Learning Portfolio Alice Perreau Instructor : Jerry Lum

Arch 101 Fall 2015

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Table of contents : - Project 1 : “What’s your sign ?”

. Collages

. First constructed sign :

. Second constructed sign :

- Project 2 : Perceiving, experiencing, and interpreting spaces and places

. Analyze of pictures

. Collages

- Project 3 : Make a Wall, Make a Window, Evoke Wonder

. Previous research

. Drawing

. First constructed model

. Second constructed model

. Storyboard of the second model

. First narrative

. Second narrative

. Storyboard third model

. First constructed wonder space

. Second constructed wonder space

- Midterm reflection

- Final project

. Precedence research . Iteration 1 . The group . The site . The design and concept . The construction . My reflection

- Overall reflection

Project 1 : “What’s your sign ?”

First stage :

- Brainstorm to identify all of the messages that best communicate who you are to others.

I choose three adjectives with the help of my friends : Curious, Honest and adaptive.

- Now find literal images or objects that best correlate with these three qualities.

For my first adjective, curious, I thought about different objects, glasses, magnifying glass and a question mark. I realized that all those objects have a circular shape, which I could use in my sign.

The second one, adaptive, make me think about the structure of my future sign. Which materials should I use to create the sign ? I could use something flexible, like plastic paper. How the sign will be attached on the wall ? I wanted a mobile sign, how can I do that ?

The third one, honest, give me the color of my sign, blue.

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Collages :

In my first collage, I tried to play with the shadows, to explore which shapes I could use in my sign. I really like the curves who appears on the wall. They make me think of how I approach life with curiosity.

My second collage is more a test of colors and materials. I really wanted to find a material which was strong enough and looks relatively noble to show the honesty.

The third one is an abstract approach of movements. My sign has to be mobile, to express the adaptive part of my personality. The trees are a symbol of adaptation as well as the light colors, who merge together and create a new one.

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First constructed sign :

Strengths :

- Make modeles to help me visualize.

- Exploring the movement of the structure.

- Successfully used a scissors and a cutter used on the final cut-out plastic paper .

Weaknesses and Challenges :

- Trying to find an interesting shape, in coherence with my adjectives.

- Have to erase the guides lines on the final sheet which it wasn’t a good idea.

- Used glue gun to stick the plastic paper together, but I realized after bringing it to the class, that the glue is not strong enough.

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Final shape, in reverseFinal shape, right side up Final shape, from the side Final sign

First try of visualization, with paper and glue.Testing a support with two push pins.I don’t like the finish. Not stable enough.

The cut-out on the final plastic paper.

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Second constructed sign :

Strengths :

- Successfully used the materials to have a better finish.

- Add more personality into the sign

- Make it mobile and cover the structure with a box.

Weaknesses and Challenges :

- I should have hide the box with the same plastic paper to make it less present.

- Find a good paint to grip on the plastic paper

- Draw the cut out with right dimensions.

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View from up high

Profile view

View with shadow

Structure hidden by the boxThe shape and model of the final structure.

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Project 2 : Perceiving, experiencing, and interpreting spaces and places

- First, brainstorm and research places in the SF-Bay Area, which are rich in discovery and layered with experiences. From this list, select the best one. Then visit and experience this place, to finally record your adventure in a series of photographic images.

I didn't have enough time to explore an area in SF, so I decided to record my past experiences. I choose a few pictures that I took when I first came here. While I was discovering and exploring the city, as a totally brand new resident. Then I tried to remember why I took this pictures in particular, and how do I felt at this moment. The experience of reflecting about past events, was really interesting and helpful to give more sense to any of those pictures.

- Second, carefully study and analyze your 10 selected images with your description of evoked experiences.

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Yerba buena park at noon. I like the contrast between this old church who looks really tiny, next to this tall and new building. 10

This is the ferry building, on a sunny day. I have been there at 12:45pm as you can see on the clock.The left side of the building were more exposed of the sun.When I look on the top I think of all the people who took a ferry here, since his creation. Then I begin to feel nostalgic about the past.

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This street is close to the Haight Hashbury neighborhood. I have been there around 2:30pm, on a sunny day. The front of the houses were exposed in the sun. I felt joyful and intrigued walking there, probably because of the flash color used on the wall. 12

This is the facade of a building in Chinatown, during the afternoon.The sun exposed the front side.The building doesn't have an interesting structure and the paintings seems to be a window dressing to hide it.The blue background let to the characters a most important place on the wall. The eyes focused less on the architecture and intrigued. Those faces doesn't seems friendly which can let you feel dubious about what’s could be inside.

