My latest sketchbook (Cover)

In my third year, I find it wholly important to have a personal space to keep your thoughts, not as a diary, but as a pocket-sized brain catalog.
On the cover is a small spiritual zone on a hill in a forest. To me, that is somewhere I can go to dream for a day. If not inside the box, it can be outside in endless nature. What lies beyond in the darkened sky? Only the pages know...

Pocket-sized Sketchbook- Gel Pen sketches.

Less than a week before Final Crit (Design 3)

This is me procrastinating different projects because they all want to be finished RIGHT NOW!

So instead, I'm just going to say what's due and what's my plan...

For Design, I need to stretch my building to the farthest extents of the project boundary line (about 40 feet West and South). And then I need to finish building the 1/2" scale detail section model. All the pieces are cut (I hope) it just needs to be glued together and some pieces need to be manufactured.
The drawings need to be finalized by Friday morning the latest. And Plotted.
Finally, the last 1/16" scale building model and structure model need to be built. and a tiny 1/32" model for the site.

This all before Monday morning. I know, it doesn't sound like a lot, but I've lost the ability to sit down and build models. I prefer doing drawings mostly.


For Environmental Systems I, I need to draw up the Passive house section and some water calculations.

That's all.

It's just a matter of getting off the internet after this post and getting to work for the next 72 hours.

Why I Chose Architecture (and other tidbits of news...)

I'm a bit behind in posting, mostly because of being super busy with school and holidays at the same time. But with the recent news I've shared with family, friends and neighbors, and now with you, that I've been accepted to the 5 year B.Arch program at NYIT; I've been asked this little question that's difficult to share with strangers thus, I wanted to put it out here where anyone can read.

What made me choose Architecture?

It started in high school after I switched schools, that I began to ask myself 'what makes me happy?' what do I enjoy doing?
At the time, my first answer was Comic Book Artist. After looking into I'd found that it's incredibly hard to break into the career. So I moved on to the next best thing: 3D Computer Artist and I'd begun learning how to use Blender, and tried modelling different things including myself. I'd learned a lot over the year, but then gave it up as I'd moved onto writing and story telling, my mother had even given me some Writers Digest magazines, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It involved tips on writing and how to create mysteries and intriguing dialogue. I was eating all of this up, but what didn't sit right were the words from my grandfather: "There's no money in that."

Apparently money is a big deal as you're growing up, and as I see it now it really is, but it's not the most important thing.

Because of this I started looking into lucrative careers, I was only 15 at the time. I knew I didn't want to be a doctor, it wasn't in my future. I liked math and I was doodling every day in school. So I wanted a job that allowed me to draw every day, help people, and possibly tell stories. It came down to two options: Engineer or Architect.

At this time, the internet had relatively little information to give about Architecture, what it is, and sometimes I look and see that it hasn't changed.

The description for 'Engineer' told me that I needed to learn all of the sciences including Chemistry. I HATE CHEMISTRY! That was the major turn off. Most of the information taught about chemistry is it's history, useless things for moving forward.

The description for 'Architecture' said I need I needed to be an expert at almost everything and be able to use technology. After I had given it some thought, I began researching shuls (synagogues) as my base point for understanding architecture.

I feel that until I'd decided to do that, the local library that hosted at the time maybe 4-5 books on synagogues was never touched. Now it has almost 20 books on synagogues and the books on architecture is growing in the library. Anyway, I was constantly researching and was sold on the idea. I even looked into schools within New York to apply to.

My main goal was to become an architect to builds shuls and homes in hopes to revive the old European designs that I found were the perfect places of spirituality and prayer.

But I think that covers why I chose Architecture...

Anyway, thanks for reading dear reader, and I hope to start posting more again-- I mean there is SO MUCH happening right now, and I know I promised pictures... They're coming. Just need to sort and edit them at some point.

~Architalmud

Final Presentation - Design II - The Fire Urn

Hey reader!

I've been busy, trying to get myself together for the summer. Got a lot to take care of like putting the portfolio together for the B.Arch application.
But I'm here to reminisce about the final presentation before I forget all about it.

The week of, the professor was really excited about my project and assured me that all I need to change were some drawings and little fixes for my 1/4" scale model. So I did. Most of Thursday I spent putting a quick animated walkthrough together for the powerpoint presentation. The powerpoint was supposed to be 5 minutes max, but at the rate I was giving it at home, it was taking 8-10 minutes to make it through.

So the morning of the final, I had went to sleep around one, packed a box and my garbage bag for the models, and had left my boards in my school locker on Wednesday. Everything was prepared, so I decided I would be once of the first three to present.

