Writings/books/websites on architecture that I feel are interesting and an asset to further learning.
1. Architectural Graphic Standards by Ramsey/Sleeper
This book is very valuable to any architect, Interior designer, and Contractor. What makes this book so helpful is the material and information found within the book. In this book one can find dimensions for everything one can think of in the home, or any building. In designing spaces, like we have done with the dining space project and the writer's retreat project, a book like this becomes extremely helpful. Another reason this book is my first pick is because my father had the first edition when he was in school. It was handed down to me when I chose to major in Interior Architecture. Though that book is old, I still love to look at it and compare it to the newer additions. It allows me to see how things change over time and a move through history.
This is a great book when practicing, learning, and producing color drawing and in the rendering process. It goes through everything from the different color choices and tones of gray to each step to create something the way you want. It is great to use when trying to achieve giving life to your renderings. It tells you each step to take to make a drawing as well as giving pictures to show you along the way. It is a great book for any designer and even drawer.
http://ebookstore.sony.com/downpage/index_b.html
3. 101 things I learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick
This book is great for any Architecture student because it gives one guidance on everything an architect needs to know. It starts from the basics of how to draw a line and goes all the way to color theory, presentation, and the creative process. It allows one to see what all will be expected of them and give them knowledge and encouragement to try to advance on their own during school breaks. I recommend this book to anyone who is in school learning architecture or design and especially starting in their first year.
These are some of the practices taken when learning how to render, how to show shadow/light, and to use color to represent a space. As one can see these are drastically different and improve each time. It is a great example and representation of how practice does help and make one better. Using both color marker and pencil while layering allows me to make the rendering more life like.
In exploring and furthering my practice in rendering I drew two perspectives and rendered based off of what I think would make a good space. The ground floor rendering shows how the actual space looks with material focus where as the fourth floor building show the space but with different colors and rendering. Choosing to do one of both allows me to practice and train the eye to see what colors go well together and to see shades and lighting differences between the exterior of a building and the interior spaces. I feel like this assignment has definitely helped me to focus on what is most important when rendering and how to make the space look real.
Circulation Plan of how people navigate through the space
Public space perspective (showing the use of cooler color palate and specs of warm color) + glass paneling
Private space perspectives of the kitchen and bedroom (showing warmer color + flow to the reflection room and hallways)
Section A-A + Section D-D
Section B-B + Section C-C
For the last project of First year, we were to design a space for a Writer's Retreat. The location for this space is the St. Mary's House on the corner of Walker Ave. and Tate St. in Greensboro, NC. This building is placed in an historic district, therefore historic preservation rules and regulations must not be broken. The building first used as another church for the girls of UNCG when it was first founded so to not get dirt on their dresses, is now a community center welcoming all individuals no matter what religion they may have. For this space, being transformed into a Writer's Retreat, I chose to hold the concept of creating the separation of private and public space through the use of materials and color. I also created flow throughout the space. This is a space where a writer can feel at home and still enjoy having public readings, conferences, and meeting at the same time. Its flexibility and storage, and flow makes the space usable for its purpose.
Perspective of Dining Space + materials/objects used in the space
In designing a dining space for a national "no hunger" holiday, I chose to create a space that focuses on the table (the center of the space where eating and perhaps food hunger stops). In achieving this I chose to make the space an octagon shape with a window on the East wall to allow morning light to shine on the table. I placed a fireplace across that on the west wall to represent the sunset and the warm glow it gives off. On the North part of the dining space is the entrance which leads one to the sideboard which holds the food for the occasion. Lastly, on the south wall is a glass panel window so that the diners can enjoy the outdoor view and share it with their company from another country. A hanging light sculpture in the shape of a circle hangs from the ceiling in the center of the table to correlate with the oval base of the dining table as well as giving the table "center attention" and making it the focal point. This dining space holds seating for seven individuals and for the people on the projection screen.
In the one point perspective study, we were given a set of locations within the studio in which we had to chose one to further our knowledge and practice with one point perspective. For this study I chose the hallway in ground floor. This space appealed to me because of the lighting, highlights in certain spaces, and the drawings that paint the walls. I wanted to recreate this space so that I might one day remember a hallway I take everyday while getting my architectural degree, while also focusing on the importance of lighting and value the space has. The drawings are the center of my drawing because that is in fact the most important thing in the space that everyone talks about and remembers; it is what gives life to the space. Adding scale figures also gives life to the space as well.
In my comparison drawing I am trying to convey the difference in the exterior, the use of materials, landscape, and the horizontal/verticality difference.
