In contrast to my last post, the direction the city of Seattle is headed in is unbelievably grim. The urban architecture of Seattle is beautiful and diverse, although a lot of it does seem to adhere to the same patterns of PNW trends. It becomes difficult to revel in the beauty of Seattle when such a depraved undercurrent runs beneath its surface.
Really excellent video on the future of cities, with great cinematography and editing as well:
I had the privilege of shadowing Mr. Bob Luke of LPK Architects in Meridian, MS this past week. I was able to sit in on a staff meeting to hear about the statuses of projects, look through many drawings for the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience (the MAX) and other buildings, and watch a draftsman at work. Mr. Luke, who worked on the MAX, gave me a private tour of the MAX on a closed day, and I learned about the process of designing and creating the building, as well as the history and thought processes behind the exhibits. Additionally, Mr. Luke and I walked around downtown Meridian, which now looks excellent, thanks to the efforts of LPK Architects and others who worked to make the improvements possible.
I attended Design Discovery Camp at the Mississippi State University’s School of Architecture in Starkville, MS in June. I really enjoyed learning about observational sketching, perspective drawing, making models, connecting architectural elements, light and wind’s effects on structures, and how to respect a building site. I especially liked touring the Cotton District and sketching around campus.
I had the pleasure of walking around construction sites and in nearly-finished houses with Mr. Douglas Bock and Mr. Richard Fouquet of Domin Bock Architects in Alys Beach, FL. I enjoyed seeing such beautiful residential architecture from an architect’s perspective and hearing their comments on their own work.
I really was fascinated by the way the Highline was repurposed from an old train line to a beautiful public park. I was lucky enough to see it snow while there. Had a great breakfast and loved shopping at Chelsea Market. It felt like it went on forever inside there, and even felt like it could have been outdoors, but cozy. Most people don’t make a point to go when they have a day to spend in NYC, but I recommend it.