ARE's 2 down, 5 to go

It turns out I passed Building Systems!  When I took it, I was certain I had failed - it felt like I had to guess on half of the problems.  However, somehow I managed to pass and I cannot be more thankful!  (I received my pass letter in the mail right before departing for Thanksgiving festivities!)

Next on the list is Structural Systems.  This is the other big one and I hope I can pass it, too. After that, I expect the rest should be pretty "easy."  I decided to push the exam back, having already scheduled it at Prometric.  I figured I would rather spend the $35 to reschedule it and give myself twice the study time, than to just go ahead and take it risking failure which would mean waiting 6 months to pay another $210 to take it again.

My current exam schedule has me wrapping up the ARE's (supposing I fail none of them) by the end of March.  Which should align nicely with the completion of my IDP.  I think I'm done IDP at the end of April.

I'm not sure how long it takes for NCARB to process all of the IDP and ARE information, but I have heard it can take another 10 months after you're finished before you receive your license.  I will research more into that as I approach.

ARE's under way!

It has been a long while since my last post, so I thought I would put some personal updates in here as a filler until I find something more profound to report.

I started taking the ARE's last month and am scheduled for my second exam on Tuesday.  This past week I received the confirmation letter that I had in fact passed the first one (Schematic Design), so that gives me some confidence for this next one.  I studied close to 60 hours so far for it and feel mildly confident.  There's a TON of information for this one (Building Systems) - it includes everything about plumbing systems, HVAC systems, fire protection, acoustics, environmental influences, lighting, electricity, some accessibility, vertical transportation, code information and regulations, it's like every imaginable component or factor aside from anything structural (which, by the way, is my next exam on December 5th).

I would like to offer insight on studying for this exam, but I do not feel qualified to do that until I know I have passed it.

I will offer, that for the Schematic Design exam, the most important part was being familiar with the NCARB software.  I recommend doing the NCARB practice exams first, then doing any hardcopy exams you can get your hands on, and then finishing up by taking the NCARB exams again.  That is what I did, and by the time I got to round two of the NCARB exam, I had totally forgotten the program and spaces.  (I did probably 10 other practice exams in between)

BOO!

It's that time of year. When scary things are everywhere and Architecture is not excused.






ok. the last one is just funny.

Solar Decathlon 2011

Gather 'round children.

Try not to get too overwhelmed with excitement.

It's that special time again - that's right. I'm talking SOLAR DECATHLON 2011

For those of you who aren't familiar, the solar decathlon is a bi-annual event where student design teams from all over the world compete to show off innovative sustainable concepts. I have to say, instead of the usual clunky, mechanical attempts, this year there was a much stronger focus on aesthetics and spatial layout. I'm not saying there weren't any cheap tricks or gimmicks, but they seem to have taken on a much more subtle embodiment. Favorites were:

"Brett and Jermaine's Bach Pad"



"Sustainable Design: A new film by Ken Burns"



"Greening Up with the Joneses"



However, there were also some that I think got a little too wrapped up in concept:

"Don't you WANT to live in Ronchamp?"



The winner was the entry from the University of Maryland, which focused mainly on the ecological impacts of the wetlands and water resources in addition to the solar requirement of the competition. Is it beautiful? Sure. Is it well designed? Absolutely. But, I grew up in Maryland, and live here now, so you can't tell me you're putting your house in a wetland with grey water on site and then state that bugs won't be a god damn nightmare. If you have ever spent more than 3 minutes of Assateague Island, you know what I'm talking about. That and the fact that this house is almost entirely custom construction, bringing up the accuracy of calling it "modular". Modular design implies a certain level of production cost, which at the end of the day, is misleading to the viewer (and also probably to a buyer).

So in conclusion: U of M house- winner but not my favorite. Then again it's possible that I was more influenced by the order in which I saw the houses. Or I could just be a hater and haters gonna hate. Decide for yourself:

Love Letters to Dead Architects: Of Telephones and Tyrants

Abbot Suger,

Greetings from a far. I have heard of the great comissioning of a great cathedral. Do you worry, sir, that it will be percieved the wrong way? That this wonderful new "Gothic" style will be taken as a showboating attempt? France cannot afford to lose face in these uncertain times. What with sexy and violent English monarchs seducing the hell out of our dear French queens and then unfortunetly being very good at fighting, it is now more that ever we should forget our petty politics and focus on the greater goals. Then again, I may be wrong, your attempts may be, in earnest, for the glory of God and the saving of souls. Surely a Catherdral filled with the majesty of pure light would never be taken as a giant 'we're better than you' to England. What with their craggly, boorish and brutal castles. This catherdral is a step towards the future, a step out of chaos, a step for France.

With love,

Retly Corm




Daaaaaaaaymn Louise Blanchard Bethune, you fine.

yo. yo. yo. girl lemme get your number...come on gurl the telephone was only invented last year...so what's yo number..1?2?3?4? 5? oh...it's 5 isn't it. Well don't worry..I'll just keep trying numbers 'til I find you. So what you doin' here? Drafting? Damn girl..not a lot of ladies do that..in fact you are the first fine piece of lady meat I have ever seen professionally following an architectural career. I like it. Independant ladies. Making money..huh? 'Your compensation is unfairly poor'. You KNOW that ain't right. So you got a boyfriend? Is he big? Is he coming back soon? You married? you are. you work with him. Then you must need a break. Shiiiiii girl you gimme your number I promise I won't call it all the time, just when little mama needs a break you know. Oh you gotta go..well that's cool. I'll be here tomorrow to look at your lovely face..girl you filling out that hoop skirt.

- Retly Corm

Preview: You can't buy me love, but I will fight you for free

Hold on to your hats boys and girls: Love Letters to Dead Architects will be making a return sometime this month. I was recently given a marvelous gift which reminded me there are still some really important architects who I have completely glossed over.

http://www. neatoshop.com/product/Rulers-of-Architecture

Also: should you ever be in the charming city that reads, Baltimore, on a Monday morning stop by the Baltimore Basilica for an architecture tour from someone who is, quite possibly, the world's laziest Catholic. (yours truly, who is, truly yours)

I will tell you tales of nationwide excommunication, rigged lotteries, professional jealousy, political agendas, persecution, fire, war and ARCHITECTURE.

Emerging Professionals Companion

We had one of our quarterly Pennsylvania Associates Committee conference calls this afternoon.  A little-known website was on the agenda and was news to most of us.  I haven't delved into it too much just yet, but it appears to provide opportunities for accumulating IDP hours/credits in every category.  You just need to have your supervisor approve it through e-EVR.

The Emerging Professionals Companion

Check it out and if you have any success let me know!  I hope to look into some of my hard-to-reach categories tonight.