The Travels of an Architecture Student

humansofnewyork:

Not sure that I’ve ever been so honored to introduce someone as I am right now.
Gac Filipaj is a refugee from the former Yugoslavia. For the past twelve years, he has worked as a janitor for Columbia University. His job title is “Heavy Cleaner,” which includes emptying the trash and cleaning the toilets.
During this time, he worked until 11pm every night during the week. After his shift concluded, he would start studying. This weekend, after twelve years of study, Gac graduated from Columbia University with a Classics degree. Rarely have so many qualities I admire been wrapped up in a single person.

Not sure that I’ve ever been so honored to introduce someone as I am right now.

Gac Filipaj is a refugee from the former Yugoslavia. For the past twelve years, he has worked as a janitor for Columbia University. His job title is “Heavy Cleaner,” which includes emptying the trash and cleaning the toilets.

During this time, he worked until 11pm every night during the week. After his shift concluded, he would start studying. This weekend, after twelve years of study, Gac graduated from Columbia University with a Classics degree. Rarely have so many qualities I admire been wrapped up in a single person.

Source: humansofnewyork

High-res Notes: 4737 5/16/12 — 9:49pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxLd2hCe

Right on Mrs. Obama

gofightwinvt:

Part of Michelle Obama’s Commencement Speech at VT today.

Source: gofightwinvt

Notes: 17 5/11/12 — 5:48pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxLIbfoe Filed under: #vtcommencement #GO HOKIES

Today knowledge is ubiquitous, constantly changing, growing exponentially… Today knowledge is free. It’s like air, it’s like water. It’s become a commodity… There’s no competitive advantage today in knowing more than the person next to you. The world doesn’t care what you know. What the world cares about is what you can do with what you know.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericaswallow/2012/04/25/creating-innovators/

5/6/12 — 4:55pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxK-YAYN Filed under: #innovation #education

These were the posters I designed for the Blacksburg Cycle Chic - Commuter Celebration and fashion show.

High-res 5/5/12 — 3:02pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxKwsrvD Filed under: #Cycle Chic

The Cycle Chic movement is taking off - Our Blacksburg event last tuesday was an awesome success!

irishboyinlondon:

The Guardian - Big Picture: Copenhagen bikes, by Mikael Colville-Anderson

The guardian has published a great selection of Mikael Coville-Andersons pictures of people getting around their city (Copenhagen) on bikes. Shows how cycling in the city can and should be - easy, convenient, safe, door to door, stylish…

Source: irishboyinlondon

Notes: 72 5/5/12 — 3:00pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxKwsNEi

An exceptionally well done short video on Saving Stadium Woods

5/3/12 — 11:04pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxKr0BNA Filed under: #Save Stadium Woods #hokies

YES - love that this social media campaign is really starting to work and take off! The Mighty Colbert Oak just might Save Stadium Woods - LETS GO HOKIES!

comedycentral:

Great way to save a forest or the greatest way to save a forest. Students at Virginia Tech are trying to draw attention to some woods that are being threatened by the construction of a new football facility by naming a white oak tree The Almighty Colbert Oak.

Source: comedycentral

High-res Notes: 116 5/2/12 — 9:18pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxKmmwbu Filed under: #Save Stadium Woods #Old Growth Forests #Hokies #Virginia Tech #Stephen Colbert #Colbert Report

nrdc:

America’s best cities for public transportation
This week, Walk Score is releasing its first ranking of city transit systems, revealing which, by their calculations, offer residents the best access to public transportation. The rankings are based on the organization’s Transit Score, a GIS-based set of calculations that is a companion service to the organization’s flagship walkability rankings. Transit Score, according to the organization in a press release, “measures how well a location is served by public transportation, and is based on data released in a standard open format by public transit agencies.”

