3/19/15 Week 9 Day 2

Today we turned in our final copy of the model we created. We discussed the meaning of quality; often things that are considered to have artistic value are viewed as being subjective in nature when being judged, but some pieces of work obviously have higher quality than others, a metaphysical something that crosses craftsmanship with achievement of purpose.

3/17/15 Week 9 Day 1

Today we visited Campustown, an area of the campus that is mostly made up of Green Street from Wright to about Fourth. It holds many restaurants and apartments for students. Some time ago it was reinvented by a group of students who took surveys and put up new measures to ensure that Campustown would be a pleasant destination for students and campus visitors alike. To the surprise of some, surveys showed that the area nearest Wright Street was considered the "nicer" portion of Campustown, with quality declining as one moved further to the west. Based off of that observation, the group of students tried to make the rest of the area feel more closed in and more on level with pedestrians. Gone were the days of Green Street being merely a way to get from the outer portion of Champaign to the campus as quickly as possible. Smaller awnings, mostly two-story buildings, creative streetlamps, and larger sidewalks made Campustown a destination for many.

 As we move further west down Green Street, the area begins to feel less closed in. There are taller buildings, apartments built in hopes of attracting students after the university's announcement that they would tear down many of the dorms.

 Many of the buildings around Campustown were once single family houses. When the area became a popular spot for businesses the houses were often never torn down, the business (including Firehaus) were simply built around or in front of the homes such as the one to the right.

As we near and eventually cross Fourth Street we come across a bike path that was meant to be the beginnings of a green space behind the buildings on the north side of Green Street. The businesses were to become double fronted, but the idea never took hold so the bike path became a forgotten remnant of a promising idea.

3/12/15 Week 8 Day 2

Today we discussed our models for the second time and traded them with other students so that we could work on a model that was not our own, fix any mistakes they missed, and gain new ideas for our own model.

3/10/15 Week 8 Day 1

 Today our class explored Downtown Champaign starting at the train station and looping around through streets of businesses and a park back to where we started.

We first visited a large City Building, steadfast and strong looking it was built to look official and to lend an air of respect to the newer (in relation to Urbana) city of Champaign, once called West Urbana.

 We then made our way to the streets of Champaign dedicated to business. This area of the city was once made to encourage only foot traffic; Champaign was one of the later cities to catch onto the fad of the time of trying to create a space in which pedestrians could roam freely. The idea was eventually widely discarded in light of the fact the people still needed to drive from their homes to get to the area.

Walking down Park Avenue, we eventually came to (predictably enough) a park. This park, surrounded by churches and a library, served as a gathering place for church-goers after meeting on Sunday mornings.

Park Avenue is the most common street name in America

 We also came across what once was a Post Office, built to look strong and professional because, as a federal building, it was supposed to represent the government's presence and protection. The steps, leading up to an entrance made to look grand, could host friendly games and conversations and could serve as a gathering area for citizens.

The News Gazette is also an important part of the city

3/5/15 Week 7 Day 2

Today was the day of the Architecture Career Expo. Our task was to interview at least one booth and to gain information about what it is like to work at their company. I ended up interviewing two, the first a small company of about 30 people and the second a much larger corporation with branches throughout the US and Canada.

First I interviewed ARCON Associates, a company dedicated to designing schools for grades K-12. Their core values are hard work, reliability, and teamwork. The team member that ran the booth said that his favorite part of work with ARCON was that the 30 member team was very collaborative and family-oriented.

Secondly I interviewed Humphrey and Partners Architects, a much bigger company based in Dallas, Texas, but with branches throughout the US and Canada. They design residential living areas such apartments and hotels. They employ people from all areas of architecture including landscape and came to U of I because they felt that U of I students have a good mix of creativity and technical skill.

When looking for future employees for their company, they do look at GPA but value attitude, hands-on experience, creativity, communication skills, their portfolio, and their demonstrated understanding of the field above GPA.

3/3/15 Week 7 Day 1

Today we visited BIF, the Business Instructional Facility, and discussed the various ways buildings can be more friendly to the environment, more effective with their resources, and gain LEED certification.

BIF has large windows that take up nearly an entire wall, bringing in plenty of light during a sunny day. A second radiator has to be placed halfway up the windows in order to help keep out the cold.

 In order to gain more LEED points, BIF has bike racks in order to encourage biking to the facility. The points can only be gained, however, if there are showers for the bikers to use inside the facility. BIF therefore spent thousands of dollars on shower facilities because of the campus's dedication to having as many LEED certified buildings as possible.

These photos show a piece of the roof that is allowed to grow plants in an effort to be more green. The area is probably too small to gain a point toward being LEED certified, though.

This roof of this section of the building is covered with solar panels, but during the winter they are not very effective since a solar panel is only as efficient as its least efficient square. In the photo to the left nearly all of the panels are partially covered in snow, bringing the efficiency to almost zero.

The Business Instructional Facility has a small area outside that was meant to be a natural garden in which plants could grow with little maintenance. Many complained about the aesthetics of this area though, thinking it appeared messy or over grown, and it was changed into the average courtyard to be mowed and tended to. 

2/26/15 Week 6 Day 2

view through the entry into the main volume

view through the entry into the side volume

Today we discussed and improved upon the models we built.

my model