Wow, so I was suppose to start doing this blog thang since day one in Winter quarter 2010 and had not found (or allocated) the time to explore and use it at all till TODAY. So, now Im actually going to make a legitimate attempt at using this blog and see what its all about. I’ve never really used a blog before, but have used Facebook and Myspace for quite sometime so I’m thinking the transition into this blog thang should be fairly smooth.

Anyways, one thing that has irritated me and has made me somewhat uneasy in Architecture grad school is this concept of context and new construction buildings “fitting in” with the region, neighborhood and other variable scales. At first, this concept hit right at home since I completely disagreed with it. My thoughts stem from my own experiences as a minority in a mostly homogenous city and state. Here in Eugene and at the U of O, there isn’t much diversity and more so in the Architecture Department. I am the only Latino in the program. It strikes me that this department, school,  city, and state espouse the idea of keeping things the same as if saying, diversity in any form (population and buildings) aren’t welcome. I come from a state which is composed of over 50% minorities and the state’s architectural types and architectural progress (as exemplified with Walt Disney Concert Hall) manifests that diversity in all forms is integral to the state and its citizens. I struggle with this on a daily basis and have to come to grasps with whats really going on in this department and larger context before I Flip the hell out.