axiom fall 2012
DESCRIPTION
AXIOM is the student produced magazine of the American Institute of Architecture Students at Texas A&M.TRANSCRIPT
elite student work
in defense of the mad architect
software comparisons & conversions
THE FOUR CLASSES WE NEED
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contentswatchlist
ELITE STUDENT WORK
four classes we don’t offerAND WHY WE SHOULD
software comparisonsUSE THE RIGHT TOOL
in defense of the mad architectZAHA HADID, FRANK GEHRY
inspiration for architectureMUSIC, ART, AND CULTURE
architect fashionWHY FASHION MATTERS
pinterestTHE DIY BULLETIN
hindsightMUSINGS BY GOESSLER
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Cover image by James Thompson, ‘14
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Dear Readers,
New semesters are always exciting, for they hold the promise of new learning and opportunities. Your task is to use creativity to seek out those opportunities and capitalize on them. If you pay attention to the news, it appears the outlook for architects is slim. High unemployment and low wages have pushed architecture to the top of lists of ‘useless majors’. While the numbers are grim, architecture isn’t dead - not yet. The profession needs a shot in the arm which can only be delivered by the innovation and creativity we foster here and take into the fi eld. Architects are oft derided as impractical and lacking in common sense. Develop your skills now so that your knowledge and understanding of architecture is relevant and realistic for when you enter the fi eld. Go the extra mile in studio to research case studies that can infl uence your project. Learn to present well and market your designs. Apply your skills of synthesis, organization, and creativity to solve problems outside of architecture. Organize your courses to put you on the path to success as a professional, and let your voice be heard for how you want to structure your education. Gloom may be hovering, but if you purpose to develop innovative skill in architecture, you will craft your own future.
Best Wishes,
Brian Sowell
Axiom Editor
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watchlist elite student work
The Mindset
Justin Zumel ‘16
“The intention of this piece was to cre-
ate a combination of abstraction and
realism, or in simple terms, ab-realism.
The use of the shades of blue was
used to infer that the color blue means
calm and soothing. The dream was to
become a successful architect, which
is why I made my design of a city.
As a student, I realized that dreams
are easily reached when one is calm
through every obstacle.”
Justin Zumel is an undergraduate
B.E.D. major in the Department of
Architecture. He began drawing on th
walls of his family’s apartment at the
age of three, and his parents quickly
encouraged him to transfer his talents
to a paper medium. Justin’s passion
is obvious in his pursuit of art, music,
and architecture.
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Cube 45x45x45
Jing Zhang (Jenny)
“The athletic club consists of large functional unions and small service
areas. The design method was to juxtapose all the space into a 45×45×45
cube, built with a rigid steel frame following a 3 meter grid module. The cube
simplifi es structural solutions and brings light into each space through the 3
by 3 grid. The functional union of the sports takes place through the elevator
in the center. The elevator is directed towards the swimming pool, gymnasi-
um, rock climbing and tennis court. A small space spanning 6 meters con-
tains lockers and bathrooms in the center of the building.
The three perspective sections with the vanishing points at the top,
middle and bottom emphasizes the structure system, the space and the func-
tional union. Column placement shifts when they reach the badminton court to
create an ‘L’ shaped space. This space benefi ts occupants on the gym fl oor,
providing a view through to the sky and natural lighting into the gym at the
same time.”
Jing Zhang is an international student from Jinan Shi, Shandong,
China. She is pursuing her Masters of Architecture at Texas A&M and is in her
second year of study. Her committee is chaired by Marcel Erminy.
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four classes we don’t offer(and why we should) BY JOSHUA WALKER
Every year, AIAS hosts Q&A
session with Dr. Ward Wells, Head of
the Department of Architecture. While
a complete review of that conversation
would be impossible, it primarily cen-
tered around recent changes to the
B.E.D. curriculum, and what changes
might be coming in the future. The
department is in a process of refi n-
ing- even redefi ning- itself, and there
are likely to be signifi cant changes in
faculty and curriculum soon. These
changes have been primarily faculty-
driven, with the College and Depart-
ment making decisions based on fac-
ulty available and where they’d like to
see the programs go in the future. We
as students have a unique perspec-
tive on the curriculum, subsequentally
we can offer insights that may not be
possible for faculty to anticipate. So
as a student, here are three directed
electives and one required course
that I would recommend to enhance
the B.E.D. curriculum, and why the
Department would benefi t from them.