Up until the final moments before we officially began, I watched as guest critics walked by our projects and STOPPED BY MINE for long periods of time to examine my boards. It was flattering for the most part, but it made me nervous, 'What do they see that I missed?'
Of course the obvious piece missed was the little rendered figure of my professor hidden in my section render... When he saw that during the presentation, his face got all red and he started laughing. He looks to me and says, "Nooo! You didn't!" before pointing it out to the guest critics and saying I get and automatic A..

We had FOUR guests, I did not catch any of their names. Anyway, the first two presentations got picked apart because they were solely based on construction designs, while mine was a full concept.

As I sat down before the laptop to begin the powerpoint, I looked at the female guest, smiled widely and said HI! She smiled back and asked if I would begin. At this point, with all the practice I had put into the the previous day repeating my shpeil, I started rambling quickly about the context, the process, my concept, the design phases and the Louis Kahn inspirations.
They stopped me when I reached the concept image of a greek urn. They were curious because my project actually used the negative space to define the urn mostly.
Soon the 5 minutes were up, and everyone was together by my boards as the guests picked the idea apart.

I was eating up their critique, because I've learned to take note and try to understand what would make the project better. For some reason, during critiques, my face probably looks depressed as I'm learning from what they're saying so from Greta to Diamond the these new guest critics, they had to reassure me that what they were saying wasn't bad. Which I knew! But my face read otherwise.

To quote, "We aren't saying all these things because we don't like it. On the contrary, we like it very much and that's why we're saying all these things!" ~Female Critic

Each critic tried to take a turn because they had so much to say. One drew on the boards, others tried to illustrate with their hands. One related it to a prison.
The most important line was from the female critic, she said,
"We see that you have pulled all of these individual moments from your inspiration and put them all together, but which part of this project is YOU?"

The critique soon finished after that, and I was really happy with how it went. Like SUPER HAPPY! There were applause from the class, there had been some laughter in the middle. The professor had blushed. It was an amazing 10-15 minutes.

And I know I promised photos. I will put them up eventually... Probably after I finish the portfolio...

Thanks for reading, dear reader :)
~ArchiTalmud

Project 3 - Concept Write-up

The concept for my design was originally a burning farmhouse, this led to the original formation of the program distribution. However, the idea of fire is a semi-physical and spiritual concept with many things to learn from. The fire inside is what drives humans to move forward. The beauty of fire is that, much like water, when you combine two flames together they become one. When you gather many people together, as is the case when you have a collection of EMS and FDNY members, a great fire emerges (not just body heat). During the summer, it is imaginable to see a group of people surrounding a bon fire that dances up to the sky; moving with the wind, smoothly dancing as embers fly away and fade into the night.

How do you hold fire, how can you keep it contained? In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans used fire urns that they used to light temples and cities at night. These urns were of varying sizes, there were Olympian scaled urns that would burn for a week straight. And then there were smaller urns that were more personal.

I wanted to incorporate the urn into the building. It would not be suitable in the city context to have an urn shaped building. So it was decided that the urn would be the negative space through the lower half of the building, and the dancing flame is the communal area above it. This is where the EMS or FDNY members could dance or play and recuperate from a shift before they run out again.

Flames need fuel, humans need fuel. Air or oxygen is essential for fires to survive. Thus the roof is only a bare container with the sides open to air. Much like a chimney, smoke will travel upward, the energy used will travel out. It needs to leave. The negative and tired energy of members needs a place to exit. This is where the kitchen, the food and fuel source of the members exists.

