Author: themichiganarchitect

First Year//Masters of Architecture (M.A.) University of Michigan Taubman School of Architecture+Urban Planning Follow me and my work via Instagram :) @themichiganarchitect and my adventures on Twitter @TheMi_architect

Favorite Places to Study on Campus?

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Which campus do you like to study at most? North Campus? Central Campus? Or do you not stay on campus to study? Either way, as exam season is here right before and after Thanksgiving Break, Let me suggest five great, non-obvious places to study!
Arts and Architecture building (North Campus): there are computer labs, if you are in need of using a computer other than your laptop, there’s regularly a cafe cart where student groups sell hot chocolate, coffee, juice, and bagels if you want food as you study, and there are tables situated on the second floor, and some on the first (ground) floor as well! You can enjoy the scenery as you work here, and it’s usually never dead quiet (unless if you are here at 3am).
Fishbowl of the M.A.T.H. Complex (aka Mason-Angell-Tisch-Haven Complex of Central Campus): there are computers here as well, and there’s many people here working of all backgrounds- architecture, Engineering, and English majors! This place is open 24/7 and is also never dead quiet! Also, there are convenient vending machines (for both food and electronics) around the corner 🙂 There are also tables and benches right outside of the Fishbowl. And if that atmosphere isn’t your thing, there’s the general Posting Wall space of Mason Hall that has electrical plugs, so if you just want a casual sit-down place that isn’t usually lonely, that’s a great place to stay! There are also random desks on each floor of any of the buildings in the M.A.T.H. Complex, so feel free to explore and find yourself a new place to study, as desired!
Dana Building Commons (Central Campus): If you’re an early bird, you’ll find that this building always has a seat to welcome you! The tables here are nicely placed so you should have a plug next to you, and if you need computers, they have a computer lab on the second floor!
The BBB of North Campus: This is a fun place to work in! There are several computer labs, so if you need computers, they’ve got you covered! There is also a mini arcade in the hallway, and there are also ping-pong tables in the main lobby area too! The main lobby area also has several desks and whiteboards, perfect for your individual use, or for a group setting. They also have group rooms with functioning whiteboards and projectors that you can use, if there are no reservations for it!
(May seem obvious at first but…) Any of the Dorms!! Yes, on both campuses!!: Generally, any M-card should let you into the locked front doors of any of the dorms (other than if you go to dorms that have dining halls during their designated hours) before midnight. Dorms are great because usually your friends may be there, so you all can team up to study (because two brains is better than one, right?!), or you can just study alone in any of the several lounges, or even in the dining halls- where you can just have unlimited access to cookies and tea and all that other good stuff!

Alright, well, hope you found that some of these study spaces were good ideas, or even just a fun place to explore if you did not already know that they existed! Happy Studying and have a great, safe Thanksgiving Break!

Spaces

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Do you ever think of the spaces that you inhabit? The cafe? Your room? Your bathroom? Yes, basically everything is a “space.” But what defines a “space?” I would say that a space is a place that we inhabit in which its limits are usually defined by some sort of marking or is simply distinguished from other places via barriers. With that sort of Apparently, for example, a space can be private or public, or inviting versus uninviting. But what exactly makes us feel these certain vibes from these things we call “space” around us? Let’s ask these questions in terms of a garden.
A garden is typically defined as “a piece of ground, often near a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables.” Fair enough, this is stereotypically its function. But, gardens can be self-owned, or it can be owned and shared by an institution. So what kind of space is a garden? Is it a public space, or is it private? What are your thoughts about this question? And what other spaces can be similarly questioned? Comment your thoughts! 🙂

Have You Seen This New Sculpture?

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Has anyone seen this beautiful stain-glassed sculpture that was just recently put up by the Central Campus Transit Center??
As an architect, I am very intrigued by this structure. I have so many questions to ask about it!! But I guess that is the fun in creating and experiencing art in general… I’ll write my questions and attempt to give my own answer, so feel free to comment your thoughts, and ask more questions if you have any!! Also, give my instagram (@connecticuto8) a follow if you want to see more interesting views of our Michigan Campus!

Question #1: What’s with the shape?
Answer: Perhaps providing an interesting framed circular view (as depicted on the right), but not wanting to just use a basic circular frame for that view.

Question #2: Why all the colors?
Answer: Maybe a fun sort of way to symbolize the beauty of the ethnic diversity (like the diverse choice in colors in this sculpture) on our campus? And maybe experiment with lighting, in terms of how the different colored glass interacts with the sunlight to affect our perception of the framed view (shown on the right).

Question #3: Why glass, instead of other building materials?
Answer: If this project’s mission was to experiment with lighting, then this glassy material would definitely allow for that sort of interaction, since there would be light reflecting off of the metal framework of the sculpture, and glass would allow for the sunlight being absorbed by the glass to be refracted, thereby affecting the change in tints of the colors we perceive on the glass.

Question #4: Why this specific location?
Answer: Maybe administration finally found that grassy island across from the chemistry building as boring, so they decided to install this piecework there to add more character to central campus, after all, central campus is like the livelihood of Michigan’s campus, and it is in an almost introductory location (for anyone who just got off the bus from North Campus and was just now seeing Central Campus for the first time), so it would put a pleasant view to facilitate pleasant experiences on our campus.

Memoir

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Paper… the easy medium of all disciplines, but yet so underappreciated. Paper, like humans, come in a variety of personalities and characteristics. Papers who are fancier in makeup, like vellum, or weak, like trace. But they all have memory of our doings- might it be a fold, a doodle, or scripture. No matter how many erasers we use, or how gently we sketch, paper remembers our every move, and we adjust our doings with how the paper feels with our creations. Paper has more power than we think.

Architecture on a Local Level

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You know the way your personality can be predicted based on the type of music or clothes you naturally gravitate towards? Well it is the same with the types of buildings or interior design you naturally want to stay in.
It is said that if you prefer lighter colors, you are more likely to be a calm and collected person who takes great pains to be organized and neat. Whereas, if you prefer more intense colors, you are more likely to make plans more hastily, and be extroverted. Do you think these claims are true? Share your thoughts!