à Versailles: mes études et expériences

Paris, Je t’aime! Friday, September 9th

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:54:10 +0200

Paris, Je t’aime! Friday, September 9th

Here is the video when we arrived in France on September 7th and...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:32:12 +0200

Here is the video when we arrived in France on September 7th and were taking the bus from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle to ENSA-V.

et le travail commence...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:39:00 +0200

Well its back to the grindstone – Design studio started this week. We are working in groups of six – five French students and one American student – to explore a constructive figure in an urban site (in Paris) as well as a natural site (on the island Thassos, Greece). My group’s assigned constructive figure is “creuser dans la masse” or carving out so we are studying the ways in which you can carve habitation as well as mixed use areas from a natural as well as an urban mass.

Since Monday was the first school day for the French students, we all met in the school auditorium where the ENSAV and SAPV professors presented the project to us. Afterward we split into groups which was chaotic and it took almost the entire day to straighten out teams so that in each group there was exactly five French students and one American student. My group specifically had a very rocky beginning – not like most groups in regards to finding enough members, but in “clicking” as a team. One of my teammates told me within the first half hour that two of the boys in our group are “paresseux” or lazy which is very unfortunate and then the other three did not seem to be very close with one another. In addition, I constantly feel restricted expressing what I want to say due to the language barrier – three of my group members know some English but overall the communication is in French.

However, this afternoon, three of my group members and I went to Paris to visit/ photograph our urban site. Afterwards we were able to spend some time hanging out together which broke some of the ice between them and moi aussi. We went to Paris’ Grande Mosque and café where we shared a plate of patisseries and had some tea. The treats were delicious but very sweet.

On the ride over, one of my teammates, Robin, who speaks fairly good English, proposed that we should have hybrid conversations where he speaks to me in English and I respond to him in French thereby practicing with one another. I really appreciated his help when he corrected me on a few phases and taught me new vocabulary. However for most of the afternoon, I was completely lost in the conversation – they speak very quickly with one another, especially Thibault who is from Bretagne, where it is custom to speak even more quickly than then other French regions. So overall, my French is going to have to improve soon!

Fontevraud et Chambord, France

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:49:00 +0200

Fontevraud et Chambord, France

Saumur, France

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:23:00 +0200

Saumur, France

Orléans et Tours, France

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:03:00 +0200

Orléans et Tours, France

Field Trip: Orléans, Tours, Saumur, Fontevraud, et Chambord

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:29:00 +0200

This last week-end marked the end of the “orientation period” and therefore, as tradition with SAPV, we went on a field trip with the professors. The primary focus of our trip was on history and sketching. We took a bus to the different cities/ sites and we stayed both Thursday and Friday nights in a hostel in Saumur, France. The hostel was near the river which was beautiful especially in the morning when the sun was rising. The most exciting and challenging part of the trip was the sketching element – my work improved so much in such a short time period. I am truly looking forward to the progress I will make in the two semesters I am here. All in all, the week-end was very enjoyable and at the same time, extremely educational.

Bruxelles: mon premier voyage étranger Day 2: Sunday, September...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 03:13:00 +0200

Bruxelles: mon premier voyage étranger

Day 2: Sunday, September 25th

Bruxelles: mon premier voyage étranger Day 1: Saturday,...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:40:00 +0200

Bruxelles: mon premier voyage étranger

Day 1: Saturday, September 24th

Bruxelles: mon premier voyage étranger

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:13:00 +0200

If I had to choose one word to describe Brussels it would be rich – rich diversity, rich chocolate, rich ornamentation, rich architecture!

Architecture Highlights:

La Maison Autrique, designed by Victor Horta in 1893 - touchstone of Art Nouveau
Église Sainte-Marie, Byzantine-style church down the street from our hostel
La Grand Place (central square of Brussels), City Hall, Guildhalls, and the Broodhuis/ Maison du roi (King’s House)
Passage du Nord, a covered shopping side street
Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur, the largest building in Art Deco style in the world, absolutely gorgeous detailing and materials
Atomium, the main pavilion and icon of the World Fair of Brussels in 1958
Triumphal Arch, planned for the 1880 world exhibition to commemorate Belgium’s 50th anniversary of independence

Memorable Moments:

