Code of Ethics for a Design Student

AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
Canon IV: E.S. 4.2
Dignity and Integrity: Members should strive, through their actions, to promote the dignity and integrity of the profession, and to ensure that their representatives and employees conform their conduct to this code.

What is dignity? the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed
What is integrity? firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values

As a student, it is our responsibility actively pursue a high standard of excellence, to be studious with regard to the current standards of practice, and to analyze, respect, and dissect the architecture of the past, present and future.
We are, foremost, obligated to ourselves. This is imperative because the educational process of architecture occurs in tandem with the human developmental stage of personal identity and intimacy. It is during these years of our lives that people are faced with finding out who they are, what they are all about, where they are going in life, and how they are effected by the relationships they form. The student owes it to themselves to pay homage to the synthesis of these two dimensions.
Subsequently, the student is then able to evaluate and begin practicing their obligations to the profession, their colleagues, and the environment. Once the student evolves further, they will be prepared to face their obligations to their clients and the public.

As Architecture students, we have:
Obligations to Ourselves
Students should continually evaluate their personal growth. One should strive to increase their knowledge of the influential factors which mold their character. One should learn to identify all influences. In doing so, one can learn what is important to them as an individual and so that they are able to avoid the effects which exemplify poor moral character.

Obligations to Other Students
Students should actively be involved in the development of our classmates. It is important that we encourage, support, and constructively criticize our fellow architecture students. This will help our classmates' development, as well as assist us in learning to be self-critical. After all, they say one good way to learn something is to try and teach someone else.

Obligations to Our Education
It is very important that we strive to gain all that we can from our opportunities in education. Someone once told me to learn one thing very well everyday. That means after one year, I should be an expert at 365 things. Our education is what will lead us into our futures, and it will set us apart from others. What we gain, from the opportunities we are provided, will be evident to prospective employers. Moreover, it is the foundation from which our careers develop.

Obligations to Professors
We are obligated to respect our professors and those who are experienced in the fields in which we study. They have a plethora of knowledge to offer, and we have much to gain from their experiences. They have chosen to teach because they have taken pledge to help guide the profession by dedicating themselves to students' advancement and education. However, they will only give what a student is willing to work for, as it should be. They are here to help guide you in the right direction on the paths you chose.

Obligations to Our Institution
We are obligated to the institutions in which we learn. As we step into our future careers and jobs, we will represent the institution from which we came. As we develop in our careers, we are obligated to pay respect to those institutions, because they are the foundation for so many other students striving toward an architecture career. To represent those institutions in a negative manner will hinder future aspiring architects in attendance at those institutions. You should strive to be a source of pride for those institutions, because in doing so, you are also a positive influence to younger students and future generations.

Snohetta

Craig Edward Dykers was co-founder of Snohetta. The architecture, landscape and interior design firm has offices in Oslo, Norway and New York City. He visited LaTech as part of an architecture lecture series. This is my 5th year attending these lectures and I found this lecture to be one of the most motivating, inspiring, fundamentally grounded, interesting, and forward thinking quests we've had. His lecture was very informative while also humorous. I found it interesting to hear his views on the work environment created within his office. And even more interesting that what would seem to distract people from work actually promotes productivity. The U.S. has a workday which is far different from typical workdays within other countries. I am pleased to see that variation from the norm is being investigated more within our country. I would love to work at such a place that seems to have bustling creativity within a more laid-back environment. Without all the pretension, salary envy, and "all work, no play" labor standards, I believe that it would be easy to see why productivity is in high yield.

Petter Dass Museum

Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
Dykers said that it was the living extension of the architecture which made it complete. He said that "there is something really nice about putting on a dirty pair of shoes and going to something high-brow like the opera." This shows that the people express ownership of the building. This project was very successful because it did exactly what it was intended to do. Peoples ownership resounds throughout it entirely. For example, the construction of the acoustic wood panels was done by children because "kids do random well". Even fish and bird life returned because Snohetta removed 60,000 tons of pollutants from the fjord, which were a result of centuries of factory work there.

Karmoy Fishing Museum
The men who commissioned the fishing museum were not completely happy with the design. They said it did not seem to fit well, as a concrete object, within its context and for its purpose. The idea to make indigenous lichen grow on the concrete arose. Then, like the rocks surrounding the museum, it might seem to more naturally exist. After failing at their efforts, due to lengthy growth phases, they learned a trick. A little old lady, in her garden, told them to pour sour milk on the building sides. She assured them it would promote fast growth so that the retired fishermen could enjoy it before they kicked the bucket. If hope seems lost, consult the elders!
Alexandria Library
National September 11 Memorial and Museum

Conclusively, Snohetta is inspiring because they provide creative architecture which responds to the human element without arrogance. They seem to produce smart and reasonable solutions to design intent while also engaging the inhabitants of the architecture and feeding the need for enduring interest.

Mary Poppins on Broadway

I've seen Les Miserables at the Strand Theatre in Shreveport, LA. It was nice, but did not prepare me for the fantastical experience of Broadway's Mary Poppins. I was torn between seeing Wicked or Mary Poppins. I am glad I saw this one because it was one of my favorite childhood movies, and though I had not seen it in many, many years, I still knew the words to every song. The actors were incredible!!! There were a couple times that I was enthralled, I didn't notice tears until they hit my hand. I know that's silly but my childlike enthusiasm overwhelmed me. I can't wait to see another Broadway play.


The New Amsterdam Theatre, the first concrete example of architectural Art Nouveau style in New York, was built in 1903 by the partnership of impresarios A.L. Erlanger and Marcus Klaw and designed by architects Herts & Tallant. (Wikipedia)

Farewell, until the winds blow us back this way again.

Architectural + Culinary Experience

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Masaharu Morimoto (b. born May 26, 1955 in Hiroshima, Japan) This well-known Japanese chef, with fusion style cuisine, is best-known as the third Iron Chef Japanese and an Iron Chef on its spinoff, Iron Chef America. (Wikipedia)
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My friends meal with Morimoto's signature brew beer.
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My meal was oven roasted lobster with the best brussels sprouts I've ever tasted.
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My view to the open kitchen.
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My friend enjoying her $21.00 beer.
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Me, in awe of this experience!
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Tadao Ando (b. September 13, 1941 in Osaka, Japan) This architect works primarily in exposed cast-in-place concrete and is renowned for an exemplary craftsmanship which invokes a Japanese sense of materiality, junction and spatial narrative through the pared aesthetics of international modernism. (Wikipedia)
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The view as one enters.
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This wall is made of water bottles and designed by Ross Lovegrove.
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A solid core of lumber divides dining areas.
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Monumental concrete pillars which do not support the roof.
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The ceiling is a fiberglass reinforced canvas.
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The lower level bar top is made of plexiglass.
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So many diverse seating designs!
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Dining tables seem private by the glass dividers which have a dot pattern that ascends up to a more transparent divider. It is one solid plate of glass that continues up through the floor plates to divide dining tables on the entry level.
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A private party room with an exterior access. It is different in design from the other dining areas and has no light in the room except what is seen here.
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The Ladies room was even sleek.
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The restroom door has full-height handles and slides open.
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My Morimoto autographed cookbook.
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The entrance is covered by a traditional noren curtain.
I was one exhilarated customer. I'm not sure I could have been any more pleased at any other restaurant in New York.