Interior Architecture

2009-11-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

I created this piece as an illustration for my concept of a volcano. I wanted to show the lava in an abstract and colorful way.

Camera

2009-10-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

We had to draw a camera and then photoshop it. I decided to do a Polaroid camera and then make the developing picture a photo of me taken last year. I learned a lot about photoshop and how to transform a drawing.

So You Think You Can't Draw?

2009-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

We had to draw a castle for our "So You Think You Can't Draw?" project. I decided to draw a castle on the of a cliff looking out to an extension of land and a border of mountains. The inspiration for the cliff came from a scene in the movie "Pride and Prejudice." I think that it worked really well and added another dimension to the drawing.

Perspective Composition

2009-09-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

Original Perspective

2009-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Study

2009-09-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

For this perspective, I changed the color of the ceiling as well as small details, such as the lamp, star, and curtain.

Photoshop Study

2009-09-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

For this pespective, I changed many more major details. I really just wanted to play with color and see how different colors looked in the space. I changed the smaller curtains to a yellow color and the dining room chairs to brown. I did try to stay to the same color palette with a couple extra colors that paralleled some of the colors. The chair I changed to purple which was off the palette, but went well with the curtains and changed the lounge on the patio to a red to match the interior walls.

Photoshop Study

2009-09-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

I really did not want to change much in this space, so I went with a sphere and changed the hue and saturation within the sphere. I was really just playing with photoshop in this perspective.

Final Perspective- Loose

2009-09-22T09:04:00.001-07:00

Action Verbs

2009-04-22T04:30:00.000-07:00

Speculate: When designing, the designer speculates measurements and how the final product is to look. They start out with a design or inspiration, then work from that to come up with the structure in the end. Guadet wrote that the first requirement in designs is to understand the function of the building and to accommodate it fully (Roth 501). He also said “you will seek character, which contributes to beauty by creating variety” (Roth 501). Both of these mean that a designer needs to speculate how the structure will be used and then add character or beauty to accentuate the function.
Compose: When designing a structure or composing a piece of art, the designer or artist needs to arrange all parts to make up the final result. Composure is important in an artwork or structure because all aspects are linked together and flow throughout the space. Guadet wrote “Composition must be good first, but it must be beautiful as well. You must therefore compose a building with a view towards its usefulness and its beauty” (Roth 501).

Energize: A space needs to have a certain energy so that the viewers can reflect on their own emotions how to evaluate the space. A designer designs with a certain lighting or celebration that sets the mood and gives the space the energy that they are trying to portray. In the late Baroque and Rococo architecture, the colors arise not so much from the natural weathering of materials but from applied paint that must periodically be renewed (Roth 81). Nonetheless, such environments have reinstituted a measure of vivacity and energy, which was suppressed by the austerity of International Modernism in the mid-twentieth century (Roth 81).
Shape: Every structure always has a shape, whether it be a box with four walls and corners or the Disney Concert Hall with many different curves and sections. The designer or architect decides on the shape and then moves through many different construction techniques to form it to that shape. Shape can also be influence by the use of the space. An alternative is to design a building so that any possible future activity can be accommodated (Roth 6).

Stretch: When designing a structure, the designer needs to compensate for stretching over the years. Much like an item of clothing stretches over time, a building can also stretch. Years of wear and tear can have major effects on structure. They begin to erode and crack as the earth moves. So a designer or architect needs to design keeping in mind the eventual harm to the structure over time.

Reflections Unit

2009-04-17T08:49:00.001-07:00

Design is based on reflections of other structures and on the surrounding society. Some designers decide not to reflect on their surroundings, which in turn can make a different structure entirely. Politics, society, and styles of the time that a structure is designed have a major influence on how they are built.
Thomas Jefferson reflected on French architecture when designing his home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia. At first he began with the architecture from colonial American designs, but once he visited France, he completely changed his design. He wanted a home that reflected nature, but was also very sophisticated. He used his main entrance as a personal museum with statues, animal heads, and Indian memorabilia. He was influenced by a new architecture in France, which used domes, so he added one simply for viewer enjoyment. The dome is not used except to add light to the room, which Jefferson called the “sky-room” (The House). He was also greatly influenced by the use of skylights. He installed a skylight in his own bedroom as well as thirteen others. Jefferson was greatly influenced by French architecture, which is why Monticello was designed, built, designed again, and finally built again.
Frank Lloyd Wright went in a different direction from American architecture when designing Falling Water. He was the first to build an entire house out of concrete and steel. He also wanted his design to reflect nature, but also be sophisticated. He used terraces outside of every room to encourage the owners, the Kaufmanns, to spend as much time outdoors as possible. The Kaufmanns originally wanted their house to be built facing the waterfall, but Wright decided that he wanted the house to be built above the waterfall. His design was unlike any other in America at the time due to the materials and also the use of a great room. Great rooms were uncommon during that time, but Wright wanted to influence relaxation as well as family time. It was also great for entertaining, which was something that the Kaufmanns really enjoyed. Wright’s modern design has influenced architecture today with the use of natural appeal and use of materials.
Designers like Frank Lloyd Wright and Thomas Jefferson wanted to escape the usual design of American during their times, and step out of societies idea of architecture. They both were from completely different periods in history and completely different societies, but they both were able to break rules and change architecture for the future. Their reflections on their surroundings influenced them to react differently in their architecture.

Cites:
http://www.monticello.org/house/house_faq.html#style
http://www.monticello.org/gallery/aerials/monticello_west_earlyspring.jpg

Road Trip

2009-04-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Roots: Thomas Jefferson took root in Virginia, but designed his house using French ideas. He stepped away from American Colonial designs and took ideas from France for the entire house design. He originally designed, built, then after his trip to France, he redesigned and rebuilt. He wanted his home to be different, which is why he used a dome structure, skylights, and dumbwaiters for serving as well as for the clock in the main entrance. Another related development, with roots in the imagination of the British Archigramists and Japanese Metabolists in the early 1960s, was the mega structures of the second half of the twentieth century, huge buildings encompassing many connected, functionally related activities, often made possible by the use of a repetitive, large-scale structural system (Roth 577).Congruence: Frank Lloyd Wright built Falling Water in congruence with nature by using natural materials, such as: concrete and steel. He also built Falling Water with the idea of spending time outdoors for the Kaufmanns. The Kaufmanns originally wanted the house to be built facing the waterfall, but Wright wanted to build the house over the waterfall. His idea of building the house over the water put the house in congruence with nature by making it part of the mountain and overlooking the water.
Concept: Jefferson and Wright began with two different concepts and built two houses that were completely different for their times. Jefferson wanted his home to reflect nature, but also wanted to establish French ideas in his design. Wright also designed with a modern concept, but also wanted to encourage the Kaufmanns to spend as much time outdoors as possible with verandas outside of each room. Architecture is the art in which we walk, the art that envelops us (Roth 47). Frank Lloyd Wright believed space was the essence of architecture and discovered that the same idea had been expressed centuries earlier by Lao-tzu, and paraphrased in 1906 by Okakura Kakuzo in The Book of Tea (Roth 47). The reality of architecture lay not in the solid elements that seem to make it, but in the space defined by those elements: “the reality of a room, for instance, was to be found in the vacant space enclosed by the roof and walls, not in the roof and walls themselves” (Roth 47).

