Today was our first meeting for Riva- and it's looking like a great bunch of people. We talked more about what our expectations for the program were, rather than talking about logistics.
I'm still absolutely excited!
Riva is an extremely small town (think Blacksburg, condensed into a couple blocks) and apparently we're right in the middle of it! We'll be meeting the mayor, and I'm sure everyone else as we explore the town.
We talked a little bit about the courses too- we'll be living, breathing, and sleeping architecture. Everyday we'll have one hour of sketching- façades in Riva-churches etc. and at the end of the trip we'll be binding our sketches and giving them to the residents of the town!
There's going to be an architectural acoustics class, and we'll see symphonies and operas in significant theaters and opera houses around Switzerland and Italy.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
And So It Begins...
ciao, γειά σου, bonjour, こんにちは, hallo, здравствуйте!, hola!
Helloooooo everyone!
If you didn't know: I will be living in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland for a semester next fall.
This is pretty huge for me, and extremely exciting. I've just found out that I got into the program and so begins my journey. It may seem a little early to be updating you before I even leave, but I figured having you all here with me from the very beginning makes the most sense. Preparation for something like this takes time, and I'd like to believe that it's all a part of the journey as well.
More on the program and the casa later.
The idea is this: Now you can keep track of me whenever you want- I'll keep you in my little loop via anecdotes, pictures, sketches, etc.
Anything is fair game.
Now, to explain the program; Virginia Tech has a satellite school in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland
It's a little tiny village/town outside of Lugano in the South of Switzerland. They speak mostly Italian with a smattering of Swiss-German and a pinch of English. Breathtakingly nestled up against the swiss alps.
It's run by VT's Center for European Studies and Architecture (CESA).
Every Fall and spring an architecture studio does a residency there- the fall specifically for a fourth year studio, and the spring for both grads, and undergrads. Traditionally, the fall residency is a somewhat competitive program. There are only 15 spots available, and the professor organizing the trip selects the students. It's a full credit program, and is basically like attending Virginia Tech... the only difference? Well, this ain't Blacksburg.
This year, the professor doing the Fall 09 segment is Michael Ermann, our Environmental Building Systems professor. There will be an architectural accoustics class as well as a studio and various other activities. You live and work in the same little sphere, and get to know the town on an intimate level.
Sounds fabulous, right? absolutely! That's why 50+ students signed up this year! As stated previously, only 15 actually go. The proccess of getting in consists of interviews with previous studio professors, and a short question/answer sheet. Talk about killer- I stressed so much I thought I would burst!
But to cut out the agony of waiting nervously, I got in!! (kind of obvious considering the nature of the blog though, huh?)
Tomorrow is when everything kicks off. The fifteen of us are meeting Mike Ermann at the Indian restaurant in town for a lunchtime meeting. It's a get-to-know-you and get-to-know-the-program kind of a thing. I'm insanely excited to start the process. Ready, set... Allez Viens!
...I'm thinking I need to learn some Italian.
Helloooooo everyone!
If you didn't know: I will be living in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland for a semester next fall.
This is pretty huge for me, and extremely exciting. I've just found out that I got into the program and so begins my journey. It may seem a little early to be updating you before I even leave, but I figured having you all here with me from the very beginning makes the most sense. Preparation for something like this takes time, and I'd like to believe that it's all a part of the journey as well.
More on the program and the casa later.
The idea is this: Now you can keep track of me whenever you want- I'll keep you in my little loop via anecdotes, pictures, sketches, etc.
Anything is fair game.
Now, to explain the program; Virginia Tech has a satellite school in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland
It's a little tiny village/town outside of Lugano in the South of Switzerland. They speak mostly Italian with a smattering of Swiss-German and a pinch of English. Breathtakingly nestled up against the swiss alps.It's run by VT's Center for European Studies and Architecture (CESA).
Every Fall and spring an architecture studio does a residency there- the fall specifically for a fourth year studio, and the spring for both grads, and undergrads. Traditionally, the fall residency is a somewhat competitive program. There are only 15 spots available, and the professor organizing the trip selects the students. It's a full credit program, and is basically like attending Virginia Tech... the only difference? Well, this ain't Blacksburg.
This year, the professor doing the Fall 09 segment is Michael Ermann, our Environmental Building Systems professor. There will be an architectural accoustics class as well as a studio and various other activities. You live and work in the same little sphere, and get to know the town on an intimate level.
Sounds fabulous, right? absolutely! That's why 50+ students signed up this year! As stated previously, only 15 actually go. The proccess of getting in consists of interviews with previous studio professors, and a short question/answer sheet. Talk about killer- I stressed so much I thought I would burst!
But to cut out the agony of waiting nervously, I got in!! (kind of obvious considering the nature of the blog though, huh?)
Tomorrow is when everything kicks off. The fifteen of us are meeting Mike Ermann at the Indian restaurant in town for a lunchtime meeting. It's a get-to-know-you and get-to-know-the-program kind of a thing. I'm insanely excited to start the process. Ready, set... Allez Viens!
...I'm thinking I need to learn some Italian.
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