kacie michele leisure

"Feedback Loop": Anna Behrendt

2012-02-10T00:25:00.011-05:00

After getting a closer look at Anna Behrendt’s redesign of the Music Library at UNCG, I absolutely love its potential. I think with some more development, it could be really great. Her concept is reverberation. This goes perfectly with this music building and her design shows it off with a repetition of forms throughout the space.
In her design, she uses these awesome curved units that provide shelving on the bookends and a private space in the middle. I think the function of these “nooks” is great, but they take up a lot of space and could be used in a better way.

Looking at Anna’s floor plan, these units are all in the center of the room, avoiding the perimeter. While this may work for circulation being able to walk around them, I think they just take up too much space this way. Maybe she can have some up against the wall, and do something else with the center of the space.
Her design focuses on maybe three needs of users: the lounger, the “head-in-the-books” student, and the book-browser. I haven’t done as much research on the music library as Anna has, but I might suggest adding some space for group study/tutoring. I think she could look more into the learning commons strategy that we discussed in class on Wednesday to help provide to the needs of more users. This could help fill up the space if she were to move around the study units.
Another thing I noticed is that while she excelled in the design of the main study units, she really lacks attention to the ceiling and floor. I think doing this would help pull her concept together. Overall, I thought Anna was really creative in her design and I loved her color scheme. I think that if this design was matured to it’s full potential, Anna would have an amazing design that the librarian staff and users would love!

Learning Commons

2012-02-09T22:12:00.004-05:00

For a practice of giving 90 second speeches, Jamaan and I reviewed an article called "7 Things you Should Know About the Modern Learning Commons". A learning commons breaks the idea of a traditional library. It combines full-service learning services, research facilities and project spaces for student use. The Jackson Library needs to accommodate the needs of all types of students. With it's current layout, it doesn't do that. A learning commons could eliminate the poor use of space and transform it into a multi-functional student center. Learning commons would be a great addition to university libraries because they promote learning at different paces and provide customizable services. At the Jackson Library, a learning commons could incorporate the superlab, reading room, reference room, and more. Above, is a composition of a few learning commons that Jamaan and I felt were successful and inspirational. The image on the top left is a learning commons proposal for University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, the top right is a proposal for Missouri State, and the 2 images on the bottom is the fully functioning Victoria University Learning Commons in Australia.

Space Plan

2012-02-06T15:28:00.011-05:00

In redesigning the first floor of the Jackson Library, I focused on the concept of flowing water and the idea of knowledge flowing from the library onto campus. I separated the first floor into 3 main sections; all offices will be held in the west section (currently the superlab), the main access desk will be in the middle section along with study tables and entrance to the EUC and tower, and the student center will be in the east wing (housing the reading room/reference room/ superlab extravaganza). The central axis from one end of the building to the other will still be used, but in a different way. This includes separation of boundaries by transparent plastic walls instead of the non-welcoming walls that are currently there. Within this axis, I designed a series of curved ceiling panels that will help users with the circulation throughout the first floor in a more natural flow through the spaces.

The plan above shows the separation of spaces with the offices highlighted in light orange, access desk and study tables in light red, and the student center in light violet.

Not only would the ceiling feature help guide users throughout the space, but it also helps lower acoustic levels.

Freelon Group + Paula Carr

2012-02-06T00:59:00.001-05:00

I really enjoyed our visit to Freelon Group on Wednesday. It was the first firm that I have been to their building and I thought it was a great experience seeing the insides of a company and how they work. I enjoyed hearing how the interior designers work throughout the project and not just at the end. That was one thing similar to what Paula Carr had to say about tvs design. While at Freelon Group, I really appreciated their advice on what they look for at interviews. Although some things mentioned were contradictory to what some of the professors have told us, I was still open to hearing their opinions.

Following our visit at the firm, we traveled to the Durham County South Regional Library, designed by Freelon Group. This visit was inspirational not only because we are looking at this library in our IAR 311 class, but also our IAR 302 Studio where we are redesigning the Jackson Library at UNCG. My favorite part of this library was the slatted wood ceiling that peaked out around the edges of the interior. I also loved the colorful furniture throughout the library which really brightened up the space and turned a library into a place that I would want to be in.

I think these visits with professionals help a lot to inform us students of what it is like in the professional world of design. When Paula visited us, I thought she had a lot of interesting information to share. What stood out most to me was the way her design process worked. She sketches a lot to get ideas across quickly so that inspired me to sketch more at the beginning stages. Then she puts her ideas into the digital world and models many of the different ideas until they eventually pin them up to talk about as a group.

Peer Review: Faith Ramsey

2012-01-30T01:59:00.003-05:00

This week, we were asked to develop 5 concepts for our library design based upon the systems of structure, lighting, water, electricity and technology. Then we were asked to review the concepts of a classmate. Faith Ramsey brings to our class a colorful and abstract view towards design that is appreciative to those of us who aren't so gifted at being abstract. For this assignment she brought some great ideas for concepts. The one I thought was most successful was her relationship of technology and the library. For this one she she focused on one diagram on the page to show how the concept showed parts making up a whole and connections. Her diagram shows main parts in red with breakout sections that make that up. I think this could be a great concept because of the connections she diagrammed. My only suggestion would be to add annotations to the diagrams which I think would help communicate the diagrams without being there.

View Faith's blog here.

Systems: Conceptual Development

2012-01-28T00:34:00.005-05:00

Skin: 4 Materials

2012-01-26T01:57:00.000-05:00

For this assignment, we had to research 4 materials that we could potentially use in the remodel of UNCG’s Jackson Library. The 4 materials had to have connections, differences, and different qualities. One had to be from before 1950, another had to be manufactured within the last year, one had to be borrowed from our precedent, and the last had to cover a majority of the surface with any shade of blue.

Materials Side

Sketches of materials in use with product specs.

For the blue material I chose terrazzo floor tile by Fritztile. Aside from blue being one of UNCG’s school colors, this beautiful tile would brighten up the space. This tile may be able to be used as the counter tiles at the checkout counter.

For the new material, I chose a product by 3form made of resin. This translucent material has a subtle pattern that would make great wall partitions to separate public and private spaces. This material could also be used as a ceiling feature. The product is able to be heat formed to mold into different forms.

The old material that I selected was Bronze. GKD Metal Fabrics makes a great material out of bronze that is flexible and can be molded into different shapes. I proposed this to be used as a ceiling feature. Aside from a ceiling feature, this material could also be used as a partition, or covering for columns.

Lastly was the borrowed material, which I took from the Mount Angel Library. This library uses slatted wood on the ceilings. While this isn’t the exact material, it represents the look I was going for. I saw this being an installation that would flow through the space and create boundaries to draw users to. This material could be used sides of the information desks or check out counter.

The connection between these materials is obvious to be. They all have an amazing rhythm and flow that draws the user eye from one place to the next. None of them are just plain solid colored materials. By this rhythm and flow, users of the building will feel drawn to keep moving throughout the building.

The differences between the materials are mainly the textures and visual qualities. The tile is smooth and cold to the touch. The product from 3form is translucent, with a slight rough texture to it. The Bronze is slick and some can be seen when looking through it. It is bendable in two directions. The Slatted wood is unfinished and gritty feeling. It is also bendable in one direction.

Overall, I believe all these materials could be represented within the concept of flow because of the transitions that they make.

Structure: Precedent Study

2012-01-26T00:33:00.000-05:00

Site: Analysis of UNCG Jackson Library

2012-01-26T00:30:00.000-05:00

Cycle of Design: Design Manifesto

2012-01-19T23:53:00.001-05:00

“Architecture, being art, is supposed to have movements. In the customary sequence, a movement starts in relevance, loses it but prospers anyway for many years, then succumbs to the next cycle.” – Stewart Brand

This quote comes from a book by Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built. This quote is a beautiful explanation of the design cycle. There are so many different styles of architecture and design that have taken place throughout history. Brand is basically saying that these styles start out popular and then loose their popularity for a some time. Eventually, society cannot resist bringing that style back. It all comes around full circle. This relates to historic preservation. Old buildings will go out of style and be disliked. But instead of tearing them down, I think it is important to preserve them and bring them up to tempo with current times. By doing this, it provides the opportunity for the building to become popular again and complete the circle. If all the buildings from, say, the art deco period get torn down, what happens when that movement comes back? Or even just pieces from that movement come back. We will have to recreate architecture that was already once there. It is important to respect past architectural movements because as Brand states, these movements “…succumb[s] to the next cycle”.

Building Information Modeling Response

2012-01-18T00:08:00.001-05:00

Parametric Modeling can be described as the relationship between different parts of a 3D model. For example, in a Revit building model, everything has a relationship with each other. If you delete a wall in a model, everything that is on the wall such as windows and doors, will also be deleted. This is so there aren’t random building parts floating around in space. I can see how that could be helpful because if the windows just stayed there, they could be forgotten about and could throw off the model. But with parametric modeling, you have to be careful what you delete. Deleting “just a line” will delete the entire wall or floor or whatever that line is a part of.

The article discusses major differences between Revit and CAD. I have never used CAD before but I can understand the differences after reading about it. In CAD, you have to manually make each floorplan, section, elevation, and schedule. Whereas with BIM in Revit, all these drawings are automatically made just by making one model. This can be extremely helpful and time saving. Though I haven’t used CAD, I have used Rhino to do modeling, which the author also discusses. I feel like Rhino may be in between CAD and Revit, as far as intelligence goes. Changing something in the Rhino digital model automatically updates or deletes something in the other drawings. Rhino just isn’t as smart as Revit as far as drafting, since it seems to be more geared towards 3D modeling of objects rather than buildings. Overall, Revit is much more interactive and intelligent and I look forward to becoming proficient in the program.

Computing in Architectural Design: Summary

2012-01-10T21:51:00.004-05:00

The development of architectural design on the computer has changed the way designers have worked throughout the years.

CAD systems have advanced in steps consisting of three generations. The first generation CAD systems in the 1970s consisted of two main routes. The Geometric Modeling route was primarily for automotive and aerospace industries led by companies like General Motors. They needed computer systems to aid them with drawing complex curves and operations to test designs. The Building Specific route was more for the needs of the construction industry. Universities such as Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Michigan led research on this type. The goal was to develop computing devices that could respond to the needs of the users without an architect.

The second generation of CAD system had a primary need for drafting and modeling applications. A big step was the introduction of the Macintosh computer in 1984 which made it more accessible to people. Large scale computers were really only able to be accessed by researchers. This is when early CAD systems were developed such as MacDraft, MiniCAD, and others that were easy to use. Soon after, more professional software was developed such as AutoDesk. Advancements of processors, display screens, printers, and high-end workstations, all led towards the ability for architects to communicate their designs with drafting and photo realistic renderings.

The third generation of CAD systems happened in the late 1980s-1990s. Advancements in the electronics industry allowed for more intelligent CAD programs. Objects could be made instead of just shapes and software could assist in the design instead of just communicate. Systems recognized walls, doors, windows, and rooms, and could manipulate their geometry and attributes. Later in the 1990s, Carnegie Mellon University produced a system that assisted with preliminary processes of designing like programming, layout design and schematic configuration design.

The author discusses roles that technology can play in the architectural design process. First is design tools. Drafting and modeling has been made easier by the use of electronic tools instead of the traditional pencil and paper. The software cannot use these tools alone so the design is still needed to instruct the computer to use the tools. Means of communication has been changed so that individual computers can connect to larger networks and other computers so that information can be shared quickly and efficiently. Computers can act as design assistants to do more simple tasks so the design can focus on tasks more complex. The computer can also help by answering questions and finding design solutions. Design environments; these computer programs make it so designers have to go to the computer to work on the design. Next is Habitable physical environments. Computers have brought intelligence even to every day life. They are able to control systems such as lighting and security systems. Computers are placed in cars to control fuel injection, temperature and air bags. Lastly, Virtual environments, like Cyberspace, make a place on the internet that is nonphysical, making it possible to view reality differently.

