amoRoma: Every End is a New Beginning

Le Corbusier says, "A building is like a soap bubble... The outside is a result of the inside". During our final project, we studied facades and their interaction with the user. Most of the time, when we design the exterior is a result of the interior spaces. You design a plan and place walls, doors, and windows without fully understanding the exterior. This project forced us to forget the program, forget the interior spaces and take a classical facade and transform it. You have to ask yourself, what would the result of the spaces be if the facade was the first on the list in the design process? How would the interior spaces form around that?

In order to understand how to create our own facade, we had to analyze a classical one. This classical facade would be the foundation for our contemporary drawing. By understanding a classical facade and the reasoning behind the arches, looking at rhythms and patterns, and materials it becomes easier to grasp an understanding of some elements that a contemporary facade should contain.

They say that it is nearly impossible to teach contemporary architecture because we are in it. It is ever changing and constantly evolving. It is one thing that I find so fascinating about architecture. It is never the same. By using precedents from the past and new technologies of the future architecture is evolving right before our eyes. My studies in Rome helped to open my eyes to this evolution.

I guess it is like they say, all good things must come to an end. It feels like just a few weeks ago that we were getting off the airplane and wheeling our oversized bags of luggage over the cobblestones to get to our apartment. But nope... 4 months later and we are packing those oversized bags (probably even more oversized with all of my Italian "stuff" that needs to come home). It is a really strange feeling. I am really excited to come home but I am really going to miss Rome. From the caffe and cappuccini to the group bus trips with Eric and Marina. I feel like we have been in our own little world over here. Removed from all the chaos hecticness of being at school and even in the States. It was the perfect "break" from the monotony of classes and studio back at school. I have to say I will never forget this experience. It will live with me forever and I am looking forward to sharing this experience with future study abroaders and my family and friends when I get home.

I am sad to say but I think this will be my final blog post from Roma Italia. Thank you to everyone for all your support this semester. And a special thank you to our professors Eric Jenkins and Marina Kavelirek for all you have done for us this semester. It has been a life changing experience.

Take a look at this video created by two of the students in the program Kelly Corcoran and Katie Miller with the help of all of our pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAZc-Lr0Ptk

Quick trip down memory lane...