ilaxSTUDIO.com Archive July 2005 Entries

INTO THE CITY PART 2 | JULY 28, 2005
I received another birthday card yesterday from my fiance's family. Can you guess the on going theme in the cards? Yes, I love cats! The card came with a really nice surprise - a big box full of goodies! And they sent it to my office, so when I got back from the city yesterday, there was this nice, BIG box sitting there for me. It made me feel special, even though the people in my office probably didn't care. I mean, my boss gets packages all the time, so maybe it isn't as exciting as you get older... and more mature. The package was from my fiance's parents, his brother and his brother's wife. Here is my interpretation of the card.

So, back to yesterday. After we ate lunch, we went to tour SOM, the firm Alex is working for with a structural engineering internship. Their office is in the Santa Fe building on Michigan Ave. The building has a beautiful glass atrium down the core that allows natural light into each floor. The building is so well-lit and open, it is almost eerie. We got to see SOM's model of Chicago, which is always a delight. I can't imagine the time and energy it took to put that massive model together, but it is well worth it. It is stunning to see in person (if you are a dork like me and into architectural models).

After we had to say goodbye to Alex, Renato drove me around the city to show me some of the projects he worked on. I took some beautiful photos of the Chicago skyline from between the Shedd Aquarium and the Planetarium (which I will post later), and neat photos of the "Centennial Fountain + Plaza" (and yes, Renato worked on jobs at both locations).

Overall it was a great trip, but do you know what would have made it better? If I was there with my fiance! New goal - drag Steven into the city before the summer is over!

INTO THE CITY PART 1 | JULY 27, 2005
I rode the train into Chicago this morning to meet with my boss and his business partner. They were already in the city to take care of some legal business for a client, so we decided to use it as an excuse to visit Alex, their previous intern. Alex and I worked together for a few weeks this summer, but then she left for a structural engineering internship with SOM in the city.

I didn't have to meet Steve (my boss) and Renato (his partner) until 10:30, which meant I could sleep in and catch a later train than I normally do. I decided to take the early train anyway, and use the extra hour to explore the city. Even though Steven and I live 40 miles away from Chicago, we hardly ever go down there because it is such a hassle. So consequently, there are still many things I would love to see and/or experience in the city.

Almost immediately when I got off the train I felt like an intruder in the city. There is an intense momentum in the people there. They know where they are going and they are on a mission to get there. They don't stop to look at buildings, or contemplate shopping in a store, they just keep going. I think everyone else is a tourist, and I definitely fit into that category today. I like to think that I didn't look so "touristy" with my laptop bag and dressy work clothes, but I am sure I still did.

Despite my feelings of awkwardness, I was very happy with what I got to see and do in the city today. Ralph Johnson, of the Perkins+Will firm here in Chicago, recently designed two spectacular, modern multifamily housing units. Both are mostly made of concrete and glass, and are absolutely stunning. I was able to see "skybridge" today, while "contemporaine" (the other) will have to wait for another visit. Skybridge will probably be known for the fact that it is split into two separate buildings, with a glass bridge spanning the 30 foot gap, hence the name "skybridge". What I enjoy about it though, is how it combines serious rectilinear shapes with brightly painted panels. To me it combines the concepts of work and play into one building. I saw some other interesting buildings as well. I particularly liked the one on 540 W. Madison, although I have no idea what kind of a building it is or who designed it.

I was given specific instructions to follow the crowd towards Michigan Avenue, which is where I needed to meet Steve and Renato. However, I went in the opposite direction to see a few things, and then didn't exactly know where I was going. I had a pretty good idea I was headed in the right direction, and when I saw the Frank Gehry Concert Hall monstrosity, I knew I was in the right place.

I have nothing against one titanium building, but now we have it at the Guggenheim at Bilbao, the Walt Disney concert hall in Anaheim... one is enough for me. I don't enjoy his crazy "dynamic" forms. I ate lunch with Steve, Renato, and Alex in the University Club building at a restaurant called "The Gallery". We had a neat view of the city, right over Frank Gehry's Concert Hall in Millennium Park. Luckily, there are some other neat things down there to check out.