A Classical and Picturesque Analysis

The Turku City Library, by JKMM Architects, is located in the historical center of the town in Turku, Finland. The adjacent buildings all have major historical backgrounds, including the old library down the road. The Turku City Library was a contemporary addition to the neighborhood in 2007. The idea for it was to harmonize with the old and the new; to do this the architects had to use an existing grid created by the adjacent buildings. Within this grid, the library buildings would be organized into the neighborhood.
In general, libraries are created with a classical order, especially in the context that the Turku City Library is in, it required a bit of the classical approach. The interior used European Oak for the wall furnishing and furniture to create a singular effect.
The library is divided into three sections, with an entire wall spanning and pushed toward the corner edge of the block (as seen on the plan). This allowed for an open courtyard and area for cultural events. The first and second floors are entirely for public use, equipped with a reception area, lounge, reading rooms and ‘The News Room’ which is used as a segue between the new and old buildings. The third floor houses some of the staff rooms or offices and few more reading rooms.
From the classical approach, the old library space (the building section on the left) is completely symmetrical, has a centralized staircase and connects well with the neighboring buildings. But the main public reading space on the right only has the centralized staircase. The old library is very beautiful in its proportions and usage of simple geometries in plan. Overall, it is still a functional area that utilizes the large space and high ceilings to retain the classical portion of the library.
From the picturesque approach, the library is perfect. Variety of masses, asymmetrical order, and different areas to explore to get the full experience of the library. As mentioned earlier about the glass, it was used in a variety of places on the façade to allow light into the various spaces intended for reading (as seen in the images at the end).
The preexisting grid of the old neighborhood, mentioned in the beginning, was only for the placement and layout of the buildings. Amongst the library’s new façade, the placement is solely based on the interior activities taking place in the asymmetrically ordered interior of the building (right in plan). Another interesting thing about the interior of the open space, is the overlapping of the floors in the top-right corner and over the staircase, which would never be seen in a classical building, further emphasizing the picturesque aspect.
Although there is the centralized staircase in the public reading space, there is also a secondary, circular or winding staircase to the left of it in plan. This staircase leads from the open courtyard into the library in the simplest form of vertical circulation. Remembering that most, if not all, of the design of the library was to be functional, it makes perfect sense that the JKMM Architects added this staircase in, instead of having a person enter through a side door and forced to use the centralized staircase, which is also an option still available.

Never Start A Desk Crit With A Joke

As the title states, today we sat down for our first crit for Project 3 - EMS/FDNY station.
The professor asks, "So what's your concept?"
I jokingly answer, while flipping to a sketch of...

"A Farmhouse on Fire"

He was not entirely satisfied with the answer I gave, so I then had to make up for it by showing other concept sketches and other answers... he still wasn't going for it.

He liked the organization, but the the separate volumes (Which I've previously tried in another project) either needed to be blended into one unique volume, or they would have to take on separate identities, or take from the context of the neighborhood.

The other choice was to scrap the entire idea.


Later, during the class wrap-up, the professor had quoted my "Farmhouse on Fire" to the class, while smiling at me to remind the class about poetics, but to also try to contain ourselves and not make the poetics sarcastic.

So it seems once again, that I have to look back to Louis Kahn for some inspiration on how to handle such a project.

And I know I said I'd post pictures, don't worry they'll be up eventually...

thanks for reading, dear reader. :)
~ArchiTalmud

Project 1 and 2 Updates - Past Finals

I haven't written in a long while. It's been a busy, hectic, crazy time.
Project 1 ended well, the jurors enjoyed the project, it was a simple, geometric, grand design. And I accidentally printed 6 identical model shots for the final... didn't notice until Hana pointed it out during my presentation.
Currently holding a B grade for Design II.

Yes, everyone, I'm not a perfect student. But design-wise, my designing process was much smoother without drama or any depression-causing humans to distract me from my goal.

Another interesting thing is that post-midterm the Dean and David Diamond, plus other faculty, came down to the studio to tell us about the Summer programs.
But that's not the important part, the dean was passing by my drawings with the chairperson Altwicker, and offered a compliment. I hadn't heard the first time so I asked if she could repeat it, this led to her offering model advice, as she'd enjoyed the plans but hated the model. Diamond had pointed out that part of my project seemed Le-Corbusier-esque.
It was nice receiving a compliment from someone I both hate and respect simultaneously.
Eventually I will muster the courage to ask if he would mentor me as our designing processes seem to have clashed in the past.

Anyway, Project 2 we had the Zaha Hadid - Vitra Fire Station as our Precedent Study. This project was a 7 day project, although my partner and I only spent a mere 5 days working on drawings and a model. He was in charge of the model, but we both pitched in where we could with the others work.

During our final presentation today, we were the only group to offer a plethora of knowledge about our project. Sadly our axonometric drawings weren't up to par.
The previous post that shows a joke render was almost used at the final, but superman was removed. Professor Kropac still enjoyed the elevation drawing regardless.


After Spring Break (March 14-21) we're going straight into Project 3 for 6 weeks until the end of the semester.

Drawings and pictures will be posted later.

Depression and 'Will Power'

“The key to life is on a treadmill. I’ll just watch and learn while your chest burns. Because if you say you are going to run three miles and you only run two, I don’t ever have to worry about losing something to you.” ~ Will Smith

Will Smith's Interview: Will Power

Over the vacation, I learned to use my new scroll saw, and broke a blade in the process. But this isn't the story I wanted to tell in this post...
Over the last three weeks, I've tried reading up on Modern Architecture History, finishing the Louis Kahn: In The Realm of Architecture biography, and a simple book for students about the design process. But all the while, I had locked myself in my room, lights dimmed, hours late and human interaction a galaxy away. All this did was cause depression.

Yes, depression is a real thing.

