Okay... So I rode the ten minute bus ride, walked the ten minute walk all the way to MNIC. When I arrived, I tried opening the door, but it was locked. I tried all the doors, but they were all locked. Then, luckily, someone was leaving the building and I was able to get in. But when I entered the building, it seemed unnaturally dark, and unnaturally quiet. Right away I realized there must not be school today, and somehow I was not informed of this. I did manage to come across three people and they confirmed my hypothesis. So... I just went back home. It was an extremely short day, and I don't really have much to say about it since I didn't actually volunteer. And I did check my email to see if I had missed a notification that there wasn't any school, but somehow I didn't get one. Haha... Oh well... Life goes on :)
Reading #9: The Image by Kenneth E. Boulding
Keywords:
1. Image – The whole introduction brings up the concept of Image, as an alternative word for “subjective knowledge” (p. 6). Because knowledge only refers to that which is truth, the word Image is more applicable to Kenneth E. Boulding’s use of the concept in this novel. Throughout the introduction, he explores the ideas that make up each individual’s image of the world, or the way they view things, and what influences this image. He also describes that it is the image that determines one’s behavior.
2. Change – Image is also explored in the changes that result from varying messages sent to the image. “The meaning of a message is the change which it produces in the image.” There are a couple ways in which the message may change one’s perspective of the world. It may add to it or cause a revolutionary change. (Or it may not change at all). Events that happen to us, people that come into our lives, and multiple perspectives on certain ideas may all cause a change in our image of the world. In many cases, “our image is in itself resistant to change,” especially if it is bad change. We are used to what life is like and don’t want to imagine it being any different.
Discussion Questions:
1. Describe a circumstance where a message caused an extreme change in your image of the world.
2. How does our image of the world affect us in the world of architecture? What might be some factors/messages in the discipline that create changes in our image?
Reading #10: “Mr. Palomar on the Beach” Mr. Palomar by Italo Calvino
Keywords:
1. Observation – These three chapters show Mr. Palomar observing multiple different phenomena. He would question, think, wonder, debate about his observations, looking past what most people see and spending time to actually engage in a conversation within himself about ideas of his observations. His observations encompassed more that just looking/seeing something. They brought about new philosophies of nature and humankind’s interaction with it.
2. Exist – Mr. Palomar begins by wondering about the existence of certain phenomena of his observances in nature. After realizing that they don’t exist in nature, he starts to contemplate the actual existence of nature itself. I thought this was a really interesting. Looking at the sunset, he debated whether or not the sword of the sun’s reflection in the water existed. Without his presence or anyone to see it, would it actually be there. I loved hearing his thoughts go back and forth on this topic, making me actually wonder with him. In the end, he becomes “convinced that the sword will exist even without him” (p. 18).
Discussion Questions:
1. What finally convinces Mr. Palomar that the sword exists? Do you agree with his conclusion?
2. How should we apply Mr. Palomar’s hardcore observation techniques to the discipline of architecture, or even our studies in architecture school, in a way that might positively influence our work?
Changing the world... or at least a little piece of it
I am only one person. I can only do so much. But that much can be enough to change the lives of many. Or save a little piece of the environment. To many, this “little piece” may not be enough motivation to even attempt to ‘make a difference’. However, it is this indifference that keeps us from changing the world. So, although I may not be able to change the whole world, I can contribute to changing a little piece of it, and I see that as an important step out of the many required to impact this world. So, how would I take this step to impact a piece of this world I live in? If I could somehow be “released from the constraints of the architectural school program” here at the U of M, I would do a couple simple, yet so critical, things.
1. First of all, I might ask myself, “What can I do? What actions can I take that would be within my grasp?” Well… as I said before, I am only one person. But still… one person can do a lot. It took only one person to create a holocaust. It took only one person to invent a machine that forever changed our world: the automobile. It only takes one person to break another person’s heart. It only takes one person to make another person’s day. It only takes one person to plant a tree, to pick up a piece of trash, to recycle, to feed a starving person, to lend a hand…
If I could pick anywhere in the world to start ‘changing the world’, it would be right here, at home, in the Twin Cities.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mfshadow/19861533/
I think it is really important to begin with goals that are actually manageable, and as you accomplish these goals, you will become more and more encouraged to reach out and work towards bigger and bigger goals. By starting with a goal that is totally impractical, one is prone to become discouraged and give up. By beginning with smaller, more attainable goals, I am not at all ruling out the more ambitious goals. I am just saving those for later.
2. I would also ask myself, “What are my passions?” Although I believe it is important to protect the environment in all situations, even those which are not the most exciting, I also believe it is important to do so by using skills or talents that you have a passion for, if at all possible. This will make the work all the more exciting and will allow you to put your heart into what you are doing, and not just go through the motions because it is the ‘right thing to do’. One of the reasons why I am majoring in architecture is because I’m really interested in what the discipline encompasses, both artistic and mathematical thinking. For this reason, I would probably want to find some way in which I can use architecture to contribute to helping my environment. But, as the blog prompt requires, we are supposed to look outside the constraints of our architectural school program, incorporating other areas of discipline in our environmental mission. Therefore, I would also incorporate my love of art and math, and possibly even my interest in music to create an environmentally sustainable program. And I will definitely incorporate my compassion for people and helping them in any way I possibly can.
