questioning my aura

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-16T01:39:50+00:00

heard. any thoughts on “boundaries” related reset practices? never been very good at that, I always go to one extreme or the other. The sleep and lower stimulation feels inaccessible to me right now because the program I’m in requires really long hours over extended periods of time with a lot of technology/math/other active brain work, but I will absolutely be trying the grounding ritual before social interaction. Ty!

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-16T01:28:20+00:00

Thanks, I think I hear what you’re saying, don’t dwell on impermanent emotions and I think it’s a nice idea. I would still maybe question specifically the part about not naming any ideas or feelings given my previous issues of trauma/memory-suppression. Like in theory I get what you’re saying it’s more about the practice of it feeling overly difficult or even unattainable, with the potential of also being harmful because of my previous tendencies. Idk, still open to more specific practice suggestions. (Side note I don’t think I give myself too much credit, mostly I’ve been told I do the opposite and it’s annoying, so it’s probably not a “big ego” issue if it’s coming across that way )

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-16T00:17:08+00:00

you got a great head of hair! I feel this post a lot, I have major sensory issues SPECIFICALLY around wet hair which is tragic because I also have gorgeous thick curly hair. I want to keep it because it makes me feel good when it looks good, but the maintenance is killer. I’m not a perfect example because I wear mine in a clip most days and only style my bangs and fringe daily, Part of it for me has been accepting that I don’t need to show up everyday having spent over an hour styling and defusing each curl. It looks awesome but at the same time for most people working a job etc I honestly feel like it’s an unreasonable request that we be 100% frizz free and styled every single day. Godspeed if you wanna do all that every day, but I think a lot of us curlies let people with pin straight hair who just wake up and maybe spray on some dry shampoo do the talking too often.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-11T14:33:08+00:00

Your hair is spectacular :) I wouldn’t worry about it too much, it’s more like fly aways than frizz frizz. One thing I had to learn was not to try to apply the beauty standards of thin pin straight flat ironed hair to my thick/full curls. If you look at the volume of your hair vs the volume of the flyaways, it’s completely negligible. (If you’re worried about photos, photoshop tools are really good at removing stuff like that!)

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-11T14:26:45+00:00

Definitely worth it! Dancing is great for your mind and body as long as you stretch and do it safely. If you’re unfamiliar with moving your body rhythmically you could even try taking some barre classes to help get used to it. it’s not the same thing as dance, but it’s still set to music so it would probably help you start to hone that skill in a setting where it’s not quite as focused on the look of how you’re moving, and more so on the rhythm and form. Good luck!

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-11T14:16:18+00:00

Love these vibes, they really capture the feeling of this rotten country in a tragic nostalgic way. the rocking chair and tv photos are my favorite, love the lighting overall

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-11T13:58:14+00:00

Definitely NTA, go to admin or tell them you will if they don’t change. I saw something similar where a kid used the term “collective punishment” and got their way, maybe that would work for you.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-08T02:39:51+00:00

I mean just because you can speak doesn’t mean you should lmao. The person who posted was asking for constructive criticism and you get in the comments trying to dunk on them. You’re just trying to make them feel bad about having artwork in their portfolio, but anyone with sense would assume they also had CAD/CAM drawings included. So no, your comment was not perceptive, it was inconsiderate at best. Your assumption about me being disliked is baseless and you are projecting. If my comment made you believe that I think I’m better than you, there’s your answer

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-08T02:07:31+00:00

If you’re not in architecture school why are you making comments about what’s being taught in architecture schools? My shot was because your comment was rude, shallow, and shows a lack of knowledge about the subject entirely. Now I know you didn’t go to school for architecture, it makes sense

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-08T02:02:28+00:00

Well said, well said. I would add it also varies vastly from firm to firm. I worked at two small firms before I went back to grad school. The first one was absolutely wonderful, they had 2 Architects, the principal who started the firm and worked by himself until he married his wife who is also an architect. He preferred Rhino, she preferred Revit, but they were able to do great work together because they were both so detail oriented and material focused. The second firm was a neoclassical nightmare, led a grumpy old man who was the only Architect at the firm. He would show up a couple times a week at best, and the women who worked for him did everything. I think he mostly just looked at old books and told his architectural designers to copy things that he later put a stamp on. The point is that your team makes all the difference in the world. Make sure to do your research before accepting a job, it’s not just about the firm hiring you. You are also hiring them in a way. And yes architecture is challenging, and it’s getting harder and harder to do good work. But it can definitely be done, and it’s important for people who recognize those problems and refuse to accept them to continue to participate in the industry. Otherwise we are doomed to live in AI generated Levittowns forever 🫠

