date it or hate it

professor o’brien

minor/course reviews

no plastic sleeves/dezeen reviews

model photography tutorial

JAMES THOMPSONPHOTOGRAPHY

Dear Readers,

Things are changing. Whether you are ready or not, this semester is coming to a close. With each passing year, time seems to slip away at an alarmingly increasing rate. Four short years ago, we stood at the brink of adulthood, giddy with excitement to begin our undergraduate studies here at Texas A&M. Now, as we look around studio at friends that were strangers just four years ago, and we sense a nervous tension. Soon, these people will leave Langford for graduate studies or even jobs. Meanwhile, changes in curriculum and program will be transitional for everyone in the coming semesters. Resist the urge to be overwhelmed by changes ahead, and take these opportunities to take your future into your own hands. This is your education, so let your voice be heard. Axiom was reborn with the intent to inspire students and give your thoughts and opinions a platform. As we graduate and move on from this publication, we wish the best for Axiom’s future. We hope you find inspiration here to continue to seek, learn, and create. Things may be changing, but if you continue to make your education your own, your future will be bright.

Best Wishes,

Michael Rollins Leigh Goris AIAS Promotions AIAS Vice-President Axiom Co-Editor Axiom Co-Editor

contentsdate it or hate it

BUILDINGS IN CANADA, SINGAPORE, AND TEXAS A&M

wanderlustTRAVEL TIPS

michael o’brienFEATURED PROFESSOR

watchlistELITE STUDENT WORK

model photographyTIPS FOR PORTFOLIO PHOTOS

james thompsonTHE WORLD IN BLACK & WHITE

arts 203+304GRAPHIC DESIGN I AND II

arch 330THE MAKING OF ARCHITECTURE

decision timeENDS 112 OR ARCH 260?

minors in reviewMINORS FOR ARCH STUDENTS

no plastic sleeves/dezeenWEBSITE REVIEWS

hindsightMUSINGS BY GOESSLER

03

07

09

11

15

19

25

29

31

33

35

37

Dear Readers,

Things are changing. Whether you are ready or not, this semester is coming to a close. With each passing year, time seems to slip away at an alarmingly increasing rate. Four short years ago, we stood at the brink of adulthood, giddy with excitement to begin our undergraduate studies here at Texas A&M. Now, as we look around studio at friends that were strangers just four years ago, and we sense a nervous tension. Soon, these people will leave Langford for graduate studies or even jobs. Meanwhile, changes in curriculum and program will be transitional for everyone in the coming semesters. Resist the urge to be overwhelmed by changes ahead, and take these opportunities to take your future into your own hands. This is your education, so let your voice be heard. Axiom was reborn with the intent to inspire students and give your thoughts and opinions a platform. As we graduate and move on from this publication, we wish the best for Axiom’s future. We hope you find inspiration here to continue to seek, learn, and create. Things may be changing, but if you continue to make your education your own, your future will be bright.

Best Wishes,

Michael Rollins Leigh Goris AIAS Promotions AIAS Vice-President Axiom Co-Editor Axiom Co-Editor

contentsdate it or hate it

BUILDINGS IN CANADA, SINGAPORE, AND TEXAS A&M

wanderlustTRAVEL TIPS

michael o’brienFEATURED PROFESSOR

watchlistELITE STUDENT WORK

model photographyTIPS FOR PORTFOLIO PHOTOS

james thompsonTHE WORLD IN BLACK & WHITE

arts 203+304GRAPHIC DESIGN I AND II

arch 330THE MAKING OF ARCHITECTURE

decision timeENDS 112 OR ARCH 260?

minors in reviewMINORS FOR ARCH STUDENTS

no plastic sleeves/dezeenWEBSITE REVIEWS

hindsightMUSINGS BY GOESSLER

03

07

09

11

15

19

25

29

31

33

35

37

or

Quatier Des Spectacles’ recessed, angular entrance visually captures visitors entering the building; the sliver reveals the building’s inner workings. Compared to earlier buildings that stood at this intersection, this design frees up the sidewalk for this area’s dense pedestrian traffic. The unique facade is marked by seemingly random openings in the wooden envelope. The exterior is protected by a second skin of transparent glass; the space created by superimposing these materials is used for a variety of multimedia installations. In summer, a portion of the envelope retracts at the level of St. Catherine St., altering the building’s physical limits. The distribution of windows reflects the activities going on inside: the exhibition rooms in the upper levels

enjoy controlled lighting, while large openings flood work environments with natural light. Ideas of fluidity and circulation influence the architecture and create a dialogue between the building and passers-by. The impression of exchange is echoed in the interior with elements such as an opening that originates in the lobby and passes through the first three floors, the windowed

mezzanine overlooking the ground floor, and a sculptural staircase between the third and fourth floors. These elements, central to daily activities, encourage interaction between individuals and their invironment. A French restaurant occupies the ground floor and a bar will be moving in on the fifth floor, complete with an outdoor terrace which will offer striking views of the surrounding area.

Quartier Des SpectaclesMontréal, Canadaby Ædifica

BY ASHTON HOLLIDAY

The metaphor of a tree house was invoked from the onset of design conceptualization to create an environment for learning and a journey of discovery and play. The use of skylights, trellises and colored glass transforms incomingdaylight into an endless number of shades and colors, creating an intriguing dappled light quality within the library that simulates light filtered through the foliage of trees. In the interior, ‘Pods’ cantilevered off the main building façade exude a distinctive charisma on the exterior and create suspended alcoves that form a cozy and peaceful nook. The library is raised above the anonymity of its mixed used neighborhood and sets out to stir the curiosity of the community. An internal atrium was incorporated to introduce natural daylight deep into

the main circulation zone, as well as most of the library floors. Responding to a highly constricted urban site amongst a mature satellite town, the design utilizes an efficient construction method that minimizes impact on its surroundings. Insitu concrete comprised of four floor slabs over a basement are linked by a common lift and staircase core. Internal columns are kept to a minimum

through the use of post-tensioned floor slabs, effectively maximizing floor area and increasing flexibility of collection storage. Exploiting the potential for noise segregation, the basement was designed to house the children’s section, defining a subterranean cavern-like realm where imagination can run free.

Bishan Public LibraryBishan Place, Singaporeby LOOK Architects

Join the facebook poll! www.facebook.com/tamuaias

0403

or

Quatier Des Spectacles’ recessed, angular entrance visually captures visitors entering the building; the sliver reveals the building’s inner workings. Compared to earlier buildings that stood at this intersection, this design frees up the sidewalk for this area’s dense pedestrian traffic. The unique facade is marked by seemingly random openings in the wooden envelope. The exterior is protected by a second skin of transparent glass; the space created by superimposing these materials is used for a variety of multimedia installations. In summer, a portion of the envelope retracts at the level of St. Catherine St., altering the building’s physical limits. The distribution of windows reflects the activities going on inside: the exhibition rooms in the upper levels

enjoy controlled lighting, while large openings flood work environments with natural light. Ideas of fluidity and circulation influence the architecture and create a dialogue between the building and passers-by. The impression of exchange is echoed in the interior with elements such as an opening that originates in the lobby and passes through the first three floors, the windowed

mezzanine overlooking the ground floor, and a sculptural staircase between the third and fourth floors. These elements, central to daily activities, encourage interaction between individuals and their invironment. A French restaurant occupies the ground floor and a bar will be moving in on the fifth floor, complete with an outdoor terrace which will offer striking views of the surrounding area.

Quartier Des SpectaclesMontréal, Canadaby Ædifica

BY ASHTON HOLLIDAY

The metaphor of a tree house was invoked from the onset of design conceptualization to create an environment for learning and a journey of discovery and play. The use of skylights, trellises and colored glass transforms incomingdaylight into an endless number of shades and colors, creating an intriguing dappled light quality within the library that simulates light filtered through the foliage of trees. In the interior, ‘Pods’ cantilevered off the main building façade exude a distinctive charisma on the exterior and create suspended alcoves that form a cozy and peaceful nook. The library is raised above the anonymity of its mixed used neighborhood and sets out to stir the curiosity of the community. An internal atrium was incorporated to introduce natural daylight deep into

the main circulation zone, as well as most of the library floors. Responding to a highly constricted urban site amongst a mature satellite town, the design utilizes an efficient construction method that minimizes impact on its surroundings. Insitu concrete comprised of four floor slabs over a basement are linked by a common lift and staircase core. Internal columns are kept to a minimum

through the use of post-tensioned floor slabs, effectively maximizing floor area and increasing flexibility of collection storage. Exploiting the potential for noise segregation, the basement was designed to house the children’s section, defining a subterranean cavern-like realm where imagination can run free.

Bishan Public LibraryBishan Place, Singaporeby LOOK Architects

Join the facebook poll! www.facebook.com/tamuaias

0403

or

Quatier Des Spectacles’ recessed, angular entrance visually captures visitors entering the building; the sliver reveals the building’s inner workings. Compared to earlier buildings that stood at this intersection, this design frees up the sidewalk for this area’s dense pedestrian traffic. The unique facade is marked by seemingly random openings in the wooden envelope. The exterior is protected by a second skin of transparent glass; the space created by superimposing these materials is used for a variety of multimedia installations. In summer, a portion of the envelope retracts at the level of St. Catherine St., altering the building’s physical limits. The distribution of windows reflects the activities going on inside: the exhibition rooms in the upper levels

enjoy controlled lighting, while large openings flood work environments with natural light. Ideas of fluidity and circulation influence the architecture and create a dialogue between the building and passers-by. The impression of exchange is echoed in the interior with elements such as an opening that originates in the lobby and passes through the first three floors, the windowed

mezzanine overlooking the ground floor, and a sculptural staircase between the third and fourth floors. These elements, central to daily activities, encourage interaction between individuals and their invironment. A French restaurant occupies the ground floor and a bar will be moving in on the fifth floor, complete with an outdoor terrace which will offer striking views of the surrounding area.

Quartier Des SpectaclesMontréal, Canadaby Ædifica

BY ASHTON HOLLIDAY

The metaphor of a tree house was invoked from the onset of design conceptualization to create an environment for learning and a journey of discovery and play. The use of skylights, trellises and colored glass transforms incomingdaylight into an endless number of shades and colors, creating an intriguing dappled light quality within the library that simulates light filtered through the foliage of trees. In the interior, ‘Pods’ cantilevered off the main building façade exude a distinctive charisma on the exterior and create suspended alcoves that form a cozy and peaceful nook. The library is raised above the anonymity of its mixed used neighborhood and sets out to stir the curiosity of the community. An internal atrium was incorporated to introduce natural daylight deep into

the main circulation zone, as well as most of the library floors. Responding to a highly constricted urban site amongst a mature satellite town, the design utilizes an efficient construction method that minimizes impact on its surroundings. Insitu concrete comprised of four floor slabs over a basement are linked by a common lift and staircase core. Internal columns are kept to a minimum

through the use of post-tensioned floor slabs, effectively maximizing floor area and increasing flexibility of collection storage. Exploiting the potential for noise segregation, the basement was designed to house the children’s section, defining a subterranean cavern-like realm where imagination can run free.

