Category / Art/Arch/Culture

by shannonchance

Chugging toward a Better Future in the USA

Amtrak service is up and running between Norfolk VA and Washington DC. (Photo downloaded from Facebook, by Downtown Norfolk.)

Amtrak service is up and running between Norfolk VA and Washington DC. (Photo downloaded from Facebook, by Downtown Norfolk.)

Today is a big day in Hampton Roads, Virginia, which is the place I call home.

Passenger train service is finally up and running–direct from Norfolk to Washington DC.

I think this route was available long ago in history, but it hasn’t been since I moved to the region in 1998 (and also not for a long time before that). I’ve had to drive all the way to Newport News to catch the Amtrak up to now.

Long ago, the auto-making companies in the US bought up many of the rail lines. In many instances, they dug up the tracks or sold the linear lines to multiple parties–all to make the system unworkable and difficult to reinstate.

But today, Hampton Roads has overcome some major obstacles and re-upped its route.

On Facebook, “Downtown Norfolk” says “the station can be found in Harbor Park. The first train leaves at 4:50am and the station will be open at 4am. Tickets are not sold at the station and must be purchased in advance. Please contact Amtrak to make your reservation or visit www.amtrakvirginia.com“.

I have to say, though, that as happy as I am about the new train service, the photo that Downtown Norfolk posted on Facebook shows just a glimmer of hope in a very bleak landscape.

The photo is a depressing depiction of what we’ve done to the land in the USA. Asphalt. Plastic. Ugliness wall to wall.

We can, and we must, do better.

by shannonchance

Brilliant Day Dawning

Today's encore.

Today’s encore.

Encore sunrise near full tilt.

Encore sunrise near full tilt.

In a magnificent encore to yesterday’s sunrise performance, Mother Nature reminds us that we have another spectacularly unique day before us.

Let’s use it well.

by shannonchance

Sadly, the Sun also Sets

The sun also sets (at 4:30 pm).

The sun also sets (at 4:30 pm).

Here’s a view from my window at 4:30 pm.

Throughout history, there have always been big solstice parties in Ireland.  I mean always.  And I mean big.

Seems pretty clear why that is!

I will miss the celebrations here, which is sad, but thankfully I will be home celebrating the light of my life!

by shannonchance

All the Glory of God

sliver moon

sliver moon

A thin sliver of moon hung in the sky as dawn broke over Dublin this morning. I’d thrown the curtains open, eager to soak in the southern rays I hoped would arrive.

And arrive they did!  In the full glory of God, the universe, and all that is good in the world.

This, my friends, is what Glen McClure calls “God-light.”

And all is good in my corner of the world today.

grlorious rays of morning

grlorious rays of morning

by shannonchance

Christmas Fotos

2013 calendar cover

Dave and I put the final touches on our secret Santa project today.

Dave’s weekend was much more exciting than mine… I’ve been chained to my laptop writing all weekend. He went to two fun-looking holiday parties and so did Lucy and Matt.

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Dave spent Friday night at Virginia Beach so he could enjoy the AGC-VA Christmas party.
Saturday night he headed to Norfolk for an event at the very cool Monticello Arcade, home of Work Program Architects.
Lucy and Matt joined his new colleagues for a grown-up party, too.
by shannonchance

Memories of Kilkenny

Reflection from Upper John Street, Kilkenny.

Reflection from Upper John Street, Kilkenny.

View south, down Upper John Street, Kilkenny.

Early morning view south, as seen from Kilkenny’s Upper John Street.

Door to a courtyard beer garden along Lower John Street, Kilkenny.

Door to a courtyard beer garden along Lower John Street, Kilkenny.

by shannonchance

Sima’s Emerging Manifesto

Sima's emerging vision.

Sima’s teaching philosophy, drawn from the Bauhaus.

Sima Rouholamin delivered an energetic, thoughtful, and inspirational lecture at the DIT School of Architecture last night.  One of the culminating speakers for this semester’s Schools of Thought lecture series, Sima discussed her dissertation work. A facet of her literature review involves the Bauhaus — a natal fit with the theme of the lecture series (Schools of Thought).

Sima brings such energy and vibrancy to everything she does. She’s so very engaged and engaging.