Overall, the design profession would be so incredibly different without all of these advances in technology. Computers and CAD programs make it possible for designers to make their designs realistic in the virtual world before beginning construction.

light Sketch Series 5 & 5.5

2011-10-22T18:48:00.002-04:00

(please click to enlarge)

Light Sketch Series 4

2011-10-12T21:30:00.005-04:00

a. semi direct

b. surface mounted

c. 2 lamps, fluorescent

d. off site construction

e. manufacturer - TCP

f. 2 lamps at 32 watts each

g. material - plastic; finish - silver

h. lensing - acrylic

i. function - fixed

j. ballasts - voltage - specific; lamps - 2; control method - non dimming; start method - program start; protection - thermal fuse; location - internal to luminaire

k. environment - dry

l. shielding - plastic covering. no baffles or louvers

a. purpose of space - stairwell, egress

b. purpose of lighting - allows for vertical navigation - ambient

c. the lamps provide an upward and downward wall grazing effect revealing the concrete walls

d. the lamps produce a decent light. but when there is a lack of natural light coming in, the light doesn't travel as far as it should.

lamp type

TCP 31032/841/XHL - shatter resistant - F32T8/841-32w

t8 - 24,000 life hours - 3,000 Lumens, CRI: 85

brand - TCP
Part no. 31032841
wattage - 32w
bulb color - crisp white
bulb shape - T8
base type - medium bi-pin
color temp - 4100k
length - 48"
diameter - 1"
life hours - 24,000
lumens - initial 2950
warranty - 24 months
case quantity - 25
price per case - $45.00

Light Sketch Series 3

2011-09-29T01:33:00.007-04:00

Recorded on September 22, 2011 at 11:30 PM

(click to enlarge)

Light Sketch Series 2

2011-09-28T23:29:00.004-04:00

(click to enlarge)

MR-16

a. hallway with pin up space

b. accent - purpose of lighting is to have spot lights on the pin up space

c. MR-16

d. the lamps along the ceiling create a direct spot light towards the walls

e. according to Flynn- cool colors stimulate impressions of visual clarity. cool atmosphere = efficiency and neatness

f. these lamps are great for focusing on details. But other than the paths of direct light, there is a dim hallway. A broader variety of light sources would help solve this.

Halogen

a. elevator

b. ambient - well diffused space with glow, without being too bright

c. grid of Halogen lamps

d. the light source produces a diffused glow

e. none of Flynn's impressions correlate with our findings

f. no recommendations. the warm glow produces a relaxing environment

Fluorescent

a. recycling room/utility closet

b. task - provides all over bright light

c. Fluorescent

d. the lamp is bright to light the entire room

e. according to Flynn - cool atmosphere = efficiency and neatness needed for this space

f. the lamp seems to be too bright for the small space. a smaller lamp is recommended

Metal Halide

a. studio workspace

b. task - provides adequate light for working

c. Metal Halide

d. multiple lamps provide the space with electric light needed to work

e. Flynn - cool atmosphere = neatness. the space looks organized because of the effect the lamps have

f. lamps should be closer to the desks. without the natural light during the evening hours, the space can become poorly lit

Incandescent

a. individual desk

b. task - purpose to provide extra light when needed

c. Incandescent

d. provides a warm light, close to work to light the area

e. Flynn - warm atmosphere = friendliness, coziness. this is helpful with a small space within a larger space, making it feel more comfortable

Fabric A

-MR-16: spotlights the texture and brings out the cool tones in the textile

-Halogen: brings out the browns and reds. looks a lot warmer compared to the other lamps overall. not as bright

-Fluorescent: brings out warm and cool tones both. not either one of the extremes (cool/warm)

-Metal Halide: slightly cooler than others. the textile appears vibrant. the turquoise stood out the most. texture is clear and detailed

-Incandescent: warm light really brings out the browns. shows a great amount of detail and grain of the fabric.

Fabric B

-MR-16: fabric is not a cool color, so the cool lamp brought out darker undertones making it appear cooler

-Halogen: warm tones of lamps makes it appear bright red

-Fluorescent: the room is so bright that is illuminates the fabric, showing off the sheen. neither extremely cool nor warm

-Metal Halide: bright, cooler than the others

-Incandescent: bold in color. fabric is obviously effected by the warm lamp. texture is visible

Fabric C

-MR-16: because of the cool lamp tones, the lighting really made this fabric appear dull and pale

-Halogen: color of fabric is vibrant, but appears more orange/peach than others

-Fluorescent: fabric looks a bit dull, bright lights didn't enhance the color. slightly cooler appearance than other light conditions

-Metal Halide: bright, still slightly cool

-Incandescent: this warm fabric looks best in the warm light. color is lively and a lot of detail in the texture is shown

Fabric D

-MR-16: the cool light source keeps this navy fabric true to its dark blue color

-Halogen: appears purple and much darker than other lamps

-Fluorescent: lamp is so bright that is washes out the color and appears very light

-Metal Halide: fabric looks best in this light. more blue than others

-Incandescent: clearly shows how the direct path of lamp creates a warm spotlight on one area but quickly diffused surrounding area. fabric appears warmer from where the light hits directly

Light Model

2011-09-15T00:02:00.005-04:00

Board (Click to Enlarge)

Impact of Light on Health and Welfare

2011-09-01T00:53:00.000-04:00

I always notice how sunlight affects a flower near the window. The flower leans towards whichever direction the light is. But I haven’t ever thought that light could affect people like that too. The article by O’Connor, The Claim: Daylight Saving Time Can Affect Your Health, enlightened me on a subject that I was uneducated about. Daylight savings time is something exciting every October because I get an extra hour of sleep that night! The fact that this could be dangerous to my health is scary. I haven’t noticed any sleep disruptions or problems with my internal clock. But I can see how your body and its circadian, rhythm could be affected by this and potentially be dangerous.

Influence of Architectural Lighting on Health, by Eve Edelstein is another topic that was new to me. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a condition involving prolonged exposure to inadequate levels of daylight (Edelstein, 2). This can cause dysfunction in a person’s immune and endocrine systems, and even cancer. Edelstein discusses the studies done of night shift nurses, factory workers and flight crew. Because of their almost constant exposure to electric and solar light, studies show increased cancer rates. Circadian rhythm is a body’s internal clock. Cardiac function responds to it and electric light almost instantly. Meaning daily heart rate patterns can also change under different environmental conditions (Edelstein, 2). These findings are all of importance to designers and other professionals because they could help to eliminate some of these problems that may be controllable.

Light Revealing Experience

2011-09-01T00:52:00.001-04:00

“Our experience of light begins in the personal and proceeds to the universal” (Millet, 1). Light is something that has always been around me since I was born. It’s not something that the average person may necessarily think much about because it is always there when we want it and not, when we don’t. But when you do think about it, light affects everything. Light is what makes color, color. Its what makes objects and life seem real. In an article by Marietta Millet, Light Revealing Experience, she discusses the relationships between light and place, nature, climate, time, and task. Through reading this article, I am able to relate all of these topics to my own life and experiences.

There’s nothing quite like being on a boat in the middle of Lake Norman watching the sunset over the water. All the rich colors are seen in a reflection that I can touch with my hands. Light has the ability to identify places by their physical characteristics (Millet, 6). Not just a view, but the way light hits a building or sculpture. I can recognize where I am by seeing the shadows coming from my mailbox or the way light comes in through the different windows in my house. Every place is defined uniquely by the light combinations involved (Millet, 6). I think back to my visit to Fallingwater in my first year of Interior Architecture. There was a walkway that had a covering that produced a bold pattern of vertical lines cascading through the path. Frank Lloyd Wright is one of those skilled architects that I have seen use light in such a way that brings everything together – inside and out. Even the way light is shown throughout that home is a sight to see and remember.

Light can suggest other places that we see in nature. For example, the shadows from the walkway at Fallingwater are wide and vertical on a stone wall. It hints at the trees surrounding and brings the structure back around to reflect nature. All characteristics of light can together create a visual connotation that can remind us of something in nature that we have seen before or might perhaps be distant (Millet, 15)

The interaction between light and climate is multidimensional, having to do with place, thermal comfort, culture, peoples’ habits and rituals (Millet, 17). Depending on the temperature of a place or the way light is reacting to that place and climate can make a person have a change of emotions. As Millet stated, a winter day where there is snow on the ground can make a person feel happier than if there wasn’t snow because of the high amount of light reflecting off the white snow. I lived in Ohio for 16 years. There were plenty of days in the year where we had snow. There were also plenty of days with dead grass. I would pick that snowy day over any of those other gloomy days every time. The snow put me in a cheerful mood when there was any bit of sunlight shining down. It just makes me happier when it’s bright out.

Light also has an effect on time. In other countries like Egypt and England, they have been able to use means of telling time such as the pyramids and Stonehenge. Though in America, we seem rather fixed on the clock. What people may not think of is that we also tell time by the seasons and the amount of light coming in through a window. We can tell that it is morning because there is light coming in from a window facing east. We know that it is summer because the day is light for a longer time. While we can tell these time points by light, I do think than many people rely on electric light more than we should. It could be dark outside and I may not know it because I have lights on in my house. It is important to experience and experiment with all types of light sources, day and night.

We are most aware of light when there is either not enough or too much, to be able to comfortably do what we want (Millet, 26). I think Frank Lloyd Wright had a great idea for maximum task light in the Larkin Building by incorporating a large skylight and perimeter windows. This created diffused lighting from every direction and people could work at a desk without any shadows cast (Millet, 26). I prefer to have the use of natural light during the day and also electric light at night if needed for tasks. Having options is helpful when I need maximum light I could always turn on a bright desk lamp to do work by or an overall ceiling lamp.

Overall, it is clear that light relates to everything in our world. Whether we are with it or without it, light affects everything.

Jenga 7.0

2011-04-30T17:38:00.005-04:00

wi10: connections

2011-04-29T00:00:00.002-04:00

Throughout this semester, I have learned a great amount about myself, my class mates, and some great ways to design.

I set goals for myself at the beginning of the semester and have achieved most in one way or another I hoped to challenge myself and explore different ways of going about my own style. I think I have achieved this, I tested my limits and learned how far I will go to get to the results I wanted. Better expressing my thoughts and designs is another that I have made progress with. I started sketching more for ideas in the beginning of my design process. This came out most in the group of twelve when I had done about fifty small sketches of possible overall looks of our building. This helped my group members visualize our opportunities. This semester I learned Podium. While hard at first, I have gotten the hang of it and can do digital renderings that look great. In the coming semesters, I want to further my knowledge of digital rendering and be able to successfully intertwine digital with hand renderings. I also was forced to collaborate with peers as we were in groups for a large portion of the semester. I learned that getting my ideas voiced is highly positive with the addition of my peers ideas. I have slightly narrowed my focus. Right now I have a strong interest in residential design. I have enjoyed designing spaces that people live in this semester.

I think one of the biggest things I have learned this semester is our theme, whole is greater than the sum of its parts. What this means to me is that every little detail is important and is stronger when it is placed with the rest of the parts. This course has forced me to focus on these smaller details as well as the whole. Just as working alone as compared to being in a group of 3, 6, and 12; the design in a group of 12 being composed of all different people’s ideas can be very strong.

I loved working alone because it gave me the opportunity to actually do all the work and get practice at the technical drawings, perspectives, diagrams, and more. This semester is the first time that I have really been submerged into groups of such large projects. I wasn’t too fond of the idea of other people doing work that I was used to doing at first. But I realized that it is really helpful to have group members to collaborate with and help with the workload. I didn’t really like the small group of 3 because if one person was having an off day then the other two were left to take on the design production. The group of 6 was probably my favorite. There was enough people to really bounce ideas around and get a well-polished design, but not too many. The group of 12 had its ups and downs. While always having an idea there to consider, with so many different personalities and design styles involved it was difficult to come up with a final decision with everyone being pleased.

Writing has been a very helpful tool for the organization of a design. Working alone, I did many narratives of my designs that helped get my idea across. But in the larger groups, there were prospectuses, which I found the most helpful. These completely broke down our design as well as our group. At the beginning of a project, the prospectus helped to learn my group members in order to assign everyone’s strengths. It documented diagrams and notes throughout and in the end in a way that joined everything together. I think writing can really help a design process because of this sense of organization. This writing can be equally successful formally like a prospectus or informally in blog form.

