cabinet of curiosity

For this assignment, we were to create a cabinet for three different vessels that were each designed by a first year student.  We were to then take the identity of all three of these vessels and make them into a single design idea, which would be shown in our cabinet.  My first year students had to create vessels for: a journal, a keurig coffee maker, and a coffee mug.

First, we met with all three of our first year students to learn about their project and to look at what they had come up with as a vessel.  Lauren Parnell was assigned a journal, in which she created a shell like form that was organic looking and that had cuts in the shell to represent time through shadows.  Hannah Herald was assigned a keurig coffee maker, and created a very structural, symmetrical object that could contain the coffee maker, as well as the coffee inserts and coffee mugs.  Teraesa Douglas was assigned a coffee mug, in which she created a puzzle piece-like shell that fit the shape of the mug.

After looking at all of the first year’s designs, I thought about the identity of each.  One was organic and flowing, one was very structural, and one was a combination of the two.  I went through many design ideas for the cabinet that incorporated all of these elements, but decided on wanting to make something that was multifunctional, as well as a vessel.

My cabinet is a 2’ x 4 ½’ x 4’ cut-out rectangle that has a 3 ½’ x  2’ open area between the wall and the front of the cabinet.  It is meant to hang 2 ½’ above the ground, so the user can either set the keurig coffee maker or coffee mug on the open space, or write in their journal.  This allows the person to either sit or stand when they are using the items contained inside the cabinet.  Also, there would be a plug either built into the cabinet, or on the wall right next to it so the person could plug in their keurig coffee maker while it is sitting in the open space.

The cabinet is framed out of wood, and each face is either made of weathered wood, frosted glass, or metal.  There are three sections to the cabinet: the top section contains the journal, the middle one contains the keurig, and the bottom one contains the coffee mug.  The face of the top section is made out of wood, the middle one is made out of frosted glass, and the bottom one is made out of metal.  I did this so the top one would be the most private because it contains the journal.  The face is made out of wood so it would blend in with the frame, and it is the highest section so it would be the hardest to reach.  The keurig, which is contained in the middle section with the frosted glass, isn’t a very private object so you can partially see through the face.  The coffee mug’s face is made out of metal, because the vessel is very structural, which most closely correlates with metal.

The handles on the face of the cabinet represent each of the objects contained within.  The top section has a small cut-out, to make the journal even more secretive and harder to reach.  The handles on the middle and bottom section both represent elements in the vessels that the first years designed.

As stated earlier, each face of the cabinet is framed in wood, but is either frosted glass, metal, or weathered wood.  I did this so different elements contained within could be seen if you stood at different angles around the cabinet.  This creates interest, as well as a slight exposure to what the purpose of the cabinet is.

GHM conceptual meeting

[concepts]


1.  table 1: mark, lee
        - consider blue color swatch and blue on car
        - kiosk used to control circulation rather than furniture in open space

    table 2: susan, shane
        - mobility
        - like desk more of a feature
        - technology on floating wall
        - don't have a lot of seating area
        - more welcoming to have desk right in front of door
        - electrical issues with mobility of furniture
        - multiple functional desk, not mobile
        - incorporate table with desk

    table 3: susan w., minkin
       - how far floating wall is from wall, how many people can fit at a time
       - curved gift shop that is mobile
       - desk accommodates more than one person
       - 20 year plan, design needs to be timeless and have a lasting color scheme
       - mobility of floating wall
       - multiple floating walls to break up space

    table 4: bridgett, jinna
        - like desk at center
        - bring in things to break up space, floating wall
        - really like floating wall
        - larger scale kiosk/museum shop display
        - kids interact/get familiar with museum from technology
        - move around space, wayfinding
        - if desk is done right, it could be permanent
        - multifunctional desk
        - many opportunities with kiosk
        - color to draw peoples eye around the space, where to go


2.  I thought the way we collected their notes at the end was very helpful because we will be able to look at everything they were thinking and their initial reaction to the boards as a whole and also to the color schemes, desks, kiosks, circulation, and perspective.  although I thought the materials questionnaire worked well,  I think that they weren't thinking of other options of materials while they were filling it out, but rather just limiting themselves to the materials that were presented on the sheets.
 

washington d.c. presentation

during our washington d.c. trip, I visited the freer gallery of art, the hirshhorn museum and sculpture garden, and the national air and space museum and chose to focus on their identities.  the freer gallery of art focused on asian art, and I thought it had a strong sense of identity. however I thought the hirshhorn museum, which focused on modern contemporary art and sculpture, had a very poor sense of identity.  out of all three museums though, I thought the national air and space museum had the strongest sense of identity.  it completely immersed you in historic aviation and its space collection the second you walked into the lobby space and had very elaborate exhibits.
for the greensboro historical museum project, I think that one major issue is that the sense of identity is lost in the lobby space.  drawing from what I learned and observer, I feel that I better understand what needs to be changed in the space to create a stronger identity.