3. Also, I might suggest that the environment has to do with more than just the earth, trees, and other natural surroundings. I believe that it has to do with every bit of our surroundings, including the buildings, cities, neighborhood developments, etc. In this case, my mission of impacting the environment, will include all aspects of my surroundings, possibly even the people or even animals that are found in those spaces.
So… combining all of these ‘rules’, I would like to propose a project. A simple, yet potentially dramatically influential, mission to change a little piece of this world.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71086419@N00/2242711927/
I would like to propose a project, which creates opportunities for homeless and needy people of Minneapolis and Saint Paul to volunteer within their communities. Not only would this provide opportunities for them to get involved, but it would also allow them to help the environment and take part in improving our world. In my writing class, we read part of the book Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. In his book he explained a study showing the correlation of people who were jobless feeling useless and therefore meaningless. He described that when he was able to get these unemployed people to volunteer in their communities, they no longer felt like their lives were meaningless, because they had a purpose. I believe taking a program like this to Minneapolis would be a great way to not only help people in our community feel more purposeful, but to also help people in our community help our community as a whole.
This project is more of a “bodily” act, the idea of working hands on with other people, helping them to work hands on with other people. But I would also like to incorporate some architectural, artistic, musical and other such methods of accomplishing this project. The whole idea is to give the ‘volunteers’ something to do, to give them a purpose in life. I was thinking I could also do this by allowing them to pursue a passion, such as art, giving them the chance to create masterpieces and feel accomplished.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anoordstra/41665997/
Also, I could start a community band within this organization to allow those who are interested in music to come together and play their music for other people. They can have the opportunity to play for their peers, or nursing homes, or other places where they can have a chance to make an impact on their community.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/t_lawrie/53696131/
Finally, I would like to incorporate somehow, architectural design in that they could have the opportunity to build their own houses and houses/buildings for their peers/community, once again to not only give them a feeling of worth, but also to impact their community/environment in a positive manner.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsrice/1798316128/
If somehow this program could involve those who are homeless or unemployed, and even youth who are from impoverished families, I believe it could really change the environment, creating one in which people feel purposeful and enjoy living.
In church this morning, the sermon was surprisingly about volunteering and reaching out to the community. The pastor had interviewed the mayor of Minneapolis who shared a very inspiring thought: “It’s the responsibility of people who’ve been given a lot to give a lot.” I believe giving someone a sense of worth is one of the best gifts that can be given.
Class #1:
This is the smaller class. Today, Hassan didn't even give them directions, so I just figured they were supposed to work on their assignment from an earlier day. Only two girls were actually working on it though. Everyone else was working on English homework. Of the girls that I did help, one of them was really difficult to work with because she didn't even know how to do basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. That makes it hard to teach someone how to add fractions, because that requires addition, multiplication, and division. The other girl I was helping was the same one as last week. She was very nice and seemed to understand, for the most part, what she was doing. I had an interesting conversation with her this week. Some of the other girls were talking and laughing and both of us just smiled. She asked me if I knew what they were saying. I said no. She explained that they weren't speaking Somali, but rather Arabic (at least I think that's what she said). She couldn't understand them either. This was really interesting because I realized I wasn't the only one who couldn't always understand what was going on. There were multiple languages being spoken throughout the class period.
Class #2:
Thankfully, class had been split up this week, so only half the group from last week was here this week. This made the class period so much more manageable. When class first started, a young lady that I had never seen before began talking to me. I felt bad because it was really hard to understand her, more so than most people. And on top of that, she talked really quiet and really fast. I did what I could to follow her and when I couldn't understand her after the third time of saying "what?" I just nodded my head and smiled, hoping she hadn't asked a question or said something that required a response. She asked where I was going to school and when I said the U of M, she said I was lucky. I think most people here would LOVE to go to college, but to many of them it probably seems like a far off dream. I think she said she wants to go to college when she graduates next year from high school. I asked her what she wants to study and she said English, writing, art... She seemed to want to do everything. I thinks it's great that she has those goals! I went around the room and helped as many people as I could for the class period. Then, at the end, this same lady asked me to sit down again. She asked if I was single or married. I said single, and that I'm only 18. I asked her if she was married wondering if maybe she was. She said no, and that she was too young (18 as well). But she said something about Somalia. I don't know if she was trying to say it was tradition for them to get married young or what she was saying. But she did add that she might get married next year after she graduates. This was another surprising thing I learned today. Two in one day! That is one of the things I like most about volunteering here. Everyday, I have such a great opportunity to immerse myself in a unique culture and learn from these students.
Media and Values: Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
Just viewing these photographs makes my heart cry out for these people suffering from extreme hunger. It really churns my stomach and gives me the desire to help in any way possible.
Contrast these pictures with the first ones, and you can see how much so many people have compared to how little so many others have. If we were to just make a few sacrifices and give some of what we have to people in need, that could make a huge difference.
Again, just looking at these pictures makes me realize the impact that I could have as a future architect on this world. It really inspires me to get out of my comfort zone and actually do something about this extreme poverty.