ENDS 265- Industrial Design-
(3 hours) Quick, what’s the one thing
Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der
Rohe, Adolf Loos, and Frank Gehry
all have in common? They, along with
many other famous architects through-
out history, have all designed unique
and famous furniture. The correlation
is so strong that many architecture
programs emphasize their ability to
create custom furniture. Even be-
yond furniture, understanding how to
design beautiful, functional products
can only enhance our design sen-
sitivities, and A&M has some of the
best facilities of any design college in
the state to pull this off. Don’t believe
me? Go visit the Digital Fabrication
Factory (a.k.a. the ranch). It’s an
industrial designer’s playground.
This class would be a popular and
immensely practical directed elective
option.
ARCH 339- Architectural
Presentations and Salesmanship
(2 hours)
Have you ever had to sit
through a presentation that would
have been improved if performed by a
mime? If not, consider yourself lucky,
they’re surprisingly common. This is
frustrating because architects aren’t
just designers, we’re salesmen. The
ability to “sell” a client our design is an
absolute necessity in the professional
world, but it’s something that architec-
ture students are expected to learn
without ever being taught. Let’s let stu-
dents who struggle in front of an audi-
ence take a course in presentation
“...here are three courses that I would recommend to enhance the B.E.D. curriculum...”
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ARCH 468- Leadership and
Management of an Architecture
Firm (3 hours)
Leadership is a core value
of Texas A&M University and former
students of the College of Architec-
ture often fi nd themselves in posi-
tions of leadership in the professional
world. Many students hope to own or
manage a fi rm at some point in their
career. A few years ago, there was a
course for this: ARCH 451- Strategies
in Architectural Management. Un-
fortunately, when the normal profes-
sor retired the class stopped being
offered. Let’s bring back a course in
basic leadership theories and the le-
gal and business elements of running
a fi rm. We can bring in current global
leaders and former students for prac-
tical advice, and build A&M into the
school everyone wants to recruit their
next partner from.
ARCH 117- Survey of Design
Software (1 hour.)
It’s the uncomfortable truth
about architecture: design is going
digital. Analog isn’t being entirely
replaced, but the professional world
is increasingly transitioning toward
virtual modeling. Take a glance at the
chart on pages 11-12. There are no
fewer than fi ve programs devoted to
digital model production, each with
their own commands, strengths, and
weaknesses, not to mention the three
programs for 2-D document produc-
tion. Where’s the class that gives us
a survey of each programs’ abilities,
proper uses, and enough of the basic
commands that we can select the
right tool for each design? The college
is making some progress in this area,
but this isn’t something to do half-way.
Find or hire someone who knows at
least fi ve programs like the back of
their hand and can teach them, make
this their only course, and require it
for both freshman semesters. Let’s
make sure our students don’t miss out
on opportunities because they don’t
know the tools exist.
In summary...
The current program changes
mean we have an opportunity to
improve not only our student experi-
ence, but the opportunities for future
students in our program. If there’s
anything studio has taught me, it’s that
design is an iterative process, and no
project, even a curriculum, is suc-
cessful without feedback. Talk to your
professors, peers, and administrators.
Think about your experience here
and how you might adapt it, and let’s
start a conversation about what we as
students would like to see available in
our four-year plan.
and salesmanship. Devote all home-
work to researching and composing
presentations and all class time to the
fundamentals, practice, and critique
of presentation. And lest you think
this would be a low intensity course,
remember that to present effectively
students will have to verse themselves
deeply in architectural literature,
building their design awareness and
vocabulary. Architectural awareness,
theory knowledge, AND communica-
tion skills all in one course? Sign me
up.
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The introduction of software to
the fi eld of architecture has drastically
changed the way that architects de-
sign. Software can only do so much;
however, and a lack of features can of-
ten limit the creativity of the designer.
Who hasn’t longed for a combination
of features from several design soft-
wares? What about the ease of form
creation in Maya coupled with the
archtitectural application of Revit? Or
AutoCAD and Illustrator? Perfect pro-
grams don’t exist, so architects must
learn to develop profi ciency in several
programs. Profi ciency in a software
isn’t enough for success though. Like
turning screws with a saw, it’s vital that
the architect understands what each
software is designed to accomplish.
