Dual Purpose

It's really convenient when anything at any given point in time can be used in more than one way.  I think that is what made the volunteer fire station in Newbern, AL so interesting.  While housing the two emergency vehicles for this part of the county, there is also space above the vehicles that acts as the town hall.   This project was completed by some a group of four fifth year thesis students involved in the Rural Studio.  It took over two years to complete the building of this fairly large (relative to some of the other projects we saw).  One interesting stipulation about the thesis year at the Rural Studio is that the students are required to live in Newbern until they complete their project.  It's very nice to see a group of students so in love with their work that they gave up a year of their time to leave behind this wonderful building for the town to benefit from.

Time Flies When You Learn You Cannot

I cannot excuse why I never followed up with my promises of uploading all the pictures from the Rural Studio, but I will, eventually.  Hopefully sooner than later.  Anyway, I recently learned that we as humans are not meant to take flight.  I learned this by leaping off of some scaffolding some 12 feet above the ground as one of the other students working with me here unsecured a metal roofing panel and began sliding down the roof in my direction.

Stupidly or instinctively, I still am unable to distinguish which, I jumped without looking.  I came crashing down on to a metal fence of some sort, which I think helped, along with my ankles to break my fall.  We were able to find some crutches and I tried to avoid taking a trip to the hospital nearby, but after two days and some strange colored bruises, I decided it was in my best interest to at least have my left ankle, which absorbed most of my weight from the fall, x-rayed.  Somehow, I managed to only severely sprain my ankle, which I have been nursing for the last two weeks.

Since the fall, I have been delegated to finalizing our construction documents for the house we have been designing and working on putting together a book. Below are a few of the drawings going into the book, and should provide for more of an idea of what the house will look like.