Free Travel Weekends

As previously mentioned, students had various opportunities to travel aside from class field trips.  They traveled everywhere from Portugal to France to Croatia to Italy, making this an adventure-filled trip! Here's just what some students had to say about their experiences outside of Barcelona:

"One of the most amazing part of study abroad is being able to have free weekends to travel with friends and try to see as much architecture in a weekend as you possibly can! The one travel weekend that sticks out to me was the trip to Paris. Our weekend consisted of the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Notre Dame, and going out to dinner and eating the craziest thing on the menu. The trips are more than just the places we visit, but the people we visit them with." 

                                                                                      -Alexandra Stuckey

Poblet and Girona

CUArch students had another busy week with two day trips in just three days, this time to the Spanish cities of Poblet and Girona.  On Sunday April 6th,  students were accompanied by Sophia and Jordi Portal.  Jordi, as well as being Architectural Theory professor, is also a practicing architect here in Spain.  And he just so happens to be the head architect working on the restoration of a Cistercian monastery in Poblet.  Jordi led a detailed tour of the monastery and enlightened students on both its architectural history and its future.  Once the tour concluded students went to a group lunch to try the Catalan delicacy calcots, which are similar to onions, but much much sweeter, (and delicious might I add!).

On Tuesday April 8th, students were accompanied by Sophia and Yoel to the city of Girona.  There, students learned a bit about the architectural history of the city.  A majority of the day, however, was spent on the final board of the semester.  This time students worked in groups of 4 to 5 on boards nearly one meter tall!  This was definitely an exercise of not only analysis, but strategy and group discussion as well.  The board was done on site with one of the most challenging aspects being lack of a vertical surface to work on, but with some strong communication skills and quick thinking, all of the teams completed the assignment well. (Pictures will follow soon!)

Once the boards were completed students and teachers had the privilege of another group lunch complete with authentic Spanish cuisine.  After that the tour of the city continued with a visit to Eiffel Bridge and Girona Cathedral.

Field Trip 2.0 Amsterdam. Rotterdam, Utrecht

March 26-March 29, 2014

Once again, students were lucky enough to go on a field trip, this time outside of Spain!  The Netherlands was definitely a change of pace from our home here in Barcelona.  I think the entire group can agree when I say that both places are absolutely astounding, but once and in a while you need a break from the norm.  We only spent a short time in The Netherlands, but Sophia and Yoel made the most of it...we barely stopped moving. Take a look at our agenda...

Wednesday 26.3.2014

Amsterdam

10:15am Flight (which was delayed!...boo)

Train Transfer and Hotel Check-In

Lunch and Exploration of the Central Library

Sketching and Walking Tour including a ferry ride to KNSM Island, the Eye, and Lloyd's Hotel among many others (There are way too many to recall currently-I wasn't kidding when I said we barely stopped moving!)

Free Evening- The group continued to explore the city and immerse themselves in the radically different Dutch culture.

Thursday 27.3.2014

Rotterdam

8:55 am Train to the Rotterdam Centraal Station (fun fact: this is the first group of CUArch students studying in Barcelona to see the project completed. It had been under construction for a number of recent years...if you're curious feel free to take a look for yourself.)

http://www.architectmagazine.com/infrastructure20projects/rotterdam-central-station-sets-new-standard-for-the-design-of-public-transportation_o.aspx?dfpzone=home

10:00 Hotel Check-In

11:00 Het Nieuwe Instituut Exhibition: Sets for Erwin Olaf/Bekiedung; Sonneveld House

13:00 CUA Program Lunch at NAI (yum!!)

15:00 Shoes Exhibition at Kunsthal by OMA (aka Rem Koolhaas) with a presentation on the building itself by Sara Gordon and Mariah Maloy and a stop to sketch long the way

17:00 More Sketching and Walking: Erasmus Bridge, De Rotterdam, KPN Office, Unilever Debroog Building and Schouwburgplein among others

Friday 28.3.2014

Utrecht

8:45 am Meeting at Rotterdam Centraal for 9am train

10:00 am Arrival in Utrecht (which led to a taxi ride to the Schroder House because the bus system in Utrecht is confusing and buses don't like to stop for pedestrians when they try to cross the street...  Luckily, The Netherlands has REALLY nice taxis.)