My strengths this semester I believe have increased, formerly I included strength in graphic design, digital software, and being able to cooperate with others. I have vastly improved in model making skills. I have worked more with the laser cutter as well as hand created models. I gave a presentation about craft, which helped me realize that I do know a lot about having good craft, and hope that it shows through my work.

Some sketches from Jenga 7.0 group of twelve building design.

The model I made for Jenga 3.0 in my group of three with the assistance of the laser cutter.

A rendering I produced using sketchup and Podium for my individual unit during Jenga 7.0.

1st Year Final Critiques

2011-04-27T14:40:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend the first year studio’s final critiques in the lobby. I enjoyed seeing all their projects and the progress they have made this past year. I didn’t know exactly what the assignment was but from what I could tell, they had to design a writing center within a historic building. One student’s project that really stood out to me was Sarah Wisseman (her blog can be found here). I found that her presentation was engaging and could tell she was passionate about design. Her key features in this building were that she wanted the space to overall be functional. She designed a space for conferences, gatherings, and even a greenhouse tower. This turret idea is what stood out about her presentation. She really took a risk on it which shows she had confidence in herself and her ideas. The circular tower had a huge contrast being located within a very rectilinear building. Sarah said she wanted this contrast so the tower could be like an oasis, or escape from the rest of the space. Being a historic house, it may be unlikely to get this tower inspection passed with it having an effect on the physical appearance of the house. But as Claire said, if she can sell the idea, and prove how it could fit in to the surrounding context of the house, then it could get passed. Overall, I was very impressed with Sarah’s presentation and the way she used her technical drawings, perspectives, and speech to get her design across.

10 Tips of Craft

2011-04-26T01:48:00.002-04:00

the beginning of jenga 7

2011-04-04T01:56:00.007-04:00

Earlier tonight, I met with my former group members from [E]merge (Kathryn, Abigail, Corry, Austin, and Leslie), as well as team Trepide (Cassie, Sharon, Kelly, Blakeni, Kara, and Dajana). We discussed our two buildings and their similarities that could join them together as a cohesive design. We found that there were actually many things in common. While my team's building used C's and columns to highlight verticals and horizontals, Trepide used a series of horizontal planes at various lengths to showcase their dematerialization. Overall, we liked the idea of all these key elements having their individual moments but then coming together in one place, similar to what we did in Jenga 6, with the front entrance. Tomorrow we will do a charette style class where we will meet with our original groups of 3, then the groups of 6, then finish all together with 12. I think this will help a lot with our design, being able to revisit each original building and how it has emerged throughout the Jenga assignments. This could trigger more similarities (and differences) than we have already noticed.

Jenga 6.0 Details

2011-04-01T01:56:00.001-04:00

For Jenga 6.0, we remained in the same group, [E]merge. The assignment was to look back at the details of Jenga 5.0. We had to pick a specific site where our building would be located. We also had to design a meeting room, public entrance, and our individual unit door. This was a fun project for me because I really enjoyed going back to our individual units to design a door that made sense to both the unit as well as the whole building. I also enjoyed working with the site. We chose Valle de Bravo, Mexico as our site. Being just a few hours outside of Mexico City, it seemed like the perfect location for our "get-away" resort. The site was a popular place for outdoor and water sports like hang gliding, hiking, rock climbing, and most of all, the festivals that brings so many people every year.

We were also given a textile and chair to incorporate in the design. Both were Eames products, the LCM chair (link found here) and a mid-century modern fabric (link found here).

This is one of the public spaces that was redefined, the entrance.

For my own personal unit door, I used wood panels that were dominated by verticals on the sides then horizontal for the inner panels. I did this because of the key concept of well up and elevation in my unit. The vertical columns that appear on the outside of the building derived from my unit and are seen throughout the space. Also, there are horizontals that are stacked to show a different type of elevation. This contrast is simplified by the two different dominations of wood in the door.

Jenga 5.0: Allure+Jive= [E]merge

2011-03-27T01:56:00.001-04:00

For this project, my group (Allure), was paired with Jive. Having similar design styles and approaches of the two teams, I was excited to see what we could come up with. We decided that our team name would be [E]merge. This being the joining of emerge and merge, separated by brackets that symbolize the "C" structure that was brought from Jive. The assignment was to combine the two buildings from Jenga 4.0 to create one cohesive 8 story building. We also had to incorporate 5 public spaces into the design: a fitness room, communal laundry facilities, mall and reception room, public bathrooms, and a managers office.

Overall, I was very pleased with how how building turned out. It showcased key elementes from both groups. The sleek columns from Allure's former design and the elegant C's from Jive.

Jenga 4.99 charettes

2011-03-15T21:41:00.005-04:00

Before starting Jenga 5, we had Jenga 4.99 where we met with two other groups and had a charette. We had to combine both our complexes to create an 8 story building. We had one hour to meet with each group and come up with a tentative design.

First, we met with team Jive. I felt a real connection between my group and Jive, seeing that we each had major architectural details that stood out in our buildings. Fortunately these details were both linear and meshed together well. We were able to take these aspects from each building and combine them into one. I had the task of sketching perspectives of the design with Jive member, Corry. We tried to capture the essence of what this future building might look like with Jive’s “C” structure and Allure’s vertical beams. Overall, I was very pleased and excited with this mash up and what could become of it in the future!

Secondly, we met with team Caravaggio. We didn’t have as much of a connection as we did in our first charette. We had trouble coming up with any designs that really seemed to work because our buildings were such opposites. My team’s complex was based around symmetry and strong exposed facades. While Caravaggio’s complex was all about the mystery that was hidden around the corner and asymmetry. After finally coming up with something that could possibly work, I started sketching with Blakeni. Struggling again with the new concept and how it would come together, we were able to draw some perspectives.

Re rendering in illustrator

2011-03-15T21:07:00.003-04:00

Rendering in Illustrator

2011-03-07T23:05:00.003-05:00

For this exercise, we were provided with a wireframe and had to render it completely in Illustrator.

Jenga 4.0

2011-03-07T22:50:00.005-05:00

first floor interior public space

second floor exterior public space

third floor exterior public space

fourth floor interior public space

Jenga 3.0

2011-02-23T14:32:00.002-05:00

Rendering in Photoshop

2011-02-20T17:37:00.004-05:00

For this exercise, we started with a wireframe provided and had to render it completely on photoshop.

"jenga" 3.0 narrative

2011-02-16T01:23:00.003-05:00

“The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting” –Andy Warhol

Three spaces coming together to form a new space that is emotional, uprising, and has an overall buildup of anticipation. These three apartments revolve around the concepts of kiss, seduction, and well up. The layout of this complex consists of three identical units placed at a 45° angle in a line. An elongated ellipse encompasses these units at the ground level and is repeated at 15 feet and a third at 31 feet to reach the tallest peak of the complex. This ellipse features a collection of horizontal beams building up to get to the full-planed ellipse at the top. These beams serve to hide the units to an extent to provide a sense of mystery and desire to see more. Looking closer, the enclosure is made up of glass curtains and flooring planes. The middle ellipse at 15’ provides an outdoor public space for the three units to share. This space is intended as a gathering space for all tenants to enjoy in more ways than just traveling between second story units and leaving the complex. The egress of this public space would be a staircase from the ground level that is exposed to the front of the building. This pulls through the conceptual idea of something building up. The other side of this public space would include either another staircase or an elevator. The ground floor ellipse outside of the units is an interior public space enclosed by glass panels, planned to be used mainly for entering and exiting each individual unit and could provide additional space for gathering. Since this space is on the ground level, the egress would simply be exterior doors leading out to parking.

"jenga" 3.0 team proposal

2011-02-16T00:36:00.003-05:00

Allure.

Kacie Leisure | Leslie Canipe | Kathryn Frye

TEAM NAME

Allure. A magnet of attraction. Urge. Impel. Inveigle. A gradual reveal of hints leading one to the definitive moment we wish to imply.

THEORETICAL POSITION

The books, which have been read by our group, are “The Hidden Dimension,” “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” and “The Necessity for Ruins and Other Topics.”

The “Hidden Dimension.” Organization of space utilizing appropriate cultural proxemics and their relationship, which is formed through the marriage of these parts.
The “Death and Life of Great American Cities.” The study of the interrelationships of parts in this combination to reach a substantial whole. Artifacts influence on universe.
“The Necessity for Ruins and Other Topics.” Time changes perception of cultural morality. The reflection and desire of man to echo precedents, deprives attainment of modern demand.

DESIGN APPROACH

Through the combination of our concept words, “kiss,” “deviate,” and “well-up,” we will create an aesthetically pleasing space as we also focus in on the combination of parts to ensure a properly functional and soundly structural piece. Through all stages of our process we will continually explore the principles and elements of design, as the ongoing goal is to achieve as many as possible. In the combination of these three varying spaces, the implication of these strategies will ensure a fluid and unified space, which will essentially draw you throughout in a fluid manner. We believe that in our efforts to do so, we will unveil a marriage of these concepts into one space.

DELIVERABLES

Our digital representation will consist of computer renderings, series of hand drafting, and diagramming with final focus on a proposed floor plan, building sections, and 2 public space perspectives. Tangible space will also be offered through model as we explore the built environment to link our concepts with materiality, texture, and space. In our efforts to create a cohesive presentation we will provide printouts of our entire design to each audience member to ensure a thought provoking and fully engaging conversation

TEAM QUALIFICATIONS

As second year students currently enrolled as majors in Interior Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, we bring common experiences but individual talents to the team, as we will work together to create a strong project in pursuit of quality deliverables.

EXPLICIT DESIGN GOALS

Combine individual time management skills into a cohesive one for our specific team.
Adapt skills from other team members in pursuit of becoming stronger designers.
Become stronger conceptual thinkers.
Apply empathy towards other members, as “I” becomes a “we.”
Explore other levels of the design spectrum as we each derive from varying places.
Being able to orally produce as stimulating responses off paper.
Full engagement through all aspects of project including those that aren’t demanded.

RESPONSIBILITIES

As we have not formerly explored the talents of one other through work, we have vague understanding of each individual’s skill, and we expect our team responsibilities to alter through the course of this project, however we recognize the following advantages from each team member:

Frye: providing conceptual ideas throughout our design process.

Leisure: crafting beautiful composition to showcase our work.

Canipe: forming pristine narrative and digital representational skill.

COLLABORATION

The reason we believe to be a forward evolving, attentive to time and deadline, and virtually dynamic team is our flexibility toward one another and strong will toward our common profession. The question is not to whether we will achieve these goals, but through our confidence how great we can produce the finished product in taking full advantage of our time in studio and outside of. Through team collaboration we believe and obtain high expectations of one another and ourselves through mutual effort.

"Jenga" 2.0

2011-02-16T00:32:00.002-05:00

wi3

2011-02-01T17:40:00.004-05:00

Friday, January 8^th started the first day of reviews for IAR 202’s project of designing three spaces.

Audra Volpi was one of many that presented that day, sharing her designs based around her challenging concept word: beehive. While off the top of my head I can only think of one form of the meaning of beehive, Audra shared with us three completely different directions of this word. Her first space (32’4” x 11) took the concept of the handmade beehive, using “chest of drawers – like” units made from the kit of parts, two solids. The units pulled out to change the function of the space and add variation. Her 2^nd space she designed is 22’ x 22’ and the concept was the flight of the bee and the pollination process. The kit of parts used was two walls and a column. The walls were curvy with one end of a wall being circular to enclose and hide the bathing area. These curved walls represent the path that bees take in flowers to get to the pollen. Audra’s final space (32’4” x 22’) was cleverly designed around the style of the beehive hairdo, popular in the 1960’s. This style was all about making a grand entrance and making women appear taller. Her space featured two columns and one wall, with a loft and grand staircase. The idea was so the owner would come down the stairs and be hidden by the columns until getting past them and making a grand entrance, just like women with the beehive hairdos did.

