I’ll keep working

Now may struggle (just like I mentioned to Jaclyn) is that I find myself with so much more information that I gather but I have not enough time to incorporate in my paper and that I want to because I think is important and gives to the paper a more “research” seriousness and take away the feeling of just being a “personal comment” kind of deal
I’ll keep working and looking forward to see the work of my other classmates
Gus

Architecture .....what a research!

Well, is official I have read the most books and articles in one week (10 books and almost as many articles!!!!) but to tell the truth this has been a great deal of help, and has clarified so much my intentions and directions for my research!
At work has been very interesting as well, having plenty of discussion with my coworkers about my research!
The only problem I have now is to try to put all the information together!!!!!
Regardless, this is already a successful project for me!
Gus

New "structure" of my research

New "structure" of my research
After receiving the comments from all of you and in particular from Elizabeth and Herb, I realize that I was missing some “structure” and solid direction (not a very well define path of action) so I have been basin my research now in a new “Mapping” that has allowed me to understand a lot better my intentions to the research and the research itself.
This is my diagram that is helping my research now. Elizabeth and Herb thanks for the advice!
Gus

I have “restructured” my original research

After some research and feedback, I think I have “restructured” my original research frame. I think this has give me (and is giving me) a better understanding of what I want. Setting some order of thought and coherence in the relations of the ideas:
“Function of an architect within a community;
The hearth of Architecture”
Ideas,
Is not about the brick is about the man
Is not about the space is about the family who occupies the space
Is not abut design that changes lives, but design that complements life

Function
To be the bridge between the dream and reality
Interpreter of the collective desire
The connector between the private life and public life



Problems
Poor education
Focusing in technology but not in social responsibility and service
Develop the brain we miss the hearth
We are educating “prima donas”
Human aspect selfishness – self gratification
They produce mentally business man
Proficiency, economics and egomania have taken over the profession
Because of it architecture is a luxury product

Socially
The favored circle
We serve the powerful and the fluent
We prostitute our profession
Because of it makes it the bully and not a pacifier



Things to do:
Research plans of study of architecture schools (top ten)
Mission statement

Harvard
Columbia University
Princeton
Cooper union
University of Pennsylvania
U C Berkley
Rice University
Yale University
University of Notradame
MIT
Gus

Now was the turn for “architects without frontiers”. Interesting just because the idea of service and help that is all over it, but the first ¾ parts of the book talk about projects as a study case and it gets to practical for what I am looking for. However, some parts of it talk about the education of the Architect, so it turned to be OKGus

Reading my books

Well, I guess I am defining the beginnings of my research like a “bungee jump”: up and down, up and down… until (hopefully) get to a good balance.
Now that I have been reading more in depth some of the book I brought with me, I am realizing some (if not many), have very interesting ideas (which might not be exactly what I want, but that is helping me to find ways, defining what I do not want, and giving me hope)
The ones I stared reading in detail:




Architecture ethics and Technology, is addressing very interesting issues of values in architecture (great stuff)








Ethics and the practice of architecture, this is one of the best books for my research so far, and I think is the one that will provide more information. Talks about ethics, not just a Virtue, but as a group or virtues and the use of them, and take an approach more direct to the problem. (My favorite so far and with the big surprise that they mention owner of the firm we visited during our intensive and to whom I asked the question “how you
are a good Architect!!!!! Like divine intervention!!!-))



The favored Circle, is getting very deep in the education of the architects and the “hidden” motivations of the Architect (very interesting however more complicated than the Bickford text!!!!)








Architect and community, it just talking of the problematic of society and providing some solutions, but touching the line that I am looking (addressing the human factor) and I thought I was going to “eliminate it” but actually is reinforcing my idea that we are teaching wrong architecture, that we are just focusing on the technical and individual – ego part of it and we are leaving behind the service – passion out of it)

Made it on Sunday!!!!