Tag / Rome

by shannonchance

Undercover in Rome

Many thanks to Daisy for inspiring me to draw so much on my trip to Rome… we have always been very productive at sketching when we travel together. In this post, I’ve included photos of one of our many dinner outings.

On my last  night in Rome, Daisy and I headed over to Trastevere–stopping for a glimpse of the basilica (dedicated to Santa Maria, where mass was in session) before heading on to our favorite dinner spot.  As is generally the case when Daisy and I are traveling with architecture students, we  brought our sketchbooks along to discuss.

I’ve included photos of Daisy’s beautiful work, that caught the attention of our waitress.  She studied every page!

Daisy’s area of expertise is architectural representation, as is evident in her drawings!  Mine, on the other hand, is educational research… that’s what I presented to Daisy’s students in the lecture I delivered.

As a result of our exchange, I woke up inspired to draw on my last day in Rome.

It was hot, hot, hot, though.  I had to sketch quickly to keep ahead of the heat!  By the afternoon, the sky opened up and the rain poured down.  Thankfully our fore bearers built plenty of sheltered spots in Rome that have lovely views!  I made three sketches on my parting day–two are shown below.

Daisy and I stopped in at Sta. Maria in Trastevere…
and the doors were open to celebrate mass.
Two priests spread incense.
At dinner, Daisy showed me her watercolor work…
and her drawings fascinated our waitress.
What a gorgeous pen drawing of the monument to Victor Emmanuel.
We had such fun!
The next day, I visited the Pantheon…
…for a quick sketch.
And when I noticed rain was on the way, I headed to the courtyard designed by Bramante, adjacent to Santa Maria della Pace.
I made my last sketch in Rome, for this trip, under the shelter of Bramante’s cloister.
by shannonchance

Reshaping a Roman Site

I’m wrapping up my week as “Scholar in Residence” for the University of Oregon’s study abroad program in Rome. It’s been a fun and informative learning experience.

I’m posting images from the studio review we had on Thursday, to give you an idea of what it’s like to be an architecture student or professor.

These students have completed second year of a five-year professional degree program (leading to the Bachelor’s of Architecture degree). They will start third year in the fall.

They’ve done some very nice design work so far in their three-credit architecture studio class in Rome. Their site is an embankment wall, built in the late 1800s to keep the Tiber River from flooding the city as it has done for centuries.

According to Wikipedia:

The Tiber was once known for its floods — the Campus Martius is a flood plain and would regularly flood to a depth of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in). The river is now confined between high stone embankments which were begun in 1876. Within the city, the riverbanks are lined by boulevards known as lungoteveri, streets “along the Tiber.”

Drawings by a student in Daisy’s class.
Amanda’s model of the existing site
Amanda’s new design…
…using the concept of frames.
Amanda presenting
Daisy commenting…
…and offering suggestions.
An analytic model of the existing site
Nicki presenting
Nicki presenting
Nick included a new bridge for access using bikes and wheelchairs…
…and she drew a helpful perspective of the new design.
A detail of Nicki’s site section
Around the table
Miranda explaining the research, precedents, and conceptual underpinning of her design.
Miranda’s model of the existing site
Miranda’s new plan
The model of Miranda’s proposed design
Getting feedback…
…from Daisy…
…and Lauren, and Shannon.
Laurel presented her ideas, too.
Laurel’s goals and objectives…
…helped her generate a new design…
…converting the existing site…
…into an urban beach.
by shannonchance

Penciling in Rome

Headed out for breakfast and a day of exploring in the breeze and sunshine of Rome.  Yesterday’s rain cooled the city down, and it’s amazingly comfortable today.  Hoping to get some more sketching in today.

Via dell'Arco del Monte

Via dell’Arco del Monte

 

by shannonchance

Roman Dreams-Come-True

...on my way to the Pantheon (my favorite building in the world!)

At the Pantheon

After sketching yesterday morning, I spent almost all of the day editing the article we hope to have published in the Journal of Engineering Education.

I was inspired by emails that Mike Murphy, Eddie Conlon, and I received from the editor of the book we’ve written a chapter for.  He emailed us:

The chapter is a very timely, central and relevant chapter for Springer vol II. It would also have fitted nicely into vol I section I. The chapter has a clear, logical, and coherent structure, is well written and very interesting to read. In particular in clarifying the confusion surrounding the engineer and engineering technologist distinction the chapter provides new and useful insights. Moreover there is a good integration between theoretical positions mentioned in the introductory framing of the identity issue and the remaining part. Research problems and methods are clearly stated.

...where I nearly got clubbed by a Roman!

I nearly got clubbed by a Roman!

The chapter is accepted for publication in its present form. Congratulations.

and then the next day:

Your chapter is very good and there is absolutely no reason to change anything. My congratulations to you and your co-authors. Well done.

These messages were a dream come true!  They helped keep me focused through many hours of editing yesterday.

At 4:30 PM, I headed out for a tour of the Villa Farnese, a sandwich and ice cream (I hadn’t eaten since breakfast), and a little stroll through the city.

I haven’t shown it here, but I strolled past the site I often use for projects with my Hampton University students. There’s been construction activity on the site for the past two years, because a parking garage was planned. For years, they’ve been excavating here (because there are Roman ruins under the ground everywhere here and they have to study and document them). The signage surrounding the site is now different from it was last summer and last September (when I last visited). I’m hoping this change means someone important decided against installing a parking garage; it would be a travesty to put such a structure on Via Gulia!