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Street in Tenderloin, during the afternoon.I like the insipid and light color used on the painted wall of which looks like a shed. There is a tension and a sadness feeling on this pass, this place looks deserted but the tree on the middle give some hope and can let you think of a close living past. 14

Late afternoon near green street, the sun exposed the right side only. It’s a really quiet place, where you can feel secure with the trees on each side of the road. It’s also mysterious because you can’t thoroughly see where you’re going.

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This a low angle shot of the Palace of Fine Arts, at night. All the lights are artificial and disposed on strategic angles to light the dome. When I went there I felt secure and dominated, cause the dimensions are gigantic and the style is impressive.Those statues are looking at you and seems really determined, ready to judge you.

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- Construct a collage that incorporates only those aspects that is likely to evoke the same set of experiences as selected above in your audience

My first collages are created with the top of the dome of the palace of fine arts. I merge two different pictures that I also took in SF. Then I change the filter to create two different atmosphere. On the left I choose to take light colors, who match with the picture of the bay in the late afternoon. On the right, I created a darker atmosphere, by increasing the color of the palace to be more coherent with the picture of the sunset in lands end.

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I used the same process in my second collages. This time I replace the road by the sea and align the track of the sunset with the source of the light in the other picture.

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Project 3 : Make a Wall, Make a Window, Evoke Wonder

- Previous Research : in order to think “outside the box”, you need to know what defines “the box”.

This the national french library in Paris.

I thought about this place when we talked about wonder. When I went there for the first time I felt really tiny and weak around those huge building recovered by windows. I also thought that it’s could be nice to be inside and felt the other way. I wanted to express this feeling on my own creation.

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This is the new museum of european and mediterranean civilizations, called the Mucem in Marseille, France.

To me all the openings and the structure himself evoke wonder. The decorated wall act like a filter of light and also hide the building behind. The second building has an unusual shape and the openings seems to be placed to interact with the position of the sun. Both of the characteristic of this place inspired me.

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- Develop a written account of connected events related to your windowed wall. Imbued in your narrative or story are your ideals, activities anticipated, qualities of form and space, and feelings associated with encountering your window wall. Consider these from both inside and outside.

I wanted to create windowed wall who could be integrated in a public space, such as a museum or library. When the people want to take a break or sit for a moment during their visit in a museum, or if they want to read in peace on a library; they can sit there in connexion with the nature outside. However they have to feel secure, when you need to relax you should not be worried or preoccupied. That’s why the wall is really high with only small openings for the windows. The idea was to let the sun come in, only during a lapse of time, and from certain angles. The people from the outside don't have a direct view, which give more privacy as well.

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- Evoke wonder by drawing shadows, using charcoal.

- I drawn with a charcoal for the first time and it wasn’t easy to use. First the form of a charcoal doesn't looks like a pencil, which is something that you have to get used to it. Second, you can’t erase it if you made a mistake and finally it’s really messy, so you have to be careful in your drawing. Otherwise, I like the fact that you can draw really light or really darker quite easily.

- Trying to evoke wonder on a drawing is a real challenge, when you don’t have a model to show you how to place the shadows, and the light, on your drawing.

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- The model : Out of chipboard, fabricate your designed wall with a window or series of windows that evoke your intended sense of wonder in others, communicate your position of what a windowed wall is, and make possible an activity of repose in which reading, meditating, daydreaming, or reflecting are not only possible, but enhanced.

Outside view from the left

Inside view from the left

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Low angle shot from the inside

Bird view from the top

- Out of chipboard, I realized a really high wall with parallel align windows. The wall is in staggered rows, and the windows are only on the left side. Which can let the light come in, just when the sun is align with this angle. You can also see inside or outside only from the left. The people can sit on the shadow or expose on the sun to take a break, talked, reflected… I choose to put a flash blue on each seat, to attract the eyes from the outside. It’s the first thing that you see and it makes you wonder. 24

- Design and construct the second iteration

Inside view from the left Inside view from the right

Outside view from the front 25

In this second iteration of our wondered wall, we were asking to create an environment around it. That’s why I added an inside with a unique and unusual seat which can also be consider as art, because we are still in a museum. I like the fact that people can see this monumental piece in the middle of the room and wonder if this is a modern piece of art or if it’s a seat. They will maybe ask if they're able to sit or just standing in front of it and stay perplex. Then they see the high window wall, which make them interact with the outside. There is seats on both side of certain wall, which gives you the opportunity to take a sit outside later, and enjoy the garden.

