BBBC Malcolm Reading Haiti Design Competition

From what I’ve seen and heard, it’s not easy to get architecture commissions in the current economy without being a sell-out or an over-competitor. The company I am working for has entered, and been denied, at least five architecture competitions RFPs since I have started working with them. This is pretty dejecting for me as an intern because I have been working primarily on architectural competition submissions and dejecting for the firm as wells since we are heavily reliant on competition entries for commissions.

The most recent competition we entered, a project intended as disaster-relief earthquake recovery housing for citizens of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, involves the design of a series of low-cost housing units. My boss was so eager to win this competition that he asked me to design a website to promote awareness and provide publicity for our design.

Check these two websites for a better idea of what our design will feature –

Haitisofthouse.com
Haitigreenhome.org

When it comes to being selective about design proposals and competitions, I think of this quote by Philip Johnson, who offers a humorous view of the architectural profession:

“Architects are pretty much high-class whores. We can turn down projects the way they can turn down some clients, but we've both got to say yes to someone if we want to stay in business.”

9 Miles in Manhattan

The subway is fantastic but it never lets its riders experience the magic of the city above!

This is a set of photos I took when I was still trying to get acquainted with the city. I walked from Queens to the Guggenheim, then west through Central Park and south down Broadway to meet up with some friends for a night out on Houston Street. (It's the red line in my latest blog).




9 miles. 5 hours. Definitely worth it. Check out the Picasa album below.

Nine Miles in Manhattan

And yes, there will be many more photos to come...

Who's Homeless?

I made a word cloud from this blog. The results aren't very surprising. New York, People, and Photography are each things that I have been thinking a lot about while in the city.

The one big surprise from my word cloud is the word "Homeless." I have discussed the idea in passing in many of my blog posts, but I've never really dedicated an entire entry to the topic of homelessness. Stay tuned for that post in the near future.

I wonder if my overabundant use of the word "Homeless" is subconscious. I am, after all, living away from my family and still settling into New York. Besides the fact that I will be sleeping on an air mattress all summer, I still don't feel like I'm completely at home in New York.

In fact, my working schedule isn't very different from my school schedule. At school, I usually arrive before 9 am to prepare for classes and, and I attend lectures and work in studio until at least 5 pm. My schedule here is a 9:30-6:30 routine, but I have consistently stayed at the office later in order to finish work and spend time with co-workers.

I thought that a summer internship would mean more free time and more opportunities to relax at home. Due to my full workday schedule I feel just as removed from my Brooklyn apartment as I do from my school apartment when I have to spend late and long hours in studio.

Does this mean that I'm mildly homeless? Or does my participation in my company's studio culture and my explorations around the city of New York make me appreciate the city I am in even more? Perhaps I feel homeless in the sense that I don't spend much time in my apartment, but I certainly feel comfortable out on the streets and at my office.

Information is Beautiful

One of my good friends is considering transferring from being an architecture major to being in a program with a greater social impact. I would argue that Architecture has one of the greatest social impacts or any profession. Nevertheless, he is interested in the idea of "neuroaesthetics" and the of the human mind's ability to process complex ideas and information with a preference for what is "beautiful".

I think this website is perfect for anyone who sees the beauty of information. http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/