While there is signifi cant crossover
between softwares, most designers
will admit there is a ‘best’ tool for the
job. In an attempt to help students
understand how to choose the best
tool, Leandro Aguiar, a junior from
Brazil studying abroad at Texas A&M,
and Joshua Walker have compiled an
unexaustive list of some of the popular
programs used in architecture and
their respective abilities. A handy
table then describes how to export
projects and open them in each of the
other softwares. -Brian Sowell
software comparisonsLEANDRO AGUIAR JOSHUA WALKER
Pros: Works with lines, geometric
surfaces, and nurbs at the same time.
Cons: All actions are executed
through typed commands which can
be cumbersome.
Tips: Get comfortable with the ba-
sics of AutoCAD. Not only is CAD the
primary software used for construction
documents, it’s necessary for laser
cutting, 2D presentation materials,
and for converting some 3D elements.
“...a lack of features can often limit the creativity of the designer.”
AutoCADAutoCAD provides a
fundamental staple for
architects. Designed specifi cally for
architects, AutoCAD uses layers to
mimic the hand drafting technique of
stacking layers of vellum. AutoCAD
is capable of working with lines,
geometric forms, surfaces, volumes,
nurbs, and meshes.
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Revit
Rhino
Revit is understood to
be the future of archi-
tecture production. As a
BIM software it has incredible features
for making the architect’s job faster
and integrating between disciplines.
Revit uses elements like walls, win-
dows, and doors to create a building.
Because it doesn’t utilize geometric
forms or nurbs, it doesn’t often ‘play
well’ with other softwares.
Pros: Strong production program,
allows detail customization and pro-
vides realistic renderings.
Cons: Not a solid choice for creating
building form or complex geometric
shapes.
Tips: Use Revitcity.com to download
custom families like tables and chairs
to dress up your renderings.
Rhino offers power-
ful commands for 3D
objects, allowing the
designer to work in a plethora of ap-
plications. Because it uses curves,
surfaces, volumes, nurbs, and
meshes, Rhino has been used for
everything from architecture to digital
fabrication and jewelry design
Pros: Rich availability of commands
and fl exible fi le formats.
Cons: The multitude of commands
can be confusing. Can be slow to use
because each curve must be edited
individually.
Tips: Two important commands set
Rhino apart from Sketchup: cut and
unroll. Learn to use them well.
Sketch-up
3ds Max
Illustrator
Photoshop
Maya
Sketch-up uses lines and
geometric forms, making
it one of the simplest
programs to learn and use. Although
simple, many notable fi rms still use
sketch-up to quickly create their
building forms.
Pros: Very fast to learn with a
simple but fl exible interface.
Cons: Imprecise, doesn’t handle
nurbs, and has trouble with complex
surfaces.
Tips: Import complex surfaces
from another program such as
Rhino, Maya, or 3ds Max.
extremely effi cient for designers who
understand the interface.
Cons: The interface can take getting
used to, editing materials is a compli-
cated process for beginners.
Tips: When moving lights and
cameras work in the elevation views
and be careful about what you have
selected.
3ds Max is a program
primarily intended for
producing renderings
or animations. Expect to work with
lights, cameras, and materials.
Pros: Excellent rendering quality
and control over lighting. Can be
Illustrator uses vector rather
than raster data to produce
graphics. This allows logos and other
2D objects to be designed and scaled
to fi t everything from a business card
to a billboard.
Pros: Excellent software for refi ning
plans and other 2D line work. Excel-
lent control of lineweight and color.
Cons: Doesn’t work in three dimen-
sions. Primarily a production software,
isn’t great for architectural design
work.
Tips: Learn to utilize layers and
remember to check line weights and
caps.
Photoshop holds dominance
in the photo editing world
and is understood to be the ultimate
software photo editing.
Pros: Excellent tool to bring render-
ings ‘to life’, faster to place plants and
people than rendering.
Cons: To achieve photo-realism you
must understand concepts of lighting
and have a sharp eye.
Tips: Keep a folder with textures
such as grass, trees, people, and
cars to place in your renderings.
ImmediateEntourage.com is a great
place to start.
Primarily a tool for game
designers and anima-
tors, Maya is used by
architects to produce organic forms.
Capable of working with curves, sur-
faces, volumes, nurbs, and meshes.
Pros: Works with lines, geometric
surfaces, and nurbs at the same
time. Rich command capability and
rendering options.
