FROSHEDPosted in this blog several years ago was a behemoth standing along Vito Cruz that pushed my desire to teach in an architecture school. Leap 2 years forward, I am already preparing for my second year as a faculty in a design program housed in the same giant plotter (this is a complement).
Before stepping into the academe, one could imagine my confidence as first-time lecturer whose optimistic attitude remain untainted by professional practice. I thought wrong. During my first day at school, this idealist and proud mentor-wannabe, found himself behind the vintage looking classroom-computer, clueless where and how to start an intro. It felt like I was seeing the light in the tunnel as my life when I was a student flashed before my eyes. The experience in the room was like an apparition of a not too distant past. The last two hours of that day was saved by the thought that we were all neophytes or colloquially called in CSB, “frosh.” Half of the term ended with me struggling and finding my way to deliver the syllabus with perfection. Paranoia sets in as it whispers that blame is upon me when these students end the term without their lessons learned. It took a while before it sunk in what our program chairperson advised us during our orientation; that we have an academic freedom, provided that the learning outcomes are met. The sound of freedom in a design academe is music but I found myself more paranoid because of the time wasted. Somehow, I pulled it off. Redemption was sweet towards the end as I saw my students produce good results. You always feel that you knew you could have done better… had you known.
The students' output was a testament that indeed, design language can be thought, not in a superficial way but as a thought process. To make up for the lost opportunities in engaging them in design discourses, I set up one on one (grouped) sessions with my students, to somehow introduce to them vocabulary of design processes. That short period of time, somehow made an effect to those who were dedicated to their tasks. It could have been better…”had I known,” like I already said….
Noticeably, one can see the students’ pure view of architecture. It is good for them to realize that they can do anything at first before they are bombarded with limitations. This freedom allowed them to create new things and ideas. It is normal that they hesitate at first attempt, but with proper steering, they progress impressively. That is the beauty of teaching frosh, they are like infants whose first words of “dada” is music to their father’s ears. The best work of my frosh students are akin to that experience. No, this is not an indication that I want to be a father soon.
Image above. Karla Elefante and Kevin Singzon’s “Petals.” The final studio work is for the group to design a space that CSB students can use. The group created a disc module with a standard size of 1.2 meter in diameter. The discs were provided with notches on its four quadrants for connection purposes. This was a structural element that they played to create a program for the site.
Image above. Karla Elefante and Kevin Singzon’s “Petals.” The final studio work is for the group to design a space that CSB students can use. The group created a disc module with a standard size of 1.2 meter in diameter. The discs were provided with notches on its four quadrants for connection purposes. This was a structural element that they played to create a program for the site.