Anna Behrendt also presented Friday, showcasing her designs around the concept word: edge. Her three sub-concepts for her spaces were, on the edge, in the edge, and over the edge. Her smallest space used “on the edge” and included her two solids to give the idea that you must walk forward upon entering the unit. Her solids would take the owner on a path that took you to two different sides of the unit. Throughout the paths journey, one would wonder what is to come, and be teased by the little glimpses of the final product. Her second space (22’ x 22’) showed over the edge and included two walls and one column. This space is meant to be confusing to the person who vies it, and things aren’t supposed to seem right. Her final space (32’4” x 22’) is in the edge, which has the kit of parts including two columns and one wall. This space is full of tension and level changes, with steel cables traveling throughout the room as if they are creating even more tension and force in the space. Anna gave a great presentation and had outstanding models. Her axonometric drawings significantly helped explain her ideas.

Anna's final models of the space, "on the edge", "over the edge", and "in the edge". Images found here.

The diagrams I did of Anna's spaces.

"jenga" 1.0

2011-01-31T14:55:00.006-05:00

For this project, we had to design three spaces based off a concept word, each with a different form of the concept and a different "kit of parts". The kit of parts provided were: two columns one wall, two walls one column, and two solids. My concept word was "well up".

For the first space which is long and narrow (32'4" x 11'), I used the idea of bursting. Whenever something wells up, it eventually is forced to burst. I used the kit including 2 columns and 1 wall. The wall serves as a separation between the public and private space. A column is placed on either side of the wall. The countertop in the kitchen leads over to the first column where it encompasses it, becoming a table. Then the countertop is repeated in smaller scale as shelves that travels up the column, with decreasing intervals. The top shelf is elongated and makes contact to the 2nd column on the other side of the wall, in the bathing area. This system of shelves defines the idea of bursting. Before the burst, it gathers (countertop turning into the table and shelves), rises (shelves climbing up the column getting closer and closer), bursts (final top shelf), then spreads (top shelf leading to a new space). The materials for this space

help relate to the concept. I wanted the shelving unit to stand out and demand attention, so I have these being a black, shiny granite. Whereas the rest of the unit is more dull and neutral; concrete floors and exposed brick walls.

The second space is a 22'x22' square. The direction I went with this space was welling up and the way it represents elevation, verticality and linear forms. The kit of parts in this unit is the two solids. I designed a complex loft and built in center with ceiling installation as my two solids. Upon entering the space, you walk in under the loft, supported by wall planes and vertical beams. The loft houses the private space of the unit, the sleeping area and reading nook on top, and the bathing area underneath enclosed by the supportive walls. The second solid is a way to incorporate the other "centers" of the unit: kitchen, dining, study and living areas. A series of boxes and shelves make up these spaces to encourage unity and flow in the space. These solids represent the idea of elevation because there are many aspects that are elevated from the ground. The design of this space with the vertical lines and raised planes keep the viewers eyes going upward, towards the high, 14' ceiling. The materials used for this space are a concrete floor and deep mahogany wood to make up the solids. These two materials contrast each other not only in color, but also in luster. These material choices draw attention to the solids - upward.

The third and final space I designed for this space is the largest, at 32'4" x 22'. The concept behind this design was perhaps the most common view of the phrase "well up": extreme and overwhelming feeling or emotion. This space was harder for me to design because I had to base it off of something that wasn't physical, like the previous two. So I went with designing to provoke these feelings and emotions involved in welling up. Therefore this unit is meant to be shown off to friends and family and be a gathering place to make memories. The kit includes two walls and one column. My hope for this space is that the viewer will walk in and feel a sense of luxury and richness with desire to invite people over. The floors are a rich and very dark uncommon Qing Spyder Strand Bamboo, where the walls are made of a contrasting white marble. The walls are sinuous which is something that is seen less often. The walls are placed strategically so that the private area is clearly less important. The first curved wall starts with an almost full circle, housing the bathing area for optimum privacy. The circular wall travels around to create a barrier for the sleeping area. The second wall is introduced upon entrance, it separates the kitchen from the living area with a slight curve and an indented section with an overlooking bar table. The column in the space has a fireplace that fits around the base. This fireplace, the bar table, and the large public living spaces all help the idea of having guests and making memories.

Bio Revisited

2011-01-21T02:21:00.002-05:00

On the first day of class this semester, we had a discussion about our goals, our strengths, and our general design biography. Class icebreakers like this can be difficult but interesting, and always leave me thinking.

When asked to write down some of my goals, I had to take some time to think about what I truly want for myself. One goal that I have always had is to strive to challenge myself. I want to do this by exploring other ways of doing things and see what works best for me. Another goal I have is to get better at expressing my thoughts and designs. I want to keep practicing and learning new software and other ways to render digitally and by hand. This semester I hope to collaborate more with my peers to get optimum feed back. I have learned that talking to my classmates and professors can really help so I want to do that more. My final goal is a goal that I share with most of my classmates. I am in this program to narrow my design focus and figure out what I really love designing.

Talking about personal strengths is something else that is hard for me to do. After being modest, I came up with a few. I believe that I can produce graphically aesthetic compositions. I also have adequate knowledge of a range of digital software and have the ability to learn new software quickly. Lastly, I am able to work well alone and also in groups.

As a typical design student, my many interests are broad. I came to UNCG into Interior Architecture with interests in residential design. I have a fascination for homes near the beach and the opportunity to relate the architecture to the surroundings. Then I found an appreciation for home restoration and renovation. I don’t know a lot about restoration but it is something I would like to experience and learn more about. Into my second semester of first year, I started looking into luxury hotel, apartment, and condo style design. Most recently, I have shown interest in retail set design. While some of these interests are more current, they are all options for me while I continue to keep my mind open.

The beginning of every semester is always exciting. I look forward to seeing how much I progress at the end of the semester and looking back at all I have learned.

wi2 (1.1 & 1.2)

2011-01-21T00:45:00.004-05:00

356 Square Foot Apartment

When someone wells up with an emotion, the action that eventually takes place is the burst of that emotion. If you well up with tears in sadness, you eventually cry. If you well up laughter, a laugh will come out. In my design of a small, 356 square foot “apartment” with a 14 foot ceiling, my goal was to show this burst happening. Using only two rectangular columns and one wall, the spatial planning was a challenge. The wall is nine feet high and cuts the long space in half, separating public and private space. One column is placed in the kitchen and intersects 9 “shelves” of premium black granite. The first shelf acts as a table and continues to provide as a countertop. The next 7 shelves are smaller than the first and square. They climb up the column while the height separating each shelf gets smaller and smaller. The final shelf at the top travels over the interior wall and attaches onto the 2^nd column. The second column marks the perimeter of the bathing area, where the showerhead is. My concept of a burst is portrayed through this system of shelves and the columns. Starting at the bottom, the emotional path starts to produce and grow until it gets to its breaking point at the top where it spreads and bursts.

484 Square Foot Apartment

One definition of the phrase “well up” is to elevate and the idea of verticality. In a 22’ by 22’ apartment, my design portrays elevation and verticality with lofts and linear architecture. There are two main solids in this space. A solid basically describes anything that can be cut or molded from a mass (for example, the way a sculptor starts with a cube of clay or wood and forms something from it”. When you open the door to this space, you walk in beneath the loft space. The loft has two different levels to it and is the private space, consisting of the sleeping area and relaxing alcove for reading or personal reflection. This loft is comprised of vertical and horizontal planes overlapping each other, creating a private bathroom underneath. The vertical plane on the left of the foyer has vertical cut outs to encourage the concept while letting natural light enter the area, producing linear shadows. The other solid consists of several rectangular units creating areas for cooking and food preparation, eating, desk work, storage, then draws the eye upwards to a ceiling drop where it eventually leads back down to the floor with the same vertical cutouts as in the foyer.

712 Square Foot Apartment

Perhaps the most common definition of “well up” is to be in general full of emotion. The third and largest space I designed is 712 square feet and consists of 2 curved walls and a column. I wanted this space to show emotion with sinuous lines and to give off a beautiful and maybe overwhelming feeling upon entering. The main wall in the space starts in the corner away from the door with an almost full circle, where it twists around forming the boundaries that separate the kitchen area from the living area. The second wall is smaller and blocks off the far corner of the space for sleeping quarters. The column has a four foot diameter with an electric fireplace running through it and seating around it. The components of this space are large and perhaps oversized but it gives a feeling of luxury. The fireplace was added in the living room as a key piece for conversation to gather around or just for personal reflection. There is also a bar/table in between the kitchen and living room to encourage gathering. The idea of conversational areas is important to the concept because all sorts of emotions are likely to arrive when in the presence of family and friends.

wi1

2011-01-10T22:39:00.001-05:00

In studio today, we had a discussion about our goals for this semester, our strengths, and where we stand in our design personalities. When asked to write down some of my goals, I had to take a few minutes to think about what I truly want for myself this semester. This is what I came up with: explore my design creativity in other ways by challenging myself, learn new ways to express my designs (new software and hand rendering), collaborate with my peers more to get feedback, and narrow my design focus.

As a design student, my many interests are broad. I came to UNCG into IARc with interests in residential design. Then I found an appreciation for home restoration and renovation. Into my second semester of first year, I started looking into luxury hotel, apartment, and condo style design. Most recently, I have shown interest in retail set design. While some of these interests are fresher in my mind, they are all options for me while I continue to keep my mind open.

Today, we did an exercise where we had to question the way we do specific things, giving each a number on how often we do it. The final number would tell us about our design change style and how we go about doing things. There are two main categories, which our scores placed us in: strong conserver and strong originalist. My score was 8 on the original side. Since it is close to 0, that meant that I was in a separate third group, the true pragmatics. Some of the characteristics of this group were: appreciation of change when its needed rather than change for change sake, practical and reasonable, mediator, prefers goals to help guide, able to learn from mistakes, values harmony in group work rather than making quick decisions. I thought these results were oddly accurate for me. I was also surprised that two of my classmates, Cassie and Faith, had the exact score as me.

Two of the strengths I believe I have are: good composition and the knowledge of digital software and ability to quickly learn new software. The image I chose to show illustrates these two qualities.

Point: Explorations

2010-12-10T13:40:00.003-05:00

The Explorations unit has shown me that designers don’t always have to completely look back to history for help. They truly explored new ideas and inspirations. While majority of architects seemed to design very new and modernistic buildings, we can tell that they still looked back to history. This is why there is the question of whether they were looking backward or forward. Old things were brought into thoughts through modern buildings, but in a completely different way than how it was originally done.

Art Nouveau came around in the late 19^th century and early 20^th – an experimental stage in fine arts inspired experimentation in design (that’s new). One of the more popular architects of this period was Antonio Gaudi. When I look at some of his work, I see a very surrealism-like look. The Surrealism style of art was starting in the early 1900s and Gaudi certainly could have been inspired from that style. The facades that he put on apartment buildings show this crazy sort of style and his interest in skin and bones, as well as nature. Casa Batilo in Spain and Casa Mila are both good examples of this. I think art is something, even today, that designers can look upon for ideas. Going to the Weatherspoon Art Museum a few weeks ago helped me remember that art and design are so connected.

Perhaps one of the biggest themes from this unit (in my opinion) would be the idea of the machine and good design for all. As Le Corbusier smartly stated, “A house is a machine for living – it should be as practical as a typewriter, a phone, an automobile”. This quote is so interesting to me, as I’ve written about it a couple times in previous posts. The idea of practicality in a home is something that seems to be a necessity; every house should really have it. For example, in Le Corbusier’s Unite d’habitacion, there includes a coffee shop, grocery store, daycare, and more commodities. Why not make life easier on humans? We are the ones who will be using these buildings. This Idea that Le Corbusier brought upon makes me think about my future designs and how I am able to make it more of a “machine”.

The creation of Chicago, Illinois as the “Second City” is another theme that we talked about. I think this is important of the explorations unit because it shows that people were ready to start something new and truly step away from the box. It’s like Chicago challenged New York City with their innovative skyscrapers and slick aesthetic.

