The Bible of catalogues for museum design. The drawing on yellow tracing is just an option I contributed to a pool of design schemes for a facade in the province.
I have been working for five months already. I started working in my classmate’s mother’s firm not too long after my application stint with ASYA. The factors in my decision making were
Transportation / Location – The firm’s located in Pasong Tamo, a very convenient location. It’s a 15 minute speed-walk and a jeep ride to Greenbelt, where I get picked up by my parents. Or two jeep rides if I’m lazy.
Size of the firm – Small enough so that I don’t end up as another cog in the system. Small enough so I get to see a project from conceptualization to construction.
Work hours – NO WORK ON SATURDAYS!
My boss’ program – My boss said that it was her personal goal to teach her apprentices how to start up and run a firm properly. She said she had a hard time setting up her own firm and wished to impart the knowledge that she learned during this period so that her apprentices don’t repeat these mistakes.
To date, I am part of a team working on a museum which will be located in a new high-rise building in Rockwell. The team is basically involved with the space planning of the exhibit areas and the conservation center–which I find more interesting. In addition, there are the sub-jobs of space planning: coordinating with the team designing the building and the Museum group, product research, and more research. I knew early on that I lacked training to be a professional 3D renderer; so I am fortunate that I landed a space planning project instead. The output is much harder to produce, not as pretty as making presentation drawings on 3Ds Max, but just as fulfilling.
My desk during a 10 minute break
The novelty of finally generating my own spending capacity that exceeds what I had with my college allowance has long worn off. Interestingly, it made me more stingy. I have no complaints about my current set-up. Maybe, save for one: College life allowed me more impulsive moments.
I think it’s high time I got a decent smartphone. I was aspiring for a Blackberry at first but I realized I prioritized a large screen over anything else. My most ambitious choice would be the Samsung Galaxy S II.
I almost accomplished this one. I was supposed to attend a basic workshop this coming October with my two siblings. But the training schedule would not permit us to do so. In addition, my parents suggested that one of my siblings get physically fit first before the three of us could train together.
My wanting to learn this for AGES is probably an offshoot of my climbing over objects and on trees as a child.
I don’t want to rely purely on direct income. Interesting enough, I thought I’d spend my very first paycheck on material wants. But after looking at the the check, I suddenly got stingy. At my level, the most that I could do is open a time deposit account.
This is Guo Wenjun, an Olympic shooter from Beijing. I don’t want to reach that level but I want to be able to defend myself should there be a zombie apocalypse. Haha!
When I was offered a new phone after my old one was pick-pocketed, I settled for a Nokia C5. I wanted to keep things simple. I thought the only essential functions I needed for a phone were the calling, texting, rudimentary camera and alarm clock functions. Never mind WiFi capability. I figured that I was already glued to the computer long enough not to consider a WiFi capable celphone a necessity.
Back then, in college, it was easier to share and interact with people that I saw on a near-daily basis. The other avenues where I could share to a wider audience were this blog, my Flickr page and Facebook. At the university, I shared my work with my peers and professors by printing out hard copies and exhibiting them.
While most of my friends had already upgraded to phone/laptop software organizers to plan ahead, I was still stuck in the 19th century using good old-fashioned paper.
I survived college with a “system” of Post-It notes on my door and two Starbucks planners in which I used both during the toughest school year–THESIS YEAR.
I also had friends who I constantly–an UNDERSTATEMENT–asked to remind me about impending deadlines.
What I failed to consider was that a simple phone model does not necessarily equate to an efficient method of sharing oneself with the world. My trusty Nokia has served me well in college and even until now. However, I am about to enter the workforce in a few weeks time. As an architect-apprentice, I need a mobile device that will allow me to send more data, especially pictures and videos, to more contacts. (The 5 MP camera of the Blackberry Bold 9780 is perfect for the job.)
my DSLR → copy/paste to LAPTOP → attach to EMAIL → send to FRIEND
my DSLR → copy/paste to LAPTOP → upload to IMAGESHACK → send to BLOG
—-Imagine how much waiting time I could reduce if I did everything with the Blackberry!—-
photo from BLACKBERRY → connect to WiFi → send to CLIENT
I could have tweeted a photo of my first breakfast in France. The cafe had free WiFi, but my phone couldn’t connect! :(
The solution to a technophobe’s woes: The BlackBerry Bold 9780. With it I could gain convenient, meaningful, substantial communication with the people who matter.
I have got to hand it to BlackBerry Messenger for including nifty indicators that tell whether your message has been read or not. That means no more excuses for messages getting “swallowed up” by the network.
BlackBerry Groups would allow me to set up forums with other BlackBerry Messenger contacts. It’s very much like carrying a message board wherever I go. I can share pictures, calendars, task lists, and voice notes without the inconvenience of carrying a laptop to view them all.
I could get things done so much faster with the help of BlackBerry Messenger. No need to bring around a heavy laptop and worry about Internet connection! If there is one thing I never did enjoy with my current gadget set-up is that I have to relegate all group discussions to a chat program like Yahoo Messenger or Skype. Why? It’s because my phone doesn’t have BlackBerry’s Group features. With BlackBerry Messenger, it will be very convenient for me to be able to communicate with friends and future clients alike while on the go.
