From Bojagi to Model

From Bojagi to Model

Bojagi: wrapping cloth

I told myself I'd make more models in Grad school. As of yet, I never really gave myself the time to invest in a quality physical model. Which is why I told myself I couldn't wuss out on the 1/50 sectional model we were "required" to complete for our final review.

For those non-architecture, 1/50 means 1/2 centimeter = 1 meter. Which means, big model.

My project was inspired by the traditional korean dress, the hanbok, as well as the korean quiltwork, jogakbo. Themes included use of crease, seams, and folding to create an envelope that wraps the site. This wrapping was inspired by the bojagi, which koreans use as a utilitarian way to wrap objects for transport, storage, or gift wrapping (sometimes a jogakbo is the bojagi wrapper).

the traditional hanbok

jogakbo = jogak (pieces) + bo (cloth)

bojagi

Here are photos of some process...

folding / creasing a flat plane

 sewing fabric in different jogakbo seams

Older process model, made after midreview

Consulting the digital model

Roof Terrace

Final Review

Final Review

There are a few basic rules of studio I always try to tell myself to keep no matter what:

1) Always maintain a regular shower regimen. No one likes greasy hair (among other things)

2) Try to get sleep every day. Yes, naps (meaning 0-3 hrs of sleep) do count.

3) Always leave studio before the sun rises.

Well, at least I kept up with rules #1 & 3. The day of final review, I had been up for around 36 hours already, and running on adrenaline. I promised myself I'd finish that 1/50 scale model before I went home, which I did. I walked home a few hours before review to accomplish Rule #1, and eat. I had thoroughly impressed myself with how I had survived in the past three weeks with such lack of sleep, and I must admit, I was getting delirious towards the last night, especially when I was the only one left in studio.

I was third to present, and I presented without coffee coursing through my veins, which was surprising to me. My tactic to stay awake was not to wear a jacket. It was bloody freezing in the presentation space (Koreans, ever heard of proper insulation?!?). After taping (masking tape, classy) my boards to the wall, my brain went dead. I couldn't seem to mentally prepare my thoughts, so I said to myself, "I guess I'm winging this thing again."

Somehow I pulled it off because afterwards my professor said to me," I don't know how you pulled it off, but you did!" Comments from the jury were all positive; and I was glad I made that big model. It's good to finally get an overall good review after a blood-sweat-tears kind of semester.

Me trying to gather my thoughts

Showing my stitchwork, done with lack of sleep

One happy Seoul studio (afterwards of course)

Our last time at the Black Tent

After BBQ we walked to another place to have drinks. On the way, I walked beside Junsung and asked him if he was going to miss us American kids.

He replied: "Oh yes, or course. My body will not have the ability to NOT miss you all. You know, before you guys came, I was really discouraged with teaching the Korean students. They aren't easily self-inspired or self-motivated; it's really hard to teach them. After teaching you guys, I have more of a motivation and inspiration to keep teaching."

I was really moved by that. Junsung is usually a very dramatic person when it comes to expressing his feelings about architecture and whatnot, but I really felt that he was being really candid. I'm glad we could affect a professor just as much as they have affected us.

Meat Buffet and Black Market Books

Meat Buffet and Black Market Books

It definitely wasn't the typical finals week. It of course included sleep deprivation, malnourishment and lots of caffeine, but it also had it's surprise perks, such as going to the all-you-can-eat meat buffet with my professor and his korean students, and of course, the best thing of all, the korean "bookstore."

 Here we are at the "Self Bar", what they call the all you can eat meat bar. The meat cuts aren't the greatest, but it fits the hungry korean college male student's needs. The kid in the blue puffy jacket (never did remember his name) was literally inhaling the meat. 

Another night, we meet up with the "Book Guy." One of our korean student friends has the hook up, and just calls a guy. The guy comes at night in his SUV, backs into the loading area (or parking lot) and opens his back trunk and BAM! Christmas came early for us architecture nerds.

Nope. Not sketchy at all. White SUVs mean safety.

Yep, maybe we were a little excited. and all got Phylogenesis.

Korean Thanksgiving

Korean Thanksgiving

NOTE: I am horrendously behind on posts, so bear with me. Let's travel back to Thanksgiving....
________
After classes, we hopped on the train to have dinner at our professor's apartment. His wife was so kind as to cook every single dish. I felt kind of bad because our one task was to find a turkey, and we failed on that account. We were counting on the service that Yongsan Military Base used to have, which was selling roasted turkeys at the base gate for outsiders to pick up. Well, apparently, they discontinued that service in 2009, and the other option of ordering from a hotel was too expensive and too short of notice.