GHM design discription

in class we were told to chose one word that describes the GHM exhibits and this is what we came up with:
irregularity
heritage
blockage of circulation
discovery
sectioned
exploration
immersive
captivation
disorganized
labyrinth
uncertainty
chaos
maze
winding
unit
identity
multifariousness

ghm exhibit visit

[1] the main “voices” exhibition

first off, this was my favorite and what I thought was the most enjoyable exhibition in the greensboro historical museum.  the entrance to it had both stairs and a ramp so it was handicap accessible.  I thought the first room you enter works fairly well for its purpose of introducing you to what the exhibit is, although the time line that flows in a circle doesn’t really connect well with the pictures on the walls.  still though, I think there is a clear pathway that leads you around the room then into the next.  one thing I notices were the lights near the floors that dimly lit the walkway all throughout the exhibition.  the rooms were, in general, all softly lit, using all artificial light, so this worked to keep the walkway safe.  traveling through the exhibit, I thought it was very maze like, but gave you a good sense of where you were supposed to go while still leading you through greensboro’s history.  there were many small walls that protruded out from the main walls, which usually separated a picture or diagram from one another.  the color scheme was pleasing, sticking to mainly deep red, green, orange, and blue.  the colors divided time periods as you traveled through the exhibit, however there were two sections that were bright blue and yellow, that really stuck out from the color scheme.  also, in the second room where the covered wagon was, there were wall hangings of bark that unsuccessfully tried to make you feel like you were in the wilderness.  in another room that was painted brick red, there was a hanging that had neon lights on it that I thought really distracted from the rest of the things in the room and didn’t flow with it at all.  some rooms had soft music playing that wasn’t too loud like they were in the “gate city” exhibition.  as far as furniture goes, there  are benches in nearly every room of the exhibit. some are strategically placed, however some are just in the center of the room and disrupts the circulation.  all in all, I thought the “voices” exhibition worked very well in terms of the principles of design.

[2] the period rooms and pottery display

I also enjoyed the period rooms and pottery display, although I think there were more problems concerning their design than there were in the “voices” exhibition.  the room is a combination of a half circle and a rectangle, which makes it somewhat confusing to circulate through.  when you walk through the doors, you have the option of going either straight, right or left.  either way you pick, it doesn’t leady you through the exhibit in an organized manner.  the front perimeter of the room is where the period rooms are, that are dimly lit so its hard to see the details of the rooms.  also, it is hard to differentiate the labels that are next to each room.  they are just stuck on the wall in between the frames of each room and don’t specify which room they have information about.  you are then thrown into the pottery display, with no transition from one to the other.  there is a center display case in the center of the room that also has a tv on it.  the sound from the tv carried over to the period rooms because the spaces were connected, which distracts the viewer from the rooms.  there were also two benches facing the tv where you could rest and view the display cases from.  the tv faces the back of the room, which at first I didn’t like but the more I thought about it I decided it worked with the space.  if you eliminated the period rooms from the equation, the tv would provide visual information, as well as vocalizing information to the rest of the room that you don’t necessarily have to view on the tv to understand.  the pottery displays were balanced on either side of the inner rectangle, and were lit better than the period rooms.

[3] the “gate city” exhibition

to me, the “gate city” exhibition was a mess of sound, material, finish, balance, and many other things.  the steps leading to the exhibition create a feeling of elegance and sophistication, but once you enter the exhibition there is an overwhelming amount of textures and sound.  your line of vision is first directed to the fake tree that stands at the center of the room, which is probably the least important element.  the floor used multiple materials, including wood, brick, different forms of tile, and sand around the tree.  each buildings façade had a different theme and finish, which was also very overwhelming.  it was very dim in the room, and there was some sort of square on the ceiling that leaked the smallest amount of natural light, although it didn’t effect the lighting.  that might add something interesting to the space if it was utilized in the right way.  the doorways branching out from the center space were relatively narrow, and could become crowded and awkward if there was a large group in the room.  the “theater” was even dimmer than the other spaces, even though there was nothing being played on the screen.  there were three different types of chairs that were used in this space, all being movable.  whether it wasn’t in the budget to get stable seating or it was a detail that was looked over, it made the room look disorganized and uninviting.  the only redeeming part of the “gate city” exhibition was the “hotel” room.  it is closed off from the rest of gate city, however it is open to all the noise traveling from the lobby and all three levels.  the room had matching furniture and a matching color palate that worked somewhat well together.  the front desk was the prominent feature in the room, and it also had a small room connected to the larger one.  however, the room had a relatively low ceiling and the air vent was very noticeable, even though they painted it the color of the walls.