Materiality: Jefferson and Wright both used natural materials to build their structures. Jefferson had the resources to make the bricks from Virginia mud and nails on the property, the wood was from the surrounding area as well as the stone materials being quarried on Jefferson’s land. Wright also used natural materials, such as: concrete and steel to build the entire house. This was different from any house structure of the time and shed new light on the use of concrete to build. Since the mid-twentieth century, a number of manufactured materials have permitted exotic construction techniques (Roth 41).

Compression : Release: Jefferson used compression and release with his clocks and serving ideas. He used dumbwaiters from the basement for the clock in the main entrance as well as the clock above the front door. He also came up with new concepts of serving with dumbwaiters behind the fireplace in the dining area to bring wine bottles from the cellar in the basement. Jefferson wanted to keep his servants out of sight of guests, so he used revolving doors and many different dumbwaiters for different purposes. Wright also used compression and release in a different way by using a porous material like concrete, which is now beginning to release into the stream a little each year. The weight of the structure is causing it to fall a little every year, which Wright may not have thought of when designing the structure.

Opus 10

2009-04-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Craft: The craft in building Monticello and Falling Water was seen through the clean lines and difference from other buildings of the times. Thomas Jefferson borrowed ideas for his home design from the French, then designed and redesigned his home to fit the time but also allow for new technology, such as built-ins. Jefferson’s craft was also shown through the self-sufficiency of his plantation. He had the technology available to make Virginia mud bricks, nails, beer, wine, and gardening. Frank L. Wright also used clean lines in the way that he placed the windows along the rooms and by the use specially designed light fixtures and furniture. Wright used natural elements to build this home, such as concrete and steel. This was the first time that concrete had been used to build a house in that time.

Technique: Falling Water and Monticello both utilized space. Wright thought that nine foot ceilings were a waste of space, so he shortened the ceilings to the average height, then lowered half of the ceiling to draw the eye to the windows. Jefferson also used new techniques in building, such as connecting nature with indoors. He used his own version of linoleum flooring painted green in the entrance hall, but also painted unnoticeable acorns into the fireplace.
Virtual: Wright and Jefferson created the feeling of being outside by the use of multiple windows in each room of both structures. They both wanted to encourage outdoor activities by using windows and verandas reaching out into nature. The use of windows and glass doors invited the guest to enjoy the nature waiting to be explored.

Public: Private: Jefferson was embarrassed by the use of slaves and servants. He created corridors under the house that kept the kitchen, cellars, and workshops out of sight. He also used dumbwaiters and revolving doors to send food and wine to the dining room for the butler to deliver, rather than having servants wandering in and out of the dining area. Jefferson also took one third of the house for his own private use, which included his office, bedroom, and library. With multiple guests coming and going out of the Jefferson home, he wanted to establish clear places for private family. Wright also established areas for guests and family by using dark hallways that discouraged guests from entering private areas. He also built a separate house just for guests. Falling Water was also more private than Monticello in the way that it was embedded into the woods, rather than sitting on top of a hill.

Language: Jefferson and Wright used the language of the time in their designs that borrowed from other designs. They both used line weights in framing and sharp edges with horizontal and vertical lines. Resources of the time, such as: brick, wood, and clay, were also the language of the time due to how the materials were used in other surrounding structures.

The Proximity Hotel

2009-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

The Proximity hotel was designed with the basis of sustainability, but also wanted to be functional and beautiful. The owner, Dennis Quaintance, wanted an elegant, but environmentally safe hotel, which in turn became the Proximity hotel located in Greensboro, NC. The Proximity Hotel was designed on the basis of sustainability, visual interest, and an impact on surroundings.
The name for the Proximity came from the Proximity Cotton Mill developed by the Cone brothers in 1896 (History). The hotel was designed around the idea of an old factory or mill, such as the Proximity Cotton Mill located down the road from the hotel (Design). Bradshaw Orell, the designer of the hotel, took the idea of an old factory and designed every detail of the building, down to the custom furniture. The unusual design process was grounded on the notion that the process is more important than the outcome (Design). The building’s design and construction followed guidelines of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings (Sustainable). LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in six key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design (Sustainability).
The Proximity hotel is one of the newest hotels in Greensboro. It was built alongside a polluted stream that was cleaned up and now adds visual interest to the hotel itself. When driving by the Proximity or pulling into the parking lot at night, the viewer is in awe at the magnitude, but also the beauty of the structure. The designers used large windows in each of the rooms to allow for an abundance of natural light to flow in, but also for electric light to flow out to illuminate the structure at night. The hotel’s design and outward appearance adds a new flare to hotels of Greensboro that you may not see elsewhere in the city.
The Proximity hotel is a leader in green and sustainable building for Greensboro, but also for the world. The sustainable practices used can influence how hotels and other structures are built in the future. The use of solar panels to heat water, natural light, recycled air from outside used in air conditioning, and a green, vegetated rooftop above the restaurant are some of the many ways that the hotel has encouraged sustainability (Sustainability). Hotels being built in the future will begin to look into sustainable practices and will begin to build with those in mind.
The Proximity Hotel was designed on the basis of sustainability, visual interest, and an impact on surroundings. This hotel is a leader in sustainability for Greensboro, but also for the world. The ideas that this hotel came up with to allow for a sustainable hotel will be used in the future as the world is going green and thinking more about how construction affects our environment.

Cites:
http://www.proximityhotel.com/index.html

[Re]Actions

2009-04-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Rotation: Rotation can be the essential to a design. Being able to take a project and spin it around to compose a new idea that may have never been considered before. Many of the Greek and Roman designers sought to showcase the façade of their building designs, but the Renaissance and Gothic architects brought a whole new concept of circling around a space and absorbing all aspects. Cathedrals were built inside and out to be enjoyed, but also for the viewer to be able to revolve and evolve in the space while absorbing the massive beauty.

Movement: A piece of architecture that seems as if it is flowing and all parts are working together to seem as though they are moving together allows for the viewer to be transfixed by the piece. The Trevi fountain by Bernini was carved to look as if it flows and moves like water. The statue in the center with the horses and men on either side exemplify the cascading waterfall that the fountain is making along with the placement of rocks that allow for the water to flow freely. The Baldacchino also take the ides of movement and carves it into stone. When looking at the Baldacchino, your eye is moving up and down with spiral, it is as if it is spiraling from the floor. These revolutions are so interconnected that they can be thought of as operating in a circle, each feeding into the next (Roth 439).
Reflection: When you look in a mirror, you see a reflection of yourself. This reflection can either make you happy with yourself or reveal flaws that need to be changed. During the Revolution in Colonial North America, designers took ideas from previous architecture and came with their own rendition of how the design should be. Versatility in planning to accommodate social events was the motivating force for this change (Blakemore 250). The assembly as noted previously, involved activities that took place simultaneously in different rooms, thus requiring a circuit of rooms (Blakemore 250). In the Parson Capen House, the designer used the idea of a “hall and parlor plan,” which distinguished the places for family and the places for guests. Much like the Roman houses, which distinguished the hall for servants to do work and the rest of the house for family or guest enjoyment. Thomas Jefferson also reflected on past ideas, like the Pantheon when designing his home, the Monticello. The façade looks much like the Pantheon, while the house is still separated into servant’s and living quarters. The White House also borrowed upon the Roman idea of columns and dome structures.
Source: Every idea or concept has a source of inspiration and influence. No great architect or designer began building from nothing, they all had ideas flowing either from seeing another design or from taking pieces and parts of their favorite designs, then pasting them together to form one solid idea. Designers of the Revolution in America took ideas from the Renaissance and Gothic architecture, then applied it to their designs.Illumination: Light and depth are used in many designs to illuminate a structure to enhance the visual aspects or to give dimensionality. Light enhances the mood that is set in the space or structure. The landscape of a structure can illuminate the space by adding dimension or extension of the space. A complete union of the landscape with the residence is sought (Blakemore 250). The landscape became even more important than it had been in the Baroque period, during which the landscape was conceived as a continuation of the mansion’s classical rule (Blakemore 250). The simple landscape of the Villa Giulia illuminates the building façade without taking away from the architectural aspects of the structure.