Alongside her dissertation, she’s developing a vision for what DIT’s School of Architecture is and what it can become. Last night’s event provided a way for her to get some feedback on that vision from the community here, and that community replied with keen interest and resounding support.

Regarding the Bauhaus, Sima discussed the emphasis on making and craft — and the connection between play and design. She’ll soon be conducting phenomenographical interview designed to identify the various different ways architects conceptualize design. I hope to help her collect data for the study this spring.

A little about the Bauhaus.
Sima’s emerging manifesto.
by shannonchance

Years Ahead in Recycling

The Irish are hipper with recycling than we are in most places in the States.  The Dublin Institute of Technology, for instance, provides some bins that are clearly labelled and located in sensible places.

Recycle bins at the train station “guarantee to recycle 70% of the contents” deposited into them.  That beats us by leaps and bounds!

Recycling at DIT’s headquarters on Aungier Street.

Recycling at Heuston Station.

by shannonchance

Of Politics, Tragedy and Tractors

A fascinating discussion at the Embassy tonight.

A fascinating discussion at the Embassy tonight.

An action-packed evening here in Dublin.  After a fascinating discussion from an editor of Politico, I dashed across town in time to snag a seat at the Gate Theater for the play My Cousin Rachel.

It’s a stirring tale of that reminds us of the tragedy of assuming the worst in others when they’ve given no real reason for skepticism. It’s so beautifully written that you struggle along with the protagonist until the very end.

Fortunately for me, it’s easy to find one unclaimed seat even in a full theater house. On Monday nights at the Gate, all seats are bargain priced at €25.  More than I usually pay for a seat in Dublin, but an opportunity to visit another famous play house and experience theatrical delight. Oh, and tragedy. Plenty of tragedy.

The highlight of my evening was meeting the folks from London who sat next to me–Diane and Lawrence Hanlon. Their family is Irish, dropped the O’ in front of Hanlon at some point, and must be related to Tom Mulligan. And thus me!  🙂

Gotta love the three degrees of separation in the isles!

Please take a moment to admire Lawrence’s beautiful tractor tie, which evidentially references Hertfordshire, an agricultural county, in some way.  What it references for me is Dave’s dad, the late Gordon Chance, tractor mechanic extraordinary, who loved tractor memorabilia and travelled the world with his photographer son.  Good memories.

A tragic play, showing at Dublin's Gate theater.

A tragic play, showing at Dublin’s Gate theater.

My theater mates, Diane and Lawrence Hanlon.

My theater mates, Diane and Lawrence Hanlon. What a fabulous tie!!!!

Scene design for the second half.

Scene design for the second half.

 

by shannonchance

Bringing Prague Home

Inside Outside Spaces

You can view the whole set of boards I produced after our one-week trip by clicking here.

Here are some photos of the exhibit that my Hampton University architecture students assembled after our 2008 spring break trip to Prague.  In addition to the exhibit, we also delivered a lecture on campus and another for the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).  Those talks were about the urban issues each of us studied on our one-week trip.

With the help of Lenka Schulzova, an alumna of our program who was born in the Czech Republic, I’d planned an itinerary that included lots of warm spaces inside where we could draw (Prague is chilly in March) as well as outside spaces.

It was truly amazing how this group came together during this trip.  Everyone on the trip embraced the challenge to practice sketching as much as possible.  Daisy Williams (a truly amazing teacher who is now working at the University of Oregon) provided instruction on drawing before and during the trip.

Each day of our trip, the students eagerly explored the city.  They frequently asked to stop to make sketches.  And they enthusiastically discussed and critiqued each other’s work.  We developed so much skill and knowledge during this trip!  And we brought what we learned home to share with others.

Prague is remarkable in that so many grand, public spaces are available indoors.  It also has lovely courtyards embedded inside the blocks of streets.  This is the case in many cities, but in Prague the courtyards are often accessible to the general public — which is a great treat for visitors and residents alike!

Discovering all this, I titled my series of boards “insideout|side spaces” and described different qualities of these Czech spaces on each board.

The exhibition of our work from Prague.
Mark Matel, sailing through.
We generated lots of sketches, photos, and knowledge on this one-week trip!
Brandon Clark and Shannon Chance in the Bemis atrium.
It’s a lovely space.
Mark documenting the exhibit. My Plecnik board is hanging to the middle right.