The past few weeks leading up to the midterm reviews and spring break have been a non-stop process of acculturation to the rhythms of the city. Frantic, reckless, without any room for idleness. In some sense it is similar to that of Ithaca with studios demanding a high level of production but whereas one might be expected to have a serendipitous trip to Franny’s, here your whole productive night might derail and become one of self-exploration in the city.
Learning from New York and those who shape the city allowed us to reflect on our own roles as designers with our respective projects. We have had several occasions to interact with professionals based here either through our Professional Practice course which took us to firms such as Handel Architects or SOM, as well as having our projects reviewed by those in the industry. Our field trips have constituted an insightful glimpse in owning a firm in the city from topics such as working in a foreign context, to starting one’s practice. The architects and partners welcomed us and shared not only their stories of success but also those moments of constructive reassessment. These formative encounters extended to design reviews providing the much needed feedback in order to concretize this semester’s integrative studio; one which necessitate a higher level of technical resolution.
In addition, the lectures and events at the various cultural institutions kept us intellectually stimulated whether it be the A/D/O’s lectures series on waterways or that of the Emerging Talents at the Center for Architecture. Will all of this happening, we took some time to take a break from it through a lovely ferry trip to Staten Island where students decompressed and enjoyed the views to the city.
Now with more than half of the semester behind us, one might say that we have found a sense of the Town within the City; a new routine of balancing life in and out of studio venturing out for inspiration, fascination, in addition to the occasional late-night treat.