Back to the GRIND

Since the beginning of December, I have gone to the gym more, ran more, finished more projects around the house, brought in more side work, finished more projects in the workshop and wrote more blog posts. Why.... because school was over for the winter break. Well, you may not be hearing or seeing from me for a while, school starts again tonight. Apparently, as you can see from below, I am not the only one counting the classes left until the end of the term (Thanks Katie). 




The good news is, I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. After this 11 week term, one week spring break, and another 11 week term, classes are over. Then just a Thesis will stand between me and a Bachelor of Architecture degree. I am going to try very hard to keep this positive energy/momentum going even while classes are in session, but there is a good chance nobody will see or hear from me much until the end of this 23 week period. 


Until then, via con Dios, my friends. 



Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Back to the GRIND

Since the beginning of December, I have gone to the gym more, ran more, finished more projects around the house, brought in more side work, finished more projects in the workshop and wrote more blog posts. Why.... because school was over for the winter break. Well, you may not be hearing or seeing from me for a while, school starts again tonight. Apparently, as you can see from below, I am not the only one counting the classes left until the end of the term (Thanks Katie). 




The good news is, I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. After this 11 week term, one week spring break, and another 11 week term, classes are over. Then just a Thesis will stand between me and a Bachelor of Architecture degree. I am going to try very hard to keep this positive energy/momentum going even while classes are in session, but there is a good chance nobody will see or hear from me much until the end of this 23 week period. 


Until then, via con Dios, my friends. 



Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Winter Classic 2012


For the last 5 years, the NHL has had an annual Winter Classic game; and outdoor game, usually played on a ring built in a baseball or football stadium, between two rival teams, right around the New Year's holiday. Since that time, the group of friends I play hockey with on the weekends (aka the Sunday Dangles) have held our own Winter Classic. The only difference is, we usually play on a frozen lake, stream, or pond and, instead of the standard three period game, ours is over when the police come and kick us off. This year, however, through some hard work and good connections of some Checking for Charity volunteers, I had the opportunity to play on the actual Winter Classic rink at the Citizen's Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. From the pre- and post-game tailgating activities, to the using of the visiting teams locker room, to the walk out through the dugouts onto the ice and the actual 60 minutes of play, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Definitely something I won't soon forget, especially since we came away with a win!











Creating (Storage) Space

With a few days off between Christmas and the New Year, it was time to get some much needed work done in the workshop. In this case, I needed to upgrade and expand on some of the overhead storage areas in the workshop. Since we moved in, we've been laying pieces of plywood across the existing 2x4 beams. The beams span about a 15'3" width, and are not load bearing, but limit the weight of storage it can hold. Additionally, being over 50 years old, some of the beams were cracking and not up to par for bearing any weight. Since I had a couple days off, I thought it would be a good opportunity to build new 2x6 beams at 16" O.C. for the first 8' of the garage. The only tricky, given the width of the span, the height of the ceiling, and the location of existing structure, it wasn't possible to cut a single 15-foot beam and get it into place. For that reason, I needed to take 2- 2x6's and overlap them approximately 9 inches, and bolt together with 3/8" lag bolts. I used joist straps and 2x6 blocking to tighten everything up and topped it off with OSB. The result was a workshop (which also acts as a gym) that feels like a new space. No more cramped space with barbells on top of the table saw. The workshop is clean, spacey and ready for 2012... looking forward to building some new and interesting creations, and wrapping up this pesky architecture degree. 


Beam connections were thought about (and run by a structural engineer) prior to building.

Existing framing/storage

More existing

Materials - the hurricane tie downs were used to connect the beams to the walls.

Prince - ready for a long day in the shop.

Since I was hanging the beams by myself, it was easier to build a template, then pre-drill the holes for one of the beams.

The day I was hanging the beams, there were two shop managers looking over my shoulder to make sure it was done properly and everything was level.


Closeup of bolted connection


Finished product, from below

Finished project, from above









Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Winter Classic 2012


For the last 5 years, the NHL has had an annual Winter Classic game; and outdoor game, usually played on a ring built in a baseball or football stadium, between two rival teams, right around the New Year's holiday. Since that time, the group of friends I play hockey with on the weekends (aka the Sunday Dangles) have held our own Winter Classic. The only difference is, we usually play on a frozen lake, stream, or pond and, instead of the standard three period game, ours is over when the police come and kick us off. This year, however, through some hard work and good connections of some Checking for Charity volunteers, I had the opportunity to play on the actual Winter Classic rink at the Citizen's Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. From the pre- and post-game tailgating activities, to the using of the visiting teams locker room, to the walk out through the dugouts onto the ice and the actual 60 minutes of play, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Definitely something I won't soon forget, especially since we came away with a win!