The public art in Millennium Park is paying off really well. I saw plenty of people there today, playing in the water, and getting a closer look at the bean (which is being repolished right now).

I will post more about this "adventure" tomorrow when I don't feel so ill! Sorry, but see you then!

A BIRTHDAY PRESENT | JULY 25, 2005
Today I ordered myself a little birthday present. Don't worry; it is something practical - a cute little lunch bag from the PETA website. PETA stands for "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals." And yes, I am a vegetarian, a lacto-ovo vegetarian to be exact. Basically that means I still eat dairy products and eggs (Give up ice cream? Are you crazy?!).

When I tell people I am a vegetarian, they inevitably ask me why. I usually tell them that eating meat makes me sick - which is true. This is kind of a lame story, but I started working at McDonald's when I was 14, and was blessed with an employee discount. I took full advantage of it - eating hamburgers on my break and taking chicken nuggets home for dinner. Because of this, I was consuming more animal products than I normally would. I started feeling sick to my stomach a lot more often, so I cut out the red meat. Doing this made me feel better, but not completely. I thought about it for a long time, and eventually decided to give up all types of meat.

I know what you are thinking, it sounds like something is missing from the story. There is. This is the part I usually don't tell my meat-eating friends, because I think it makes them feel judged by me. At the same time that I was working at McDonald's, I was making new friends at school, and I meet a girl who had a vegan mother. I went to her house a few times to have dinner, and ended up helping her mom in the kitchen. I learned how to prepare meat-less meals, and I also learned about her animal right beliefs. I began to do my own research, and found out about horrible experiments being done on animals, the suffering inflicted on animals to produce leather, and of course, the awful lives of animals before they are slaughtered to be used for food.

To spare the gory details, I became a strong believer in animal rights. I believe that animals have a right to equal consideration of their interests. And even though I can't stop all the animal suffering in the world on my own, I can make a small difference by not eating meat.

It does not bother me to see other people eat meat, even if they are a family member, or friend doing it right in front of me. I just don't enjoy eating meat. I will not try to make anyone stop eating meat, because it is not my choice what other people consume. However, if I do hear someone talking about abusing their pets or other animals, or hunting for FUN, I will excuse myself from the conversation/ask them to stop talking about it/or tell them why I think they should stop.

I usually don't talk to people about this because I think makes them feel uncomfortable. It is a very controversial topic, especially when it comes to experimenting on animals for scientific purposes, or the control of feral cats.

Like I said, I DO NOT judge anyone who eats meat. Look - I am going to be marrying a carnivore, and we have already dated for 3 years without any problems! It does not even bother me when my family and friends tease me about eating meat, because I know they respect my opinion and are only teasing me. I have had some very wonderful people go out of their way to make me feel comfortable when meat is being served, and for that, I thank them very much.

I have only had a few unpleasant experiences with people who refuse to respect and accept my choices. And this will inevitably happen. I just hope that these people realize I do not expect them to change because of what I do and do not eat. That is a personal decision everyone should make on their own. It is not my desire to influence other people's eating choices.

A PRODUCTIVE DAY | JULY 23, 2005
It is Saturday! And guess what Steven and I did today? I will give you a hint. That's right; we put up insulation in the garage! I am estimating that the existing drywall and studs had an R value of about 3, so with the added R-13 insulation, we have successfully moved to an R value of 16.

Well, even if it isn't really that exciting, it feels good to have gotten something done on our to-do list! And since I have never dealt with real batting insulation before (I always use the rigid stuff), it is a good experience for a future architect. It surprises me how little most architecture students know about general construction (including myself). Luckily, my boss takes me out on the job site from time to time, and I am also taking a construction course this fall. I don't think that our society encourages women to learn much about the construction trade, so every extra effort I make is beneficial.

