Oh no...

Despite my preoccupation with my studies, I do allow myself to consider finding my mon amour, admittedly not to the degree I would like, but still... better than most of my frineds can manage.

This I discover has lead to nothing but nothing but heartache.


First there was Rosie- she had a boyfriend. Then there was Natalie- I waited too long. Fast forward a few years and there was Victoria, who spurned my approaches. Then, Samantha- again, I waited too long.

And now? Now, Emily- again, I waited too long.

My heart now is broken completely.

Some people I guess are destiend to walk the world alone. And it would appear I am one of them.

University league tables.

Reading The Independent today, noticed that they had published a series of University league tables. Well, it is that time of year when 17-and-18 year olds start to think about their futures.

The good news is that 56% of architecture graduates get a job in architecture. Assuming I graduate this year, and there is no reason to doubt that I shall, I shall be one of them. I have a job lined up for my year out.

The bad news is as follows. Lincoln places seventh out of eight universities in the East Midlands.
Also, despite having a cracking RIBA validation recently, and despite all the talk of being a 'rising' school of architecture, for some reason it didn't place anywhere in the top 20 schools listed in the tables, below even schools which have lost their validation.

Which has led me to think that maybe these tables are nothing but a contrite waste of paper. Are they official? Who decides which university goes top, and which bottom? Will The Times have a completely different listing?

Tell the truth, I'm not in the slightest concerned. a) because at least Lincoln is better than the erstwhile UCE, b) because in a few months I graduate, c) because unlike no doubt many in 'better' schools, I have a job lined up. What does that tell you? It tells you that I must have some talent, which is at the end of the day what matters.

Frustration.

If there is one thing that I can say irks me, it is the fact that despite how hard I and indeed my fellow students work, the University just doesn't seem to care.

Allow me to explain.

Studying architecture, obviously we have to produce drawings that are then printed on large sheets of paper.

I went in today to print my work off ready for a tutorial tomorrow, only to discover that the printer had run out of paper, and furthermore that there were no more rolls of paper in the building!

Now, fair enough, there are occasions when this will happen, but this must be about the third time in a month it has happened, and it just isn;t good enough. I don't know who is responsible for organising paper orders and deliveries, but I'd bet they couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery.

They must know when the paper is running out; they must know from experience how quickly it gets used. So why on earth do they not think to either a) order more when they place an order, so it lasts longer, or b) place an order a few days before they know they'll run out.

This ineptitiude does two things: firstly it gets me so annoyed that I am in no mood to actually do any work, secondly to even consider that such an august organisation as a university could foul up in this manner gives me a migraine.

Now if this paper isn't here tomorrow I will give my tutors a piece of my mind...

The Muse.

My word, a week has passed already my friends.

The rather good news is that my week-long bout of lethargy seems to have passed. Also, that my tutors actually like the proposal, with some caveats that I have sorted out but yet to actually draw out. For the first time in weeks, I'm starting to feel confident that I shall pass the Third Year and graduate in September.

Work actually now seems to be going somewhere. One of the reasons I started to doubt myself in the first place was because I'd spend hours on it and see no difference; another was panicking about my detail work. However, two things: firstly, who is going to see fine detail at a scale of 1:200; secondly, I have details in books I can simply copy. All is well therefore.

And on the social front?

There has been a rather... embarressing little mishap. Some time ago I helped a friend of mine run for SU presidency. In the course of that I met and fell for a girl. I haven't told her, indeed I daren't tell her (I don;t have much luck.). I have, however, told friends who naturally enough want to meet her. I've told them however that she doesn't drink or smoke and doesn't go in pubs or bars.

At the same time however, I have other female friends, one of whom lives with another friend of mine who is a mutual friend of those I mentioned above. (This is starting to get complicated.) Long story short- I had a drink with this female friend, when my other friend who lives with her saw us together. The fact that we were at the time in her apartment is neither here nor there. He probably now thinks that she is the girl I fell for (which is not the case), and will no doubt tell my other friends. It doesn't help that she likes to drink... it makes me appear to be lying. Which is not true.

We will, I suppose, have to see where this goes...

C'est la vie!

Lethargy.

With a mere thwo-and-a-half weeks to go until my final crit, I find my work currently stands thus:

-The sum total of that I produced for a crit prior to Easter.
-Two completed floor plans.
-Three completed sections.
-One completed model building.

This leaves:

-One section.
-One building model.
-Eight elevations.
-An undetermined number of details.

