Design Ware

Corry Mears Presents: Silent Music

2012-02-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

I always enjoy Corry’s projects because he works so intrinsically with them that his personality always makes an appearance in his work and his interpretation of the music library is no different.

His idea behind Silent Music is that you experience music in new ways such as touch and sight. Through his technical drawings and handsome renderings it is clear to see that there is an inherent rhythm to the space without adding complicated systems or fanciful decorations. Simple yet beautiful is how I would describe Corry’s rendition of the music library.

I feel Corry was successful in both of his prospective material choices, they added life and warmth to a once dull and uninspiring box. He most definitely addressed the cluttered and claustrophobic organization of the library by opening the space, which allowed for a clear circulation. This aids to the user friendliness of the library. I feel that if I walked into the space I would innately know where to go.

One area where I feel could use improvement would be the conceptual aspect of the design. Although it is a very well thought out and cohesive design it feels safe and I think he could have gone above and beyond with a concept like Silent Music.

90 second Charette

2012-02-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Wednesday afternoon posed a quick thinking and helpful charette where we had to critically analyze a survey for the UNCG libraries. After analyzing the survey Jasmine Jones and I made an "elevator speech" that summarized our survey and how we could use the information in our design process.

Freelon Visit

2012-02-09T09:10:00.001-08:00

Our visit to the Freelon Group was not exactly what I expected to experience. Whenever I thought of architecture firms I always pictured the mundane layout of cubicles and maybe the occasional meeting table. However, to my surprise the office was filled with life and I was delighted to see that there day seemed to run like our studio; They may have the occasional meeting, people are working digitally and physically, and every level works together. I found this to be similar to Paula’s description of TVS design. They both said that Architects and Interior Designers work hand in hand and bring everything they have to offer to the table. Their projects seemed to be where they differed. At Freelon it seemed that it was more small scale and local, where as at TVS they worked internationally and designed small to large retail spaces. Getting a feel for different types of design firms really helps me, as I am about to apply for internships and it is good to know that every firm works differently and I have options. Also, hearing the advice they had to give for resumes was very helpful and gave another insight into how to enter the professional world.

The library visit was really intriguing because we got to hear from one of the architects on the project and one of the Librarians and it was interesting to hear the intent of the design and the users view of the design. In my opinion the library had a really great flow to it and I felt like I would be able to use the libraries system with no problem. The librarian loved the design too however after being in the space for a while there were some minor issues. Such as the information desk being opaque and blocking a clear view across the library. All in all, the visit was really inspiring because we got to see first hand a glimpse our potential professional lives.

Music Library_ Encapsulate

2012-02-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks we have been diligently researching, writing and diagramming the UNCG Music Library. And FINALLY we got the chance to dream up our idea of a conceptual library....

Sustainability Presentation

2012-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

On tuesday of this week I had my first communications presentation... The topic could be on anything we found interesting, keeping in mind our college aged audience. Soooo I chose a topic that I was knowledgeable on and that I could speak clearly about, SUSTAINABILITY :) In the presentation I listed a few facts about our way of lifestyle now and some things we could do to change them for the better, and some cool things that UNCG is up to in the world of going GREEN.

Materials

2012-01-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

In our research of the Music Library were asked to research different and unique materials in an unconventional manner. Instead of thinking about a wallpaper being on the wall we were supposed to throw out the norm and think of materials not in their traditional settings. And of course we were to have a "marriage" of materials. (Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue)

My material choices:
Something old_ Tin ceiling tiles

Something New_ Wool and Wood Acoustical tiles

Something Borrowed_ Pine (Glasgow School of Art Library)

Something Blue_ See through Concrete

How do these all connect?

For starters I chose the tin ceiling tiles because they were very elegant and then I thought about how they would maximize sound in the library which is not necessarily desirable. To contrast that I needed a material that would absorb sound so I found acoustical tiles made of wool and wood. Next I chose the see through concrete which I thought of being very industrial feeling and I wanted another material that would pull more warmth into the space so I then chose Pine as my final material. In the end I had a palette that brought warmth and energy to the space.

Anna Behrendt's Concepts

2012-01-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

On Friday we all presented our concepts that dealt with either the Jackson Library or the Music Library. It was so much fun seeing all the other concepts from my classmates because everyone always comes up with such unique and different ideas from your own. There were two of Anna's that I found particularly good. One of them was her Electricity concept and how she related it to the Library.
Her diagram is very clear and easily understood. It is especially helpful that she included a brief description of the diagram and her thought process. I loved the idea of she got by relating electricity to learning and how ideas can come together and make a "spark" of knowledge.

The next concept that I thought flowed with the Music library well was her Water Concept. The idea that water creates different rhythms really captures the essence of what the library should be like. In some areas it should circulate quicker and others will be more slow and even paced.
Her diagram and picture represent the idea well. I feel that this concept page is more graphically pleasing than the electricity one however, both do an excellent job of describing the concepts.

Music Library_ Concepts

2012-01-28T13:27:00.001-08:00

These diagrams use the different building systems that are relevant in the Music and Jackson library to further our understanding of conceptual development. For example one of the systems was light. The way that I understood light in a library is that it was guiding. From that I thought of a sunflower which emulates the path of the sun.

Library_Precedent Study

2012-01-28T13:04:00.001-08:00

This picture and diagram represent the users in the Monastery of St. Catherine Library.

A diagram of the Duchess Anna Amalia Library showing the experiences within the library.
This diagram suggests the boundaries that direct how the user flows through the Glasgow School of Art Library.

Our precedent study of the libraries was extremely helpful and useful. I found that once I did more research I was able to aevaluate and diagram a space more effectively.

Music Library_ Systems

2012-01-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

For our STRUCTURE assignment we were asked to take one of seven topics ( boundaries, systems, users, materials, circulation, sensory experiences, and furniture) then diagram what that system looks like in the Music Library. My topic was Materials. The materials in this space are very mundane and uninspiring. This assignment helped me analyze our space more thoroughly so when we begin designing the new library I know what material palettes to avoid.

My [Design] Manifesto

2012-01-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

My Manifesto

I sat in my room the other night feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. However, at first my thoughts were selfish until I came to the realization that I, Nicole Leah Ware am not the person in this world. The fact is that there are 6,989,799,191 people on the planet as of January 24, 2012, 12:22 am (census.gov). And after that epiphany my next thought immediately went to; Who am I? What is the meaning of my life? And what am I supposed to do with the rest of it? Questions that only a few days ago I was laughing at and mockingly saying that my significance is too insignificant to answer those questions. An answer that a failure would give, and I was reminded of a quote I chose the other day to base my “design manifesto” off of. The quote is by Chris Alexander, “Architects are supposed to be good visualizers, and we are, but still, most of the time we’re wrong. Even when you build the things yourself and you’re doing good, you’re still making 9 mistakes for every success.” Although this seems somewhat cynical it’s true… but it’s what you do with those failures and mistakes that define you as a person. Do you give up or do you bounce right back and fix what you have done? After all my rambling and the insane thought process that happened to be swimming in my head at 12 in the morning, this is my manifesto. Which not only applies to design but also my life. From this moment on every mistake and failure I encounter, I plan on working twice as diligently to mend it. Design is a marriage of failures and successes and for every success there was 9 mistakes, 48 hours of lost sleep, 10 microwavable dinners, 7 calls to Jimmy John’s at 2am, 1 pillow and 1 blanket under your studio desk, and finally one hell of a (tired) designer. But hey who’s counting?

One more thought before I finish, I went back and looked at the quote and there was a part that I left out unknowingly: “Architects are supposed to be good visualizers, and we are, but still, most of the time we’re wrong. Even when you build the things yourself and you’re doing good, you’re still making 9 mistakes for every success. So you take the time to correct them.” –Chris Alexander

BIM: Understanding Revit

2012-01-18T05:00:00.001-08:00

From what I understand on parametric objects it seems to be any object with a standard equation. For example a table, it can be the shape but have different materials or a different look all together. A parametric object in Revit allows you to change the features without changing the dimensions of any other part of the table unless that function is desired. Where as other programs will change the proportion of everything leaving you with the tabletop you want but disproportionate legs.