As we entered the apartment, we were welcomed with the wafting smells of bulgogi. We had tons of other great korean food, including japchae, kimbap, fried seaweed, chicken skewers, among other things. The professors were bringing out the big guns -- Junsung with delicious french wine, and Mark with a spanish (read: molotov) cocktail.

Cheers to the cook, Junsung's wife!

The Three Stooges

Marc's Spanish drink: 2 bottles of rum + lemon peel, cinnamon stick, coffee beans. Lit on FIRE!

The bowl cracked under the heat... so we salvage the liquor by siphoning it through a cheescloth

...and then used a cooking pan instead. architects are dumb.

full from korean goodness + french wine + spanish liquor concoction

massage train! Our goofy professors in the front

This meal was exaclt what I needed to get through the rest of the semester. At one part of the meal I was chatting with Junsung, our korean professor, and he was reminiscing about his time with Alvaro Siza. He said that Siza was asked, "Do you love architecture?", to which he responded with a reaction like "Love? Love is a strong word. I don't Love architecture. I like architecture sometimes...Man doesn't exist for architecture. Architecture exists for man."

Junsung said it meant that architecture shouldn't be your life -- it shouldn't be the all-consuming, end-all THING that is the only thing that matters. How then can we even enjoy what we are pouring our efforts in for our entire lives? How can we enjoy our life? So, in order to enjoy architecture (or anything you have a passion for really) you need to not have it be your LIFE.

This is expecially true now that I am in Seoul; it's been clearer to be since I am geographically away from St. Louis. If I constantly remind myself this everyday, I think it would be a great, constantly humbling thing that brings be back to earth. I think we all get caught up in this academic bubble of working nonstop for some convoluted goal of "finishing" a project without even enjoying the process itself.

T-Minus 11 Days Left

T-Minus 11 Days Left

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, but it didn't feel like it, mainly because we had two classes. It's my first time in my life that I have been apart from my family on Thanksgiving. It's kind of sad, but in a way I am relieved because the pressures that loom during the thanksgiving holiday during school is usually immense; there's always that inner struggle of whether to go home, and if you go home, will there be time to get work done?

My crits with Junsung in the past weeks have been interesting. I think he is a great person to talk to, and you immediately feel his passion for architecture, especially the sensuality of it. This week there were tons of changes that he told me I should consider. I'm usually calm through my crits, but I was at a breaking point. This was last Tuesday.

Jun: "You should really change this part right here... and here... and here... and it would be really wonderful if you...add secret stair...moonbounce..."  (secret stair, yes... moonbounce..i wish)
Me: "TOO LATE JUN! Too late for changes!"
Jun: "No, it's not too late. You have three more weeks."
Me: "Are you crazy?! We have a week and a half!"
Jun: "Oh...well you should change it. And take this stair out. It sucks. It reallllly sucks. I never liked it."
Me:"Why didn't you tell me two weeks ago??" Sighs. "Yes, I guess you are right."

I never like to hide within any bad project, to I bit the bullet and made the changes, which of course made my project better. I hate when people hide from their professors because they might "change everything." Isn't this why we are all slaving away in architecture prison school to begin with? Make ourselves better designers?

Anyways, yesterday's crit with Jun gave me some hope. After I showed him some changes, he says--

Jun: "Your project is really developing nicely. If you had three more weeks, it would be really fantastic."
Me: "Yeah...but I don't."
Jun: "I know. I know."
Me: "Thank you?"


Another post to follow about Thanksgiving dinner!

Going Vegetarian

Going Vegetarian

I think it can be extremely challenging to be a vegetarian in a place where culture is formed around barbequing meat, but I think it is possible.

After a field trip by Donguk University, our professor treated us to a traditional vegetarian feast. It was the most banchan I have had yet in Korea, and it was amazing! I think I counted almost 60 different bowls and plates on the table.

Some of the food included a sesame porridge, leek and kimchi pancakes, japchae, fried lotus root, make-your-own bibimbap, tofu soup, etc. The meal was ended with delicious ginger tea.

Koreans and Coffee Shops

Koreans and Coffee Shops

Koreans are serious about coffee --- at least that's what they want to be seen as. Coffee shops are "all the rage", and saying that they are a trend is conveying the craze too lightly.

