TO BE FRANK

RUNDGANG 2010 – PART 1

shida — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:29:14 +0000

If you’ll mind my debauched definition : Rundgang is the idea of walking around a gallery and is what art schools refer to a year end show. But one that puts their work at stake and on spotlight. Since the Stadelschule is one of the prominent schools in contemporary art the weekend brings in gallery owners and buys from all over.

The Architecture class also participates in the event with a architectural model that with holds the respective research portfolios. And now I present you with TEAM TASK FORCE 1 – with FISH LIKE, COCKROACH, CROCODILE, ZEBRAH, LOBSTER MODELLLLLLL!! MUHAHAH.

7 days of pain staking conceptualizing, rhino modeling, laser cutting, and building. We managed to create a hybrid of sorts of respective works.

informing the surface

shida — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:06:42 +0000

informing the surface

This is what I’ve been working on lately. click on the link to check it out.

J.Kipnis in the house everybody

shida — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:05:35 +0000

We all were anticipating the worst…. anticipating a malicious architecture critique. A man we were told could make a student shiver while presenting.

But what we really got was a brilliant professor who was honest and humorous. I mean how could you argue with a man who watches the Simpsons and can solve any math or physic question, and give a lecture about post-modernism in the simplest way. Jeffrey Kipnis means architecture and that’s what he gave us.

I was lucky to be one of the few students to present my work. I went in knowing that what I have been doing has only been striking to myself and he’s seen it all but for me it was about …. Well, it’s not everyday Kipnis comes around to see your work.

In the middle of my presentation he even indulged me; yep we talked about fashion and Alexander McQueens latest shoes that my friend is an example of DRIEVE.

Too bad he had to leave….sigh

from LGA to FRA

shida — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:28:35 +0000

We spent the weekend with Mark Wigley and Beatriz Colomina discussing the diploma thesis topics and the traveling architect. For me it was a breath of fresh air for some New Yorkers to come in and talk about travel. I must say I was caught in a bit of nostalgic moment, just thinking about New York….. I know I know I do that all the time but it was even more obvious this time…sigh… Anyway, Mark lectured about the Myth of Local….Does an architect need to see the site to really build “good” architecture?….and Beatrix gave us a glimpse into the traveling life of Le Corbusier (a very different travel experience). These are moments you dreamt of while applying to your masters of architecture.

insane in the membrane

shida — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:30:23 +0000

This week we had a shared workshop with the ICD crew from Stuttgart about ….MEMBRANES!! Exploring the membrane which is lycra through tension and the composite which is epoxy. We played with the saddle form and just experimented through out the week with spatiality by creating layers, joints, elasticity and texture. It was an intense week but really interesting. On the last day Achim, Johan, Anton, and Sean got a chance to review the class and once again blind sided us like a freight train. Sometimes you go into these reviews thinking that maybe this time after all this effort and thought you might just have it in the bag…..but noooooo this is architecture school you fool!!…. And even while they are trying to comment and you trying to decipher what they are saying the whole time the only thing your thinking is …”how did this happen, again!?”

***and some of the other photos are from the second year kimono workshop

the stadel party = dumbass artist’s

shida — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:18:15 +0000

To raise money for the “student council” (by the quotes I mean I really don’t know what the hell they do besides organize parties)… the school had a party with a guest lecture. SAC was in charge of the bar and trying to keep some of the pathetic artists from getting drunk for free. I was actually disappointed in the lecture to tell you the truth, and I can’t even remember the guys name. Stadel has the reputation for being a difficult school to get into and soo many artists dream of the day they can, but I was surprised how none of them seem to have a voice. The artist rambled on for close to 45mins about all his findings online and pretty much regurgitated them back to us without a peep from the audience….where is the voice of this generation??? They’re artist’s shouldn’t they have something to say?? and if I hear lame excuses like “he was trying to make you think” one more time I’ll just walk away and bit my thumb at thee….thank you very much

jazz @ voltaire

shida — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:01:33 +0000

We opted out of the usual irish pub and are now calling this place the usual….the voltaire…more of intellectual crowd mixed with a bunch of hooligans!

my birthday – mustache party

shida — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:53:12 +0000

Admit it you know you love a theme party!! Seriously they totally create an uninhibited atmosphere and everyone kinda somehow has fun. This year I would have loved to bring in the 25th year with a “HAWT COUTURE” theme, but alas I thought it best to keep the T dot crew in on that and get down in Frankfurt with a mustache party!!! ?? lol

setting the parameters

shida — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:07:59 +0000

So this is what has been taking up most of my brain space these days…. Learning all about parametric design through the deformation of the “canopy.” Establishing relationships between the geometries of our elements to come up with not only a way of deformation but a tool that can become part of generic way of designing…..

To be honest I don’t think I could explain this project in layman’s term for it to make any more sense….for the people who have no idea what I’m doing in Frankfurt. Just be prepared when I do see you again in Toronto that my German or English has gotten any better.

channeling my inner blonde cher @ a birthday costume party

shida — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:14:52 +0000

I love costume parties!!!

To celebrate Siavash’s and Alex’s birthday, we all got dressed up and danced!! Scott was my Sunny and I was he’s Cher…. But I realized I needed to fulfill my dreams of being blonde, so the duo didn’t go as planned. Nevertheless, I had an amazing time dancing…..i do miss my weekend dancing excursion in Toronto.

Btw the real Sunny can never be replaced…you know who you are.