Bishan Public LibraryBishan Place, Singaporeby LOOK Architects

Join the facebook poll! www.facebook.com/tamuaias

0403

The LAAH Building will serve as the first building designed specifically for the English and performance studies departments. The LAAH Building will consolidate two departments presently scattered throughout multiple buildings across campus. For the first time appropriately sized and configured teaching laboratories, studios, and performance areas will be available for music, theater,

and English students. The facility will contain offices, classrooms, computer-based teaching classrooms, theater performance studios, music practice, and rehearsal rooms, recording studios and music education labs. This building will support innovative instruction and interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars and students of music, theater, performance, literature, and other

Liberal Arts & Humanities BuildingTexas A&M UniversityBy BRW ArchitectsEstimated Cost: $34.5MProject Size: 125,000sqftSilver LEED CertificationEst. Completion: 8/2012

fields. By putting the faculty and many of the classrooms into one building, the new building solves a number of challenges related to efficiency and collaboration and provides the opportunity of intra-departmental studies. The building will be split up between the two departments by floor levels; Performance Studies Department will utilize the first two floors and English Department will use the upper three. The first two floors include a state-of-the-art black box theater with scene and costume shaops and all the ancillary spaces for performance, music classrooms, practice rooms, and recording studios intermingled with the faculty and graduate assistant office. The following three floors will be divided by subject matter for the English faculty and classrooms. There were many challenges in designing the LAAH building. The overtake of the grassy knoll was decided upon by the Historic Corridor Overlay of the Campus Master Plan which dictated the Limits of the Footprint of the building. The location of the two existing underground 24” thermal lines on the west side established the west facade. The building needed to be designed to complement the architecture of the historic buildings that it relates to on four sides. As BRW quickly learned, each of those historic buildings were very different, with three unique eras being represented. To

add to the challenge, it was crucial that the design team minimized the scale of the new building. They accomplished this by offsetting the fifth floor inward from the first four floors and the brick facade utilized only the darker brick of the blend in order to further recede the appeearance of the upper level. Openings were carefully placed with respect to the rhythm and proportions of the historic buildings surrounding it. Materials played a big role in creating a building that fit in with the existing historic buildings that border it. Limestone, brick, and cast stone were used purposely and efficiently in respecting the historic architecture. Even the metal utilized as ornament on the Animal Industries building is accompanied by the abstracted metal panel used as a spandrel and decorative element. With the building taking up part of the grassy knoll the design team incorporated pedestrian-friendly sustainable outdoor environments. The exterior spaces were designed as much for teaching opportunities as for encouraging interaction and accommodating circulation. The west side of the building faces the new plaza which will become a destination of pedestrian circulation on the east side of campus, creating a bustling area of activity. There was considerable discussion from the beginning as

to the siting and symbolism for a building that will take its place in the heart of campus among the existing traditional buildings likely to be here for the next 100 year. BRW put their efforts in designing and planning not simply for the function and appearance of a building but for the impact of the building on the campus. Aside from providing the needed offices and classrooms, the design team strived to make the building inspirational to students as they walk through the spaces and facilitate a feeling of comfort while using the window niches for conversation or enjoying a few moments to hang in the courtyard. Craig Reynolds, lead designer and A&M Graduate, said this: “students may not understand why the spaces provides that satisfying/energizing/comfortable or whatever feeling that he or she appreciates, but that is when we as the architects have been successful.”

0605

The LAAH Building will serve as the first building designed specifically for the English and performance studies departments. The LAAH Building will consolidate two departments presently scattered throughout multiple buildings across campus. For the first time appropriately sized and configured teaching laboratories, studios, and performance areas will be available for music, theater,

and English students. The facility will contain offices, classrooms, computer-based teaching classrooms, theater performance studios, music practice, and rehearsal rooms, recording studios and music education labs. This building will support innovative instruction and interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars and students of music, theater, performance, literature, and other

Liberal Arts & Humanities BuildingTexas A&M UniversityBy BRW ArchitectsEstimated Cost: $34.5MProject Size: 125,000sqftSilver LEED CertificationEst. Completion: 8/2012

fields. By putting the faculty and many of the classrooms into one building, the new building solves a number of challenges related to efficiency and collaboration and provides the opportunity of intra-departmental studies. The building will be split up between the two departments by floor levels; Performance Studies Department will utilize the first two floors and English Department will use the upper three. The first two floors include a state-of-the-art black box theater with scene and costume shaops and all the ancillary spaces for performance, music classrooms, practice rooms, and recording studios intermingled with the faculty and graduate assistant office. The following three floors will be divided by subject matter for the English faculty and classrooms. There were many challenges in designing the LAAH building. The overtake of the grassy knoll was decided upon by the Historic Corridor Overlay of the Campus Master Plan which dictated the Limits of the Footprint of the building. The location of the two existing underground 24” thermal lines on the west side established the west facade. The building needed to be designed to complement the architecture of the historic buildings that it relates to on four sides. As BRW quickly learned, each of those historic buildings were very different, with three unique eras being represented. To

add to the challenge, it was crucial that the design team minimized the scale of the new building. They accomplished this by offsetting the fifth floor inward from the first four floors and the brick facade utilized only the darker brick of the blend in order to further recede the appeearance of the upper level. Openings were carefully placed with respect to the rhythm and proportions of the historic buildings surrounding it. Materials played a big role in creating a building that fit in with the existing historic buildings that border it. Limestone, brick, and cast stone were used purposely and efficiently in respecting the historic architecture. Even the metal utilized as ornament on the Animal Industries building is accompanied by the abstracted metal panel used as a spandrel and decorative element. With the building taking up part of the grassy knoll the design team incorporated pedestrian-friendly sustainable outdoor environments. The exterior spaces were designed as much for teaching opportunities as for encouraging interaction and accommodating circulation. The west side of the building faces the new plaza which will become a destination of pedestrian circulation on the east side of campus, creating a bustling area of activity. There was considerable discussion from the beginning as

to the siting and symbolism for a building that will take its place in the heart of campus among the existing traditional buildings likely to be here for the next 100 year. BRW put their efforts in designing and planning not simply for the function and appearance of a building but for the impact of the building on the campus. Aside from providing the needed offices and classrooms, the design team strived to make the building inspirational to students as they walk through the spaces and facilitate a feeling of comfort while using the window niches for conversation or enjoying a few moments to hang in the courtyard. Craig Reynolds, lead designer and A&M Graduate, said this: “students may not understand why the spaces provides that satisfying/energizing/comfortable or whatever feeling that he or she appreciates, but that is when we as the architects have been successful.”

0605

wanderlustTRAVEL TIPS BY GEOFF KORNEGAY

If you want to be an architect, you have to go to Angkor Wat before you die. This is not optional. Live out your Indian Jones or Legend of the Hidden Temple fantasies.

Buy a Traditional KramaThey’re about $1. It keeps dust out of your mouth, and when you get home it’s a cool hipster scarf.

Use the early mornings and late afternoons 1000 year old Buddhas are sub-lime just after sunrise and just before sunset.

Eat bar-b-que Cambodians grill their meat. After 6 weeks of stir-fry and pad-thai, it’s food for the soul.

Get a 7-day passNo, you won’t get bored, there are 47+ temples, and they’re all different.

Rent a bicycle Cars betray the scale of the com-plex and make it too easy to hurry. I rode approximately 40km/day.

Take a camera: if you aren’t a photographer, Angkor will make you one.

GAMES · TRAINS · R/C · TOYS · BOATS · PLANES · MODELS & MORE!

ARCHITECTURE SUPPLIES!

CA & Kicker Glues Balsa & Bass Wood

Styrene by Evergreen Mini Figurines

Chip & Project Board Woodland Scenic Supplies

and so much more!!

Let us know your project needs & we will do our best to keep you supplied!

1713 Texas Ave South in College Station behind Chic-fil-A Mon.- Fri. 10-8pm

Saturday 10-6pm Closed Sundays

Aggie Family Business

wanderlustTRAVEL TIPS BY GEOFF KORNEGAY

If you want to be an architect, you have to go to Angkor Wat before you die. This is not optional. Live out your Indian Jones or Legend of the Hidden Temple fantasies.

Buy a Traditional KramaThey’re about $1. It keeps dust out of your mouth, and when you get home it’s a cool hipster scarf.

Use the early mornings and late afternoons 1000 year old Buddhas are sub-lime just after sunrise and just before sunset.

Eat bar-b-que Cambodians grill their meat. After 6 weeks of stir-fry and pad-thai, it’s food for the soul.

Get a 7-day passNo, you won’t get bored, there are 47+ temples, and they’re all different.

Rent a bicycle Cars betray the scale of the com-plex and make it too easy to hurry. I rode approximately 40km/day.

Take a camera: if you aren’t a photographer, Angkor will make you one.

GAMES · TRAINS · R/C · TOYS · BOATS · PLANES · MODELS & MORE!

ARCHITECTURE SUPPLIES!

CA & Kicker Glues Balsa & Bass Wood

Styrene by Evergreen Mini Figurines

Chip & Project Board Woodland Scenic Supplies

and so much more!!

Let us know your project needs & we will do our best to keep you supplied!

1713 Texas Ave South in College Station behind Chic-fil-A Mon.- Fri. 10-8pm

Saturday 10-6pm Closed Sundays

Aggie Family Business

Imagine being able to have a professor who not only is a mas-ter of materials and methods, but who also genuinely cares about the growth of his students the same way he cares about his own chil-dren. Thankfully, students at A&M have that opportunity with Professor Michael O’Brien. Coaching his stu-dents to graduate with a sense of self awareness, Professor O’Brien emphasizes that falling on your face is a positive step in the right direc-tion and the best way to respond to a design problem is “action action action.” Before becoming a pro-fessor and registered architect, O’Brien earned his education at North Dakota State University in the 1970’s. After working in a small firm there, he became used to forming a solution based on a problem and focusing on the fabric of the build-ing which had to endure the harsh weather up north. In the late 70’s O’Brien took a colleagues advice and began looking for graduate schools of Architecture that would broaden his mind set and allow him to be surrounded with peers and professors who thought differently than he did. Virginia Tech was the best school for that and it became his home for the next several years.

michael o’brienBY DYLAN KANIPES

Being thrown into a school where the students were trained differently than he was, O’Brien was forced to act quickly in order to be successful. Going out to job sites and watching the stages of construction through chain linked fences, and taking pictures of his fellow classmate’s desk work seemed to be the best way to do this. After earning his Masters of Architecture from Virginia Tech in 1982, O’Brien was asked to stay there as a professor which is a position he held for the following 20 years. During those years, he perfected his formula for success which was used to create amazing designers who doubled as respon-sible architects. several years.Texas A&M got the privilege of seeing this formula at work in 2008 and has been reaping the benefits ever since. After his move from Virginia to Texas, Professor O’Brien began recording all of his lectures and talks and posted them as podcasts on his website for Virginia Tech to use while he began his time here at A&M. He emphasizes that when an architect has enough knowledge about design, he/she is able to translate it to a form which makes that invisible knowledge, visible. Also, order to ensure a

good design, Professor O’Brien believes that it is beneficial to have options which is why he is a ma-jor advocate of “when you don’t know, make 3.” Just by walking into a studio of his, a person can tell that having O’Brien as a Profes-sor is a unique experience. Rather than treating the studio as strictly a professional work space, he prefers to treat it like a laboratory where students have sketch models and drawings covering their desks so opportunity for inspiration from past ideas is always present. Professor Michael O’Brien currently teaches ARCH 405 in the fall, ARCH 606 in the spring as well as Making of Architecture and Interior Architecture. His years of experience in North Dakota and Virginia has not only made him an excellent professor of architecture but one of the most knowledgeable and interesting faculty members at A&M. His website (mjobrien.com) has an extensive source of his lec-ture presentations, podcasts and list of great buildings that can be easily accessed by anyone. Professor O’Brien is an advocate for growth within the A&M College of Architec-ture and often thinks of the future of the college as possibly adding an Industrial Design aspect which would have a major positive impact in the study of structural design.