These photographs contrast with the earlier ones. It almost makes me sad that there is such a great contrast of wealth in our world today. That some people can have so much and some can have so little saddens me.
This video is equally inspiring... It also has some unbelievable statistics about poverty and hunger.
Quotes on Hunger:
There are genuinely sufficient resources in the world to ensure that no one, nowhere, at no time, should go hungry. -- Ed Asner
"It is important for people to realize that we can make progress against world hunger, that world hunger is not hopeless. The worst enemy is apathy." -- Reverend David Beckmann
We are a country that prides itself on power and weatlh, yet there are millions of children who go hungry every day. It is our responsibility, not only as a nation, but also as individuals, to get involved. So, next time you pass someone on the street who is in need, remember how lucky you are, and don't turn away. -- Lesley Boone
What is needed is a marriage of two impulses, a coupling of the urge to do something positive with the willingness to constantly re-evaluate how effectively our actions lead to our goal - that of ending world hunger … -- Harry Chapin
To think that one child would go to bed hungry somewhere in this country is heartbreaking... to know how many do is virtually incomprehensible. This is not only a problem that exists in the far reaches of the globe. It happens right here in our own backyard. Together, as concerned citizens, we must do more to make sure every child's needs are met. -- Katie Couric
"There is enough for everybody's need, but not for everybody's greed." – Mohandas K. Gandhi
Never before has man had such capacity to control his own environment, to end thirst and hunger, to conquer poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and massive human misery. We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world -- or to make it the last. -- John F. Kennedy
"Because the suffering of any human being diminishes all of us, it’s our responsibility to try to ease that suffering. It is not a matter of titles, but of responsibilities.” -- Khaled
(quotes are from http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/endhunger-quotes.htm)
Quotes on Poverty:
"Wars against nations are fought to change maps; wars against poverty are fought to map change."
-- Muhammad Ali
Whether our task is fighting poverty, stemming the spread of disease or saving innocent lives from mass murder, we have seen that we cannot succeed without the leadership of the strong and the engagement of all. -- Kofi Annan
Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor. -- James A. Baldwin
We, who have so much, must do more to help those in need. And most of all, we must live simply, so that others may simply live.
-- Ed Begley, Jr.
Poverty is everyone's problem. It cuts across any line you can name: age, race, social, geographic or religious. Whether you are black or white; rich, middle-class or poor, we are ALL touched by poverty. -- Kathleen Blanco
(Quotes are from http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/endpoverty-quotes.htm)
All these quotes are pretty self explanatory in that they are encouraging us to DO SOMETHING about world hunger and poverty, encouraging us by saying that we CAN make a difference if we just take the initiative!
I don't know of many songs on hunger and poverty, but here are a few that somewhat relate:
1. "But A Breath" by The Wedding: This song is talking about the shortness of life and the importance of not wasting it. This applies to the issues of world hunger and poverty in that we shouldn't be wasting our lives doing nothing about it, but rather we should go out into the world and volunteer, take a stand against it. DO SOMETHING!!
2. Shindler's List Theme Song: I have this song on my iTunes library, and when I came across it, I had to put it on this list. Although the movie doesn't have to do with poverty and hunger necessarily, it does have to do with reaching out and helping others, about becoming selfless and willing to put your life on the line to give other people a chance to live. This is inspiring when it comes to the topic of helping those who suffer from extreme poverty and hunger.
3. ??? I'll try looking for more...
The inspiration that initially got me interested in poverty and how I can use architecture to help those in need was when I learned about Samuel Mockbee's Rural Studio in Alabama. To see and hear what he did to help people in the poorest county of the US was amazing. It was also really inspiring to see that he was able to build some beautiful, unique buildings at a decent price, using everyday items to create a masterpiece. Here are a couple of the houses that the rural studio has designed:
Keywords and Discussion Questions to Readings #7 and #8
Keywords and Discussion Questions to Readings #7 and #8
Reading #7: “Profession and Discipline of Architecture: Practice and Education”
Keywords:
1. Synchronic – This word is used when describing profession. I thought it was interesting because it portrays the “profession” as the aspect of design “centrally concerned with the current structure of practice in order that it may fulfill commissions to the highest standards.” Its label as synchronic shows that the profession is only worried about the here and now of design, about doing the best at the present time with what is available. (Synchronic means the concern with something at a single moment).
2. Grow – This word is used to describe discipline. It explains that discipline is more about the growth of research and learning over time. It is concerned with the process of researching and developing new ideas. I thought it was interesting how these two factors (growth and a synchronic attribute) create a distinction between the discipline and profession of design.
Discussion Questions:
1. This article describes the importance, yet great distinctness, of both the discipline and profession of design. How do you believe it is possible to fully incorporate discipline and profession into our design in architecture? What suggestions would you have to make this intersection more feasible?
2. After hearing the importance of the profession and discipline of design, is there one that seems more important to Architecture? Is architecture today fully incorporating both or do we need to rethink our idea of architecture?
Reading #8: “All You Ever Need to Know You Learned in… 1000 Words for Design Students”
Keywords: (Although both of these words are found under the “Do your homework” point, they apply to the whole article, capturing the essence of what it is talking about.)
