Make your sections Prehistoric

Sick of CAD? Have a review soon but you don't really care what your reviewers think and want to stick it to them? Then throw some Dino's in there!

Download

There are some other pretty handy blocks on the site as well so go wild!

The Late Night

It is 3:20am in beautiful Houston. Many of us are partaking in one of the staples rituals of architecture school, the late night. There seems to be something special about the night. More work just gets done. Some very important equipment are seen in the photographs below, most of which are necessities of pulling a successful late night work session. First of all, hydration is extremely important, water bottles kept at the desk is a constant reminder to take some sips of water at regular intervals. Secondly, headphones block out external noise while pumping music. It is sometimes important to keep external headphone noise low, as it may be embarrassing when your studio mates find out that you've been listening to Lady Gaga non-stop for the past four hours because theres something about her catchy tunes that makes you work at unprecedented speeds. Lastly, caffeine is important to keep alert and awake. Coffee and tea are favorites, but exploring other options is highly encouraged. Successful late night working can be extremely productive. Even when it doesn't, it often results in some fun and memorable sleep deprived conversations.

At my own desk

Harmony

Harmony

Harmony is a really cool sketching tool. Play around with it for a bit and watch the lines interact with each other. The creator is playing around and most likely implementing new brushes sometime in the near future. It's a fun time whenever you're bored or need some abstract inspiration.

paris post: spirals stairs

Getting off the plane in Paris, one of the first things I noticed in the airport was the spiral staircase. From what it seems to me, the spiral staircase is something seen more in Europe than here in the states. The spiral itself is beautiful in form. From the bottom step to the top, there is a continuity of motion missing in switchback stairs. Like the Parisian roundabout, the spiral stairs solve the issue of circulation, but on a human scale.On a multistory spiral staircase, each landing diverts motion but does not pause it. Like a roundabout, cars getting out on each street does not stem the flow of the roundabout itself.

Inside a house facing a covered walkway

Charles de Gaulle airport

While many spiral staircases have beautiful sweeping curves and a dizzying central atrium, others show the versatility of the style. In the chapels and cathedrals of Paris, spiral staircases are fit into the tightest of places. When moving into the staircases, one feels the space getting squeeze down. In one moment you are in a space large enough to fit a twenty story building, then your cramped into a space where you cannot even throw up your arms without knocking into something. Instead of an atrium alluding to the size of stair, the stairs seems to suck itself into a singularity. You don't know when they end because you can't see when they end.  

Inside Sainte Chapelle

At the end of these tight staircases, the space you stumble out onto seems all the larger. After being squeezed for a disorienting amount of time, one's eyes dart straight up, sizing up the full volume of the new space. This contrast highlights the extremes of volume in the two spaces. Moving from one to the other, feelings of elevation and claustrophobia is increased by this juxtaposition.  

Stairs are always intriguing to see. They serve the need of vertical movement while at the same time become something decorative and inviting. Where as some are purely utilitarian, many are designed to go far beyond that. Like the designer chair, the designed staircase elevates something in its essence is a tool into an object of beauty and elegance. 

and we're coming back

rawrchitecture has completed our foray into paris. we will soon be on a plane headed home. follow up with us for the next few weeks for what we hope to be copious amounts of quality posts.