Day 2 - Sunday, March 7, 2010

We have a late start today, Tina hopes we can all get adjusted with a little extra sleep. But of course because I can sleep in I wake up at 7 am and can't fall back asleep. Breakfast is different here.

We meet downstairs at 11:30. On today's agenda: a guided tour of New Delhi.
First stop Parliament. It's beautiful - a road with perfect symmetry, beautiful gardens, and amazing colorful people. We get our first glimpse of hawkers.
There are a lot of soldiers/guards with guns here. We continuously get whistled at for standing or getting too close to things.




I begin to realize how different our cultures are, and how much our group sticks out. Everywhere we walk heads turn. People here seem to be fascinated by us, and keep asking to take pictures with us.After walking around for a little, our guide takes up back to our bus. It's time to head towards the Arch of India.
Being as its a Sunday, it's very crowded. The hawkers are a lot more intense here, we get mobbed. Tina has to save Carlos from getting pinned with an Indian flag by this random woman. So after about five minutes of constant attention from school boys, we've all had enough and make our way back to the bus.Indian McDonald's for lunch. Defiantly not like American McDonald's, at all. No option of beef just doesn't seem right. But it's safe, so I'll settle with chicken. After we leave McDonald's we get cornered by a little girl and her mother, both with arms full of beaded necklaces. Their like mosquitoes, you swat at them but they wont go away.

The bus takes us to the Mughal Gardens. It's packed because its a Sunday. Males and females have to go through two separate security lines. Although the gardens are probably beautiful its really hard to see or take in anything, its so crowded. We're like cows being herded through the gardens.

After the gardens we head to Fabindia to buy some outfits to help up blend in more. There are too many choices. It takes everyone forever to decide what to buy. As we wait for everyone to finish we walk around shops in the surrounding area. There are some really interesting design shops.

We eat at a Southern Indian resturant. I try the paper plain. And its just that, plain. Time to go back and get ready for the next day.

Day 1 - Friday March 5, 2010

I woke up with a surreal feeling. I can't believe that today is finally here. After the months of planning and preparation, the actual day that we leave for India has arrived!
My mom, dad, Aaron, and me make our way to the airport for my first airplane ride ever! I've come to the conclusion that the airport needs a "how to navigate the airport for dummies" board with step by step instructions for people like me that just don't get it...

We all play cards while waiting for the flight to Chicago. Our plane is very small, only three seats wide. First plane ride = SUCCESS!

When we arrive in Chicago we all go eat, I get overpriced Mexican food, and a neck pillow for the next plane ride. It's time to board the longest flight in my life, literally. The only thing that made this plane ride not a complete waste was that I was able to watch a bunch of movies. I got yelled at by the flight attendants several times for opening my window.
WE LAND! It seems to take forever to get off the plane and through customs. Baggage is also another new hassle for me. We all find each other again and exchange money while we're waiting for Tina to arrive.We go outside and wait for our bus. My first observation is that it's very dusty, and there are a lot of random dogs. Our bus arrives. Traffic is crazy. Drivers honk constantly. Our ride to our hostel seems to take just as long as the plane ride here.

We arrive. Megan and I get our room assignment first. It's bigger and nicer than I was expecting it to be. We all meet in Ben in Robert's room where we get our maps, common phrases in Hindi, and some snacks.
Back to our room. Megan finds a present in the shower, a lizard. Nice. I can't sleep, because, I'M IN INDIA!!!

Albemarle - Conceptual Presentaion

Topic

For my research exhibit project I'm interested in either studying:

• Tomb Architecture including the Taj Mahal, and Humayun’s Tomb

• 
• Temple Architecture including Temples at Osian, and Lotus Temples

Daylighting Design - First Iteration

Daylighting Design - Precedent Work

Chapel of St. Ignatius... Steven Holl... Seattle, WA

• "a gathering of different lights"
• "seven bottles of light in a stone box"
• parts of the chapel will glow with colored light from two sources
• Interior lighting at night: transforms chapel into a beacon of light, radiating outward to campus
• lots of student imput
  

Alila Villas Uluwatu (resort hotel)... WOHA Designs... Bali, Indonesia

• interior space that experiences the environment
• simple shell
• linear arrangement
• cantilevered aspects
• each wall creates a view of its own, through exterior shell, and surroundings
• play with light and the rectangular form
• exposure to elements
  

The Church of the Light... Tadao Ando... Ibaraki, Osaka

• Solid smooth concrete
• defined by light
  
• strong contrast between light and shade
• two rectangular volumes that are cut at 15 degree angles by freestanding concrete walls
• light enters from behind alter
• plays with thickness
• space is defined by the simplistic geometry
• the shining alter draws you into the space
• powerful statement
• space shapes your journey
• defined by light

Phase Three

Rendering of Loft:Bathroom located on first floor:
Living Area:
Kitchen:
Entryway wall, stairs, and bathroom entrance:
Perspective Sections:



Plans:
(LOFT)
(FIRST FLOOR)
final wall colors:



Tile used in shower:
Polished Concrete (used throughout except in loft area):
Final counter top (used in kitchen and bath):
Final Flooring Used (loft):
Final Kitchen Back splash: