Coming Full Circle

Community

A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.  The UN Studio is a community because they work together to design great buildings.  They designed the Mercedes-Benz Museum and created something great! 

Stewardship

A person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.  When we designed a room with a kitchen and living room we had control of where things when in the space.  Then we traded with another student to design the room for them the way we wanted to.  We had the stewardship of the room when we were designing it for the other person because we were in control.

Authenticity

The quality of being authentic or of established authority for truth and correctness.  The Crystal Palace, in London, was designed by Joseph Paxton.  It was designed to be build around a tree so that it wouldnt be destroyed when built.  It was designed with authenticity because it didn't harm nature.   

Innovation

The act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods.  In studio we were to design a sacred space for the grad students that was public and private, and showed celebration and meditation.  In my design I made the public side more celebrating where the students can eat and talk to each other, and on the private side it was more meditative so that the students could go there without distractions and think by themselves.

Road Trip

Roots

Are the fundamental or essential part or the source of origin.

Compression/Release

Compression is the process or result of getting smaller or pressed together and more compacted, release is to be let go or freed from confinement.

Congruence

Agreement, harmony, conformity, or correspondence.

Materiality

The quality or state of being material; material existence; corporeity.

Concept

An idea of something formed by mentally combining all its characteristics or particulars; a construct.

Between Silence & Light

Craft

Craft is how well something is thought about and made.  In our studio classes we are partly graded on our craft of our projects, like if the glue shows or how well we cut the paper.  This weekend on our trip to Fallingwater I think that Frank Lloyd Wright designed a well-crafted house for the Kauffman family.  He designed the furniture to fit in and around the house, and used the land to build.  One particular craft he thought about that I remember well is the windows on the second and third floors in the corner, the steel frame disappears when the windows are opened to allow for a panoramic view looking outside.  Another is how the cut out on the desk allows for the window/door to open.

 

Technique

Everyone has their own technique and a way of doing something that is easiest or relates better to them self.  Also it is a way of doing something in a different way.  The technique used on the doors in Monticello to look like wood was actually a foe finish on the doors.  Also the technique used in Fallingwater is to create a since of openness from the many windows in the rooms.  It also allows for more light to enter the rooms, and allows for more of a view.

Virtual

Virtual is the existence of something without actually being there.  Most commonly heard of is seeing a virtual tour on a computer or television.  I think also when you see a brochure and the pictures are so inviting and you want to be there.

Public & Private

We think about rooms and buildings being public and private by where they are located, how they are designed, and what they are used for.  At Monticello, the family room located in the center of the house is more private, it is where they could entertain guests and was big enough for space. The doors that we saw first were two glass doors, but since it is a family room to allow it to be more private there were a set of wooden doors that allowed the family to close in front of the glass doors. 

Language

Is the communication you have between two or more people.  To design Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright needed to communicate well with the Kauffman family so that they were able to get what they wanted.  We noticed that everything was built to a smaller scale and that there were lots of horizontal lines.  The first chairs that Wright designed for the dinning room seating, the Kauffman’s thought that it was too formal so Wright designed another set of chairs that they liked better.

[RE]ACTIONS

Rotation

It is the act or movement of turning around the center of an axis.  When something is positioned one way and then rotated it will look different or you would be looking at a completely side.

Movement

“Movement is meant to express, the rise and fall, the advance and recess, with other diversity of form, in different parts of a building, so as to add greatly to the picturesque of the composition.” (Blakemore, 306)  Over time there have been many different movements and each one has its own style and sometimes movements will come back for a little while. Especially with clothing styles an older woman will see a younger girls clothes and say I wore those when I was younger.  Same as with design the older styles of furniture will come back in style.

 

Reflection

When I think about a reflection I first think of seeing myself in a mirror.  Sometimes you can see your reflection in a dark window or water.  You often see the reflection of trees and nature in water of images with a lake or river.  Also a reflection can be your thoughts about something you have observed or heard.

Source

It is the direct place where something comes from such as the information you obtain from a book or person.  I often look on the Internet to get a source for something.  When I think of source I think about a light source and the different types of lighting.  A light source can be from a window when it is daytime or the use of artificial lights from a light bulb.

