The Episcopal Church at Princeton University

Hello! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! I've been super busy between traveling to see family for the holidays and trying to relax before the Spring semester that I forgot to upload these great pictures!

Over winter break Brendon and I visited Princeton University. The campus is HUGE and gorgeous. The architecture there is ah-mazing. Last winter we visited the Science Library by Frank Ghery on Princetons Campus, and this year we visited the The Episcopal Church at Princeton University. 

First of all, let me say I am obsessed with historic churches. This Church is massive. Its hard to get a sense of scale inside. 

 

The vaulted ribbed ceilings were amazing. The way they frame the stain glass windows and form into the bays of structure down below is so detailed and intricate.  

The light that comes in through the stain glass windows is so colorful and airy. They bring in lots of light, but the space below when we were there remained dark and private.

I would love to see a service inside this church. It is a beautiful building, inside and out. 

Studio H Design

Its people like Emily Pilloton who inspire and motivate me to become an architect. 

Emily Pilloton is the founder of Project H, a nonprofit design group whose focus is to develop effective design solutions for the people who need them the most. Back in 2009, Project H was contacted by the school superintendent from Bertie County North Carolina to help improve the school system through design. They created a design build curriculum for students called Studio H that began in 2010. This description of studio H comes from the Project H Design website...

"Studio H is an in-school design/build class for 8th-11th grade students. First launched in Bertie County, NC and now based at Realm Charter School in Berkeley, CA, Studio H students apply their core subject learning to design and build audacious and socially transformative projects. Students of Studio H have previously dreamed up, designed, and constructed a 2000-square-foot farmers market pavilion, a pop-up park, laser-etched skateboards, sculptural concrete public furniture, roadside farmstands, and more. Through experimentation, non-stop production, tinkering, and a lot of dirt under their fingernails, students develop the creative capital, critical thinking, and citizenship necessary for their own success and for the future of their communities."

Through Studio H, students designed and built a new classroom space made out of three shipping containers. They designed the classroom to be open with a raised roof to let in ample light. And building it themselves they learned how to use a full array of construction equipment and techniques.  You can watch the TED Talk below that tells the story of Studio H in Bertie NC...

Along with founding Project H, Emily has also written a book called Design Revolution, which features design solutions for the people who need them the most. I hope to one day use my knowledge and skills as an architect to design and give back to people in need. 

Check out Project H's website here

-A