The only remedy that worked was getting off my bed and onto the floor to get some exercise (doing push-ups). The other part of the remedy was to get some sunshine.

I went from a 190 lbs, depressed, introvert, to a happier 187 lbs human with more energy and a lesser tendency to snack. And this realization to change my bad pattern came after I read the interview. It made me realize what giving 110% really means.

To me, it means giving up: watching TV shows; and rewarding myself every 5 minutes, or whenever my brain said, "GIMME CANDY!"
It means going the extra mile- plus three more miles- because I'm in this for the long run. I'm here to succeed and my competitors are only giving it 90-100%. Whether it's true or not, it's still worth it to make believe that all that needs to be done is putting in the extra time and not just stopping with 'Ok'. To be at the top, you need to go beyond 'Ok', you need to be 'better than ok', its better to be tired at the end of a race than to come in second and say, "That's ok. At least I didn't come in third."
But that's the point I want to make: Don't settle for second-best. BE THE BEST.
And if you're not the best yet, there's something to yearn for. BECOME THE BEST and then go beyond that.

You can always push the limit. I've done that with rules, because discipline and authority have, for some time, been an issue. I've had a need to test boundaries to know my limits, but that was on a two-dimensional plane. There's a third dimension that exists above the ground you stand on currently. All you have to do is climb so you can get the exercise and eventually reach the sunshine and fresh air that one needs so desperately to avoid depression. To achieve that 110%!

People say to give it your 'all'.

But I want to tell you, and myself, "Give it your all PLUS!"


Good luck to all, dear reader ;)
Thanks for reading.
~ArchiTalmud

Final Review - Project 1 - Central Park Gateway

Coming into class early Friday morning, I realized that I had fallen asleep at 3:30am and didn't exactly finish all of the required drawings... But nevertheless, I was determined to poche my section drawings and dazzle the crit with colors and words.
Thus, I took the two perspective images I exported from Revit, cut out the frames and taped the photographs of the site behind them.

Greben was our guest crit, I was 5th on the line up, and my presenting partner was also wearing a tie. He was red and I was blue. His suit versus my cotton vest... I'd call it a tie.
[Badum dum]

Before  my presentation began, the professors asked for my name, and then I reminded Greben about the previous' semesters bathroom fiasco that she attended and told her she had nothing to worry about this time.

She laughed.

Then the presentation began.

And then my floor plans... my hand drawings all betrayed me because they were rushed and were slightly curved. But I persisted and blew their minds with the non-photoshopped perspectives. Diamond was actually very happy with the result. Greben was still bothered by the drawings and said they should reflect the clarity that exists on the model and colored diagrams.

And that's my homework due in a few hours from now...

Thanks for reading, dear reader :)
~ArchiTalmud

Post Rosh Hashona 2014 (5775)

This is a post-high-holiday post about the pre-final panic attack.

List of things I need:

• Model
• Drawings
• Site Drawings
• Diagrams
• Sketches
• To Breathe

The first four are most important. Luckily, the design is progressing, and I have all weekend to work on it.
Onwards and Forwards!

Keep going, dear reader :)
~ArchiTalmud

Central Park Gateway - Project 1 - Update 1

I've finished all of the research from the Hurva to the sociological background of CP. From the notes taken from the other presentations, it seems that the best course of action for the the building, is for it to not ruin the park, and to enhance the area around it. Therefore the latest design is raised above the ground, similar to the tree house design. With the Hurva in mind, there's a sense of a building within a building, and could oblige the user to enter the archive room first before leaving into the view areas, or leaving the building.

It's still a rough sketch, but has the current overall layout.

Not Even Sure How To Explain This Story...

I think I should start back to the second studio class. We had all finished our pathway models and we had displayed them in the center of the desks. And then the professor had asked if any of us wanted to talk about any of the models specifically. At that point, I just really wanted to speak up. So I picked up a yellowish model that had a circular structure with staircases around it... It didn't make sense.

Turns out it belonged to this guy... "Mark". We'll call him that. Anyway, last week in our building construction class we were assigned to build frame models. I had my partner and Mark had his. Tuesday morning this week, we all arrived for the studio class- I arrived at 8:15 am because I couldn't sleep the night before, and I had brought my Teffilin (phylacteries) or prayer straps, to school because I wanted to pray on the bus. I then left the Teffilin on the table, leaning on the column, next to our studio corner. It was placed there due to a lack of a personal locker.