 

 

Illumination

It is to make an object glow or to highlight the important areas by using lights.  It can be with natural or artificial such as candles or lamps.  We have learned a lot this week about the importance of light.  We were to build an object based on how it reflected light.  Also when we rendered our room space we looked at where the light would come from and where it would be darkest and lightest with shadows.

Blakemore, Robbie G. History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe. 2nd. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006.

Grammar:Syntax

[Re]visions

A new model of something.  In design we do a lot of planning and thinking and it can sometimes be to complex and so we revise it and turn it into something better.  Last week we went on a nature hunt and found inspiration from things in nature.  We drew thumbnails of the patterns we saw from the things we found in nature.  And this week we have designed a model to reflect what patterns we found in nature and that also ties into a celebration story from our life.  It is also suppose to work with light and shadow, so if one model doesn't work we revise it to make it work.

Audience

When designing something a key factor is to think about how the audience will react to it.  The designer wants the audience to be wowed and amazed by the design.  At the DATS program we went to at High Point University, Alexander Julian was one of the speakers.  He talked about when he was called and asked to design the new UNC basketball jerseys.  He had a design in mind, but wasn't sure how the basketball players would feel about it.  He thought carefully about his audience and how he would get the players to like it and so he called Michael Jordan and asked if he would mind coming with him to show the design.  He did, and the players thought well if Michael Jordan likes it we'll wear it.

 

Character

The most common definition for character is the character in a story.  Another is, how the person acts would be his character or characteristics.  And in design an architect makes his building more interesting and delightful by the character it shows.  For my History and Theory of Design class we were to pick a building in the 20Th century that we will be working with through out the whole semester.  I chose the Mercedes-Benz Museum because of the character is has.  It is a modern design, designed to take the shape of a three leaf clover.  

Transition

A change or movement from one place or thing to another.  Transition takes place a lot in design.  Whether its the change from one level to another or to a completely different idea.  I think of transition having a lot to do with a pathway or road to lead you to where your suppose to go, but I think the transition is noticeable.  Like in a house when you walk from a living room to the kitchen the transition you made is from couches and a television to a refrigerator, sink, and cabinets.

Datum

A line or point used as a reference to measure.  When I think of a datum line I think it should be around eye level when things are hung so that it's easier to see.  When we were planning and placing images on our presentation boards about our buildings we used a datum line, making sure everything lined up and were evenly spaced so that you wouldn't be distracted.

To summarize this week, I feel like as a designer you should think about the audience and giving you design character and if something doesn't work you should revise it.  The transition you make from one place to another should be thought about and when hanging things up use a datum line. 

[P] Week

Periphery

It is the external boundaries of a surface.  With the portal project we did we had to work with the boundaries of other objects on the wall and by not going into the boundaries of other portals.

Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of all the work we do in a well-organized carrying case.  In is a good way of storing work that you will need later on.  If you are going to an interview for a job, it allows the employer to see the employee’s ability to complete certain tasks.  It should also be in order and have things labeled.  

Process

This is a continual action of work that allows progression to happen in a forward motion.  The process of something is a well-organized plan that one goes through to get to a certain point or place.  The process we did starting with reading a fairy tale then ending at building a portal took careful planning and thinking.  The different projects we made and designed in between were part of the process of getting to how the design our portals.

Perspective

It is the angle in which you view an object and the depth of an object.  Last semester we worked with perspective a lot and learning to see things with depth.   We drew four perspective drawings.  I did an interior one point, an exterior one point, an exterior two point and a one point looking above something.

Professional

For something to look professional it needs to be well crafted and well presented.  When mounting images on a board there shouldn’t be any awkward spaces and the proximity of images should be thought out carefully.  If words are needed on a board then the architectural lettering should be very neat and readable.  Also, using guidelines will help.  This week our groups for the building projects were to put all our images on a board.  My group carefully thought about the background color, the size of each image, and the placement of the images.

Macro to Mirco

Porch/Court/Hearth

Within the Acropolis you can find a porch, court, and hearth.  The porch is the main entrance way.  In the Acropolis, the Propylaia is considered the porch.  "Entry is through a propylon gate into a court." (Roth, 218)  The court is the main area of open space. In the Acropolis, the area between the Parthenon and the Erechtheion is the court.  The hearth is the area that is private and only allows certain people in.  The Parthenon is only for priests to allow them to worship. 