From Borromini’s clock tower at Piazza Orologio…
…I headed east for an ice cream at the Frigidarium (2 Euro for two flavors dipped in chocolate!)….
…and I headed onward toward Piazza Navona…
…where I nearly got clubbed by a Roman!
After Navona, I usually continue through the courtyard of San Ivo…
…on my way to the Pantheon (my favorite building in the world!)
by shannonchance

UO Studio Review

Taylor, Katie, Daisy, Cody, and me deep in conversation over a design proposal.

Taylor, Katie, Daisy, Cody, and me deep in conversation over a design proposal.

 

On Tuesday, I delivered a lecture to the University of Oregon architecture students here in Rome.  Daisy made me feel like a million bucks with her introduction!  We worked together at Hampton University from 2005-2010 and got to know each other well.  I miss her, but I’m thrilled that she’s doing so well for herself!

In the talk, I shared examples of the research I’ve been doing and  discussed the need for architects to expand their research abilities.

After the lecture, three of the students presented their design progress. Daisy, the other students, and I gave feedback and ideas for further development.

A scheme for getting down to the water…
…as seen from the other side of the Tiber River.
Models are great for helping visualize space.
Here’s Cody’s model of the site’s existing qualities…
…and a conceptual sketch of his along with a list of design objectives.
In our group on Tuesday…
…everybody got involved in sharing ideas.
We had lots of interesting work…
…to discuss…
…and contemplate.
by shannonchance

Drawing Marcello

Theatro Marcello in Rome

Theatro Marcello in Rome

The OU students put the in-studio drawing lesson (that Daisy Williams delivered Monday) to work on site today.  We met at ISU’s academic center and headed over to the nearby Teatro Marcello to draw.  The students practiced the charcoal and pastel techniques they’ve been learning, while I used the mechanical pencil I had on hand.

The sketch I made in class.
Every one of OU’s study abroad students…
…decided to enroll in the drawing class.
Some of them are art or art history majors…
…others are majoring in architecture.
Today, they all practiced charcoal drawing techniques…
under the towers surrounding Teatro Marcello.
by shannonchance

Drawing with Daisy

Daisy drawing class 1

My former colleague at Hampton University, Daisy Williams, is teaching two different classes in Rome this summer in addition to being the director of University of Oregon’s study abroad program in the ancient city. One is architecture studio and the other is a drawing course, pictured here.

Tomorrow, I’ll join the drawing course for a morning outing… so I’d better hit the sack now!

Daisy’s drawing class in action.
The Library at Iowa State’s Rome center.
The entry stair at Iowa State’s Rome center, where Daisy’s studio and drawing courses are held.
by shannonchance

Activating an Embankment

Viewing the site from across the Tiber, with Daisy.

Viewing the site from across the Tiber, with Prof. Daisy Williams.

On my first night in Rome, University of Oregon Prof. Daisy Williams took me to see the site in Rome that her students are using for their architectural design project. It’s across the Tiber River from where we’re standing in the above photo.

The site comes to life in the summer–in a way I’d not gotten to see before.  (I usually visit Rome in May, before the walkway becomes active.)  I’ve included photos of our visit to the waterfront, so you can join us on our tour.

Prof. Williams has asked her students to re-design the embankment wall in this area, so that it can be used for screening films, and so that it connects street and water-front walkways more comfortably.

You can see from the image above that the walkway often floods. This is an issue the students need to take into account in their designs.

View of the site from street level.
An existing stair down to the river.
In July, the space is filled with bars and restaurants.
These women are getting their palms read.
The temporary restaurants…
…are quite comfortable during evening hours….
…with many person-sized nooks and crannies.
There’s an exhibition of architecture/urban design proposals…
…for a very similar project to the one Prof. Williams assigned.
This is one of the models on display.
It’s a lovely place to be at sunset….
…and an effective use of an awkward space.
by shannonchance

Rome-Again Rome-Again Jiggity-Jig

I hopped into a cab at 4:30 this morning, headed for Rome.  I’ve been invited to spend a week here as a “Scholar in Residence” for the University of Oregon’s summer study abroad program.

I arrived in the city, moved into a spacious apartment at Iowa State’s academic center in Rome, lunched with Prof. Daisy Williams, and pulled together a presentation for tomorrow.  Now, off to see some sights….

Hopped of the bus at Torre d’Argentina…
…and headed for the ISU architecture center, and the apartment where I’m staying this week.
by shannonchance

My Incredible HU Students

I’m so glad to have Facebook so I can stay connected with family, friends, colleagues, and past students. Several of the students I coached in a Disney design competition work as Disney Imagineers today.  Nikk and Nicole Smith crafted this fine image of the Obama family (and yes, they had the blessing of Pixar).

The Obamas as Incredibles, copyright Nikkolas and Nicole Smith.

Carlton Copeland, who travelled to Italy with me last May, posted a reflection shot of his own last week, and acknowledged my contribution.  🙂

Carlton’s caption on Facebook for this shot was:
“An addiction taught by @shannonchance — with Shannon Massie Chance.”

He’s part of Hampton University’s Solar Decathlon team.  You can see his work from our summer design studio at Urban Push. His team’s proposal for a new development in Romewas great. Below are a few of his photos and sketches from the trip, and the banner shot form his Facebook pag

From Piazza San Marco, Venice (copyright Carlton Copeland, 2012).

Carlton’s Facebook banner — a photo from our May 2012 trip to Italy.

A sketch Carlton made in Rome (copyright Carlton Copeland, 2012).

Carlton’s photo of me in Italy  (copyright Carlton Copeland, 2012).

Sketch of Piazza Fenice, in Venice (copyright Carlton Copeland, 2012).