When studying architecture you need "face time", to sit down with lecturers and discuss your assignments. We have good ones, they make time for us at least once a month (if you make an appointment and prioritize! so that you can make the sessions, I need a session or two!) and reply quite quickly to your emails.
(Blackberry sucks. You don't have to go into your office to check your emails...people always bothering you. It's good for work I guess, but when people start emailing late at night because they can...seriously...office hours are over. It's your bedtime! )
Block week...Day 1 - A brief introduction to a project and accompanying essay due within block week. Then who wants to present their Hub project first. I jump up to be first. Well that did not exactly happen. So we mark our names on a class list to see who actually pitched. Then decide from there on that the first twenty names will have to present. My last name starts with an S, so I'm always safe. I fell into the second group, which should have given me more time to perfect my presentation, but the nerves got the best of me yet again. The lecturer overseeing the presentations was really great in trying to make it seam not as bad, by asking questions and making encouraging comments.
*Thanks Hermie :) *
Day 2 - Site visits galore...well 3 of them in 6 hours. Khayelitsha, Harare (No, not Zimbabwe, off Spine rd somewhere) and Elgin (Grabouw)
The first school was very hard and cold looking. The only space that had some comfort was the school library, which was too small to cater to all the children in my opinion. It was suppose to "green", sustainable, low maintenance. Who said low maintenance had to be that low? Unpainted concrete, unpainted steel sheeting, low circular planters in "courtyards" that were not very well distinguished or defined. The spaces do not flow and if you're designing for children mostly shouldn't certain features be scaled so that children could make use of it...Good thing I didn't mention the name of it in the beginning. The people in the community are grateful for the building but the building does not respond to the community and it's needs.
Next one!
A library that caters for toddlers to adults, like all good libraries should!
With an excellent kids play/reading room with a partly enclosed play area just outside, with faux grass :) Huge laminated timber beams, mosaics made by the community, really useful spaces created unlike the first place on our list. It was good to see the building being used the way it should be, adults and children occupying the space.
Lastly, St. Michaels Multi-grade school. I've been there before, but saw it differently because we were looking to solve a different problem. The school will be given a new kitchen area because they need the class currently occupied as a kitchen. On site today, we had to measure up 2 areas that were not really being used and will hopefully in future be given a new function. Current main ideas would be creating adequate seating and sheltered areas.
Anyway, back to writing my essay!
*sara
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