Summary: A structure needs a source of inspiration, then the design evolves so that there is movement in the structure and interior requires rotation in order for the viewer to capture and reflect on the essence of the design. Illumination can also be added by use of landscape or design techniques.

Alternatives Unit Summary

2009-03-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Middle Ages was the time of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Renaissance was a time of rebirth and reformation. Designers and architects were exploring new boundaries and breaking rules set by previous styles and architects. Religion was a major motivating source, which is why most architecture was for religious purposes, such as: St. Peter’s church, which was larger motivated by Christianity. The Renaissance began moving outside in courtyards for political purposes. The Ospedale Innocenti celebrated the public square and gave an idea to what designers were addressing in Renaissance building. The Palazza Rucellai collapsed the history and design of the Coliseum and applied it to their design by the use of the columns and levels. The Renaissance also brought in the idea of different views. Compared to the façade views used before, the Renaissance designers began showing a whole second façade along the sides of the buildings. This allowed for more dimensionality in the designs and also to give depth to the buildings other than the interior.
Along with the Renaissance came the abstract and functional idea of Villas. Villas became the working farms to raise food to feed Venice. They were organized around a central circular space. The Villa Giulia was a landscape, garden scape, and building scape linked together to form one space. The interiors and furniture used in the Villas were to bring order out of chaos and to bring things from the past and embed them in the present.
Many architects and designers began testing boundaries and breaking rules. Michelangelo Buonarroti painted the Capella Sistina at the Pope’s request, but began using the idea of disintegrating the wall in the paint so that it provides an illusion of no walls and transforming the viewer into a new space. In the Laurentian Library Vestibule, Michelangelo pushed the columns into the wall, then cut out the space around then to let them be columns for decoration and support. This was much different from the past idea of columns that had to be seen all around with decoration and mainly used for support. He also used the idea of a cascading waterfall for the stairs to give the idea of pouring forth knowledge from the library.
Borromini was a Baroque architect that began thinking outside of the box by trying to fit the St. Maria Pace into a courtyard where there was no room to place a church. He also tried to cram as much fluidity in the St. Ivo as possible while embedding the Trinity into the design itself. Bernini was also a Baroque architect who designed the Trevi fountain by using the idea of water flowing throughout the entire fountain structure.
These designers thought outside their boxes created by architects and architecture before them by taking their ideas and making them their own. The Renaissance was a time to renew architecture from the ideas that were established by the Greeks and Romans years before and applying that to new construction. The Renaissance and Baroque came together by bringing new ideas and adding ornate detail to the designs. These styles helped in establishing architecture for today and the future by giving way to thinking outside the box.

Grammar : Syntax

2009-03-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

[Re]Visions: For proper design, revision and vision are necessities. Designers need inspiration to design and then take that inspiration and modify it to work better in the space or environment. Revisions are also made to existing architecture. Renaissance architects of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries endeavored to create new rational, mathematically describable forms based on what they understood of the Classical architecture of ancient Rome (Roth 397). They even invented a term to describe their decisive break with the Gothic past, saying their work marked a renaissance, or rebirth (Roth 397).
Audience: Architecture and design are meant to be enjoyed by all viewers. Buildings and cathedrals used to be built for enjoyment by using large scale that allows for the viewer to be transformed into a different atmosphere and puts the viewer at awe of the space. “Illusionisic architectural painting was aimed at extending real architecture into an imaginary space” (Blakemore 159).
Character: Character is what sets a piece of architecture from another. It is the identity of a piece of architecture that gives it personality. Renaissance architects and designers looked to make their designs different and monumental from all other designs. Annibale’s representations were vital, animated, dramatic, and monumental (Blakemore 158). Every designer desires to put character in their designs and to be able to call them their own or make them stand out from the rest.

Transition: Flowing and moving through time and space is transition. Change in styles or attitudes from one to the other or back again makes up transition. To eighteenth century French critics, the curving, heavily embellished architecture of the seventeenth century Rome, with its corkscrew columns and bent entablatures, was as much a deviation from the paper architectural norms as a twisted pear that deviated from the spherical norm, and they applied to that architecture the derogatory Portuguese term used for misshapen pearls: barocco, “baroque” (Roth 398). The transition of names and titles of the time periods marked those times for future reference. Gradually, however, the term baroque came to be used by late-nineteenth-century art historians such as Heinrich Wolfflin in a more positive, descriptive sense, to describe any art that was elaborated, embellished, and complex, compared to preceding simpler forms (Roth 398). But also, these time periods became known by their change in architectural styles.

Datum: A datum line is a point of reference. For architecture, the datum line keeps everything straight and accurate. Drawings and design are kept precise by including a datum line.

Summary: Architects and designers think of the audience and the vision they are trying to capture when designing, then they revise the idea, add in the character and transitions from one space to another. They also use datum lines to distinguish the symmetry and balance in the design.

Prededent Analysis 2

2009-03-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Drawings:
I. Plan View (1/4”:1’)- ink on Vellum
II. Elevation (1/4”:1’)- ink on Vellum
III. North Section (1/4”:1’)- ink on Vellum
IV. South Section (1/4”:1’)- ink on Vellum
V. West Section (1/4”:1’)- ink on Vellum
VI. East Section (1/4”:1’)- ink on Vellum
VII. Orthographic- ink on Vellum
VIII. Isometric- ink on Vellum
IX. Line Drawing- ink on Vellum
X. Perspective Interior- ink on Vellum
XI. Floor Plan- ink on Vellum
Deliverables
I. Introduction
a. The Proximity hotel was designed on the basis of sustainability, visual interest, and
impact on surroundings.
b. Location
c. Purpose
II. Background
a. History and details of planning process
b. Inspiration drawn from surroundings
III. Design
a. Sustainability
b. Visual interest aspects including decorations, outward appearance, and other various
observations
IV. Impact
a. How did this hotel and green building affect the area?
b. How will this effect future construction and design?
V. Conclusion
a. Thesis repeated
b. Wrap up of ideas and paragraphs

P Week

2009-03-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

Periphery: Periphery is the outer edge of an area or object. The outer edge can also be called negative space. Negative space can be accentuated with color or design or left alone. Sometimes leaving the negative space or periphery alone can accentuate the positive space better than by adding something that could seem unnecessary. In Renaissance designing, the idea of surrounding doors and walls with columns and pilasters or elaborate decoration was prominently used. They were also used to separate different aspects of the walls in order to unify the design. Sometimes engaged columns instead of pilasters were used to separate panel sections (Blakemore 137). For the scrap booked layout for my Unity project, the different colored backgrounds and framing was unnecessary and took away from the different views of the projects themselves. Although, it was laid out precisely and would have looked good in a scrap book, it was unnecessary for the project at the time. Just like the scrap book page for the Unity project was too much, the graphic done for the Dialogue project was effective because of the emphasis put on the picture with little aspects that did not take away the focus on the diagram.