Sharing 6 candy bars between my friends and “taste testing” the different flavors
Sketching on the curb at Grand Palais for two hours, listening to the concert’s music and being surrounded by all the people, activity, and joy of the square
A procession of men in formal military attire parading through the Grand Place
Going to dinner with my friend’s aunt and uncle followed by a glass of Delerium Tremens: the 2011 World’s Best Beer
Just after waking up, my friend saying from her bed “Guys, today we feast like Kings.”
Extremely hungry walking to the center of town : Me - “The detailing on these buildings looks like waffles.” My friend - “All these building look like waffles!”
Getting to the airport an hour and a half early for us not be able to find the correct bus terminal (Note: Buses do not always pick you up from where you are dropped off). Fortunately, catching the eye of the bus driver by waving our tickets in the air as he pulled down the street.

L’histoire à pied

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:51:00 +0200

L’histoire à pied

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:13:54 +0200

One of the required first semester courses for SAPV students is History of French Architecture, with a focus between the Prehistoric times to the Ancien Régime. Throughout the course we go on four site visits to Paris, the first of which was a week and a half ago on Thursday, September 22^nd. Half of the class, including myself, met in the morning at the Notre-Dame on the Île-de-la-Cité.

The Île-de-la-Cité is one of two islands in the Seine river – it is at the center of Paris, believed to have been inhabited by the small Gallic Parisii tribe, and it is around which the city of Paris developed. Our professor explained that in 51 BC Lutetia parisiorum officially became a Roman colony after which date Rome began constructing major highways, bridges, aqueducts (including one to the Thermal Baths of Cluny which we later past on our visit), temples, forums, and local roads in the area we now know as Paris. Like many Roman cities, a North South axis street or Cardo Maximus was created which still exists today and is known as Rue Saint-Jacques. From the Notre Dame we walked along Rue Saint-Jacques past the Church of Saint-Séverin. Known for its unique twisted interior columns, Saint-Séverin is a Roman Catholic church that houses the oldest bell tower in Paris.

Deviating from the main axis we crossed to Boulevard Saint Michel, a major street in the Latin Quarter which was constructed in the mid-19^th century as part of Haussmann’s urban plan. We stopped at the Sorbonne, which is Paris’ world-renowned university dating back to the medieval times, as well as the Pantheon and the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève. Here our professor told us the story of Paris’ patron saint and how she overthrew the people’s belief that she was insane by instructing the Parisians to pray for God’s aid so Attila the Hun would not attack them. When successful, she convinced Clovis, the first king of France, to convert to Catholicism as well as erect many churches, including the Pantheon which was dedicated to her.

Towards the end of our site visit we walked past the Wall of Philip Augustus, the oldest city wall of Paris, to Rue Rollin. This could very well be one of my favorite streets of Paris. It was simply charming, very narrow, but during the day the sun beams down and warms the yellow stone facades. This is the street where Descartes lived – we past his home - and at the end of the road there was a wonderful view out on the city.

Our final destination was the Arènes de Lutèce – the Gallo-Roman amphitheater of Paris. While sketching here, it was incredible to imagine that once this large round where people were eating lunch and using the space like a park was once the bloody space in which gladiators fought, lions were caged before they attacked, and Christians were persecuted.

In a fairly short walk – only about three hours with stops along the way and time for sketching – we walked through and saw the beginning layers of the city. You get goose bumps, imagining the generations upon generations of people who have thrived, lived, developed, and invested in the area. It is simply remarkable - you honestly can feel the wisdom of the city seep from the walls and the streets.

Each year on the third weekend of September, France hosts her...

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:47:00 +0200

Each year on the third weekend of September, France hosts her “Journées du patrimoine” which translates to “Heritage Days.” On this week-end many historical monuments usually closed to the public are open and most are free. So of course, as architecture students, my friends and I had to take advantage of the occasion. We visited two places which our history Professor recommended – first the Palais d’Iéna, designed by Auguste Perret in 1936 with reinforced concrete, followed by the Thermes de Cluny, the ancient Gallo- Roman baths. We also walked past the president’s house, crossed the Palais de Justice, got savory crêpes for lunch at a corner stand near the Seine, and saw Sainte-Chapelle “gratuit” or for free.

Friday, September 9th, 2011 3:00pm. First time in Paris! At the...