Cons: Imprecise, can be diffi cult to
learn the fi ner aspects of the pro-
gram without tutoring.
Tips: Use Maya to develop building
concepts or organic shapes, then
export to refi ne in other programs.
11
Save as autocad 2007.
Import to Maya, then
export from Maya to Rhino
using an IGES fi letype to
preserve accuracy.
Export from the 3d view
as an ACIS, then open in
rhino.
Go to a fl oorplan, section,
or elevation view, then
export as a .dwg.
For 3D models save as an
.acis fi le and convert to Nurb
or surface. For 2D drawings
watch http://digitaltoolbox.info/
rhinoceros-advanced/section/
From Sketchup Pro, export
the 3D model as dwg fi le and
import to Autocad.
Follow the “Rhino to
Autocad” instructions, then
“Autocad to Revit”
Diffi cult to explain, watch
this video: http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=91
z0hX3zfAc&feature=play
er_embedded
Export from Rhino to
Sketchup using a 3Ds fi le.
Export a 3ds fi le from
Sketchup and import to Rhino.
Use Meshtonurb or create a
dupborder of everything and
create faces.
Export from Rhino to Maya
using an IGES fi le.
export as a .dwg fi le from
Sketchup and import to
Maya.
Export from Rhino to 3DS
using an IGES fi le.
3DS Max opens Sketchup
fi les, but you need to have
all your objects with a given
material on the same layer
in Sketchup already.
Export as an .ai fi le. This
preserves your layers.
Export as a 2007 or earlier
.dwg, then follow AutoCAD
to Illustrator.
Export your 2D view to
AutoCAD and go from
there, export 3D renderings
as jpegs or pngs.
For 2D linework export
to AutoCAD and follow
‘AutoCAD to Photoshop’.
Open jpegs directly in
photoshop.
3D CAD imports as a mesh,
which you can’t edit. Select
in-place mass and import
the CAD fi le while editing the
mass.
Save as autocad 2007 and
open in Sketchup pro.
Export from the 3d view
as an ACIS, then open in
sketchup.
Save as autocad 2007 then
import to Maya
Export from the 3d view
as an ACIS, then open in
Maya
Autocad fi les open directly
in 3DS max
Export an FBX fi le, then
import into 3DS
Save as Autocad 2007
or earlier, then open in
Illustrator. Decide whether
to scale to artboard or
actual scale.
Export as a 2007 or earlier
.dwg, then follow AutoCAD
to Illustrator.
Import to illustrator,
then follow illustrator to
photoshop instructions.
Export your 2D view to
AutoCAD and go from
there, export 3D renderings
as jpegs or pngs.
export from:
AutoCAD
AutoCAD
Rhino
Rhino
Revit
Revit
Sketchup
Sketchup
Maya
3DS
Illustrator
Photoshop
12
Export from Maya to Rhino
using an iges fi le.
Export as a .dwg then follow
‘AutoCAD to Rhino’.
Export from Maya to Rhino
using an iges fi le, then follow
‘Rhino to AutoCAD’.
Export as a .dwg fi le.
Remember you can ‘live
trace’ raster images to
import jpegs into AutoCAD.
Export options from 3DS Max
design to AutoCAD include DWF,
DWG, and FBX.
Follow ‘Photoshop to Illustrator’,
then ‘Illustrator to AutoCAD.’
Sketchup Pro opens 3DS
fi les, so open it in Sketchup
and follow ‘Sketchup to
Revit’. Alternatively, go
through AutoCAD
Revit imports images onto
the layer, just use the import
button.
Export from 3DS to Rhino using
an iges fi le.
Follow ‘Photoshop to Illustrator’,
‘Illustrator to AutoCAD’, then
‘AutoCAD to Rhino’ to obtain
linework. Alternatively just import
the fl at image directly.
Export from 3DS to Maya
using an iges fi le.
For linework export to
Illustrator, then follow
‘Illustrator to AutoCAD’ and
‘AutoCAD to Maya’.
Export from 3DS to Sketchup
as a 3DS or Collada fi le
(.DAE)
For linework open in
illustrator, then follow
‘illustrator to AutoCAD’ and
‘AutoCAD to Sketchup’.
Export as a 2007 or earlier
.dwg, then follow AutoCAD to
Illustrator.
Use the ‘place’ tool (ctrl-d)
in illustrator to place a
photoshop fi le directly on the
artboard.