Portfolio: A portfolio can be the actual paper or cloth case that loose papers are kept in or it can be the loose papers in the case. For our portfolios in drafting, we collaborated all of the work done for the semester up until that time. A portfolio can include anything done in a certain time period or can be collected over years of work. Some use portfolios for job interviews, which can showcase work created or work done in the past, much like a resume. The typical architect of the Renaissance in Italy was exceptionally versatile in that he performed services not only as an architect but also as a painter, sculptor, furniture designer, etc. (Blakemore 91). An architect’s portfolio of work in the Renaissance needed to be versatile in order to have work. Architecture as an independent, rational structure frame is transformed into a unity or fusion of the visual arts propaganda (Roth 404). Architecture has become but one constituent part in what was “a total work of art” (Roth 404). All parts of architecture combined make up a portfolio of its own. Process: The process of design is much like the process of writing a story. They both take inspiration and consideration for all parts included, whether they be furniture or characters. Different periods of time took inspiration from other periods and countries to come up with their own revised version. In western countries stylistic progression was from Romanesque to Early Christian, thence to the Romanesque and Gothic of the Middle Ages (Blakemore 91). Inspiration was also used for statues and other structures like Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Bernini re-creates a moment, conveying it in carnal terms so that the observer could easily grasp a transcendent spiritual experience through its mundane physical counterpart (Roth 403). For the Pathways, Edges, and Boundaries project, the Desert group had to draw up ideas of what we each thought would work in the median assigned. The drawings represent process by the ideas flowing onto paper and collaboration of ideas, then some being used in the project. For the Place for Twelve Twigs project from last semester, the process was the amount of iterations done to reach the final product. Process requires multiple iterations and revisions to reach the final goal.
Perspective: Perspective is the way that a person sees from a particular point. When looking into a room, some things seem closer while others seem farther away, but really it has to do with the direction and point the person is standing at, by the way they perceive the room. One-point and two-point perspectives are mostly seen, while three-point or even four-point are not seen as often. One-point perspective is where everything seems to meet at one point on the horizon line, while two-point perspective is when everything meets at two points on the horizon line.
Professional: Professionalism means that a presentation is as neat and understandable as possible. The layout of a project on a board can be done sloppily or be very put together to where the viewer can tell that a lot of time and effort went into the actual planning and placement of many aspects on the board. Professionalism can also be shown by the use of a border on a drafted floor plan. The border should show the name of the designer, title of the project, and date of when completed. The border may be simple, but it really helps to professionally complete the project.

Summary: A project or portfolio should be professional, but also show progression. The viewer should be able to understand the concept from many different perspectives. They should also not be distracted by the periphery, but be able to focus on the project or work itself.

Macro: Micro

2009-03-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Impression: The Greeks and Romans made a huge impression in architecture. The Renaissance time followed many of the same basics that the Romans set out in their architecture. The columns, scale, and materials were widely used hundreds of years after the Roman era. The architects of the Renaissance used the Coliseum as an archetype for the Palazzo Rucellai. They collapsed history and put it in their design by using the different columns on every level. They also used the idea of a dome to represent perfection of divinity. To theorists such as Alberti, the circle and the centralized plan generated from it were highly evocative religious symbols of the perfection of divinity, forms found also in the proportions of the human body patterned, so scripture declared, in God’s image (Roth 365). A dome, placed over the center, became the outward manifestation of this centrally focused plan (Roth 365).Detail: The Greeks and Romans were very detailed in their designs and elaborate in decoration. They used bright colors to paint the outside of their structures, such as the Parthenon. They were also very detailed in the interior as well as the exterior. The Pantheon has an elaborate interior with an open center dome that acts as a sundial. In the portal:panels created for Studio, every detail was explained and necessary to the design. The design for the Foust building on campus is very detailed with the raised roof in the lobby, the older aspects, and the archways of the entrance are known to the building alone. Many of the newer buildings on campus mimic the design and use the details of the Foust building. In Renaissance building, the circle and square became the basic design modules of their architecture, with the boundaries of these modules being delineated by classical columns, arches, and entablatures derived from Roman sources (Roth 362). Renaissance architects sought clearly expressed numerical relationships in their designs, recalling the mysticism of Pythagoras and his followers (Roth 362).

Porch-Court-Hearth: The porch-court-hearth was developed by the Greeks and is still used today in modern buildings. The porch acts as the entrance to the structure, which leads the viewer into the court. The court can be characterized as the open space where people congregate for religious or political purposes. The hearth is the center of the structure. Much like a home the porch is the entrance, or front door, the court could be the living or family room, and the hearth could be the kitchen which is the center of the household where everyone always gathers.
Composition: Beauty was seen to rest in the careful arrangement of proportionally related parts (Roth 353). The structure or make-up of the building is the composition. Gothic architecture was an assembly of parts worked out for each building individually (Roth 353). All the intricate parts of a cathedral or temple makes up the composition. The façade, narthex, nave, aisle, choir, ambulatory, and chevette are all parts of a cathedral and without each one, there would be no grandeur or awe in the structure. The cathedrals were a race to see who could build the largest, most elaborate cathedral during that time. Some builders or architects would leave out important structual parts, like flying buttresses, and without that part, the structure falls. A composition relies on every part and needs each part to function properly. Just like without the columns on the Parthenon, it would never be able to stand or it would not be as massive. For our design, the triangles made up most of the composition and the shadows from the cut out triangles in the top added a new detail that mimicked the shadows portrayed on the Pyramids at Giza.
Diagram: Diagrams are important to building and structure. The plan view of a building can tell a lot of what is on the inside of a structure or even what materials are used to build and dimensions. The diagram for the Foust building shows the circulation through the first floor and the immediate outer edge of the building. The traffic flow is important to a building because it shows what areas are used the most and why. For the Pathways, Edges, and Boundaries project has required many different diagrams for traffic flow through the parking lot, whether it be human or automotive. Diagrams play a huge part in development as well as in understanding a structure.

Summary: Architecture is a composition made up of details, whether small or big, that make an impression on the world surrounding it. A structure can include a porch, court, and hearth that can make it a sort of diagram. Or it could be as simple as an apartment in New York, with open space and no dimensionality.

