Desert Beginings!

I just want to say that these desert omniscient drawings are coming out looking very very nice! Even better then what I was imagining.. which is always most desirable!

Potential D4 Seminars?

In general, concerning the final products of garage, I noticed certain deficiencies in fundamentals.

Physical Model:

1. Most models seemed very abstract and planar, and this construction technique does not explore certain structural realities nor do they explore smaller details relative to construction, body, and program.

Drawing:

2. The images used in the construction of the Photoshop collage were not worked enough in the program or taken in a crisp enough way to use as raw material.

I propose we could host both a Photography and Model Tectonics seminar

Maybe we bring in materials and try building something quick and have them also make some sketch models. I also think bringing in a camera and showing them how to take crisp images and navigate Photoshop's camera raw options would be very helpful and potentially make them more competitive with their peers

1st slightly negative comment

Ok professor so I've been thinking of something... more harsh to bring to the blog about the class. There are some things that maybe need to be addressed about the garage results. The models turned out good I think but they did not have a process oriented feel to them.. in most cases, not all. I'm not thinking in terms of craft but more in terms of ideas pulling through a period of time in which they can be adapted and altered. That is one problem that I felt towards the end of the process.. just trying to be a little negative.. it's a process though!

Final Drawings

I think Bender was right, the composite drawings were quite successful for the most part. I feel this is encouraging because I know that most people struggle with finding "space" in a 2-D world. I know I struggle with these concepts and techniques now so its good to see that they are getting their feet wet now. Many portfolios dont have enough 2-D exploration/ speculation, hopefully they will continue to work these for future implementation into their portfolios.

That was a good class discussion today! I enjoyed having a little more direct input into the class! Allowing the class to see each others struggles is always beneficial I believe. Even though Joey's issues are a little different from the rest of the classes I think talking about it in front of them got them thinking a bit more. Of course they were all exhausted so who knows how much they were really thinking! I was wondering if the class could one day critique each others work. I would like to maybe hear what they have to say about each others projects.. maybe Wednesday to give each other the information they need to finalize or make some changes?

Class Progression

Hey! This is my first post ever!!

I went in to see how the students are handling the assignment late last night and in my opinion, most seem to be in a similar place. They are struggling with making there ideas. This is a constant battle that I think we all face in design but I think there number 1 issue as of right now is bringing the ideas that they have about grafting into a tangible form. They have had plenty of time to respond to Professor Bender and the TA's comments. I'm not sure about the time line but I know they could use a little push! When I talked to them they knew what they wanted so I tryed to give them some hints at what direction to continue in. For example, Levi has a really interesting detail model that, by now, has clearly helped him think about the construction of the horizontal plans... clearly! So before Wednesdays class I suggested for him to create two more developing ideas about ground and stereotomics. He never made the other two.. but he has taken the idea of experimentation and developed some interesting studies that, according to him have helped. So I think talking with Levi did help him just not in the way I had thought and maybe a not as effective way. Last night he was developing the "floors" with ease thanks to his bigger study model and then he got stuck.

-Corey

Ground Work

So, I'm curious and perhaps I should have asked this earlier but you want the students to manipulate the ground, correct? Is that just restricted to within the 20 feet past the garage? or the field? I ask since part of the program involves the podia, thinking about the marching band, etc, shouldn't they be working the field as well since the marching band is out IN the field. I feel that not addressing the field is a bit of a missed opportunity, especially when I think about the connection from the field to the garage. How do I arrive? How do I enter? Am I pulled in spatially or kept out? Anyway, just some thoughts......not sure if there legitimate or not

Evaluation of the work of the studio:

We will write on the following topics:

• Level of understanding of students
• Pace of work
• Rigor of work
• Products of studio
• Diagrammatic
• Experiential
• Descriptive /Analytical
• Digital /manual

Teaching tools under examination:

• Assignments (periodic projects and daily work)
• Text/imagery/sound (literary work or other cultural products such as photography, painting, film and music when regarded as an object of critical analysis)
• Manipulatives (Any of various objects designed to be moved or arranged by hand as a means of understanding abstractions, especially in mathematics)
• Tools/technologies (manual, digital)
• ...and finally, verbal guidance 
  These will also be the labels we use to tag posts.