06.

Live simply. Love generously. Learn constantly.

ARCHITETTURA ISTRUZIONE. 

If you thought that us architecture students were on a hiatus from our studies this semester in Rome, then you thought wrong. We are expected to think creatively in a new urban setting, work quickly with many distractions and last but not least produce nothing less than excellent work.

This week we finished our second architecture studio project of the semester. While working in pairs, we were given the challenge to design an urban infill unit in the center of Rome. We had the flexibility and creative choice of choosing who we wanted to design for, we had many constraints that left us with some interesting challenges. However, when you have the fast approaching deadlines like we architecture students encounter so often, we can never let these challenges be too much of a burden. Being paired with friend and peer, Rachel Baca, we decided to design for a yogi in Rome. We experimented with bringing together the ideas of wholeness and nesting - wholeness being related to the yogi lifestyle of balance while nesting is related to seamless and natural architectural design. Below you can see our finished boards demonstrating this wholesome nesting idea in a double space height, one bedroom studio apartment that places emphasis on the Japanese engawa which allows for the harmonious movement from exterior to interior.

Interested in what other students put together? Check out the #CUArchRomeSpring2017 blog that I have been co-editing!

When we weren't working hard on our projects, we were lucky enough to enjoy the great spring weather of Rome. On Wednesday we had a beautiful afternoon on top of the Altare della Patria, or more commonly known as the Victor Emmanuel II Monument. Many are unaware of the ability to take a glass elevator that is located behind the massive white marble building - so if you ever get the chance, I encourage you to go because you'll get to experience some views like the ones seen below... 

CERCHIAMO DI VIAGGIARE | PARIGI 

As Audrey Hepburn is known to say, "Paris is always a good idea". A group of girls from my program here and I decided that it truly was a good idea to take a quick weekend getaway to Paris, the city of love. 

What struck me at first was the comparison between Paris and DC, perhaps this is due to the large streets and plenty of space allowed for greenery and landscape, something you rarely come across in Rome. The first day we ended up walking just under 15 miles as we wandered the streets and ventured in and out of different tourist attractions. And all throughout the weekend we participated in a Tour de Dessert. We were only in Paris for two full days but I'm telling you, we accomplished a lot!

Musee du Louvre 

Before visiting The Louvre, I was getting a bit nervous because people tend to say that it is usually too packed with tourists to get up and close with the artwork. I'm not entirely sure if it was the day we chose or the time of day, but I'm happy to report that I was able to get real up and close with the artwork and we had no problem traveling from floor to floor and wing to wing. However, as soon as you enter make sure that you grab a map because you could easily get lost and spend around ten full days analyzing all of the work in this magnificent museum. 

PRO TIP: For those under the age of 26, if you go into the Louvre on a Friday night after 6 PM, you get in for free, which is just what we young adults traveling on a budget love to hear! 

Notre Dame Cathedral

If you are interested in a truly humbling experience, then please take the time to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. This Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic Art and Architecture and you truly get to experience that as you walk within the grand volumetric spaces that are derived from the use of the flying buttress. The stained glass windows that you find here are unlike any other windows in the entire world and the light that peers through the rose window allows for a beautiful atmosphere on the inside of the Catholic Cathedral. Basically, I had the goose bumps for the full 45 minutes I spent in the church because I was in such awe. 

Musee de l'Orangerie 

Monet lovers - pay attention! This is the museum that you have to visit to see a series of Monet's water lily paintings, Nympheas. There are eight of the Nympheas works displayed here in the Musee de l'Orangerie and they are mounted on the walls of two side by side oval rooms. Being able to stand in the middle of the room and slowly turn to get a panorama view of the paintings next to each other was an extremely special moment. And another added perk about this museum is that there is even more of Monet's work to see along with many other notable impressionist and post-impressionists in the lower level of the museum. 

PRO TIP: If you are a student of the arts, architecture or history and you show your student ID, your entrance fee is waived! They won't come out and advertise or say this to you so you need to take the initiative to get your free admission. 

Tour Eiffel 

We took a bus into the city from one of the nearby airports and it was such a relieving feeling to see the Eiffel Tower come into view. It immediately made us feel like we were in Paris. One really cool thing about the Eiffel Tower is that the lights begin to twinkle for five minutes every hour and on the hour once it is dark out. I totally think it is worth paying to go up to the top, I really enjoyed seeing all of the lights of the city during the nighttime but I am making it a goal to make it up there during the daytime sometime down the road. 

Tour de Dessert (+ substantial food)

Laduree Macarons | No matter the line, go buy one, or a box of twenty of these beautiful macarons. I know that they look too good to eat, but you just have to do it. You will not regret it. Pictured below are the coffee and sea salted caramel flavors... hint the sea salted caramel macaron has a nice gooey layer of caramel inside!

Monsieur Fernand | My friends and I hit up this quaint little bakery every morning while we were in Paris. They had an amazing assortment of different pastries, fresh baked bread and pretty hefty sized cappuccinos. One of my stops on the Tour de Dessert here involved me purchasing and devouring this chocolate eclair pictured below. And other purchase was a chocolate filled croissant. Because when you walk 15 miles a day, you should start your day off with a chocolate pastry. 

Salmon | I found myself very lucky in Paris when I came across many different salmon options on all of the menus that were put in front of me. 

This lunch sized salmon sandwich tasted amazing with a mustard spread on the toasted white bread. I don't know why but the French seem to love mustard and put it on everything. It works. 

And for more salmon here is a picture of a more or less salmon nicoise salad. Huge chunks of boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, small shrimp and tomato left my stomach quite satisfied. 

Whats on the agenda, Christina???

Well, next week calls for another hard week of studio work as we dive right into our final semester project. But, all the work will pay off on Friday, when I leave for a three day weekend in London!