No more 1701 lectures?!?
If we were freed from the constraints of traditional “architecture school� I would….
- Paint a mural and/or graffiti
- Travel and live in other places, basically everywhere I could, but specifically to:
o Spanish-speaking countries and especially back to Costa Rica
o Europe (Italy, Greece, Spain, England, Austria, Switzerland, Russia and more)
o Culturally and historically important places in the US
o India, Egypt, Israel, Japan, China, and Turkey
o Africa to see the nature, animals, and the buildings I chose for a project last semester
o Any place that is different from what I have seen and experienced before
- Sketch, photograph, document, and learn from all these travels
o Talk to and connect with the people there, live with them
o Visit well-known and vernacular architecture in all these places
It might seem like traveling as one of the first things on my list is selfish or wouldn’t benefit the environment, but I think that travelling and experiencing many unique cultures and places would help me gain a more globally aware perspective and learn invaluable lessons that I could apply to architecture. Of course, I love to travel, so that’s also a plus.
- Read as much as I possibly could and learn about any and all topics, current and historic
- Go to Biloxi and Louisiana and help rebuild
- Visit and experience important architecture, such as
Templo de la Sagrada Familia
Pompidou Centre
Siza School, Portugal
The Parthenon
Villa Savoye
Bath House
and many more...
- Create artwork inspired by Andy Goldsworthy
o Lie on the ground just as it begins to rain and leave a dry mark underneath me
- Study solar panels, windmills, and other forms of alternative energy so that I could help to implement them in places of need, especially low income housing and developing countries, which would help to establish a foundation of environmentally sustainable energy sources
- Study at the Rural Studio
- Volunteer and help those in need
o Try to make the needy feel needed
- Work at a construction site for a while and intern at an architecture firm
- Talk to architects about architecture and what it means to them
- Talk to others about architecture and their lives and learn how they are affected by architecture
- Make paper jackets out of newspaper and distribute them (at no cost) to the homeless and poor for extra protection and insulation against the winter weather in Minnesota
- Teach those who need the jackets how to make them for themselves so they can replace their own and teach others
- Use halogen light bulbs, conserve water and electricity, recycle, walk, bike, and take the bus whenever possible
-Appreciate nature and the environment and take time to enjoy the outdoors
-Take as many different classes as possible to give myself a broad base of knowledge that would hopefully connect together and that I could eventually apply to architecture
- Stay informed about current events by reading the paper or watching the news
- Go to art museums and interesting lectures and exhibits
- Observe studios, grad students, and professional architects at work
- Build snow castles
- Be a part of Habitat for Humanity or an organization similar to that
- Be creative and challenge myself
o Design and build models and other handmade objects
- Go on every architecture-related May session trip I wanted to (which would mean the cost of the trips would have to be lowered quite a bit)
With all these potential ideas for my unconstrained architecture education, it may be a bit challenging to find a place where I would be able to do all the things I mentioned. Overall though, I believe that all these things could be accomplished in contemporary world in which we live. Although some of these ideas may be somewhat farfetched, they are all things I would like to do if I got the chance and had the means to do them. Overall, the activities described above would potentially improve the environment of our world, so I guess the best place to do them is pretty much here and now. A few alterations would make things easier, though. For example, the perfect place would be one where traveling is free and crime is basically non-existent. Also, it would be helpful to have a positive, supportive environment and one in which the majority of people realized what needs to be changed in order to address the current environmental and societal problems we face. This would make it easier to change and improve the environment and our lives.