How is Revit different from any other 3D modeling program? For me there is hardly any comparison. At first I was a little intimidated and defiant to use the program but then getting into it I found that it has many great features that are truly incomparable to programs such as CAD, Rhino, and SketchUp. For instance the interface is very clean and very user friendly. There is also an extreme advantage to Revit, it allows you to work on one set of drawings such as the floor plan and all the while it is creating your elevations, sections, and perspectives all at the same time. Plus any change you make to one document it then changes it on every other document. This feature is a true time saver and allows for better design. Then start adding windows and doors to the project and it begins to create the schedules associated with those objects. For now as a beginner I see no obvious flaw in the program, but maybe as I become more proficient it will arise. However, for the time being I AM HOOKED.

Sketch Series 3

2011-12-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

Lighting plan, Tele/Data Communications Plan, Reflected Ceiling Plan

2011-12-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

Gatewood Analysis: Response

2011-12-11T17:14:00.001-08:00

Gate Wood Building Analysis

Nicole Ware

December 12, 2011

Although defiant to start this project, I came to see the importance of what we were learning through the process of our task. We were not just learning about our building we were learning about the systems that make up our structure and how they all come together to make a cohesive and sturdy building. These systems; plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, air, structural, fire suppression, and acoustics don’t only apply solely to our building. Their technologies can be applied to many other buildings as well.

One thing that I learned from focusing on the fire suppression system was that it has to have a visual system and an auditory system. They both are important because if you have someone that is visually impaired they use the auditory cues to exit the building and if the person is hearing impaired then they can use the visual cues, like the strobe alarms that are located at the exit access stairs.

After looking through my classmates’ presentations I also found out some additional information that I was unaware of and some new innovative ideas that could be improved in our building. For instance in Michelle and Austin’s project I learned that for the plumbing we have inoperable chase walls. Which means that if a pipe were to break it would be very difficult to get to the source of the problem. To me that seems like a bad design because in a few years something could corrode or burst and major repairs will have to be done in order to patch where the plumber had to cut through the wall. I was also unaware of the Variable Air Volume system we have, which maintains the air temperature in all areas of the building. I learned this from Jamaan and Dajana’s project. In their project they also proposed that the building should use a Demand Controlled ventilation system, which will not only control the temperature of rooms but will also maintain the quality of the air.

Overall, I found this project to be very resourceful. I can go back to all of these projects and reference some of the information to use in future tasks. I also discovered that it helped solidify what we learned in class because sometimes diagrams and definitions don’t always clarify everything but to actually see the systems at work made everything very clear.

Suspending Roots Board

2011-12-09T14:59:00.000-08:00

Suspending Roots

2011-12-09T14:51:00.001-08:00

Layers

2011-10-23T07:54:00.001-07:00

Cafe Create is a project that where I am designing furniture to go into a new shop in the Spring Garden Apartments. The idea is to create a retail space where faculty, students, and alumni can show off their craft to the student body. It will be a space that will challenge sustainable design and bring it to another level.

Disintegrating Table Series

2011-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lighting Plan

2011-10-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Light Sketch Series 4

2011-10-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

Stairwell in Gatewood Studio Arts Building

a. Type of luminaire: Semi- direct

b. Mounting type: fixed mounting

c. Lamping: Fluorescent tubes

d. Construction: 2 Piece

e. Manufacturer: Lamar Lighting

f. Lumens: 47.9

g. Material and Finish: Brushed aluminum

h. Lensing: Transparent with serrated face

i. Function: Fixed semi-direct lighting

j. Ballasts: 2lamp ballasts

k. Environment: Circulation/ stairwell

l. Shielding:none besides the lensing

The purpose of the space is for circulation throughout the building as well as safety because it is a fire stairwell.

The purpose of the lighting fixtures in the space are ambient and they provide a proficient amount of light for egress.

To improve the lighting in the space I would suggest that the landings of each level in the stairwell are brighter so it clarifies where each floor is, instead of the whole stairwell being a consistent brightness the whole way through.

Light Sketch Series 1

2011-10-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Impact design

2011-10-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

An up and coming design firm is making an impact on environmental design with recycling in mind. The company's name... Grey Pants. I love their designs and everything their company stands for.

Light Sketch Series 2

2011-09-28T16:53:00.001-07:00

Color Play

2011-09-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

wi 10: Connections

2011-04-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Wi10

In the beginning of the semester we were asked to write down goals that we wanted to achieve by the end of the year. Some of the goals that I jotted down for myself were to hone in on a specific area that I wanted to study, work on my time management, explore new hand rendering techniques, and improve my writing skills. Overall, I feel that I have touched on all of my goals to some degree. Time management was one of the things that I was forced to work on the most because of all the group work and the limited time we had to complete projects. Before this class I never took the time to sit down and plan out a schedule of what needed to get done in order to move forward with the project. Now I know that I need to move quicker with some things in order to give more attention to detailed deliverables. Being more organized when I tackle a project has also aided me in scheduling other work for the rest of my classes. Although I did explore some hand rendering this semester I didn’t do as much as I would have liked to. This will be something that I will investigate in my free time over the summer.

Over the course of the semester we were challenged with different lessons that would help us move on to the next phase of the project and ultimately build us up to take those lessons and continue on to third year. Some of those lessons we learned were being able to take individual ideas and weaving them together with multiple other concepts to make a cohesive whole. We also learned about means of egress and designing them to be ADA compliant, understand circulation of spaces and buildings as a whole in order to have a design that is easy to navigate, and being able to present these ideas in multiple forms (through speech, writing, drawings, diagrams, and boards). I feel that one of the most important lessons was presenting our work, because we can do all of the components to the project with great effort and detail but those drawings and models can’t speak for themselves. There will always be questions about our designs and we need to be able to “sell” them to the best of our ability and through any means possible. I think this class has touched on many ways to present ideas and has given us the tools we need to represent and explain our projects in the media that we see fit.

As much as we all whined and complained about group work, in my opinion it was one of the best lessons we could have learned. Of course when I work individually I get to focus on what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how it will be done. However, we have this studio to learn from other people. You can only push yourself so far when you work by yourself. That’s why I think group work is so important; because we get to learn different techniques in drawing, organizing, model making, writing, and computer skills. When I started this semester I had no idea how to computer render or schedule my time, but through observing and learning from my team I became proficient in computer aided rendering and most definitely improved my time management. Although we all have our little tiffs at times for the most part it was great working in groups because we all developed the best work possible and brought the best out in each other. Learning how to work in groups now is so crucial to our futures because we will always be working in teams for the rest of our careers.

Because this class was writing intensive I was a little bit scared because I have not always been the best of writers. Nevertheless, I went full steam ahead and tackled all of the writing assignments and found them all to be extremely relevant to everything we have accomplished in the class. They were integrated well into our design process and helped me understand my own projects more thoroughly. Also the writings where we had to either asses others or ourselves really helped me understand my own concepts and then after analyzing others I would get more ideas for myself or our group.

Looking back now through this part of the year I can see how much I have grown from the beginning of the semester. I have become more efficient on the computer, my writing has improved, I feel like I could work in a group of 30 if the challenge arose, and overall I think I have become a better designer. Even through all the group work where sometimes-individual personalities can be lost, my design voice stood strong and I improved my own design process. Thank you to Patrick and Claire for all the wonderful times, intriguing lessons, and the motivation you both provided this semester. I will always cherish this knowledge and passion you have given me.

First Year Reviews

2011-04-29T11:38:00.001-07:00

Reviewing the first years was a great experience and a true eye opener for me. As we flew through second year I never got the chance to stop and take a look at how much we have accomplished in the past two years. The lessons, techniques, and knowledge that I acquired in first year became very relevant in second year. They helped me define a style for myself, hone in on some specific areas of interior architecture and made me view design in a different light. Seeing the first years’ final project, I was very impressed with the work they produced. It seemed as though they put a lot of thought and time into their work. If I could give them any constructive criticism it would be to stand proudly next to their work and speak clearly and confidently about what they have produced. As we all know in Iarc we give a lot of time and effort to these projects and it is our job to “sell” our work to the audience. Many first year mistakes (and I am guilty of it too) are that when we present we don’t give enough attention to what we are going to say about our deliverables and we leave our reviewers with minimal descriptions of the project. My advice is go watch some of the upper classes present and take notice of how well some of them know the project, the language and the descriptiveness in which they speak about it and the confidence they have while presenting. Over all everyone had great deliverables you just need the confidence when speaking about your work.

