Peer Review: Faith Ramsey

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

Skin: 4 Materials

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

Site: Analysis of UNCG Jackson Library

Cycle of Design: Design Manifesto

“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

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

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.