As one can see, Fallingwater is centered around the use of cantilevers. In emphasizing this idea and concept, Frank Lloyd Wright uses horizontals to his benefit. He makes the stones on the building thin and horizontal as well as making the terraces horizontal.
Monticello however has more of a vertical concept. In looking at the columns near the doors and entrances and the tall narrow windows surrounding the building our eyes move upward rather than across and that in fact leads us to look at the famous dome atop the structure.
For materials we see the difference in the two building in that Fallingwater has used stone and concrete where as Monticello uses brick. Also, in looking at the nature surrounding the two building we see that Fallingwater is surrounded by a waterfall which runs through the building and is incorporated in the house design as well (one example is the flooring). At Monticello, mountains and trees surround it making it an acceptable plantation like building.
Through this comparison drawing one can see these differences and understand how not only the buildings differ but are the same through the thought process and concept.
In focusing on the explorations of architecture, we as a class have looked at the world's fair, arts + crafts movement, reform, art deco, and modernism. It is now that all past learning comes together and allows us to see the continuation of history, advances in technology, and locality/regionalism in architecture and objects that are designed. It brings us to the current designs of today and leads us to ponder our own design thinking and question what we can do to further move architecture along.
The world's fair began in 1851 at the London Crystal Palace. It is at this event that people can discover the world without having to travel around it. The purpose of the world's fair is to be a commemorative, commercial, collaborative, and celebratory event. It helps one remember what important events and things took place within that time as well as commercialize what new trends are available and to celebrate the world as a whole. At the fair, people can visit exhibitions (agriculture/arts). There also exists buildings that represent each state. Often a sculpture or building will be built to represent the fair and then torn down after the event. But, some still exist today like the Eiffel tower and the Seattle space needle.
It is around this time that the arts + crafts movement began to unfold. Machines were able to begin making things and the desire for handmade things became more expensive. Machines are cheaper, thus being able to produce more for people. Yet, people like William Morris believe the notion of "good design for all". Just because production is now cheaper does not mean design can not be well developed. According to Ashbee, "we do not reject the machine, we welcome it, but we desire to see it mastered." Through this realization that design must not be lost and that things do matter people and designers begin to focus on the natural beauty of things and the importance of things that often people take for granted. A great example of this is through the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. In his designing of Fallingwater, he chooses to incorporate the cantilever throughout the whole design and emphasizes the waterfall throughout, even in the use of floor material. Everthing relates to the horizontality of landscape and cantilever which allows for the verticallity and drop of the waterfall to stand out. Wright also uses the hearth to center and pull together his houses and makes natural heat and light source an important aspect as well. Perhaps one could suggest that Frank Lloyd's wright work took on an art nouveau style, making art (nature) part of everyday life through architecture, furniture, etc. However, the art nouveau movement doesn't last and art deco begins to thrive.
Art deco, once beginning in Paris in the 1920s, represented a type of elegance, functionality, and modernism that art nouveau did not have. Embracing many different styles from the early 20th C., it also drew from the ancient Egyptians and Aztecs too. Art deco was purely and solely decorative and did not have any other intentions. Great examples of this movement can be seen in some skyscrapers in NYC. A few to name are the Chrysler Building, the Empire State building, and the Rockefeller Center. The Chrysler building, with is ornamentation for example shows how important the automobile was during the time period. This ornamentation represents this through the shinny automobile material placed on top the structure. This ornamentation and decorative movement begins to make others seek a rejection from tradition and decorations. They begin to feel the design was outdated with the current ecomonic time period. This led to the rise of modernism.
Modernism is the 20th C. architectural style characterized by undecorated rectilinear forms and the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete. One of the first efforts of achieving this modernism was done by the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier. Making the building modern, he still pulls to the importance of the automobiles importance to the economics of the time and designs the ground floor plan around the turning radius of the client's automobile. Another example of madernism is the Farnsworth house by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This private residence shows modernism through is use of material, there being no walls and just panes of glass. The structure takes into consideration the land area and natural sources. Though having all glass panes does cause issues with heating and cooling of the space. Therefore, we begin to see the challenges modernism faces.
The challenges of modernism consists of technology, history, and locality/regionalism of the place. A few example of these challenges are:
The Boston public library ext. by johnson + burgee (history)
Lloyd's of London by Piano +Rogers (technology)
Sea ranch condominiums by Moore (locality)
These show the challenges that modernism faces. Though modernism is accepted and worthy, we must not forget the challenges it faces. As a designer it is important to face the challenges and come up with solutions to better modernism of today. Most importantly, for any designer it is to discover what makes you as a designer who you are and to find those things that inspire you. So someday you can make a new design movement of your own.
