life as interns

architecture school: if i could turn back time

PatrickJL — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:12:06 +0000

If I could turn back time? What’s the first thing that pops into my head? Well, it’s the same thought that pops into my head every time I look at my design portfolio from architecture school. It’s not that I believe everything I produced at Drury was crap, not at all. I just think there were a few projects where I didn’t push myself. The project was due, so I stopped designing and finished the project…and I’ve come to learn that it’s not about the grade or the degree, it’s about the exploration of an idea. I could try to blame that I ran out of time on other things…fraternity, friends, girlfriend, etc., but realistically it was time management. Oh ya, that sounds like an exhilarating letter to 18 year old Pat. I can see myself opening it the first day of my freshman year:

Dear Pat,

This is your future self. I would like to talk to you about time management…

This is about the time where I would crumple the letter up and say “F— this guy.” Who does he think he is? He doesn’t know me. You see, at this point in my life, I knew everything. I didn’t. Not even close. This, however is a good thing because if I knew everything there would be much in life to look forward to. But only if I was able to instill in my 18 year old self the ability to manage my time wisely I would have been able to do so much more academically.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks this. How many projects have you worked on where you thought to yourself “If I only had a little more time I would…?” I always told myself I’d go back and redo the projects that didn’t meet my expectations but of course that hasn’t happened yet. This thought has crept up more frequently as the opportunity for grad school has become a real option in the next couple of years. Is it a misrepresentation to redo a project from college? Shouldn’t a portfolio show a progression of your work or merely a collection of your most successful projects? Would it be better to include new projects I’ve just made up to work on instead of fixing the old ones? These are questions I have been asking myself lately. No matter which direction I go, I need to have the time outside of work to do them.

I’ve started to look at time management more seriously. There are a lot of things I’d like to do and not that much time to fit them in (small design projects, train for half marathon, this blog, etc.). TV has become a lot less important. Before I got rid of my cable 2+ years ago I would come home from work and plop down on the couch and just surf the channels for the next 30 minutes of entertainment, a similar albeit less lengthy ritual in college. Suddenly, it’s midnight and I meant to go to bed 2 hours ago. Now if I want to use the time to watch a show, you better believe I want to be there…and you know what? I don’t miss it. I realized I wasn’t really watching anything I was just wasting time. I’ve learned to tell myself to do things in order of importance. This has allowed me to start scratching some things off my list that have been on there for years.

What would you change if you could turn back time?

etsy finds: Mid Century Designers – Pencil Set

PatrickJL — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:11:43 +0000

This post is part of a series entitled “etsy finds” of fun, creative, handmade items found on etsy.com

I perusing etsy again when I came across oneupdesigns. These would make a great little gift or stocking stuffer (only six bucks!). They also have other sets with quotes from various movies, music references, etc. I’ve been wanting to start an etsy store to sell small handmade objects and have to say I’m envious of all these creative shops I find on this website and wish I could get my act together to turn my sketches into something real.

Description from Etsy:

Set of six No. 2 pencils. Black pencils with silver text.

AALTO
SAARINEN
MILES VAN DER ROHE
NOGUCHI
NELSON
EAMES

Pencils are hand stamped by me. There will be slight variations from one pencil set to the next.

[etsy]

etsy finds: Blueprint Carrying Case

PatrickJL — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:52:51 +0000

This post is part of a series entitled “etsy finds” of fun, creative, handmade items found on etsy.com

The guys at Walnut Studio have done it again. If you’re looking for a way to class up how you carry a set of drawings, this is the way to go. At only 3 1/4″ in diameter it won’t hold the largest of drawing sets but when it does it will definitely stand out when you roll into the client’s office with this on your shoulder.

Description from Etsy:

Make an impression when presenting to your clients by pulling your plans out of this specialized leather carrying case.

A hand-constructed, hand-stitched, all-leather carrying case for your maps, blueprints, artwork, posters, and more.

I designed this carrying case for my good friend Nate who works with a lot of maps. The project turned out so nice, I had to make one for myself for my architectural blueprints.

36″ long and 3 1/4″ diameter.

4-5oz vegetable-tanned leather tube, dyed to your color preference (dye color options swatch shown in pictures — shown here in light brown, 3rd from the bottom).

The leather is cut, edged, dyed, burnished, finished with Montana pitch blend, stitched together, and assembled with hardware in my workshop.

Adjustable shoulder strap is permanently attached with a riveted D-ring near the base of the tube. The shoulder strap also holds the lid on, and is adjustable to carrying length.

The entire tube weighs only 1 lb, 5 oz.

The interior is unfinished to protect the contents.

Please indicate which color you want in the Message to Seller box during checkout. If no color is requested, you will be send a light brown one.

