Mr. Lizarde

It's Not a Resolution, It's a To-Do List

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:14:00 -0800

In no particular order:

Write & direct a short film.
Publish an iPhone app.
Complete an essay on the topic of Los Angeles architecture.
Find a meaningful way to help someone who needs it.

1A Installation Final Review Hello friends and family, Monday...

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:43:37 -0800

1A Installation Final Review

Hello friends and family,

Monday at 3:30pm, the 1A class at SCI_Arc will be presenting our final review of the semester. At that time, we will exhibit student work through the trajectory of semester as well as unveiling our group project field condition installation. If you are unable to attend the review you are still invited to join us at 7:30pm that same evening for a reception where we will provide the hors’ doeuvres and refreshments and you’ll provide the company and conversation.

All are welcome so feel free to bring a friend.

- Ivan

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, in the picture are starling birds moving in formation before they nest. If you come to the review or reception, you can find out why I posted it.

Some noob tests out his new taser … on himself

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:15:12 -0700

Some noob tests out his new taser … on himself:

I love the Internet!

Germany’s Solar Coated surPLUShome Wins Solar Decathlon!

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:46:50 -0700

Germany’s Solar Coated surPLUShome Wins Solar Decathlon!:

Why aren’t all houses built like this?

What’s happening in this video?

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:19:26 -0700

What’s happening in this video?

We got a bad review in studio today, so we celebrated with...

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:26:01 -0700

We got a bad review in studio today, so we celebrated with wings.

Urban Dictionary: Ivan

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:22:11 -0700

Urban Dictionary: Ivan:

It’s like they know me!

Can’t hardly wait. Cover art for the first single from...

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:47:15 -0700

Can’t hardly wait.

Cover art for the first single from John Mayer’s new album “Battle Studies” due Nov 17.

Go Team Jacob!

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:28:40 -0700

Go Team Jacob!:

New Moon - Trailer 3 in HD

Good job CNN, good job.

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:32:07 -0700

Good job CNN, good job.

Robertson & Olympic

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:49:40 -0700

(30 minute writing exercise, first draft and unedited)

Robertson & Olympic

This building is not ironic. This story isn’t sarcastic either, so just listen and maybe one day you too can be as good a person as I am.

Hundreds of facets of unfinished recyclable aluminium molded in toxic polystyrene reflect energy efficient LED light through the cybertronic cave. Meticulously coordinated angles mounted on carcinogenic fiberglass maximize the output of every efficient photon generated from electrons created by solar photons collected by photovoltaic arrays on the roof of the unfinished recyclable aluminium cave.

You’ve come here to the gas station designed by Frank Gehry’s cousin - you know, the one with down syndrome - in your 2009 Solar Flare Metallic H3 Hummer sipping your Starbucks Chai Soy Milk Latte because you want to make a positive difference in the world on your way to work, Ms. Bank of America Branch Manager. Ok, so you forgot to sort out the recyclables last night but right now, as you pump $77.12 worth of 91 octane, you’ll make up for those environmental indiscretions. After all, the bathroom floor of this ecological masterpiece is tiled with recycled glass! All the wood used in the construction was farmed! There’s a drought tolerant cactus garden on the roof of that masterpiece shitter! Right now, karmically speaking, you’re on par with a salty Greenpeace ship captain, bravely placing your vessel between an endangered blue whale and the evil Japanese whaling fleet. A sort of backwards Ahab but the white whale you’re hunting is ecological irresponsibility.

Did you notice the postcards they have here? You didn’t. See they have these postcards at every pump, you flip them over and they give you tips and tricks on how to save the world. Save the world! I know, I know - you can’t fit saving the entire world into your schedule right now because the P&L statements for the month are due and just thinking about it is making your forehead moist and you’ve already asked for an extension once and Mr. Stanfield, he wagged his fat sausage fingers in disapproval and he won’t let you have another. It’s ok if you don’t have the time for this right now, all you have to do is litter this postcard. You see the paper has seeds pressed right into it. So when you litter you’re actually creating a community garden full of fragrant red roses and delicate buttercream daisies where little children with fat sausage fingers can run around and stain their Sunday dress on the freshly cut grass while feathery white clouds lazily amble in the background across an Adobe Photoshop blue sky and you know all of this was possible because you chose to stop at this particular gas station.