Export renderings as a
jpeg or png. Get plans and
sections from a design
program (revit, sketchup,
Rhino, etc.)
Uneccessary.
Follow ‘Maya to Rhino’, then
‘Rhino to Sketchup’.
Follow ‘Maya to Rhino’, then
‘Rhino to Sketchup’.
But why do you want the
headache? If you must,
export to rhino, then follow
‘rhino to revit’. The results
won’t be pretty.
Seriously? If you insist, try
going through AutoCAD, or
Rhino.
Export from Maya to 3DS
using an iges fi le.
It’s unclear what you’re
trying to accomplish, but try
going through CAD.
Follow Maya to Rhino, then
Rhino to AutoCAD, save as
a 2007 .dwg and open in
Illustrator.
Export as a .dwg then follow
‘AutoCAD to Maya’.
Export your 2D view to
AutoCAD and go from there,
export 3D renderings as
jpegs or pngs.
Photoshop can open .AI fi les
directly. Alternatively save
from illustrator as a .png.
Maya Illustrator Photoshop3DS
13
in defense of themad architect an opinion by catlan fearon
Architecture is a curious
profession, and one curiosity that has
always seemed astounding to me is
how fashionable it is to revile certain
architects. Usually considered
avant garde or associated with
deconstructivism, these architects
are renounced, reviled, and
lampooned by amateur critics as
“hacks”, “ego-centrists”, and “mad
scientists” of architecture and are
dismissively called “mad architects”.
Where their work should stand on
its own as proof of their talent and
importance in the architectural
discourse it is simply dismissed,
often solely by virtue of missteps in
craft, which would otherwise never
be attributed to an architect. Other
times they are dismissed simply
for aesthetic purp oses, which is
perhaps the most egregious and
hypocritical of all reasons to dismiss
an architect’s work.
There are several of these
mad architects who narrow minded
individuals tend to deride as useless
distractions. Frank O Gehry and
Zaha Hadid seem to be the two most
hated of these architects, yet the
defense of each is rather different.
Gehry, the more popularly derided
of the two, is easily explained. He
is merely a sculptor and is eternally
confused that people seem so eager
for him to design buildings, and he
goes about these commissions like
sculptures. This defense is quick and
neat, but not extremely interesting
for architectural discourse. Because
of this, the best candidate for
examination is Hadid.
Zaha Hadid’s work has been
criticized as egotistical, impractical,
expensive, over-designed, and ugly.
It is rather diffi cult to substantially
dismiss any of these critiques, as
some are correct, but I do think
it is possible to show that these
qualities are not out of character with
other venerated practitioners of our
profession. Indeed, I believe the best
example of a venerated architect who
shares her fl aws is Le Corbusier.
It seems almost expected
in our profession for the great
architects to be egomaniacal and
even venerated. Corbusier himself
was racist against Americans simply
because they preferred Frank Lloyd
Wright to him. He stopped talking to
his best friend because his best friend
dared decorate the house Corbusier
built for him. He was an egomaniac,
yet Le Corbusier’s continued
popularity proves that an ego is
“...these architects are renounced, reviled, and lampooned by amateur critics as “hacks”, “ego-centrists”, and “mad scientists” of architecture and are dismissively called “mad architects.”
14
not enough to rule someone out of
greatness.
And what of expense? I
highly doubt that anyone going into
Hadid’s offi ce to ask her for a design
is unaware that her designs are
costly to build, and if they are they
deserve to lose that money for their
shoddy research. But if a client is
willing to spend the money on a Zaha
Hadid building it is silly to get angry.
They have the money; let them have
the building they want.
The insistent critique of all
mad architects seems to be their
impracticality. This is hypocritical. If
a person derides the impracticality
of deconstructivists or avant garde
architects, and turns around and
praises Le Corbusier, one should
laugh in their face. Surely they aren’t
speaking of the same Le Corbusier?
His plan to fi x cities was to simply
tear them to the ground and hope the
inhabitants would simply cease to
exist until his monstrous towers could
be constructed. Of course Zaha
Hadid’s buildings are occasionally
impractical, but then again so is
living is a house made totally of
glass.
Zaha and architects like
her are important. They inspire
the average person to care about
architecture and be captivated by
it. They spark interest in architecture
and trigger discussion about function
and most of all form. Form is perhaps
the area in which the mad architect
is currently the most important. In
an era with new tools and more
powerful machines with which we can
calculate loads, structures, and costs,
unimaginable forms are now available
to architects.