Quite a lot of work to produce I am sure you shall agree. The problem with the foregoing is that I ahve suddenly lost my drive and will. This is something I experience in cycles... I have weeks where I work work work and weeks where just nothing happens.

The problem is I strive for perfection at all times. Ergo this lethargy is unacceptable to me. There are friends of mine who just live for architecture. Now that is not how I want to live, life is living not working you understand, but whenever I stop work I feel guilty as others continue to work. It makes me feel lazy, which I cannot abide.

I am apprehensive and doubly nervous to pass the year. This makes me even more so lethargic, as I 'freeze' due to the pressure. A self fulfilling prophecy beckons unless I can get myself out of this lethargy soon.

Banality

If there is one thing in this world I hate above all others it is banality.

It is quite incredible to me that most people are perfectly happy living mundane little lives, living in mundane little box-houses up and down the country, driving mundane little box-cars and working in mundane jobs in mundane offices. What am I saying, of course they probably are not happy at all!

But it cannot be denied that this lifestyle is, if not wholly, then partially, chosen by people. Why?
There are many, many people proving that the mainstream way of life is not the only way.

I think privately it stems from adolescence. Trying to 'fit in' with friends, leading slowly but surely to such banality as they try more and more to 'fit in' with their neighbours, colleagues, bosses...

Now perhaps this is because I study an art form, but I find the prospect of living in such a manner fills me with dread. So what can I do about it?

Well, my interests are quite varied~ steampunk, Gothic, neo-Victorianism all come to mind~ so I guess I'm trying to forge a lifestyle for myself from elements of each. The love of scientific romance and fantastical machines from steampunk. The love for darker and macabre horror, humour and outlook from Gothic. The mannerisms and dress of neo-Victorianism. The problem with this is it leads to a 'Mr Ben' syndrome~ today I shall be a Goth, tomorrow I shall be a Punk and on Tuesday I shall be Victorian. Which is a bit childish really, and besides to merely use the dress of a bygone era simply as a costume or uniform is abhorent.

Well I say abhorent... it really is because in my present situation (university student, no disposable income, rented accommodation) there is really very little bar the way I dress, the way I carry myself and the literature I read and music I listen to to set myself apart from the awful banality of mainstream modern 'culture' and 'lifestyle'. Of course, in say ten years time when my situation will be no doubt completely different I can fully live the alternative lifestyle that I yearn for and yet at present can live only in my head.

Rhapsody on a music school

Yesterday, as you will recall, I introduced myself, and proceeded to describe architecture as being a passion of mine.

So pray forgive me as I turn this entry over to describing my current University project.

The brief is to take a large urban site on the urban/suburban boundary of Lincoln and design a music school to be built there. There are to be 14 practice and percussion rooms, accommodation for 20 students, a library, 4 listening rooms and a concert hall to seat 150.

The site itself is on Brayford Waterfront, and consists of two startlingly inhumane 1970s office blocks, a pub, some rather pleasant Victorian offcies and an abandoned Victorian power station.

So, what do we do? Utilising the precedent in Lincoln to re-use old derelict buildings, I propose to utilise the turbine hall of the power station, and it's attendent offices, as my concert hall.

The 1970s structures I shall tear down and replace with a more humane structure in keeping with its surroundings. This shall be of similar overall dimensions of the power station, however the form itself shall reflect the attributes of music- harony, pitch, et al. The falling height of this building is also musically inspired. Between the two I intend to place a large open public space as a throughfare and also as an open air performance space.

The adventure begins...

It is customary for first meetings to warrant introductions.

Accepting the likely risk that I shall ramble, here goes.

The name on this blog is a nom-de-plume. I most emphatically am not a member of the British aristocracy, nor shall I ever be, no matter how much I wish to do so.

I am 21 years of age, and I study architecture. Architecture for me is not a profession, but a passion.

I consider myself a gentleman. Not for me are the more vulgar excesses of modern society. The fact that I particularly enjoy older films, Victorian Gothis literature and have a penchant for dressing in suits has led my peers to conclude that I was born a century out of date. This is something I am comfortable with.

The form of neo-Victorianism I choose to follow is that of steampunk, that is, neo-Victorian settings and mannerisms, but with science fiction elements and machinery. Anachronistic yes, but it means I don't have rivet counters chasing me down the street for historical inaccuracy!

That, my aetheric friends, is a very short description of yours truly. Until next time then, adieu.