Carry this feeling with you throughout the day, the warm Chai Latte feeling of doing something good and not needing a reward for doing it. Just try not to sound too glib as you tell your direct reports about it while showing them the postcard that inspired the new office recycling strategy, you’ve asked your executive assistant to take the trash can from Felicia’s desk and label it with a large recycle logo on day-glo green paper.

Birthday Update

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:03:00 -0700

Still at school, gonna be here late again BUT I’m loving it. I won’t be having a party tonight and I don’t mind.

I turned in a really good project today and my professor said “You are on fire today, you must feel fantastic.” I do.

Thanks to everyone for all the great birthday greetings.

If you like what I can do with paper clips, you’ll love...

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:48:00 -0700

If you like what I can do with paper clips, you’ll love what I can do with popsicle sticks!

Kobeyashi Maru

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:46:59 -0700

The Kobayashi Maru is a test in the fictional Star Trek universe. It is a Starfleet training exercise designed to test the character of cadets that deals with the possibility of unwinnable situations.

When I went to sleep yesterday, I had been awake - completely awake - for 36 continuous hours. I had another one of those tedious drafting projects due Friday at 2pm and arrived at school Thursday at 8am.

I hate drafting because I’m not very good at it. I’m terrible at it. I have been a photographer since 7th grade, I’m used to the kind of artistic expression where you push a button and you’re done (sort of). Before digital SLRs, I would get so frustrated at the chemical developing process. I learned to do it well but it was tedious. Most of the time I would take my negatives to a one hour lab and have them just develop the film without making prints. I enjoyed making the prints myself. Which now correlates with how much I enjoy iPhoto.

I have never been a by-hand artist. I didn’t paint or sculpt or draw or carve. I’m a pokemon artist, I see something beautiful or interesting and capture it.

Most of the class was here overnight. 40+ people were at school working feverishly on a drafting project that only 5 or so people completed. And, without disrespect, the 5 or so people who did finish didn’t do an outstanding job. You couldn’t even say they did a good job.

If you didn’t complete the assignment you failed because you didn’t complete the assignment. But if you did complete the assignment you failed because there is no way to have produced quality work in the allowed time.

For the third time this week, Nathan (my studio professor) told me that my issue with my work wasn’t in with quality but interpretation.

I realized that the issue with my work so far is that I have been attacking the problem like a Mac Genius. I have been looking to the take apart manuals and removing the screws looking to replace the defective piece. I’ve been breaking down the exercises into procedures and steps instead of expressing the art.

So I didn’t complete the task. I failed at the mission. But I learned something about myself and that’s what the Kobeyashi Maru is about.

The Confession

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:10:41 -0700

The Confession

View From My Desk

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:09:41 -0700

View From My Desk

Learning To Draw Invisible Lines I have been at school for over...

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:01:03 -0700

Invisible Lines

Laser Cut Stencil

Finished Product?

Learning To Draw Invisible Lines

I have been at school for over 24 continuous hours. I have yet to sleep.

We’re working on a drafting project, drawing lines with instruments and trying to create the illusion of depth and spacial properties. I started my project Friday night and worked 36 hours over the weekend. On Monday, during desk critique, I was told that I needed to start over and that my interpretation of the project was off. Fine. I mean, not fine but fine. I was happy to get constructive criticism but extremely defeated in knowing that I would have to start the project over.

I told Hot Grad Student that I had to restart my assignment. He said “Welcome to architecture school.”

I finished my project at 8AM and called my mom to keep me company on the drive home so I wouldn’t fall asleep. I get the impression that Sunrise and I will become very familiar.

Learning to draw lines, freehand. This is as good a time as any...

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:13:00 -0700

Learning to draw lines, freehand.

This is as good a time as any to bring up my first pet-peeve about architecture school or - to be more specific - the language of architecture school.

Here are a part of the instructions for this exercise (they aren’t called assignments):

“Allowing the field condition to exert notions of influence, trajectory and flow construct a third drawing implementing the capacities of your resulting system as to define an autonomous region of operation”

Translation: If you make a squiggly line let it get more squiggly as you go.

Terra Nova 2009This is a group project done by first time...

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:57:33 -0700

Terra Nova 2009

This is a group project done by first time filmmakers. None of the people involved in this short film had any prior experience in filmmaking. The project was completed in 1 hour.

Director: Kevin Willson
Editor: Ivan Lizarde

Credits will be added as they become available.

Photo 1 of 12 from Studio Exercise I.

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:56:25 -0700

Photo 1 of 12 from Studio Exercise I.