If we are truly interested in
form, as I believe architects should
be, then we cannot afford to sneer
at those who experiment with them
like Zaha does. No universal force
declared functional minimalism to be
the perfect architectural philosophy,
and if we did not continually push
form, style and even taste to its
limits we would fail to advance in
the profession. Not all ambitious
buildings will be successes, of course,
but we will learn from the failures like
we learned from Corbusier’s failures,
and like he learned from the Beaux
Art’s, on and on ad infi nitum The
mad architect is the architect who
is not afraid to experiment, nothing
more and nothing less, and in them
we will fi nd the future of the art and
profession.
1515
on and off Texas A&M’s campus that
there is no reason for architecture
students not to give music a try.
Another great way to expand
on architectural design skills is to
learn and experience a new culture
for an extended period of time. Fully
understanding and experiencing a
new culture provides opportunity for
the visitor to think and live in differ-
ent ways. The exposure allows an
architectural designer to understand
a different set of priorities and cultural
values. For instance, my experiences
living with a Polish family in Krakow
for a month opened my eyes to the
Polish culture. Getting to know a new
culture is great practice for adapting
to a completely foreign environment
and making adjustments as needed.
The irrefutable connection
between architecture and all other
inspirational things create a special
bond between all types of artists.
As architecture students, we should
explore this bond in new ways. There
are a variety of opportunities that ex-
plore this bond and ultimately improve
on our design skills. As architecture
students we should take advantage
of every opportunity to explore things
such as music, experiencing a new
culture, and obtaining a greater un-
derstanding of art and its history so to
further develop our design skills and
artistic maturity.
For instance, learning to play
an instrument or to sing improves an
architect’s understanding of rhythm,
line, and detail. These concepts,
among many others, can be reen-
gineered and applied to an archi-
tect’s design. The idea of continuing
one thought or “line” into the next is
directly transferable into designing
structures. The level of detail and
focus required to play music can only
improve a designer’s eye for detail in
architecture. Furthermore, playing with
a group of musicians provides prac-
tice for team projects in the architec-
ture fi eld because it helps to further
teamwork development and quick
adaptation. My musical background
in fl ute and voice has helped my
architectural skills by providing both
inspiration and another way to think
and approach design. There are so
many musical opportunities available
15
BY TAMARA DRURY
16
As architecture students, we should
go travel and experience living in a
completely new environment so we
can be pushed to become stronger
and more independent people and be
inspired by new things that can rarely
be duplicated from a text book.
Going out and exploring
art and art history is another way to
inspire your design work. An archi-
tectural designer becomes a better
artist as they increasingly understand
and appreciate the work of the great
art masters. One way to understand
art is to personally produce it with a
paint brush or another art medium
and attempt to “get inside” the head
of a great master artist. The more an
architectural designer can “get inside”
the mind of art masters, the easier it is
to be inspired and be able to produce
signifi cant design work. There are
fabulous art museums both in Texas
and all over the world to serve as in-
spiration that all architecture students
should take the time to visit.
Music, experiencing new
cultures and exploring art all help de-
signers to essentially “tap” into deeper
levels of creativity. Architecture
students grow and develop as both
people and as artists when we are
stretched beyond the comfort zone
and pushed to try and explore differ-
ent cultures and forms of art. It is our
job to make use of these sources of
inspiration so we can ultimately reach
our potential as future architects.
“The level of detail and focus required to play music can only improve a designer’s eye for detail in architecture.”
17
Fashion can be thought of
as wearable form. This form can
include clothes, hair design or even
architecture. The practice of architec-
ture exists to create usable spaces.
Both architecture and fashion deal
with forms and are an expression of
one’s creative ideas. Understanding
how the two are related is imperative
because as designers we should use
fashion to express our creativity and
design skills.
Despite their similarities,
fashion and architecture have one key
difference. Fashion in general is less
embraced than architecture, not only
in American society but especially
Texas. Most of the time, people want
to blend in, not stand out. This can be
detrimental to designing the person
you want to be. What one wears
gives people an idea of who you are.
In order to be able to fully embrace
the idea of exploring ones personality
through fashion, one must understand
the importance of fashion.
