Volkswagen Facility Pedestrian Bridge Competition

Derrick's "The Weather Vane" Third Place

Last semester Junior studio under the instructor of  Mehmet Dogu participated in Volkswagen facility  pedestrian bridge competition as a part of their studio project. We are proud to announce that Derrick Tittle won the Third place and Logan Tuura got Honorary mention spot in that competition.

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Looking back at Sense & Sustain -Ability

Tim Frank’s exhibit at MODA, titled Sense & Sustain -Ability, will close in a couple of days. Having been showcased for a month, Frank’s three projects concern the ideas of superimposition, infusion, and opposition. Using a variety of media, Tim presented three projects that were more than products, but exhibits of the breadth of the design process. From understanding the site in terms of climatology, using software like Ecotect, or depicting concrete in his models through his own clever mixture, Frank’s exhibition stayed true to its title. Sense and Sustain -Ability reassigned meaning to two terms that are too often misused.

In any case, words alone don’t do his exhibition justice. Enjoy select photographs and leave comments if you went or want to know more about his work, in which case you should see Tim Frank online.

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Life and Death of the Emirate City

On the plane ride to Miami I turned to my colleague and said, “That place is going to be a ghost town in ten years or less. There is no way they can sustain it.” Within two years of that statement, Dubai was being bailed out by neighboring Abu Dhabi’s Ruler, Skeik Khalifa, for the construction costs of the Burj Dubai. Read the rest of this entry »

the idea of habitus

The idea of habitus in general can be described (as Wikipedia vaguely puts it), “a behavioral manifestation of the essential nature of a thing or a person.” More closely related to architecture is the definition put forth by Guiles Deleuze, relating to his idea of the plane of immanence, or the way a being inhabits itself and its space, as a network of experience differing person to person. Habitus, in the practice of everyday life, has many interesting facets. Read below for a muse on the subject.

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Citizen Architect:Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio

The Plaza Theater, Atlanta’s oldest continuously operating cinema is currently showing something of a rare occurrence; a movie about the influence of architecture on the well being of and sustainability of communities. Showing from April 16th-22nd, Citizen Architecture: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio focuses on the life and legacy of Samuel Mockbee, the man who founded the Rural Studio , a design/build education program in 1993 based out of Auburn University .  The film highlights also the creativity and passion of the students who have participated in the program and put in immeasurable effort into the improvements of rural Alabama communities. Through past interviews with the late architect Mockbee, his students, and the residents of these communities, the film brings forward the issues of social change, poverty, class, race , and citizenship and brings awareness of architecture’s role in these topics. Read the rest of this entry »

March Monday to stop Georgia as Only State without Arts Funding

A march is organized for today, Monday, April 18 at 1PM from the Rialto Theater to the Capitol to protest Georgia’s cut in funding for the arts.  Fill out this petition and come support art in the state of Georgia.

Last Thursday the House Appropriations Committee voted to drastically reduce arts funding for the state and to disband the Georgia Council for the Arts. Their decision will have a major impact on numerous arts organizations within the state and Atlanta, especially at the grassroots level. The decision continues the state’s consistent reduction of arts funding: Just 4 years ago the state had about 4M budget for the arts, and last year that amount was down to 2M; this decision cuts that figure again to 250K! Most importantly, the decision implies that Georgia will be the only state without an Arts Agency- eliminating Georgia arts organizations from obtaining money from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information view: ajc article , Creative Loafing blog post, or Georgia Assembly of Community Art Agencies Home Page.

04/17/2010 Review Boards

Final pins are already starting! Here are a few shots from Frederick Pearsall’s 3rd Years. The studio worked in pairs on a collaborative learning building on campus.

Private Showing of Tim Frank’s Show at MODA | Sense & Sustain – ability

Tim Frank is offering a private showing of his work at MODA this Saturday, April 24th at 1 PM. Meet gray matter(s) at octane at 12:30 for car pooling and coffee, or join us at MODA at 1PM.

GT Listening Machines explores Human Machine Interaction this Saturday

Georgia Tech’s annual showcase of music and art projects exploring the creative space of human-machine interaction. This year’s concert focuses on group play where novel interdependent connections between humans and machines aim to revolutionize the musical experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Future of COA | Doug Allen

GrayMatter(s) sits down with Doug Allen to talk about the future of the COA, what the change to schools will bring, and what this means to students in general. Professor Allen also speaks on how he came to Tech, and a brief history lesson on how the College developed into what it is today.

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