1009

Imagine being able to have a professor who not only is a mas-ter of materials and methods, but who also genuinely cares about the growth of his students the same way he cares about his own chil-dren. Thankfully, students at A&M have that opportunity with Professor Michael O’Brien. Coaching his stu-dents to graduate with a sense of self awareness, Professor O’Brien emphasizes that falling on your face is a positive step in the right direc-tion and the best way to respond to a design problem is “action action action.” Before becoming a pro-fessor and registered architect, O’Brien earned his education at North Dakota State University in the 1970’s. After working in a small firm there, he became used to forming a solution based on a problem and focusing on the fabric of the build-ing which had to endure the harsh weather up north. In the late 70’s O’Brien took a colleagues advice and began looking for graduate schools of Architecture that would broaden his mind set and allow him to be surrounded with peers and professors who thought differently than he did. Virginia Tech was the best school for that and it became his home for the next several years.

michael o’brienBY DYLAN KANIPES

Being thrown into a school where the students were trained differently than he was, O’Brien was forced to act quickly in order to be successful. Going out to job sites and watching the stages of construction through chain linked fences, and taking pictures of his fellow classmate’s desk work seemed to be the best way to do this. After earning his Masters of Architecture from Virginia Tech in 1982, O’Brien was asked to stay there as a professor which is a position he held for the following 20 years. During those years, he perfected his formula for success which was used to create amazing designers who doubled as respon-sible architects. several years.Texas A&M got the privilege of seeing this formula at work in 2008 and has been reaping the benefits ever since. After his move from Virginia to Texas, Professor O’Brien began recording all of his lectures and talks and posted them as podcasts on his website for Virginia Tech to use while he began his time here at A&M. He emphasizes that when an architect has enough knowledge about design, he/she is able to translate it to a form which makes that invisible knowledge, visible. Also, order to ensure a

good design, Professor O’Brien believes that it is beneficial to have options which is why he is a ma-jor advocate of “when you don’t know, make 3.” Just by walking into a studio of his, a person can tell that having O’Brien as a Profes-sor is a unique experience. Rather than treating the studio as strictly a professional work space, he prefers to treat it like a laboratory where students have sketch models and drawings covering their desks so opportunity for inspiration from past ideas is always present. Professor Michael O’Brien currently teaches ARCH 405 in the fall, ARCH 606 in the spring as well as Making of Architecture and Interior Architecture. His years of experience in North Dakota and Virginia has not only made him an excellent professor of architecture but one of the most knowledgeable and interesting faculty members at A&M. His website (mjobrien.com) has an extensive source of his lec-ture presentations, podcasts and list of great buildings that can be easily accessed by anyone. Professor O’Brien is an advocate for growth within the A&M College of Architec-ture and often thinks of the future of the college as possibly adding an Industrial Design aspect which would have a major positive impact in the study of structural design.

1009

watchlist

Mediatheque Nick Uselton+Mara CastroBryan, TX

The project assigned was to create a cultural media hub for the residents of Bryan, Texas. Our design intention was to create an attractive and flexible space that could function as many things and respond to the atmosphere of downtown Bryan. We achieved this through designing our Mediatheque to be able to adapt to the needs of the occupants during various times of the day, week, and month.The first floor consists of two completely separate spaces connected by the floor of the second level. The most southern space is our Apple

store, which was placed on the first floor to attract visitors. The northern space houses our media library and classroom space. Visi-tors can come to check out books, movies, and take classes working with new technology and software. These two programmatic spaces were placed at ground level for ease of access to those passing by on the main streets of downtown Bryan. As patrons walk around our building, their movement triggers sensors that light up the various tiles, showcasing the technological nature of the space. The second floor, which spans across the two separate buildings on the first floor, con-nects the store and Media Library through vertical circulation hubs.

The second level functions as a café during the day and a bar by night. We wanted a building that respected the unique nightlife of Bryan. The third story functions as our auditorium space and Computer Lab. This is the most secluded, and quiet space in our building, hence why we placed it on the upper most floor. We kept all rooms in the interior, leaving glass walls lining the perimeter. An organic shaped in-terior walls to offset the strict angles of the exterior.

ELITE STUDENT WORK

Watercolors (Series)Amanda JonesCastiglion Fiorentino, Italy

While studying abroad in Italy during the Fall 2010 semester, I participated in an introductory water color course. These water colors seek to embody Tuscany on paper and are my interpretation of the country side as I saw it. There were no rules for these projects, however we were provided with pictures to base our paintings off of and encouraged to bring our own photos to illustrate. Each watercolor is from the small town of Castiglion Fioren-tino or the surrounding area and attempts to capture the serene quality of the landscape. Though the cities and landmarks were fas-cinating, the quiet rural towns were what really caught my attention and therefore became the subject of most of my water colors. I felt the soft characteristics of water color

gave the landscape a different feel-ing than photographs could cap-ture, and allowed me to embody Tuscany through my own inter-pretation. I had never used water colors prior to my time abroad, but since it has become one of my favorite hobbies.

1211

watchlist

Mediatheque Nick Uselton+Mara CastroBryan, TX

The project assigned was to create a cultural media hub for the residents of Bryan, Texas. Our design intention was to create an attractive and flexible space that could function as many things and respond to the atmosphere of downtown Bryan. We achieved this through designing our Mediatheque to be able to adapt to the needs of the occupants during various times of the day, week, and month.The first floor consists of two completely separate spaces connected by the floor of the second level. The most southern space is our Apple

store, which was placed on the first floor to attract visitors. The northern space houses our media library and classroom space. Visi-tors can come to check out books, movies, and take classes working with new technology and software. These two programmatic spaces were placed at ground level for ease of access to those passing by on the main streets of downtown Bryan. As patrons walk around our building, their movement triggers sensors that light up the various tiles, showcasing the technological nature of the space. The second floor, which spans across the two separate buildings on the first floor, con-nects the store and Media Library through vertical circulation hubs.

The second level functions as a café during the day and a bar by night. We wanted a building that respected the unique nightlife of Bryan. The third story functions as our auditorium space and Computer Lab. This is the most secluded, and quiet space in our building, hence why we placed it on the upper most floor. We kept all rooms in the interior, leaving glass walls lining the perimeter. An organic shaped in-terior walls to offset the strict angles of the exterior.

ELITE STUDENT WORK

Watercolors (Series)Amanda JonesCastiglion Fiorentino, Italy

While studying abroad in Italy during the Fall 2010 semester, I participated in an introductory water color course. These water colors seek to embody Tuscany on paper and are my interpretation of the country side as I saw it. There were no rules for these projects, however we were provided with pictures to base our paintings off of and encouraged to bring our own photos to illustrate. Each watercolor is from the small town of Castiglion Fioren-tino or the surrounding area and attempts to capture the serene quality of the landscape. Though the cities and landmarks were fas-cinating, the quiet rural towns were what really caught my attention and therefore became the subject of most of my water colors. I felt the soft characteristics of water color

gave the landscape a different feel-ing than photographs could cap-ture, and allowed me to embody Tuscany through my own inter-pretation. I had never used water colors prior to my time abroad, but since it has become one of my favorite hobbies.

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CybernariumRenee LaCroix+Amanda JonesBryan, TX

Located in downtown Bryan, Texas, this building was designed to connect the community to the inter-net, to represent the growth of our culture, and to provide an innovative addition to the historic downtown. The program was to design a building to provide technology to the city of bryan. we immediatelybegan looking at modern designs to house this modern program. the ex-terior mesh skin provides shading to the glass facades. the angled north and south facades help to give the building a modern look and were used to make use of the northern light and reduce the southern heat. Exterior mesh skin acts as a shading device, the openings are placed in a way that allows winter

sun to pass through, but blocks most of the summer sun. Exterior pathways act as light shelves to refract light into the building, and shading devices for the floor below. The ductwork and wiring for the building is contained in dropped ceilings and the air handling unit is located in the core of the building. the roof of the building drains water to a point above the core and feeds a gray water system.

B+W CompositionAbbe EmersonBryan, TX

The inspiration for this piece is derived from the word “rhythmic.” The piece coveys a sense of movement while using the strict forms of a circle and diamond within a square. When thinking of this composition as a piece of music, the composition’s small details carry you through the work, similar to how the rhythm would carry you through a song. The strict barrier of the square boundary compliments the rhythm by creating contrast, just as the bass or beat would in a piece of music. The barrier is barely broken in three separate areas intending to draw your eye into the composition and carry it through the piece.

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CybernariumRenee LaCroix+Amanda JonesBryan, TX

Located in downtown Bryan, Texas, this building was designed to connect the community to the inter-net, to represent the growth of our culture, and to provide an innovative addition to the historic downtown. The program was to design a building to provide technology to the city of bryan. we immediatelybegan looking at modern designs to house this modern program. the ex-terior mesh skin provides shading to the glass facades. the angled north and south facades help to give the building a modern look and were used to make use of the northern light and reduce the southern heat. Exterior mesh skin acts as a shading device, the openings are placed in a way that allows winter

sun to pass through, but blocks most of the summer sun. Exterior pathways act as light shelves to refract light into the building, and shading devices for the floor below. The ductwork and wiring for the building is contained in dropped ceilings and the air handling unit is located in the core of the building. the roof of the building drains water to a point above the core and feeds a gray water system.

B+W CompositionAbbe EmersonBryan, TX

The inspiration for this piece is derived from the word “rhythmic.” The piece coveys a sense of movement while using the strict forms of a circle and diamond within a square. When thinking of this composition as a piece of music, the composition’s small details carry you through the work, similar to how the rhythm would carry you through a song. The strict barrier of the square boundary compliments the rhythm by creating contrast, just as the bass or beat would in a piece of music. The barrier is barely broken in three separate areas intending to draw your eye into the composition and carry it through the piece.

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the model photo The photo of an architectural model conveys several things to its viewers: it illustrates the architectur-al concept, the craftsmanship of the designer, and tells the viewers if the architect can capture his/her own design and present it in a stronger manner than the model itself. So it is necessary to acquire a model photography skill. The architectural model photograph holds the power to make or break a project: a good photo can bring emphasis to well-executed details, while a poor photo often underminds a well-thought-out design. Getting Appropriate Equipment: A tripod is necessary for taking high-quality model photos. The camera can be either a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera (DSLR) or a compact one with Program, Manual, Shutter Priority and Apeture Priority modes (Fig. 18). Both DSLR and tripod can be checked-out at the ITS at Langford A. Since most of the photo shoots are conducted in the Photo Lab where the lighting is dim relative to the direct sunlight, a tripod becomes very useful to stabilize the camera and prevent blurry images. If students have their own DSRL or rent the one from ITS, they have to make sure the camera body is mounted with an lens with

appropriate range. The appropriate range is from 18mm to 55mm, which is covered by most DSLR kit lens. Or, for better image quality, a 50mm wide-apeture prime lens is highly recommended. Model Placement: Before placing the model on the table, you must decide which background color to use: the black or the white (Fig. 1&2). It is recommended to use the white sheet because the shadow of the

model will be cast on the background and will be visable. However, there are several cases in which the black background can be used, such the cube project in Fairey’s studio or any project where the desirable shadows are cast inside the model and additional shadows would take focus from the project. After selecting a suitable background place the model on the table. The placement of the model

BY PAK WA LIM

Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.4

Fig.3

depends on what you want to see in your photo and what views you want. Set the camera on the tripod and align the tripod with the center point slightly in front of the table (Fig. 3). Observe the model on the camera screen or through the DSLR viewfinder and adjust the model position (Fig. 4). Adjust the height of the tripod and the

corresponding angle of the head to find appropriate viewpoints: eye-level, low, and high. The eye-level viewpoint provides a first person perspective on an architectural design (Fig. 5,6,7), and the low and high viewpoints provide general images of the model (Fig. 8,9,10,11,12,13). Be careful not to

accidentally crop the site out of high shots; the more that you include in the shot the more post-processing options you will have. Adjust the distance between the camera and tripod for a close up shot and avoid using short focal distances because it will reduce the depth of field, thus reduce the in-focus area of the photo.

