Theory Reading #5

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.

http://books.google.com/books?id=8Fn4Xn0TIssC&pg=PR21&lpg=PR21&dq=architectural+graphic+standards&source=bl&ots=8UML003r5B&sig=dtbMOMZXXU31Oeb5HHHgjU4QGX4&hl=en&ei=3P66TfeBAtGTtweynaHDBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CGkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false


2. Color Drawing by Michael E. Doyle 2nd edition

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.


http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0262062666



Quotes that inspire:

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”   Leonardo da Vinci

"An architect is the drawer of dreams." Grace McGarvie

Process of Rendering Study (seeing what works best)

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.

Rendering Study Finals- outside ground floor studio + 4th Floor studio

Ground Floor 1pt. perspective + rendering

4th floor studio 1pt. perspective + rendering

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. 

One Point Perspective of Studio Building - Ground Floor entrance

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.

Comparison Composition (Fallingwater vs. Monticello) Field Trip Observations

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.

A Pattern Language- Theory Reading

In reading, A Pattern Language, I discovered that there is in fact several patterns to consider and follow when designing a space. Without considering some important aspects, one will not gain full potential in the space. Out of the patterns discussed in the reading I found a few that I believe are extremely important in the designing of the center for visiting scholars. The patterns I found most useful were: intimacy gradient, indoor sunlight, common areas, entrance room, flow through rooms and the tapestry of light and dark. These patterns are most important because they focus on the interactions people have with the building. Public and private space are needed for this center, so by using these patterns I can achieve making the difference between the two known.

Intimacy Gradient
Goal: to make the visits of strangers, friends, guests, and clients as less awkward as possible.

Make possible by: having the main entrance lead to a public room and gradually save the private for the back. Having a room like a commons area or living room at the entrance into the front door will make the guest feel more comfortable and less awkward.

I plan to make this possible by adding a common, comfortable, lounge room at the main entrance for guest to come and talk to the scholarly writer. But at the same time, I want the space to be used for a private writing area as well. Perhaps have the common room/entrance have flow into the writers personal living room. The two spaces can be divided if wish be through sliding doors. Therefore, if a big banquet or reading was to be held there, both rooms can be used and be inviting.

Indoor Sunlight

Goal: to create the space as bright and cheerful, yet dark and gloomy as well.

make possible by: designing the interior where the sunlight will shine into specific rooms at specific angles at certain times of day.

I plan to have the common area and office shine bright throughout the midday to show the importance of the room as well as attract people to the rooms. However, if the scholarly artist prefers a dark gloomy environment in which to write, they will have either dark, bulky blinds to cover the windows, or/and similar rooms on the opposite side of the house that the lights don't come into. making the spaces that are most important have light will allow people to migrate that direction.

Common Areas & Entrance Rooms

Goal: to make a common area and entrance room inviting, warming, and placed right.

make possible by: making the common area tangent to everyday flow. That way one can easily go to the room, or pass by if they choose.

I would like to incorporate this into my design by making the common area lie right off the center hall where flow will take place most often. That way the scholarly writer will pass by the room and see it everyday, though may not use the room until need be. This will allow for easier flow and movement through out the rooms.

Through these design patterns, I will be able to design this writers retreat to have better function and use than if I had not read it.  By taking these patterns to heart and use them I will allow the private residence for the scholar to have an intimate interchangeable effect as well as create a common area where people can feel comfortable and invited.  I plan to create the space to have two halves on either side that meet in the middle, joining the two to create one place as a whole. Also, when guest are not there, the writer themselves can use the public spaces as if they were private.

public conference room, meeting area, etc. or just a nook in the wall diving two rooms

having a private living room, but light shining near and to the public area. but making a passage between the two.

sitting table for meetings, breakfast, etc. having light peer in at the morning hours.

 

Narrative for Dining Space

Starting in the year 2011, the United Nations started the foundation and beginning steps to create a new holiday in hopes to eradicate world hunger and bring back the formal dining room. They felt necessary to hold this holiday not once, but twice a year on the days of the winter and summer solstice. In planning this new holiday concerns began to arise in the fact that in some continents around the world, people do not have food or the money to buy food. So in thinking of ways they (United Nations) as well as the government could help give equal opportunity for all to celebrate and actually eradicate world hunger they came up with some rules. In the holiday declaration agreement, the UN and the governments within each continent will provide the basic foods necessary for preparing one dish, to a given extent of pricing. They will have the money and means to do so from funding through donations, taxes, and fundraisers held. On top of this generous food giving, each continents main government will create a unique table to represent the continent in which they live. These newly designed tables are then manufactured and sold at an extremely low price to the people that live in that continent. This holiday is one that must be shared and spent with someone in a different continent. Every year the continent changes, so that every continent will be able to have a new experience each year. For a given year, each household in each continent will be electronically matched with a household of the other. Two weeks before national together day, each family will receive the contact information of the other family. Within a week each family must prepare a written dinner plan with recipes and instructions (with attached pictures of food outcome) for the opposing family. These must be sent to each family. Each family will then go and purchase the ingredients (which if the continent doesn’t normally have the ingredient, the governments have shipped ingredients to each other and now have at temporary holiday stores). Each family/household has a week to learn and practice the recipes. On the final day of the holiday the families will cook the other family’s dishes as well as the recipes they gave to them. That way the night of the dinner, both families have all the same food. Using a Global World Translator device, each family will then sit down and enjoy an afternoon of food and fellowship with each family.

