Architecture School in Paris...

So- we are officially into school. I have attended at least one of each class and it looks like it's going to be a good semester. Basically, class starts at 10:00am each day (except for Monday, we start at 3:30pm) and whenever we're finished with our assignment, we are free to go off and do what we need to do (this could be 11:00am- but of course I would never do that!). But the classes sound great. In studio, instead of designing the building right away, I'm taking my urban planning skills I learned from Spain and applying them. I have completely redesigned the plaza in Paris- making it more successful and inhabitable; and for Chicago have added a new dramatic entrance to the river walk from Upper Wacker at Stetson St. From here, I will start the design of a "pop-open" floating restaurant, similar ideas to a pop-up camper.

Paris

Chicago

Our studio itself is much different than what I left back in Chicago. I was working in Crown Hall for the past three years, and our new location in Paris provides much different working conditions than that Mies designed. Our studio is located in a renovated apartment located in the center of Paris. We have an area for our desks, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a "lecture" room, and library. It's such a cute Parisian building, and Caryl Horn (our studio professor's wife) makes it feel so much like home. She puts flowers in each of the rooms, makes coffee in the morning, and greets us with the biggest smile you have ever seen. The Horns, together, are probably some of the happiest people I have ever met!

As this week comes quickly to an end, we are planning our trip to Berlin for next week. As a class, we are traveling to Berlin for 3 days to tour the city and explore the architecture. On Saturday, a group of us will be leaving Paris and heading, first, to Munich. There is a lot of amazing modern architecture here- which I'm sure I will tell you a lot about in a week from now. We'll be staying in Munich for 2 days and then traveling to Berlin late Monday night. We have class Tuesday through Thursday and then Friday the same group of us will be going to Dessau (just outside of Berlin) to see the Bauhaus. This school is truly the origin of IIT. It was the Bauhaus where Mies started teaching, and when the Nazis forced the Bauhaus to close, Mies flew to Chicago where he tried to continue to school in the form of IIT. It will be a great place to see, I hope, there is some amazing architecture on the Bauhaus campus and some amazing design that took place there. I'm truly looking forward to that. And finally, I will be returning on Saturday.

So- due to the fact that I leave on Saturday- today was the day that I ventured out and attempted my first train ticket purchase in Paris. Honestly, by the end of the Spain trip, I was fairly good at this- but that was all in Spanish. And of course, as soon as we get up to the counter, not only does the woman only speak French, but it was her first day on the job and could barely book a ticket. So- after about a half hour of awkward hand motions and finger pointing, I finally booked all three tickets. It will be interesting having my first overnight train ride back from Berlin- but I'm excited! Again, I will let you know as soon as I return how the trip was!

I hope you are all doing good back at home! I'd love to hear what you have all been up to and what's new in your life. I miss you sooo much! Hopefully you have a great end to your week and a great weekend. Miss you tons!