Lecture by Peter Eisenman at SCI-Arc

I have the urge to apologize to you for not posting frequently enough. But then again, if you study architecture or know anything about the education of an architect you will understand therefore, forgive me for my not-very-frequent presence in the blogosphere. I am sorry and I will try my best to post more.....

We recently had Peter Eisenman Lecturing at SCI-Arc. I had the privilege to watch one of the reviews he took part, his lecture the same day evening and the Graduate Thesis Symposium the next day.

Eric Owen Moss Introducing Peter Eisenman @ SCI-Arc. 03-05-2012. (c) Manori Sumanasinghe

Graduate Thesis Symposium with (from left) Elena Manfredini, Hernan Alonso Diaz, Jeff Kipnis, Peter Eisenman, and Eric Owne Moss @ SCI-Arc. 03-06-2012. (c) Manori Sumanasinghe

Peter Eisenman, no doubt one of the most admired architects today, raised quite a debate during his lecture.

You can watch the lecture here:
http://www.sciarc.edu/sciarc_player.html?vid=http://www.sciarclive.com/Lectures/2012_03_05_PeterEisenman.flv&title=Peter%20Eisenman

He did confuse the audience quite a bit with the project vs. practice theory.

To paraphrase him "Architecture does not respond to social or political situations"... What do you think? I want to side with Moss, Mayne and Kipnis on this issue. Not because I admire them or they are attached to our school, but because my personal conviction is that architecture do impact people and architecture has the ability to reach out to people. See, I think that solutions for most of the social, political, and economical issues that are present in the world today can be found by addressing the problems from many angles. We live in a world today that everything is interconnected. Nothing exists in its singularity, on its own. The problems of the society themselves are a result of failure of many things rather than just a singular incident. Therefore the solutions should also be comprehensive and integral. I feel that architecture provides and opportunity to address these problems and is one of the many aspects of society that should contribute to the improvement of the overall human development. This is a topic I would like to discuss further as I go along. I would like to invite you to start a conversation with me on this ....

Following this lecture, the next day was the Graduate Thesis Symposium. The panel included Mr. Eisenman, Architecture critic Jeff Kipnis, SCI-Arc Director Eric Owen Moss, SCI-Arc Grad Director Hernan Diaz Alonso and Faculty Elena Manfredini. I hope SCI-Arc post that video as well because it was a great follow up to the debate and the topics discussed at the lecture the day before.

We had Jeff Kipnis lecturing the next day so stay tuned to that video link because his lecture took the debate a bit further and next week's lecture is one of my favorite architects Thom Mayne and I will post the links when they become available.

All the videos are a part of the SCI-Arc public lecture archive.

Some thoughts....

The past 1/2 year has been very strange. I moved city, lived apart from my husband the longest, getting used to a new school and its culture, and I've learnt so much.

SCI-Arc was intimidating at first. I must confess, it still scares me a bit. So much knowledge floating around, so much to learn, I feel inadequate sometimes. But this same sense of insecurity motivates me to learn more.

The caliber of people at SCI-Arc, be it the faculty, students, staff or administration continues to amaze me though. I feel like I am at a unique place among unique people doing the strangest and most wonderful things. Its crazy and I love it!!

Of course, I must confess yet again, I don't always love it. I hate it that I have to be away from my husband, I am not please I don't have time for pretty much anything else other than school, definitely not please we have poor indoor air quality at the school and that we don't have any plants. I miss that a lot - plants! I miss trees, plants, rivers and fish and the crazy colorful lizards and iguanas and beautiful birds... All that was amazing about the east coast. I think California has most of these things but I dislike that I have no time to see any of it. I miss having time to play with my cat!! But then again these sacrifices, I know are totally worth it...

I still manage to find time to go volunteer a few hours every week. I sometimes wonder, do I manage time poorly? Other times I think we have wayyyyyy too much work. Maybe the reality is something in between.

I disagree that while in school we should be all consumed by education and education only. I believe that college / university education should be in preparation to the real world out there. Not only give us the skills, horn in new skills but also prepare us to manage a balanced life. So far the way I've experienced architecture school is not that but then again, considering how much is there to be learnt in architecture its amazing that the B. Arch can be completed in 5 yrs...!!

Cheers!

Software

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.

Ducky by Manori Sumanasinghe (c) 2011

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

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

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

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

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...... :)