Ayten, you had a beautiful project that was very easy to understand and presented well. You spoke clearly about your work and very confidently. As I said in the reviews work on how you display your project. Start to develop hierarchy among your deliverables so that your presentation starts to tell a story. I would go to Google and type in competition boards and you will see how other designers display their work so that it flows nicely and how the composition of the different drawings can enhance their project. Don’t ever lose your ability to hand draw, in second year you will probably be pushed towards computer rendering. However, it is an important skill to have. I would encourage you to continue with it and also explore different medias. Also learning how to enhance your drawings using Photoshop or illustrator will be a great tool to have. Keep up the great work and don’t ever hesitate to come and ask for advice!

Have a wonderful summer,

Nikki Ware

Lovell Beach: Precedent Study

2011-04-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

For our final Project in Jonathon's IAR 212 class, we had groups of three that researched different famous works of architecture. My group (Sharon Frazier and Melanie Grumieaux) Decided to study the Lovell Beach House located in New Port Beach, California and designed by Rudolf Schindler. As a team we studied the structural system of the house. Our board and model diagram the planes and columns that make up Lovell Beach House.

Top 10 tips to stay on top in Iarc

2011-04-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday in Patrick's studio we were paired in groups of 2 to make a ten minute presentation on a topic that we are excelling in. I was paired with Abigail Buchanan to give tips on making successful graphics. Examples of our advice include...

Create Hierarchy
Keep text and fonts consistent
Use a good gradient of colors
Get advice from professors and peers
Take breaks from your work

The top ten tips of the day in my opinion are as follows

Get inspired: Blakeni + Alyssa
Work smart and diligently
Purge your sketch up files: Phillip + Brian
Have fun: Patrick
Eat, sleep, and shower: Corry + Casey
Layer colors for rendering: Cassie + Kelly
Speak clearly and confidently: Audra + Jamaan
When modeling, take your time and be precise: Justin + Sharon
Go with your gut: Alyssa + Blakeni
Take your time: Breathe and collect your thoughts: Audra + Jamaan

Jenga 6.0

2011-04-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

Design: Anna Behrendt Rendering: Nikki Ware
Design: Cassandra Brunson Rendering: Nikki Ware
Design: Justin McNair Rendering: Faith Ramsey

Brochure: Cassandra Brunson

In this iteration of the Jengas' our team moved our structure to Zermatt, Switzerland on lake Rifflesee. Here we focused on some key public areas and created a dynamic presentation to show off our structure.

Jenga 5.0

2011-04-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

Whole Sum of it's Parts

2011-03-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

Time and time again I must remind myself that design is not an individual effort. Even if it is not a group project, one must always design with the client in mind, as well as the community, builders, inspectors, and anyone else who may come in contact with the architecture. However in the beginning of this semester I was unaware of these parameters to the design process.

In the first iteration of Jenga 1.0, aside from communicating to Patrick and Claire about my design and following the guidelines of the project, I basically had free reign to do as I please. Being able to articulate my design voice into the assignment was the best part. There was no conflicting ideas or having to compromise on anything. Not that I would consider myself selfish in that matter but all designers want their identity to shine through. Another aspect of this project that I enjoyed was the fact that it taught us how to revaluate our way of thinking, developing concepts and understanding how we work independently. When asked at the start of the semester, ‘what my design process was? ‘ I hesitated and felt like a deer in the headlights. Honestly I didn’t know what my design process was, I ‘just’ did what was asked of me. Nonetheless, I used this confused state to answer a few questions in the next phases of the Jengas.

After a fast pace start to the semester we began catching our breathe and being able to sustain a comfortable speed in the next few assignments. Sometimes when leaping into things it takes a little effort to catch up with the tempo.

Following Jenga 1.0 was 2.0 where we had a chance to redeem our designs and up the bar. Again we were working individually but we could sense a group project in the air. Thus came the group project that most would fear but like a train it was full steam ahead for me. The first two projects were about finding our process and our design voice now it was time to have our voices woven together in one cohesive manner. I have always been the type of person that loved working in teams. All throughout my pre college years I had been on sports teams and involved with student government, so naturally I wanted to take the lead with this team.

Our team was one with distinctive facets (to say the least); we had difficulties in communication and time management. At times personal issues became a problem and the team was not connecting, but this was just the initial group project. Although there were contentions within the group they made for great lessons because as we discussed in class our profession will be dealing with teamwork forever and it is obligatory that we work together now, so we took a timeout to reconsider what was going wrong and mended the problems. We procured personal issues out of the equation for starters and then developed plans to work on our progression in the project and how we could communicate more efficiently to each other. The best part of our group was that we never had issues with whose design identity would show through. In that aspect everyone excelled and our end product was very consistent. However, that was not the case for Jenga 5.0 when we merged two groups together and became a group of six.

It’s never easy to be heard when you are drowning in a sea of squabbling voices. These occasions call for megaphones (theoretical that is). In this group of six it was never a personal issue as it was whose intentions were going to be more apparent than others. But what I learned wasn’t necessarily who could be the loudest that was going to make more decisions but it was the one who could hear all of the squabble, process it, and combine ideas to make both sides content. In the end that is exactly what happened. There are still issues at hand that need tending to but for the most part our group of six has become a team with one voice and we have discovered that design can live within the individual and within a large group.

In spite of some obstacles along the way, I have now made it through ¾ of the semester and have finally discovered the process in which I tackle a project, honed in on my areas of expertise, and found my design language. I have even learned how to appreciate the writing aspect of the course.

Historical Home 3d Modeling

2011-03-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

During the spring semester I was extremely fortunate to be able to help a friend out and 3D-model a home that he hopes to buy in Fischer Park. As the house is in the historic district of Greensboro, NC he must present all of the changes he plans to make to the his torical preservation board. It has been an amazing experience for me as a student and young designer to be able to work with a client and engage in what I hope is my future career.

Adding some life to my desk

2011-03-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

Jenga 5.0 Charrette

2011-03-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

Spring break is over and once again everyone is at studio and without hesitation we are back to work. We started off Monday with our Jenga 4.0 presentations and then moved onto the Jenga 5.0 Charrette, where we converged with other groups to try and merge our designs together. It was a race against the clock and a challenge to try and manage our time efficiently, create diagrams, a design proposal, a perspective, and a detail of our proposed space all in one hour. The purpose of the exercise was to see which two groups worked best together in both design and camaraderie. The two groups we were assigned to meet with were Angled and Circuit. At first it appeared that Beaucoup and Angled could never work together because our designs were like trying to fit a puzzle piece into the wrong puzzle. However, we used that to our advantage and came up with some unique solutions to how we could marry the two structures together. Not only did we come up with an interesting plan but also our teams communicated well together. None of us were just trying to finish the job; we were having engaging design conversations that aided in our mission to thoroughly complete the assignment. The next group we met with, Circuit was a different experience. None of us could seem to focus on the task at hand or come up with any solutions to our very different designs. After an hour was up, although we completed the assignment, it did not appear that our groups had even one cohesive thought that related to the project. In the end this design charrette was a great exercise in understanding how to work swiftly and efficiently but still honing in on our design skills.

Jenga 4.0

2011-03-13T12:49:00.001-07:00

Illustrator Rendering

2011-03-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

cradle to cradle: Diagram

2011-02-17T17:27:00.001-08:00

Jenga 3.0 WI1

2011-02-15T14:28:00.001-08:00

Community is a basic need of humans. We need others to surround us in order to communicate and create friendships. Our space is all about brining together designs as well as people.

As you enter into the large and lofty lobby you feel a sense of community from the various gathering areas. These areas can be used for eating with friends or sitting down for a chat with a neighbor. As you walk through to the back of the lobby it narrows into a hallway that leads to the three apartment spaces. If you continue straight back down the hall you will enter the stairwell that leads up to the large semi-outdoor rooftop terrace that is accessible from the second floors of the apartments. The space incorporates the main forms from the three different spaces and merges them into a cohesive design. These forms also produce the ceiling, space dividers, and seating. This area is a place to have the company of neighbors and friends while enjoying beautiful scenery, gardens, and quiet gathering areas.