Creating (Storage) Space

With a few days off between Christmas and the New Year, it was time to get some much needed work done in the workshop. In this case, I needed to upgrade and expand on some of the overhead storage areas in the workshop. Since we moved in, we've been laying pieces of plywood across the existing 2x4 beams. The beams span about a 15'3" width, and are not load bearing, but limit the weight of storage it can hold. Additionally, being over 50 years old, some of the beams were cracking and not up to par for bearing any weight. Since I had a couple days off, I thought it would be a good opportunity to build new 2x6 beams at 16" O.C. for the first 8' of the garage. The only tricky, given the width of the span, the height of the ceiling, and the location of existing structure, it wasn't possible to cut a single 15-foot beam and get it into place. For that reason, I needed to take 2- 2x6's and overlap them approximately 9 inches, and bolt together with 3/8" lag bolts. I used joist straps and 2x6 blocking to tighten everything up and topped it off with OSB. The result was a workshop (which also acts as a gym) that feels like a new space. No more cramped space with barbells on top of the table saw. The workshop is clean, spacey and ready for 2012... looking forward to building some new and interesting creations, and wrapping up this pesky architecture degree. 


Beam connections were thought about (and run by a structural engineer) prior to building.

Existing framing/storage

More existing

Materials - the hurricane tie downs were used to connect the beams to the walls.

Prince - ready for a long day in the shop.

Since I was hanging the beams by myself, it was easier to build a template, then pre-drill the holes for one of the beams.

The day I was hanging the beams, there were two shop managers looking over my shoulder to make sure it was done properly and everything was level.


Closeup of bolted connection


Finished product, from below

Finished project, from above









Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Establishing Goals - 2012

With the ringing in of the new year, it's time for that age old tradition - the New Year's Resolution. Some people will stand firm in their resolution while others will begin to waver after only a few weeks or days, and some people who know better won't even bother to make a resolution. I find, instead of a resolution, the beginning of the new year is a perfect time to (re)evaluate your goals for the upcoming year. Whether they are professional goals, personal goals, spiritual goals, health goals, etc., there are a few guidelines that goal setting should follow. I hope you find this helpful and I hope it helps you identify and stick to your plan for 2012.


Goals should be specific and well defined:
Making a very detailed, very specific goal makes it easier to see your goal as measurable and will be easier to hold yourself accountable for reaching it (more to come on accountability). For example, "Be a better person" is not an example of a specific goal. How will you know when you've reached this goal? Who is judging if you are "better?" You get the point. An example of a specific, measurable goal is something like "Create a portfolio of my work by March 1" or "Write at least one blog post a week for the next 3 months" or "Present a technical paper at the conference in February." 


Goals should be realistic:
For most of us, "Reaching 1,000,000 Twitter followers," or "Inventing a time machine" or "Getting a job in an architectural firm" just are not realistic goals. The goal you set should be something that is attainable within a reasonable amount of time. For example, "Start a blog by January 31," "Applying for graduate school for fall entry" and "Run the NYC Marathon" are all measurable and achievable. 


Goals should have a specific deadline:
If you are an expert procrastinator like me, then you'll see the value of this rule. If I hadn't set the goal of writing the "Goal Setting Blogpost" by New Year's Eve, it's likely it wouldn't have happened... Giving yourself a deadline, and sticking to it, is essential to the pursuit and achievement of your goals. Please do not underestimate how important this is!


Identify milestones and potential obstacles to your goals:
For larger goals, it may be necessary to break down your overarching goal into smaller, easier to achieve pieces, all following the rules herein, of course. "Opening a coffee shop by June" is a measurable, achievable goal, but in this case there are enough smaller steps to be addresses in order to reach the larger goal. For example, "Contact leasing agency by January 15,"  "Write a business plan by February 1," "Register business name by April 1" and so on. Breaking the final goal into smaller, measurable steps makes it easier to monitor your progress. At the same time, you should also be paying attention for potential obstacles or pitfalls that may get between you and your ultimate goal. 