The image I chose to support this unit is a picture of the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier. This house shows what the architect means by a “machine for living”. It includes Le Corbusier’s five rules: pilotis (building floats off landscape), ribbon windows, free and open floor plan, roof garden to replace the space that was taken off the land, and inspiration from the machine (designed after a 1927 car).

www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/html/PC1913149.html

Portfolio Project

2010-12-09T22:13:00.004-05:00

Spinal Repetition: Design Through Folding

2010-12-09T20:32:00.006-05:00

Inspired by the spine, this structure utilizes key aspects involved in the spinal makeup. When abstracted, both the spine and this structure have the following characteristic: repetition, linear lines, direction, balance, unity, and units making up the whole. I began this process of design by making origami modules and experimenting with how they connected. This structure was designed to be in a park setting made of glass. The spine is extremely important to the human body, but it cant be seen from the outside. The translucency of the glass gives off a similar vibe and wouldn't take away from the nature of the park.

Counterpoint: Machine

2010-12-09T15:15:00.003-05:00

Reading Comprehension 7

2010-12-03T01:59:00.008-05:00

The exhibition I was assigned to follow at the Greensboro Collects show at the Weatherspoon Art Museum was the Town + Country theme. This theme is all about good times and how they didn’t only exist in the city, good times happened in the country as well. I paid special attention to the piece titled, “By the Skin of our Teeth #2” by Deborah Grant. This work of art caught my attention because of the use of contrasting colors, emphasis, and direction. The diagram I created explains the use of these principles and elements of design in a simple way. When I first look at the artwork, my eye goes straight to the yellow circle in the top left corner. Then it traces downwards to the different figures in the image. As soon as my eyes recognize the figures it shoots back up to the yellow circle. I believe this has a lot to do with the colors and how it is mainly black and white except for the yellow and tan of the background. This creates a high contrast and emphasis on the yellow. This piece reminds me of the idea good design for all and the machine. Le Corbusier said, “a house is a machine for living – it should be as practical as a typewriter, a phone, and an automobile”. The Town + Country exhibit is the same type of theme - there should be good times for all.

Another piece of art I looked at in the theme is by Walter Barker, “Friday Night at the Ozark Airdrome, Webster Grove, Missouri, 1935”. This piece shows simply that there are fun things to do in the country. In specifically showcases an outdoor cinema that is possible in the country because of the open space and darkness. The artist shows this place very populated and entertaining.

On page 195 (Massey), it says of the post-modern era, “it was recognized that good design could no longer be measured by one mutually agreed yardstick”. This basically describes both of the pieces of work to me. The city and country could not be compared using the same “yardstick”. Each places had good things going for the area in different ways.

Communication through print

2010-11-24T21:59:00.000-05:00

Communication Through Slides: Tugendhat House

2010-11-18T14:59:00.002-05:00

Reading Comprehension 6

2010-11-17T00:28:00.012-05:00

1. Art Nouveau was an experimental style of design where historical styles were rejected and motifs were used as a different approach to architecture. Barcelona, Spain and Paris, France are both places where this style is seen in. Antonio Gaudi had designed many buildings of this style in Spain. One of the more popular is Casa Battlo, an apartment building that he restored. Gaudi was interested in surrealism and the concept of skin and bones. He used this idea of bones and the human body as a motif for the new façade of the building that he was designing. Hector Guimard was a French architect who was also a key member of the Art Nouveau movement. He designed stations for the new electrified underground Paris mass-transit railroads, aka the Metropolitan (Roth, 514). His station designs were inspired by plants and made of cast iron and ceramic parts.

allposters.com

en.wikipedia.org

2. “A house is a machine for living - it should be as practical as a typewriter, a telephone, an automobile” – Le Corbusier

Practicality and convenience is something that the modern movement was bringing to people. Typically only those who could afford it were receiving this sort of luxury. Le Corbusier designed an apartment complex in 1946 in France, for middle class citizens to live in – the Unite d’Habitacion. It was extremely practical, including daily necessities like an internal shopping street halfway up in the complex, a recreation area and children’s nursery on the roof, a grocery store, and more. These things, along with cheaper prices for a unit, made this residence a true machine for living – it was just easy to do. In my opinion, the idea of “less is more” can be related back to commodity, firmness and delight. As long as a building has those 3, I don’t think it needs anything else. Unite d’Habitacion is as simple as that. It has commodities in all the conveniences included for the residents. Firmness is there in the good construction, using concrete and a frame to built it, it stands several stories high and inhabits 1600 people. And lastly, the building is certainly delightful to the eye, using all Le Corbusier’s five points of architecture (pilotis, ribbon windows, free plan, roof space, and inspiration from the machine).

galinsky.com/buildings/marseille

I think this building and overall style of how it was designed was a huge inspiration for similar buildings today. The idea of conveniences and making things more practical for people is seen everywhere. A local example would be the Spring Garden Apartments on the UNCG – there is a food mart on the first floor, making it convenient for the residents to do grocery-shopping right there. The Bryan School of Business Building on campus also has a food court inside it to make it convenient for students there.

3. The conference room at Casa del Fascio by Giuseppe Terragni is shown (Massey, 87) in black and white. This modern interior is far from that, with a brightly colored graphic wall finishing off this conference room.

Massey, 87

Reflections Summary

2010-11-12T12:16:00.002-05:00

The three people I chose to look at all used photos that were more a symbol of what the unit represented to them, unlike others who picked a building or space to show reflections.

Caitlyn represented the reflections unit as a rubix cube, showing the way different colors could come together just like different design languages come together. This is what first caught my attention about her essay. She talks about more current capital buildings getting inspiration from buildings like the Parthenon and other Greek temples. Also, there is inspiration from Palladian, Roman and Greek styles. Then she goes on to talk about The Crystal Palace and Worlds Fair, how it brought together so many different styles into one thing that people could celebrate. These all relate back to the rubix cube and how it brings together all different aspects to make one overall design.

http://www.dimensionsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Rubiks-Cube.png

Katherine wrote about the reflections unit in terms of a cartwheel to show revolution. Like we talked about in class, this is a good way to show the cycle and the different steps involved. Her essay is primarily about this idea of changing and flipping the world on its head. She mentions how designers look back at history and ponder on what could be done better and what comes next.

Lastly, Jasmine related this unit to an amusement park and the rotation involved. She starts by talking about foundations and how they start out as just a thought and evolve into something greater. She then goes on to discuss how all different cultures merged together, creating new ideas and trading ideas collectively.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2374/2052318808_c35e9ad90c.jpg

Alternatives Summary

2010-11-12T12:13:00.002-05:00

Kayla related architecture to pizza and how it has changed from traditional Italian pizza, to what is found in the freezer department at grocery stores. I think this represents the alternatives unit very well. Her main point is how people look back at the foundations of architecture, while looking forward and seeing how the boundaries can be stretched and eventually even broken.

Nathan chose a picture that represents the unit well, the two statues of David, one by Michelangelo and the other by Bernini. This perfectly shows how things became out of the box, by taking one thing and doing it a completely different way. He talks about movement and how it was relevant during the Baroque period.

http://www.homeschoolonline.co.uk/images/stories/art/baroque/comparison-of-michelangelo-david.jpg

In Sharece’s essay, she explains alternatives in history as the recognition of rules followed by breaking those rules and rebellion. This simply puts the unit together and describes what its about. She talks about different time periods like Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque and how they have changed. Her picture is a symbol of the unit, showing arrows and how there are many different directions presented to us but it doesn’t mean we are forced to follow those paths.

http://www.norcalblogs.com/sustainable/2008/10/

Point: Reflections

2010-11-08T00:28:00.003-05:00

A revolution can be defined as a dramatic and wide-reaching change in the way something works or is organized or in people's ideas about it. In class, we talked about revolutions in design, one of the key aspects of our reflections unit. A revolution has four main steps that are involved: revival (something returns into activity), reform (a change for the better occurs), rotation (uniform variation in a sequence), and cycle (a recurring series of events). This revolution cycle happens every time there is a change.

The revival is something that is more noticeable in the cycle of revolution. There have been many revivals around the world. One that we looked at specifically in class was the Gothic Revival. Strawberry Hill in England is a great example of gothic revival. The library specifically uses gothic fanned arches and elements that point to heaven, popular of the gothic style.

Another main theme of this unit was the way east met west in regards to design language. The east greatly inspired the west in a way that is undeniable, through all four aspects of artifact, space, building and place. The way these other design styles were used in the west was a way for people to escape from what they were used to. There was so much excitement over the eastern style being used – it was like a fantasy land. Chinese bowls and plates were inspiration to western carpets and wallpaper. Silk was imported from China and used for Chinoiserie clothing. The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England is both an example of space and building inspired by the east. The building looks like it should be in India, while the interior is purely inspired by China. The banqueting hall in particular, shows eastern design and appears as if it has everything shoved into it. A place that has eastern inspiration is The Worlds Fair 1851 in London, England. It was an international exhibition that took place at the Crystal Palace.

The reflections unit relates to my own design work in the way cycles are used. I feel like each year, or maybe even each semester, as an iarc student is a new cycle or revolution in a way. I think I have progressed and changed the way I do things since the beginning of my first year. Even before iarc could be considered a cycle in itself. But at the beginning of each new revolution for me I can see how I have experienced revival, reform, rotation, and cycle.

http://decorartsnow.com/2009/11/

Although I think of Gothic Revival as more of the 19^th century or so, it can still be found today. I chose this picture to describe the reflections unit because it shows that revival of styles that were hundreds of years ago can and do still occur. This castle was recently built in New York along the Hudson River. It was inspired by the Hampton Court Palace in southern England. Not only the exterior, but the interior of the 21^st century castle is also a showcase of Gothic style, including a barrel vaulted ceiling in the garden room, arches through out, and overall style of the architecture.

Reading Comprehension 5

2010-11-03T15:03:00.007-04:00

1. I think that the Sideboard table (Harwood p. 503) is a good representation of revolution in design. The skinny tapered legs were a new design used to show wealth. They allowed for a lot of things to be placed on top, looking heavy because of the skinny, weak looking legs. This made an optical illusion to look like there was more weight on top, therefore giving the appearance of more wealth showcased.

http://www.spencermarks.com/html/k514.html

ARTIFACT: This teapot was designed for the governor of Maryland in 1934. It is covered in chinoiserie foliate design that makes the teapot stand out from typical western artifacts. The pot is made by repousse which is a style used with metal where a design is hammered from the reverse side. The pattern includes several motifs that are represented in Chinese art, such as: landscape designs, various pagoda structures, boats, floral designs, and figural swan finials.

http://atlasobscura.com/place/the-royal-pavilion

SPACE: The Banqueting Room at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England has a very Indian inspired style with chinoiserie interiors. The Banqueting Room is extremely busy looking and seems like all different styles are shoved into one room.

http://testnews.camera-images.co.uk/locations/Nature/Gardens/History_Kew_Gardens.htm

BUILDING: The pagoda at Kew Gardens is 10 stories high and each level is octagonal shaped. When it was built, the pagoda had a roof that had a dragon perched at each corner. Dragons are common in Asian design, being a symbol of power, strength, success, luck and honor. The pagoda was also originally very colorful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal_Palace_interior.jpg

PLACE: In 1851, the first World’s Fair took place at the Crystal Palace in London. It was the first international exhibition of manufactured products.

Counterpoint: Clock

2010-11-01T17:29:00.002-04:00

Point: Alternatives

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In the alternative unit, architects attempted to find alternate ways of doing similar things that were done in the foundations unit. During the Renaissance period, architecture was all about reviving the classics and alternating it to suit their own needs. The Baroque style, on the other hand, was more about testing their boundaries of what could be done, and breaking rules of the former period.

In class, we talked about what the top ten rules of the Renaissance might be. We came up with these: single decorative façade, revive the classics, man is the measure of all things, separation of spaces, harmony through repetition, geometric patterning, patronage dominates the building industry, no building is just one style, boundaries, edges, and borders are important, and separation of public and private. The Chateau Chambord in France is a good example of how different styles come together to form something new in the Renaissance style. The castle combines two main styles – by having a Gothic top half and Classical bottom. The chateau was originally built as a hunting lodge and was altered considerable during the 20 years after it was built in order to excel. Showing almost (if not all) of the rules of the Renaissance, this castle is an archetype of Renaissance architecture.

