Seaside Series: The Best Spring Break an Architecture Major Could Ask For

For my spring break this year, I was given the awesome opportunity of going to Seaside, Florida. A group of my classmates and I will be participating in a program that is a short but intensive course in urban theory focusing on the town. Seaside is an 80-acre town that is considered one of the most important developments in the second part of the 20th century.

We (14 students and 2 professors) are staying at the recently completed Academic Village at Seaside, and Hampton University will be the first group to take this course here. There will be lectures and sketching and long walks along shaded side streets, and generally its going to be a fantastic experience. I'm glad that Hampton University is the school that gets to pilot this program, and even though its the first day, everyone already seems to be having a good time.

The lyceum is based on the lawn at U.V.A., originally designed by Thomas Jefferson. It creates a great green space that is utilized by families and kids, and will be the venue for a play tomorrow night. 

The cottages at the Lyceum. We will be eating breakfast and dinner on the porch. 

My room inside the Academic Village cottage. 

The roadways are very unique, for America, but are also very reminiscent of Africa, with paved road in the center, and gravel/dirt roads on the side for parking. The roads are only just wide enough for cars to pass through, and the speed limit almost everywhere is 10 mph. Also, bikes are absolutely everywhere, but for $25 a day rate, I'm going to walk instead. The kids are especially mobile with these, and are constantly zooming from one side of the town to the next.

Part of the maze of side alleys at Seaside, apparently everything outside the picket fences is public properties. One of the most fascinating thing about this place is the lack of lawns. This means the kids and people relax in the porches or in the variety of public places.

Porch Details

A view out over the rich variety of rooftops poking out among the native vegetation. One of the things I respect most about Seaside is their commitment to the local flora and using the local plants, instead of shipping plants in from other areas. 

One of three entrances from the Central Square. I really love the ceiling. 

Looking over the tops of the Academic Village Cottages where we're staying, over the public charter school, which was one of the first of its kind in Florida, over the beach houses, and out to the sea.