11:00am Board #3 was issued at the Schroder House

13:30 pm Lunch at BasketBar on the University de Uithof campus

14:30 pm Walking Tour and Sketching: University de Uithof campus: University ans Educatorium, Minnaert Building, Neutelings Riedijk, and University Library along with a presentation by Isabel Lopez-Font and Andrew Lionikis

19:02pm Train to Rotterdam

Saturday 29.3.2014

Amsterdam to Barcelona

8:45am Meeting at Rotterdam Centraal for the 8:55am train

10:00am Store Luggage at Train Station 

10:30 am Free Time!

Students were given a list of museums and sites to choose from and produce sketches of before meeting to head back home: The Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank Museum, Hermitage Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelik Museum were all wildly popular among students.

16:15pm Meeting to Gather our Belongings and Head Home

20:00pm Barcelona Sweet Barcelona!

Overall this trip was both educational and just plain fun. We learned more in just a few days than we ever could have anticipated.  And equally amazing is the opportunity to get to know each other as more than simply classmates and teachers, but really begin to establish relationships with people. It's a learning experience for everyone!

Field Trip 1.0 Madrid and Southern Spain

Between the mid-review and final review of our urban infill project, students were lucky enough t spend a week traveling a few other cities throughout Spain with the help of Sophia and Joel. THe trip encompassed the cities of Madrid, Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla.

The busy itinerary included:

7.2.2014

Madrid:

A sketching and walking tour of all of the following with a presentation by Devon Brophy and Matthew Simeone on the Manzarenes in the context of the contemporary landscape design.
Placa Mayor
Ayuntamiento
Palacio Real
Royal Collections Museum
Segovia Bridge
Cascara Bridges and Landscape
Centro de Estudios Hidrograficos
Matadero Madrid Design Center

Group Dinner at Venta El Buscon

8.2.2014
Toledo:

Sketching at the Toledo Cathedral
Group lunch at Alqahira Rincon de Oriente
La Granja Escalator
Palacio de Congresos del Miradero
Santa Maria la Blanca
More sketching at the El Greco Museum

9.2.2014
Madrid:

Discussion, Presentation, and Sketching at the Museo de Arte Reina Sofia
La Caixa Forum
Sketching, Discussion and Architectural Theory Presentation by Michael Egnor and Daniel Ruck at Museo Nacional Del Prado

10.2.2014
Cordoba:

Walking Tour, Sketching, and Discussion at Mezquita de Cordoba/Alcazar
Walking Tour and Sketching at Juderia and Sinagoga de Cordoba

11.2.2014
Granada:

Tour and Sketching at The Alhambra
Alcaiceria
Corral de Carbon
Catedral de Granada
Sketching at the Generalife Gardens, Alcazar and Palace Carlos V
Nasrid Palace
Walking Tour and Sketching at the Capilla Reial
Night visit ti Hammam Arabic Baths

12.2.2014
Seville:

Walking Tour and Sketching at Santa Cruz Quarter, El Arenal and Plaza Espana

13.2.2014
Seville:

Sketching at La Catedral y Giralda de Seville and he Real Alcazar
Flamenco Show at the Mudeo del Baile Flamenco

14.2.2014
Seville:

Visit and Sketching at Metropol Parasol-here our first boards of the semester were drawn in teams of 2
Free afternoon

From standing in the very center of Madrid to sketching at the Mezquita de Cordoba to the flamenco show to sketching at the Catedral de Seville, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that this was a truly memorable and educational trip.  It's experiences like these that make us realize why we chose to study abroad and just how lucky we all are to be doing so.  It may have been an exhausting week, but we saw and learned so much that the experience was once that will stay with us for years to come.
I mean, I'd say we look pretty happy!

(Ans there wil be more photos to come in the near future!)