View from the top

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- Storyboard that visually describes the journey

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- Draft of your narrative to explain the journey.

The spatial journey take us to a public place. We walk into a museum, going from little room to similar little room, and as we arrived on the middle of the visit. We step through a small and high space, which appears like a little halo of peace, immersed by sun light. First, you’re intrigued by the walls coming up inside the room and the shades on the ground. Then you want to come in and seat down on the big bench in the middle of the room, to take a break. As you seat, the window wall in front of you, create a link between the quiet outdoor garden and the closed space where you in, which is the museum. This room act like a transition in your journey, you can sit down for a while, before continuing the visit and even think about checking out the outside, when the visit is down because you noticed that there is some seat on the walls between each windows, outside and inside. The height of the windows makes you look up and forward at the same time.

Top view in x-ray

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- Second draft of the narrative First I realized that I was too much focused on the window wall himself than in the environment surrounding it. We have to build a wonder space who include the windowed wall not the opposite. That’s why I searched another approach of the subject, I created a wonder room with my windowed walls which is a part of a wonder space in two level. I wanted to make the people wonder what is the strange space who pop out from the classic rectangular shape. During all their journey, they will want to know and will have to find how to get into it. They start their journey behind the structure and can already see a part of the windowed space. Then they go around and discover the backyard. Then an opening on the front wall guide them inside. As they get in, they see the stairs who goes in the window room but they can’t reach to them. They look around and see a little space such as a glass case which is an elevator to go up and finally get into the room.I wanted to create a journey where only the people who are curious enough will find what’s inside the window room.

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- Storyboard of the third iteration

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- Constructed wonder space

First floor from outside First floor from inside

This is the first floor of my wonder space, as you can see there is two symmetrical opening to go inside the room, which face the south. On the other side of the room is a semi circle window next to two stairs who guide you in an elevator glass to go up in the second floor. After bringing the model in class, Jerry told me that I could change the direction of the stairs to guide the people up in another way. It also give more space in the room and the stairs became less important than they are right now. The symmetrical opening is too classic, I should create a new opening more interesting and maybe unusual.

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Second floor from inside Second floor from outside

In the second floor is the wondered wall room. As you come out of the elevator you're starting to see the outside from a certain angle, such as the first picture on the left. Then you walk inside and go down the stairs to enter in the special room. In this space you feel connected with the outside in total security. The fact that you’re elevated and not visible from every angle, give you this safe feeling. You also can see on your left, on your right and in the front because the room pop up of the wall. You’re still inside but your vision goes instantly outside.

Wonder room from outside right

Wonder room from outside front

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- Last iteration of a wonder space

Front view Front entrance

In this last iteration I totally changed the structure. I wanted to keep the idea of a room who pop up from a wall, such as my last construction but with a totally different environment. My goal is to connect the outside with the inside in a secure place. This is why I choose to elevate each wonder room. Also I wanted to add an interactive element, I thought that this place should be surrounding by water and you could accede to it only by the two little pass on each side. I wish I could have talked to Jerry and my classmate about this last model because I had other ideas and I would love to have feedback about it. I thought it could be nice to have water coming out on the bottom of each room, like a waterfall. The water surrounding the place, could be connected with the waterfall and create an endless circuit.

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Outside view from one of the wonder room Top view from the roof window

Inside this tower would be only stairs who guides you in each room. When you come inside you can see that there is an interaction between the first stairs going up to the left and the others stairs going up to the right. As you go up the stairs you also pass on a cut, which is on the stairs who goes in the other side. Your vision is focused on the first room, it’s only when you get in and turn around that you can see the other one. I wanted to make the popping space mysterious. You could be able to see inside only at the last moment, when you finally arrived on top of the stairs. To have light coming into the tower and lighting the stairs, I created a window roof. The last idea was to have green roof as well, I did that in the last iteration and I want to keep it. It would also match with the water environment. Each cage popping out would have a roof top and a bottom water fall. 34

Midterm reflection :