Your blueprint tube may not look exactly as pictured here – all work is made to order.

[etsy]

How I won the New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire bike

PatrickJL — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:37:52 +0000

So if you haven’t heard yet via my ecstatic Facebook and Twitter posts, I was one of the lucky recipients of the highly coveted New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire Bicycle…and I’m going to tell you how I won. Now my method won’t guarantee a win but I do believe persistence pays off. In case you didn’t know, every summer New Belgium Brewing holds a contest called Joy Ride where they give one Fat Tire branded cruiser bicycle away everyday from the end of May through the beginning of September. There are a few ways to enter – at the Fat Tire summer tour, writing a poem, calling in a number, and a random drawing online. Around May at my local grocery store, the new Fat Tire bike display is revealed and will remain throughout the summer. Visiting the bike is the highlight of my weekly grocery trip (I don’t think you realized how much I wanted this bike!). At the display, there is a small pad of paper that you rip off and it gives you instructions to access the contest web page. You can enter once a day, and in previous years had entered several times over the course of the summer. This year I told myself that I was going to win the bike. The bike’s design was by far the best and I was going to do whatever it takes to win. So I committed myself to entering every single day that the contest was open. I placed the piece of paper on my keyboard at work and made it a reminder to enter first thing every morning when I got in. Around the middle of September, the 17th I believe, I received an email from New Belgium stating that I won the bike. I must have reread the email at least ten times before I believed that it was real. First, let me state that I don’t win things. I was very skeptical and was expected to see some request in the email to send a money order to Nigeria in order to receive the bike! But alas, it was real and after replying back to formally accept my prize (who wouldn’t accept it?!), I was notified that my bike would ship to me in early October. The bike arrived and had to be professionally assembled and that first ride home from the bike shop was AMAZING. The bike has quickly become my commuter bike to work. It definitely has a distinct look and I get a lot of attention from it.

Read full post for description of the bike plus photos.

New Belgium has been commissioning bicycle companies to design a Fat Tire branded cruiser bike for several years (read about them here). Felt bicycles has designed the bikes for the past few years. Previous manufacturers have been Schwinn and Electra. It is obvious that a lot of thought went in to the details of the bike. There are little hints to New Belgium Brewing and the Fat Tire brand just about everywhere you look. The only thing I am unable to find is a built in bottle opener. This may be due to some liability in not wanting to promote drinking and riding but c’mon it’s a brewing company whose idea for Fat Tire Amber Ale was conceived on a bike!

The bike immediately after unboxing.

The rear basket with wood burned New Belgium Brewing Company on the side.

Embossed leather saddle.

Joy Ride logo on the chain guard.

The chain ring has the classic New Belgium glass silhouette stamped into it.

2oth anniversary logo on frame.

Fat Tire branding on frame.

The cruiser finally assembled.

birdhouse project

PatrickJL — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:50:13 +0000

So this project stems from not finding a birdhouse style that I liked. A few months ago I started sketching a few ideas for a modern birdhouse that I could build myself. Well, I finally got around to actually building it. I like how it turned out and a few ideas for more birdhouses. Who knows, maybe an Etsy store is in the works.

tattoos in architecture

PatrickJL — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:57:19 +0000

This post is in response to Life of an Architect, Bob Borson’s post Tattoos and the professional.

I agree with Bob in that tattoos do not determine whether one is professional or not but perception can be a tricky beast. I’d like to think that I would look ‘beyond the ink’ and see the work of that particular individual but I could also see myself silently judging someone for a poor decision in tattoo selection. To me, tattoos are meant to be abstract, a view into one’s soul…wow, that was deep. I did not intend to get to that level. What I mean is that I believe tattoos should carry special meaning to the owner and not some lame saying or obscure advertisement of how “bad ass” one can be. Seeing as this is subjective to the receiver of said tattoo, this can be hard to determine. I also believe the location of the tattoo is just as important. If a tattoo has special meaning to you should it be only visible to you and few others or should it be something you wear proudly for others to see?

In light of the subject, I did a quick search on google and located some architecture themed tattoos that might inspire the rebel in me.

[via Gliffy]

Floor plan tattoo. One question. What happens when you have to remove the extra bedroom due to value engineering?

[via Architizer]

I wonder how they decided that this was the detail that would be forever emblazoned on their skin. Don’t forget to add the thermal break.

[via Architizer]

Le Corbusier’s Modulor. I actually don’t have a funny quip for this one. It’s abstract enough not to shout architecture, yet any architect should recognize this immediately.

[via Architizer]

More Corb love.

