Monthly Archives: May 2013

1st year studio

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Reflecting on this past year I realize how much we have all grown and transformed.  Personally, I never knew I would be able to push myself and challenge myself to the limits I have regarding design.  I know there is still so much to learn and room to grow, but I really feel like this year has prepared me for the years to come.  I now feel confident in so many computer programs such as rhino and photoshop, the print labs, wood and metal shop and even a little bit in the plastic shop.  I have learned the importance of class discussions and eportfolios.  Overall, I feel very prepared for the years to come and I am excited to continue my journey in design!

Linear Planar Solid

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After discussing the linear planar solid construct as a class it was really interesting to see how different everyone interpreted the prompt.  A common theme I saw was “lines make planes and planes make solids.”  Is that really addressing all three aspects of the prompt though? I interpreted it as create a design that integrates something that is solid with something that is linear and something that is planar.  I thought it was curious how people addressed the different elements to construct a design that had all three elements and captured natural light.

Design of Chairs

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Recently there have been industrial design displays throughout Cowgill and Burchard.  Different designs of chairs and furniture have been displayed and I think it’s really interesting to see the different approaches to furniture that all serve the same purpose.  A few chairs had really interesting elements such as a place to store a book under a reclining seat.  Another really interesting design was a bean back with the middle circular hole that could be removed.  Industrial design is a really fascinating field that has so many opportunities to alter peoples daily lives in something as simple as a chair or as complex as a car.

Service Learning Day

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Visiting the Jacksonville Art Center in Floyd and helping construct shelving units in the Straw Bale House was really interesting.  The ability to get hands-on experience in real life construction was a great learning opportunity.  We were able to see how important precision is and how a larger scale project differs from smaller constructions we’ve done in studio.  Overall, I learned the importance scale and precision have in constructions whether they are large or small.

Floyd

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Floyd VA is an interesting town, while it may not appear to have had a lot of city planning because it is so small, it has a definite design to it.  Because Floyd only has one intersection and is very close-knit, the design between buildings and the layout of the town had to be uniform enough to show the unity but also different enough to show that it was not a cookie-cutter town.  I think finding the balance between eclectic and a developed feeling is very important to a successful design and I believe Floyd captures that feeling.

Taubman Museum

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After visiting the Taubman Museum a few weeks ago, I’ve had some time to really reflect on the visit.  The architecture itself of the building was really interesting from both the exterior and the interior, but from the display rooms I felt like it was lacking.  To me a museum should invite you in and captivate your attention to make you want to learn more about a piece of work.  I felt as though the interior display rooms were ordinary and small in comparison to the rest of the museum.  The work displayed was really interesting but I felt as though it should have been given more importance in the relationship between display space and the size of the museum.

alphabet

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Going back into the alphabet,  I realized how each font has a set of rules that unifies all the letters.  While there are always exceptions to the rules, those exceptions also create an additional set of rules. I never realized how much thought along with a defining set of rules goes into something as everyday as the alphabet.

design and music

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The past few common lectures have involved musicians which has made me question what music and design have in common.  I think music is relevant to design because it is an art form where rhythm, flow, unity, and structure are all present.  Music and design are both created and must be detail oriented even with the small details.  The structure of the notes and the order impact thefinished piece. When you start comparing the different elements of music and design, it’s easy to see how much they really have in common.

jacksonville art center

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After presenting our proposed projects to the board members on Monday, looking back I realize that was a milestone for us in our design careers. The Jacksonville center was our first project where we had a real client and had to deal with an exististing structure. From the experience I took away the importance of listening the the client’s needs and designing something that is functional and cost efficient.

Design as a team effort

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Design is something that I used to think was a one man show.  There are so many different styles and approaches to design that it’s hard to collaborate with others to create one unified building.  However, I know that within firms, multiple architects collaborate on each project.  Design doesn’t have to be limited to one person, it can be a group effort.  I think the key thing that makes designing as a team work is a unified sense of style or approach.