The All Nighter

Do’s

1. Clean burnt edges of laser cut material. All that ash can pile up and the last thing u want are black edges and ashy fingers.

2. Never us a plastic straight edge when using an exacto. I have seen kids use a piece of aluminum angle iron as a finger protector. Do not use this because your cut will not come out perpendicular. Instead weld two pieces of angle iron to form an upside down “t” and put cork underneath ur hybrid. This will protect ur fingers and create a perpendicular cut. 

3. When making solid models out of layers always make a jig. The more complex the solid form the more likely you need a jig. Keep in mind that after a thousand layers of chipboard and glue this would create an excess of thickness. For example if your expected form is 5” high, odds are it might turn out half an inch taller. So think ahead.

4. When making thousands of the same model piece, think “What would how it’s made do it?” Watching hours of mass manufacturing random ass shit on cable television can actually give you time saving ideas. 

5. Wear latex gloves or constantly clean your hands when gluing. Don’t fucking eat while your making a model. 

6. Clamps and weights of all sizes and shapes are fucking money.

7. Use a very sharp edge like an old exacto to clean of excess glue. Even wiping excess glue with a slighty wet paper towel would prevent the shine caused by left over glue

8. Use a glue with a lesser moisture content. I think tacky original white is the shit. 

9. Minimal super glues, crazy glues, gorilla glues and quick setting agents. Too much makes your model smell like Charlie Sheens hotel room after a four day chemical bender minus the bodily fluids. 

10. Materials on a model are very important so make sure you chose them wisely. Since a model is a representation of a something, the materials are too…don’t just make a model out of plexi cause it looks sweet, you will get torn apart for it

Don’t

1. Do not make an over detailed model if you weren’t asked to or it does not propel the overall idea of your project. Crafts nice but I don’t need to buy tiny LED lights of fucking model the grout between bricks.

2. Do not ask for help unless it is a class site model. Only one person should have their eyes and hands on a model. 

3. Do not use foam core as a model material. That shit is only for making simple molds and initial massing models.

4. Do not use hot glue. Just don’t fucking use it.

5. Do not use an acrylic blade for acrylic unless the piece is bigger than 8.5”x11”

6. Do not over use solder  because you think it might strengthen your model. Just don’t suck at soldering. 

7. Never Fucking use scissors to cut materials…ever!

8. Do not use tape for models except for early study model, it looks like shit

9  Don’t make a model that shows the exact same information as your drawings, this will be a huge waste of time.  Make sure your model shows something new…like form or light for example.

10. Don’t obsess over craft.  In my experience, a finished model that’s gets the idea across is always better than a half finished beauty.  It took me a long time to figure this out but just find the easiest way to make the thing and go.  This is especially true in later years when your drawings will do most of the talking. 

Thats all I can think of for now. I’m going home.

I bought mine at Hyatts…you can also find them a Pearl Paints or pretty much any art supply store.  If you don’t have one near you check out their website

We actually offer personal tours for free!!!

Yes because we were trained to feel a certain way towards particular things just like any other profession. Just like how a computer geek would get a raging boner from the newest graphics cards from ATI (an architecture student would to) or how a mechanic goes bananas over a new fuel injection system for cars. 

In terms of a gradient for design I really can’t say. Haters gonna hate and lovers gonna love but I’m going to have to say none of the above. It’s much like politics because some people just hate the architect behind it or a particular critic was shaped/taught a certain way to perceive architecture much like how schools mold students into designing a particular way. I think one can tell a shitty design but its gotta be a steaming pile of horse shit. Like a fucking elevation that looks like a kindergartens drawing of their house with the chimney bad. 

As for the Exeter Library, yes that is a good piece of work. I think it’s because Kahn respected his program and most importantly respected his materials. If your really think about it the man only had a handful of projects and died broke… broke but with a persistence that never faltered. He refined his design, thought of all the angles (figurative not literal), made meticulous and in some cases subtle moves that paid off in the end. An example would be the Kimbell Art Museum. 

But now back to if the common person can tell. It really depends on what questions u ask. If I ask a random New Yorker what they think about 41 Cooper by Mayne they would just say “Cool”. I would agree but I fucking hate the back side because it falls short. If I were to ask them about the crumpled piece of aluminum foil tower called Beckman Tower by Gehry they would say “Cool”. I guess its hard to find the monumental architecture that would survive several centuries because these days we all have to sell “Cool” in America. 

Isn’t Vue 9 for landscapes and nature? No I never used it but I can imagine renders in a particular setting would look fantastic over photoshopping in shit. 

I don’t actually own the book but I have looked through it. Surprisingly I thought I was going to read a lot of dated things but it’s applicable to what most of us are doing now with the exception of many new technology based jokes. 

I never really used CAD for 3D stuff. I think I only used it when I needed a 3D print because the print software was a little wonky when you used Rhinoceros. 

GRE’s are easy. Just take it the summer before you apply to grad school.I would say work in an office before you take the leap.

My mother land!!!!! The only buildings that come to mind are Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai Exchange Building (bottle opener building). But you must must must must must eat Soup Dumplings and Fried Soup Dumplings. Xiao Lung Bao and Xiang Jiang Mantao. Best food I ever ate in my life. I would seriously kill people to have these. 

Those people are fucking idiots. Pour coffee on their heads or laptops immediately. 

Well almost 80% of them flocked to Grad school right after undergrad including myself. As of now very few of them have a full time job with a firm because of their commitment to school. I’m not going to lie it’s going to be tough. You have to be willing to migrate and your job search has to be as intense as the effort you put into studio. Thus while you are unemployed you have to wake up and bulldoze through the day chasing down leads, forwarding all your information and repeat. 

In terms of the field of architecture, jobs are starting to come in, the recession hit us hard but we are healing. But I don’t think architecture would fully recover for another five years. I say this because everyone in Grad school will graduate and the flood gates will be released also in our line of work the retirement age is only getting older. “There are too many people in the world.. we need a new plague.” -Dwight Schrut.

I think as long as you show a lot of enthusiasm towards his research and can give your ideas in a respectful manner you can totally work with that staff member. An even sneakier way is to find a competition where the research can be used and push for working with him or her.