May 8, 2009
Typically, back to school refers to August or September when kids return to school after a summer off. But for DCP alumni, back to school means returning to Gainesville and sharing their knowledge and experience with our students.
Alumni return throughout the year for programs such as Building Construction Professor-For-A-Day or for final crits in the design studios. Interacting with alumni help the students to envision their career paths after they graduate and help shape the decisions they make.
On May 1, landscape architecture alumnus Bill Coan shared his experiences with DCP students at commencement. He explained how he graduated in 1978 during tough economic times. He discovered the field of designing theme parks and guest experiences even though he had never stepped foot in a theme park. After 14 years with Walt Disney Imagineering, he now serves as president and design principal of ITEC Entertainment Corporation.
“The best thing about the work I do is that we never do the same thing twice,” Bill told the audience of students and their families and friends. “The worst thing about our business is that we never do the same thing twice.”
Bill encouraged the students to seek challenges in their careers, explaining that each challenge he encountered provided something unique. “Challenges excite me. Each one reveals something majestic and almost spirtual that I had not considered before.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 
Alumni, Students | 
Permalink
Posted by Julie
April 22, 2009
It’s that time of year. For every design student, it is a milestone in their development as an architect, interior designer or landscape architect. It’s pin-up time.
In April of each year, the hallways are filled with second-year students and their pin-up boards. As an observer, I enjoy this time of year — watching as the various projects are displayed in the hallways. But that’s easy for me to say. My future is not on the line.
It began last week with both the architecture and interior design students. The architecture students pin up on the first and second floor. But outside my door is where the interior design students were putting their boards. The students flood into the hallway with their boards and their hammers, stepladders, cement blocks and plenty of pins.
The boards stayed in place for a week, and then, the landscape architecture students moved in with their boards. The experience is similar but the result is different. The hallway has a different look and texture.
Before long, the walls will be white again. But in the meantime, I will enjoy absorbing the designs outside my door.
Click here to view photos from this year's pin-up.
Leave a Comment » | 
Architecture, Interdisciplinary, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Students, Views outside my door | Tagged: Architecture, design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, university of florida | 
Permalink
Posted by Julie
March 23, 2009
The Department of Landscape Architecture celebrated 75 years of landscape architecture education at UF this past Sunday with a gathering of almost 100 alumni, faculty and students in the gallery in the Architecture Building. Alumni reminisced with old friends while watching a photo slide show and toured the student studios.
Here are some pictures from the event:
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 
Alumni, Landscape Architecture | 
Permalink
Posted by kaitlinofarrill
March 12, 2009
At 4:30 p.m. on the Thursday of spring break, you might imagine that the University of Florida campus is incredibly quiet. But the weather is just perfect. I’m sure our students couldn’t be happier with the beautiful weather we’ve had all week.
When I started at UF as a freshman, I fell in love with the campus. And boy, what a great day to be on campus. Here are a couple photos from around the Architecture Building.
Architecture Building at 4:30 p.m. on March 12
View from the third floor of the Architecture Building
Leave a Comment » | Views outside my door | Permalink
Posted by Julie
February 17, 2009
One of the great things about working in the Architecture Building is the ever-changing views. Walking through the building’s atrium, you may discover a unique display of student-created newsstands or a scene from Italy. Or an installation of
African architecture. Or a
Design 3 exhibit.
In the hallway outside my door, I find a rotating series of models, posters and design projects. To share these with you, I will be posting photos on this blog with the views from outside my door.
Today, I find a Design 4 project. This is the School of Architecture’s sophomore class. At the end of the semester, these students will select and arrange their best work to display during “Pin-up,” a critical component for admission into upper division.
View outside my door today: Tower Project by Design 4 students
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Architecture, Students, Views outside my door | Permalink
Posted by Julie
February 5, 2009
Throughout the years, DCP students have travelled to New York to study the city and learn about its urban fabric. At home, I have many, many photos of the buildings in New York from the time when my husband travelled there several years ago as a student with the UF School of Architecture.
Today, on the NY Times website, I discovered a unique way to study the city. Through the use of Legos.
Leave a Comment » | Architecture | Permalink
Posted by Julie
