Having visited the exhibits at the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine with Alkis earlier, on Monday we took time to experience their unbelievably beautiful architecture library.  Students were given time to rummage around, sketch, and actually enjoy some peace and quiet. Wednesday we were off to the Musée des égouts de Paris.  Only just …

Studio met at CEA on Monday for individual talks with the students, balancing critique, and goal setting for the remainder of the semester. Wednesday, we head to Quai de Branly for a surprisingly open tour of the museum.  The Head of security for the museum opened doors for us that even our guide had not …

Rice/Rogers/Piano’s Pompidou and Nouvel’s Cartier Foundation consumed all of Monday and Wednesday’s studio classes.  Marcus McAlister stopped in Monday following our Pompidou visit for another workshop focused on College work.  The drawing assignments for this week’s site visits included the use of collage as a “field” giving context behind their experiential vignettes.  The artwork exhibited …

Monday began with a guided architectural tour of the Louvre which allowed for an afternoon of exploring the RIDICULOUSLY PACKED wings of the museum. Really, twice as busy as last year.  Tuesday allowed for the electives to get their momentum with classes at CEA.  Wednesday was double-billed with a great workshop by the Artist Marcus …

Week four allowed us to establish some consistency in our schedules.  The studio course met in the morning and afternoon on Monday and Wednesday, while the two electives were stacked together, filling all of Tuesday.

The third week was spent in London where museums, office visits, and a design biennale kept everyone moving.  Zaha Hadid Architects (LSU alumni), Gensler London, and Jason Bruges Studio graciously opened their doors and added a professional perspective to the design process and products students can expect in their future.  While visits to the British …

Alkis Tsolakis led the first two weeks of class and kept the students bouncing between site visits, drawing exercises, and discussions about the impact of the drawing medium on thinking and communicating. Visits to Jardin des Plantes, Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, Place des Vosges, and exhibits at Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie compare.