Today I can say that in a few months I grow up a lot. I discovered a new way to think, looked and expressed. Since I took this class I’m paying a lot more attention about the environment surrounding me. When I walk in the street I looked all around me and observed. I’m not focusing just on my way anymore, which is great and should have been always like that. Because it’s a lot more interesting, it also proof that I’m aware about where I lived and respect what people create and did on it. I also think about what’s behind what I see, the history of it and how did the designer or the architect thought of it. How he did it ? What did he wanted to make us feel ? What I think about it ? What I don’t like about ? Why ? and how could I maybe change it ? All those questions comes to me now, and it enriched my life. On another way I learned about myself, my capacity to craft what’s on my mind, developed ideas by building them and sometimes drawing a feeling, even if it’s not great or perfectly well done, it makes me feel better and develop my imagination. I also learned that I can’t always be perfect in what I’m creating, at first I loose so much time to build my model because I wanted to have a really good crafting but if it’s against the potential and reflection about what a model reflect it’s a waste of time. I told myself, you’re here to learn, nobody is perfect, even if I’m not fluent in english, it doesn’t matter when I build something. I can try to express my self by my craft or drawing. Then to explain what I did to others, I have to speak, it’s not perfect and maybe not clear all the time, but it’s a start and I’m learning.

I can’t wait to start our next project !

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- Stratified Wonder: experiencing the transience of beauty, the unexpected, the unfamiliar, and the inexplicable- Precedence Research – Seeking Inspiration / Structure and the Built Environment

Patrick Dougherty art in the international garden festival in Chaumont

Final project : Stratified Wonder

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- Construct a Small Scale Model that Explores a selected Structural Approach, Iteration 1

Top view

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When I bring this model in class, Jerry give me some precious advice to improve and develop my idea. First he pointed the strengths, the fact that the structure is a single surface who can be derived and form a space is really interesting. Then the overhead single string who support the whole structure can modify the space and the single “cable” controls and manages intervals between each layers of the spiral. After visualizing those strengths he creates divers opportunities such as a multiplication of the spiral with a variation of scales who could give more complexity. Instead of one space we could have multiple space with different ambiances. Another possibility is to reverse the structure. Otherwise this idea make the space less accessible and smaller for the the people who wants to go inside. We also came up with the idea of a structure in movement, using the same mechanism as a Etch a sketch. It allows you to move whatever you want, here it would be the all structure, only by turning two button. If two person can move, on their own, just with their arm, the structure, it give you a feeling of control, you’re able to create your own environment. Which is entertaining and favor communication between people who has to work in team to move the structure. That’s how comes the threats and weaknesses that I have to resolved. First how do I anchor the Etch a sketch mechanism and make it work ? Where should I placed the mechanism ? Up in the air or down ? What could help me fixed it ? Then how do I give controls to the mechanism that are accessible to people ? If it’s up in the air, I need to have cable going down to manage it from the ground. Or put the controllers up on the balcony, one in each side. Should it be interesting ? Because we would have to go all the way down to see the results. Also, they shouldn’t be too far from the structure but also shouldn’t create too much tension or friction to the cable. Those are all the questions that I need to solve before building something.

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The plan now is to test the mechanism. Find the different materials is a question that I’ll try to answer later.

First I draw the mechanism, to help me visualize how I’ll have to place the cable and pulleys.

I also find a video on youtube, where a man build a giant Etch a sketch with materials such as wood and cables. It gives me ideas or how this could become real and being used for human size.

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- Make the group and start putting our ideas together.

We created the ACJJX team, composed by Craig, our project manager, Jingwen, our bookkeeper, Xiong our photographer, Jacky our site coordinator and me the design lead.

What we did first was to find our similarity on our respective design and model. Jingwen and Craig wanted to design a bench using sectioning to create a visually interesting place to sit and relax. As shown on the two bottom picture. While Xiong and I were exploring the use of curves, with tensioning being our construction choice. See the first picture of my first model. At this early stage, the two methods were opposites of each other, but it was our goal to make them coalesced together.

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- Choose a site and make analysis

Our choice went to Site A

The site is the key of our design. It’s where everything begin. We wanted to capture a specific view, that all of us could enjoy. It was the most ideal place for incorporating all our designs into one. If we stand looking towards the South-East, we get the best natural composition of any other place of the campus, but without any indication and structure you can’t really be aware about it.The two trees on either side allows Jingwen’s desire to enjoy the sun-light illuminating the leaves above and casting shadows on the ground while simultaneously, allowing Craig, Xiong and I to have close supports for any tensioning and anchoring supports we may need. This is why we first think of setting up a bench right in front of it. Also our strong thought was to not denaturalize the site himself but only add value of it. This part of the campus is quiet and isolated. Not everyone knows this place, and if they do they don’t see the interest of coming there. Our goal is to make them come !