Jenga 2.0: Leap

2011-02-13T13:35:00.001-08:00

After designing three different spaces from the word leap, we were asked to explore in further detail the space that we liked the best. I chose to do the space that I designed around the action of leaping. I chose to design the space so that you were leaping around to get to different destinations. We also had to add a second floor. I chose to take the ceiling from my original design and make that the space that you occupied for the second floor. The second floor is has an undulating system where in each dip is a sleeping area.

Leap: Jenga 1.0

2011-02-02T05:57:00.001-08:00

reviews wi3

2011-02-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Before Sharece even began to discuss her project I could see that her concept had something to do with circular motion. All of her images and models demonstrated this very well. The concept that she had was revolve. She explored many different variations of the word and all of them were designed with thought and care to detail. I especially like the room where she used the two opposite walls that rotated to create different nooks. Then there was another room that used a curved wall where the idea was that you rotated around the room in order to circulate through the space. In terms of the drawings the third space caught my eye because it was very well done and was easy to understand. I feel that even if someone who had no clue to what the parameters to the project were they could see Sharece’s work and get an understanding of what she is designing. Sharece definitely used the kit of parts to her advantage and they aided her in designing around her concept word.

Photos: http://www.ecerahsramos.blogspot.com/

In Leslie’s presentation on Monday it was very clear that her long hours in the Interior Architect studio paid off. Her presentation was very well spoken and her ideas and concepts were very clear. Leslie’s concept word that she had to design the space

s around was deviate. Then she came up with three subsequent words that followed the same language as deviate with little twists to the definitions. Those three were glow, seduction, and chance. Of those three the one that stuck out to me the most was seduction. The way that Leslie related the word back to deviate was very clever. She used the circulation of the space to manipulate your path to deviate to different areas of the space. Then when she explained the slit in the wall that gave a small view into the private area I immediately saw the seduction of the space.

Over all, all three designs were very successful and had a great deal of detail and thought.

Photos: http://www.lesliekcanipe.blogspot.com/

Leaping Narrative

2011-01-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

Leaping Narratives:3

2011-01-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had that feeling of overwhelming stress? Well I do all the time from work, school, friends and family, but that all seems to disappear when I open the door to my studio apartment. A calming sense lingers at the entrance and awaits my arrival and then entangles itself through my entire body. I feel like my whole world comes together when I come home. When I enter the room the first thing I do is go straight to my sanctuary, better known as my bed. There I flop down and pull the curtains all the way around the bed and get lost in the Zen space. The colors in the space emanate a serene sensation and beams of light softly flow through the apartment and capture every curved detail from the kitchen to the living room. From the kitchen I walk over to the living area and take a few steps down to the sofa. In the living room stand two tall and skinny columns that hold the TV and pictures. On either side of the columns are two waterfalls that flow out of the wall. Every detail and every moment in the space gives off a sense of coming together and bliss.

Leaping Narratives:2

2011-01-21T07:27:00.000-08:00

A feeling of excitement engulfed me as I approached the transparent doors. When I took my first step inside a rush of energy flooded my senses. Everything seemed so disrupted yet the room flowed as if it were water. Sparks of green and blue engaged the accents of the space. I wandered through the living area where a huge chandelier hung that looked like someone had plummeted into the water and enormous spray of water flew up into the air. When I was done admiring my new living room I gazed over to the corner of the downstairs where large glass sculpture stood stretching up to the fourteen-foot ceilings. There was an opening at the side of the sculpture and my curiosity brought me to peer inside. When I did I found myself looking at the most magnificent bathroom. I instantly thought back to the chandelier and found myself inside a blown up version, I felt like I was inside that spray of water. After my experience in the bathroom I explore the rest of my apartment. Up into the loft I find my nook where bed is imbedded into another glass sculpture. This space hangs over the kitchen and dining area and defines a very intimate setting. After discovering the whole experience of my new place I am overwhelmed with excitement.

Leaping Narratives:1

2011-01-21T07:08:00.000-08:00

Even when it is a gloomy day outside I’m always in a better mood when I step into my apartment. Although small in size it feels spacious and open. The curved walls and undulating ceilings help define intimate areas and make the space flow into my favorite place, the living room. With the high open ceiling, splashes of color, and funky furniture it is the spot I love to sit and relax and take in the cheerful aura of the room. However, after a long day I love to climb up into my lofted bed that flows right from the swelled ceiling. Waking up to the soft sunlight pouring in through the windows brightens my day from the start. I can hop down from my loft and weave my way into the kitchenette for some coffee. Everyday I wake up ecstatic to experience my apartment. When I first saw it I wanted to leap for joy and that is still I how I feel every single day.

Re-Post on Bio

2011-01-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

Over the past year and a half I have discovered that my work ethic in high school is far below the standard for this program. Even though in high school I was able to pass with flying colors with little effort. I changed my attitude when I got to college and decided it was time to really go after my dreams. So far I feel that I have produced some decent work. However, the work and time that I am putting into the projects is below my standard and it is time to up my game and stick out of the crowd.
Aside from working harder I do have a few other goals I would like to achieve this semester. For starters I feel as though hand rendering is becoming a thing of the past as most people start to embrace the technological age. Although I love working on the computer and discovering all of the facets it has to offer, I still want to have that hand skill. For the purpose that if I am with a client and trying to describe a design to them I can easily whip together a drawing that is relevant to what I am trying to depict. Before I joined the Interior Architecture program I was not that skilled with drawing. However after my first year my drawing skill improved tremendously, but all of the sudden every one is now pushing towards computer rendering. Although I know it is more accurate and picturesque I still feel like drawings should have a since of imperfection where clients or viewers of your work can perceive it in their own way. Computer renderings to me seem so complete and finished with no room for alterations.
Another goal of mine is to be able to hone into the field that I want to go into after school is over. As of now my interests are very broad. I could do anything from restaurant design to restoring historic homes, or even having my own interiors store. I think this class will be a great help with narrowing my interests down.
My last goal for this semester would be to take more risks in my designs. So far I feel that I have been playing things safe and I have not really stepped outside of my comfort zone. This goes for design in interior spaces and putting together presentations. I want my work to be memorable and be noticed by people.

MY DESIGN BIO:

As of right now aside from school I have not done too much design work. In high school I had a small side job where I would design jewelry and sell them in a historic town called Frenchtown. There were a couple of galleries that took some of my pieces that I had designed. I even sent some to Boston, Massachusetts to a small shop to be sold. Another project that my family and I have been working on is our 1850's historic farmhouse. We have been restoring it piece by piece since we moved to New Jersey from Georgia in 2000. So far we have completed the upstairs, one of the living rooms, and my parents bedroom. It has been a tedious and long process but it is where I gained my love for design.

Concept: Leap: Jenga 1.0

2011-01-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

Change style indicator

2011-01-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed this exercise. I thought it was a great way to discover a little more about each other and it gave us the ability to be able to pick out better groups. This way the process of group work will go more smoothly and we will have a better end result all around. I definitely enjoyed the exercise because the result for me at least were right on target.

Design Goals

2011-01-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

Over the past year and a half I have discovered that my work ethic in high school is far below the standard for this program. Even though in high school i was able to pass with flying colors with little effort. I changed my attitude when I got to college and decided it was time to really go after my dreams. So far I feel that i have produced some decent work. However, the work and time that I am putting into the projects is below my standard and it is time to up my game and stick out of the crowd.
Aside from working harder I do have a few other goals I would like to reach this semester. For starters I feel as though hand rendering is becoming a thing of the past as most people start to embrace the technological age. Although I love working on the computer and discovering all of the facets it has to offer, I still want to have that hand skill. For the purpose that if I am with a client and trying to describe a design to them I can easily whip together a drawing that is relevant to what I am trying to depict.
Another goal of mine is to be able to hone into the field that i want to go into after school is over. As of now my interests are very broad. I could do anything from restaurant design to restoring historic homes, or even having my own interiors store. I think this class will be a great help with narrowing my interests down.
My last goal for this semester would be to take more risks in my designs. So far I feel that I have been playing things safe and not really stepped outside my comfort zone. This goes for design in interior spaces to putting together a presentation. I want my work to be memorable and be noticed by people.

