"jenga" 3.0 team proposal

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

wi3

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

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

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)

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

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.