These two design cultures
convey that design begins as an idea
and develops into a physical creation
that did not previously exist. “Fashion
and architecture have a dual demand:
aesthetics and practicality,” Junior,
Joshua Walker said. “Both have to
meet a practical need and are expect-
ed to do so with beauty.” This is the
defi ning overlap between these two
forms of design. As Dr. Campagnol
stated, “Fashion and architecture cre-
ate a skin.” Fashion creates a skin for
architect fashion BY AMANDA GARCIA
18
the body while architecture creates a
skin that defi nes space for its inhabit-
ants. This is something that designers
should think about.
The College of Architecture
has some of the most fashionable stu-
dents on A&M’s campus. Many people
from majors outside of architecture do
not believe in taking extra time to look
presentable for class. Students and
faculty in the department believe that
the reasoning behind dressing up for
class is driven by the fact that archi-
tecture is one of the few majors that
engage in one-on-one conversations
with professors every day. Architec-
ture students want to demonstrate that
even small desk critiques are impor-
tant. While students in the College of
Architecture appreciate the comfort
of casual dress, their dress habits in
class often set them apart from the
average student on campus.
The clear separation between
architecture students and the rest of
A&M is the accepting environment.
Architecture students embody the
creative gene on campus; they have
a greater understanding of the wide
spectrum of ideas. Because architec-
ture students have a keen eye for de-
sign, they are more likely to express
it not only though architecture, but in
the way they present and through the
type of clothing they wear.
Some may argue that profes-
sors does not really care whether one
dresses up for class or not. However
this is simply not true. According to
Professor Gabe Esquivel, “Fashion
is very important because fashion
is your personality…when students
come in looking all the same… it is
sort of a denial of your personality.”
He states that he has respect for stu-
dents that express their individuality
though the way they dress.
Fashion is a great eleva-
tor speech. You only have a few
seconds to make a lasting impres-
sion. The beauty with fashion is that
one does not have to say anything
to make that impression. There is
only one opportunity to make a fi rst
impression; fashion should be used to
your advantage.
When someone takes the time
to express themselves through the
way they dress, their confi dence goes
up. Their head is held a bit higher
and they stand up straighter. Both
professors and fellow students notice
this increased confi dence. “I honestly
think that if you look good, you feel
good. And this notion projects in your
attitude, whether you notice it or not,”
Junior, Yuliana Hernandez said.
Fashion is a way of expres-
sion and conveying to others ones
true identity. As a designer, one
should embrace creativity in order
for their true persona to be revealed.
Take the challenge of wearing some-
thing that is not normally worn on a
regular basis and embrace it. Let
the creative juices fl ow when get-
ting dressed in the morning. Design
an outfi t instead of grabbing the
fi rst thing in the drawer. The notice-
able difference will be well worth the
added effort.
19
pinterestThe DIY Bulletin Board
BY AMIE AKERS
store new ideas when they fi nd them,
and go look them back up when they
need them. This eliminates those
questions of, “Where’d I write that
down at?” or “What was that thing I
saw on that website that one time?”
Pinterest organizes this frenzy, allow-
ing the confusion to be sorted and
fi led into place according to each
individual’s desire, and in a world
where the individual is held above
the community, Pinterest continues to
grow and expand.
Sharing ideas is another rea-
son Pinterest is an asset to design-
ers. Modern society is full of informa-
tion, and the computers in people’s
pockets are constantly bombarding
their minds through media, music,
and internet. For this reason, trends
are constantly changing, and new
ideas are soon made into newer
ones. In order to keep up with a
shifting society, these ideas must be
shared and spread. Pinterest does
exactly that through constant up-
dates by society itself, posting new
favorite designs or color trends.
Not only does Pinterest
spread new ideas, but it takes the
user back to the source, be it a
website, blog, or journal. This allows
pinners to further investigate their
pins and expand their knowledge on
whatever subject they’re research-
ing, informing users of how reliable a
piece of information is, which brings
a sense of honesty to the website.
Nothing is assumed or falsely adver-
tised. Along with looking into other
pins, a user can create their own pins
and spread their own ideas on Pinter-
est. They can then give and receive
critical feedback through comments,
grasping the success of ideas and
where they need improvements.
Pinterest is a vehicle that
keeps up with the constant change in
the world, because members of soci-
ety are behind the wheel, controlling
the speed and direction of change. It
is one of the most reliable ways to stay
updated on what’s important to spe-
cifi c groups of people or personalities,
and it gives its users control over their
own style and ideas.