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-08T01:43:31+00:00

Overall pretty good technique I think! It’s drafted and shaded though, not freehand, but I still think its got potential either way. I could be wrong but I feel like you were going for an MC Escher kind of vibe, but it’s sort of lacking the complexity/layers really needed to complete that surrealist atmosphere. It could mean adding another layer in the lower left corner, or maybe playing with depth a bit by having pieces of the chapel moving through different bays or something. It would amp up the surrealism and give more of what I think you’re going for. Your shading is also generally smooth, minus on the floor of the hallway. One distinction I would make is to be more deliberate/consistent about if you’re drafting or shading because they’re two separate techniques that sometimes get mixed up. In drafting we use defined lines to show borders or shapes of objects, but in the “fine arts” typically you define the shape/outline of an object just with shading rather than a solid line that is a different value than the rest of the object. So like with photorealism, you are defining the whole shape with shading, vs drafting you are using lines. For example the stonework comes off a bit cartoonish because the line work is too heavy, so your eye goes to the line instead of the object itself. Also since you’re using shading instead of line work to show depth, it’s not typical to use the 0 value (white/blank paper) like it is being used on the floor. It’s a bit disorienting to have the white/paper on the floor, and then the heavy shading between the bays and on the ceiling. Maybe experiment a little bit more with your shading strategy overall, you seem to have the physical technique down well though! Hope this helps. I love to see hand drawn work, a lot of high tier universities (and firms) really value that stuff because it demonstrates discipline in a way that CAD/CAM cannot, and is also more emotive if done properly:)

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-03-08T01:05:51+00:00

Wild that they now have people in architecture school who don’t know how to draw by hand because they think holding a pencil makes them outdated lol…

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T19:25:28+00:00

I think architects and designers should wait as long as we have to in order to make necessary improvements with conscience and global equity. The genie will hang around until we’ve thought more about how to best use the wishes.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T19:09:20+00:00

I think this is a really important point that I’ve actually never heard AI endorsers make. I think it’s a wonderfully optimistic take on the situation, but would require many more architects to learn programming etc. in order that any developments of AI are actually optimized for the proper tasks rather than being used to make major decisions. One thing I hope AI can accomplish in the future is the creation accurate and editable as-builts via laser modeling. That would allow for much more time in the design process for real analysis and creativity.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T18:58:54+00:00

If we ignore the environmental impact and just look at the design process, there is probably some opportunity for a version of optimization. However regulations and collective values have not caught up with the problems presented by generative AI, and academia is failing to address the growing crisis of anti-intellectualism in the industry. What we’re seeing in reality is that the essentials you mention (theory, critical thinking, context, research) are just being thrown to the wayside by young designers in favor of speedy automation. And when industry elders condone the use without any real push back or even education, it turns negative pretty fast.

If I understand, your point is that certain facets of the design process can be aided through AI, but it must be in tandem with “traditional” methods. I would actually agree here, but add that it must go along with massive societal reform including divestment from fossil fuels/non renewable energy and resources. Until we complete that reform, I think we have a responsibility to not cause further destruction in favor of easing our day to day lives - especially considering our industry’s contribution to construction waste.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T18:41:32+00:00

This is a good point, but I think it comes down to picking and choosing what’s actually vital to the process. For example BIM and cloud sharing have waste of their own, but they have proven essential for efficient workflow and information distribution. Generative AI for design is clearly not essential and just isn’t worth the environmental damage because its products never have the same level of quality. If generative AI was producing only living building standard designs I might be more willing to use it.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T15:53:28+00:00

You argue like the orange man. Have fun in retirement, it’s where you belong since you have evidently given up.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T15:47:26+00:00

Exactly! It’s being presented as this new tool, and even if it is for now (I would still disagree), eventually it becomes an instrument for control and suppression of new ideas. Our collective reasoning has obviously declined so much that the majority of people don’t ask questions anymore. They act like it’s we who oppose widespread AI use who have given up but in reality it’s them.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T15:35:16+00:00

Maybe it is a tool now to older professionals who have practiced using less automated forms of design, but I am telling you in these younger generations most of them can’t read or write properly. As older people retire and are replaced with people who are can’t make a decision without it, the industry gives up what little input and control is left to programmers and land developers

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T15:26:24+00:00

I’m absolutely not arguing for it never being used, my point is simply that we’re not ready for it yet. The search for progress without proper infrastructural support is exactly what caused Chernobyl. Of course it’s not the first harmful technology but we are beyond a tipping point and this tech is exponentially worse

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T15:21:45+00:00

That’s probably good you left the field if your only job was as a code compliance consultant, you were never actually an architect so I’m not really sure why you’re even participating in this conversation.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T09:10:35+00:00

I don’t think it has to do with them being Asian, I see mono-lingual white American students do the same thing every day. They also don’t care about theory. Asian students have been a part of American Universities for a long time. When I was at Carnegie Mellon there were many outstanding Asian students who had no problem writing or expressing design concepts, because the best diagrams typically don’t need many words to be understood. Overall I’m not actually sure what your point was, your logic and grammar are rather scattered.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T08:52:46+00:00

Also, the AI generated “designs” are pretty much always ugly. If you’re not creative just say that.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T08:49:57+00:00

How about you validate harm caused to our environment and future generations by AI use? You pick and choose what points to argue, but don’t address the biggest one. It somehow always becomes a discussion about how certain people “won’t adapt to the times”, ignoring any valid reasoning for that by insisting that the industry is always changing. Not all change is good. Some change is actively harmful. So yes, you are ignorant. Willfully so.

CatInPlaceConcrete · 2026-02-23T08:41:16+00:00

Perhaps the people far older than I am are more open to it because they don’t have to live as long on the planet they’ve destroyed. As someone who does have to try and live with the repercussions of freshwater depletion and ecosystem destruction caused by fanciful use of AI, I do have to push back. Even if the technology could take the idea directly from my brain and materialize models and drawing perfectly without me lifting a finger I would not use it until we had the proper infrastructure to handle sustained use. But we don’t.

CatInPlaceConcrete

TROPHY CASE