George Lauder Bursary - Week 1

Sunday 31st May

• Landed at JFK quite nervous, but as I got past customs, the nervousness went away.

• Freya and I got picked up by William and taken to our accommodation to drop our bags off.

• We then all went out for food at an Italian restaurant and had a little look around the area before William left.

• Freya and I then went to Target to get things for the accommodation. I was very tired from the flight, so I headed back and got settled in before going to bed.

Monday 1st June

• I woke up quite early due to the jet lag, so I got ready and then unpacked my case.

• There were a few things I realised I forgot at Target that I would need for starting at Pratt, so I headed back.

• After another walk around the area and getting food, Freya and I headed into Manhattan and had a look about there before my first class.

• I then started at Pratt. The first class was just a bit of an introduction, so I got to meet the classmates and my Lecturer. We also found out more about the classes to come and the work we would be doing.

• After my first class, I decided to head straight to Chipotle as it was one of the main food places I had been wanting to try, and it was worth the hype.

Tuesday 2nd June

• My body clock was still a bit shaky, so I found myself up and ready quite early again.

• Ended up at Target, again. There were a few more things I needed to get for the accommodation.

• We then walked around Brooklyn again, looking at some of the unbelievable architecture. I also had a look around as I wanted to get a new pair of trainers, but I couldn't find the ones I wanted.

• After lunch, I got ready to head into the city for my second class. In this class, we were introduced to our first little project, which was on drawing and sketching.

• After class, I headed to another Foot Locker and managed to find the trainers I was looking for.

• Freya and I then headed into Times Square and got tacos at a nearby spot.

Wednesday 3rd June

• I got ready and then got breakfast at a nearby Deli.

• I went for a wander around the area again as I wanted to find some inspiration for my first Pratt project. I still wasn't able to decide, but as the project was not due until the following Monday, I wanted to give myself more time to look.

• In the third class, we had a big discussion on the Notes for an Architectural Body by Gins and Arakawa.

Thursday 4th June

• This was the last day of class for the week, so I headed out looking for inspiration again. I decided that I wanted to do my first project on a brownstone townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, as they really stand out to me, and they are quite aesthetically pleasing.

• After lunch, I headed for class. In this class, we headed out to The Cooper Union building to look at some of their work in the exhibition. It was really great to see a variety of pieces from different year groups.

• As this was class over for the week, I decided I would go out to a local bar. This was a great idea as the first people I met ended up being two fellow Scotsmen who stay out here. They also invited me to come to the Scotland vs Bolivia game that was happening in NJ on Saturday.

Friday 5th June

• Freya and I got the train to Central Park and had a wander around, and it was unbelievably hot weather. We also got bagels at this place we wanted to try, which were great.

• I then headed back home and got ready to meet up with a new friend I made from the building. We went out for a few drinks, but I called it early as I was heading to New Jersey the next day for the Scotland vs Bolivia friendly match.

Saturday 6th June

• I woke up quite early, got myself ready, and went and got some breakfast at the nearby deli. I was very excited to see the game.

• Around lunchtime, I got on the train and headed for New Jersey. The meet-up point was a Scottish bar, which was unbelievable, as I got to meet up with my new mates and also meet so many more fellow Scots, including Craig Ferguson, who had raised over £1,000,000 for men's mental health by walking from one side of the US to the other.

• We then headed to the stadium after a few drinks to watch the game. It was crazy to see how many Scottish people there were in attendance, especially for a friendly. The game was unreal, with a 4-0 win to Scotland.

• After the game, I got some food and headed back home as I was knackered.

Sunday 7th June

• As I had quite a busy weekend, I was very tired by the Sunday. I spent the majority of the day inside resting, looking over my notes from my first week, and working on my first little project. I made sure I was prepared to start my second week the following day.