More KAUST Pictures

Well, it's time again that I get really excited about showing you a project I worked on ... and yes, once again, it is KAUST! See previous blogs about this!

Click here for the link ...awesome stuff!!

Thanks for looking, and please know, I just make the buildings stand up, the architects are really the people to thank for this. I give them their due appreciation (take it while you can get it)!

You Can Call Me Anytime Baby

Interesting cake for Eva's group of people. Yes, they might be giant ... oh wait, I meant to say, they might be facetious!

Saw an article in an architecture magazine called Architectural Record that I think Mike C. would really appreciate reading. It's about this very cool looking building, Barcelona's Gas Natural headquarters building. It has a huge cantilever! What is a cantilever you ask? It is the
suspended end of a building, beam, etc. The "part that hangs off the edge". Here
are some images of the building . . .

Photos from Gas Natural Website

I hate to go into a tirade about cantilevers, mostly because engineers already get made fun of because we worry about the size of one's cantilever (ha, wink wink nudge nudge baby)! But more important to the reader; I don't imagine you would have any idea what I was talking about, then you'd get bored, and then you'd never read my blogs! But, if you should ever find the need to talk some serious talk about the size of one's member, er, cantilever member, well you can call me anytime baby!

Now, on with the word of the day-
limousine liberal: Wealthy person who adopts the cause of the downtrodden; carries a connotation of hypocrisy.

So Did Anyone Find T-Shirts For Me To Buy?

Just so you know, I did bike today! Everything went smoothly, got here at my normal time.

I'd love to stick around and chat but I have lots to do today. I will have to update you on the work situations that have risen at a later blog. [Reminder of these work things: struct. moving in with arches; Andrew new position so struct. down to 6]

So did anyone find any cute/fun t-shirts for me to buy? I'm serious about wanting to get some more t-shirts . . . and, on that note, Kelly wants that bacon shirt from my earlier blog [hint hint].

Word of the day-
bagsy: To claim something for yourself. There is no higher authority than a bagsy; once someone has bagsy'd something it can't be taken away.

In Use: I bagsy my seat. I gotta take a leak.

It . . . is a Thing

Ever work on a “thing” that you felt was the bane of your existence? The thought of the It slays you? Maybe It is a project, or a person, or a task, or a situation? Whatever It is, I’m glad if you can relate (for my sanity, not for your inconvenience). There may be nothing more annoying than some thing you thought was gone that has managed to wake Itself up and crawl back into your life. It lurks in the corner waiting for you to walk by so he can jump out and scare the living Bejesus out of you. It is crafty and powerful enough to hold you down and suck the life right out of your mouth (like a cat). I’m supposed to be grateful for It, or so I think, but I can’t be anything beyond peeved!

10 Questions with Steph

I'm doing something different today, an interview with myself! I could interview someone else, and maybe I will later, but for now, this is my blog, I think I should interview myself. So, ten questions taken from various interviews I've recently read:

Q: Tell us about your background.
I am Steph. I was born in 1979. I didn't have what I would consider the greatest childhood, but I had always thought it was the norm, so I never knew anything different until I was an adult. I became an overachiever at an early age, which is what I believe instilled me with the strength to do things that are scary. I was a shy kid from the beginning, gaining my only friend Eva because her mother told her to be nice to me. We are still great friends, best friends even! I went to SIUE where I gained skills for becoming a structural engineer.


Q: What is it that you do for your job?
Good question, few people know what a structural engineer does. I have two ways to describe this to people: architects make buildings look pretty, they make them functional, make them livable. I make them stand up. OR, you know when you buy a shelf that you have to put together, it comes with instructions on putting it together? Well, I make the instructions for putting a building together.


Q: What do the letters HOK stand for?
This is a question that people at HOK get asked all the time as a getting to know you thing, a sort of "make up your own verbiage" for HOK. My answer is Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum. I'm not clever or witty, I am literal. Sorry.


Q: What kinds of projects are you working on?
Confidential!


Q: What makes design great?
Functional! Seriously, I love art, I love to look at art, I love to use art. But design of structures is different. I believe they can both be artistic and functional.


Q: What do you do outside of work?
Play on the Internets, blog, read, listen to music, travel, daydream


Q: Who or what inspires you?
Seeing my faith in humanity being restored. I get inspired when people do good things, make choices while facing the fears of the unknown, for making the right choices when the wrong one was so easy.


Q: What advice would you give to young people?
Make your own mistakes, make regrets, but be sure to listen to what everyone has to say. Do something before you die. Just try to be a good human!


Q: What is the best trip you’ve ever taken - where and why?
Ireland; I got to go with Eva to one of the most beautiful places known to mankind, and I got to see my Shane Brain


Q: What was the first space that you noticed?

I've always found this question amazing. Now trying to answer it, I find it difficult. My first thought is the old two family dwelling I lived in as a small child. Brick, Victorian. But what I recall about that space was the partial turret that created a sort of bay window. I loved that the space was not square. As I grew up and started seeing the functionality of space, I became appreciative of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, very functional, simplistic and elegant. That would be the first time I really noticed space. Chris and I still really enjoy just going for car rides and looking at houses and neat buidlings. It's a passion for which I hope to never lose.

Word of the day-
derection: What a guy gets when he looks at somebody really ugly.

Go With Me to Scotland

Yesterday I met Mike's friend Kelly. She's pretty great. She blogs, writes things in a notebook, collects quotes, and has framed Frank Lloyd Wright drawings. I condone of Mike hanging out with this Kelly!

Speaking of Mike, go to the doctor, please?! I don't want to hear any of this maybe maybe maybe crap, just go!

Onto other things, I heard of a Scottish architect I needed to check out. I didn't recall his name, Ruben isn't here to ask, so I just started browsing for Scottish architects. I found a guy by the name of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This guy is so right up my alley I'm surprised I'd never heard of him before! I recommend checking him out. I particularly like his glass panel for The Rose Boudoir. On his site, they have a Places to Visit section. I was just thinking to myself how cool it would be to go and do the Mackintosh Trail. When I go to London this summer, perhaps I'll just hop on up to Scotland (it's like right there!) and do this tour thing. It sounds amazing. The really cool thing about the website, is that they tell you how to get to the places, which buses to take, how long of a walk you have (up a steep hill even). This is the type of adventure I want to have! So on that note, go with me to Scotland, we'll have fun, or at least I will!

Well, perhaps I'll blog more later. According to Mike, I blog twice a day. I would have to disappoint him!

Word of the day:
Irish flu: A particularly unpleasant hangover.