Response to Jose

The reading presents an interesting new way to view a problem that we have been dealing with for the past 4 years. While he describes the sequence of designing a project, we have followed a similar path with similar strategies in solving the problems in our eight studios. I did feel that the analogies he used were not clear enough and he could have expressed his ideas in a simpler, more direct way. 

There were several points that he makes that I believe are important to keep in mind while going through my own process of developing a thesis. "It is expedient to study the full complexity of the matter without tripping over all the hurdles encountered." Already I find myself not following this important bit of advice as I begin to think about my thesis. I have made the mistake of liking the idea of a particular project before deciding what argument I want to make. I find that my thoughts about what argument and general focus I want to study quickly diverge into thoughts of program, site, occupancy, etc. It is at this point that I have to consciously step back from the project and remember to look at the "big picture." Those other things will come, but for now it is important that I take the first step; I need to find my phantom.