tennischickate14

blog prompt 4..."if you were completely released from the constraints of 'architecture school' program, what would you do architecturally, artistically, bodily, lyrically ect. that would still have an impact on your environment. Describe a real or imagined place which might allow you to do this. Explore through image and text.

First of all, let me me announce that I am SOOOO PROUD of myself for finally figuring out how to make my blog look all organized and beautiful instead of just white and black and blah. snaps for kate!!! ps i really really hate the format of this blog...its wayyyyy too complicated of a method to just simple explain ones ideas, but regardless I find this weeks blog topic extremely interesting, an idea that can go in an infinite amount of directions depending on both ones personal feelings and perspective on life...

As for me...

If I were completely released from the currently enstated rigorous and well defined "architecuture school" I currently am part of, I believe I would be completely lost. I would feel like an immigrant coming to the United States trying to learn english and the American culture. I would FLAIL for quite some time I believe, maybe even shy away from the idea of architecture because in fact architecture is such a broad, yet well defined field. Their are no boundaries, that is the glory and downfall of this discipline. We can take architecture in whatever way we desire, press every new boundary that lies in front of us, but if we have no foothold, no base to stand on, how do we reach out to break those boundaries and bend those rules that once lay in front of us????

One could easily argue with me, but I feel that the structure of architecture school, the necessity of immersing ourselves in University culture is important because everything can potentially tie into our designs and influence what we choose to build. There are so many interesting topics and questions to pursue....so many great ideas that flit across our imagination, but how in the world to we tackle them if we do not have a place to start?

Like I said, I know I would personally struggle, maybe even diverge from the discipline if there was no "architecture school" seeking a more tangible task, a position that does have well defined boundaries, possibly become a statistician or mathmatician where everything can easily be explained through a series of numbers and equations, but I believe I would soon miss the challenge architecture presses forward, and revert to how I started my passion as a child....drawing, sketching whatever floats my boat at the time, and then moving on to studying how ancient society worked and how phenomenal ancient buildings such at the mayan temples were built. I would study astronomy because I find it fascinating and I would walk around the city gawking at the skyscrapers almost tipping backwards in awe of how something so magnificent was constructed.

I am fascinated by how much time, effort and thought goes into each and every building., each and every object around us someone devoted brainpower, sweat and tears to make it work just right. Think about it...this laptop I am right now writing this blog with....somehow every time I press a key the computer transmits a message so fast that I immediately see the letter I pressed. How does a computer do that? How did anyone know that if they put certain substances together they would create these computer chips that communicated and transmit these things, perform what we think as simple task and take for granted.

If I was not preoccupied with "architecture school" I would study whatever intrigued me at the time and let that influence my design, but as I think about it isn't "architecture school" just an orderly way of dealing with my fascinations???? Maybe in a different sequence and not including all that I want to study or including things I have no interesti in, but "architecture school really is just a formal way of exploring all things that are interesting me and hopefully taking from it ideas that can influence future designs that cause future generations to be awestruck.

until next time,

kate

Posted by hans2705 at 5:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Propose a set of images, quotes and a playlist of songs that influence your values with regard to your selected research project Millenium Development Goals. Explain...

MY GOAL: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION

There are many answers of how to achieve universal primary education, but no one single answer will be a quick fix or an easy solution because there are many facets to this problem. This blog entry will solely display my values and ideas of the topic.

Education is defined as the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. To me education has many forms which can be displayed in various ways. Education can occur at any time as shown in the following photos...

Education is the best provision for old age.
Aristotle

learning how to interact with peers at a football game

graduation

The feeling of graduation is an empowering experience that everyone should be able to experience. As I look back, I feel honored to have had the ability to be a part of something so exciting, enlightening and wonderful. This is what is going to drive me to work on this goal. I believe that everyone should be able to experience the learning process no matter what their economic stand is or the beliefs of their nation.

It is in fact a part of the function of education to help us escape, not from our own time -- for we are bound by that -- but from the intellectual and emotional limitations of our time.
T.S. Eliot

If I were to pick a theme song for this project I would choose "CALL ON ME" by Eric Pyrdz because its a motivating and catchy song that very simply translates the message that "I am ready to help"...."Call on Me..." Which is exactly how I feel about this project. Until next time.

Kate

Posted by hans2705 at 3:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Find a social design issue in the Twin Cities and document it. Become an advocate for it...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rros3Rimdqo

The issue of enviromental justice is a huge problem in the Twin Cities as well as across the United States. In this blog entry I will not only be providing a brief overview of how it is affecting the Twin Cities, but will take a stand against environmental injustice against the minority and impoverish communities.