I received a birthday card in the mail today from my friend Alejandra in Puerto Rico (my birthday is July 31). She wrote this cute little poem in it about our friendship and I almost started crying! I think I am turning more and more into my mother every day, because she cries at EVERY sappy little thing. Not that turning into my mom is a bad thing, because she is a wonderful, kind and giving person. Anyway, the card made me think about how much I miss my friends from school. I don't get to see any of them during the summer because we are all so far apart. With school beginning in a less than a month, I will not have to wait that long to see them again. But then, I will be missing Steven. It is a vicious, vicious cycle...

THE SUMMER SO FAR... | JULY 21, 2005
My summer vacation from school started May 6, and so far, I feel like I have gotten nothing accomplished! Steven and I had major plans for painting the house and reorganizing the garage, along with planning our wedding. I also had personal goals, such as learning Autodesk VIZ, a 3D modeling program, and getting caught up on some architectural research projects.

And so far, we have painted the smallest room in the house (the powder room) and I have opened my Auto VIZ tutorial once. We have made compromises for other projects, I suppose. Steven spent the beginning of this time designing and building a component rack for his walk-in-closet. And I unfortunately spent a lot of time on my summer course. I also traded my Auto VIZ tutorial in for obsessively reading Photoshop tutorials online!

So we have spent our time productively, just on the wrong to-do-list! And now that the end of the summer is fast approaching, we will have to do a shuffle to get things done, especially those that require both of our talents. Horray for the weekends! (Even if we don't get anything done, it feels good to think that we will).

Right now I am stuck between doing the right thing- studying for a test, and doing the fun thing- working on this site. Well, since the test is tomorrow, I guess I better study just a little bit more. After it is done, I will be free, free, free! Horray.

WELCOME

Welcome to ilaxstudio.com. The intent of this website is to help me keep in touch with my family and friends, and to reach others in the artistic community.

So, what does ilaxstudio mean? Ilax is my last name (as of now), so using it to identify myself here seemed natural. I am currently a fourth-year architecture student at Iowa State University, and I spend most of my time at school in my "studio". The studio is a space I share with other architecture students to generate, craft, and display my ideas. It is a place for sharing information and skills with those who wish to learn. The studio collaborates a variety of talents, creating a dynamic, energetic environment. The contents of this site represent my work and ideas, which have been shaped by what I have learned in studio environments. I believe that your talent never grows if you don't expose it and take critique and comments. So I am extending my studio environment by bringing it here.

The site is currently organized into 7 topics: Home, Portfolio, Photos, Archive, Resume, theKnot, and Contact. You can directly enter any of these categories by clicking on the desired button on the right side of the screen.

Home is the page you are on now. This page will feature entries about what is going on in my life, and any thoughts I want to share with you. This page will be updated most often, so make sure you check it out on a regular basis. I will also post any other updates in the site here, so you know where to head for new information. This "welcome" entry will remain at the top of the page, so you will need to scroll down to see the new entries.

Portfolio is where to go to find samples of my work. I have split my samples into two categories - architecture and non-architecture. The architecture category features all of the work I have done in school, and in the professional architecture environment. As of now, the non-architecture category features the rest of my work. As new projects come along, and I prepare more projects for this site, this page will grow and change.

Photos is just what the name implies, a photo album. Here you will find pictures of my friends and family, and of my travels.

Archive is the place to find old entries from the home page. The entries will be archived by month.

Resume is a where you can take a peek at my personal skills and job experiences.

theKnot documents the wedding plans of Steven and me. You can look in as we decide exactly how we are going to tie the knot. When it is closer to the wedding date, you will be able to find information about where the wedding and reception will be, at what time, where we are registered, who is in the bridal party, and all sorts of fun information.

Contact is your way to get in touch with me, please don't hesitate!

Hope this helps with navigation around the site!

The entries following will not be like this one. They will be updates of what is going on in my life. I will probably let you know what has been going on at my architectural internship, what projects Steven and I have been tackling this summer, and other things I have going on. Make sure you check back soon to read the new post!

Thanks for stopping by!

kilax