Hold yourself ACCOUNTABLE for reaching goals:
THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! Write down your goals, by hand. Keep them someplace you will see them EVERYDAY - on the fridge, in your wallet or purse, in your car, etc. Keep them someplace you will see them often so they stay on your mind and don't get pushed aside by daily minutia. Track the progress you make and make sure you stick to your deadlines.


With the new year comes new opportunities. If you've had ideas or interests that you've been pushing aside for a while, now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and make a solid plan for 2012.  Good luck and Happy New Year!

Establishing Goals - 2012

With the ringing in of the new year, it's time for that age old tradition - the New Year's Resolution. Some people will stand firm in their resolution while others will begin to waver after only a few weeks or days, and some people who know better won't even bother to make a resolution. I find, instead of a resolution, the beginning of the new year is a perfect time to (re)evaluate your goals for the upcoming year. Whether they are professional goals, personal goals, spiritual goals, health goals, etc., there are a few guidelines that goal setting should follow. I hope you find this helpful and I hope it helps you identify and stick to your plan for 2012.


Goals should be specific and well defined:
Making a very detailed, very specific goal makes it easier to see your goal as measurable and will be easier to hold yourself accountable for reaching it (more to come on accountability). For example, "Be a better person" is not an example of a specific goal. How will you know when you've reached this goal? Who is judging if you are "better?" You get the point. An example of a specific, measurable goal is something like "Create a portfolio of my work by March 1" or "Write at least one blog post a week for the next 3 months" or "Present a technical paper at the conference in February." 


Goals should be realistic:
For most of us, "Reaching 1,000,000 Twitter followers," or "Inventing a time machine" or "Getting a job in an architectural firm" just are not realistic goals. The goal you set should be something that is attainable within a reasonable amount of time. For example, "Start a blog by January 31," "Applying for graduate school for fall entry" and "Run the NYC Marathon" are all measurable and achievable. 


Goals should have a specific deadline:
If you are an expert procrastinator like me, then you'll see the value of this rule. If I hadn't set the goal of writing the "Goal Setting Blogpost" by New Year's Eve, it's likely it wouldn't have happened... Giving yourself a deadline, and sticking to it, is essential to the pursuit and achievement of your goals. Please do not underestimate how important this is!


Identify milestones and potential obstacles to your goals:
For larger goals, it may be necessary to break down your overarching goal into smaller, easier to achieve pieces, all following the rules herein, of course. "Opening a coffee shop by June" is a measurable, achievable goal, but in this case there are enough smaller steps to be addresses in order to reach the larger goal. For example, "Contact leasing agency by January 15,"  "Write a business plan by February 1," "Register business name by April 1" and so on. Breaking the final goal into smaller, measurable steps makes it easier to monitor your progress. At the same time, you should also be paying attention for potential obstacles or pitfalls that may get between you and your ultimate goal. 


Hold yourself ACCOUNTABLE for reaching goals:
THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! Write down your goals, by hand. Keep them someplace you will see them EVERYDAY - on the fridge, in your wallet or purse, in your car, etc. Keep them someplace you will see them often so they stay on your mind and don't get pushed aside by daily minutia. Track the progress you make and make sure you stick to your deadlines.


With the new year comes new opportunities. If you've had ideas or interests that you've been pushing aside for a while, now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and make a solid plan for 2012.  Good luck and Happy New Year!

Homemade Christmas Ornaments and Decorations

Although I have plans to make a nice little candle box, I decided to stay in the Christmas spirit and make a couple decoration/ornaments. The tree decorations are called "Angel Face Ornaments," I found the plans in a woodworking book. These were relatively easy to make, I just scaled up a print form the book and used a piece of transfer paper to get the outline the wood. It would have been nice to have a scroll saw so I could stack these and cut a few at a time, but I went the old fashioned route and cut these each by hand. I glued a piece of card stock on the back and attached some line to hang them from the tree. Add a picture and these are a nice, personalized, quick little addition to the tree.








The other decorations, mini reindeer, were made from some leftover wood I had from the manger scene. I drew them in SketchUp, then brought it into CAD for scaling and printing. This time I cut the shapes and traced them on the wood instead of using the transfer paper (because there were inside cuts). If you want the full size plans to trace and make your own, send me an email.