Of course there is the obligatory Starbucks, Dunkin Dunuts, and even Mister Donut (a super throwback that I remember was around in the States in the 80's). Then there are the coffee shops that swear they brew authentic italian and french roasts, and have the Italian & french names. There is apparentely a bakery war going on between the two main "french"y bakeries in Korea: Tous Les Jours vs. Paris Baguette. Apparently, back in January of this year, a baker at Tous Les Jours that was going bankrupt tried a last ditch effort to bring down its competitor across the street, Paris Baguette, by baking a dead rat in a loaf of bread...

She really likes baguettes.

Tous Les Jours is bringing in the superpowers of Korean Drama and KPop as leverage...

Actress Ku Hye Sun & Popstar Rain, matching of course

C'mon. Rain wants to eat a donut. He promises the calories don't count.

I  must say, both places do well on the pastries. Almost too good.

 

Aside from the coffee shops itself, let me get to the real reason why I'm writing this post in the first place.

Whenever I'm sitting in a coffee shop doing some work (taking a breather from studio), I happen to always observe Koreans and their unique behavior. First of all, they do not treat cafes and coffee shops as Americans do -- American students go to the coffee shop to get a calm ambiance with coffee and light jazz floating through the air, promoting optimum productivity for a college student. A korean student treats the coffee shop as two things:   1) a bar, where you gather with your friends and gab and chatter loudly and smoke while listening to loud-ass pop music, and 2) a place to lovingly stare into your significant other's eyes for hours while sipping frappaccinos and taking photos of each other.

But today, I witness the most annoying thing...

This guy and his friends are taking photos of the coffee and the pastries they just bought... for 20 minutes. Okay, I admit, i take photos of most meals I've had here, but this was just absurd. So, of course, I had to take a picture of the asian guy taking a picture of the food. I thought I was being super slick holding up my phone acting like was texting.

And then after 20 minutes, they got up, and moved to another table. I'm thinking, "what? they need better light or something? what creeps."

...and then I realized there was a mirror behind me.

Who's the creep now?

The Fascination with Trash and Old People

The Fascination with Trash and Old People

I present to you one of Korea's cultural phenomenons -- the fascination with trash. And old people. Mostly the "Ajuma" (old woman) are the ones always crouching down in the streets, collecting trash.

Here is what surprises me everyday about the trash situation in Seoul --

1) The Bar Scene: at night, trash and call girl cards are strewn about all over the streets (not to mention vomit and other questionable things)... but in the morning, the old people are up by 7am and picking up the trash with their brooms and bare hands. I'm pretty sure not all of them are hired by the government.

2) The Leaves: ever since the first foliage fall, every single day, every single wind blow, they are there to sweep it up. They also love to collect the stinky gingko fruit, too. Not quite sure what they do with it.

3) Trash Day: Usually every trash day, while I am walking out the door to class or out for a run, there's always an ajuma rustling in the back of our building, opening knotted trash bags in search for any treasures. They're mostly looking for cardboard, which I think they can turn in and receive money depending on the weight.

While walking to school one morning last week, I found the ultimate Ajuma, on a mission:

Oh, probably the trashman doing his rounds already...

Hmm...it's no trashman... this ajuma's been busy, and she just found the cardboard motherload

 These old people on a mission are usually equipped with these makeshift carts where they tie the cardboard they collect on the street. They're Public Enemy #2 after Taxi trivers, in that they will run over you with their carts and keep it moving.

I guess it's a good system for free street-cleaning services, but I always wonder why these old people are just so bored that this is what consumes their time.

Happy Millennium Pepero Day!

Happy Millennium Pepero Day!

In celebration of 11/11/11, Korea celebrated Millennium Pepero Day! Usually every year on 11/11, Lotte invented this holiday as a marketing scheme to shamelessly promote the sales of Pepero, the delicious chocolate pretzel stick snack. It's Korean's version of Pocky, which is the original Japanese snack. It's a huge craze over this stuff. People are even in the street selling Pepero-shaped pillows.

It's best equated to Valentine's Day, where everyone is pressured to buy these sweets for their friends and sweethearts. Everywhere I looked, there were stands with elaborate displays of Pepero.

Some people say that Koreans are obsessed with the 11/11 holiday because of good luck of course, but also they love couples events, and love the number 1. One is the skinniest number, and koreans always love to be number 1 ranking in everything.... not exactly sure about that analysis, but I know they are all suckers for marketing schemes. I took a iPad survey, just to get a free box...

I wanted a bigger box, but this will do