Fig.5 Fig.6 Fig.7

Fig.8 Fig.9 Fig.10

Fig.13Fig.12Fig.11

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the model photo The photo of an architectural model conveys several things to its viewers: it illustrates the architectur-al concept, the craftsmanship of the designer, and tells the viewers if the architect can capture his/her own design and present it in a stronger manner than the model itself. So it is necessary to acquire a model photography skill. The architectural model photograph holds the power to make or break a project: a good photo can bring emphasis to well-executed details, while a poor photo often underminds a well-thought-out design. Getting Appropriate Equipment: A tripod is necessary for taking high-quality model photos. The camera can be either a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera (DSLR) or a compact one with Program, Manual, Shutter Priority and Apeture Priority modes (Fig. 18). Both DSLR and tripod can be checked-out at the ITS at Langford A. Since most of the photo shoots are conducted in the Photo Lab where the lighting is dim relative to the direct sunlight, a tripod becomes very useful to stabilize the camera and prevent blurry images. If students have their own DSRL or rent the one from ITS, they have to make sure the camera body is mounted with an lens with

appropriate range. The appropriate range is from 18mm to 55mm, which is covered by most DSLR kit lens. Or, for better image quality, a 50mm wide-apeture prime lens is highly recommended. Model Placement: Before placing the model on the table, you must decide which background color to use: the black or the white (Fig. 1&2). It is recommended to use the white sheet because the shadow of the

model will be cast on the background and will be visable. However, there are several cases in which the black background can be used, such the cube project in Fairey’s studio or any project where the desirable shadows are cast inside the model and additional shadows would take focus from the project. After selecting a suitable background place the model on the table. The placement of the model

BY PAK WA LIM

Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.4

Fig.3

depends on what you want to see in your photo and what views you want. Set the camera on the tripod and align the tripod with the center point slightly in front of the table (Fig. 3). Observe the model on the camera screen or through the DSLR viewfinder and adjust the model position (Fig. 4). Adjust the height of the tripod and the

corresponding angle of the head to find appropriate viewpoints: eye-level, low, and high. The eye-level viewpoint provides a first person perspective on an architectural design (Fig. 5,6,7), and the low and high viewpoints provide general images of the model (Fig. 8,9,10,11,12,13). Be careful not to

accidentally crop the site out of high shots; the more that you include in the shot the more post-processing options you will have. Adjust the distance between the camera and tripod for a close up shot and avoid using short focal distances because it will reduce the depth of field, thus reduce the in-focus area of the photo.

Fig.5 Fig.6 Fig.7

Fig.8 Fig.9 Fig.10

Fig.13Fig.12Fig.11

1615

the model photo The photo of an architectural model conveys several things to its viewers: it illustrates the architectur-al concept, the craftsmanship of the designer, and tells the viewers if the architect can capture his/her own design and present it in a stronger manner than the model itself. So it is necessary to acquire a model photography skill. The architectural model photograph holds the power to make or break a project: a good photo can bring emphasis to well-executed details, while a poor photo often underminds a well-thought-out design. Getting Appropriate Equipment: A tripod is necessary for taking high-quality model photos. The camera can be either a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera (DSLR) or a compact one with Program, Manual, Shutter Priority and Apeture Priority modes (Fig. 18). Both DSLR and tripod can be checked-out at the ITS at Langford A. Since most of the photo shoots are conducted in the Photo Lab where the lighting is dim relative to the direct sunlight, a tripod becomes very useful to stabilize the camera and prevent blurry images. If students have their own DSRL or rent the one from ITS, they have to make sure the camera body is mounted with an lens with

appropriate range. The appropriate range is from 18mm to 55mm, which is covered by most DSLR kit lens. Or, for better image quality, a 50mm wide-apeture prime lens is highly recommended. Model Placement: Before placing the model on the table, you must decide which background color to use: the black or the white (Fig. 1&2). It is recommended to use the white sheet because the shadow of the

model will be cast on the background and will be visable. However, there are several cases in which the black background can be used, such the cube project in Fairey’s studio or any project where the desirable shadows are cast inside the model and additional shadows would take focus from the project. After selecting a suitable background place the model on the table. The placement of the model

BY PAK WA LIM

Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.4

Fig.3

depends on what you want to see in your photo and what views you want. Set the camera on the tripod and align the tripod with the center point slightly in front of the table (Fig. 3). Observe the model on the camera screen or through the DSLR viewfinder and adjust the model position (Fig. 4). Adjust the height of the tripod and the

corresponding angle of the head to find appropriate viewpoints: eye-level, low, and high. The eye-level viewpoint provides a first person perspective on an architectural design (Fig. 5,6,7), and the low and high viewpoints provide general images of the model (Fig. 8,9,10,11,12,13). Be careful not to

accidentally crop the site out of high shots; the more that you include in the shot the more post-processing options you will have. Adjust the distance between the camera and tripod for a close up shot and avoid using short focal distances because it will reduce the depth of field, thus reduce the in-focus area of the photo.

Fig.5 Fig.6 Fig.7

Fig.8 Fig.9 Fig.10

Fig.13Fig.12Fig.11

1615

Lighting adjustment: Several lights are available in the Photo Lab where you can adjust the light intensity, position and angle of light projection on each of them. The placements of these lights must correspond to the placement of the model and adjust based on what time of the day you want to show. Usually one or two lights will ights will suffice. when just using one light, pull the hanging light to the desired position, usually on either right or left side on the model about 45 degree from the center of the model. The angle between the light and the surface of the table should be about 50 degrees. One light provides more contrast to the lighted part and the shadow part (Fig.15). In the two-light case, keep one of the lights in position like the single-light case and then pull the other one to the other side, filling in the shadows. One of the lights should have a greater intensity than the other to preserve contrast. The lighting positions mentioned above are simply suggestions to control light; the many ways to manipulate lighting must be explored by the photographer to achieve the desired affect. One thing to remember: never set the lighting so bright that there is risk of overexposure in the photos. Overexposed photos are difficult to be “saved” in photoshop. Simply turn down the intensity of the light(s), reduce the ISO of the camera, and/or slow the shutter speed (if the camera is in S or M

mode). Camera Setup: Switch the camera mode to the A or Av (Aperture Priority)(Fig. 14 ), and set the low aperture (larger f-stop number) to get a greater depth of field. This is very important in determining how much of the model is in focus. The ideal aperture is f/9 to f/14 (The A/Av mode of some compact cameras has a maximum apeture of f/8). Next, set the ISO to the lowest offered by the camera, usually ISO80 or ISO100. ISO 200 and ISO 400 are acceptable. Even though using high ISOs, such as 800-1600, can greatly reduce shutter speed, they often result in “noisy” photos, especially in the shadows. With the help of tripod, high ISOs become unnecessary. A final suggestion, if possible, is to change the format of the photo from JPEG to RAW. Working in RAW format will prevent the quality of a photo from deteriorating during post-processing in Photoshop. Photo Shooting: After placing the model, adjusting to the correct lighting, and setting up the camera, you are ready to shoot the model. There are three ways to shoot a model: 1. Simply press the shutter. 2. Use a remote shutter, and 3. Set timer for the shutter. Pressing the camera shutter is the most simple and direct way to shoot photos, but the moment of pressing the shutter release can generate shake, blurring the photo.

Clear and in-focus photos are very important to visually communicate an architectural design in both portfolio and presentation. Using a remote shutter or setting timer for the shutter can minimize the chance of out-of-focus images. A remote shutter is available for most DSLRs and is sold separately. The timer for the shutter is available in most cameras. Set the timer to 2 seconds and press the camera shutter, and then a photo will be taken after 2 seconds. Try to shoot the model at different distances and viewpoints to have a wide selection of photos to choose from while in post-processing.

Fig.15

Fig.14

17

Lighting adjustment: Several lights are available in the Photo Lab where you can adjust the light intensity, position and angle of light projection on each of them. The placements of these lights must correspond to the placement of the model and adjust based on what time of the day you want to show. Usually one or two lights will ights will suffice. when just using one light, pull the hanging light to the desired position, usually on either right or left side on the model about 45 degree from the center of the model. The angle between the light and the surface of the table should be about 50 degrees. One light provides more contrast to the lighted part and the shadow part (Fig.15). In the two-light case, keep one of the lights in position like the single-light case and then pull the other one to the other side, filling in the shadows. One of the lights should have a greater intensity than the other to preserve contrast. The lighting positions mentioned above are simply suggestions to control light; the many ways to manipulate lighting must be explored by the photographer to achieve the desired affect. One thing to remember: never set the lighting so bright that there is risk of overexposure in the photos. Overexposed photos are difficult to be “saved” in photoshop. Simply turn down the intensity of the light(s), reduce the ISO of the camera, and/or slow the shutter speed (if the camera is in S or M

mode). Camera Setup: Switch the camera mode to the A or Av (Aperture Priority)(Fig. 14 ), and set the low aperture (larger f-stop number) to get a greater depth of field. This is very important in determining how much of the model is in focus. The ideal aperture is f/9 to f/14 (The A/Av mode of some compact cameras has a maximum apeture of f/8). Next, set the ISO to the lowest offered by the camera, usually ISO80 or ISO100. ISO 200 and ISO 400 are acceptable. Even though using high ISOs, such as 800-1600, can greatly reduce shutter speed, they often result in “noisy” photos, especially in the shadows. With the help of tripod, high ISOs become unnecessary. A final suggestion, if possible, is to change the format of the photo from JPEG to RAW. Working in RAW format will prevent the quality of a photo from deteriorating during post-processing in Photoshop. Photo Shooting: After placing the model, adjusting to the correct lighting, and setting up the camera, you are ready to shoot the model. There are three ways to shoot a model: 1. Simply press the shutter. 2. Use a remote shutter, and 3. Set timer for the shutter. Pressing the camera shutter is the most simple and direct way to shoot photos, but the moment of pressing the shutter release can generate shake, blurring the photo.

Clear and in-focus photos are very important to visually communicate an architectural design in both portfolio and presentation. Using a remote shutter or setting timer for the shutter can minimize the chance of out-of-focus images. A remote shutter is available for most DSLRs and is sold separately. The timer for the shutter is available in most cameras. Set the timer to 2 seconds and press the camera shutter, and then a photo will be taken after 2 seconds. Try to shoot the model at different distances and viewpoints to have a wide selection of photos to choose from while in post-processing.

Fig.15

Fig.14

17

creative visionBY GABRIELA A. MACIAS

James Thompson may be just one of many architecture students that exude a passion for design, but what makes Thompson unique is the passion he pours into his work beyond studio. Thompson prefers to express his often melan-choly thoughts though black and white photography. The subjects and focus of his recent work have been classmates, friends, capturing emotions, motion, and lighting.

Thomson’s work is often featured in Texas A&M’s newspaper, The Battalion. However, Thompson practices his craft beyond just photographing events on campus. He continually refines his skill by setting up black and white photo-shoots with friends or classmates. He seeks for new ways to capture them, creating minimalistic works of art as a result.

