From two dimensional to three dimensional, there are many ways for students to express themselves in the visual arts. One of those classes is Architecture.
Architecture is currently taught by Mel Gaskins. When she first began teaching at McNick it was a Mechanical Drafting class but she made the switch to an architecture class. “There was more interest in an architecture class,” Mel Gaskins said. “It was a better fit for McNick.”
During the first semester of architecture, students learn the language of architecture where they learn the proper technique and procedure used in drafting and designing. The second semester is devoted to drafting floor plans. They draw from a hat that gives them different scenarios on what their “client” wants them to design, ranging from designing a building that is environmentally friendly to a contemporary house. One of the projects is the “pasta bridge” where students build a bridge out of pasta and see how much weight it can hold.
The Architecture department also utilizes 3D printers. The 3D printer prints three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. McNick first got the printer two years ago, and the architecture students have been using it ever since. It allows students to draft houses or commercial buildings and print them out. “It lets them take what they’ve done on paper and then see it as a three-dimensional object,” Gaskins said. “My favorite part of the class is being able to have a lot of freedom in class and create some of my own projects,” senior Carmen Feck said. “I also enjoy that the class covers a wide range of projects, so you’re not drafting the whole time.”
“My favorite part of the class is the freedom and creativity involved with it,” senior Logan Farwick said. “There’s no one right way to work in this class. The ability to be different and not be considered wrong is very nice.”
Gaskins stressed the importance of architecture and all of the arts in general. “Everything in the world is influenced by art. Your fork, makeup case, car we’re all designed by an artist,” Gaskins said. “Everything from the moment you wake up to when you go to bed, some artist has helped your world.”
The McNicholas Milestone 