At the end of my first year of architectural studies, I was privileged enough to travel to Switzerland as part of a three week sketching tour of Switzerland led by two University of Tennessee architecture professors. Though I had been studying architecture for a full year, I can honestly say I had not truly experienced architecture (let alone architecture of extraordinary conception) until this point.

As I began to amass a sketchbook full of drawings, I found that when I looked back my favorite sketches were the ones with rain drops and smeared ink, sketches of light qualities and texture, sketches of my friends and others around me-- engaged sketches. When architecture engages us it does something different that mere buildings could ever do. Architecture allows us to experience it and in turn creates moments that are both memorable and valuable to all human beings alike.

Suffice it to say, the tour was extremely influential on me and would later influence my decision to return to Switzerland and study at the ETH Zürich during the autumn of 2009. During the trip, we were primarily based in three locations - Zürich, Flims, and Bellinzona. From these points, we completed day trips by bus to nearby places of interest. All in all, I cannot imagine a better way to spend nearly a month that drawing all day, eating nutella, and experiencing the architecture and culture of such a beautiful country.

This will be available for web viewing soon. In the meantime, it is downloadable below.