At the immpresionable young age of 14, Thompson, received his first professional camera as a gift. Photography had always been a source of inspiration, and now, with his new camera, he began capturing his first pictures around his Dallas neighborhood, school and parks. He was en-thralled to see the world differently from behind the camera. As

19

creative visionBY GABRIELA A. MACIAS

James Thompson may be just one of many architecture students that exude a passion for design, but what makes Thompson unique is the passion he pours into his work beyond studio. Thompson prefers to express his often melan-choly thoughts though black and white photography. The subjects and focus of his recent work have been classmates, friends, capturing emotions, motion, and lighting.

Thomson’s work is often featured in Texas A&M’s newspaper, The Battalion. However, Thompson practices his craft beyond just photographing events on campus. He continually refines his skill by setting up black and white photo-shoots with friends or classmates. He seeks for new ways to capture them, creating minimalistic works of art as a result.

At the immpresionable young age of 14, Thompson, received his first professional camera as a gift. Photography had always been a source of inspiration, and now, with his new camera, he began capturing his first pictures around his Dallas neighborhood, school and parks. He was en-thralled to see the world differently from behind the camera. As

19

Thompson began taking pictures, he started to test what he could capture and experiment with what his camera could process. His work is mainly featured in black and white in order to emphasize the expres-sion of gesture or emotion that color eclipses. For Thompson, color is a distraction from the picture’s quin-tessence.

In the future, Thompson hopes to become a professional photographer and continue to explore different speeds of photog-raphy and styles. He also hopes to realize a career as an Editorial Photographer. In order to achieve these longtime dreams, Thompson is continually seeking to improve the quality of his pictures while at-tempting to capture unusual images that have not been captured before. His current plans are to continue to experiement with more abstract aspects of nature and surroundings.

23

Thompson began taking pictures, he started to test what he could capture and experiment with what his camera could process. His work is mainly featured in black and white in order to emphasize the expres-sion of gesture or emotion that color eclipses. For Thompson, color is a distraction from the picture’s quin-tessence.

In the future, Thompson hopes to become a professional photographer and continue to explore different speeds of photog-raphy and styles. He also hopes to realize a career as an Editorial Photographer. In order to achieve these longtime dreams, Thompson is continually seeking to improve the quality of his pictures while at-tempting to capture unusual images that have not been captured before. His current plans are to continue to experiement with more abstract aspects of nature and surroundings.

23

Two or more page spread:

literally rock your world. Using thisknowledge you’ve gained and a standard grid, it’s likely that you’ll take a few quotes from Bruce Mau’s Incomplete Manifesto for Growth and transform them into compelling 8x8” compositions. The initial Graphics I proj-ects tend to exclude color—it helps to simplify the requirements of the beginning assignments. A few weeks into the semester, though,

arts 203+304BY ROBYN HAMMOND

ARTS 203, commonly known as Graphics I, is an introductory graphic design elective in the College of Architecture, most recently taught by Donna Hajash and Jung Hee. To get a peek at the work being produced, you should swing by the main hallway on the first floor of ARC C, where you’ll find a constant supply of current projects on display. The course is open to VIZ and ENDS majors, and it provides basic knowledge of print design, layouts, typography, and the Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign). More than that, it is the training ground for developing a critical eye for good design. By the end of the course, even students who begin the semester with little or no experience in graphic design will be able to distinguish and apply successful graphic fundamentals to execute well-designed work. Although the projects will vary depending on the semester, you can expect to begin the course with an introduction to typography and fonts. You might trace a favorite font or develop a pattern derived from a tessellated letterform, all in an effort to become familiar with the nuances of specificont families. You will be introduced

to classic, beautiful typefaces that will serve as your best friends for the rest of your graphic design career, while you learn to develop a healthy distaste for trendy, poorly-designed fonts: you’re bound to hear the words, “That font is free for a reason.” From there, you will work with grids in InDesign to arrange larger amounts of copy. You will learn about justification, ragged edges, and hanging indentions, and in what instances each of those alignments might be appropriate. The insight you gain regarding kerning and leading will

you will begin to learn to use color effectively. As the magic of kuler.com is unveiled, Adobe Illustrator will be introduced, and you’ll start to learn the ins and outs of manipulating lines, paths, shapes, and images. Chances are good that you’ll be asked to draw yourself. You’ll spend plenty of time armed with a Wacom tablet (not supplied, but able to be checked out from the VIZ office), drawing the features and contours of your face, based off of an actual image. In the end, you’ll be amazed at the likeness between the graphic you and the real you! It’s likely that the more-advanced final assignment will vary, but you might be asked to design the identity for a hypothetical company, probably including a logo, business card, letterhead, and various collateral items. This project will give you the most opportunity to experience executing effective graphic design. It’s incredibly rewarding to be responsible for successful visual communication, from conceptualizing thumbnails all the way to producing shopping bags or tags. You’ll end the semester with a dramatically improved perspective on the importance of well-designed work and with the tools to produce

+

“The insight you gain regarding kerning and leading will literally rock your world.”

26

Two or more page spread:

literally rock your world. Using thisknowledge you’ve gained and a standard grid, it’s likely that you’ll take a few quotes from Bruce Mau’s Incomplete Manifesto for Growth and transform them into compelling 8x8” compositions. The initial Graphics I proj-ects tend to exclude color—it helps to simplify the requirements of the beginning assignments. A few weeks into the semester, though,

arts 203+304BY ROBYN HAMMOND

ARTS 203, commonly known as Graphics I, is an introductory graphic design elective in the College of Architecture, most recently taught by Donna Hajash and Jung Hee. To get a peek at the work being produced, you should swing by the main hallway on the first floor of ARC C, where you’ll find a constant supply of current projects on display. The course is open to VIZ and ENDS majors, and it provides basic knowledge of print design, layouts, typography, and the Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign). More than that, it is the training ground for developing a critical eye for good design. By the end of the course, even students who begin the semester with little or no experience in graphic design will be able to distinguish and apply successful graphic fundamentals to execute well-designed work. Although the projects will vary depending on the semester, you can expect to begin the course with an introduction to typography and fonts. You might trace a favorite font or develop a pattern derived from a tessellated letterform, all in an effort to become familiar with the nuances of specificont families. You will be introduced

to classic, beautiful typefaces that will serve as your best friends for the rest of your graphic design career, while you learn to develop a healthy distaste for trendy, poorly-designed fonts: you’re bound to hear the words, “That font is free for a reason.” From there, you will work with grids in InDesign to arrange larger amounts of copy. You will learn about justification, ragged edges, and hanging indentions, and in what instances each of those alignments might be appropriate. The insight you gain regarding kerning and leading will

you will begin to learn to use color effectively. As the magic of kuler.com is unveiled, Adobe Illustrator will be introduced, and you’ll start to learn the ins and outs of manipulating lines, paths, shapes, and images. Chances are good that you’ll be asked to draw yourself. You’ll spend plenty of time armed with a Wacom tablet (not supplied, but able to be checked out from the VIZ office), drawing the features and contours of your face, based off of an actual image. In the end, you’ll be amazed at the likeness between the graphic you and the real you! It’s likely that the more-advanced final assignment will vary, but you might be asked to design the identity for a hypothetical company, probably including a logo, business card, letterhead, and various collateral items. This project will give you the most opportunity to experience executing effective graphic design. It’s incredibly rewarding to be responsible for successful visual communication, from conceptualizing thumbnails all the way to producing shopping bags or tags. You’ll end the semester with a dramatically improved perspective on the importance of well-designed work and with the tools to produce

+

“The insight you gain regarding kerning and leading will literally rock your world.”

26

great projects yourself. Whether you intend to pursue graphic design any further or not, the experience gained in this course will be helpful for the rest of your career. At the very least, your knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite will set your final boards for studio apart and you can sport a really great Illustrator graphic as a Facebook profile picture. ARTS 203 meets twice a week for two and half hours in the Mac lab on the first floor of ARC C. Several projects will make up the majority of your grade, while a few quizzes or tests might be given that cover basic graphic design knowledge discussed during in-class lectures and readings. The workload is generally less than a design studio, but more than an average elective class. It would be helpful to take this course as a lower-level ENDS student, because the skills you gain will benefit the rest of your work from there on out.

ARTS 304, commonly known as Graphics II, is an advanced graphic design elective offered by the College of Architecture and taught by Donna Hajash. Successful completion of Graphics I is required prior to enrolling in the second course. You wouldn’t want to skip the intro course, anyway, because this course builds on the fundamentals of design taught in Graphics I —without previous knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite and experience with typography, grids, and color, your Graphics II projects might not succeed. By the end of the semester, you’ll have further developed your ability to distinguish and execute good design, and you will have experience designing a broad selection of media. Your first project, a typographic self-portrait, has the added lesson of providing an exercise in patience! You will be

asked to use letters and words to produce a portrait of yourself, based off of an actual image. Using scale and color, you will arrange letters and words individually, along paths, or in text boxes to produce the contours and features of your face. Although tedious, it is a valuable experience to enable letterforms to give up their traditional meaning in order to become graphic design. The end result is your face... in words! Next, you’ll create a poster of your journey to school, again with an emphasis on type. You will be encouraged to look at examples of successful poster design in order to roduce a feeling of movement and the passage of time in your own work. The middle of the semester includes a few weeks to produce a personal identity, including a logo, business card, and resume to brand yourself. Not only is this good experience in branding, but it will provide you with well-designed

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tcollateral to set yourself apart in interviews and applications. After this, the projects may vary, but you might venture into the design of book jackets or magazine layouts. You will continue to refine your Illustrator and InDesign skills as you add another skill set to the graphic design media that you are capable of producing. The semester will culminate with an introduction to Adobe After Effects, as you design a 30-second kinetic type animation. A whole new realm of design possibilities is revealed as you experiment with animating the type that you have learned to beautifully design. In the end, you will be amazed at the power of the combination of moving type, image, and sound. ARTS 304 follows a similar grading format to ARTS 203, and it meets for the same amount of time but on different days in the Mac lab. Group input and collaboration is encouraged by almost-daily, informal critiques of individual work in front of the class. It would be useful to take this course in the fall of your fourth year or sooner, because the work you produce and the experience you gain will continue to improve the presentation of your studio projects.

TOY STORE

3150 Finfeather RoadBryan, TX 77801979.824.1035rh@hoopla.com

Visit the VIZ office or email Professor Donna Hajash at d-hajash@tamu.edu for more information

TOY STORE

3150 Finfeather RoadBryan, TX 77801

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great projects yourself. Whether you intend to pursue graphic design any further or not, the experience gained in this course will be helpful for the rest of your career. At the very least, your knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite will set your final boards for studio apart and you can sport a really great Illustrator graphic as a Facebook profile picture. ARTS 203 meets twice a week for two and half hours in the Mac lab on the first floor of ARC C. Several projects will make up the majority of your grade, while a few quizzes or tests might be given that cover basic graphic design knowledge discussed during in-class lectures and readings. The workload is generally less than a design studio, but more than an average elective class. It would be helpful to take this course as a lower-level ENDS student, because the skills you gain will benefit the rest of your work from there on out.

