanted to learn about human consciousness, about the next stage of life, how far can I go, is there a limit to the development of human consciousness, what are the things I can do with my life, etc.? Then in 2003, I came across the International Academy of Consciousness. It is a 501(c)-3 not-for-profit, volunteer based organization that does consciousness research and education. Armed with a strong global volunteer team, they take a scientific approach to studying the consciousness without and beyond religious affiliations. (Find out more about IAC here.) I was intrigued. I was already familiar with some of the concepts they were studying such as Out-of-body experiences (OBE), Past lives, reincarnation, bioenergy, astral body, karma, development of psychic abilities, development or evolution of the human consciousness, assistance and other related topics. So I took a few courses with them in their educational center in NYC and started volunteering when I came back to the US in 2007. I decided the best way for me to get more actively engaged in learning about myself but also assist was to volunteer. Then I met Nelson, now my husband through IAC and moved to Miami. He was a volunteer at IAC Florida Educational center and now we both volunteer here in Miami.

Consciousness and Architecture
It only made sense for me put both these interests together. I wanted to learn more about both these topics. I wanted to study and understand more about the relationship between these 2 topics. So here I am today, trying to accomplish this....

Share
During the process of learning and researching these topics, I would like to share the experiences and knowledge I acquire. I also have traveled a bit, seen and experienced the world a bit and have many stories to share with the world. So I decided to make this blog.

I hope you visit again to read more...

Thank you !

Consciousness and Architecture

Software

Ambivalent Phenomena of Projectiology

Bioenergies: A Vital Component of Human Existence

Student Tips: Paying for school and student loans

SCI-Arc experience: The move & week 1

Student Tips: Picking the right school

College Review: A student perspective - University of Miami

Thought of the day

College Review: A student perspective - SCI-Arc

Student Tips - How to write a letter of intent

Student tips - What is a good resume & why is it important to have a good resume?

Student tips - College applications & Design Portfolio

Exhibit: Atelier - An Education of an Architect

Education in Architecture

Interview with Dr. Pim van Lommel - Consciousness Beyond Life

Student Tips: Working with chemicals (Glues & Paints) for model making

Retrocognitions - Interview with Wagner Alegretti

Student Tips - Understanding Architectural Principles

Student Tips - Architectural Drawing

Study Abroad Trip: Part 4 - Turkey

Study Abroad Trip: Part 3 - Greece: Athens & Rhodes

Study Abroad trip : Part 2 - Naples: Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius

Study Abroad trip : Part 1 - Rome

Back from my trip

Why is there something as opposed to nothing?

Upcoming trip

Evidence for life before and after lives

Life Purpose

TV interview :)

Model making material tips for students - Part 3

Model making material tips for students - Part 2

Model making material tips for students - Part 1

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Science Museum, Universe and possibilities

Coral Castle - Miami, FL

Last week's trip to NYC

I'm back

More posts coming up..

Back in Lisbon

COP15 video

Projectarium

Estremoz

Oceanarium

From Lisbon

Rebirth and pastlife recall - A Halloween note

Grand Central Building - NYC

Some of my first few models

Visit to Portugal and other news

Architecture in Miami

Welcome / Introduction