It was there all day, 12 pm as far as I remembered. But after class, the groups reformed to finish the frame models. My partner and I worked at the head of Diamond's Studio corner, and Mark and his partner worked on the desks that my Teffilin was by. Around 4:30pm Mark and his partner let us know that they're going out to by materials, so we asked if they could pick up some for us. They call at about 5, just to make sure that they're getting the right stuff. They come back, my partner pays his half, Mark hands me the change and says to pay him back $5 to make it even. "I'll pay you back on Friday, I don't have cash now... We're in class together so you can trust me." or something along those lines.

7:30pm rolls around, I'm insanely tired and I was in need to catch the last bus to Monsey. So I picked up everything I could and began to head out. Not seeing my Teffilin where I'd left them, my brain automatically assumed that I had packed them away. So I left.

Next morning I'm on the bus and realize that I had completely forgotten my Teffilin in school! Hoping that that the rule was still being kept: That the Architecture Studio will not be touched by the cleaning crew, and anything you leave there might still be there the next morning.

I arrive at the studio around 9:30, and there are classes going on, but I tried to take a look around to see if I spot the Teffilin.

No Luck.

So I run upstairs and ask the security guard if he's seen anyone bring it to the lost and found. He points me in the direction to check the Lost & Found on 1855 Broadway. And they pointed me back to the other security guard.

No Luck.

Now the reason I was there early Wednesday morning was because my partner and I still needed to complete our frame model. Somewhere between 11am-12pm Mark shows up and asks if I had the $5. I told him "Yes, but it's only $2 in cash and the rest is in change."
He says, 'Never mind, I'll wait for the cash." So I reminded him that I'll pay it on Friday. Soon I remembered that the studio class was getting together on Thursday to build the Site Model, so I invited him to join.

We finished our model around 12:30pm. Quickly rushed to finish everything else before our history class at 2:20pm. Meanwhile, I had gone back upstairs to the security desk and asked again if my Teffilin had been seen.

No Luck.

Class starts, I'm given the idea to ask if I can see the security cameras. So I go and ask, and then run down to the studio to check all of the drawers to see if someone had stuffed it in there, and I looked on top of the air vents to see if it was hidden up there.

No Luck.

I get back to class, and finish up. And then run to get snacks for the 6pm Building Construction class. At this time, the security was going through the video tapes from Tuesday. At around 7:15 I received a text from the security desk that they want me to come see the video recording. I had to leave class abruptly.

The guard zoomed into the corner where my Teffilin was. You can see it clearly from the camera's view. At 5:57pm on the camera, Mark is seen moving his bag in front of the Teffilin- obstructing the view of the camera. And then suddenly the next frame is him and the Teffilin are gone!
After identifying Mark as the suspect, the security guard said he doesn't think it's enough to go on and I shouldn't get my hopes up. But he will file a report and I should take it up with the Director of Security William Joseph tomorrow. In the meantime, I shouldn't confront Mark, since we are in the same class together and nothing good can come from it.

I went back to class after that, and just in time for the break! My partner and I had a secret meeting about what happened, but I didn't tell him it was Mark that we suspect took my Teffilin. My partner narrowed it down himself, which was pretty cool, but I told him to keep it a secret for now because we didn't want to frighten Mark.

Mark happened to be sitting 9 feet away from us, and thinking back now, he was giving us a bad look...

Anyway, the next day, I went to class after asking the morning security guard if Mr. Joseph was in. I would have to see him later after class. My classes seemed to be more important that hunting down the culprit, but only because I personally believed I'd have it returned after praying extra hard since I first found out who took it.

Sitting in Mr. Joseph's office, he discussed with me the report and then left to check the video cameras. He returned saying that there was nothing on the cameras. But it turns out he didn't know where to look, nor how to zoom in on the image. So we left together to watch the film.
As soon as he saw the same frames that I'd seen with the night guard, Mr. Joseph suddenly changed his tune and even called the 20th Precinct for me.
15 minutes later, Officer Firro and Officer Castro arrived and began to make a report. And then they too viewed the video. They noted that there was a 45 second gap between the two images.

But the evidence was clearly pointing at Mark.

Some Luck.

Meanwhile, we were all standing in the Lobby of 1855 Broadway, and students are coming in and staring, and I was feeling slightly humiliated although no one really knew who I was. But there were one or two peole who joked around asking what I was being arrested for, since I was being escorted between the two buildings by 2 police officers and the campus security.

Soon after that, Officer Firro's supervisor was called to the school. He seemed to be the fixer. And he was good at it. Officer Firro tried to make small talk with me and speculated that perhaps the $5 that I owed Mark was the reason he may have taken the Teffilin as collateral. It seemed to make sense.