Environmental Justice for those of you who have not heard of it is defined as a social and environmental movement, dealing with the inequitable environmental burden born by groups such as racial minorities, women, the elderly, or residents of developing nations.

In a nutshell, this movement is fighting for an equal distribution of pollution. It is calling for toxic waste sites and toxic factories to not solely be placed in minority or impoverished communites. It is fighting for equally clean water for minorities to drink, equally clean air for minorities to breathe, and an equally clean neighborhoods for their children to play in. It is calling for EQUALITY...something that the United States is SUPPOSED to be all about; something the United States is supposed to be supporting.

One can use the EPA's enviromapper of TRI sites and hazardous waste sitess and the Census Beareau's demographic plotter to see exactly how injust this issue is. When one looks at both of these, one can CLEARLY see the direct correlation between where minority races and impoverished citizens live and where hazardous waste sites are located. Where every hazardous waste site or factory is located there is a dense population of minority and/or poor people.

This topic was first researched by upper class white men, and still the majority of activists in favor of this issue are upper class because they are the ones with the means to take control of this situation. Props for them to take a stand and stop worrying about making a buck from the whole ordeal.

The whole ordeal started with "white flight" (the moving of whites from the city to suburia when they obtained to means to do so to provide a better life for their family: "suburbanization"). As the whites moved out of the city and gave up the factory level jobs for more powerful positons with higher pay and better working conditions. This left behind plenty of easy to obtain manual labor jobs and plenty of cheap housing near factories for minorities and immigrants to move into. At the time it seemed perfect...CHEAP and CLOSE TO WORK....what more could you ask for...right? Little did they know that they were endangering their health and their lives.

But really this is not an issue that minorities dwell on. If they in fact are being affected by this situation and are educated enough so to know that where they are living is endangering their health...they do not have the time or means to take action on this. They are too busy trying to make ends meet, pay their bills, sometimes working multiple jobs, raising their children and keeping their family together.

There really isn't a good solution to this problem. Environmental injustice doesn't have a quick fix, a good solution, an easy "rip the bandaid off" answer, and almighty cure. There is no good way to fix this problem. We cannot move the factories: that costs money that the companies don't want to spend, that moves jobs away from their minority workers (now workers can't easily get to work), that creates inconveniences. We cannot relocate all of the people that live in these areas...for all the same reasons. And we cannot, in reality completely stop pollution: some of our most important technologies and energies need to have pollution. ie: How can we build a bridge without a steel treatment plant??? We can't!!!!

Its a tricky issue and that is why we need to continue to study it and continue to brainstorm ideas to fix the problem. Until we run across a solution though, we need to keep pollution to a minimum, consume as little energy as possible and push for pollution policy control to prevent hazardous toxins from being releases. As far as I know that is ALL we CAN do. As long as peoples lives are injustice in danger though, I believe we need to continue working on a solution to this problem...hopefully eventually we will find an answer to prevent further struggle and inequality.

Posted by hans2705 at 2:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy ( and or discussion in class) document and investigate through text and image this idea of energy, flow and transformation through the city...

As referenced by Andy Goldsworthy in the film, rivers are full of energy. They embody the concept of the flow of nature. The concept that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred from one form to another. Through his artwork, Goldsworthy seeks out what lies underneath the surface, also known as "the wolliness of the sheep."

In this blog we shall combine the indepth idea of "what lies beneath the surface" and the importance of rivers and the energy they hold in the development of our society. This occurs in vast amounts of rivers around the world, but for our own reference, we shall use the Mississippi River and our own Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Mississippi River, and the area around was once a barren and desolate area long ago. Over time though, indians and then colonists chose to settle in the area we now know as Minneapolis and St. Paul due to the energy the Mississippi River provided including: transportation, trade, energy and a source of fresh water. This very simple body of flowing water, transformed a once barren land into urbanized industrial center in which now over 2.82 million people live and thrive. A land that once was solely occupied by deer, bear and other wildlife, is now a central hub for business, trade and commerce. A diverse city full of schools, restaurants, and nightlife attractions. Full of flour mills, steel plants, hospitals and sanitation sites. A city so diverse and complex that one could spend their whole life investigating and experiencing the city and still not know all that Minneapolis and St. Paul have to offer.
That simple flow of energy through the Mississippi River has been channeled into the everyday life of our now very busy and very intricate society. Something as simple an naturally beautiful as the river, has created something so wonderful and complex as the city we all live and thrive in and it all started with a swift current.

Posted by hans2705 at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)