Foundations Unit Summary

2009-03-01T23:37:00.001-08:00

The Egyptians became a foundation for architecture today. With monuments and temples, such as: Queen Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahri and the Pyramids at Giza. The templeof Hatshepsut used columns, which introduced the order for columns to the Greeks and the Romans. They came up with the order of the Ionic, Doric, Corinthian, and Composite. Many of the temples built by the Romans used the Ionic order, which was the simplest order out of the four. The Ionic order allowed for the rest of the temple to be seen without the distraction of the outside columns. The Egyptians came up with an adaptive use of buildings with a focus on interiors. The Ionic order also allowed for the surroundings to be clearly seen, which was the Egyptians intent by always working with the site. They also use the idea of making the building an external shell containing integrated and finished interiors. The Greeks took this idea and ran with it by the building of the Acropolis and most importantly, the Parthenon. The Acropolis used the surroundings by the different buildings and the city in the distance. There is not much greenery surrounding the buildings, which was made up for by the elaborate paintings decorating the exterior. The Porch of Maidens on the Erechtheion, faces the Parthenon which points the viewer to the centerpiece of the Acropolis. The Propylaia and the Temple of Athena Nike also help to point viewers and guests to the Parthenon by announcing their arrival and opening at the exact spot that leads to the main point. The Romans also used the idea of emphasis on interior and exterior, by the building of the Pantheon. The Pantheon is massive in size with huge columns along the façade, which invite the viewer inward to see what is behind the shadow of the grand entrance. Once you enter the Pantheon, you are hit with the massiveness and bright light flowing from the hole in the center of the dome. The building was distinct from any other building by becoming a sundial when the sun was above and dome form that was not very common in that time due to the complicated structure. The dome and façade influenced architecture today by the building of the Capital building in Washington, DC. The most prominent idea in architecture was the difference between male and female. The Tower of Trajan represented the male form while the Aqueducts were the female form by the exhibit of the genital areas characterized in the structures. The Egyptians used the male and female form also through the dominating pyramids compared to the temples for women. The Pyramid at Giza built by Khufu was surrounded by smaller pyramids, which represented his wives and servants that did not compare to him in society. Architecture influences society by the idea of male and female dominance and the emphasis on interior and exterior. The use of columns was also a huge part of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architecture and still influences architecture today.
Sources:
http://www.usborderlaw.com/images/capital%20building.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/images/gal_04_dyn.jpg

Voices

2009-02-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

Presence: The Roman Empire began using Villas with courtyards, or halls. The courtyards were the center of the houses and framed by Doric columns. Mostly the courtyards were used to hide servants from the public eye and from being seen by neighbors. The inclusion of the hall ultimately became an integral part of residential planning as noted in manor houses of the nobility and gentry (Blakemore 69). The hall was usually two stories in height and was located at ground level or on the first floor above ground level (Blakemore 71). These uninterrupted open spaces could be expansive in influential households (Blakemore 71). Communal living was organized around the hall in early medieval houses. The lord, with his retainers and tenants, used it for sleeping, dining, recreation, administration of justice, calls to arms, ritual, reception of guests, and living room (Blakemore 71). The presence of these halls or courtyards really exemplified the Roman style and became an example for many new structures, such as castles and buildings today, but are now called parlors or family rooms.
Precedent: The Roman Empire used the Feudal system and Middle Ages as precedents for its own architecture. In the early Middle Ages, castles were one response to unsettled conditions under which precedence was given to fortification (Blakemore 69). The Feudal system and prevailing unsettled conditions were the major integrally related factors influencing domestic building of the Middle Ages (Blakemore 68). Precedents were used as an idea for construction. Just like for the precedent analysis, we had to choose a structure that changed architecture and gave an idea or model for future architecture.
Moments: Moments can be characterized by the way that people interact in a space or with a form of architecture. The origin of the parlor is uncertain but it is known that early in the Middle Ages these spaces were part of the monastic dwelling; documentary evidence points to secular use of the parlor by the latter part of the 14th century (Blakemore 72). Just like the living room or the kitchen is the center of a household, the parlor was the center of all the action during the Middle Ages. While architecturally insignificant, serving rooms were highly important in the operations of the household (Blakemore 73). These included such spaces as kitchen, buttery, pantry, bake houses, slaughterhouses, brewery, etc. (Blakemore 73). The way that the people interacted in these spaces, whether by cooking or recreation, made small moments that created the atmosphere of the room around them.
Duality: Duality is the combination of two things in one, much like Roman baths were used for a gathering spot for the town and mainly for a place to bathe. Much like the pools of today, where people gather to socialize. The studio projects represented duality by the pathways exemplified and also the word that the structure is describing. For my project, I created a white spiral staircase with a black paper ribbon wrapped around it. The black represents the evil in the story “Fundevogel”, while the white staircase represents the good that is beating the black to the tip of the point. My structure shows duality by relating to the story and also creating a sense of hierarchy.
Metric: The metric system was used in the way that the Roman baths were built. They were large in scale with consideration toward the amount of people able to participate at once. The surroundings were decorated with arches that span the entire outer edge of the structure. The structure is extremely tall as seen from the scale of the people in the picture compared to the height of the walkways. These buildings are large in scale much like most Roman architecture.

Summary: The Romans used precedents for ideas toward structures, then the metric system and form to build the structure. Their buildings had a presence and duality that invited people to come and create moments in the space.

Cites:
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2651060-Roman_baths_2005-Bath.jpg

Precedent Analysis

2009-02-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Proximity hotel was designed by Bradshaw Orrell and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Proximity is one of the greenest hotels in the world encompassing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and will change the way building is viewed by the use of solar energy and environmental aspects.

Cites:
http://www.proximityhotel.com/
http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/category/hospitality

Parts to a Whole

2009-02-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Archetype: Prototype: Hybrid- Archetype is the model of an idea for a structure, while the prototype is the actual structure after construction. Hybrid encompasses all the elements of the archetype and prototype, which can be more than one specific thing that makes up the whole composition. Much like the Greeks who created the prototype for their buildings then used the natural and physical elements around it and in it to make it into a hybrid. In contrast to Greek architecture, which can be described as sculptural masses set in balanced contrast to the landscape, Roman architecture, as Heinz Kahler has noted, is an architecture of space, enclosed internal space and outdoor space, on a grand scale (Roth 247). The Romans made their buildings into hybrids by combining all the aspects of the building and allowing it to encompass every detail.Source- The Greeks created some of the most prominent pieces of architecture in the world. Major contributors to the development of Greek arts were the Dorians, Ionians, and Aeolians. These groups were at the forefront of Greek culture in the Hellenic period (Blakemore 26). Greek architecture has influenced today’s architecture, such as: the Capital building in Washington, D.C. or the government buildings and churches around the world. Future periods of design were influenced by the characteristics observed in classical Greek and Roman architecture (Blakemore 30). These were reflected in space planning, interior architecture, and furniture (Blakemore 30). Murals and furnishings seen in homes today could be influenced by Greek architecture with the drawings and paintings on walls in Greek homes.
Order- The Greeks and Romans used order mainly in the way they structured their buildings and temples. The role of orders was significant in defining spaces of the Greek interior; not only did they divide spaces horizontally but they were also instrumental in creating visual interest by the attention drawn to them vertically through decorative detail in the capitals and in the entablature (Blakemore 28). The classical orders consist of the column with its base, shaft, capital, and entablature, and are classified by the capital as Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, or Composite (Blakemore 28). Columns for the Greeks and Romans were practically the backbone for the buildings, they made up the frame and structure of many of their buildings. Great emphasis was placed on the style of the columns for different spaces. Proportions of columns, entablatures, moldings, and ornament varied among the orders and in their renditions as practiced by the Greeks and Romans (Blakemore 30).
Entourage- The Acropolis is made up of the Parthenon, Propylaia, Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Every four years a Pan-Hellenic procession hikes from the city to the Acropolis to honor Athena. There may be an entourage that heads up the mountain every four years, but the Acropolis itself can be an entourage. The Propylaia is the elaborate entrance way welcomes the people to the Acropolis. The Parthenon is the largest building and is one of the first buildings that is seen when walking into the Acropolis. The Erechtheion is the connection between the city and the Acropolis by facing the city while facing the Parthenon on the opposite side. Finally, the smallest building is the Temple of Athena Nike which is the messenger to Athena that the people are coming to visit. All of these buildings connect to one another in different ways which creates an entourage of buildings that all interact.