Soon we had left to enter the studio where Mark was supposed to be according to one of my friends. We had missed Mark by 10 minutes, or maybe he heard the police were there and ran... I don't know.
The whole studio was buzzing since I was in the center of the police escort. One dark-skinned student actually asked if something was wrong because "I kind of worry when there's a group of cops around."

Mark's partner was downstairs and found out what was happening, and was then asked to call Mark to come back to school. We all then went upstairs to the Admissions Office so I could speak with Mark on the phone ask him if he could come back as soon as possible.

The supervising officer asked me earlier if I would be ok if I got my stuff back, and I said sure! I really didn't need or want to cause so much trouble in or for the school. I really did just want my stuff back.

ANYWAY, after talking to Mark for a minute, we made up that he would meet me in the Admissions Office at 7pm so he could return my Teffilin. The officers told me that if he failed to do so, I should immediately call 911, or the number to the precinct so they could go to Mark's house, arrest him and return my stolen item.

So we all hoped he would show up. Meantime, in the studio, many people asked why there were cops downstairs... Pretty soon the whole studio (100 people) will know... Which is going to be awkward for Mark but not me, I was humiliated enough today.

6:45pm I begin to head upstairs to wait for Mark. The night security guard opened the Admissions Office for me since that was the meeting place, and it was completely private.
6:55pm I called Mark and got the voicemail.
7:10pm Mark entered the building and was stopped by the other guard who didn't know that he was the one who had my Teffilin.

When he did hand it back, he offered a very strange "I'm sorry I took it." And then I began to examine the bag...
The Teffilin bag inside was turned side ways, the Teffilin were unwrapped. The back zipper was slightly opened and it looked like someone had gone through it looking for money, not knowing that the true value was $2,500.00 for the boxes.
So I muttered a "WHY IS IT RIPPED UP?!" which made Mark panic a little-- I may have done that on purpose. But then I thanked him for giving it back and said "See you tomorrow in class!" with a shy smile.

Mark left and then the night guard began to make a final report about the exchange. I told him to put down that the bag was pulled apart. And then I explained to him that married men have a larger bag for their Tallis (Prayer Shawl) and that they usually keep small bags of change and money inside, and perhaps that was the reason my Teffilin bag was heavily disheveled.

And then I went home happy... Lesson Learned!

Thanks for reading, dear reader.
~ArchiTalmud

Color VS Black and White

"True Colors." That's what we used to say, and that's exactly what happened today.
How I ended up arriving late to class will be discussed after this.

Our site was the Richard Morris Hunt Memorial on 5th Ave and 71st Street. Our task was to survey and analyze, we were each assigned a partner if we didn't grab one before then. So Gabe was my partner, chosen for his drawing skills, he was tasked with the axonometric and section cuts for the site. I had the Panoramic photos and the plans.

Our rivals from the other studio section (Nizan), did similar, however we had forgotten to do sketches, and even more so, our presentation was in Black and White.

Professor Diamond was using his usual tool for decisions: Voting.

66% voted for the Color presentation, while 33% chose our black and white, hand drawn, presentation-- I forgot to mention that the other group had printed out all of their work...

The lesson from this is: If you want your presentation to shine, use lots of color, large plans and show the full site. Also, it really helps to have a color palette of three colors (theirs were greens).


Now to explain how weird my day was:
I slept through my alarms, made the 8:10 bus on the button. There was an accident on the highway, but all that did was leave a wide open lane for the bus after the police let us through, and then I was in the city at 9:10.
So I ran to class, accidentally almost crushing a pigeon.
And then when I finally made it down into the studio and pinned up my work, I didn't even say anything because the three other people in my group did all the talking. Afterwards, my friends congratulated me for having a great presentation! But of course they were kidding.

Then my professor accidentally broke one of my sharpies...
Speaking of my professor, he was on the corner of 5th and 47th while I was waiting for the Monsey bus. And then all of these attractive girls from everywhere started lining up for the Monsey bus too. I was confused. Then I realized it's Friday!

Thanks for reading, dear reader ;)
~ArchiTalmud

The Simcha Hall Project

Summers is pretty much over, and it seems like a good enough time to say, "WOW! I WASTED ALMOST 3 MONTHS!"
Which isn't necessarily true as it is more likely an over statement of the truth. There were multiple events over the summer that prevented me from completing any of my projects, but the one I did mostly complete is the one I'm posting about now.

On the left, is a rendering given to me after I had measured the existing dimensions of the structure. The large dining area is all that I am planning. However, it wouldn't hurt to plan where the bathroom will be, along with the kitchen.
For plumbing and accessibility reasons.

 On the right, is the first drawings I exported for the project. Three different angles, some elevations and the preexisting plan. It's a very interesting shape, I did not realize until recently why it's shaped as such. Its reasoning is because of the floor above the same goes with the window placements. There are large vertical windows on the upper floor and someone thought it nice to make all the windows align.

