i like to think that if i wasn't studying journalism, i would be taking classes to be an architect. when i really think about it, about the math that goes into it(i don't hate math, i just don't care to learn it past a certain everyday usable point) and the nitty gritty less glamorous planning that is involved, i probably like the idea of being an architect based off of idealized and romanticized ideas. nevertheless, i'm an admirer of architecture for certain.

this semester i took my first architecture art history course. i really loved it because it was a new way to think about art.

i'm intrigued by the role architecture plays in our everyday lives. the mundane role it has in housing grocery stores, banks, stores, gas stations, and plenty of other buildings we overlook on a daily basis. but even those buildings have a history and a place to fill. 

office buildings can seem mundane, but sometimes they're the most fascinating works of architecture. take the Willis Faber Dumas Building in England for instance. ok it's curvy and reflective during the day.

but at night! it's like a glow worm! i'm fascinated at how this building looks completely different based on the time of day it's seen in.

another fascinating aspect of architecture is the impact it tries to have on the earth it occupies. take green buildings for instance, like this one in Japan.

there is grass planted on the rooftops for recreation area, as well as a great insulation and cooling agent for the building itself.

this weekend i was reminded of just how much your surroundings impact your mood. we spent the weekend at an amazing lake house (cutely named Cedar Lodge) that was right by the ozark lake. it was a cabin-like house, completely decked out in characteristic wooden bar stools, bear paintings, exposed wood and stone fire place. all things that on a daily basis i wouldn't appreciate or find comfort in. but this weekend, for three days of relaxation, that house was a respite place. it was cozy, warm, homey. and its setting was perfect.

it reminded me of pilgrim churches i've studied before. these churches tend to be in remote areas where traveling to them is no easy task. there's usually rough terrain, with long uphill hikes. but then the church is like heaven waiting for you at the end of the difficult journey. well this cabin was a small mimicking example of that. the drive there was confusing at times and a bit unnerving, but arriving at the home was wonderfully perfect.