Now that’s simplifying life, having less gadgets to carry!
Look at my contacts lists for Yahoo Messenger and Skype. They’re practically empty! No one stays at home on Friday and Saturday nights. So what is the point of sticking to the static laptop cum DSL connection to communicate with people when they’re not online?
I had to return to a prospective employer for my fourth and final interview with the Big Boss. I was asked the night before to bring more of my sample works/portfolio. Since I never had any time to compile any of works into a formatted portfolio. I brought my thesis boards instead.
Me :: I would like to present my thesis, which is a Technical Vocational School–
Boss :: *Motions for me to stop, turns to his assistant (1 of 4 assistants in the room)* Tawagan mo nga yung expert natin na pumunta dito sa conference room. Si… si… yung galing UK. (Call our expert to come down to the conference room. The one from the UK.)
Assistant # 1 :: *rushes out of conference room*
Assistant # 2 :: *rushes out of conference room, makes a phone call at the reception*
Assistant # 1 :: *comes back in* Sir, nagbreak po siya. (Sir, he’s on break.)
Boss :: *pause* Sige. *Turns back and motions for me to continue*
Me :: *inward sigh of relief*
That rattled me for a moment. Anyway, HR emailed me later that night the job offer to join the firm. I decided not to accept since commuting there would also be especially difficult. Maybe I would eventually adapt to a hard routine. I can’t help but wonder how it would be like to work for the Boss. Personally, I was impressed when I saw the office set-up. The operations–well, at least those visible to me that time–were running like a well-oiled machine.
We gave up trying to go up to the Eiffel Tower. The lines were too long.
(Photocredit: Dad)
And we were also unfortunate enough to Versailles on a holiday. It was Ascension Thursday. Every nation and the French decided to spend the day there.
(Photocredit: Dad)
(Photocredit: Dad)
For all its grandiosity and pretentious pomp, the architect left out one essential room in Versailles–BATHROOMS. According to our tour guide, Versailles’ inhabitants just came and relieved their bladders wherever they pleased. It slightly tarnished my first impressions of the Palace. It is a work of art, really. One just has to overlook its unhygenic provisions. Hmmm….
This is how the city looks from Notre Dame’s towers. I believe this is the city where I have climbed more than 4 high points just to see top views in all angles.
We were nearly late for the Sunday service because we got lost. Some of the streets have their signs hung on the corners in tiny signs. In addition, there was the language barrier. We couldn’t ask anyone to give us detailed directions to the cathedral. Fortunately, we made it in time and got relatively good seats.
It would be redundant, borderline ridiculous to say that Paris is a beautiful city. It’d take around a five minute walk from our hotel to see this at 10:30 PM, just a little after sunset. After nearly a week’s stay in London, I still got disoriented because of the time difference. In my “world” the sun sets at 6:00 PM. Anyway…
This is the entrance of the Natural History Museum. We got free entrance, as with most of the museums, thanks to our London Pass. The exhibits here were targeted for a younger audience. I got bored actually because it was elementary biology. I did learn a thing or two on modern museum interiors.
The museum was first opened to the public in 1881. But the collections first started when Sir Hans Sloane (physician and collector of natural curiosities) donated his collection in 1753. (Source: Natural History Museum UK)
I forgot to mention that my favorite parts of the collection were the dinosaur and whale skeleton exhibit.
These two bridges here connect the exhibits, giving the interior layout a maze-like feel.
This is “the Cocoon” in the Darwin Centre designed by C F Møller Architects. I wasn’t able to go inside though, so check out more pictures of it here, Darwin Centre Architectural Highlights. We had another stop to visit.
More sights from the City Bus Tour – St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, President Obama…
St. Paul’s Cathedral, the largest Anglican Church equivalent to the St. Peter’s Basilica of the Roman Catholics. We weren’t allowed to take pictures here. I found out as the trip progressed that photographing was generally forbidden inside places of worship.
This is the fifth building of the cathedral which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1669 and officially completed in 1711. The first three cathedrals existed before the year 1000 A.D. and were burned down. The fourth cathedral was constructed after the fire in 1087 that destroyed the third cathedral. The ceiling and roof were made of wood which led to its eventual decay. The construction of the fifth version experienced a lot of interruptions during the Civil War.
The style is a mix between Gothic and Baroque styles. The Baroque is evident in the dome (and inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica) and the arched ceilings. The Gothic is present in the spires as seen in the photo above. The design received mixed reactions from the public. If I remember my Art Studies correctly, the architecture in mainland Europe developed closely alongside each other. Proximity made it easier for architects and craftsmen to travel around mainland Europe–France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Flanders–and see which architectural styles were in fashion. Britain, located away from the mainland, caught on the trends at a later time and was (generally) considered not part of the cool group.
A view of the St. Paul Memorial from the Golden Gallery, the topmost area on the dome that is accessible to the public.
I got disoriented upon touchdown in London. We arrived at the hotel at around 9:30 PM. The sun was still UP, and I forgot that, “Oh, right. We’re way up in the Northern hemisphere.” We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kensington, an affluent and densely populated neighborhood.
Excuse our amusement and narcissicism, as it is one of the few occasions that I wear more than one layer of clothing when going outside.
