Sci-Arc thesis projects

Archinect has posted a brief article on the recent Sci-Arc thesis projects. Read on: SCI Arc Thesis Projects

Larry calls me to tag along with him to SCI Arc this morning. Why not? I haven't seen a school presentation in almost 15 years or so, the last time I was a jury at Pratt Institute in early 90's.

So, I change the battery of my camera and, here we come SCI Arc, under the influence... After walking by and speed shooting the projects, I sort of follow one presentation. The thesis is a Car Museum on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, where there is an existing one that I have never been to. They converted it from an old bank or something as I recall. Anyway, student explains his project without uttering a single word about Los Angeles and cars and Wilshire Blvd. His limited vocabulary is about geometries, rendering programs and how the central stair anchors his project etc. Craig Hodgett wryly asks where are the cars? But that question gets jumped by teacher's friends from East Coast who throw in words like 'painterly', 'episodal', one of them even says, 'it's a nice project, but'. You know, the roof becomes a wall, becomes a column , becomes diploma etc... I also notice the amount of money have been spent on the presentations with attractive materials and photo prints, somebody even published a book. I am sorry I couldn't snap at everything but you'll get the general idea what the young graduates are capable of formulating and fabricating. I wish all the best for young students and their advisers. If they aren't going to talk about Wilshire and Fairfax, I am not going to mention Deleuze either. I was about to leave anyway... Congratulations everybody for putting this behind you. Keep it on.