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:27:47 +0200

Friday, September 9^th,2011 3:00pm. First time in Paris!

At the end of the first week, our structures professor accompanied us to Paris for an introduction to the city. We took the SNCF train from Versailles Rive Gauche to the St. Michel Notre Dame metro stop, right in the center of the city. The whole day, as well as the other two times I have gone to Paris, was “like the movies” – pictures brought to life.

In front of the Notre Dame, we met the final two of the SAPV team, Tricia (our history professor) and Jean-Brice (a design professor). We quickly divided into three groups and set out on our “walking tour.” For me at least, I was glad we had a professor as our guide because I was so mesmerized and enthralled by the city that I was not paying attention to where we were going – Centre Pompidou, IRCAM, Forum des Halles, the Louvre, Arc de triomphe du Carrousel, and Les Tuileries.

The tour ended on Boulevard St. Germain where we split up for dinner – three of my friends, myself, and our professor ordered salads and espresso at one of the cafes. After about an hour we reconnected with the other students and headed back home to Versailles.

La Vie Quotidienne

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:50:00 +0200

La Vie Quotidienne

Chez-nous

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:22:00 +0200

Chez-nous

"To draw oneself, to trace the lines, handle the volumes, organize the surface… all this means..."

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:16:29 +0200

““To draw oneself, to trace the lines, handle the volumes, organize the surface… all this means first to look, and then to observe and finally perhaps to discover… and it is then that inspiration may come. Inventing, creating, one’s whole being is drawn into action, and it is this action which counts. Others stood indifferent - but you saw!””

- Le Corbusier “Creation is a Patient Search”

Quand nous sommes arrivés …

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:42:00 +0200

Quand nous sommes arrivés …

Quand nous sommes arrivés...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:23:43 +0200

Bonjour tout le monde! Today marks the ninth day that I have been in Versailles – and since this is my first post, I have some catching up to do!

As you probably know, through the University of Illinois, I am studying abroad this year at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture in Versailles, France. This opportunity has truly been a dream come true and I can have already caught glimpses of how this experience will impact the rest of my life.

Last Wednesday, my classmates and I boarded AirFrance for the much anticipated flight to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle. Perhaps due to over-excitement or just my regular sleep pattern, I could not sleep on the plane. Therefore two French movies later, we landed – an hour earlier than scheduled.

We had a bit of a wait before we met Alex, our director as well as design and sketching instructor, who helped us load our oversized suitcases and travel backpacks onto the buses. On the ride to the school, he welcomed us and then guided us through some of the buildings we saw along the périphérique (the highway that surrounds Paris). We were all gazing out our windows with wide-eyes snapping photos of anything he talked about, but the sights were only a flavor for what was to come.

Once at the ENSA-V we met Alex’s wife, Magali, who does the administration for the “Université d’Illinois à Versailles,” as well as our Adam Gimbert, the new structures professor. As excited as we were to meet them and see the school, our day passed slowly due to jetlag. The contagious yawn certainly traveled from student to student throughout the orientation and housing lecture as we struggled to stay attentive. Then finally at around 3pm (Paris time), we re-loaded our belongings into a few vans which took several students at a time to their various housing locations.

Magali had warned Lauren and I in the housing lecture, that our land lady, Madame Arvis, was strict and very set in her ways. Magali called her the “grandmother” of the tenants, since she has rented her place out to the SAPV since the program started 40 years ago. Therefore as Magali explained she is not very adaptive to when “things changed.” This is part of the reason why Lauren and I do not have wifi at our place (or as the French say “wee-fee”).

While all that Magali said may be true, Lauren and I were pleasantly surprised when Madame Arvis opened her blue door to us with a smile. We stepped past the entrance way to her beautiful garden and charming home. She explained to us in French that the first door was where she lived and then she walked us down to the second door which would be our apartment. Lauren and I have found living with Mme Arvis to be a delight. Twice she has brought us homemade apple sauce from the apples that she grows in her garden and whenever we finish a talking with her she always closes with “Au revoir mes enfants” – goodbye my children.

Once Mme Arvis had explained to us how to use the gas stove, when to take out the trash, and where to hang up our clothes to dry, Lauren and I unpacked our bags before collapsing for a much need twelve hours of sleep.

"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give..."

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:50:31 +0200

““If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.””

- Antoine de Saint Exupery