University

Quick Update

This is just a quick update to let everyone know that my application for RMIT university is now in.  I redesigned the Cockatoo Community Centre, and hopefully this will score me an interview and then a place at RMIT Architecture!

Photos

The End

Almost There


The final exams are beginning to roll around the corner and things are starting to slow down to a crawl. Before, of course, speeding up again.
Systems Technology is today. 11:45 to 13:30. Another normal-sized exam. It's horrible to think that the exams done in university are even longer than this. Around the same length as our three-hour English one. Not looking forward to that.

Before long, I'm going to have no use for the gigantic calendar I blew up, printed and stuck on my wall. When that is taken down, the exam period, schoolies, and school life overall is going to be over... That's going to be one hell of a day.

And so, off to get ready for today's exam. When this is over, there's one more next Wednesday, and then we're finished.

RMIT

Architecture

Design has been a large part of my life.  My dad is an engineer, and although I have changed what I want to do with my life quite a few times, every one of them has been based upon the art of design. Since the beginning of this year, I ended up making the choice to study Architecture at one of the main universities in Melbourne. Since I cannot move to Geelong to study at Deakin, that narrows it down to either Monash or RMIT. Monash requires an extremely high ENTER (ATAR) score, whereas RMIT seem to focus more on talent and want the people who actually want to study, learn, and practice Architecture.

The Pre-Selection Kit

In order to study at RMIT, they ask for hopeful students to complete a Pre-Selection Kit which they use to determine who they would like to interview. This is a design exercise where you need to design a building that will solve a problem in 2030.

For this, I have chosen to redesign the Cockatoo Community Centre, in rural Victoria, Australia. This is because I believe that as more people move out into the mountains and rural areas as the cities get more crowded and more expensive, people will need a place to enjoy themselves (as living out here is far away from anything.

As I design it and make changes, I will upload them to this blog in order to follow and track my progress through designing the building.

The Photos

This is the view from the front of the centre.  Currently, I do not have any windows added as I have been working on the back.

This is the view from the back.  This is the main community area.  The window will overhang a hill, and will provide an excellent view of the forest and mountain that is behind the building.

This is the senior-citizens-orientated side, however can still be used by general public.  The balcony can have tables/chairs, or can simply have lawn chairs.  This overlooks not only the forest behind, but also the tennis courts and other sporting areas within Cockatoo.

This is the East side, overlooking the sporting areas as well as a small piece of unoccupied land, followed by McBride St.

Battlefield Play4Free

An unusual duo
A new game announced by EA Games brings together an unusual combination of modern games and free.  This is the same type of thing as the previous made Battlefield Heroes which was sort of a free version of Team Fortress 2 (TF2), however this one has the same type of maps and vehicles as Battlefield 2 and uses the same classes as Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Fun4Free
Personally, I think that this looks great.  The trailer for it (which can be viewed in 720p HD goodness just here) shows that the graphics will be much like those of Battlefield 1942 (Battlefield 2) and Battlefield 2142, meaning that this should run fairly smoothly on older systems (such as mine).  Plus, the fact that it’s free really makes it a must have even if it’s just to see what it’s like and you’re going to delete it later.

The registration for the beta is available right here.  However remember that it is a closed beta, and so you will need to submit your email address and hope for an invite.

The full game will be released next Autumn (US Autumn).

Trailer

Battlefield Play4Free Trailer

Sources:
- Games.on.net (Internode’s Games Website)
- Play4Free, EA Games

Blow Up the Earth and Still be Home in Time for Dinner!

I found this website through a link from (a great website) Universe Today.  It is essentially a website that allows you to create your own asteroid, and make it hurtle towards the Earth.  You are able to customize the speed of the asteroid, the size, the density, and even what material it is made of.  After all of this has been set, and you have selected the angle of impact, it will calculate all of the information you need about that impact including how loud it will be from the distance you are away from it, how much of the Earth will melt/shatter and break off, the after effects, and even what happens to things such as the Earth’s orbit around the sun and the effects that it will have on what we currently know as a day!

This website is incredibly satisfying.  Blowing the Earth up multiple times within the space of 15 minutes gives one a calming sensation.  I caused a head on collision with an asteroid the size of London moving at a few thousand km/s, causing 100% of the Earth to melt and shatter, and creating another asteroid belt between Venus and Mars.

 

Links:  - Impact: Earth