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- Create a design

Our contextual design approach is based on a place to seat. Then come the environment who creates the ambiance and make the people focus on the unique view that we have. The idea was to separate the bench from all the uninteresting part of the site, by a creating a wall who make people comfortable and encouraged them to frame the view.Our resting area will be half surrounding by a multitude of sheet. All of them are attach on the air by fishing lines, coming from the tree to the half circle create on the ground around the bench. The wind pass through the wall and let the space breathe, the sheet can move and live at the whim of the wind.

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- Start building

As we start building we had some construction issue with the use of tensioning. We’ve been confronted with the constraints of the site who didn’t works with our design at first. We needed to figuring out what parts of the tree we could actually use to hold the fishing lines. Our idea was to tense a line between the two tree, but it would have been to weak and also would have denature the site. Another one important consideration was the material we would use that would act as our support lines. While the weight of any fabric we attached to it should be negligible, we had to consider that the force of the wind pushing and pulling at these pieces could potentially snap these lines. While rope was an obvious choice, picking the right color and width of nylon rope would be important. On top of this, but parallel with the problem as a whole was how we even go about attaching the pieces of fabric to a support line, as well as figuring out exactly what kind of fabric we would use.

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As we changed the way to attach the fishing lines to a single tree, we discovered a much more inspiring option and came up with our definitive design. Jerry came to our aid and give us some helpful technics tips for achieving our goal. Rubber straps as attachments to the tree, directing us towards different knots we could use for tying things securely and the use of ground stakes for anchoring the lines to the ground. Though he suggested we use rope for our lines, we decided that mono-filament fishing lines was the best option, offering us the same tensile strength as rope while being nearly invisible, giving the fabrics the illusion that they were floating. The living wall was now a definitive concept that we were building. And we started to design the bench. With our idea of framing the site, we wanted to fill the middle of the bench with the dirt to give the natural and respectful environment aspect. Otherwise here was one of our major mistake, we shouldn't have two different design, which separate the bench from the wall. It’s two different design who doesn’t have a sufficient link.

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Reflection about our final project

First, I can say that this experience taught me a lot about the importance of working in team. I never did that before and it’s not as simple as it seems. You have to collaborate and be able to communicate your ideas while taking account on others. You can’t always agreed with everyone and you have to make choices. Also with this experience while we weren't all able to work full time, you have to be really organized and sure about what you want to build. We did run out of times because of the mistakes that we encounter during the first week. The most important thing that I learned about architecture and construction and which seems to flow naturally now, is that you need a plan with a definitive design before starting to build something. We had issues to find a design who could attend the requirement and satisfied each one of us. That make us running late and we had to start building without a real concept in mind. Also, I discovered that I really enjoyed making design or trying to find ideas that we could use, as well as spending time working on the actual construction. At first I would say that I’m not really proud about our final project because it’s not exactly what we were expecting. We didn't entirely achieve our goal, but I also realized that, this is not the most important part of the project. I’m proud that even with the difficulties that we encounter, we did finish the project and were able to present it. I have a new feeling who grows in me since we finished the presentation. I feel frustrated and it makes me want to start another project I think I’m more aware and prepared to be able to do that. We didn't get the opportunity to make our first project real, which is absolutely normal and fair. Otherwise, I wish I’ll get the time and find people who would like to work with me on my first project to make it better and create something fun with maybe more knowledges now, we can achieve that.

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Overall reflection :

It’s been a complete semester now and what I would like to say is that I’m really glad to have make the choice to integrate this class. Since the beginning I felt that all what I learned was useful to me, whether for my studies or for my personal life. I realized and that’s only the way that I see things, but to me the architecture and design is all around us, it make us. It can seems insignificant because we're not all interested on it but it actually create the environment where we all grow, even if we don't really pay attention about it it’s there and there is someone behind it. The idea of being part of the environment that everyone grow in seems amazing and fascinating. During the first half of the semester we learned how to describe and be aware about what surrounding us. We have to know how to explain and describe it, as well as create by our own and with our own technics and possibilities what we want to express. It’s a lot of reflection and discovery who guide us, and equip us to do the final. During the second half and final, we truly jump in the unknown by starting a real project on teams. All of this is new for the majority of us and make it really challenging. At that time, we know that we got a few weeks to brainstorming and build something. That’s the coolest and scariest part of the program that we encounter with only a few knowledges. At the end even if it’s not a real success you’d learned a lot about the techniques, design, team work and also yourself. If I would have to recommend someone who is interested on architecture or design but doesn’t really know if it’s for him, my advise would be to take this class, which is for me an overall of all the things that you may need to know and like to start this pathway.