1. Perspiration – The whole article describes all the actions we should take as designers to become more successful. In order to achieve each and every one of these steps, it will take a lot of hard work. It will require perspiration… I think this is a good point because most good things in life need to be achieved through hard work and dedication. This hard work also magnifies the accomplishment and creates a greater feeling of satisfaction when we’ve reached our goals.
2. Inspiration – We need inspiration in order to have a reason to force ourselves to work. This can be attained when we get outside ourselves and get involved in the community, ask questions in class, work with practicing architects, work with other design students… All of these things and more give us inspiration. They are the source of our inspiration that gives us motivation to work (perspire).
Discussion Questions:
1. With the demands of school, time is a precious commodity, and sometimes it can’t always be sacrificed. What do you feel is the point on this list that provides the greatest benefit for the least amount of cost?
2. It was interesting to be reminded that the school, the professors, work for us. We are the ones paying for our education. With this in mind, how can we use this to optimize our education and experience this semester? To what extent is this true?
Tutoring today was a little different than last week. After the first class, I was afraid I wouldn’t have anything to write about. It was a pretty uneventful class. Although, when I came in, there was a “throne”-like chair that they told me to sit in. (It wasn’t really a throne, but it was a cushy chair, unlike the desk chairs everyone else sits in.) Anyway, Hassan (the teacher) told everyone that I would be helping in the class like I do every week. But this time, he told people to come over to me if they had any questions. Most of the time I walk around the room and help whoever needs it. Because he said this, I ended up helping the same person the whole time. She came over and sat by me and had me go through her whole worksheet, even though she seemed to know what she was doing. There were plenty of other people in the class that I’m sure had a lot more trouble than her, and I felt bad because I couldn’t help anybody else. I probably could have gotten up and walked around, but this young lady kept asking me questions. By the end of class, I think I had helped a total of three people, which is NOT normal.
The second class was quite a bit different. Whereas the first class consists of mostly girls (maybe one or two guys), the second one had mostly guys and only a handful of girls. For some reason I felt a LOT more intimidated than I ever have. This group of guys came and sat down right next to my chair. (Many of the guys are very nice, but these ones swore a ton and were a lot louder and more immature. This one guy kept asking me questions and talking to me, but he was mumbling so I pretended not to hear him. When Hassan saw them trying to talk to me, he said, “don’t talk to them”. So I tried not to. I’ve never been in the class when they’ve taken a test before, but today they did. Because the class was so large, he wanted to split the class into two groups by level of skill. I felt a little awkward because there wasn’t really anything for me to do while they were taking the test. I just sat there and watched them struggle with it. Hassan strictly told them NOT to use calculators, but for some reason, I thought he said they could look off each other’s answers. Maybe I just misunderstood him. All of a sudden, there was a huge commotion in the hallway. Somebody tried to close our door, but Hassan told him not to and rushed into the hallway. Then, the whole class raced after him to the doorway to see what was going on. My chair was right next to the doorway, so they all were running past me. There were only like two other people left in the room including me. It was chaos. Somehow, Hassan got everybody to come back into the room, but he did not. People resumed taking their tests, but they were using calculators… A guy, who I think was taking Hassan’s place while he wasn’t there, was monitoring the room and told them to put their calculators away, but they did not. It was kind of funny because one girl was using a calculator that made a beeping sound every time she pushed a button (Very secretive… ☺) When Hassan came back and found out, he took their tests away. After people finished with their tests, Hassan had me grade them. It took forever cause there were so many people in the class. I was surprised at how poorly they did. Most of them got 2 to 4 out of 10. Only one person got a 10 out of 10. Only about 3 people got above a 5. This surprised me because I looked at the test, and it was very simple math (Order of operations). And they are supposed to be in Algebra 1. When I was grading the tests, my hands were shaking so bad because the creepy guy next to me kept talking to me. I was actually pretty scared… I also felt pressure because everybody else was waiting for me to finish, or so it seemed. Today was a lot different than many days. I realized I definitely like working with the smaller classes, so I am looking forward to this class to be split up.
Friday, I went to volunteer at MNIC my first time this semester. I had talked to Amy Libman about coming at the same time I did last semester because I had really enjoyed working with Hassan in his math class. Math is one of my favorite subjects, and I am not required to take it anymore, so I miss it a lot. I had fun being able to help others in a subject where I feel comfortable, and Hassan was a great person to work with. This combination made for a wonderful experience. By continuing in the same class this semester, I am hoping to have an equally great time. However, I got an email from Amy saying I may not be in the his math class, but rather his science class. Thankfully though, it was his math class. But it did end up being a different group of students. It was fun last year as I got to know the students. I began to feel more comfortable with them and had fun working with them. At the beginning of class, as people filed in, I felt slightly uncomfortable because I did not know anybody. It was also a different experience because I am the only white person there. (This was the same last semester too, but as I got to know the students, our differences began to fade). It was interesting to be the only white person in the midst of Somali and Ethiopian immigrants who were speaking in a language I could not understand. I have always enjoyed listening to them speak, wishing I could learn their language so I could somehow join in with them. Although this has not been as easy as I would like it to be, I have sort of learned to sense emotions in their voices, and it has been fun to observe them interact with each other.