[via PushPullBar]

It’s certainly cheaper than buying an Eames lounge chair…and it will last longer too!

more furniture tattoos:

http://www.designboom.com/history/tattoo.html

[via peterbeers.net]

Frank Lloyd Wright tattoo

[via Architizer]

[via Objects-Building-Situations]

FLW tattoo on architecture student. Interview about her decision here:

http://kourelis.blogspot.com/2009/03/architecture-as-tattoo-meghan-marchie.html

In architecture themed tattoos, FLW seems to take the cake. Have you seen any other architecture oriented tattoos or do you have one yourself? Reply in the comments below.

etsy finds: Journal Bandolier

PatrickJL — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:39:26 +0000

This post is part of a series entitled “etsy finds” of fun, creative, handmade items found on etsy.com

Here is another great item I found on etsy. I always carry a sketchbook with me and at least 4 0r 5 different pens (varying colors, inks, etc.). The Journal Bandolier from cleverhands is a perfect way to keep all of your pens together without needing to carry a bag of pens along with you. The bandolier comes in a variety of prints and fabrics but I must say the reclaimed rubber is my favorite.

Description from Etsy:

[jour.nal ban.do.lier n.] a strap fitted with small loops for carrying pens, pencils, and other handy tools wrapped around a journal, planner, or other book.

Some time ago I made a journal bandolier for myself. After the 8th person asked me where they could get one it occurred to me that I wasn’t the only person sick of losing pens and breaking pencil points, or having inspiration hit only to find I had nothing to draw or write with!

This style of Bandolier is handmade using reclaimed rubber and elastic. The strap is 2 inches wide and sewn into a loop which measures 5.75 inches long when laid flat. It fits easily around books that run a little over 5 inches wide such as the Moleskine 5.52×8.25 inch journal or the Handbook journal of a similar size. Each loop is approximately 1 inch wide. There are a total of 7 loops.

Because this bandolier is made from reclaimed rubber it will show lots of character and individuality due to the fact that each one starts out life as a bicycle inner tube.

This is a handmade item and will have variations from the photograph as the one in the photograph has been sold.

I find many of my materials at a center for creative reuse to improve the carbon footprint things I make.

Custom widths and loop sizes are available upon request. See the additional images for alternate fabric selections.

[etsy]

My North Missouri Blog

PatrickJL — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:29:31 +0000

Check out this blog about my friend Claire’s parent’s house construction in Chillicothe, Missouri.

[My North Missouri]

etsy finds: 6 pack frame cinch

PatrickJL — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:59:48 +0000

This post is part of a series entitled “etsy finds” of fun, creative, handmade items found on etsy.com

Thanks to my good friend Claire for passing this along. The guys at Walnut Studio are craftsman of fine hand-stitched leather bicycle accessories. Their latest creation will assist all the bike commuters out there who want to grab a six pack after a long day at work. This basic leather strap will secure your favorite brew between your legs and hang on to it all the way home.

Description from Etsy:

Originally designed by and for a Hardcourt Bike Polo aficionado, we since learned that this useful item can hold all kinds of things to your bike – why not a six pack?

This product was burned by bikesnobnyc! http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2010/07/throwing-down-your-arms-time-and-place.html

As a frame cinch, this secures just about anything somewhat narrow to your top tube – the strap is adjustable to hold variably sized items.

As bike polo mallet holders, these bundle together mallet cues and secure the mallets to your bike’s top tube. Bike polo tested and approved! Besides being devilishly stylish, the mallet cue holder will keep players honest on which cues they should use and organizes mallets so players can easily see which game is next. Check it out at: www.leagueofbikepolo.com/bike/bikescars/arroch

This listing is for one frame cinch/mallet holder — please note that it takes two mallet holders to secure long items like the mallets (or a rake or a shovel…) to your bike.

Please indicate in your notes to seller if you plan to use these for bike polo or convo me and we’ll provide sets in different colors to differentiate between the cues and work with you on making the right thing you need for your team.

Your frame cinch will be custom-made and will not look exactly as pictured. It will come in natural walnut-dyed leather with metal hardware. If you have a particular color request, or any other questions or special requests, please convo me.

Made with love in my workshop in Portland, Oregon.

[etsy]

Lego adds the Farnsworth House to its Architecture Series

PatrickJL — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 04:17:38 +0000

Lego just released another set to its Architecture Series, the Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe. The lineup also includes Frank LLoyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater. I’m curious to see how far they will expand this line. I guess it takes time to not only choose a building worth including but also break it down in buildable lego pieces.

Here is my wish list for the next set in the series:

Villa Savoy – Corb

CCTV – Rem

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (AKA the Arch) – Saarinen

Sydney Opera House – Jorn Utzon

Chrysler Building – William Van Alen

Which building would you suggest to Lego for their next set? Answer below in the comments.

[Lego]