The next image is a recent rendering (Low quality) of the interior space. It's the women's side washing area. It's much too dim currently, but adding some chandeliers and LED lights should increase the brightness of the night time scene.
The mirrors are being used to reflect light and increase the size of the room. Simultaneously, it's allowing people to view themselves, so they can always look their best! 
That's very important.

The floor plan that I submitted to my client. Complete with dimensions and column placements.
If you look, you can see two wide entrances on the center wall (vertically)... I'm planning on having it closed so the room will make more sense.

Below is a rendering that was made during the writing of this post.

Interior rendering.

A lot of work on the coloring and the lighting of the room still needs to be done. Also the profiles of the moldings for the floor and ceiling. AND lights on the actual columns.

Over all, it's come a long way since I first started. And given the amount of time put in, we're right on schedule.

Speaking of schedules, mine is ready and set for the coming semester!

I. Am. Ready!

Thanks for reading, dear reader :)
~ArchiTalmud

Multiple Summer Projects

To date, there are 4 projects I've been balancing.

• The Triple-Purpose Bookcase
• A Full Basement Renovation
• A TV stand/case
• The Simcha Hall

The TPB is coming along slowly, I mostly just have to figure out the mechanics of the structure and figure out the doors.
The FBR needs to have the full measurements taken from the exterior and then the interior to get the exact measurements.
The TVS/C is still in the layout stage, but it's the lowest priority of all four.
The Simcha Hall, my Rebbi from Yeshiva hired me to measure the pre-existing space and the draw up the floor plans and then pump out a rending of what he wants it to look like. Basically, Preliminary Drawings. The room is based on the Zanger Simcha Hall in Detroit, Michigan. It's elegant and medium in size. Mostly meant for small parties (eg. Vort and Sheva Brachos) (Aka. The before and after wedding parties).

The Simcha Hall is going to have its own post once everything is laid out and ready to print. After that, my Rebbi can pass off the drawings to a contractor and get the construction underway.

Although I won't have a hand in the project post-completion, I still have and will enjoy the idea that I played a part in something bigger than me that other people can enjoy.

What I do wish, though, is that i could have a had a larger creative part in it. Replicating an already existent room is just... not as amazing or fulfilling as other original projects.


Thanks for reading, dear reader :)
~ArchiTalmud

Triple-Purpose Bookcase Project

What time is it? Summa-time!

And that means I've got plenty of time to just work on some projects. For this one, I chose to design and then build a bookcase that would serve a few purposes. Mainly, to showcase my projects, store old drawings and-- specially for this project, the front of the bookcase is 90%-100% covered in cork so I can pin-up on it to view my current drawings.

The process for my projects that I have time to build and design is as such:

• Research
• Design
• Material Research
• Build
• Final Design Fixes

The research is officially done, thanks to IKEA and other sources. The Design is basically a large block that opens up to showcase, closes for pinups. and the bottom layer has 3 drawers with space for rolled drawings.

No Dimensions were added, but the overall dimensions are 12' x 8' x 1'. It will take up the full wall in the back of the studio room I occupy. Later, I will work on closing up the studio and work on lighting. Obviously, it's because it has 2 fluorescent bulbs that constantly flicker and throw hard shadows on my work space.

 

Current Drawings 5-30-2014

 ~ArchiTalmud

Coffee Consumption and the Horrors of a Final Jury

They say too much of a good thing can be bad for you. This is true. The amount of coffee that will fill your blood stream is doomed to come out of you at the end. You know which one I'm referring to...

Last week, after Monday's last day critiques on our projects, I went on a journey of a thousand sleepless nights to complete my project at whatever health risks or costs would be necessary. The idea of soul selling was discussed late one night.

Distractions. A horrible amount had swept over me. The worst of all was fear and doubt because I did not truly believe my project to be good. Yes, I've been dreading working on it and "Fixing it" was not the right direction. It was not even possible. So I worked on the drawings for two days as I waited for my package of 36"x24" Mylar sheets and basswood rods to arrive. When they did, I was already collapsing from the sleep deprivation that was causing a number of issues on my body, and my mind.

The cost is way too high! There has to be a better way to get that amount of work done without sacrificing health points!

Thursday sneaked upon me like its demonic brother, Monday. And I forced myself to sleep in so I could recuperate from the previous nights. This would cost me dearly, as the professor has sent an email asking a select few of us to go to class and gets critiques from the other professors.
This would not be helpful in the near future.