In contrast to the Renaissance period, Baroque style is much different. Some rules we came up with were: fluidity, lack of boundaries, challenged authority, innovative, tested limits, and use of drama. The Giardino di Boboli is a great example of the Baroque style. The design of this garden was originally supposed to be of Renaissance style and more classical. But as time went on, the design had changed and captured the drama of the early Baroque period. The site uses all of what is included – the garden, trees, hill, and water with tricks to showcase theatricality. Bernini’s David is yet another example of Baroque and how it challenges authority. This statue of the biblical character can be compared to Michelangelo’s statuary version of David which is of the Renaissance style. A typical example of inside of the box (Renaissance) versus out of the box (Baroque) can be seen here. Michelangelo shows David at a standstill, copying forms of Greek sculpture in the way David is posed. There is very little movement going on and his stance is confident. Bernini’s version of David is very different. David is shown in the midst of movement (movement was a popular study for Baroque artists). Bernini’s David took a spin off of what people were used to and did something new and dramatic.

The idea of creating alternate ways of doing things is something that affects my own design work. I’m pretty sure most designers don’t go with the first thing that pops into their heads when designing something. I know when I design something, it takes many cycles of rethinking and reworking what I already have and eventually coming up with something that works. I find alternative ways of making something work to suit the needs better, just like the architects from the alternative unit did.

tokyo5.wordpress.com

mac.tgbus.com

For my image representing Alternatives, I chose to show a Sony Walkman (1979) and an Apple iPod Touch (2007). The designer of the iPod used what the Walkman and other portable music players could do but alternated it and changed it to be more convenient for its users when it was created.

Counterpoint: Perspective

2010-10-20T01:26:00.003-04:00

For this counterpoint I chose the scale of space and word as my form. The space is the Trevi Fountain. When I thought about this beautiful fountain in Rome, the first word that popped into my head was magical. Tourists come to the fountain to throw coins in and wish on it. It his been said that depending on the amount of coins you throw, something different will happen. The fountain is also surrounded by stone statues, including Neptune, who is shown in my image. Because the fountain is such a fantasy-like experience, the statues seem to come to life. So for the people aspect, I imagined Neptune to be alive and he is throwing a penny into the fountain. The symbol is the penny. He is throwing just one in which means he will return to Rome one day. The aspect of nature is shown by the water that flows through it. Material is present in the stonework that makes up the fountain and statues.

Reading Comprehension 4

2010-10-18T14:09:00.005-04:00

One thing that links all 5 artifacts is repetition. All of the pieces each use repetition in their own way. The Neo-Palladian/Georgian desk and bookcase use pattern and Chinoiserie ornamentation through carvings, and other forms of decoration that are wrapped around the piece of furniture. The American Georgian Windsor chair uses repetition by the way it was built, with repeating wooden rods that make up the back of the chair. The tall clock by Martub Carlin uses a repetition of heavy gilding throughout the clock. The State Bed from Osterly Park in the Late English Georgian Style has classical ornament and swags repeating along the top canopy. The Sheraton Side Chair of the American Federal style uses repetition apparent in the design that attaches the upholstery to the frame of the chair. Also in the lines of the frame, the horizontal beams of wood are repetitive throughout the chair.

All 5 spaces have one thing in common that I notice right away – harmony. Harmony is the use of elements that relate to each other to make a visually pleasing effect. The Holkam Hall Saloon has geometric patterns that are carried throughout the room in the ceiling, wall, furniture, and architecture that are all related to each other. The Gunston Hall Stair Hall uses arches throughout the room in the architecture, railings, and wallpaper, which are pleasing to the eye when looking around the room. The bedroom of Marie Antoinette is extremely sinuous which can be hectic, but it is harmonic because everything is related to each other in its curved lines and femininity. The Saltram House Saloon is similar to the Holkam Hall Saloon because of the use of geometric patterns. The design on the Saltram Saloon’s ceiling and carpet is very similar and the use of rectangles and geometric shapes are apparent throughout the room. The Gardner-Pingree house parlor uses classical features throughout the room – especially in the mantel, window treatment, cornice and door surroundings.

The 5 buildings listed can be simply linked by their use of lines and direction. The Chiswick House uses lines in many ways. First are vertical lines in the columns used throughout on the façade in the portico as well as entry staircases. Then there are angled lines on the entry staircases, pediment, and octagonal dome. Lastly are horizontal lines of the cornice. The Drayton Hall has horizontal lines which stick out on the façade of the building, defining where each level is and also lines of the cornice and exposed staircase in front. There are angled lines in the pediment and roof. Columns on the front show vertical lines. The Pantheon is made up of several vertical lines of the columns. And similar to the other buildings, angled lines on the pediment and horizontal lines of the cornice and stairs. The Nathaniel Russell House is made up mainly of horizontal and vertical lines. Horizontality is evident in the cornice, protruding lines on the façade, and the roof. Vertical lines are shown mainly by the windows and door. Lastly, Monticello uses angled lines in the dome and pediment. Horizontal lines are in the stairs, cornice, and windows. Vertical lines are in the columns and roof.

"It is difficult to assign one descriptive term to encompass all architecture from 1600 to 1750, for several independent courses of development were being pursued simultaneously" -Roth

To me, this quote explains architects use all different developmental ideas to come up with their final product. Designs from throughout history can be related to each other because they are made up of borrowed ideas from each other.

“English colonists, who settle the eastern seaboard, reproduce the houses and furnishings they knew at home.” (Harwood) When the English came over to the U.S. they wanted to mimic forms that they were familiar with from where they came from. Timber was available for use of homebuilding and furniture even though that’s not directly what the English were used to – England used more brick construction.

The Spanish found their new land in Florida as a place where they could use their own style and build upon it. The architecture follows contemporary Spanish Renaissance and some Baroque styles. Although the spanish typically used stone, adobe was available so they adopted that style of building from the Native Americans. But instead of layering the clay, they used their own style of forming rectangular bricks and stacking them. The Spanish kept their original designs of furniture, only altering them slightly.

The French recreated society in the U.S., changing things to make them more sophisticated like they were used to in France. "Steeply pitched roofs, half timber construction, and square shapes are common French characteristics" (Harwood). The floor plan of the Parlange Plantation is extremely square with rectangular rooms fitting together. The Houssaye House follows French characteristics in its steeply pitched hipped roof. The Armoires include geometric shapes.

Settlers from Germany and Holland brought native medieval building and furnishing traditions to America. Many houses mix materials, like stone and wood - seen in the Single Brother's House. In Germany, wood was a more common material and stone showed wealth. Andrew Jackson's Parlor and Chamber is a great example of a German interior. It is simple, uses wide boards as flooring, and different types of wood for furniture.

It has been said that Palladio got inspiration from music. During the Renaissaince, music was an essential part of life. Composers based music on horizontal contrapuntal (with two or more independent melodic lines) style and harmony based vertical arrangement of intervals including 3rds and 6ths. The floorplan I designed is a possible Palladian villa because of the shapes used and the way they were used with inspiration from Girolamo Frescobaldi’s Balletto Terzo. The sinuous lines in the floorplan represent contrapuntal style. It is broken up into 3rds on each sice of the main floorplan with 3 shapes making up each side – excluding the porticos.

"Baroque space is independent and alive - it flows and leads to dramatic culminations" - Henry A. Millon (Roth)

Agreeing with the words of Henry A. Millon, I do believe that the Baroque period stands as a form of social performance in the theatre of the world. Baroque is truly unique upon other architectural styles. It uses bold color effects, light effects, ornamentation, and maybe most of all - emotion. Bernini's Ectasy of Saint Teresa defines the use of emotion in the Baroque period. The statue sits on a type of stage, elevated and illumated in the Cornaro Chapel. The statue creates a spiritual and emotional event for people in its presence.

www.smarthistory.us

In class, we talked about several buildings and pieces of architecture. One that stood out as a symbol of Baroque style is the Trevi Fountain in Rome. It takes over the whole façade of the building behind it and provides a water and light show. This fountain has become a gathering place and must-see for tourists. It demands attention – just like the Baroque style, as well as theatre.

www.planetware.com

Perspective View of the Tugendhat House

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Diagramming the Tugendhat House

2010-10-06T23:25:00.000-04:00

final board with models

Point: Foundations

2010-10-05T02:37:00.000-04:00

Foundation is all about where you are from. It is the way you mark your place and the start of all design. There are different ways to mark the Earth: circles, a series of lines, stacking, basing something on an axis, as well as others. For example, Teotihuahacan is a site containing pyramids that used a system of stacking to mark the earth. The Theatre of Dionysus uses stacks and circles in a sacred way. Architecture is often designed in some way around a reflection of past successes. Egypt was the prototype for Greece and Greece was the prototype for Rome. Sometimes it is a combination of reflection and new explorations.

While Rome may have used passed architecture from Greece and Egypt to influence them, they changed the designs to fit their own specific needs and wants. The Romans had to live with Greek ruins but assimilated and adapted them to their culture and lifestyle. One main difference with Roman architecture is the way structure was used. In Greece and Egypt, columns were used for support but also for decoration. The Romans found other ways to use structure and decoration separately. A widespread use of concrete and vaulting technology caused a breakthrough. Arches and domes were created – therefore columns could be used simply for looks, not structure. Buildings could be diversified instead of the standard post and lintel system from Greece and Rome.

Rome is very similar to modern cities and our own civilization. There was a more horizontal expression rather than vertical. Because of the way the empire held back Rome, they fed and entertained people to cover up their flaws and defer people from the truth. The idea of Roman design was to have extravagant pleasure. Aside from arches and domes, mosaics were also brought into design and could tell stories. Arches were useful because they are able to capture space in Rome and also make buildings bigger.

The way the structure of a building relates to the surface and need is an important thought process in designing a building. For example, a circular space for a church can be a good idea with few cons. The good things are that sound travels in a round space. This is helpful for the speaker so that he or she doesn’t have to speak as loudly or maybe not use a microphone. Circles show equality. Everyone is spread out evenly so they aren’t competing for power. Some negatives are that sound bounces and can only go so far. This can limit the size of the space to something smaller.

Architecture and civic life is another foundation that we talked about. In other words, architecture should be placed to make sense for the city and its uses. Pompeii is a good example of this. Pompeii is captured exactly how life really was because of the Volcano hitting the city and preserving everything until it was discovered. There is a wall surrounding the city, meaning that it was most likely a former military town. The main buildings that are necessary for the community are conveniently located using cardo-decumadus, or a city grid. The bath is located at the crossroads, instead of the core of the city. The baths are something that the people in Rome used a lot. People regularly met there, so access was important.

The Roman Colosseum best represents Rome, as well as the foundations unit. It marks the earth by using circles, stacking, lines, and axis all together. It is shaped as the Roman arch, allowing space to be captured and broadened. The roundness incorporates the use of circles and quality. Stacking is apparent by the stacked seating. Lines are created throughout the colosseum by the structure and the columns creating a vertical axis.

Human Interaction

2010-10-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

The way humans interact with their surroundings is something that is not always noticed. Furniture and other built objects are so natural for us to use, but we can often forget that they were designed to be perfect for us. My study compares everyday objects and the quality of the design relating to human use. While some things are a perfect fit, others seem to miss the mark.

Reading Comprehension 3

2010-10-01T02:51:00.000-04:00

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne vs Salisbury: Inside/Outside

From my first impression of both the Cathedrals, Cologne and Salisbury, they appear to be very different externally. Cologne comes off as dark and scary while Salisbury seems to look more pleasant and fantasy like. This has to do with the differences in styles of architecture – Cologne being Gothic and Salisbury being Early English Architecture. Their interiors are oddly similar, in contrast to their different exteriors. I think this is because of reflection and how architects looked back at past architecture. Salisbury is more proportionate to itself. It is tall but spread out, which helps it look even and consistent. Cologne is extremely vertical and not spread out. Being in an urban setting, compared to the flatness of the site of Salisbury, it makes the cathedral look even taller.

