one real week of school done

So our first "real" week of school did not start out real at all. We had an all day sketching tour of St. Pancras station and the surrounding area with a practicing architect and NYU-L professor, Benedict O'Looney.
This was a once in a lifetime experience, not only because Benny will not be our regular professor but also just because of the wealth of information he had to share with us about the development of the St. Pancras brown field site. We also spent a lot of time in the British library sketching the alto-esque interior. I was really cool to see Benny's professional-looking, watercolored sketchbook and to see some first time sketchers try it out.

Wednesday we had our first class at the john soane house. Our classroom is literally one of his drawing rooms. This one in particular is where his prodigy student, Joseph Michael Gandy did a lot of his work in the early 19th century. Our professor of our adaptive re-use course will meet us there for class every Wednesday and we have to guard the door and not let anyone un-authorized in because above our heads, in soanes other offices, libraries upstairs are tons of famous paintings and original architectural drawings by soane. It's a pretty cool place to be.

Thursday we had an introduction to the RIBA-- the Royal Institute of British Architecture. It's a beautiful building just south of Regents Park and it is full of different types of resources for us. The library there is one that will surely be a great study spot for us. We have also been given memberships to the AA which is closer and more exclusive... more on that once we actually go there.

Kathleen and I checked out our gym on the Univeristy of London campus and later that same day we had our first BREEAM course-- the UK equivalent of LEED. It was great to start on some more of the environmental/technical aspects of our degree. -- but LONG day. (oh because that morning, before the RIBA introduction I had already been to Whitechapel and back to check out an apartment for Dave) He will be here this month!

Friday I spent trying to find boots on Oxford street-- so many tourists-- not too fun. I did finally find something even though my feet are larger than any British female person. The largest size they have is an 8 (US equivalent is a 10) and I needed a 9 (US equivalent 11).

AND finally, last night we went out to the Princess Louise, one of the oldest pubs in London. It still has little compartment rooms that come up to the bar. I have pictures which I will put up later.

For now we are headed to Borough Market and the Thames River Festival!