Heirarchy- Heirarchy for the Greeks and Romans was based upon status in society for the buildings as well as the homes. The decorations and building structures were based upon social status and hierarchy. Treatment of floors ranged from the simply utilitarian to decorative (Blakemore 34). Compacted earth floors were used by families of all economic levels, but wealthier homeowners of the classical period often used plaster, painting, or mosaic (Blakemore 34).

Summary- Greek and Roman architecture were influenced by hierarchy. They created orders for columns that represented importance and style taken from the Dorians, Ionians, and Aeolians whom they used as a resource for most of their building projects. They were an archetype and prototype for the modern world by building structures that are architecturally sound and highly innovative. They were also an example of hybrid building by their use of many different aspects in each of their buildings with columns, decorative elements, and use of space within the structure. Their buildings still stand the test of time and bring in entourages of people to experience their wonder.

Cites:
http://www.usborderlaw.com/images/capital%20building.jpg

Inspiration Pictures from urbansketchers.com

2009-02-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

Serial Envisioning

2009-02-17T08:42:00.000-08:00

We were to draw 12 thumbnails of the Foust Building on campus, which is also one of the oldest buildings on campus. These are different views that you would see either in the building or walking by. They range from the ceiling of the lobby to the door of the ladies bathroom and the chemny on the roof.

Opus Prompts for February 4 to February 11

2009-02-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Scale: Architecture is the largest and most encompassing of the visual arts (Roth 75). This is shown by the temple of Hatshepsut versus the Pyramids at Giza and how they compare in their scale. Hatshepsut’s temple is smaller because of her status as the daughter of Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose, but also for her marriage to her brother, Thutmose II. Her temple is compared to the Great Pyramid at Giza built by Khufu. His pyramid is the largest pyramid of four that sit at Giza. The smaller three pyramids are thought to have been for the members of his household, which are smaller in comparison to his pyramid due to their standing in society. Hatshepsut’s temple and the Pyramid at Giza are both intended for worship, but with their massive scale and stone guards, they ward off any potential visitors. Scale is mostly characterized by measurements. How big a building is, relative to the size of the average human being is said to be its scale (Roth 75).
Unity: Unity can be depicted in any number of ways, whether it be by decorative elements or the use of skewers and paper to make a model. Unity was used in the homes of the Greeks preferred a plan in which the emphasis was on distribution of rooms around a court, as revealed in a 2nd Century BC plan (Blakemore 31). The Greeks put great emphasis on the role of orders, which they considered significant in defining spaces of the interior (Blakemore 28). Interior spaces should be unified in a way that the architecture flows and the different parts can make up a whole. Elements should compliment each other and come together in a way that is unified. For the model from skewers and paper, the elements are connected, but are also unified by their construction and physicality.Section: Sections are views of an object or building from the perspective as if it were cut in half. Section views shed a new light on a project by giving a different view that is normally never seen. Section can also be described by the spaces or sections of a piece of architecture. The Greeks used sections to define the porch, court, and hearth of every piece of architecture. The temple, Megaron, is an example of a building with a porch, court, and hearth. The porch is the entrance way into the temple, while the court is the open space between the entrance and altar. The hearth is the altar or place of worship for the priests and to keep treasures.
Boundaries: The Great Wall of China is one of the best examples for setting boundaries. The wall was built over a 200 year period and is about 4000 miles long. (Great). It stretches from ShanHaiGuan in the east to JiaYuGuan Pass in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates in the southern edge of Inner Mongolia (Great). China used the boundary of the Wall to establish borders and for protection, while the Romans used boundaries in a much different way. The boundaries they set were on social standing and architecture that was allowed for each social class, also for what kind of buildings were used for what. The Romans used utilitarian facilities that met their needs for religion, commerce and law, recreation, and celebrating victories. In addition, the type of residence was, to some degree, a reflection of the social position of the resident (Blakemore 47). Differences in material, construction techniques, and decorative processes are evident…despite these differences, similarities existed among the residences representing various socioeconomic levels (Blakemore 9).Vignette: A vignette can be defined as a collection of stories told without words. Vignettes encompass a subject and sometimes the surroundings around it. Multiple parts and objects can make up a vignette. For our drawing class this week, we had to draw vignettes of people and their surroundings in a coffee shop or restaurant. We also had to draw our teacher’s assistants working in at a table with many of the objects that surrounded them on the table.

Summary: Vignettes encompass the boundaries of an area in a drawing with scale figures of people or objects that are unified with the surroundings in their certain section. Each term relates to one another in the way that a drawing or piece of architecture would not be able to be built or drawn without one another.

Cites:
http://www.janisb.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/great_wall_of_china.jpg
http://img.trivago.com/uploadimages/37/79/3779791_l.jpeg

Drink and Draw Vignettes

2009-02-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

People Gesture Examples

2009-02-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

Opus Prompts for January 28 to February 4

2009-02-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Illuminate: This week in studio as well as in drawing with Suzanne, we talked a lot about illumination. With water coloring, lighting is important. Lighting can be portrayed by using different brush strokes or different amounts of color and water. In studio, we used illumination with our stories. For the artifacts we created, we had to illuminate and elaborate on our stories through an object. Some created simple objects, while others became very abstract with the interpretation and use of materials. We also talked about illumination in the way that the Egyptians used gold points on the tips of pyramids to symbolizing the light from the sum coming down to the four corners of the earth, much like a god.

Idiom: An idiom, I would define as an object or word with a deeper meaning than is expressed. The artifacts from the fairy tales could be characterized as an idiom. The abstractness of many of the artifacts expressed that there is some deeper meaning not shown in just the object itself. For my artifact, I used colors such as: red, black, and white, to represent different aspects of the story.

Material: Materials used in a building or landscape can make difference between appealing and appalling. There were many different materials used for the artifact projects ranging from fabric material to plastic wrap. The different materials and their quality can either make or break a building. In the late twentieth century, architects and engineers took particular delight in making structures do more and more work with less and less material, seemingly a defiance in gravity, while showing the structure more clearly (Roth 25). For the project to build a table or chair for Pat, we only had a 4’ x 8’ sheet of chipboard to work with. We realized that by cutting away from positive space that is unnecessary can give you more material to work with. Stability is key when building something that can be used for many different reasons or that will last for a very long time.
Commodity: Sir Henry Wotten said in his book, The Elements of Architecture: “In architecture, as in all other operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well-building has three conditions: commodity, firmness, and delight.” (Roth 11) How is the building or object going to be used is the big question in architecture, otherwise there is no reason to build. For Pat’s table or chair, we had to decide how he was going to use it. Does he need a shelf? Where will he sit? Should he have a work station as well? These are all questions in the building and design process. What should be added and what needs to be taken away?

Firmness: Firmness is characterized by the structure or way that a building or object stands up (Roth 25). Physical structure and perceptual structure are not the same, for a column may be much larger than structurally necessary in an engineering sense simply to reassure the viewer that it is indeed big enough for the job (Roth 25). In drafting, some students realized that the table or chair built for Pat will not actually hold anything without the right support.
Delight: Architecture is the art into which we walk, the art that envelops us (Roth 55). Architecture is meant to be enjoyed. When you walk into a well-designed building, it causes you to marvel at the different elements. The lighting can make a difference in the appearance as well as the materials used. Walking into a cathedral or seeing the pyramids at Giza make you want to know more about the structure. How was it built? How is it possible to add that much detail to a structure with such limited resources and materials?