Cologne vs Amiens: Composition

I do not believe that regional differences exist. Architects were constantly bouncing ideas off of each other even if they didn’t know it. The architect who designed Cologne could have gotten the idea of two towers from French cathedrals, seeing as it is very different from many other cathedrals in Germany and the double tower is apparent in French architecture. I think a paradigm during the Gothic Age was extremely important. Because the Gothic Age lasted so long, there had to have been some sort of pattern or reference to look back on and keep the style going. Starting in France and moving throughout Europe, different regions must have had individual takes of the Gothic style, which were combined and passed along. Although Amiens and Cologne are similar structurally, I don’t think it is neither a coincidence nor a notion of region exactly. I do think region can be thought of in a greater sense that can define this similarity – region meaning the same part of the world.

Cologne vs Florence: Symbol

The Florence Cathedral combined new and old architecture by the construction of the dome in addition to previous Renaissance architectural styles - together representing the early Renaissance style. Cologne is a perfect symbol of Gothic Architecture – especially in Germany. Key materials used were brick and/or stone, both of which are included in Cologne. Another characteristic that is common in Gothic Cathedral architecture is the use of columns, vaults and flying buttresses. All three of which are heavily apparent in Cologne. Externally, I feel like Florence was an inspiration to the architecture surrounding it. The buildings look similar in color, material, and style. The designer may have wanted to set an example for the city in architecture, which was clearly successful. As far as Cologne and the language externally, I think the designer may have just wanted to stress the verticality and how it is stretching towards heaven.

From my knowledge of medieval history, I would assume that the context of this illustration would be in a medieval hall. These were key pieces of architecture and culture for people to gather. Many halls had kitchens to use for preparation of meals, which is where I think this illustration was based off of. As far as the architecture of most halls, the illustration would have shown more arched windows and a vaulted, timber trussed ceiling. Kitchens typically had the same timber and detail. In many kitchens, cooking was done using a fireplace and cauldron – similar to what is shown in the illustration.
Penshurst
http://www.history.uk.com/historical/images/articles/Penshurst-Barons-Hall.jpg

Compass

2010-09-29T15:11:00.001-04:00

Map

2010-09-29T14:59:00.000-04:00

Prada Epicenter

Egypt, Greece, and Rome Summary

2010-09-19T01:57:00.000-04:00

Some thoughts about lessons learned from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architecture and design...

Egypt

-Story telling through artifacts such as hieroglyphics on columns

-axial progression

-symmetry

-somethings stand out with surroundings while others blend in

Greece

-use of columns, but in a different way than Egypt

-brighter colors and symbolism with wall decor and furniture

-open spaces to let natural light in

Rome

-incorporated more gardens/courtyards

-buildings were very different from Egypt and Greece's signature use of columns

-experimented with different ways to design

-fresco paintings covered walls and artifacts

IAR 222: Reading Comp 2

2010-09-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

1. Hersey talks about sacrifice in terms of columns and how they relate to humans and animals. I can see how people in that time could use this idea to influence columns. The column base is named after a foot. The molding on the base is named from rope, twisted or slung, which would have been used in the sacrifice. Most importantly is the way the head is related to the top of the column. I have never thought of how sacrifice could be influential and related to a column until reading Hersey's passage but I think it is a valid point.

2. Macaulay’s story does a good job of comically telling a story of something that really does happen to us these days. I have misunderstood information from the internet before because the source was not a good source. Anyone can truly put information on the internet that isn’t completely reliable or reliable at all. This is explained in a way in Macaulay’s article. The main character thinks the hotel room is a tomb and that everyday items such as a tv, shower cap, and remote are ritualistic items meant for preserving ones afterlife in their tomb. He misinterprets everything because he is just using his own thoughts to determine what things are. One way to avoid mis-reading evidence online is to only use sources that are legit and scholarly. Another way is to avoid using Wikipedia for information and websites that end in “.com”.

3. Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was designed to blend in with its surroundings, a valley. It is much smaller of a scale and stands out less than the pyramids, which are tombs for pharaohs. During that time, men were viewed as higher up than women. This is one reason why the design of Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was the way it was. Because she was a woman, it was less grand and noticeable than the pyramids.

4. The temple, Hypostyle Hall from Ancient Egypt and the residential palace, Palace of Knossos are similar yet different in several ways and show how Egyptian and Greek civilizations played off each other. Both these buildings used columns as a major support system. They each had some sort of decoration on either the columns or buildings. Hypostyle Hall had ornamental carvings that told stories about the pharaoh to show his power. Whereas the Palace used ornament through fresco wall paintings and furniture. Both had a control of natural light, using the breaks in the columns for lighting and effect. One main difference I notice is the structural system used to build each building. Hypostyle Hall used the post and lintel system with columns and a roof. The Palace of Knossos included the use of columns for support, walls and staircases. Another detail that makes them different is the progression and navigation of space. Hypostyle Hall had a strong axial progression and a direct, linear navigation of space. There was really only one way to walk once you entered and that was straight to the end where the statue Amun stood. The Palace of Knossos is asymmetric without a clear floor plan.

Hypostyle Hall

http://skyline-tours.com/mon.html

Palace of Knossos

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/142758/119046/Portion-of-the-reconstructed-Minoan-palace-Knossos-Crete-Greece

5. In Ancient Egypt, hierarchy played a big role in the culture of the people and their eternal life. The higher somebody was in society, the grander their place of living was, and if they were really important than they would have a tomb or temple. From Harwood pages 60-61, a variety of examples of Egyptian furniture are shown. Some of which are very simple and plain, while others are immensely decorated with gold and silver and other furnishings. All of the decorative chairs shown belonged to kings or queens. This relates back to hierarchy and the fact that people are likely to see these chairs after the king or queen dies. Whereas the more simple chairs most likely belonged to low or middle class people. This is why I believe most of the furniture was lightweight and minimal, they weren’t seen by anyone except the owners unless they belonged to a king or queen.

6. As previously talked about, the roles of men and women in ancient Egypt and Greece were that men were higher up than women. This is clearly shown in the pictures on these two urns. Women appear as if they are idolizing the men pictured or serving them. The women are either touching the man or handing him something and then man is sitting at his throne relaxing. This really shows how women were depicted then – much lower than men. This relates back to how different Queens’ temples were than Kings or Pharaohs’. Queens’ temples or tombs, such as Queen Hatshepsut, are smaller and less noticeable and grand than the pyramids.

Assignment 1 - Portfolio

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Artist Studio Space Project - Environmental Design 2

Multi-media Drawings - Design Visualization 2

Ritual Project - Environmental Design 2

Luminaire - Environmental Design 1

WIndow Installment - Environmental Design 2

Keepsake - Environmental Design 1

Assignment 2 - Diagramming: Mining For Partis

2010-09-09T16:20:00.001-04:00

Point: Theories

2010-09-08T11:38:00.000-04:00

In our first unit this semester, Theories, we have talked about just that – a variety of different theories regarding architecture and design. There are reasons behind just about everything that has been designed, whether it relates back to a series of deep research or experiments, objects and buildings aren’t designed because they just look good.

On our first day, we talked about architecture and buildings using a comparison of a basic bicycle shed and the Lincoln Cathedral. While some may think the basic shed isn’t really architecture and that it is “just” a building, I think they are wrong. Everything is designed with a purpose. The shed was designed with considerations in mind and made to the needs of a bicyclist. This brings me to the next topic of that day, Considerations in design. There are several factors that can impact our designs: inside and outside relationships, the third dimension, the fourth dimension (time), light, color, materials, and furnishings. If all of these considerations are applied, I think that is one way to make good design.

Another important lesson from this unit was from the words of Sir Henry Wotton – “In architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation, the end is to build well. Well building hath 3 conditions: commodity, firmness and delight.” This is great way to look at architecture and design by these three factors. Commodity in design is the ability to have function and a purpose. Firmness involves stability. Delight is simply beauty in the design and the ability to interest someone. I think there are many buildings that really can include all three of these words from Wotten. Although I think if the considerations from our first lesson can be applied with Wotten’s to make it stronger in design.

Aedicule is the way of looking at architecture and design. It is the simplest form of architecture, a roof and 4 posts basically. All buildings are made up of aedicules. This is like the foundation or building block of everything. It seems like everything that is done in the world has a similar system and building block. For example in science and experiments, there is the scientific method - a system of steps to help prepare and follow through with an experiment. With culinary, there are recipes and ways to start cooking so you can add stuff in later to change and manipulate the recipe. And in design, there is our building block and other different ways or rules to do things. Once you have the foundation, you can reflect back on the classical world, look at alternative inspiration, or explore new ideas.

The Design Cycle is another thing we learned about in this unit. This was adapted from anthropology and tries to explain why some styles last and some don’t. Many ideas can factor into why things go out of style: vernacular and high style differences, regional influences, and many others. The ability for something to stay in style must be because it is truly great design.

The nautilus shell best describes the unit, in my opinion. Roth discusses architecture being the unavoidable art and how we must design for the environment around us. Also, architecture is a physical record of human activity (Roth, 3). The mollusk builds its nautilus shell around itself to house them. It is a hard shell of calcium carbonate and the mollusk adds on as it becomes bigger, keeping the part of shell that was there before. This shell describes what Roth was talking about. The shell also is an example of Wotton’s, commodity, firmness, and delight. It shows commodity because it has a function of being the mollusks home and protection. It shows firmness because of the strong materials its made of that can protect the mollusk. It shows delight because the shell is interesting and nice to look at. The nautilus shell can be related to theories throughout this unit, which is why I think it is a great image to represent the unit.

http://www.soulsofdistortion.nl/SODA_chapter5.html

IAR 222: Reading Comprehension 1

2010-08-31T22:29:00.000-04:00

Question 1:

The Tugendhat House, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is a great example of Wottens definition of good design having commodity, firmness, and delight. This house has commodity because of the way the interior is set up. There are no dividing walls, but planes separating spaces instead. This creates function by making it easier to get to one space from another and providing an organization of space. The materials used in the building represent firmness. Steel columns are used throughout the house providing stability for the structural load. The Tugendhat House has delight for many reasons. The steel columns are covered in a stainless steel finish, showing that it is luxurious and stylish. The way glass is used also shows delight. There are glass walls that look out towards a beautiful rural view outside, also bringing natural light inside. The way the overall space is composed is also delightful to look at with the curved wall planes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/garden/22mies.html?_r=3

Question 2:

China and Japan have influenced the West in so many ways, especially art and architecture throughout the years. Nature is a primary design used in Eastern art. In this contemporary textile, I specifically see influence from China. There are many bright colors used which is common to Chinese art to highlight motif. Blue represents heaven and green represents prosperity, both are used in this fabric. Natural is also common in artwork in the eastern world. Flowers are often used; typical kinds of flowers are the lotus and chrysanthemum. I can’t tell what kind of flower it is in this fabric but it looks like it might be chrysanthemum. While the bold colors and flower motifs from China are most apparent in this fabric, there are some Japanese influences that are noticeable as well. The Japanese prefer a more asymmetric look whereas Chinese focus more on symmetry in art. This fabric shows an asymmetric pattern that is balanced by swirls around the flowers that inhabit the bottom part of the pattern. Japanese motifs include whirlpool designs, waves, swirls, and circular forms – all of which are present in this contemporary textile.

http://allfreed.ru/uploads/posts/1111/13071208612479_495009.jpg

Question 3:

Everyone who is in IAR 222 is familiar with the smaller scale seating and overall lack of space. Hall says that we have to start seeing man as in a conversation with his environment, and architects are creating with no reference to man’s spatial needs (Hall, 6). Our classroom was clearly built like this – without reference to spatial needs. The seats are not only not wide enough for comfort, but there isn’t enough foot room when having a book bag on the ground, and not enough overall space between the next person.

Question 4:

"More awkwardly still, architecture asks us to imaging that happiness might often have an unostentatious, unheroic character to it, that it might be found in a run of old floorboards or in a wash of morning light over a plaster wall – in undramatic, frangible scenes of beauty that move us because we are aware of the darker backdrop against which they are set.” – Alain de Botton

To me, this quote sums up what the article was all about. I agree with Botton that there can be architecture of happiness. A building or object doesn’t have to necessarily look pretty to make a person happy. I think most everything has memories that come along with it. A house may be ugly, but if a person grew up in that same house, it probably makes them happy and therefore is happy architecture to them. The attached photo is my parents’ house and my home to go back to when I’m not away at school. I don’t really love the design of it and I hate the floorplan. But it makes me happy to be there and go home to.

