People with an interest in architecture, crafts, glue and a little spare time may want to head over to this website buildyourownchicago.com. They sell postcards of Chicago’s architecture and historic landmarks that are meant to be cut up, folded and glued. Now you can finally build your own tiny paper Chicago and stomp around Wrigley Field just like godzilla would.

The site has postcards to order, instructions and tips for the best finished models and even hints on how to add extra details like N-scale wheels to the paper elevated train cars. Fun stuff.

Three Down, six to go.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

Lazarus Long
(Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love, 1973)

Are you kidding me?

Most of the people I talked to and from what I read in the ARE forum say the test is mostly theoretical in its questions and content.

Maybe I missed something, but it seemed like I had a lot of questions with equations. From bending moments to shear stresses and everything in between. I felt I was pretty well prepared and still had a decent grasp on the content and context of the General Structures test, so I think I may have still done alright, but it was NOT what I had expected.

However it turns out, I have the Building Technology vignette schedule for July 20.

Just keep on truckin.

NCARB sure takes their sweet time grading tests. It’s the waiting that kills you. Good news finally arrived today. That’s two down, seven to go. Next test is Lateral Forces, scheduled for Thursday, June 21 at 8am.

Got this shot after the MS walk on Sunday.  Really pleased with the look. Processes include tone mapping, high pass filtering on the bean, unsharp masking and color matching.

Studying is a bit of a chore when the only thing you want to do when you get home from work is spend time with your family. But I had to schedule it. I have to start taking tests. I am subject to the rolling clock, which means i have to retake tests if I haven’t passed all of them within five years. Plus they are updating the test format to ARE 4.0. The newer tests are multiple choice / fill in the blank / vignettes all mixed together whereas the current tests are either multiple choice OR vignettes.

I just need to buckle down, schedule and study. I may fail a couple, but I can’t pass them if I don’t take them.

photo by vlasta2 (terms)

So I am almost a licensed Architect. I am so close. School’s done, I’ve finished the Intern Development Program, my records have been transferred to NCARB and I have even passed one test.

This means I have eight more Architectural Registration Exams to take and pass within the next 4 years. It’s not a terribly difficult task, it’s just daunting.

I have been cruising through some archiflash cards while commuting lately, but no hardcore committal studying. I think I will go ahead and register for my next test. Nothing seems to motivate more than a deadline and money on the table.

Oh, and whats the deal with all this motivation I am feeling lately?