How Do I Love Thee?
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
AASTMT Design Review & Exh.
Last week we had our final studio projects evaluation and exhibition at the aast in cairo. Our design studio this semester focused on notion of space, and spatial qualities. Students were required to start designing their projetcs from the inside first, focusing on 4 themes, light, color, scale, and texture. More information here.
Most students were able to grasp the power of these qualities in creating specific atmospheres and were successsful in conveying statements such as grandness, seclusion, diversity... etc. Here are some selected images of the finished projects.
Projects by:
Amr Al Awady
Heba Bayoumi
John Mourad
Saeed A. Moneim
Salma Sabry
Shady Mohamed
Hasan Ashraf
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The followwing day the department hosted the semester design studio review and exhibition. An underground memorial in tahrir square, a community center in downtown helipolis, a municipality office building, an auto mall, along our forum building, portrayed the diversity of projects undertaken by different studios, with the multitude of themes they addressed such as context, structure, materiality, sustainability, and space. While a common thread of rationale seemed to be passing through all the projects (see my previous notes on the AUC exhibition here), I was concerned with several issues regarding the processes by which the projects have been achieved. It was clear there was a general lack of diverse opinions within the studio critiques. The one-way discussions that occur inside the studios, are apparently not enough to generate students with critical thinking skills, and who are able to disscuss and question their and others work. This is a very common pedagogical issue in the way egyptian architecture schools are being run, dominated by a clearly outdated tradition of teaching. But that is another story.
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Most students were able to grasp the power of these qualities in creating specific atmospheres and were successsful in conveying statements such as grandness, seclusion, diversity... etc. Here are some selected images of the finished projects.
Projects by:
Amr Al Awady
Heba Bayoumi
John Mourad
Saeed A. Moneim
Salma Sabry
Shady Mohamed
Hasan Ashraf
The followwing day the department hosted the semester design studio review and exhibition. An underground memorial in tahrir square, a community center in downtown helipolis, a municipality office building, an auto mall, along our forum building, portrayed the diversity of projects undertaken by different studios, with the multitude of themes they addressed such as context, structure, materiality, sustainability, and space. While a common thread of rationale seemed to be passing through all the projects (see my previous notes on the AUC exhibition here), I was concerned with several issues regarding the processes by which the projects have been achieved. It was clear there was a general lack of diverse opinions within the studio critiques. The one-way discussions that occur inside the studios, are apparently not enough to generate students with critical thinking skills, and who are able to disscuss and question their and others work. This is a very common pedagogical issue in the way egyptian architecture schools are being run, dominated by a clearly outdated tradition of teaching. But that is another story.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Shame
If you only knew how many times i wrote to you...
If you only knew how many words...
you would feel ashamed treating me the way you do...
If you only knew how many words...
you would feel ashamed treating me the way you do...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
AUC AA end of year exhibition
Last week i had the opportunity to visit the end of year exhibition hosted by the architecture department at the American University in Cairo. The dept. has been running for 6 years now with its first students graduating this year. For an architecture program it is a very young program, yet it has been gaining good reputation for the quality of its education and student product.
The exhibition seemed very well organized (which is one of the strong advantages of the AUC culture) yet it came very short on creating a positive impression. While most of the projects touched upon local and contextual issues, i was deeply disappointed with the exhibition, not only for the mediocrity of the projects or the lack of creative insights, but also for the lack of a general clear agenda that defines the outcome of the department. As in almost all schools of architecture in egypt, the AUC AA is clearly following an outdated model of architectural education, producing "a little bit of everything". Just another lot in the bunch.
Perhaps it is too early to expect a clear vision for a coherent program, but if the department genuinely wants to provide its students with provocative, intellectual, up to date and high-end education instead of only making use of their outstanding PR skills, then rethinking, evaluating, and enhancing their program is better done now than later.
The exhibition seemed very well organized (which is one of the strong advantages of the AUC culture) yet it came very short on creating a positive impression. While most of the projects touched upon local and contextual issues, i was deeply disappointed with the exhibition, not only for the mediocrity of the projects or the lack of creative insights, but also for the lack of a general clear agenda that defines the outcome of the department. As in almost all schools of architecture in egypt, the AUC AA is clearly following an outdated model of architectural education, producing "a little bit of everything". Just another lot in the bunch.
Perhaps it is too early to expect a clear vision for a coherent program, but if the department genuinely wants to provide its students with provocative, intellectual, up to date and high-end education instead of only making use of their outstanding PR skills, then rethinking, evaluating, and enhancing their program is better done now than later.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Star Wars in Dubai
A wonderful photograph series that blends sci-fi and architecture discussing the fantastical image of dubai and other places around the world.
The Dark Lens_Cedric Delsaux
More about Dubai from my recent visit soon...
The Dark Lens_Cedric Delsaux
More about Dubai from my recent visit soon...
Monday, May 2, 2011
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