ARTS 304, commonly known as Graphics II, is an advanced graphic design elective offered by the College of Architecture and taught by Donna Hajash. Successful completion of Graphics I is required prior to enrolling in the second course. You wouldn’t want to skip the intro course, anyway, because this course builds on the fundamentals of design taught in Graphics I —without previous knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite and experience with typography, grids, and color, your Graphics II projects might not succeed. By the end of the semester, you’ll have further developed your ability to distinguish and execute good design, and you will have experience designing a broad selection of media. Your first project, a typographic self-portrait, has the added lesson of providing an exercise in patience! You will be

asked to use letters and words to produce a portrait of yourself, based off of an actual image. Using scale and color, you will arrange letters and words individually, along paths, or in text boxes to produce the contours and features of your face. Although tedious, it is a valuable experience to enable letterforms to give up their traditional meaning in order to become graphic design. The end result is your face... in words! Next, you’ll create a poster of your journey to school, again with an emphasis on type. You will be encouraged to look at examples of successful poster design in order to roduce a feeling of movement and the passage of time in your own work. The middle of the semester includes a few weeks to produce a personal identity, including a logo, business card, and resume to brand yourself. Not only is this good experience in branding, but it will provide you with well-designed

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tcollateral to set yourself apart in interviews and applications. After this, the projects may vary, but you might venture into the design of book jackets or magazine layouts. You will continue to refine your Illustrator and InDesign skills as you add another skill set to the graphic design media that you are capable of producing. The semester will culminate with an introduction to Adobe After Effects, as you design a 30-second kinetic type animation. A whole new realm of design possibilities is revealed as you experiment with animating the type that you have learned to beautifully design. In the end, you will be amazed at the power of the combination of moving type, image, and sound. ARTS 304 follows a similar grading format to ARTS 203, and it meets for the same amount of time but on different days in the Mac lab. Group input and collaboration is encouraged by almost-daily, informal critiques of individual work in front of the class. It would be useful to take this course in the fall of your fourth year or sooner, because the work you produce and the experience you gain will continue to improve the presentation of your studio projects.

TOY STORE

3150 Finfeather RoadBryan, TX 77801979.824.1035rh@hoopla.com

Visit the VIZ office or email Professor Donna Hajash at d-hajash@tamu.edu for more information

TOY STORE

3150 Finfeather RoadBryan, TX 77801

2827

arch 330BY BRIAN SOWELL

As a sophomore in environmental design, I entered ARCH 330 unsure exactly what the subject would be or if I would even like it. Although I was familiar with both professors this was my first experience in a class taught by either. After only a few weeks I began using points I learned in class to design and defend my studio projects successfully. Suddenly I realized this was one of the best classes I had taken in the College of Architecture. The catalog description for ‘The Making of Architecture’ outlines

Thorncrown Chapel by Fay Jones, Federation Square by Donald Bates, and the Thermal Baths at Vals, Switzerland by Peter Zumthor. In the course of a semester we easily covered approximately thirty projects. The case studies are taught in an engaging and interesting style. A robust slideshow of images with little text accompanies each lecture, allowing O’Brien’s personal interest and curiosity in the designs to drive the lecture. Holliday’s input to the lecture is invaluable as she explains the specifics of each structural system from a structural engineer’s perspective, relaying the system’s benefits and drawbacks. Because the class focuses on the structural aspects of each building, a student who has taken ARCH 331 will find the homework assignments slightly easier to complete, however, a background in structures is not essential to understand the concepts presented. The homework in the class consists of two main projects. Students familiar with O’Brien will recognize his classic assignment in the first project; it requires searching for ten of your favorite structural elements from five categories for a total of fifty elements. While the project was time consuming,

the course as a “study of significant works of architecture and materials and strategies used in their making; focus on innovative materials, systems, and partnerships necessary to realize the design.” This translates into investigation of the innovative structure and systems of modern architecture. Class meets twice a week and consists of a lecture over two case studies that each use a similar structural method. These methods include lattices, lofting, supertrusses, corrugation, or wrapping in buildings such as the

I became infinitely more familiar with vast amounts of modern architecture in my quest for favorite pieces. The second project is a case study of a building, selected from a list of buildings notable for their structural system. Teams of two research a project, then present the building background, structural system, and evaluation in a written report and slideshow presentation. Grading for both assignments is stringent, these are not projects that can be accomplished the night before. What you learn while researching the projects, however, will significantly enhance your design ability and understanding of architecture. Students often joke that they will just leave structural problems

for the engineer on a project to figure out. While engineers can offer guidance and are available to determine the exact dimensions necessary for structural elements, a good designer knows that they must understand structure and systems in order to design effectively. This class does an excellent job of introducing students to a broad variety of structural methods and exploring the specific issues the architect dealt with on the project that

affected their design. By the end of the semester a student can expect to feel much more confident creating innovative designs now armed with the creativity fostered in this class. I highly recommend this class to any student pursuing a degree in architecture.

“I became infinitely more familiar with vast amounts of modern architecture...expect to feel much more confident”

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arch 330BY BRIAN SOWELL

As a sophomore in environmental design, I entered ARCH 330 unsure exactly what the subject would be or if I would even like it. Although I was familiar with both professors this was my first experience in a class taught by either. After only a few weeks I began using points I learned in class to design and defend my studio projects successfully. Suddenly I realized this was one of the best classes I had taken in the College of Architecture. The catalog description for ‘The Making of Architecture’ outlines

Thorncrown Chapel by Fay Jones, Federation Square by Donald Bates, and the Thermal Baths at Vals, Switzerland by Peter Zumthor. In the course of a semester we easily covered approximately thirty projects. The case studies are taught in an engaging and interesting style. A robust slideshow of images with little text accompanies each lecture, allowing O’Brien’s personal interest and curiosity in the designs to drive the lecture. Holliday’s input to the lecture is invaluable as she explains the specifics of each structural system from a structural engineer’s perspective, relaying the system’s benefits and drawbacks. Because the class focuses on the structural aspects of each building, a student who has taken ARCH 331 will find the homework assignments slightly easier to complete, however, a background in structures is not essential to understand the concepts presented. The homework in the class consists of two main projects. Students familiar with O’Brien will recognize his classic assignment in the first project; it requires searching for ten of your favorite structural elements from five categories for a total of fifty elements. While the project was time consuming,

the course as a “study of significant works of architecture and materials and strategies used in their making; focus on innovative materials, systems, and partnerships necessary to realize the design.” This translates into investigation of the innovative structure and systems of modern architecture. Class meets twice a week and consists of a lecture over two case studies that each use a similar structural method. These methods include lattices, lofting, supertrusses, corrugation, or wrapping in buildings such as the

I became infinitely more familiar with vast amounts of modern architecture in my quest for favorite pieces. The second project is a case study of a building, selected from a list of buildings notable for their structural system. Teams of two research a project, then present the building background, structural system, and evaluation in a written report and slideshow presentation. Grading for both assignments is stringent, these are not projects that can be accomplished the night before. What you learn while researching the projects, however, will significantly enhance your design ability and understanding of architecture. Students often joke that they will just leave structural problems

for the engineer on a project to figure out. While engineers can offer guidance and are available to determine the exact dimensions necessary for structural elements, a good designer knows that they must understand structure and systems in order to design effectively. This class does an excellent job of introducing students to a broad variety of structural methods and exploring the specific issues the architect dealt with on the project that

affected their design. By the end of the semester a student can expect to feel much more confident creating innovative designs now armed with the creativity fostered in this class. I highly recommend this class to any student pursuing a degree in architecture.

“I became infinitely more familiar with vast amounts of modern architecture...expect to feel much more confident”

3029

decisionBY JOSHUA WALKER

As college students, we often find ourselves required to make difficult decisions with little or no solid information to guide us. Whether to eat at Layne’s or Cane’s, which desk in studio is least likely to get taken over by a messy neighbor, or whether to attend lecture instead of working on studio are all questions that we make with only a friend’s advice and a gut feeling. However, some decisions need a little more information; selecting classes is not something to take likely.

So when your degree plan requires you to choose a writing-intensive course during your time here, get informed and pick the best class* for you.

knowledgeable, experienced lecturer who holds a thoroughknowledge of his material.His teaching style combinesdroll wit with a no-nonsense, direct lecture style.

Conclusion: This is the class for a student looking tounderstand the concept of true sustainable design. Though less work-intensive than ENDS 260,the professor and TA’s still uphold a high standard for all submissions. If you decide not to take the class but are still interested in the material, the book is highly comprehensible and recommended.

ENDS 112: Environmental Responsibilities and Design.[1 Credit-hour]

The workload: For a one-hour course, not as light as you might suspect. The first essay on “Ethics in Architecture” requires at least two pages single-spaced, while the second totals a minimum of five pages. The third project is done in a randomly-generated group or three, with both a paper and a presentation. Peer reviews and rough drafts are required for most projects.

The reading material/emphasis: Cradle to Cradle, by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. This 186-page book emphasizes rethinking the frame of mind from which most designers approach the concept of “sustainability.”

The professor: Dr. Miranda is a*The decision most students face is whether to take ENDS 260 or ENDS 112.

time ENDS 260: Comparative Theory in Built and Virtual Environments. [3 Credit-hours]

The workload: In a word, heavy. ENDS 260 is rumored to be “the hardest class in the college.” Ana Escobar, a current student, emphasized that the reading is difficult for students unfamiliar with philosophy or abstract theory, but rewarding when the right time and research are applied. The final essay requires 8-10 pages.

Reading material/emphasis: The Closing of the American Mind, by Allen Bloom, and Infinity and Perspective, by Karsten Harries. “American Mind” is a study of American higher education and its impact on philosophy, while Infinity and Perspective focuses on history and art to study philosophy. While

the reading material appears somewhat tangential to architecture, Professor Warden takes these two works and blends them with philosophy and theory toshow the development of architectural theory over time.

The Professor: Professor Warden is an incredibly skilled lecturer, described as “humorous and enlightening.” Under most circumstances, the subject material could be disorienting, but according to currently enrolled sophomore Ana Escobar, not only does the material make sense but it also provides “a great background for the future that gives more meaning to what I’m designing.” Professor Warden emphasizes deep career-specific questions like “what does architecture mean?”

Conclusion: If you’ve ever considered taking a philosophy course, or pondered the deeper meanings and philosophies of design, this is the class for you. Be prepared to work, but if you are willing, you are certain to improve your theory education and design philosophies for the rest of your career. Remember, busier schedules than yours have taken the class before, and suceeded.

Remember: Always consult with your academic advisor before selecting classes to ensure that you are satisfying the graduation requirements for your degree plan appropriately. Course and credit requirements are subject to change, and requirements are not uniform across degree plans. Review based on information from spring 2012 and prior semesters.

3231

decisionBY JOSHUA WALKER

As college students, we often find ourselves required to make difficult decisions with little or no solid information to guide us. Whether to eat at Layne’s or Cane’s, which desk in studio is least likely to get taken over by a messy neighbor, or whether to attend lecture instead of working on studio are all questions that we make with only a friend’s advice and a gut feeling. However, some decisions need a little more information; selecting classes is not something to take likely.

So when your degree plan requires you to choose a writing-intensive course during your time here, get informed and pick the best class* for you.

knowledgeable, experienced lecturer who holds a thoroughknowledge of his material.His teaching style combinesdroll wit with a no-nonsense, direct lecture style.

Conclusion: This is the class for a student looking tounderstand the concept of true sustainable design. Though less work-intensive than ENDS 260,the professor and TA’s still uphold a high standard for all submissions. If you decide not to take the class but are still interested in the material, the book is highly comprehensible and recommended.

ENDS 112: Environmental Responsibilities and Design.[1 Credit-hour]

The workload: For a one-hour course, not as light as you might suspect. The first essay on “Ethics in Architecture” requires at least two pages single-spaced, while the second totals a minimum of five pages. The third project is done in a randomly-generated group or three, with both a paper and a presentation. Peer reviews and rough drafts are required for most projects.

The reading material/emphasis: Cradle to Cradle, by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. This 186-page book emphasizes rethinking the frame of mind from which most designers approach the concept of “sustainability.”

The professor: Dr. Miranda is a*The decision most students face is whether to take ENDS 260 or ENDS 112.

time ENDS 260: Comparative Theory in Built and Virtual Environments. [3 Credit-hours]

The workload: In a word, heavy. ENDS 260 is rumored to be “the hardest class in the college.” Ana Escobar, a current student, emphasized that the reading is difficult for students unfamiliar with philosophy or abstract theory, but rewarding when the right time and research are applied. The final essay requires 8-10 pages.

Reading material/emphasis: The Closing of the American Mind, by Allen Bloom, and Infinity and Perspective, by Karsten Harries. “American Mind” is a study of American higher education and its impact on philosophy, while Infinity and Perspective focuses on history and art to study philosophy. While

the reading material appears somewhat tangential to architecture, Professor Warden takes these two works and blends them with philosophy and theory toshow the development of architectural theory over time.

The Professor: Professor Warden is an incredibly skilled lecturer, described as “humorous and enlightening.” Under most circumstances, the subject material could be disorienting, but according to currently enrolled sophomore Ana Escobar, not only does the material make sense but it also provides “a great background for the future that gives more meaning to what I’m designing.” Professor Warden emphasizes deep career-specific questions like “what does architecture mean?”

Conclusion: If you’ve ever considered taking a philosophy course, or pondered the deeper meanings and philosophies of design, this is the class for you. Be prepared to work, but if you are willing, you are certain to improve your theory education and design philosophies for the rest of your career. Remember, busier schedules than yours have taken the class before, and suceeded.

Remember: Always consult with your academic advisor before selecting classes to ensure that you are satisfying the graduation requirements for your degree plan appropriately. Course and credit requirements are subject to change, and requirements are not uniform across degree plans. Review based on information from spring 2012 and prior semesters.

3231

minors in review*ART &ARCHHISTORY

BUSINESSTIME COMMITMENT3 credit hours each, varies by class from intense to practically none. 6 classes total.

PROSThese classes will open your eyes to ways money is made and managed. Architects are notoriously undervalued because they typically do not understand the business world. As future architects, these classes should be required.

Each class gives you a glimpse into different aspects of business. FINC 409 may be the hardest class, but you will learn how to invest and make educated financial decisions. MGMT 209 will expose you to laws relevant to every business owner. Prepare yourself for a successful future and set your-self apart from your peers.

CONSSome classes require intense studying (MGMT 209, FINC 409) or busy-work (INFO 209). Take these classes early on or in the summer.

COURSES REQUIREDACCT 209Survey of Accounting Principles INFO 209Business Information Systems Concepts

MGMT 209Business Law

FINC 409Survey of Finance Principles

MGMT 309Survey of Management

MKTG 409Introduction to Marketing

COURSES OFFERED FALL 2012ARCH 430 History of Ancient Architecture

ARCH 434 Painting and Sculpture in Ancient Architecture

COURSES IN B.E.D. PLANARCH 249 Survey of World ARCH History I

ARCH 250Survey of World ARCH History II

ARCH 350 History and Theory of Modern & Contemporary Architecture

UNDERGRADUATE

TIME COMMITMENT1 or 3 credit hours each, average commitment. 6 hours (100-200 level) + 9 hours (300-400 level)

PROSThis minor offers a deeper un-derstanding of visual and built historic cultures up to the pres-ent, which can be applied to your architecture studies through design and/or research. This minor is popular among students is because 9 of the 15 required hours are already covered within the Bachelor of Environmental Design degree plan. This means only two additional (3 credit hour) courses are needed to complete this minor.

The courses offered are always changing, so this minor is easy to adapt to your schedule.

CONSPick your classes carefully; make sure your extra classes count towards your minor. Beware boring lecture classes.

ART URBANPLANNING

COURSES REQUIREDARTS 103 or ENDS 105Design I ARTS 349The History of Modern Art

TRADITIONAL MEDIADrawing, Life Drawing, Painting I, Scupture, B&W Photography, Advanced Photography, Color Theory

NEW MEDIAGraphic Design I, Graphic Design II, Digital Photography, Digital Painting, Graphic Design III, Designing for the Web

COURSES REQUIREDURSC 201Urban Form & City Planning URSC 301Urban & Regional Planning

URSC 360 or URSC 370Issues in Environmental Qualityor Health Systems Planning

URSC 340 or URSC 461Housing & Community or Urban Issues

URSC 460 or URSC 471Sustainable Communities orPlanning Healthier Communities

TIME COMMITMENT18 credit hours total. Minimal time commitment.

PROSIf you enjoy being artistic and creative, this is a great way to earn a minor while enjoying yourself. Only two classes, an introduction to design and an art history course, are strictly required, and ENDS 105 covers the design requirement. After completing those courses, each student decides on which media to study: Traditional Media or New Media.

Once and emphasis is selected, three courses from the selected emphasis and one course from the non-emphasis must be com-pleted. It is suggested that the non- emphasis class selected related to an emphasis class the student selected ,ex. Painting I and Digital Painting; Black and White Photography and Digital Photography.

CONSIt can be hard to get into some of the ARTS courses.

TIME COMMITMENT15 credit hours total. Moderate time commitment.

PROSUrban Planning classes are interesting because they encour-age you to pay more attention to current events in the news and actually care about the future of the community that you live in.

This is a common minor for stu-dents majoring in Environmental Studies, so you will get to meet new peers that can offer new perspectives.

Urban Planning teaches students how an architectural project can not only have a lasting effect on immediate users, but a whole community over time.

CONSWhile touching on some aspects of architecture, these classes are structured more like a political science class; there are a fair amount of essays over past legal decisions.

*For a complete list of requirements for each minor, visit the Department of Architecture website at http://dept.arch.tamu.edu/. To apply for a minor, pick up a form in the Department of Architecture’s office (second floor of Langford, Building A) and schedule an appointment with your advisor.

3433

minors in review*ART &ARCHHISTORY

BUSINESSTIME COMMITMENT3 credit hours each, varies by class from intense to practically none. 6 classes total.

PROSThese classes will open your eyes to ways money is made and managed. Architects are notoriously undervalued because they typically do not understand the business world. As future architects, these classes should be required.

Each class gives you a glimpse into different aspects of business. FINC 409 may be the hardest class, but you will learn how to invest and make educated financial decisions. MGMT 209 will expose you to laws relevant to every business owner. Prepare yourself for a successful future and set your-self apart from your peers.

CONSSome classes require intense studying (MGMT 209, FINC 409) or busy-work (INFO 209). Take these classes early on or in the summer.

COURSES REQUIREDACCT 209Survey of Accounting Principles INFO 209Business Information Systems Concepts

MGMT 209Business Law

FINC 409Survey of Finance Principles

MGMT 309Survey of Management

MKTG 409Introduction to Marketing

COURSES OFFERED FALL 2012ARCH 430 History of Ancient Architecture

ARCH 434 Painting and Sculpture in Ancient Architecture

COURSES IN B.E.D. PLANARCH 249 Survey of World ARCH History I

ARCH 250Survey of World ARCH History II

ARCH 350 History and Theory of Modern & Contemporary Architecture

UNDERGRADUATE

TIME COMMITMENT1 or 3 credit hours each, average commitment. 6 hours (100-200 level) + 9 hours (300-400 level)

PROSThis minor offers a deeper un-derstanding of visual and built historic cultures up to the pres-ent, which can be applied to your architecture studies through design and/or research. This minor is popular among students is because 9 of the 15 required hours are already covered within the Bachelor of Environmental Design degree plan. This means only two additional (3 credit hour) courses are needed to complete this minor.

The courses offered are always changing, so this minor is easy to adapt to your schedule.

CONSPick your classes carefully; make sure your extra classes count towards your minor. Beware boring lecture classes.

ART URBANPLANNING

COURSES REQUIREDARTS 103 or ENDS 105Design I ARTS 349The History of Modern Art

TRADITIONAL MEDIADrawing, Life Drawing, Painting I, Scupture, B&W Photography, Advanced Photography, Color Theory

NEW MEDIAGraphic Design I, Graphic Design II, Digital Photography, Digital Painting, Graphic Design III, Designing for the Web

COURSES REQUIREDURSC 201Urban Form & City Planning URSC 301Urban & Regional Planning

URSC 360 or URSC 370Issues in Environmental Qualityor Health Systems Planning

URSC 340 or URSC 461Housing & Community or Urban Issues

URSC 460 or URSC 471Sustainable Communities orPlanning Healthier Communities

TIME COMMITMENT18 credit hours total. Minimal time commitment.

PROSIf you enjoy being artistic and creative, this is a great way to earn a minor while enjoying yourself. Only two classes, an introduction to design and an art history course, are strictly required, and ENDS 105 covers the design requirement. After completing those courses, each student decides on which media to study: Traditional Media or New Media.

Once and emphasis is selected, three courses from the selected emphasis and one course from the non-emphasis must be com-pleted. It is suggested that the non- emphasis class selected related to an emphasis class the student selected ,ex. Painting I and Digital Painting; Black and White Photography and Digital Photography.

CONSIt can be hard to get into some of the ARTS courses.

TIME COMMITMENT15 credit hours total. Moderate time commitment.

PROSUrban Planning classes are interesting because they encour-age you to pay more attention to current events in the news and actually care about the future of the community that you live in.

This is a common minor for stu-dents majoring in Environmental Studies, so you will get to meet new peers that can offer new perspectives.

Urban Planning teaches students how an architectural project can not only have a lasting effect on immediate users, but a whole community over time.

CONSWhile touching on some aspects of architecture, these classes are structured more like a political science class; there are a fair amount of essays over past legal decisions.

*For a complete list of requirements for each minor, visit the Department of Architecture website at http://dept.arch.tamu.edu/. To apply for a minor, pick up a form in the Department of Architecture’s office (second floor of Langford, Building A) and schedule an appointment with your advisor.

3433

no plastic sleeves There is a certain beauty to be found in a designer’s portfolio. The attention to detail given to each piece of work creates a composition worthy of accolade, a body of work that illustrates not only what the author is capable of but also who he or she is as a person. Therefore, it is important for anyone creating a portfolio to become accustomed to professional, good design. No Plastic Sleeves, a website created by Danielle Currier (who co-authored a book by the same name

rather than inspire (though admittedly, there is a significant amount of inspiration to go around). The book can be found online for a reasonable $20–$25.

opportunities and clients. Our unique approach addresses all facets of the portfolio process.” No Plastic Sleeves serves as not only inspiration for designers’ promotional material but also as a tool for self-critique, print and online portfolio development, and the creation of personal branding, or the expression of who you are to a potential client or employer. The text is as invaluable a resource as the website and seeks to educate

with Larry Volk) seeks to explore and exemplify well-thought- out portfolios and promotional materials for designers seeking inspiration for their own work. Volk was a graduate of RISD and is currently a professor of Photography at Endicott College, while Currier is Parsons alumni and a professor of Design at Endicott. According to the authors, “your work and the manner in which you present it is a critical part of securing potential employment

BY MICHAEL ROLLINS

www.noplasticsleeves.comPortfolio and promotional material inspiration and tutorialsBook of the same title is an invaluable resource ($20-25)

a noteworthy blog: dezeenBY VICTORIA ADAMS

Many design blogs popular in architectural circles are solely focused on architecture and related innovations. Dezeen Magazine’s blog, while including architectural projects, features posts that embody a wide variety of design. Previously featured article topics have included Graphic Design, Furniture Design,

The Dezeen Watch Store is another way that the site supports designers. The Watch Store is the

The store provides a selection of watches by named designers and boutique brands. Dezeen Jobs, a branch of the blog, offers a platform for on-line recruiting. Employers exacting a £100 fee can post prospective jobs for all types of professional and internship positions. Listings are posted by most recent and side menus also categorize the listings of jobs by type, employer, and loca-tion. A majority of listings apply to international positions, as the web-site is UK based, but US positions are listed as well. The ability to explore a large scope of news and trends in the design industry is at the core of Dezeen. Encouraging enthusiasm for design and providing a platform for designers to get jobs or sell products make Dezeen a site worth visiting.

and Art Exhibitions. Dezeen was founded by Marcus Fairs, a furniture designer with an experienced background in journalism, who currently lives and works in London. Fairs launched Dezeen in 2006 and was joined by Rupinder Bhogal a year later. Together they added Dezeen Jobs in 2008 and the Dezeen Watch Store in 2010. The expansion of the site to job listings and merchan-dise sales distinguish this site from other design blogs.

