Full Time Job

Classes are over!

But this isn't only exciting because the all-nighters and bloodshot eyes and easy mac for two meals a day have come to a close. Classes being over mean 24 hours a day devoted to finishing our design.
On Friday, a few of the lanscapers and I met with Tetra Tech - a provider of consulting in engineering, construction and technical services. Tetra Tech Trish (TTT!) consulted with us on the designs we've been refining over the past two weeks. In some ways, it was uplifting. In others, it pointed out our impracticalities and made us realize we need to take a few steps back in order to make a bigger step forward. Such is a glimpse into the real world of engineering, I suppose!
Here's a shot of our most recent design:

Doesn't look like a whole lot! But now that it's in Cadd, I'm amazed by how easy it is to translate visions into drawings (into reality soon enough!)

Our biggest challenge right now is choosing materials. We have to consider cost, constructibility, transportability, and of course, sustainability. I think I like the designing part better. Then again, I've always hated logistics :P


Also, Kai Keane, our resident freshman video superstar, made an awesome mini documentary about the Landscape group. You can watch it by clicking here.

Not going to lie, I really can't wait to have actual pictures to put up here... (of giraffes...)

But for now it's work work work till we get this thing finished!

Charrette #1

Yesterday we had our first real (6 hour!) "charrette" in the Landscape Architecture Studio.

A charrette (pronounced [shuh-ret], often Anglicized to charette and sometimes called a design charrette) consists of an intense period of design activity.

It was productive! We had the help of a Cornell graduate, iMaria, from Guatemala. She specializes in Vetivers, which are plants used for erosion control (and can completely replace using a retaining wall - wow!). 



She whipped up most of our sketches in ten minutes while we discussed ideas and feasibility. If it wasn't for her, these would have taken hours (more that 6, heh). The hardest part for me was thinking about our drawings in a realistic sense, as in, these abstract sketches are going to have to come to life.


Here's a little taste of what we came up with...

Now it's time to finalize the design, figure out how we'll get all these materials... and BUILD.

Wow, that looks so easy in text.

It's happening.

Plane tickets have been purchased. As soon as it hit me, "holy cannoli, I'm going to Africa" I decided... "guess I better start a blog now."

Well, after I realized that my future now holds:

Anyway, it's been a hell of a school year, and I'm sure I'll be blogging plenty about all of the work that got me to this point.

But for now, I'm going to relish in my last few days of being a sophomore, begin finals freak-out mode, and ultimately rest easy knowing

I AM GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA THIS SUMMER!

oh, and that my blog has finally been started.