As the class started, I began to get intimidated and worried that the students might be difficult to work with or that they wouldn’t want my help or that they might be harder to work with than the other classes that I helped last semester. This was NOT at all the case!! As soon as class started, the students began asking for my help with their assignment. Lucky for me, it was on a topic that was fairly easy and I was able to help them quite a bit. A few of them asked my name, and I obviously said “Michelle”. One of them said it was like the Hindu name “Misha” (I think that’s what she said). They apparently thought my name was pretty unique because they kept saying it over and over again. I had a great time working with them, but it was really tiring. The students are sometimes hard to understand because English is a second language for them. They have really distinct accents that sometimes make it hard to understand what they are saying. I think I have gotten pretty good at deciphering most of their words, but occasionally I get a little confused. It is also difficult to work with some of them because they are pretty low level math students. It is hard to explain some of the concepts to them when they can’t even understand the most basic ones. Last semester I was talking to a girl, and she gave this illustration: She told me to imagine going to France (I took 2 years of French in high school) and going to school there. She had me imagine what it would be like to learn about science or math in a different language, French. That is what it was like for her. She was trying to learn all these subjects in a language she barely knew. (Although the word barely doesn’t accurately explain how well she did know English. She was actually pretty fluent.) Anyways, that really helped me to put all of this into perspective, and it has helped me when I become impatient with the students. I had fun working with them, and I was glad that they really took advantage of my help. It made the time fly by, and before I knew it, the hour was over. As a few of them were leaving, they asked me where I was going to school, and what I was studying. (These are questions I seem to get asked a lot there. I think many of them are looking into colleges right now and trying to decide what to do with their lives.) They always seem intrigued when I tell them I go to the U of M. One of the asked how old I was and when I said 18, a few of them said that is younger than they are. (The students there are anywhere from 16 to 20 years old.) Sometimes this makes it even more intimidating knowing that I am trying to help people that are older than me. Also, it is hard to relate to them because I know quite a few of them have been through difficult situations in their immigration to America. But I have really enjoyed seeing life from a different perspective and look forward to learning more from the students this semester!
Okay… so last semester on my first day of volunteering at MNIC, I had quite the experience. It all started when I decided not to reply to the director’s email that said to let her know if I needed directions. I figured I had it all under control, knowing that I have the metro-transit website where I can find bus directions in a matter of seconds. So, about a half hour before the bus was supposed to come, I looked up my directions online. It came up with three different options. I guess that’s kinda nice cause it allows you to choose which one was the most convenient. Not wanting to spend too much time trying to figure out which route to take, I decided to go with the one that picked me up in front of Coffman. Assuming that it would be heading in the direction of the school where I was going, I got on the bus on the Coffman side of Washington Avenue. Just to make sure, though, I asked the bus driver if I was on the right side of the road to be getting to Hennepin avenue. He said no, and that I should be on the other side. Trusting that he knew what he was talking about even though it seemed totally wrong that I should be going the opposite direction of the school I was trying to get to, I took his advice and ran over the bridge to the other side of the road. I didn’t want to miss that bus. I made it just in time, quickly hopped on, and made sure to ask the bus driver if I was on the right bus to get to Hennepin. He said yes. But it just didn’t seem right. Why would I be traveling in the opposite direction? I went with my instinct and got off on the other side of the Wash. Ave. bridge. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a plan and was now stuck on the wrong side of the bridge. I called my dad, but he had no idea how the bus system worked. He tried to help me out by looking up online where I should be going. I finally decided to go with the last option on my list of three choices. But that required me to get over to Jones hall and Pleasant Street. I was on the complete opposite side of campus. I walked over to the bus stop on the other side of the street and took the campus connector back to the East Bank. Unfortunately, I took the limited stop campus connector (I didn’t know there was a difference). So… it went a couple blocks past Coffman, which then required me to backtrack those couple of blocks, taking away from my precious time. I had to make it to the bus at 1:00PM (By the way, my tutoring started at 1:30). By that point, I knew I was going to miss the bus because it was already 12:55. I walked as fast as I could but I didn’t get to the stop until 1:10. I looked at the schedule and realized the next bus didn’t come until 1:30. So I waited. Finally, it came, and I hopped on, thinking everything was going to be all right. My schedule I had printed off said to get off on 33rd Street (or avenue, I can’t remember). I noticed that the bus driver was calling out the names of the streets, so, although I was trying to watch the streets, I was thankful I could rely on the bus driver to call out my street name. For some reason, she never did call out my street. She had called all the other ones but not mine. I realized this when I looked out the window and saw the bus pass through 33rd street. I immediately pulled the cord, but it was too late. The bus didn’t stop for another 2 or 3 blocks, which I then had to backtrack. I walked back to 33rd street, which I found out wasn’t even a street. It looked like some sort of alleyway that passed through the backyards of some businesses. Kind of questionable to me… I didn’t want to risk it. So I kept walking until I found the first normal street. Meanwhile, I stepped in something squishy. I thought for sure it was dog poop, but I looked down and it was even worse. It was a dead bird or some sort of dead animal, a mixture of blood and guts. And it had splattered on my bare foot. EWWW!! What a way to top off my already bad day. Anyways, I did finally find my school, but I got there at about 2:10 (I had initially left at 12:30). I found out if I had taken the Hennepin way, I would have gotten there eventually, but it was completely out of the way and would have taken a half hour or 45 minutes extra. I also found out that I’m supposed to get off on 29th avenue (which is NOT what the website told me).