Citation:
iStockphoto/Karim Hesha
St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague

Fundevogel Artifact

2009-02-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

The cube is painted red to show the love as brother and sister between Fundevogel and Lina, also their vow to never leave one another. While the black represents the evil from the cook that surrounds the children as she plans to kill Fundevogel. The white represents the purity that comes from within the children which allows them to change into different objects to escape the cook represented by the cube shape as a trap.

Timeline for 675 BC and 675 AD

2009-01-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

675 BC

Institutions:
- Cities developing in the Near East build aqueducts to keep their residents supplied with water.

Technology:
- China's minister of agriculture teaches the peasants crop rotation. The minister also teaches
them to dig drainage ditches, rents them farm equipment, and stores grain surpluses to
provide free food in time of famine.
- Assyria's Sennacherib is assassinated after a 23-year reign in which he has diverted the waters
of a river into a huge aqueduct to supply Nineveh with irrigation.

Commerce:
- Phoenician colonists plant olive trees on the Iberian Peninsula.

Governance:
- Assyrians conquer Egypt.
- Legendary date for foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
- Greek colonization of the Mediterranean in the next 2 centuries will be motivated primarily
by a need to find new food sources as Greece's population expands. The barren and rocky soil
of the Greek peninsula is inadequate to meet the people's alimentary needs, but the Greeks
prefer to colonize than make efforts to conquer neighboring territories.

675 AD

Institutions:
- In Italy, The popes are great patrons of art and architecture and build or rebuild many
churches, particularly in Rome.
- Yakushi Temple is completed at Nara.
- Shinto Shrine of Ise first built in its current form in Japan.
- Dome of the Rock is completed by Caliph Abdel-Malik.

Technology:
- First Islamic coins minted in Damascus.

Governance:
- Expansion came in the form of colonization by the Greeks, mostly for agricultural purposes.
- In Italy, papacy gains increasing independence from Byzantium, acquiring sovereignty over
territories in much of central Italy, including Ravenna.
- Dodgeships in Venice.
- Umayyad forces forced to lift siege of Constantinople after decesive naval defeat at the battle
of Syllaeum.

Commerce:
- Taxing of certain goods, such as harvest, with an eye to allocating these taxes to expenditures
that are also explicitly defined, such as aid to the needy.

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/timeline/TimeLine.cfm?Era_id=4
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/06/eust/ht06eust.htm
http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/timeline/timeline.cfm?Era_id=5
http://www.answers.com/topic/7th-century-bc
http://www.answers.com/topic/islamic-economics-in-the-world#Legal_institutions

View:Design::Tell:Story (Jan 21-28)

2009-01-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

Artifact: According to Jules David Prown's books Mind and Matter and Style as Evidence an artifact corresponds to pattern in the mind of the producer and user and can be assessed by a three step process: description which includes a physical inventory and content analysis of form. Deduction is the link between material and the perceiver's world through sensory engagement, intellectual engagement, and emotional response. Speculation is the creative imaging in the eyes of the perceiver through hypothesis. (IAR 221)

Cycle: The design cycle is the direct reactions and resonances to preceding periods. The design cycle also includes regional influences and variations. Changes in clothing styles and music over the years can be part of the design cycle. The bell curve also characterizes the design cycle in one's life. Near the beginning of life design is growing and peaks near the middle of life, then begins to deteriorate reaching the end of life. (IAR 221)

Multi-View: Vernacular views can be perceived in many different ways depending on the viewer. "Is it a bicycle shed or a cathedral?" A bicycle shed can be architectural as well as a cathedral. They both act as a covering for different reasons, one for a bike and the other for religionalIAR 221) We also learned that stories can be interpretted differently depending on the reader, such as the children's fairy tales read for class this week. (IAR 102)

Stories: Each student was assigned a different fairy tale to read, then create a page of notes and inspiration board depicting the story. Also, we were asked to draw five different things that are special to us individually. The drawings and short statements about them were to tell stories of the history of the items and ourselves personally. (IAR 102)

Translation: The fairy tales assigned could be translated in many different ways depending on the reader. Some students looked at the stories from a phsycological stand point while others looked at them from a child like perspective since many of the fairy tales were read as children. Many of the fairy tales were not appropriate for children even though they were meant to be read by children, but by older individuals can be translated differently. (IAR 102)

Synopsis: Artifacts, cycles, multi-views, stories, and translations all relate to one another through class discussions and assigned work throughout the week. All of the words connect in the way that the viewer or reader perceives the work. The viewer can translate the work in many different ways as well as see it in multiple views. Stories show different cycles in character's or artist's lives, and some can include artifacts like the favorite things drawings done in class to tell their stories. Architecture and history is made up of stories translated in different ways from multiple view-points that cycle from generation to generation and make memory artifacts that will be kept for time to come.

Throw-Up Sheet

2008-12-09T00:13:00.000-08:00

For my throw-up sheet, I included pictures of the median itself, the group's plan for the median, and also my own ideas for what the model should look like. Much of the ideas changed during the process of the project while others were accepted and were not effected by the changes.

Pathways and Edges Process

2008-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the Desert group, we decided to make platforms with waves along the top and sides, to resemble the wave texture in the sand of the desert. Our group used blue foam with wave-like cutouts. The first model was just practice. We realized that the foam makes the texture rough and that hollowing out the inside did not make it sturdy enough to withstand time and weather. We also did not link the foam pieces together, so the edges stuck out and made distinct walls along the corners. We learned a lot from this practice model and now know what to fix for the final platform.

Display

2008-12-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

For the display in the lobby, my group included our model alongside each other group's models, a throw-up sheet, plan-view drawing of the desert, and a plan-view on the university plan. We also placed one of our model in the desert to be seen by other students and visitors.

North Arrows

2008-12-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

House Shadowing

2008-12-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

Scale Exercise

2008-12-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

Orthographic Drawings

2008-12-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Cell Phone and Twig drawings

2008-12-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

Architectural Hardware and light fixtures

2008-12-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Exercises 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, and 6.1

2008-12-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

Dorm Room Perspectives

2008-12-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

One-point and Two-point perspectives

2008-12-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Woodland Chapel Poche

2008-11-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

Vanna Venturi House plan

2008-11-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

Conveying Depth

2008-11-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

Topography Site Plans

2008-10-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Dialog Project

2008-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Before I began this I made curved structures by soaking my skewers in hot water and then connecting the skewers by using two sheets of bristol board. I played with the structures to make multiple different dialogs until I finally came to my final. The final really exemplifies dialog by using two different levels and vertical and horizontal aspects. I used the curved structures to make the horizontal part of the dialog which shows a closed conversation. The vertical part of the dialog is part of the closed conversation, but is searching for new conversation by being more open and above the horizontal part.

