Last Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to listen to local architect Noah Demarest talk about some projects that he is working on in the area. One of my best friends from my hometown is an architect and always explains how much work he has, but has never told me about the projects. I never considered how hard it would be to build in Ithaca, but Noah informed us of the strict Ithaca zone building codes. One major obstacle is complying with the power lines. Ithaca has power lines nearly everywhere, unlike some cities that have them underground or architecture reasons.

During the talk, Noah answered a lot of great questions from students. One question that I thought was interesting asked Noah about potential runoff from rain that would flow directly into the local stream. He explained that all of the little aspects of design and architecture are covered by law and that the issue has been addressed. Additionally, I liked how Noah explained the legal background behind building accessible housing for handicapped individuals. Noah mentioned that he was working on creating a more modern feel in collegetown and redesigning the buildings to house more students. This spoke to me because I do not want to live in collegetown due to the appearance and location, but I would certainly consider it if a new complex was developed.