MY DESIGN BIO:

As of right now aside from school I have not done too much design work. In high school I had a small side job where I would design jewelry and sell them in a historic town called Frenchtown, NJ. There were a couple galleries that took some pieces that I had designed. I even sent some to boston, Massachusetts to a small shop. Another project that I am still working on til this day with my family is our 1850's historic farmhouse. We have been restoring it piece by piece since we moved to New Jersey from Georgia in 2000. So far we have completed the upstairs, one of the living rooms, and my parents bedroom. It has been a tedious and long process but it is where i gained my love for design.

Jewelry

Farm House

Portfolio Final IAR211

2010-12-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

This project was very helpful because I got a lot of great advice from professors on how to enhance my portfolio and pick the right work.

Reading Comprehension

2010-12-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

Les Constructeurs
Diagram

From Minimalism to post modernism was a large jump for most architects, painters, and designers. However it was also a time to explore color, material, and form. That is what I think the painting Les Constructeurs by Fernard Leger is about. Leger painted this right around the prime of minimalism in 1955. I truly think it depicts the transformation between that mindset of less is more to exploratory views on the arts. For the early 19^th century modernism design was not so much about materiality and color and how the two can transform a building or space, but rather was about “the machine” and how that could define that time period. Walter Gropius was one of the founders of the Bauhaus School of Design and he felt that architecture had to be more “socially progressive and responsive to modern needs in industrial design and housing.” (Roth, p.522) He once wrote a description of the Bauhaus program, and he stated, “ The Bauhaus believes the machine to be our modern medium of design and seeks to come to term with it.” Him and many architects of that time believed the same values, but others felt that modern design was too dry and simple and lacked substance. Critics of Minimalism said, “The earnest social utopianism of the original modernism was abandoned, replaced after 1945 by a bland, standardized aesthetic, sleek, machine-like, stripped of traditional ornament.” (Roth, p.567) To combat that architects took a leap of faith into restoring some classical ideas of materiality, color, and form. Venturi, a prominent architect in the late 20^th century challenged minimalist architects. He argued, “ was how to create a modern architecture that drew from the structure and materials that advanced modernists had achieved in the early part of the 20^th century, while also incorporating ornament and visual references to past, to local tradition, to social practice, and to the users’ received conventional sensibilities.” This quote seems to sum up the painting that I diagramed. It was a challenge to artists to stop using simple techniques and start pushing the envelope to newer more thoughtful compositions, and that is what my diagram depicts. It is a progression from very minimalist to the beginnings of post modernism frame of design.

Reading Comprehension 6

2010-11-17T10:32:00.001-08:00

The Arts and Crafts style was a period in time that could be seen all over the world. It was an era where hand made items ruled and the use of the machine was not accepted. The style was to embrace natural materials and enhance nature. A home that portrays this style period best is the Gamble House by the Greene brothers. The house pulls in inspiration from local nature like the live oaks of California as well as inspiration from the orient. The Greene brothers took a lot of the design from Chinese and Japanese architecture and created their own style. The home was inspired by nature and looks as if it is growing out of the landscape. This idea was definitely one of the Asian cultures. They embraced nature as an everyday life style and the Greene’s wanted to bring that concept to their design.

(Barcelona Pavilion)

If you honestly think about how we live our lives today, would we be able to manage everything without the technologies we have developed? I’m not saying it is not possible to survive without a cell phone but life, as we know it would be chaotic without it. Our society has come to an age where we have completely accepted the machine as a way of life. In the late 19^th century and early 20^th century they were just beginning an era where the machine replaced everyday tasks and not everyone was thrilled.

The Bauhaus was the first to say that bringing in the use of machine was ok. Especially if it was the perfect blend of man made and machine made. They also coined the idea that in modern design less is more. A great example of these concepts is the Barcelona Pavilion designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. He had a very minimalistic approach to the design where he used partitions to separate spaces instead of whole rooms. He also focused on the materials he used, where he used the blend of man made and machine. For instance the Barcelona Chairs that are in the space have metal legs that were machine made and meant to look as if they are too thin and light to hold the man made leather and solid looking cushioning. Mies van der Rohe accepted the machine and used it for what he could not create with his hands. He did not solely rely on the machine but embraced it for the technology that it provided him. Many more designers also embraced the machine and that is why today we have the advanced technology that we do. Because instead of impeding the advancement of machinery the majority of people welcomed it and celebrated the products that it gave us.

3.

Page 570 Roth (Douglas House)
I chose the Douglas house because of its stark colors and then I transformed the interior using reds and yellows.

Alternatives Summary

2010-11-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

Reading the alternatives points from Anna, Kayla, and Daniel was interesting because before all of them had very different ideas of the reflections unit, but in this one they all had a lot of similarities in what they discussed. Anna went on about the cathedrals and how they shaped the society around them, and then further discusses how basic shapes began to take new forms. Both Kayla and Daniel discussed the same idea about the shapes. Then Kayla went on to talk about the how the Renaissance was a time where design was reflected by society as a whole and how architecture resembles the past but is reflected differently. Daniel also goes on to explain the renaissance and how it revives classical design.

Reflections summary

2010-11-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

Reading other people’s responses was an interesting experience. It helped me yto understand that not everyone interprets things in the same manner. Especially when the subject is so subjective. Anna, Daniel, and Kayla all had very different views on the reflections unit. Anna interpreted the unit as being a cycle of life, cleverly tying in a conversation from the Lion King. She talked about how our cycle of life can directly relate to design, which makes a lot of sense. We start off with a set of rules, we eat them up and throw them out, then we find a new source, and eventually the original design comes back around, and the cycle continues. Then Kayla saw the reflections unit being about the actions of a cartwheel. We start in one position (in the box), then we break out of the box and eventually land back in the box, however the box is not completely the same yet still has some similar rules of the first box. Both ways of looking at design are different yet in the end the same concept applies. Daniel also discussed breaking boundaries like Kayla did; however he talked more specifically about one building, the Crystal Palace. He related all the rules and breaking of the rules and how they applied to that specific place. This method really helps to define key points that are in this section. Overall, I found it very helpful to read other peoples interpretations of the reflection unit because it gives me a broader idea of this design period.

VOTE!!!!

2010-11-12T07:07:00.001-08:00

Point: Reflections

2010-11-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

Cycles are apart of our world, they happen in almost every aspect of our lives. Even in the design world. They begin with a revolution, or a drastic change in the mentality of the people in that time. Change is needed to evolve and transform the way we live. However, as cycles are circular we always tend to revisit the past and develop from what once was the dominant style. We don’t necessarily replicate the past, but rather borrow the rules and ideas of the time period. Even modernism borrows on some concepts of the past, even if it is merely the fact that a wall can define a space, the idea has been thought of and is not revolutionary but has just been revisited to further develop the future.

Take for example Colonial America; we are in a new nation with new precedents, new rules, and endless opportunities to be discovered. The new nation needed a style that would represent firmness, boldness, and strength to show the world that America could stay true to its foundation of democracy. This style would have to look back to the classical world, where architecture was perfected and the idea of order and strength could be symbolized in a column. The best example of colonial America would be Monticello, built by Thomas Jefferson. The design of the building represents the pristine idea of the perfect temple on top of a hill. It takes many of its architectural qualities from classical styles like Palladio. The outside is boasts porticos that take advantage of the beautiful scenery and the top is adorned with a familiar centralized dome. The dome may be a symbol that has been used in the past however it holds new meaning to the American people. Before they were free, they were a repressed nation held under strong jurisdiction from England, but through revolutions and revolts they became a free nation and the dome represented equality for all men. This classical reinterpretation was used all over the young nation to set a new standard of power for the world.

This initiative of borrowing ideas to develop new ones did not just stop with the American Revolution, nor did it start there. In the 19th century not only were they developing new materials like glass and steel but they were also sponging up other cultures. To have worldly items and many of them in fact was the modern thing to do, especially if they were things from the eastern world. The Peacock room in London, England is a prime illustration of the eastern culture influencing the west. In these times design became a game to see who could be more cultured.

In every era there is something new to be discovered. Even if what we see seems familiar, because every small change is a stepping-stone into the prospect of design. We are hoarders of the past looking for new ways to use the old, and we are a cycle that never stops repeating, we only alter it slightly and slowly, but change will come.

