14: Midreview

Midreview. This one word alone is enough to send chills down all architecture students' spines...

The all-nighters. The blood, sweat, and tears. Fretting for hours over the lineweights, the layout--praying that the plotter is still functioning when you need to print, and that your model can stand up on its own.

Oh, and what the hell am I going to say when it's finally my turn to stand, trembling and sweating, in front of the critical jury's unwavering, unimpressed gaze? 

This midreview was different. And because it was so different, it was a little more difficult than usual. But it wasn't difficult in the sense that it was stressful. I had to think about my project in ways that I have never had to before. 

Let's just say that studio has been chill thus far, compared to studio back at UC Berkeley. It's the Spanish effect. Alex is laid back, and siesta every day gives us time to take a break from thinking about studio work. And I think it's done our projects good. 

We began our exploration of site by diagramming the Mercadillo's set up, daytime activities, and cleanup, as well as mapping our experience climbing to the castles in Guardamar and Alicante. We learned how to make diagrams that are both symbolic, informative, and formally beautiful. When we started a more specific site study for our final project, we began by building a 3D representation of the Rio Segura using random items from the dollar store down the street. This model informed our 2D representations--the diagram. 

A second model was constructed based on the first diagram, and then another diagram was drawn from that. Layers of information and interpretation began to grow, morph, and evolve into works of art--and our attitude toward the site. 

Alex had us each come up with two words to describe our project. Verbs are perfect because they describe something dynamic happening at the site that can be translated into architecture. It was difficult because, as Alex said, it's easier to write a book than to write a postcard--that is, it takes a lot of thought and care to distill your project into two succinct words. But it helps the project to find its essence. 

I learned to always take a look at your project and distill it down to its essential parts. It's not the same as simplifying--that implies removing elements to change it. It's about finding the key words that describe your project to help you move forward in another direction. 

(I'm glad to say that everyone got constructive feedback and no one cried. Very unusual for a midreview!)