So, what did I learn from this? I learned that either I have some issues with my directional skills or the bus system has some issues with the design of it’s maps and signage, or maybe a little of both. Or maybe it’s because I have no experience with the bus system, that I have so much trouble with it. But should it really be this hard to figure out? Isn’t it meant to be used by the average person? I would say I am at least average. And if I can’t figure out how to use it, I’m sure there are other people out there who are having just as much trouble as I am.
So here are some of the problems with design of the metro transit bus system maps/directions/signage:
1. The online maps/directions do not tell you what side of the road you have to board the bus.
Ex:
COFFMAN UNION to MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ARTS
ITINERARY #1
Walk 0.2 mile NW from COFFMAN UNION to
Depart: WASHINGTON AV SE & COFFMAN UNION At 08:36 PM
Route: 2 Franklin Av / To Hennepin
Arrive: FRANKLIN AV E & 3 AV S At 08:55 PM
Walk 0.3 mile S to MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ARTS
COFFMAN UNION to TARGET MINNEAPOLIS DOWNTOWN
ITINERARY #2
Walk N from COFFMAN UNION to
Depart: WASHINGTON AV SE & COFFMAN UNION At 09:00 PM
Route: 2C FRANKLIN AV / TO CENTRAL / U OF M
Arrive: 4 ST SE & 15 AV SE At 09:06 PM
Walk 0.2 mile S to JONES HALL
You see here two different routes, one heading East and one heading West. However, neither of them say which side of the road to board the bus. Unfortunately, this becomes a problem for people like me, who have no sense of direction and do not know which way they are headed. (And sometimes you have to board the bus one way in order to go the other way.) I think that an easy way to fix this is to simply state which side of the street to get on, and to make that clear in these directions.
2. The directions are not clear which way is the easiest way to get to where you are going. They give plenty of options, but some are just not at all practical.
Ex:
COFFMAN UNION to 300 INDUSTRIAL BLVD
ITINERARY #1
Walk N from COFFMAN UNION to
Depart: WASHINGTON AV SE & COFFMAN UNION At 09:00 PM
Route: 2C FRANKLIN AV / TO CENTRAL / U OF M
Arrive: 4 ST SE & 15 AV SE At 09:06 PM
Transfer to
Depart: 15 AV SE & 4 ST SE At 09:20 PM
Route: 3A COMO AV / DWTN ST PAUL / VIA MRYLAND
Arrive: COMO AV SE & 33 AV SE At 09:27 PM
Walk 0.4 mile NW to 300 INDUSTRIAL BLVD
Total Trip Time:
27 minutes
ITINERARY #2
Walk N from COFFMAN UNION to
Depart: WASHINGTON AV SE & COFFMAN UNION At 09:00 PM
Route: 2C FRANKLIN AV / TO CENTRAL / U OF M
Arrive: 4 ST SE & 15 AV SE At 09:06 PM
Transfer to
Depart: 15 AV SE & 4 ST SE At 09:50 PM
Route: 3B COMO AV/DWTN ST PAUL/VIA FRONT AV
Arrive: COMO AV SE & 33 AV SE At 09:57 PM
Walk 0.4 mile NW to 300 INDUSTRIAL BLVD
Total Trip Time:
57 minutes
ITINERARY #3
Walk N from COFFMAN UNION to
Depart: WASHINGTON AV SE & COFFMAN UNION At 08:55 PM
Route: 16 UNIV AV / ST PAUL
Arrive: UNIVERSITY AV & RICE ST At 09:25 PM
Transfer to
Depart: RICE ST & UNIVERSITY AV At 09:43 PM
Route: 3A COMO-MRYLAND/DWTN MPLS/TO HENNEPIN
Arrive: COMO AV SE & 33 AV SE At 10:07 PM
Walk 0.4 mile NW to 300 INDUSTRIAL BLVD
Total Trip Time:
72 minutes
This is what came up when I said I wanted directions to get to MNIC (I did this just now). And actually, the option from Jones Hall didn’t even come up. These options all take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes (it only takes me 20 minutes now that I know what I’m doing).
This shows me that their website has a very poor design, and, unfortunately, this causes some big issues and problems in their communication of directions.
And I want to know why somebody would even want to take the 72 minute busride when there is the option of taking a 27 minute one (according to these results). They shouldn’t even have to put up this option. It just makes the whole thing more complicated.
3. There are no signs or any signals on the bus as to what street you are on, other than the unreliable bus drivers calling out the street names. Unless you are familiar with the area (which most first-timers aren’t), there is no way to find which street you are getting off at unless you are really good at reading street signs from a distance. Even then, if you end up sitting in a bad spot where somebody’s head is in the way, or you sit behind the bus driver where there is a wall in the way, then you are in really big trouble. And even if you have a map, you may not be able to read the names of the streets you are passing. I may suggest putting a screen up in the front of the bus that shows a map or writes out the names of the streets that the bus is approaching. This would give people warning to when their street is coming up and would minimize/remove confusion in figuring out directions.
