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...

poster design competiton

image

blog assignment 001

as I first walked up to the industries of the blind. building, I wasn’t very excited to go inside because the exterior was so bland.  I didn’t really even feel like there was much worth taking pictures of except the entrance, “industries of the blind, inc.” sign, and the small tree that was before the entrance.  our group then went into the reception/lobby area that had a few chairs and a reception window.  we were then lead to the staircase when we first saw the most awkwardly placed sensory area.  I already felt like this was a very disorganized entrance and this just added to this effect.  the upstairs part of the lobby was fairly generic, with a few hallways and rooms around its perimeter.  after sitting down and listening with mr. lopresti however, I became very excited to see the rest of the building and what the employees did.  his enthusiasm and respect for the blind workers definitely carried over, and as he told the history of industries of the blind it was obvious how much the industry has grown since it first began.  he was saying how before, they tried to keep people in secret about what was going on inside the building, but now they want people to see more and know more.  he said how every worker has their own worker and their own life changing experience.  mr. lopresti also emphasized how the workers were given now special treatments, that they were expected to meet the standards, and surprisingly how they had no supervisors.  there is a high level of trust for the employees that branches down from even the senior management.

we then began our tour of the rest of the building.  the first couple things I noticed were that many of the employees were listening to music, and that there were many decorations.  also, that there was a floor mat at the entrance to nearly every door we went through, and signs that said “please wipe your feet before entering”.  nearly all of the electrical circuits were hanging from the ceiling.  this eliminates the clutter of cords and outlets on the floors, which is especially important since the workers have impaired vision or are completely blind.  another thing that I think is important to notice is that many of the labeling, signs, and white boards are in very large print.  also, there is a constant use of red, yellow, and blue on the floors, corners, and beams.  I’m not sure how exactly this is useful to the employees, but it is apparent that these were the colors that were used on purpose.  along with that, the colored lines on the floor also had a texture that created a walkway.  this is also obviously important to the employees who work at the industries of the blind.
some other things I noticed were that along with mats at nearly every doorway, there were also mats next to many of the machines or work stations that were bordered by a yellow strip of color.  the texture/color combination is very helpful to the employees because they rely on both of these things much more than a regular sighted person does.  one other thing I noticed was that the fire extinguishers didn’t have glass cases around them, however  I’m not sure if this has any significance.  after we finished the tour, we had time to walk back through the lobby area were I noticed that the steps all had white dots on them.  again, I’m not exactly sure how this helps the employees but it is very apparent that it does.

overall, I really enjoyed my time at the industries of the blind building.  this is by far the most exciting, challenging, and enjoyable space that we are working with and I hope I am assigned to the group that works on it.

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.

assignment two: perspective

concept: pine tree [two point perspective]

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]

concepts, principles, and elements, oh my!

concept: pine tree

when I first thought about a pine tree, I thought about the pine needles and its color.  I then thought about how it has a tall trunk, and then the branches spread out in a triangle shape.  the tree also has symmetry and would be nearly identical if you were to split it in half.  in terms of proportion and balance, the expansion of branches at the top of the tree mimic the growth of the roots underground.  there is a rhythm to the pine needles, and also the pine cones that grow on the pine tree.  the bark is coarse and tough, while the pine needles are pointy but smooth.  the way the light shines through these needles creates a very interesting effect that I am hoping to portray in my perspective drawings.  but what I mainly want to focus on is the expansion of the tree both upwards and downwards.

citation:
http://www.delange.org/PineAfghan/PineAfghan.htm
http://www.danheller.com/images/California/KingsCanyon/Misc/Slideshow/img7.html

nametag [tuan vo]

when I first sat down with tuan, he told me he would like his nametag to be simple and abstract, and that he wanted the colors to be blue, white, and green.  his desk is in line with the window so I decided I would make his nametag stick to the window in some way.  I was originally going to do his name in clean, plain lettering but then I played around with the lengths of some of the letters and how that worked with the proportion and balance of the composition as a whole.  I chose to fade from dark blue, to white, then to dark green as you read his name from left to right.
the N is where the two colors meet at white, and the T and O are the two darkest letters.  the lengths of the lines in the letters put more emphasis on some of them but I think they balance each other out.

first draft:

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.

final portfolio

monticello and fallingwater

a writer's retreat

[1st floor] floor plan

[2nd floor] floor plan

when I first began thinking about creating a writer's retreat, I wanted to not do anything too different or out of the ordinary that a writer wouldn't experience in other settings.  I thought that they have spaces that they are comfortable writing in and where they are most inspired, so I didn't want to have them feel out of their element in an out of the ordinary designed space.

as you enter the front door, you are immediately in the reading space.  there are two coat closets to either side of you, and a raised podium area in front of the fire place where the writers would read. the next room back is the meeting area/personal office that has a connecting fire place to the reading area.  it is relatively tall, so it creates more of a connection between the two rooms because you can see more of the other one.  this room is also lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves on two of the walls, and has an L shaped desk that is connected to the wall.  the next area you enter is the private area.  it is an extremely open space that has a closed off bathroom and a counter that divides the corridor kitchen from the living room area.  the wall that divides the inside from the outside has a floor to ceiling window and two glass doors that lead to the patio.

longitudinal and transverse sectionals and perspective of reading nook

perspective of reading nook

transverse sectional

key plan

the staris gradually get larger as they lead up to the loft, which is the most private area in the building.  the chimney is in the center of the room, with the bed to one side of it and a large skylight to the other side.  the deeper you go, the more private it becomes.  the very back of the lofted floor is the reading nook, that also has floor to ceiling bookshelves on one wall and a small area for the writer to sit and reflect.

two point perspective of living area

one point perspective of reading area

one point perspective of loft

st. mary's house parti

in my writer's retreat, I want to emphasize books by having spaces with wall-to-wall bookshelves.  reading other authors works provide inspiration for the writer, so I wanted to make books very available.  I made my parti like a book and divided it into four chapters: st. mary's house, inspiration, materials, and proposal/circulation.