[4] the traveling exhibition entitled “down home”

this exhibition was very different than the others because it was much smaller and was located in the lobby.  it doesn’t have walls that section it off, but rather creates a room by positioning the display cases in a rectangle.  this allows all the noise from the lobby to enter the space, which makes it difficult to hear the tv that plays information and personal stories from members of the jewish community.  the items in the display cases were very helpful and gave me a small peak at the jewish community and their artifacts, however the area doesn’t immerse you in the story it is trying to tell you.  this is due to the lack of enclosure and the small amount of material.  the main focus in the space was on the dress.  it wasn’t encased, only blocked off by glass, and it was raised off the floor.  there were panels of information and pictures that stood next to the display cases, and also worked to better enclose the space.  they didn’t go with any particular case, but gave more information about the jewish community.  unlike the other exhibitions, the “down home” exhibit was mainly naturally lit from the windows that are in the lobby.  this creates some glare on the glass cases, but overall creates a more open feeling.  there really isn’t any sense of direction to how you are supposed to travel around the exhibition, but it isn’t as critical because it is such a small area.  I felt like there wasn’t a connection with the exhibit and the museum, but it felt more like the display was just set in the lobby with not a lot of thought.

[5] gift shop

the main things I noticed that they sold in the gift show was pottery, books and little trinkets.  I also noticed as I was leaving that they sold scarves, which seemed out of place in the store.  they also had some greensboro historical museum paraphernalia.  I think this shows that they not only display objects, but also believe in them enough to sell them.

wam, ghm, iob

in class on wednesday, we were told to discuss the findings about our projects in studio, and then transfer this information onto a piece of paper using words and diagrams. this is what we came up with...

wam, ghm, or IOB

for this upcoming assignment, I would really enjoy and feel that I would contribute the most to the industries of the blind project.  I feel that I took very thorough notes as we took a tour of the building and also have many pictures to contribute to the project.  more importantly, however, this is the space I am most excited about and am also passionate about.  the work the employees do is truly incredible, and I would put all of my efforts into creating a lobby space that is stimulating for them but also represents and showcases them as a community.  I feel that I have a very different take on the space than many of my other classmates do and can bring many new ideas to the table.  still, this is the space that I am most excited about and know I would put my best efforts forward in redesigning it so it best fits the needs of the client and the employees.

I think I have many skills that pertain to this project, especially for the industries of the blind.  I work well in groups, and can respect and work off of other people ideas.  also, I think I can balance out a group and settle any disputes that might be present.  I will bring new ideas and provide different ways to look at things, and bring the group together as a whole when it needs to converse or brainstorm.  for the industries of the blind, I would try to make the group as enthusiastic about this project as I am.

new blog header

for my new blog header, I chose a watercolor called underwater blues by a fellow blogger named "painterwoman."  I chose it because it is a very cluttered, vibrant painting, however I toned down the saturation and made other alterations on photoshop.  I wanted to make it have more cool colors and look more relaxed.  I think it relates to me as a designer because I believe I am a very organic designer, and this painting encompasses that idea.

source of painting:

http://my.opera.com/PainterWoman/blog/2009/03/08/a-simple-fix-and-other-various-things-plus-a-painting

greensboro historical museum: interior vs. exterior

[narrative]

when I first looked at the greensboro historical museum, the detail work on the exterior and the curved brick walls made it look almost castle-like and made me very excited to see the lobby.  as we entered though, I was taken back by the distracting green walls and curved space.  I really enjoyed the staircase when I first viewed it, but the closer and longer I looked at it the more I saw a disconnect from the rest of the museum.  there are many other instances in which I think features of the museum do not flow together or represent the museum’s identity. 

in aspect of the contents of the museum, I think it is very traditional and should represent its exhibitions and events better.  the museums slogan is “rich history served fresh daily,” however I don’t believe the interior of the museum coincides with this statement.  it has had exhibitions that trace  greensboro’s historical roots, and currently has “voices of a city”,  “welcome to the gate city”, “confederate firearms”, and “down home: jewish life in north carolina.”  the building itself is historic.  it began as a first presbyterian church that included a cemetery.  the architect that did the lobby space wanted to cover part of the circular wall, therefore extending the lobby space closer to the road, but was not allowed to because of its historical influence.  

[thumbnail sketches]

[diagram]

diagraming architectural space [weatherspoon art museum]

narrative:

sequence:

test diagrams:

for the first diagram I did a diagram that connected the principles and elements of design and showed which ones I think were highlighted best in the weatherspoon art museum. the right diagram displays how I viewed the light in the lobby space and the sculpture garden.

this is a slightly revised diagram that is annotated to show the sequence of light as you move through the space.

factors:

final diagram:

for my final diagram, I decided to break the experience into five different sections. the first is the entrance to the sculpture garden, the second is inside the sculpture garden, the third is the overhang, the fourth is the vestibule, and the last is the lobby.  I wanted to focus on the way the light effects the experience as you make your way towards the lobby.  the entrance to the sculpture garden and the garden itself are both completely naturally lit, and therefor the light is uncontrollable.  this effects the way the sun shines or doesn't shine on the sculptures as you pass through the garden.  the next picture of the overhang is a lot darker and shaded and takes you out of the direct sunlight.  you then pass through the vestibule, which is also darker than the garden.  I think these two experiences are very important to the experience of walking to the lobby because you start out in such light and then you are immediately pulled into a darker setting.  then as you enter the lobby you are thrown into a soft white light that is much calmer and lighter than the other lighting that you have experienced.