4. The directions given online are not always true. They sometimes give the wrong street name. An example of this is when they told me to get off on 33rd Ave, and 33rd Avenue wasn’t even a real street. If you look closely at this satellite map, you can see 33rd avenue and 29th avenue. 29th avenue is a real street, while 33rd avenue doesn’t even have street markings on it. It is the alleyway for these industrial centers and obviously not a walkway. I don’t know if I would consider this giving of bad directions a design issue, but it definitely is a problem, and somebody in the design field could fix it if they were to just put a visible map or some visual aid along with the directions showing people exactly what I’m showing you in the map. This will allow people to make sure that they aren’t getting faulty directions.
Reading #3 – Genius Loci, “Place”
Keywords
1. Place
“Place” is the title of the chapter, but I also found it interesting how there were three different characteristics of the word place discussed throughout. I guess I have always thought of place as being no more than a physical location, a destination, a home, a country, etc. It was really interesting to see it defined as having a phenomenon (discussing the concrete and intangible sides to the phenomena of place), a structure (discussing place “in terms of ‘landscape’ and ‘settlement’, and analyzed by means of the categories ‘space’ and ‘character’”), and a spirit (discussing the genius loci of place) (11).
2. Language
Language is discussed a few times in this chapter, first in the poem “A Winter Evening”, and later on when describing place, space, and character. When I first read “A Winter Evening,” I was wondering why in the world a poem was being put in a chapter about place. What was the relevance here? Well, I then found out that it was through the language of the poem, the describing words being used, that he was able to communicate a sense of place. Later on in the chapter, the terms place, space, and character are described in depth. What I found interesting is that it is through language that these terms are actually brought to life. “Places are hence designated by nouns.” “Space…is denoted by prepositions.” “Character…is denoted by adjectives.” It is “the very structure of everyday language [that] confirms our analysis of place” (17).
Discussion questions
1. Why is important that we, as future architects, develop a better understanding for place and all its meanings?
2. How can man relate to the environment/land, when the land is not a being?
Reading #4 – Is Design Political?
Keywords
1.Values
“At base, politics is about values, and design is nothing if not a means of embodying values” (1). I really thought this word was important because it is the connection between politics and design, just as this quote shows. This article is trying to get the point across that design is political, whether we like it or not. I don’t think it would be truthful for anybody to say they have no values. And, as this article states, politics are all about values and trying to protect them. So it is wrong to think that politics and design have nothing to do with each other, even though both disciplines are very different, they both find values (either expressing or protecting them) important.
2. Power
This is also another connection between politics and design. Both hold a certain level of power. I always new political power existed in the government. But I guess I never realized how much power design has, especially in my daily decisions. When I am looking around for a book to buy, I want to pick one with the best looking graphics or pictures on the cover. When I choose a snack, or a treat at the grocery store, I want to buy one that actually looks tasty. As Spiderman’s father said, “with power comes great responsibility”. With this power that design holds, it has a great responsibility. If you go into design, you probably don’t want to help get people fat. Rather, you might want to consider designing labels (or whatever) to promote healthy food choices.
Discussion Questions
1. This article mentions that design can be political. In fact, it states “The decision to concentrate one’s efforts as a designer on corporate projects, or advertising, or any other kind of design, is a political choice” (6). Is this stating that all design is political? even decorations of the interior of a home or the design on a t-shirt? If so, how? If not, why?
2. How can you relate design and its role in politics to the field of architecture? How is architecture political?
Reading #5 – Design in a World of Flows
Keywords
1. Boundaries
“Professions are defined by the setting up of boundaries” (3). However, “A world of flows respects no boundaries”, and we live within a world of flows (2). Thus, in order to keep up with our world today, we must learn to break these boundaries. This chapter describes how popular it has become for disciplines to go outside their own boundaries and interconnect with others to become more successful. However, it seems as though architects have been slow in responding to this movement of other disciplines and has kept to itself. In today’s world, it is becoming more and more important for architecture to stretch out and either cooperate with other disciplines or develop the skills of other disciplines to provide more services for their clients. Even in colleges it has become popular to break the boundaries between majors and create interdisciplinary studies.
2. Responsibility
“The design professions not only need to assume some of this responsibility [for the life cycle of buildings], … but these management activities need to be welcomed into the design professions” (6). With respect to breaking boundaries, architects will need to take up more responsibilities, but this is crucial these days. The responsibilities may even include becoming “long-term counselors to their clients” (6). This interested me because I always thought you just built a building and moved on. (I guess this is probably what has been the norm up until now). However, people are finding that architects, if they take up more responsibilities, such as this, can attract more clients and keep more clients for longer. However, the quote I put at the beginning states that they can even welcome in other management activities, suggesting that the architects themselves don’t necessarily have to provide all these things for their clients. But they do have to take the initial responsibility of communicating with other professions to get them to coordinate with them.