Reading Comprehension 5

2010-11-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

The artifact that I chose was an iron garden chair from the early 19^th century. This piece of furniture was revolutionary in its design mostly because of the material it used. It was made out of cast iron, which was produced in a factory, apposed to all of the handcrafted furnishings that had been done in the past. This chair is also part of a revolution because it was made during the reign of Queen Victoria, which in those times gardens were very important. The designs for garden furniture often incorporated motifs from nature like fern patterns.

2.

arttoheartweb.com

Artifact: Monet Painting
The eastern influence in Monet’s painting is very apparent. In eastern cultures, especially in China they were very focused on nature and how it affected their daily lives. They worshiped nature through religion and depicted it through art, furniture, and even buildings. Then when this idea reached western regions people thought that if they lived among beautiful things then their life would be beautiful as well. This painting represents not only a beautiful Lilly pond but also a way of life, a life of peace and serenity.

Space: The Peacock Room

The Peacock room is a room with many eastern influences. The ornament in the room is very nature inspired and also defines the different spaces and compartments. The shelving system represents bamboo, which is a very prominent plant in Asia and serves many purposes. In Asian cultures it is customary to respect the things that give them daily needs, so in order to pay respect to these things like bamboo they represent it through ornamentation. Another eastern influence would be the rich colors on the walls. The hue seems to represent the vivid textiles that the eastern cultures use in clothing. Even down to the lighting in this room eastern influences are apparent. I feel that westerners looked to the east to design because they were putting a spin on their own classical designs.

Building: The Royal Pavilion

The pavilion has a very middle- eastern appearance on the outside, with the high ornamentation on the façades and rotundas. The building was also heavily influenced by Chinese and Indian fashions, which can be seen inside and out. It has a very exotic feel but with a mainstream taste.

Place: Green Bank Gardens

The Green Bank Gardens were designed to be like a serene garden of the Chinese culture. It was supposed to be a walled place where one could go and think. It was not for the purpose of recreation at all. It was a serene place that offered balance and centrality, which was the main focus for eastern gardens as well. They were places to enjoy and respect nature while you contemplated the world around you.

IAR 211: Portfolio

2010-10-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

IAR 211: Gamble House

2010-10-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Point: Alternatives

2010-10-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Why do we have rules? Most would say because rules create order and if we did not have rules then everything would be chaotic. But then again not everyone follows those rules. Depending on the circumstance sometimes it’s ok to break the rules and break free from the every day norm. I feel that if you have a good understanding of regulations then why not push the boundaries and move forward. If we did not have people like this then in the world of architecture we might still be living under four beams and a roof.

Coming out of the Dark ages people saw light. They wanted to reform design and bring out an age of enlightenment called the Renaissance. During this time designers and architects revived classicism as they saw it. No longer was classical design about temples and gods but it was more for the everyday life. One example would be the Ospedal Innocenti, which was built by Brunalesque. The structure shows rhythm through columns and ornamentation as well as repetition and unity. Although many of the same aspects of classicism remain in the building its low lying form has a more humanistic feel to it rather than the idea of making man feel inferior as many of the classical Greek buildings did. Another important aspect of the architecture in the Renaissance was the fact that separation was important. Not only separation of spaces but also separation of private and public. Palazzo Medici was a prime example of reviving classical design and separating public areas from private. In the design of Palazzo Medici there is a lot of bordering and bounding of the exterior surfaces, this is one way they created space between the different areas. Medici also built the structure upward into three stories to emphasize the disconnection of levels. The design although separated is rhythmic and ruled by the needs of man. Towards the mid 1500’s is where we start to see change in the rules of classical detail. Linear turned into curvilinear. This is evident in the Laurentian Library Vestibule designed by Michaelangelo. In the staircase leading to the library it is detailed with curved lines that push outward secretly breaking the rules of classic design in the subtlest way. It is as if the staircase is spilling out the knowledge that is to come in the future.

From subtle curved lines came movement and action no longer was still life an option. Everything broke out of the box in the Baroque design period. Here is why it was so important to understand the rules of classicism, because if someone had tried to design a building without knowing the restraints and rules of design then everything would have been a chaotic mess. However, designers and architects understood those rules therefore they could break them with great success. Take for example Michaelangelo’s David, sculpted during the revival of classicism. It was beautiful in its simplicity, but very restrained. It was like David was in this box that he was forever encased in. Then Came along Bernini and he decided to break David’s box and give him life and movement. Baroque was about theatricality and dramatic light. One of the best examples of the Baroque time period is the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The design incorporated dramatic lighting through gilded statues, crystal chandeliers, mirrors, and floor length windows. The space was a living stage. The same design aesthetics were present in the Rococo period as well. Although I feel they emphasized ornament and feminism more than Baroque. One example of Baroque would be Amalienburg. It has a very simple exterior however; the interior is quite a theatrical surprise. It has a delicate encrustation of silver filigree from wall to wall and mirrors adorn the interior. I feel that in this time period people lived by the words of Shakespeare, “ All the worlds a stage and all the men and women merely players.”

Through the ages we have developed ideas and a set of rules that correlate with these ideas. However, the people who break those rules are the ones that will be remembered in the end. They are the people who said, “screw reform” and revolted to come up with their own set of rules. Many do not succeed but those who do will write the books for the future.

Reading Comprehension 4

2010-10-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

3. When I was coming up with the design for the Palladian floor plan and listening to the music at the same time, I kept thinking about centrality and symmetry. If you listen to the music carefully it has a great repetition to it that if you were to draw the music out it would seem symmetrical. This is where I developed my plan from, I wanted to take a square then divide that square up with a circle, so no matter which way you folded it you would always end up with the same rhythmic patterns.

4. Before you can break the rules first you must know them. In the Baroque period I feel that they knew all the rules of classicism and then turned them upside down in the most theatrical way possible. In times where classicism ruled, everything stood still with little movement, it was all about repetition and everything being symmetrical. However, this design atheistic faded when people like Bernini turned classicism on its head. Instead of having all his lines be straight and linear he decided to push the boundaries outward and introduce curvilinear lines that flowed and had movement. His statue of David is a great example, where as Michelangelo’s David is captured in a very erect manner, Bernini’s has movement and emotion. This is why the Baroque period is considered theatrical, no longer is staging beauty an option, this time period is about being in the moment and depicting action as it happens. Light also plays a huge role in the Baroque period. Light was used to enhance the beauty of the curves and enhance the contrast of the negative spaces. A great example of light play would be in the Hall of mirrors at Versai. The interior is gilded with gold statues and crystal chandeliers. The light comes in through the southern exposure that is adorned with a massive wall of windows, and then the light proceeds to bounce off the mirrors and reflects onto the statues and chandeliers. Creating the most magnificent lighting affect throughout the entire interior. This space captures a fluidity of movement through ornament, contrast, and light. An art critic of the Baroque era, Heinrich Wolffin, writes, “[the baroque's] greatest achievement, revealed a completely new conception of space directed towards infinity: form is dissolved in favor of the magic spell of light”. I feel that this quote defines Baroque and eloquently states the intent of the theatrical essence of the time period.

Gamble House 1

2010-10-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Point

2010-10-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

Foundations, the starting point to any structure. Whether it is a pyramid, temple, or a cathedral, they all have to start from the bottom up. I feel that this unit has shown us where certain designs began in one dominating culture and then over time spread to different areas of the world. And in their travels to their new sites they found innovative design changes and also adapted to their own cultural aesthetics and needs.

It all started in Ancient Egypt where pyramids began to rise in honor of the great pharaohs. They used methods of stacking to reach great heights to symbolize an entrance into the divine world. Pyramids were the man made mountains signifying power beyond measure. However it was not until places like the Palace of Knossos or Hypostyle Hall were erected that designs changed. Instead of having places where one person was honored and sent into the after life for eternity, they made divine places where people could come have a religious and mystical experiences. Here is where the first columns were introduced. Like the pyramids the columns were enormous to signify power of the Gods and making man feel powerless under their presence. They also introduced the idea of axial progression in designs.

