TV interview :)

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

Model making material tips for students - Part 3

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...

1. Use Glass frosting spray found at the art store or
   
2. 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

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

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

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.

Images by Manori Sumanasinghe (C) 2010

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.

Images by Manori Sumanasinghe (C) 2010

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.

Image by Manori Sumanasinghe (C) 2010

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

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

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...

Coral Castle, FL - Images by Manori Sumanasinghe (C) 2010

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....