Photoshop Workshop

As an architecture, landscape architecture, or planning student, you'll become very familiar with the Adobe Creative Suite. Photoshop and Illustrator will quickly become good friends of yours. These programs will help you produce quality, professional-looking documents.

Jeff Christensen, a fourth-year landscape architecture student, will lead a weekly Photoshop workshop this fall. If you are not already familiar with Photoshop, you are highly encouraged to make this workshop part of your weekly schedule.

Mondays, 5:30-6:18 p.m., KN 430
(beginning September 28)

Topics to be covered include working with basic images, adding and editing colors, layers, transforming objects, layouts, text and shapes, and printing.

Buying Books

Now that classes are just a few weeks away, you might be a bit concerned about where and how to purchase textbooks.

First of all, note that you will not need a textbook for Arch/Larch 100, Arch/Larch 200, or Larch 693. You will definitely have a textbook for any math or physics courses, and you'll likely need textbooks for most social science courses.

You can reserve your books in advance if you'd like, but this is not absolutely necessary.

When you login to Buckeye Link and view your class schedule, you'll see a link to "Buy Books" (as shown below). This link takes you directly to The Ohio State Uuniversity Bookstore (aka Barnes & Noble). Here you can find out which books you need and/or reserve them online.

This is not your only option. There are many bookstores around campus (within a very short distance of Baker West). A few other options include SBX, Buckeye Books, and College Town.

If you do not reserve your books in advance, just take a copy of your class schedule with you to any bookstore to find out what you need. You can do this once you arrive on campus in a few weeks.

Additionally, books for GEC courses may be available on reserve at the University Libraries. Visit the libraries webpage and select Print Reserves by Course or Instructor from the Quicklinks menu on the left. You will not be able to take these books out of the library, but rather you can check them out and use them in the library for a two-hour period of time. If you are disciplined enough to go to the library regularly and do this, you could save yourself a few bucks.

Questions about buying books? Post it here!

A Turkish Bargain

At Orientation, I indicated that I did not yet know the program fee associated with the Istanbul study abroad program, but I estimated that the program fee would be between $2,500 and $3,000.

I was way off.

The program fee for the 2010 Istanbul study abroad program is $1,885. This is a fantastic bargain! (Compare this with last year's program fee of almost $3,200.) Remember that the program fee includes airfare, all accomodations, all group admissions, breakfast and a few other meals as well.

I'll share the online application as soon as it becomes available. Who's excited?

One Month Countdown

Just one month to go until move-in day! I'm sure your anxious for the next month to pass quickly, especially if many of your high school friends have already left for college.

Did you know that you can find a floor plan of your room online? Visit University Housing's website and search by room number to see a floor plan and furniture dimensions.



I've been out of the office serving on jury duty, but I'll be back next week. Check back soon for information about our Architecture Scholars kick-off event, the all Architecture Scholars canoe trip on September 27, the Istanbul Study Abroad program, and more.

Recommended Reading

The KSA faculty have created a list of recommended reading. Over the next few years, these books are a few of many that you might want to add to your personal library. These books are recommended to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the professions of architecture and landscape architecture. (This is not required and by no means are you expected to read any or all of these books before school begins.)

Overviews & Design
Form, Space, & Order by Francis D. Ching
Publisher: Wiley, 3rd edition (June 29, 2007) – this is an excellent basic design primer for both architecture and landscape architecture.

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough
Publisher: North Point Press; 1st edition (April 22, 2002) - a fascinating discussion of today’s challenges and opportunities in how and why we design.

Fiction
The Spire by William Golding
The Master Builder by Henrich Ibsen
Mr. Palomar and Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

Architecture & Landscape Architecture
Form and Fabric in Landscape Architecture: A Visual Introduction by Catherine Dee
Publisher: Spon Press (November 9, 2001) – an introduction to design of the landscape.

Sources of Architectural Form: A Critical History by Mark Gelerntner
Publisher: Manchester University Press (June 15, 1995) – a general historical survey.

Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (November 1, 2001) – a general historical survey.

Large Parks Czerniak and Hargreaves, eds.
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press (2007) – essays on contemporary landscape theory and practice.

Site Matters: Design Concepts, Histories and Strategies Burns and Kahn, eds.
Publisher: Routledge (2005) – essays on theoretical discourse involving, sites and buildings and cities.

From Our Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe
[1981] (New York: Bantam, 1999). - This book is a concise account of the emergence of modern architecture in the United States, useful for coverage of the major moments and key architects of the twentieth century.

Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan by Rem Koolhaas
[1978] (New York: The Monacelli Press, 1997). - Interesting on the subject of Manhattan, but also note “Appendix: A Fictional Conclusion” which transforms the research of the book into a series of mythical design proposals.

Have you read any of these books previously? If so, what did you think? Have you read any other books that have been helpful in enhancing your knowledge of architecture or landscape architecture?

Meet Your Resident Advisors

Hi Everyone! So, with housing information coming out soon-like where you are living and who your new roommate might be, now would be a good time to introduce myself. My name is Kelsey Jarrett and I will be one of the RA’s on the first floor in Baker West this coming year along with Dan Van Voorhis. We are both going into our second year, with Dan going into Landscape Architecture and me going into the Architecture program. If you are a first year Architecture Scholar student, the chances are pretty high that you will end up with either Dan or me as your RA. The definition of an RA is a little bit difficult, because our duties cover a wide range of topics. We are there to offer advice or be someone to talk to when needed, but we are also required to enforce the rules and regulations of University Housing. Dan and I are both really excited to begin in the fall and to meet all of our residents! We’ve been busy making decorations and working on bulletin boards in order to make everyone feel more at home. There’s a couple of programs that are in the works for the first few days of school so be excited for those and the fact that you hardly have to use a swipe during the first week of school because there is free food everywhere! You may not have too many questions now, but you will soon enough, so please feel free to email me at jarrett.51@osu.edu or Dan at van-voorhis.9@osu.edu with any questions or concerns that you may have. Enjoy the rest of your summer and we look forward to meeting everyone in the fall! Go Bucks!

Welcome Week Activities

Check out the Welcome Week website for an ever-growing list of activities during the first week of classes. First-year students: Be sure to check out the First Time Buckeyes page for events that you should not miss.

Charlottesville → Charleston

Importation SERVitecture update: Due to a lack of work available in Charlottesville, SERVitecture has decided to change the destination of the trip to Charleston, SC.

This is an exciting opportunity to travel to a new destination to participate with Habitat for Humanity. Participants will work with the Sea Island Habitat for Humanity near Charleston.



Unfortunately, due to the fact that the drive is further and Charleston is more expensive than Charlottesville the trip cost had to be raised to $300.00 per person. SERVitecture has done everything possible to reduce the cost and apologizes for the raise in price.

Reminder: Applications are due Friday, August 7th and can be emailed to servitecture@gmail.com. If you have any questions regarding the trip or any general questions about SERVitecture please email servitecture@gmail.com.

T-shirt Deadline Extended to August 15

Interested in a Scholars t-shirt? The ordering deadline has been extended to August 15. T-shirts are $6.50 each and will be available for pick-up once you move-in. Click here to order online.