reflecting on Rural Studio

The Rural Studio was a great experience in many aspects. Although in order to select one moment, I must think environmentally. The most successful project or componet of a project was the grey water collection system at the baseball park. This project stood out to me for a few reasons, 1) second year studio we focused on water and designed a project that reacted to water 2) I have heard of the importance of collecting grey water, but I had never seen it done.

This is a system that will be included in hopefully every building I ever design. I still think all the water from the roof should have drained into the two reservoirs, but the system they had is a good start. Also, could the water have been used for more things than just flushing the toliets?

Lighting up Clemson

Light-Emitting Roof Tiles
The roof has historically focused on one primary function: keeping out the elements. New technologies, as present in Light-Emitting Roof Tiles, allow the integration of additional functions within roof surfaces. Manufactured by Lambert Kamps, the transparent roof tiles are integrated light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and designed to display text, pictures, and other graphical content in multiple colors. Information may also be animated, such as with an illuminated news trailer. Light-Emitting Roof Tiles also come with their own self-supporting solar-photovoltaic power system. [Contact: Lambert Kamps, Groningen, The Netherlands.]
Labels: 07, interfacial, light, roof, tile

a reflection of an impacted comminity

The most meaningful aspect of our two projects to me would be the affect they have on the people which have to live with them. If I felt that this project was intended for me, or was going to be placed (constructed) in my backyard, it would have to fit my lifestyle. It would conform to my needs and desires, fit my body and speak my language. On the other hand, this project is not for me. It will be influenced, constructed, and designed by me, which means the intensity will be the same as if it was for me, although these project will have to at least attempt to give the community what it needs. And I feel that trying to find out or discover what the community needs in order to design something special which works in their communitys is the most important aspect of the projects.

The impact and ingagement with the community for me will be quite interesting. I am outspoken and often rendered as strange. The community will get to know me, hopefully if there is enough time so they can begin to understand me. Some of the members of Pendleton's community have already seen me photographing, which is good I think because the more I am recognized the easier it will be to start to communicate.

I believe the most difficult aspect of the project is being an architect. An architect to me carefully considers what the client, patron, or community needs, wants, or desires and then puts a spin on that. If the community needs a pinic table for example, maybe an architect is not needed. But if the community wants a designed table which can or should possibly do much more, then this is the responsibility of an architect. It is the balance between what the community needs but also what the community might not know or understand that they can have by taking risks.