For winter solstice festivities begin on GWT at 430 pm EST

For summer solstice festivities begin on GWT at 700 pm EST

The whole celebration/festivity will last 2.5 hours of dining. After that extra time with family on GWT is optional.

As a graduate of UNCG IAR, I am not only an interior architect having the privilege to design someone’s dining space, but also have had the privilege in designing the table for our continent.

The current dining room I am designing has a unique underfloor wall system which holds a 50” GWT device. There is a full wall window with no panes, etc. and the sidebar is moved from the room when the underfloor wall is up. To show the importance of certain places within the dining room I will use texture on some of the walls and ceiling. Above the sideboard there will be a bulletin board with each food item labeled, the recipes, and the way the food is pronounced in the other continent. Another wall hanging will be present in the dining room which will show a map of the world with the two continents highlighted, and before the food festivities begin, will show a slideshow of the joining continent. For seating I will have a round- loop around chair that is upholstered and comfortable. The table itself has yet to be fully determined in material choice, but will have a U-shape. Inside the U will be a small rotatable round robot. This robot will fill drinks and provide second servings if one wants more food. The flooring of the space will be dark cherry flooring bringing emphasis to the lighter materials in the room.

Another option is having no whole wall window but instead having no windows but only up to where light can peer inside.

Pictures of pondering ideas:

Ceiling space and dividing space

Theory Reading #3 Social Ecology

In reading this weeks theory reading, Social Ecology, I was able to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the way people interact socially based off of their relationships with the people around them.

Group is defined as any number of entities considered as a unit. Social is defined as living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups. Therefore a social group would be a number of entities considered as a unit that are enjoying life in communities.

In seeing these definitions we know that a group consists of more than one individual and these interaction of being social is by having these groups of people.


In relating the information in this reading and these definitions to my dining project and the space I have designed this is what I think relates the most:

In first looking at relations to my dining space, one of the most important things is life space. Life space are all forces that affect the individual at a given moment. So, the space of dining will affect the individual. How does one make that affect positive and meaningful? Taking into consideration of the space as a whole will affect the way the individual interact with one another as well as how they feel about each other. But, before looking on how the individuals interact, we find that about 71% of all groups, both informal and work groups contain only two individuals. Through this we learn that most groups are only two people, but when people dine, they often dine in groups. Groups of eight to ten hardly have one complete conversation like two individuals unless a structural activity is involved. So when dining, we have to consider that there may be just one conversation, multiple, or both. The way people sit affects this, and tells one how their relationship is. So, we as designers need to know when designing a space, how well the people inside it will know one another. Based off that knowledge, a designer will place chairs certain distances and directions from each other, as well as the shapes of the tables if included. Through knowledge of peoples relationships, the reasons for the room, and the definitions of group and social, we can create any space (even dining) more informed and suited for the ones using it.

Material Study

For the material study assignment, I had to select 4 different materials: carpet, granite, textile, and wood/bamboo.  Below are the material studies I have done in creating these materials with pencil and pen in a material value study. I looked at the material in the lightest and darkest situations and reflect how they will appear in the study. 

One Point Perspective

Value Study

For this project, I was able to further my practice in value study as well as visually see how important value plays in giving something texture and shade. I appreciate this assignment because it also taught me that gray is in fact a color and that there is more than just one shade/tint of gray! There is even french grays, cool grays, and multiple other kinds!

Theory Reading #2 Design and Culture

In watching the film, Babette's Feast, I was able to not only gain an understanding of that time period in Jubland, Denmark, but also about how design and culture relate. For the two sisters, life was simple, orderly, and structured. They seemed sheltered from the outside world. When it came time for Babette's only wish (to cook a home-cooked French meal for their fathers 100th birthday) the sisters began to worry they were letting sin into their home and that they had made a mistake. It was at this moment where design and culture became interrelated to me. At this time in the movie I was able to see that for Jubland, Denmark, dining was bland and had simple preparations with food. They sat around a small table that was not delicately set and often would sing hymns and pray.  But, for the people of France, dining was more. They not only drank wine, but also had the most finest tableware and the most detailed and elaborate meals (turtle soup and quails). Though I do know that not all people of France eat this way, it shows that culture plays an important roll in design, whether it be food, a building, etc. Different cultures gives the world original and unique designs.