1 RSA House Chandeliers by Troika

2 Sugru designed in Hackney

3 The Blocks by Studio Toogood

4 ESGE Ecole Secondaire de Genoliare by ipas

5 Featured on Dezeen Watches

1

3

4

2

• • •

JOB LISTINGSDESIGNER MERCHANDISE DESIGN NEWS

5

3635

no plastic sleeves There is a certain beauty to be found in a designer’s portfolio. The attention to detail given to each piece of work creates a composition worthy of accolade, a body of work that illustrates not only what the author is capable of but also who he or she is as a person. Therefore, it is important for anyone creating a portfolio to become accustomed to professional, good design. No Plastic Sleeves, a website created by Danielle Currier (who co-authored a book by the same name

rather than inspire (though admittedly, there is a significant amount of inspiration to go around). The book can be found online for a reasonable $20–$25.

opportunities and clients. Our unique approach addresses all facets of the portfolio process.” No Plastic Sleeves serves as not only inspiration for designers’ promotional material but also as a tool for self-critique, print and online portfolio development, and the creation of personal branding, or the expression of who you are to a potential client or employer. The text is as invaluable a resource as the website and seeks to educate

with Larry Volk) seeks to explore and exemplify well-thought- out portfolios and promotional materials for designers seeking inspiration for their own work. Volk was a graduate of RISD and is currently a professor of Photography at Endicott College, while Currier is Parsons alumni and a professor of Design at Endicott. According to the authors, “your work and the manner in which you present it is a critical part of securing potential employment

BY MICHAEL ROLLINS

www.noplasticsleeves.comPortfolio and promotional material inspiration and tutorialsBook of the same title is an invaluable resource ($20-25)

a noteworthy blog: dezeenBY VICTORIA ADAMS

Many design blogs popular in architectural circles are solely focused on architecture and related innovations. Dezeen Magazine’s blog, while including architectural projects, features posts that embody a wide variety of design. Previously featured article topics have included Graphic Design, Furniture Design,

The Dezeen Watch Store is another way that the site supports designers. The Watch Store is the

The store provides a selection of watches by named designers and boutique brands. Dezeen Jobs, a branch of the blog, offers a platform for on-line recruiting. Employers exacting a £100 fee can post prospective jobs for all types of professional and internship positions. Listings are posted by most recent and side menus also categorize the listings of jobs by type, employer, and loca-tion. A majority of listings apply to international positions, as the web-site is UK based, but US positions are listed as well. The ability to explore a large scope of news and trends in the design industry is at the core of Dezeen. Encouraging enthusiasm for design and providing a platform for designers to get jobs or sell products make Dezeen a site worth visiting.

and Art Exhibitions. Dezeen was founded by Marcus Fairs, a furniture designer with an experienced background in journalism, who currently lives and works in London. Fairs launched Dezeen in 2006 and was joined by Rupinder Bhogal a year later. Together they added Dezeen Jobs in 2008 and the Dezeen Watch Store in 2010. The expansion of the site to job listings and merchan-dise sales distinguish this site from other design blogs.

1 RSA House Chandeliers by Troika

2 Sugru designed in Hackney

3 The Blocks by Studio Toogood

4 ESGE Ecole Secondaire de Genoliare by ipas

5 Featured on Dezeen Watches

1

3

4

2

• • •

JOB LISTINGSDESIGNER MERCHANDISE DESIGN NEWS

5

3635

*

It was a typical late night in studio, and an ominous cloud of dread had mixed with the aerosol fumes from the studio next door and settled on our desks. I looked up from my project as a friend turned to me and said with an exasperated sigh, “I can’t wait until this project is over, dude.” I agreed, “The funny thing is… we couldn’t wait to start this project.” I was frustrated with my naïve foolishness. The excite-ment from the beginning of the semester had since been sucked out of me by the innocuous 13 credit hours that I once had thought were a good idea to take. Too bad 13 credit hours actually means 60 hours of slave labor each week. We talked a little while longer then he noted, “It’s like being a sucker for roller coasters but hating heights. Somehow we trick ourselves into this every semester- without fail.” This got me thinking. Was he right? How is it that I begin every semes-ter with the eagerness of a golden retriever, but end up questioning why I ever got on this roller coaster as soon as I as I have trudged to the top and waiver above the first drop? Let’s review the dilemma. The end of the summer draws near and a new semester begins, the prospect of which is invigorating.

You tell your parents that they have nothing to worry about this semester; you are going to ace all of your classes and probably get a medal or a key to the city for being such an outstanding student. You are going to get to know all of your professors so well that by midterm they will probably be inviting you to coffee to get your opinion on the deep intricacies of life, explain Der-rida or the Biophilia Hypothesis, or solve global warming. Before you know it, a new studio project, the future shining star of your portfolio, is proposed. Your excitement is almost palpable. Your brain runs in excited circles like a child lacking self-control the day after Halloween. However, reality hasn’t quite reached you yet;

you are still on your way to the top of the roller coaster. A week or two into school and the excitement hasn’t died yet but it is coming. Oh, is it coming. One minute your mind is a ball pit of excitement and ideas, then suddenly, out of nowhere, reality checks in with its club and slams you in the head. At this point, you could swear your professors are all members of an evil brain trust that collaborated to overload you with work. In between the tests, quizzes, homework, papers, models, drawings, and organization meetings you barely have time to blink, much less sleep. On Friday, your reasonable studio professor assigns 50 detail drawings and a full 1 to 1 scale model due for a

THE REALITIES OF AN ARCHITECTURE STUDENT:1. Deadlines have been known to materialize out of thin air. 2. Sleep, contrary to popular belief, is unconditionally necessary. 3. Your other classes have the gall to require attendance and homework.4. It takes time to weed through the ball pit of your mind to find ideas worth implementing.5. Whoever made the decision of 24 hours in a day definitely forgot about us.

review on Monday. Oh, and there is going to be a guest reviewer, so don’t let your professor down. Along with these realizations comes the actual project itself. You look at your project and you watch your free time get shot out of the sky, scream to the ground, crash and burn. None of this happens to your non-archie friends. All they talk about is how great of a day it was outside while youjust stare at it through the window trying to remember what sunlight feels like. The review gets closer and yet the end is still so very far, far away. There is so much to do but never enough time. “I’ll never finish,” becomes your mantra for the night. You end up finishing. Now you just have to sit through an hour of pretending to listen to your reviewers as they pick apart your

excitement that seduces students to take the next roller coaster is Wonly part of the reward. The ultimate satisfaction is being about to look back at all the thrills: the up and downs and stomach-turning loops. Don’t give up, young frustrated architecture student! Persevere and one day you too will be able to look back and know – it was all worth it.

hindsight BY ALEXANDER GOESSLER

model, both metaphorically and literally. Then, as suddenly and mysteriously as it began, it ends. You step off the roller coaster and walk toward the exit vowing, “I’ll never get on another one again.” Just give it a couple of minutes and you’ll walk around the corner and see the next promising ride. The truth is, without the lure of the next great ride, architecture would be a miserable profession. However, the

3837

Interested in writing for AXIOM?Want to shout at us about something we wrote?Know a professor who deserves to be featured?email us at: tamu.axiom@gmail.com

*

It was a typical late night in studio, and an ominous cloud of dread had mixed with the aerosol fumes from the studio next door and settled on our desks. I looked up from my project as a friend turned to me and said with an exasperated sigh, “I can’t wait until this project is over, dude.” I agreed, “The funny thing is… we couldn’t wait to start this project.” I was frustrated with my naïve foolishness. The excite-ment from the beginning of the semester had since been sucked out of me by the innocuous 13 credit hours that I once had thought were a good idea to take. Too bad 13 credit hours actually means 60 hours of slave labor each week. We talked a little while longer then he noted, “It’s like being a sucker for roller coasters but hating heights. Somehow we trick ourselves into this every semester- without fail.” This got me thinking. Was he right? How is it that I begin every semes-ter with the eagerness of a golden retriever, but end up questioning why I ever got on this roller coaster as soon as I as I have trudged to the top and waiver above the first drop? Let’s review the dilemma. The end of the summer draws near and a new semester begins, the prospect of which is invigorating.

You tell your parents that they have nothing to worry about this semester; you are going to ace all of your classes and probably get a medal or a key to the city for being such an outstanding student. You are going to get to know all of your professors so well that by midterm they will probably be inviting you to coffee to get your opinion on the deep intricacies of life, explain Der-rida or the Biophilia Hypothesis, or solve global warming. Before you know it, a new studio project, the future shining star of your portfolio, is proposed. Your excitement is almost palpable. Your brain runs in excited circles like a child lacking self-control the day after Halloween. However, reality hasn’t quite reached you yet;

you are still on your way to the top of the roller coaster. A week or two into school and the excitement hasn’t died yet but it is coming. Oh, is it coming. One minute your mind is a ball pit of excitement and ideas, then suddenly, out of nowhere, reality checks in with its club and slams you in the head. At this point, you could swear your professors are all members of an evil brain trust that collaborated to overload you with work. In between the tests, quizzes, homework, papers, models, drawings, and organization meetings you barely have time to blink, much less sleep. On Friday, your reasonable studio professor assigns 50 detail drawings and a full 1 to 1 scale model due for a

THE REALITIES OF AN ARCHITECTURE STUDENT:1. Deadlines have been known to materialize out of thin air. 2. Sleep, contrary to popular belief, is unconditionally necessary. 3. Your other classes have the gall to require attendance and homework.4. It takes time to weed through the ball pit of your mind to find ideas worth implementing.5. Whoever made the decision of 24 hours in a day definitely forgot about us.

review on Monday. Oh, and there is going to be a guest reviewer, so don’t let your professor down. Along with these realizations comes the actual project itself. You look at your project and you watch your free time get shot out of the sky, scream to the ground, crash and burn. None of this happens to your non-archie friends. All they talk about is how great of a day it was outside while youjust stare at it through the window trying to remember what sunlight feels like. The review gets closer and yet the end is still so very far, far away. There is so much to do but never enough time. “I’ll never finish,” becomes your mantra for the night. You end up finishing. Now you just have to sit through an hour of pretending to listen to your reviewers as they pick apart your

excitement that seduces students to take the next roller coaster is Wonly part of the reward. The ultimate satisfaction is being about to look back at all the thrills: the up and downs and stomach-turning loops. Don’t give up, young frustrated architecture student! Persevere and one day you too will be able to look back and know – it was all worth it.

hindsight BY ALEXANDER GOESSLER

model, both metaphorically and literally. Then, as suddenly and mysteriously as it began, it ends. You step off the roller coaster and walk toward the exit vowing, “I’ll never get on another one again.” Just give it a couple of minutes and you’ll walk around the corner and see the next promising ride. The truth is, without the lure of the next great ride, architecture would be a miserable profession. However, the

3837

Interested in writing for AXIOM?Want to shout at us about something we wrote?Know a professor who deserves to be featured?email us at: tamu.axiom@gmail.com

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