Photo by: Patti Leisure

Extrapolating the Human Body - Part A

2010-08-31T20:59:00.000-04:00

"This exercise introduces the student to observe and document the human body through anthropometric and ergonomic analysis which are fundamental to the principles of spatial design." -First sentence on the assignment sheet. This assignment has 3 parts. Part A was basically an exercise to help us get to know our body and gain an understanding of scale and how we really are. We were to devise a measuring system that we could use in any situation and overall develop an awareness of our own bodies through time.

FINAL

Full body drawing to scale with dimensions.

Sequence of time and movement, with height relation of my heal to hip measurement and the trash can.

This is my drawing that shows my measuring system and overall interest in ergonomics and how everything is designed with the human body in mind, even when we don't realize it. I use the length from my heal to my hip (35") as an easy measuring devise for me. I can go up to anything and stand there and analyze where it relates to the height of my hips, and be able to tell the approximate height of the object. I studied images of myself in various positions and found it interesting how geometry plays a part in design. While sitting on a stool with my feet on the lower bar, my knees, feet, and bend in my midsection makes a 30, 60, 90 degree triangle. While leaning over to drink out of the drinking fountain, my mouth, the fountain, and my bend makes a 45 degree angle.

PRELIMINARY WORK

Guggenheim

2010-07-13T13:41:00.000-04:00

After learning about Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim museum in history, I've been inspired by the design and look of it. In NYC, this museum was a big controversy when it was made because the architecture was so curvilinear and completely different than all the skyscrapers and city buildings. I just love how FLW took chances and wasnt afraid to have some people hate him. SO here is my little sketch from a picture I found on the internet :)

some quick sketches

2010-07-06T20:54:00.001-04:00

So I had planned on doing a lot of drawing this summer but I havent been in the mood until just lately (yes I am ashamed). So here are some VERY quick sketches I have done when I've had some time and been in the mood!

Who doesn't love blind contours?!

This is the fountain that my parents have in our backyard. I would like to spend some more time on another drawing of this, showing more of the pretty flowers all around it. Maybe another day this summer!

Autonomous: My Design Process

2010-05-08T17:26:00.000-04:00

For a project we've had since the beginning of the semester, we had to somehow document out design process. I chose to document it professionally in the form of a book, rather than doing something that would take up more space that I couldn't easily carry around if i needed it for show.

A Step by Step Production

Share

A guide to my design and the steps I took to get there.

Exploration

This is the first step to my design process. Analyzing the assignment and getting out all my thoughts. I typically do this in my head and make little notes or bullet points like i showed here. When I get down all my thoughts, I can later edit them and take out the bad and keep the good. Also by doing this, I can really let my thoughts flow and transform. For this project, I knew I wanted to design some sort of hotel or residency. I started out with this and thinking about who might stay there and where it would be located. I eventually came up with the idea that I wanted to make a residency condominium with apartment space. This complex would be for young professionals in a big city.

Produce

In this step, I take a final idea I had from exploration and brainstorm it. I produce more ideas and expand them to further develop the topic of interest. I considered what the residents would need, as well as what they might want. They need things like work space, parking, laundry, and anything else a professional might need. They may want things for relaxation such as a pool, spa, gym, etc. and also a restaurant in the complex and maybe a rooftop deck and courtyard.

Organize

Next, I take my thoughts from produce and organize them by deciding what I definitely want to include in the space. Some of these are pool, spa, gym, outdoor space, roof space, restaurant, bar, conference/meeting area, and a coffee shop. Another thing I noted is my final decision to have the top floors be for the condos, a few middle floors for any apartments, and the bottom floor be for the public spaces.

Inspiration

Now that I knew what I wanted to do, it was time to do research and find inspiration. Here, I showed a few things that I specifically did research on, roof top decks and courtyards. I really liked the use of fire pits that are shown in both of these inspiration photos.

Experiment

This is one of the most important stages in my process. I like to draw thumbnails to transfer my ideas from words to drawings. Through this, I can experiment with my different ideas to see what works and what doesn't work. I experimented with what would happen if i put the pool on the roof as opposed to in the courtyard. And experimented with the same two spaces for the lounge and fire pit.

Edit

Next, I look at my thumbnails and decide what I liked and what worked for my design concept. I decided that the pool would be better on the roof because there is the most sunlight up there/ The courtyard would be best for the lounge and fire pit because the walls would not only block the wind from blowing out the fire, but also they would keep the warmth in. Having the lounge in the courtyard, it can be easily accessed by many different parts of the complex.

Present

My next step is to make a final showing of my idea. This can come in many formats - here, I showed it in perspective drawings of a few spaces. The space shown here would be the courtyard lounge. With warm colors and several fire pits to complete the look, this space is great for young professionals as a place to relax from a long day at work.

Here is the rooftop pool and bar. Another space that would be a great amenity for young professionals and focuses around the concept of relaxation. A rooftop space like this is unique and luxurious, especially with a full bar included.

This is a glimpse at the restaurant with a dance floor and stage.

Finally, the coffee shop which looks out into the courtyard with access so a resident can take their coffee and sit out by the fire pit.

Final Presentation Reflection

2010-05-02T02:11:00.002-04:00

There were several things I learned before, during, and after the presentation of our final project. One thing specifically is preparation. I am usually nervous when I present and end up stumbling over my words. This time, I wasn’t nervous and felt like I could communicate my thoughts to the audience well. I think a lot of it has to do with the way I prepared. I thought about what I wanted to say prior to the day I presented. I didn’t want to make a script that I could read off of. But rather have some guidelines in my head of points I wanted to make. This helped me a lot because I knew what I wanted to say next, instead of thinking on my feet completely. Another thing I did was spend a lot of time constructing my board prior to the presentation. I felt very confident in my design, as well as my board. I am also in love with my design! I think this definitely helps make a successful presentation – loving the design you present. I was really excited to share my design with everyone. Of course, I do think I can still improve on my communication skills.

Aside from myself, I also learned from other students’ presentations. One thing I learned is that it’s extremely noticeable when people don’t put time and effort in their projects. It shows when they aren’t prepared and looks unprofessional. On a positive note, it also shows when people put everything into their project. While it may take long nights at the studio, it definitely pays off on the final product. Another thing I learned is that speech and communication can make or break a presentation. I think it really helps to have your friends smile at you to help break the ice once you get up to present. Another thing that goes along with being prepared is the set up and layout of the boards. Good organization and the ability to tell a story through the layout is a necessity. People may not be able to make the presentation and just look at your board at a later time. It is important for it to be easily understood by anyone.

Versatile Movement - Final Design for Artist Studio

2010-04-30T02:13:00.001-04:00

This is my final designs for the artist studio we had to design. The artist I chose is Joanna Eberts, a student at Rochester Institute of Technology. She does all sorts of art but focuses on illustration. The versatility that she has in her art style inspired me to create my final design around the concept of versatility. I incorporated a strong use of sliding glass panels that I had used in my original thoughts and designs. Because Joanna has such a broad style, using bright colors as well as gray scale in her artwork, I used this as inspiration for my color palette - shades of gray with a green accent color. The space is able to be completely opened up to circulate around the central port of the space - the bathroom. The bathroom walls are the only interior walls in the space. When the sliding glass doors are "closed" the space suddenly becomes more private because the glass is frosted to make it translucent and not completely see thru. I originally designed the sleeping area then modified it slightly after seeing Monticello and Thomas Jefferson's bed. It is designed so that the user can get out of bed on either side depending on what they want to do - slide the doors open on the left to enter the studio, or get out of bed on the right to go to the living, kitchen, or bathroom. The private entrance that I added is located in the bedroom, and is an exterior door.

This is my final board on presentation day.

My final model of the space, structurally.

Hand rendered perspective of lounge looking towards the studio, bathroom and exterior door.
Hand perspective of kitchen and lounge
Hand perspective from lounge looking towards the bathroom and studio through the glass panels
Sketchup perspective from studio looking towards bedroom and kitchen
Sketchup perspective from bedroom looking into studio with sliding doors open and view of ceiling installation

Sketchup perspective from exterior door/bedroom looking towards kitchen
Floor plan of proposed space

Materials: Stone flooring, and bamboo wood for ceiling installation
Precedent images

Me feeling great after presenting!

Artist Loft Process

2010-04-30T01:31:00.001-04:00

For this project, we got assigned a space within the Gatewood Studio Arts Building to design an artist loft using the structure of that space. The idea was to include a studio space, sleeping area, kitchen and bathroom for a visiting artist for a period of time. I was given the administrative office as my space to design.

These are drawings of the original space.

Original Floorplan

North Elevation

East Elevation

South Elevation

West Elevation

While researching inspiration, I found some images and designs that really motivated me and got me excited for this project.

David Hotson - Soho Loft

Tang Kawasaki Studio - Morgan Residence

Nandinee Phookan Architects - 217 West 19th Street

I knew I wanted to incorporate sliding glass panels as a main part of my design. I have always thought of myself as a minimalist when it comes to design, so what is more minimalist than translucent glass panels being the key concept in a design?!

These are some of the original perspectives that I had drawn out during my process of designing the space.

Original model that I made.

Clue #5, 6, 7

2010-04-29T15:56:00.001-04:00

For clue #5, we had to simply pick a vehicle and draw it in 2 point perspective. I picked a Porsche 911 Turbo. Then in clue #6 we had to redesign it so that the original car was morphed to something new. For clue #7 we had to render it using dots or strokes of color. I chose to bring back the classy "woody wagon" in my new design for the car. I put some wooden panels on the side and made the shape a little more square. I added a surf board and rack to the top along with a surfer and palm tree as my context. I thought this assignment was fun because it gave me more practice drawing cars, which is one thing i try to avoid drawing. Then we were able to play with are creativity some more by changing the design which i enjoyed!

Clue Four: Changing Colors

2010-04-27T00:42:00.001-04:00

This time, we had to take the perspective from clue 3 and make three copies of it. Picking no more than 4 colors, we had to explore what happens when the colors are applied in different ways and amounts to each perspective. I chose complimentary colors, maroon (a shade of red) and two different shades of green, as well as black for a neutral.

CLue Three: Weaving it Together

2010-04-27T00:39:00.001-04:00

For this clue, we needed to create a one-point perspective of a small reading area using 3 patterns from clue two. These patterns could be used as textiles, wall coverings, or architectural elements. I chose to use my patterns on the side of the chair I designed, the ceiling installation, and the simple design on the wall.

Clue Two: Processing Penatterns

2010-04-27T00:30:00.001-04:00

For this clue, we were to pick an object and generate and distill 25 additional patterns from that one object. The object I chose was my Vera Bradley make up bag.

And from that, I got this...

I enjoy trying to be abstract and making patterns like these from other patterns. They usually end up looking pretty cool!

Clue One: Storytelling in Perspective

2010-04-21T19:54:00.002-04:00

This is Addam's bookstore and art loft right next to campus. Any iarc student should be VERY familiar with this place. I go there at least once a week but lately it has felt like everyday. Needless to say, I think i have used up all my scholarship money plus some on art supplies there.

This is a little spot that a lot of people don't know of. Along the tennis courts are these concrete bleachers. I have spent time here since the first week of school to relax and do homework when its nice out. There are always people playing tennis which i think is really relaxing to listen to!

Trading Spaces

2010-04-18T02:02:00.000-04:00

For this assignment we were given the dimensions of a 36'x12' room to design a space including kitchen, dining area, and living area. After our original design, we were to switch with another person's design and redo their space. We could alter it to our own personal taste but it still had to have the basic structure of our partners original design. This was my final design.

trip to Monticello and Fallingwater!

2010-04-16T16:34:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, the first year group of IARC and few joiners, went to see Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. I enjoyed seeing both. They are each so different from eachother. I personally enjoyed Fallingwater more. I have been a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture for a while and it was truly amazing to visit the house. I can honestly say now that the photos i have seen do not do it justice. I was blown away as i walked through the house by how beautiful it really is in person.

The Space Between

2010-03-23T18:51:00.001-04:00

Serial Envisioning

2010-02-24T22:37:00.001-05:00