Discussion Questions
1. In order to survive in a world of flows, one must “have learned to see similar patterns among disparate things and underlying relationships among apparently unrelated functions” (12) How is this even possible? It seems to be contradicting itself.
2. In our world of flows, if you want to “reflect the shifts occurring in our world on the one hand, and on the other to search for some sense of stability” (7), how do you know when you’ve taken away too many boundaries and gone too far with the whole flowing idea?
Reading #6 – The Redesign of Practice & Bridging Education and Practice
Keywords
1. Change
Both articles are, in a way, talking about the necessity of change for architecture today. The first article states that there is a need for change in the design of the practice of architecture, stating, “the changing context of architecture in many ways defines the needs that any redesign of practice must address”(95). Because our world is different today and architecture is becoming a step later on in the process of building, it has become crucial that we redevelop the goals and duties of architecture firms. This may mean to develop a partnership with other professions. The article gives multiple other ways in which to accomplish this change.
The second article describes the need for change in our intern-development program. It gives the example of how the medical field went through a huge change when it began a teaching hospital where they could work in the hospital while going to college. There is a need for this sort of change in architecture in that we need to develop a program where students in college can get experience in the work place before they graduate. (I don’t know if the word is actually used in this article, but the concept is there)
2. Experience
The second chapter, “Bridging Education and Practice”, describes how necessary it is that students receive experience working in a firm before they graduate. Many firms are not giving recent graduates jobs because they haven’t had experience working. Well, how then are they going to ever get a job if they aren’t even allowed the experience of working? This is what many colleges are trying to work on. They want to come up with programs that give the students work experience in a real office while they are in college so they can come out of college with that basic (or more than basic) experience.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think that it is fair to look at architecture and treat it the same as the medical field?
2. What about these articles forms a relationship between the two?
Inspired by Andy Goldworthy (and our discussions today), document and investigate, through text and image—this idea of energy, flow and transformation through the city.
What is energy? flow? transformation? How are these three words reflected in the city as we know it?
Energy, defined by the Oxford dictionary, is “the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity”. Andy Goldsworthy stated that there is an energy flowing through him, and also through the landscape. So, I guess this could suggest that there is something in the landscape that gives it “strength and vitality” to keep it alive. If we look at the city as a landscape, then we should be able to see this same strength, the same energy, that keeps it alive, that provides it with nourishment.
Looking at the city of Minneapolis, or any city for that matter, what would you say keeps the city alive? What is the source of this energy? Well, to answer my own question, I would say that people, the city’s inhabitants, are a major source of this energy. They are the ones who keep the city alive. They built the city. They work in the city. They run the city. Etc… Andy Goldsworthy states that the environment grows in proportion to our understanding of it. If this is true, as people continue to learn more and understand more about the city and where they live, this environment (the city) will continue to grow. The people are providing energy for the city allowing for it to grow. They are the ones who are using this new knowledge to build up the city.
I might also make the suggestion that this energy is produced more efficiently when multiple people put their knowledge together to create even more manpower. They can feed off each other’s ideas and work together to create a better city.
Flow, defined by the Oxford dictionary, means “move along or out steadily and continuously…”. Andy Goldsworthy seemed to have an obsession with the flow of nature and landscape as in streams and rivers. In the city you see the movement of ‘flow’ in so many things: Automobiles, People, Ideas, etc. The flow of traffic. The flow of people throughout their workplace. The flow of ideas throughout a workplace and from one workplace to another as different businesses interact with one another.
http://paularmstrongdesigns.com/photos/photos/walkin.jpg
Just looking at a map, one can see the flow of a city, each of the streets encouraging this flow/movement of cars, people, ideas…
http://www.aaccessmaps.com/images/maps/us/mn/minneapolis_center/minneapolis_center.gif
Transformation, defined by the Oxford dictionary, is “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance”. As stated in the lecture, “the real work of nature is change; a creative agent, force, or principle in the universe acting as a creative, guiding intelligence”. Just reading this again from my notes, the picture of the 35W bridge collapsing seems like a perfect example of the transformation of our city. It was definitely a work of nature, no human being caused it (at least that we know of). However, the contradicting part of this is that it is hard to believe that the collapse was the result of a “creative, guiding intelligence”. But maybe there was a purpose to it all. I believe in God, so I believe that He did have a plan in all of it, however strange that might seem.
http://www.35wbridgecollapse.net/images/35W%20010.jpg
We also discussed in the lecture that architecture has a time frame as a result of this transformation. Just as Andy Goldsworthy’s creations had a limited life span, dependent upon the timing of the forces of nature acting upon it. Similarly, all the buildings in Minneapolis will continue to age over time. This is very evident in the Gold Flour Mill, now the Mill City Museum. It has obviously begun to fall apart over time, proving that architecture has a time frame. However, in the midst of this transformation, another one has taken place. They have chosen to create a museum, which is a pretty modern building, built right into the old structure. Although the one building has fallen apart, a new one has sprouted out of the old, its “energy” or being created from the old. Without the old, it would be nothing. Its whole purpose has come from the old building.
http://midwestgreatlakes.cefpi.org/2007conference/
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