die schweiz

Cafe Fortuna | Basel, Switzerland

After seeing some high caliber quality architecture I've noticed that composition makes everything. It is not a technique or strategy emphasized only during the modern period but a regulation that helps control the small and large scale.

This is one of the many "caffeine" sketches. I was hoping to upload 2 napkin sketches as the first Swiss post but I think I may have accidentally misplaced them on the wet cobblestones of Geneva's old city.

thanks to R.Petrie -the Stillman Birn sketchbook is great! I'm guessing they had to use coils cause of the papers thickness. Having filleted corners and flat binding would be easier but the quality of the paper is pretty top notch.

geneve

I've sketched lots. I might wait till Hamburg where I may or may not find decent scanners to help publish the sketches. But for now, images may be best to describe a decent experience in Geneva so far. 3 of the most exciting places...

SANAA |Rolex Learning Center, Lausanne

This sleek white pavilion is quite the trek from Lausanne's train station.

An amazing characteristic of this "one room" building is that the gentle sectional changes adequately separates the different programs where ten meters from a bustling cafe is a quiet and lovely nap time area. As gentle and clean as the building seems, there is a lack of consistent language on the interior... Ramps are shoved into the curved floor plates to allow for wheel chairs to pass through... figural kiosks break the experience of the visual clarity.

L.Corbusier |Rue de Saint Laurent 2

They say that there is a Corb building in Geneva and when I accidentally strolled by this guy, I instantly noticed the massive thresholds similar to the Carpenter Center's. This residential/office building doesn't appear to be fully a Corb work because of the marble veneer, choice of dark steel and heavy shutter machinery.

Eglise de Protestant? |Rue de Madeleine

I snuck into the bell tower and attic space above the vaulted ceilings. It was thrilling.

note taking

It has been awhile since I've placed the nib down on paper but now that design studio's final is over, there should be a lot more ink/color/graphite/various stains on paper. I flipped through my sketchbook today after having a very enjoyable lunch with R. Petrie and realized some notes in between drawing pages. -Thanks for the cookies and sketchbook by the way.

I've also been urged to post something new...

This is an angry page. I'm not often flushed with anger but the process of taking a wet brush over the inked surface is actually quite therapeutic and helps with relaxing the source of anger.

A quick and simple coffee research done in Ambienta Cafe, Tsawwassen.

An example of my father's brush work in my sketchbook. This is my original name in mandarin (ma-duo-zen) that my grandfather came up with. Every character was delicately selected and juxtaposed beside each other because they pose multiple meanings. Great emphasis was placed into understanding the number and direction of strokes as they form a type of reading into the possible personality of the person which is a belief that comes from an integrated traditional Chinese and Buddhist view.