Critique Questions

2008-10-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

How is dialog created?
- business/closed conversation with "L" shaped pieces
- used the idea of 2, two skewers on each other, two bristol boards on each side
- abstract/busy chatter
How is a sense of space/place defined?
- positive/negative space
- uses openness/closeness to create space
- uses cards rather than skewers to define space
How is the idea of system generated?
- uses curves/straight edges to create system
- flows creating somewhat of a system with movement
How does the joinery support the project concept/strategies?
- uses skewers to stabilize and hold together
- breaks or curves in skewers
How is scale utilized in the project?
- larger on one side, represents conversation with talker/listener
- small spaces are scaled to intertwine and be even
- open/closed relativity
How do two-dimensional images add to the understanding of the project?
- shows details of structure
- gives appearance, but draws eye to understand more
How did the initial project idea evolve?
- began thinking about conversation literally and then became more abstract
- refined unity project

Unity Project

2008-10-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

When building my unity project I explored the option of a diamond shaped fan and then tried to make an actual diamond out of my skewers and bristol paper. The fan was too weak with the and the rubber cement kept making it fall apart. Then my teacher showed me that the fan actually looked like a diamond. Then I thought about making a diamond. I really did not like the diamond idea and it really did not show much unity. Then for my final I wanted to make something like square lamp or lantern. I decided to make three rectangular shaped blocks out of the skewers and bristol board. I alternated the paper on the outside to make the joints and I also alternated the heights of the blocks to show the skewers more and to unify them through their shapes and joints. Overall I think that they are really unified around one idea of alternation.

Graphics for Unity Project

2008-10-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Twig Project Progress

2008-10-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

For my twig project I began with the idea of a sort of Charlie Brown tree, which looked more like a monora. I really wanted to show the twigs better and I was not sure that the tree was place for twelve twigs. So I cam up the idea to make a cylinder and have the twigs inside and outside in a sort of pattern. I used a bright yellow to really accentuate the twigs and the bonding agent was tension with the holes that look like the hole on a plastic lid that a straw sticks through. I really liked that idea, but I wanted to take it further and really make a place for the twigs. My final project is in the shape of a rectangular cube with a window in the side to really make it clear where to look to see the twigs. I closed in the top and bottom so that they would not take away from the window. I also cut and sanded the twigs on the outside to show what the twigs look like on the inside and to make them more symmetrical with the joints in the rectangle, but I kept the twigs the natural way on the inside and used the same pattern in previous iterations.

Leaf Project

2008-10-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

For my leaf project I started out with the idea of building a tree with seven branches to represent the seven prongs on the leaf and using the leaf as the tree topper to represent the prong on the very top of the leaf. Then I really wanted to show the prongs, so with the help of my teacher, I created a sort of cradle where the prongs stick out between each bar. Finally, I came up with my final project. I used a bright green background to really allow the darkness of the leaf to pop and the burgandy bands are the same color as the deep veins that run throughout the leaf as it is dying. The small squares really accentuate the prongs by letting light in and giving them a place to rest.

Compare and Contrast

2008-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

My project uses three different rectangular models that are connected at the corners to make-up one unified model. I used skewers on the outside of each corner with alternating paper to really allow the skewers to be seen. I also used alternating levels of the rectangular models and connected them to the base by using the pointed ends to puncture the cardboard. Greg's model is very similar to mine in many ways, such as: having the skewers on the outside, using different levels, and by using a cardboard base. Although, his is more round and like a spiral, while mine is using more of a rectangular shape. He did use different levels so that his model looks like a spiral stair case and it is unified in the middle where the spiral is leading to. Mine is more unified in the way that the skewers meet each other on the corners and how the paper meets the skewers.

Peak Oil

2008-10-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

Today in Theory Hour we watched a film on Peak Oil. Peak Oil is the idea that oil will reach its peak by year 1970 and that 50% of all oil will already be used by year 2000. The film was mostly about Cuba and how their way of life changed when their oil supply was taken away. They went for years on nothing, oil was used in their factories to make food and power their buildings and was also used to fuel thier cars. When the oil was taken away they began to ride bikes to work and everyone lost at least twenty pounds in a year. They began to grow organic foods and used oxen to plow their fields. They also began using compost to renew the soil when it becomes unable to use anymore. Farmers were the wealthiest group of people in the entire country and owned land and animals. They also began land contracting, where farmers would be given a piece of land without having to pay taxes as long as they grew organic foods.

Critique Issues

2008-09-18T09:51:00.001-07:00

The issues that we talked about in critique were: scale, focus, visualization, craft, and joinery. The projects that we observed and were able to talk about showed many different forms of these issues. There were some that used great focus on the twigs, craft of their project, and many different ways of joinery. My project allows you to focus on the twigs by using the brighter yellow paper to outline the twigs, scale by using a smaller cylinder that does not take away from the roundness of the twigs, and joinery by using the twigs to hold the cylinder together and holes to keep the twigs in place. I used a different form of craft, though. From the outside of the cylinder, the twigs look sporattic, but on the inside there is pattern that the twigs make up. The sporattic twigs on the outside make you want to know more about what the twigs are doing and it draws you to the inside where the twigs make-up a certain form.

AIA 2030

2008-09-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

When I listened to the Lecture about sustainability, I realized that are so many more things that killing our planet than just cars and factories. There is carbon everywhere, which I never thought about before. There is carbon in our buildings, which we go into to get away from the harmful carbon that is coming from our cars, when actually we can not really escape it. I thought that the building of carbon free buildings was amazing, I did not know that it could even be done. The whole project opened my eyes to how we can change the negative effects in every way. AIA 2030 is a nation wide project to eliminate the use of carbon by the year 2030. Which is only 20 years away. This project can really change how this planet is functioning by using the earths resources, such as: water, the sun, and wind. They will be able to run elevators without carbon, run cars without carbon, and power buildings without carbon. We all need to get involved in this project so that we can live on this planet many years past 2030.

Precedent- Ker Plunk

2008-09-13T17:54:00.001-07:00

My twig project resembles the game Ker Plunk. The twigs are stuck through the sides of the cylinder in the same way that the sticks in the game are stuck through the sides. Also, I strategically placed my twigs to resemble some sort of pattern, much like the sticks are strategically placed in the game.

2008-09-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Mess #2

2008-09-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is a clipboard in my studio that I keep all my scraps of paper from various projects on. I tried to use a lot of detail while drawing this to show the outlines of each piece of paper.

Mess #1

2008-09-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

For my first mess drawing, I used an organizer at my studio that really is not very organized. I liked how the papers were overlapping eachother and sticking out, so I tried to draw them the way they are using alot of shadows and proportions.

Quotes

2008-09-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

We had to write in lettering six quotes on one sheet of graph paper. I am still getting the hang of lettering and feel that I am beginning a pattern in my writing of keeping them consistent.

Leaf Project Drawing

2008-09-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is a sketch of my final leaf project. I tried to use more detail by showing the shadows and the small details of the leaf, such as the veins and prongs.

Directional Drawing

2008-09-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

We had to listen to directions from another student and draw what they told us. The directions were a little confusing and I wasn't sure what it was supposed to be, but when I looked at it after I could kind of tell that it was a cell phone, but really it looks more like a tube of lip gloss.

Negative Space Drawing

2008-09-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

We had to look at a chair and draw everything around it to eventually make-up the chair. I drew in the chair and drew in everything around it.

Feeling Drawing

2008-09-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

This was much like one of those games where you have to feel something and try to figure out what it is, only we had to feel an object without looking at it and draw what we felt. The one that I felt was almost there, but pretty far off. I knew that it was a cell phone just by feeling it and I was pretty sure what kind of cell phone, which helped me in my drawing although I still did not get all of the details.

Lettering

2008-09-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

The letter project was supposed to get us out of our hand-writing and teach us to write as if we were drawing the letters. We had to think as if we never knew the alphabet. I think that I did a good job, but I feel like the letters are too boxy. I am still getting into my groove with this lettering.

Hands

2008-09-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

5 Things

2008-09-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Up-Side-Down Drawing

2008-09-02T18:21:00.000-07:00