From Ancient Egypt grew the Era of Greece, and with Greece came great change. The Acropolis in Athens Greece is an excellent example of design evolution. Here we see many aspects of design like repetition, contrast, emphasis, harmony, balance, proportion, and unity all within one area. Here many of the foundations for architecture were born. For example, the columns went through great change in just one place. In the Parthenon Ionic columns ornamented the outside, and although the illusion of the columns is supposed to be perfection in reality they are not. They tilt somewhat and if you were to stretch them upward they would eventually converge. The Grecian people designed every aspect of the buildings even the flaws. From the precision of the Greeks came the progressive Romans.

In Rome, it was somewhat of a melting pot of ideas and a revival of Greek architecture, but at the same time the Romans made many advancements in architecture. One of the most important was the invention of the arch. With the arch now one of the most used structural elements the column got pushed from being a structural element to being decorative, as seen in the Coliseum. With the combination of stacking layers and the use of the arch the Coliseum was able to reach great heights and width. The arch was a stepping-stone to the dome, which was one of the greatest achievements in Rome. The dome lead to many advancements in design especially for the Cathedrals during the Gothic period.

The cathedrals were a main point in this era because not only did the fulfill their religious purpose they were also a puzzle piece to many designs around the world. One of the earlier cathedrals, Salisbury had some of the main design concepts that followed through in all of the other cathedrals at that time.

The importance of culture and architecture goes hand in hand. Designs travel not only from place to place but they survive and develop through centuries. Even today we see many of the classical designs from ancient Greece and Rome still present in many buildings. They may not be replicas but the basis of classicism has revolutionized design and inspired new techniques for building in a modern world.

Reading Comprehension 3

2010-10-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

1) The amazing thing about architecture is that it is universal; someone starts a style and as move farther away from the styles origins we see how different cultures interpret it. Take for example the cathedrals built between 1200 and 1500. Many of them started with a simple design and as the design moved to different cultures it developed and transformed to meet the needs of that certain culture.

The Salisbury Cathedral is a great place start to comparing differences in designs. It is one of the earlier cathedrals that we had to compare. It was built in 1220 and completed in 1228. The landscape around the cathedral is very suburbia like. It has low lying cityscape and plenty of open space. The architecture plays around with different volumes. It has modest height throughout most of the cathedral except where the crossing tower is. The tower sores above the main part of the building towards the heavens, and can be marveled from clear across the landscape. Standing 404 ft tall it is the tallest spire in all of England. Inside the cathedral boasts beautiful stained glass to achieve a heavenly experience, vaulted ceilings, and clerestory windows to enhance the natural flow of light.

However different, the Amiens Cathedral has many similarities to the Salisbury Cathedral. Like Salisbury it has an axial progression through the nave, it also shares the same vaulting for structural purposes. One of the main differences would be Amien’s surroundings. It is more of a city area and has to be built up rather than spread out over a more open space. So in this case due to the culture and the surrounding area the design had to transform to fit its environment.

Although the Florence Cathedral is in more of a city than Salisbury it still has a design that is spread out and has one major point (the dome) that is much higher than the rest of the cathedral and towers over the city. It also shares the same ornamental ceiling that Salisbury has. Another similarity between them would be there floor plans, although Salisbury has more nooks and crannies, the two cathedrals have cross design, obviously demonstrating the religious purpose of the cathedrals.

In Germany another cathedral has been erected, the Cologne cathedral. Being in Germany it has more of a bold style to it. In Salisbury the cathedral has flying buttresses for structural support but they are not a prominent feature in the design, whereas on the Cologne Cathedral they are very prominent and a major part of its massive structure. Like Salisbury it has vaulted ceilings and also towers over its surroundings with its two spires.

Even with all of the slight variations in design the purpose of all of these cathedrals remains the same. They are all built for people to come and have a religious experience, one where they have sense of being in heaven with all of the ornate and beautiful details.

2) Life in the renaissance changed drastically. No longer were people concerned about details and ornament. It was a minimalist style where the bare necessities took center stage.

In the drawing the woman seems to be preparing a stew of some sort in the kitchen area. Because function was the only essential need, there were no comforts. The floor and the walls are bare because decoration was not a need to survive. Stone walls and wooden floors usually made up the construction of these residences. The solid materials offered protection to the families. The Great room was where most of the activity took place in the house. It was where the fireplace was (which is supposed to be the center of life, everything was done around the fireplace) they slept here, had events and gatherings, and also ate in here. The room was divided from the rest of the house with partitions usually constructed of wood. If there was any decoration in the house it was in the great room, usually on one wall hung a tapestry that told some kind of tale.

Life was all about amenities and how to survive with a minimalist approach. As long as they had warmth, food, and a place o gather with family and friends the people of the renaissance could live happily.

Reading Comprehension II

2010-09-15T10:51:00.001-07:00

1. As I have learned in class Greek architecture is built to honor the Gods. Their buildings and temples are built and planned with precision and perfection to pay homage to the Gods. The Greeks built there columns upward and tapered to converge in the heavens. It only makes sense the designs of all the architectural details were based on sacrifices to the Gods. Hersey describes the columns as representing the sacrificial ceremonies. Where the base is the foot tied with the rope or molding, the vertical fillets in column represent the spears for the hint, and of course the capital would represent the head, and the tablature would represent the table where the offerings were placed to the Gods. The Greeks had a way with taking something as literal as a sacrifice to the Gods and abstracting it into an ideal architectural detail like a column, that happened to be the support for a temple that honored a deity.
2. In the story archeologists from the future discover what they think is a large burial site, however to our knowledge we know this place as a motel. Through their horrible conclusions of the artifacts they find, they misread all of the evidence that is right in front of them. Their discovery gets passed on like wildfire even though what they conclude they find is incorrect. This type of situation happens all the time on the internet. Someone misrepresents information and it gets used in papers and passed on continuously. We can stop this by referencing books instead of Wikipedia and other unreliable sources. By using books we know the information is correct because it has to go through many revision processes and is proved truthful.
3. In ancient Egypt women were not treated as equals to men. They were looked down upon and not worthy of a rulers status. However, when Queen Hatsheput took throne she had to change that. Pyramids that Pharaohs built spoke of eternal life and reaching the heavens. They were built at enormous scales as if the Pharaohs were creating there own mountains and becoming closer to their deities. Hatsheput had a very different design to her temple. It is more low to the ground and built up in layers, that had a large set of stairs leading to the entrance. i believe her design represented her moving "up" in society or gaining a political status . her ideas were not so much about eternal life and reaching the heavens but gaining power and respect in her time and society.
4. Although there may be some similarities in physical characteristics of Egyption and Greek architecture. The evolution of designs is very different. Take for example the great pyramids of Giza and the Temple of Hera i. In ancient Egypt the pyramids had one purpose to act as a burial for Pharaohs so they could gain eternal life. The designs of these burials really never developed past the pyramid. Egyptians were not interested in evolving, they had a design that worked and they never changed it over time. Where as the temple of Hera i was constructed and to the Greeks the design of was unfinished. Yes it served its purpose, to honor Hera, however the design needed to change. To the Greeks the columns not perfect and the single row of columns down the center was impractical for displaying statues. Therefore, they evolved the design to strive for the perfect temple to honor Hera. They came up with a design that had columns surrounding the outside, then a collanade inside. Which is two rows of columns allowing the middle of the space to be open. This design gave them the ability to have openness so they could display Hera and she could visible from every angle of the room.
5. In my opinion the furniture of the pharaohs was very light weight because it represented a transient object in a humans life. Where as the pyramids represented eternal life, they would be on Earth forever.
6. In Grecian culture the women were not valued like the men. They were to serve men in any way possible, often times even being enslaved. Greeks often made statues of women symbolizing their enslavement forever. These statues were not to honor them but to show that men had control over women. the urns depict that very well because in both the women are serving the men.

