As promised. Links to the new page:
Blog:
http://hiroshimasunrise.blogspot.com/

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Is Pretoria too far?
Is 16 too young?
Am I going to die alone?

The answer, unfortunately, to all of these questions is probably yes.
Meh.

C’est la vie.

These are some little cars made by some foreign African national whose name I don’t know, but they live on my window cill, and I think they’re really awesome.

I’ve analyses in ordered lists,
Of ever girl I’ve ever met,
And book reports inside my head:
All the cover – faces that I’ve read.

Beard. Beard. Beard.

I think I’ll move everything over in the holidays (in two or three weeks time), so I might write one or two more posts here, but otherwise this is goodbye for now to WordPress.

I’ll post the new domain link and RSS link up here when I’m done setting it all up.

Stoked!

I’ve got a couple of little changes to make before portfolio at the end of the year, but otherwise I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

The brief called for a Mixed Use building (residential/commercial/offices) in uMkumbane, Cato Manor, which is quite a poor area in Durban. The building was meant to act as something of an acupuncture into the area, a catalyst for further development of a positive urban environment.

It was generally quite a theoretical project, which was super rad! Some theory reports here and here.

And now for some pretty pictures..

Model built with ArchiCAD, Rendered with Artlantis Studio, and touched up with Adobe Light Room.

But I saw a pretty insane Autodesk presentation the other day, and I’m seriously considering switching over.. Revit seems exponentially more powerful.. So I’m definately gonna give it a try, I just need time to learn the program..

So I’m probably going to try in the holidays in a month or so.

Also, Autodesk handed a pack of free student-version software, which I thought was just plain

Hayley, if you’re reading this,

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I love you!

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Ok, enough silliness.. Back to work, Matt Costa and the growing of my beard.

Apart from the odd buss tour, most of our time was spent either in the most insane lectures, or partying, there was no in-between really..

One thing that really struck me though from the other universities is just how many pretty girls study architecture. I would never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself, but its true! I think I need to move to PE/Cape Town/Pretoria!

Enough of that.

We had most of our lectures in this building:

Which is around a massive green quad on the Tuks main campus.

I would never have thought it, but Pretoria is actually a whole lot greener than Durban, and its not just the Jacaranda trees..

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The architecture building (Boukunde) is also super cool. A whole lot more inspiring than the mass of yellow brick work and cavernous dungeon lecture halls that is the Denis Shepston Building at Howard College.

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Mornings were a somber affair of hung over faces and what can only be described as warm chicory beverages.

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Nothing however, could prepare us for the final night: the Des Baker competition.

Held at Freedom Park, and sponsored by the very deep pockets of Murray & Roberts, this was one hell of an event! The competition is held every year and submissions are invited from the third year classes of each school. It’s one of the most prestigious student competitions of the year, and a matter of major rivalries. This year however, it would not be UCT, TUT, TUKS, UJ, NNMU or any of the other universities who took the prize, and as tention built, the winners were finaly anounced..

Michael Brunner and Helen Reeves of the University of KwaZulu Natal.

Now sushi and I get on very well, so I’ve had a fair bit of practice with those little guys, but for people who haven’t these are super rad. I thought they were just generally a pretty rad design!

They’ve ever got these rad little grippy bits at the end. Nice one!

Now I just need something Asian to eat!

I’m really starting to miss PTA now. I don’t know why. I suppose after spending a week in such a creative, fun, different environment with loads of awesome people, coming back to the same old deadline orientated, design production line that varsity seems to be right now just feels like Sinai.

I just want to feel like I’m doing something worth while.

I think about the kind of things the people who presented papers last week are doing: social housing in Accra, creative arts centers in Kinshasa, Urban Agriculture projects in Johannesburg and do-it-yourself development mixed use buildings in Amsterdam. Architects and anthropologists Heinrich Wolff, Dick Van Gameren, Joe Addo, Liz Ogbu, Hein de Haan, etc, etc, just blew my mind. This is what architecture has to contribute to society! Not green roofed mansions one on top of each other in Mount Edgecomb on Zimbali, or art galleries on Florida Road.

Or maybe I’m just in a bit of an idealistic mood right now.

Well here’s a taste of what I’m rambling on about. A Day Laborer Station presented to us by Liz Ogbu of Public Architecture, the first of these structure is to be build sometime in the new year. (More info here)

The Day Labor Station, a project of Public Architecture, is a simple, flexible structure that can be deployed at these informal day labor locations. It is a sustainably-designed project that utilizes green materials and strategies and exists primarily, if not completely, off-the-grid. It provides a sheltered space for the day laborers to wait for work as well as greater community amenities and resources. Our design is a responsive one, addressing the needs and desires of the day laborers themselves, as our clients. As such, the structure will be flexible enough to serve in various capacities, including as a meeting space or classroom.

Pretty awesome really. Things like this really make me want to be an architect.. But right now I don’t know if I can be bothered. I think I just need a break. Maybe I’m just missing some people/someone.

Sigh.

On another note: I’ve been listening to the new Paramore album this week. Pretty awesome stuff actually. Give it a listen..

So Yeah.

I thought I’d break this little hiatus with a quick post to share some photos from my trip to Pretoria last week.

What a rad week!

Basically, all the schools of architecture from around the country get together in the same city for a few days once a year. In the glorious name of architecture we attend guest lectures, meet new people, sleep in tents and party pretty hard! =P

This year was held in Pretoria, which I must admit, I was pretty surprised to discover is actually a REALLY beautiful city. I had always assumed it was pretty similar to Jo’burg, but its not at all. Definitely a place I’d love to visit again.

We arrived a day early and explored Pretoria. I went out that night to a little restaurant/bar/club effort that I can’t remember the name of, and watched a couple bands play. Good start. The next day we did the typical tourist thing from a couple of really cool, low rider busses..

We drove around the city, and eventually stopped off at the union buildings which are so beautiful. I love being a tourist!

Their University is really pretty, kind of puts mine to shame.

But more about that next time..