Here are the top 25 cities, listed with the Transit Score for each:

(1)    New York (Transit Score: 81)
(2)    San Francisco (Transit Score: 80)
(3)    Boston (Transit Score: 74)
(4)    Washington, DC (Transit Score: 69)
(5)    Philadelphia (Transit Score: 68)
(6)     Chicago (Transit Score: 65)
(7)    Seattle (Transit Score: 59)
(8)    Miami (Transit Score: 57)
(9)    Baltimore (Transit Score: 57)
(10) Portland (Transit Score: 50)
(11)   Los Angeles (Transit Score: 49)
(12)   Milwaukee (Transit Score: 49)
(13)   Denver (Transit Score: 47)
(14)   Cleveland (Transit Score: 45)
(15)   San Jose (Transit Score; 40)
(16)   Dallas (Transit Score: 39)
(17)   Houston (Transit Score: 36)
(18)   San Diego (Transit Score: 36)
(19)   San Antonio (Transit Score: 35)
(20)   Kansas City (Transit Score: 34)
(21)   Austin (Transit Score: 33)
(22)   Sacramento (Transit Score: 32)
(23)   Las Vegas (Transit Score: 32)
(24)   Columbus (Transit Score: 29)
(25)   Raleigh (Transit Score: 23)

Read more.

Photo: the DC Metro (by MJM/Mike, creative commons license)

Source: switchboard.nrdc.org

High-res Notes: 118 4/30/12 — 6:41pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxKeFZB4

http://www.archdaily.com/229385/saving-suburbia-part-i-bursting-the-bubble/

“The suburbs are ripe to be reimagined”

This is a great piece on the coming death of sprawl and the importance of recognizing its implications.

4/26/12 — 11:35am Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxKMP-Hz

Being a Hokie is not a mercenary relationship. It is not a business proposition. It is not an exchange of goods and services for money. It is a shared bond, a love that comes from somewhere we don’t understand and can’t explain to others. We do not take from this university; it gives to us. Perhaps when we first arrive on its campus, we have our own selfish interests in mind, but by the time we leave, we are transformed. We are Hokies.

William Neal Stewart
Virginia Tech, BSEE 1987 (via life-love-laughter)

Source: subscr.techsideline.com

Notes: 39 4/15/12 — 11:14pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxJlCHeq Filed under: #Hokies #April 16th #Hokie Nation #Ut Prosim

ohlivia:

Promoting alternate transportation with DFA! Bike or walk tomorrow! (Taken with instagram)

Source: ohlivia

High-res Notes: 2 4/2/12 — 11:00pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxI-JoC1 Filed under: #alternative transportation

We eye bombed Reid’s lamp

ohlivia:

First eye bomb (Taken with instagram)

Source: ohlivia

High-res Notes: 2 4/2/12 — 10:58pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxI-JOy2 Filed under: #eye bombed #lamp

The oil is still here and things are still dying. BP likes to make all their pretty commercials about how everything’s fine. Well I’m still here too and it’s not. But I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing to show people what’s really going on here.

Laurel Lockamy, photographer, and resident of Gulfport, Mississippi. Click here to see some of her photos from the Gulf shores. (via nrdc)

Source: switchboard.nrdc.org

Notes: 497 4/1/12 — 11:44pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxIxw4O_

Source: nowserving

Notes: 1095 4/1/12 — 12:57am Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxIuFUmi

This is a really interesting article about a group of teens and young adults who are suing the U.S. government, to protect the atmosphere as a ‘public trust’ asset. This video is produced by one of the groups supporting their effort, Our Children’s Trust. It’s a short documentary that follows the life of an eskimo teen and how climate change is effecting him, his family, and his subsistent community in Alaska. What is particularly powerful about it is the involvement of young adults and children to “highlight the long-term nature of investing - or not investing in the public trust. What I’m seeing is that youth humanize climate change. They are the generation that will be most affected. They didn’t create this problem, but they are working for a solution.”

Source: mnn.com

Notes: 1 3/31/12 — 9:57pm Short URL: http://tmblr.co/ZxcwxxItfmLe Filed under: #climate change #empowerment