PreservationNation

Written by Nate V.

Nate V. at the Franklin School.

Hi, this is Nate V. again. Today I am writing to you on a much more personal topic, about how the Boise Architecture Project has impacted the way I look at the world around me and about how it has affected my own life in general.

The BAP is one of the greatest things that I have come in contact with in my high school career. It is entirely built upon student interest, maintained by faculty, has been made a great success, and has been noted for receiving national and local merits. The fact that this was created by a teacher and ultimately controlled by students marvels me, even months after I did the project. What seemed to be a “just get it over with” type of project when first introduced has been transformed into an enlightening quest, so to speak, when doing research on a local building.

The fact that it is local is one of the best parts of this project. You get to see common buildings that you pass everyday tell a story which unravels the mystery of the history of this great city. After all, it is in these recognized or unrecognized buildings that the very foundation of every city is built upon, whether they are old, new, modern, or classic.

Nate V. inside the organ at St. John's Cathedral.

Ever since taking part in the BAP, I have never been the same, but in an entirely good, educational way. These once simple stone and concrete structures are now an intriguing array of shapes and stories. I look at a building, examine it, notice its shape, see the materials that are used, the window structure, the size, and then possibly give a venture on when it was made. But I realize that this is only the beginning of my curiosity. I then want to know the designer of the building. How did he get the job? Why did he design this building in this certain way? What was his motive? I get lost in my own excitement about a building.

I noticed myself doing this on several buildings, particularly on the Morrison Center, part of Boise State University. I couldn’t get my mind off it. I know that most of you would not waste a second thought on a mere building and most likely think I am little crazy, but the natural wonder of it all is that these buildings will be around for years and years continuing to serve their purposes and gain new stories. These new stories will inspire people to give an ounce of a thought to what even brought this building here.

I do not know if I will ever look at another building the same again, or if I will forget all of this years down the line, but I do know that it is because of these experiences, like the BAP, that help me grow in multiple aspects of my life and I want to share my amazement with those around me, hoping that it might spur on the smallest change in peoples’ perceptions of architecture. Perhaps you feel similarly about buildings?

Nate V. is a student at Boise’s Timberline High School and is participating in the Boise Architecture Project. You can follow the students here on the PreservationNation blog and on their Flickr photostream. Also, get daily updates from their teacher, Doug StanWiens, on Twitter.

Are you an educator interested in teaching preservation in your classroom? Visit PreservationNation.org for resources, tips, and ideas to enhance your curriculum with lessons that will teach your students to recognize and appreciate the rich history that surrounds them.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 4:47 pm and is filed under teaching preservation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.