What intrigues me the most about how designs differ in different cultures is that you can learn from the way others design and combine two different cultures designs and make a new design yourself. Traveling and seeing these different designs in different cultures is what has driven me to become a designer and design new things. It is what has made me choose this major.

I am hoping that through watching this film, and being reminded that because of culture we have design and through designing we gain differences in culture, that I will be able to incorporate this into my next project in designing a dining space for a new together holiday.

Babette preparing the food for the feast

The family embraces and enjoys the food Babette has prepared and learns of anothers culture
http://www.listal.com/viewimage/1653256

Theory Reading #1- Manifesto about design and its process

Design and its process is often defined as making or working out a plan for; to devise; the act of working out the form of something; an arrangement scheme; a decorative or artistic work. Design is and can be all of these definitions, but for me I believe design stands for much more. For this blog post we were to read a few articles in Designerly Ways of Knowing, by Nigel Cross and What Designers Know, by Bryan Lawson. Before reading these I had an assumption and predetermination of what design was, but I had not fully thought of what all design really is. While reading these articles, I discovered that all the little tasks I complete in studio is in fact designing and the steps to designing; it is not just the finished product that makes design. It was at this realization that I found my own manifesto about design.


I define design as a form of talent a human gains at birth, or obtains through practice. Designing can be accomplished by pupils of any age, but the intensity and depth of the design may differ. Design is something that persuades, explores, develops, a thought process, reflects, is intricate, and well crafted.

As one is designing, often they start with an idea that pops inside their head after they are persuaded by something. For others it's exploring different places and objects. Some people also design things because they are forced to design based off a given rubric in a specific time. But, no matter what the circumstance is, every single design is special and made for a purpose. Every design and process towards that design is delicate and worthy. One cannot just take their idea or their assignment and make it happen immediately. Perhaps some do get lucky at times and do not have to take as many steps to the final product, but this is very rare. Designing is a process and through this process designers will explore new methods, experiment with different ways of doing things, use different media and get persuaded by others. Through these steps and frequent turning of events, a designer will reflect on what they had achieved or failed and decide what is necessary for the final steps.

In creating the final masterpiece, a designer will work intricately and carefully to make the product in the best and most well crafted way possible to achieve their invention.

Because all of these small steps are necessary to achieve a design, I believe designing and its process is hard work and that it should be honored by everyone. For if design and its process did not exist or there were no designers to design things for the future where would our world be today or in the future to come? Would we still have the light bulb, electricity, computers, or a cell phone?

Design is a necessity for life. It is what makes this world functional and livable. Without designers we would not have the luxuries we have today. Design keeps the world new, fresh, and lively. It is our world.

New Header for the New Semester

For my first drafting assignment for the semester, I was asked to create a new header for my desk and blog that showed who I am as a designer. In just starting to figure out exactly who I am as a designer, lots of thoughts flooded my mind. When I think of the aspects and qualities that make me the designer I am as well as inspire me to design the things I do, here is what came to mind: structure, form, unity, uniqueness, creativity, new, interest, travel, roundness,  my "stamp"/fingerprint on life. My design is what I leave behind for others to use, enjoy, and have to strengthen and improve their way of life. In thinking about design, I become inspired by things I see when I travel. When traveling, I am able to see various forms of design in different cultures. Through this exploration of travel I am able to take the multiple designs and creations from others and combine them in my head to create something of my own. When visually designing in my head (based off the things I see when traveling) I tend to focus on structure and form of the objects I see. I also want structure and form to be in what it is that I design. I also want unity in my designs. I tend to make my work be unique, out of the ordinary, and unified.

For this designed header I chose to design it showing these things. In thinking about travel, structure, form, and unity, while keeping my creative spirit alive, I chose to design a traveling header. As a symbol of my use of structure I chose to incorporate the Eiffel Tower. For my "stamp" on life as well as wanting my design to be one that various cultures and parts of the world can use and enjoy I incorporated stamps on the right. I placed them on the right so that it is like a lettered stamp you mail (it moves to new locations). The uniquely designed circles in the background are to represent unity and creativity. Lastly, the round postal stamp is used as a location for my class information because a round postal stamp is something that tells the viewer of the mail slip something that is important; to me this class is important and is the purpose of this header as well as where I am now in my design traveling experience. I hope that you are able to see that this header is me as a designer.