Monday arrived, dreadfully, as I was terrified to know that I had not finished what I started. Missing drawings, the site was taped together, the site looked pink instead of beige, and I had not prepared what I was going to say.
I rushed to get the floor plans done, rather than have them missing.

I was presenting 4th in the lineup. Our guest critics: Angela Amoia and a man who spoke mostly about the drawings and the amount of  time it would take him to make some of the models.
 He was nice.

However, I began to speak, and what I said, I might regret...

"Good morning, my name is Yehuda Mann, and today... I will be talking about my project." As I started pacing from side to side in front of them, as I strangely started to pick up from the midreview.

I told them that I went through a short list of designs, and quickly jumped into what I knew. What was familiar.
My own home. Bedrooms upstairs, public spaces in the middle, and a basement for storage and the Mason's studio.

The man truly loved the gathering space's design. But things quickly began to go South as he asked more and more questions that I could not answer because I was unprepared. I was sweating underneath my sweater. Luckily, I do not blush. Drymouth still happens though, but not as often as the sweat.

Professor Nizan began to interject as to steer the conversation to what she believed my project was about. But this did not help. At all. The reason being because what I believed to be the focus of my project was not the focus she believed.

This was due to our limited number of desk critiques. Yep, I'm going there.

Professor Amoia, conversely, gave me the most amazing advice again. I mean, she was a guest critic last semester with Professor Greta Weil. [I truly hope I have Amoia as my professor next semester, she I can get along with.]
Her advice was to remove myself from the familiar, as I had done in the first project, so to remove the boundaries of the imagination. A completely similar but opposite rule in writing.

She also mentioned putting figures in my drawings and taking more time to draw them.
The man said similar, that he knows I'm smart, but I need to work on time management because he wants to see the simple complexities that were present in my first project.

He also gave a short lecture on not putting tape on my site. I would automatically be fired from a firm if that happened.


This, and more, gave me nightmares the first night after. I will not repeat this. Ever.
What I do need, is a lesson in confidence, and creativity. Or maybe just some sleep.


Anyway, thanks from hearing me out, dear reader ;)
~ArchiTalmud

Moving ahead and onward...

Post first days of Passover, I was greeted with an email from my professor about an hour and half before the Havdalah services. She was warning me about failure since I have not been showing progress in a few weeks.

I do not like threats.

But she had a point, I haven't been moving much. Which is a complete bummer on my morale and it doesn't help anyone. SO from 8:45 pm until 6 am, with a small break between, I put together a model that had some interesting pieces, but was not complete.

I brought it into class, and the professor again asked for a previous model that she had liked originally but I never seem to bring along. SO she had me tear apart the model I had made and to start over with the anchor piece in the center and to build everything around it.

My project has an emphasis on "Floating Elements" which was mostly due to my project never having a complete model done for class.

I have until midnight to send her images of the completed model which entails:

• completing the site.
• raising the bedrooms.
• adding the studios.
• adding a roof.
• adding the roof garden.
• and finishing the stairs
• and adding more stairs or bridges to emphasize the floating elements.

This is my task. I will do it. It's not a lot of work. It's just a long list. Speaking of lists...

Later after class, my studio mates entrusted me to rate the current class rankings.
needless to say, I am at #9. because I am far behind. The rest is hidden in my sketchbook.

But please note: Lists can get you into trouble, as well as offend others. Especially when they know who wrote it. Oddly enough, in elementary school I had made a list then too. That got me in trouble. High school's list of girls... Only got me into a smaller trouble.

Keep that in mind, dear reader ;)
~ArchiTalmud

פסח וחופש || Passover and Freedom

The significance of this holiday... They say it's about freedom, they say it's about remembrance, they say it's about a lot of things. What it is is a holiday of realizing that we are not free. We are not in our homes. Six months ago during Sukkos, the same message was applied but on a physical level of actually leaving our homes for eight days. Now we sit indoors and digest that thought spiritually.

Tonight, we will sit at our seder tables (which are the same dining room table but has an extra holiness added to it when you dress the table in a chometz-free table cloth), and we will, briefly, have a glimpse of what freedom is.

For those who have not yet understood, this Yom Tov is not about being free or physical freedom, contrary to belief.
It's a reminder of how we are not free yet and how this Yom Tov is about spiritual freedom.
At the end of the Hagaddah we say, "L'shona Haba B'Yerushalayim"

Next year we will be both physically and spiritually free.







Freedom is not a feeling of non-dominated periods. Freedom is a spiritual moment encapsulated within our souls momentarily.


If we were free all the time, we'd have nothing to do.

In recent events, we are reminded again how free we really aren't.

Chag kasher V'sameach, dear reader :)
~ArchiTalmud