Summer

2010-09-09T12:09:00.001-07:00

Over the summer I got the chance to work more with water colors and improve my technique

IAR 211: Process for diagrams

2010-09-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Aedicule: Point

2010-09-09T11:52:00.001-07:00

Point

2010-09-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

Nicole Ware
History and Theory of Design
Patrick Lucas
September 6, 2010
“Architecture, the unavoidable art, why is it unavoidable?” “Because… when u walk into it…. It HURTS!” This is what I have learned thus far in Iar 222. A very good lesson indeed, I have numerously walked into walls or stubbed my toe on them before however, it never crossed my mind that what I was walking into was the unavoidable art that we are studying so diligently in IARc.
As we move through the unit we discover how to look at design and architecture. As good designers we learn to consider how the structure will be affected by the outdoors, or how the outdoors might affect the structure as seen with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water House. We see by example through natural architects like the nautilus how their designs can withstand the test of time and how they keep living records of their history just as we do, but in a different fashion. Other aspects of design to reflect on as we learn through history are how materials evolve from the simplest like rock and wood to complex materials like glass and steel. Then we observe how those materials revolutionize design and our way of living.
One of the greatest things about design and the history of design is the cross-cultural experience we get from it. We get to learn how the events that occurred in a certain time and place effected the design of that era which then influenced design in the future. An example of cross-cultural exchanges would be textiles from Europe that had influences from the east embedded throughout the design. Materials were a huge factor in altering design that which were also exchanged from different cultures. Starting with some of the basic materials like rock used to make one of the earliest structures, Stonehenge. Rock lead to the invention of simple forms of concrete and from there materials evolved drastically.
A building may be attractive and has a purpose but what if it is not stable? A building must meet all the requirements to be successful. It needs to have commodity or a purpose, firmness, and delight. Without one of them then the building has failed. Buildings also have to be unique and be able to stand the test of time. This is where great designers are defined. Architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Greene and Greene, Corbusier, Zaha Hadid, and many others pushed the boundaries of design while meeting all three requirements and making there own style. They have inspired young designers to do better and push the envelope more and see where our creativity takes us. Unlike all of the mcmansions we see being thrown up everywhere come from poorly designed and money hungry contractors, who are only interested in spitting out poorly designed houses. They are not concerned with building homes that are unique, sustainable, or sometimes even sturdy. This is why we study those who impact the world with great design so one day we don’t aspire to mass-produce land fill. When we design it should be there for life.
In conclusion, this first segment of class has already inspired me to look beyond what is right in front of my face, it has taught me how to see in many different ways, to search through history, and to evolve. However, the most important is to watch where I walk so I don’t run into the unavoidable art.

Reading Comprehension

2010-08-31T18:20:00.001-07:00

1.) Armani 5th avenue is a great example of functionality meets form meets aesthetically pleasing. The buildings purpose or commodity is a high fashion retail store. The design displays all the rich products in pristine lighting and striking displays. The store definitely exudes high fashion and draws that consumer into the stunning space. The building being on 5th Avenue in New York City had to undergo some strict building codes and therefore is structurally sound. The delight comes from the head turning sculptural staircase. This staircase is undeniably not your run of the mill flight of steps. It is unique yet it still performs its purpose while being aesthetically pleasing at the same time. From the basic structure of the store down to the products on the shelf, Armani 5th avenue exemplifies good design, commodity, firmness, and delight.
2.) In this textile some of the eastern influences can be seen in the use of the flowers. A lot of Eastern design comes from nature and religious views having to due with their affinity for nature.

3.) As American’s our sense of personal space has expanded over the years. We tend to like more space to feel comfortable and not crowded. However I do think we make exceptions for certain circumstances, like our space in Ferguson. Yes we are very close together and our personal bubble may be encroached upon but we put up with it. Although this space is poorly designed we can learn from it. We know that the chairs are tightly packed into the room to optimize the capacity that fits in the space, but to make people feel more comfortable the chairs should be spread out a little more and the acoustics of the room need to be adjusted so hearing is easier.

4.) When I think about something happy I feel that it has to work harmoniously in all of its aspects. It also has to be able make its occupants happy. If someone walks into a place and immediately feels somber than the architect has not done his job, but when someone walks into a building and immediately feels like they could be happy and make great memories under its roof than happiness has been achieved. The quote I chose exemplifies finding happiness in architecture ”The ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus is said to have demanded of a heart broken friend whose house burnt to the ground, If you really understand what governs the universe how can you yearn for stone and pretty rock?” He was heart broken because the place where he made memories and lived his life had just vanished. It is not wrong to feel something for an inanimate object especially if it held part of you in it. My example for a piece of happy architecture would be the Riegelsville Inn, it is a place where I worked over the past two summers. It is a place where even the staff is happy to be in its presence. Warm and full of history many memories have been made in its walls and many good times have been shared over its tables. It may not be the greatest or most famous piece of architecture, however it is truly happy.

Reading space

2010-05-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

A nice cozy place to be and curl up with a cup of coffee and immerse yourself in story. Surrounding myself with color and passion.

Lotus

2010-04-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Brand New Space Lotus... only $120,000,000

2010-04-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

A first of it's kind a Space Lotus is a flying shuttle car suitable for space travel and can hover on Earth. Enjoy the ultimate Space experience with the most luxurious shuttle on the market. Standard; Leather interiors, mahogany dashboard, Mp3 player, 17 inch macbook pro touchscreen, coffee maker, cooler, duel cooling and heating system, constellation and planet maps... this shuttle covers your every need and more.

sketch

2010-04-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Process

2010-04-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

This project went through many phases for me... not all were great experiences. I discovered not only that some colors are offensive and that you can't have a skylight when there is a structure over top of your space... however, it was a learning experience none the less. My first attempt at the studio was very underdeveloped and I scratched the ideas I had and started from ground zero. I started to research and look into my clients taste rather than my own and what I came up with was a blend of a comforting home with warm hardwood floors and a splash of modern with bright pops of color and modern appliances and furniture. Not all may like the design but you can't please everyone the most important thing is, is that you please your client.

Monticello and Fallingwater

2010-04-21T19:06:00.001-07:00

Monticello and Fallingwater was a very inspirational trip. I really enjoyed being able to experience these places first hand and to see how innovative and how ahead of their time the architects were.

Outside

2010-04-08T13:40:00.001-07:00

When I was walking around campus looking for a spot to draw I came across the side of the MHRA building. It spoke to me because of all the blooming flowers and trees and then through the complexity of the curves in the architecture.

Hypostyle Hall

2010-03-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

Water Color Accessories

2010-03-02T10:39:00.001-08:00

FIGURES

2010-03-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

Water Color Vignettes

2010-03-02T10:25:00.001-08:00

Water Color Vignettes

2010-03-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

Water Color Vignettes

2010-03-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Window

2010-02-22T12:13:00.001-08:00

My concept for the window was that there is water falling down the window pane. I created it by cutting out the cardboard and making a blue sheer background with tissue paper. I made the water affect by using hot glue and drizzling it in water to make sheets.

Water color

2010-01-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

This is my practice with the watercolors... it's from a sketch that i did in first semester.

5 objects

2010-01-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

Back to UNCG

2010-01-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

My first week back at school was like starting a new life... It's strange being in one place with friends who you've known since the elementary days and having to see them for the first time in five months, when you used to see them everyday of your life. Then coming back to UNCG to my friends who i've only known for a few months but feels like i've known them for a lifetime. I think in a way you get to know your friends in college more because in the beginning everyone is in the same boat, we don't know anyone so we make friends as quickly as we can and we get know everything about them because we live with them day in and day out. Anyway, being back at UNCG is the best feeling ever... it's home away from home. I'm with my friends and surrounded by people I love.

Luminescence: Final

2009-12-10T05:40:00.001-08:00

My final project was inspired by moonlight through trees. The luminair is made out of hot glue, blue acetate, and blue vellum. The process of making the structure consisted of filling a cookie sheet with water and pouring the hot glue over it in a swirly pattern until it was thick enough to stand. I then folded the structure into a cylinder and glued the edges together. After that I folded the acetate to fit inside the cylinder then sealed off the ends with circular pieces of glue and added the light.

Luminescence: beginnings

2009-11-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

My project is made out of hot glue, poured over water. When the glue hits the water it cools it very quickly causing it to be very flexible. Then I folded it into a cylinder and closed it with hot glue.

Luminescence

2009-11-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

Luminescence

2009-11-03T14:41:00.001-08:00

Cell Phone and Sticks

2009-11-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

Reflection

2009-11-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Unity

2009-11-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

Five Rooms

2009-10-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

Leaves

2009-09-28T20:54:00.001-07:00

Structure

2009-09-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Container

2009-09-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

This assignment was to pick a special object and to then make a container for it. My special object is a ring that I made in my high school jewelry class. I designed the box so that it would enhance the ring and give it a special holding place.

2009-09-13T17:09:00.000-07:00