Holiday decorations, cupcake
recipes, nursery ideas, and an array of
“mommy things” are what immediately
come to mind when someone men-
tions Pinterest. Unfortunately, most
people are misled by this idea and
miss out on the opportunities Pinterest
provides for all kinds of artistic per-
sonalities. Pinterest is a tool architects
and designers can and should use
to keep track of ideas, inspirations,
techniques, trends, and sure, maybe a
few cupcake recipes too.
Among Pinterest’s many
subjects, architecture, art, design,
photography, illustrations, posters,
and countless other applicable topics,
is an array of creative and diverse
projects to look at and learn from. The
broad range of ideas and the way
they are organized sets Pinterest apart
from other websites. What’s great
about Pinterest is that it is organized
around the user, and in today’s world,
driven by a “do it yourself” mentality,
Pinterest is a powerful tool.
Pinterest’s users create their
own accounts that can be organized
into their favorite or most useful sub-
jects. Under these subjects, they can
20
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21
One of Webster’s Dictionary defi ni-
tions of sleep is “to cease being
awake.” Sleep, then, means that you
are unconscious. The defi nition is
understandable but the only problem
with this is that you can’t really work
on your studio project when you’re
asleep. This seems a little counter-
productive, so why even bother with
the hassle of sleeping? As they say,
“all play and no work makes Jack a
dull boy.” Or something like that. We
must keep working; we don’t want to
be dull after all.
A quick Google search can
bring up a multitude of studies on
sleep. A lot of these studies say
that getting 8 hours of sleep equals a
healthy, well-rested person. Although,
when they say 8 hours of sleep,
perhaps it means 8 hours of sleep
per night and not 8 hours of sleep
per week, but I’m not exactly sure.
Somehow, we are still able to function
no matter what defi nes sleep for us.
It could just be all the coffee that we
drink. We go through a lot of coffee.
Or maybe even the fear of having
the Hulk smash our projects during a
review. Either way, we forcibly keep
our eyes open with tape or propping
them with basswood sticks. These
work well but banging our heads on
the desks is just as effective. Then
They say architects have their
own jargon, which, of course, is true.
We throw around these words in our
critiques so we can one up the person
that went before us. Words like:
parti, tectonic, poche, axial, material-
ity, etc. Our vocabulary has gotten
a bit cluttered so we’ve had to make
a little room for our new intellectual
vocabulary. Our architecture jargon
has replaced words like: sleep, bed,
napping, and well-rested to name
but a few. There simply isn’t enough
space for these words anymore, so
throwing them out the window is the
most sensible thing to do.
Let’s examine the word sleep.
hindsightBY ALEXANDER GOESSLER
22
it’s back to work. Sleep goes hand in
hand with bed. But if we’ve thrown
out sleep why not throw out bed too?
If nothing else it’ll make more room in
our vocabulary books.
In all of the furniture that is
designed the piece that receives
the least attention seems to be the
bed. It’s always a chair, or a desk, or
an end table, but never a bed. This
isn’t because we don’t like designing
beds; it’s just that we don’t know what
they are. Designing something you’re
not familiar with gets diffi cult even
for the greats. It’s a good thing that
our professors don’t make us design
beds. That would be ironic, and aw-
ful. We should just stick with chairs,
desks, and end tables. No reason to
get too ambitious. Not even the most
thorough vocabulary could aid us in
presenting a bed. I’d rather go on
with no sleep than have a bad review
anyways.
As architecture students
we tend to take a little joy in brag-
ging about how little sleep we’ve
had in the past week. So no matter
how tired you are there is always
the summer to look forward to but
that’s always too far away. No time
for thinking about summer, there’s a
project to be done. In our attempts
to climb to the top of our intellectual
ambitions we must make some room.
What better place to start than improv-
ing our daily vocabulary and removing
activities that are completely unnec-
essary. Perhaps sleep is where we
should all begin this journey.
FOR THE ARCHITECTURE STUDENT:1. Master your speaking skills as you master your design skills. Don’t use ‘talkitecture’, just tell the story of your design.2. Remember the sun still exists.3. Learn to fl ip the switch between work and play, and do it regularly.4. Sleep, while a scheduling nuisance, is mandatory. Especially if you don’t want to cut off your fi ngers
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