Happy Holidays!

Homemade Christmas Ornaments and Decorations

Although I have plans to make a nice little candle box, I decided to stay in the Christmas spirit and make a couple decoration/ornaments. The tree decorations are called "Angel Face Ornaments," I found the plans in a woodworking book. These were relatively easy to make, I just scaled up a print form the book and used a piece of transfer paper to get the outline the wood. It would have been nice to have a scroll saw so I could stack these and cut a few at a time, but I went the old fashioned route and cut these each by hand. I glued a piece of card stock on the back and attached some line to hang them from the tree. Add a picture and these are a nice, personalized, quick little addition to the tree.








The other decorations, mini reindeer, were made from some leftover wood I had from the manger scene. I drew them in SketchUp, then brought it into CAD for scaling and printing. This time I cut the shapes and traced them on the wood instead of using the transfer paper (because there were inside cuts). If you want the full size plans to trace and make your own, send me an email.


Happy Holidays!

A Multi Use Building for Drexel's Master Plan

I recently just finished another term at Drexel. This term was the culmination of a project that lasted almost an entire year. Starting with Master Planning to site design and progressing through programming and detailing, this was probably the most detailed architectural design process I've gone through at Drexel. The project description is as follows:

Drexel University is implementing a new, comprehensive Master Plan with the vision of creating an implied, visual connection within the school's urban campus layout. Additionally the plan aims to increase its presence on Market Street, provide sustainable and easily accessible facilities, and provide a connection between the campus and the surrounding community. The existing conditions on the site consist mainly of parking, JFK Boulevard, 30th Street Station to the east and a rail yard to the north. The site is also bisected by the overhead train tracks and trestle. Some of the sites strongest qualities include its east/west axis, views of center city and the art museum, and it's setting on the campus, which lends itself well to serving as a "gateway" to the community. The plan developed for Precinct K includes the "pedestrianizing" of JFK Boulevard (while still allowing emergency and off-hour vehicular access), providing a "New" Arch Street along the rail yard on the north portion of the site, a parking garage with lower level retail, an iconic, focal building, and a multi-use building.

The multi-use building, which will occupy the plot bordered by a 24 hour hub of activity, icon building on the west and the train trestles to the east, is planned to be an incubator, bench-to-business type building with flexible spaces that allow for changing uses over time.  Starting from scratch, the project included siting the building, developing use and program, designing structural and mechanical systems, and incorporating sustainable design principles throughout. Inspired by a QR Code, the building’s random patterning seen in plan and elevation is an architectural representation of the rapid growth of technology and Drexel’s desire to be at the forefront of this growth. 

















A Multi Use Building for Drexel's Master Plan

I recently just finished another term at Drexel. This term was the culmination of a project that lasted almost an entire year. Starting with Master Planning to site design and progressing through programming and detailing, this was probably the most detailed architectural design process I've gone through at Drexel. The project description is as follows:

Drexel University is implementing a new, comprehensive Master Plan with the vision of creating an implied, visual connection within the school's urban campus layout. Additionally the plan aims to increase its presence on Market Street, provide sustainable and easily accessible facilities, and provide a connection between the campus and the surrounding community. The existing conditions on the site consist mainly of parking, JFK Boulevard, 30th Street Station to the east and a rail yard to the north. The site is also bisected by the overhead train tracks and trestle. Some of the sites strongest qualities include its east/west axis, views of center city and the art museum, and it's setting on the campus, which lends itself well to serving as a "gateway" to the community. The plan developed for Precinct K includes the "pedestrianizing" of JFK Boulevard (while still allowing emergency and off-hour vehicular access), providing a "New" Arch Street along the rail yard on the north portion of the site, a parking garage with lower level retail, an iconic, focal building, and a multi-use building.

The multi-use building, which will occupy the plot bordered by a 24 hour hub of activity, icon building on the west and the train trestles to the east, is planned to be an incubator, bench-to-business type building with flexible spaces that allow for changing uses over time.  Starting from scratch, the project included siting the building, developing use and program, designing structural and mechanical systems, and incorporating sustainable design principles throughout. Inspired by a QR Code, the building’s random patterning seen in plan and elevation is an architectural representation of the rapid growth of technology and Drexel’s desire to be at the forefront of this growth.