Diagram

A diagram illustrates more about what happens with each part.  For our buildings we were assigned, we took a look at each the context, function, circulation, and hierarchy for the building then to diagram them using a key.  I looked at the function of the building.  I outlined in blue the parts of the building that were private, and outlined in orange the parts that were public.

 Impression

Impression is the image you see when you first look at it.  In history we studied the different cathedrals types.  I looked at the Amiens Cathedral in France and the impression it gives of being such a tall piece of architecture shows its importance. "Churches and other religious buildings emerged as the preeminent architecture." (Roth, 298)  They built the cathedrals making the interior a mystic image of heaven.

Detail

A detail is something that is something so small that is actually something big.  In drawing class we have been assigned a building on campus to study and draw and our last assignment was to pick a detail from that building that lets people know what building it is.  I chose to draw the arches made with brick.  Arches could be seen a lot of places, but the bridge, linking Curry and Ferguson buildings together, with the arches underneath lets people know what building you mean. 

Composition

The composition is how the different parts make up the whole.  I think a good composition that works well is one that the page is balanced out and has equal movement, context, and color.  At the beginning of this semester we were asked to draw five things that illuminate us.  I think that the image below is a good composition I did because I thought out where the objects would go on the page before I just drew them.  The text is written around the object it talks about and I think that the orange works well and there isn't too much of orange or black used.

[FOUNDATIONS] unit summary

   Sir Henry Wotton said, “In architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well.  Well building hath three conditions: commodity, firmness, and delight.”  Commodity is if the building has all the needs and being utilitarian.  Firmness is being able to stand the test of time.  Delight is the beauty and if the building is well pleasing to the eye.

The Egyptians were a big influence for the foundation of architecture.  The pyramids were built to have commodity firmness and delight.  The pyramids in Giza were designed to keep people out by building them to look like polished limestone so that the sun would reflect on them.  They were used to store and hide objects of value, and also some were used for burial.  Time was very important to them, they tried to make the buildings outlast the people.  They were also designed to set out from their environment.  Hieroglyphics were written on the pyramids to tell their stories.  The Temple of Amon’s architecture empowers the civilization and commands the common people to worship the gods.  Hierarchy is shown in both the Khufu and the Hatshepsut.  Both are built differently but still show it in different ways. 

The Greeks were trying to achieve the ideal and perfection.  They wanted the ultimate and had the most influence on America.  They used the post and lintel system to build temples and portals.  They built the temples for priest and leaders to use for worship.  To illuminate statues, the openings around and between post/columns allowed light to shine in.  In the Acropolis, the Parthenon is most important structure; this is shown by making it the biggest.  Also, when you enter the Acropolis it is set at an angle to emphasize that. 

The Romans were influences to build to make spaces for the people.  The most famous piece of architecture they built was Flavian Amphitheater (the Colosseum) in Rome.  They were designed to hold sport events and other entertainment.  The arches allow it to be firm and last the test of time.  The look of the Colosseum is very delightful because of the arches and the use of different column orders on each level. 

I think that this unit of foundations was very important.  It told us where designs have come from.  I think that commodity, firmness, and delight are important because they are what make the building a piece of architecture and not a sculpture which would only have delight.  

Voices

Metric

Metric relates to measurements and the distance between two points.  When we are drafting a room or object it is important to include the measurements.  Even when you sketch out something, measurements are ways to express what you consider the size to be.  Another way to show the metric system is to include a scale model.  In drafting for the pat project we included a scale figure and also in our lost in translation project, we were to think about the size of the pathway and include a scale figure.

Precedent

A precedent is an example or model that resembles some ideas you have.  When I look at projects and they remind me of something I know or have seen before then it is considered a precedent for that new model.  Thinking back to last semester the precedent that I remember most was when I was doing my dialog project.  I used skewers and white planes of paper.  When we were told it had to be a dialog with two spaces I started to think about what I knew that had two spaces and I thought about the ying yang symbol.  I used that symbol to develop my project and found it to be successful. 

Presence

The presence of what is in a room is important and how it makes the person feel.  This week I took Kristina to the oral surgeon.  While I waited for her I decided to draw the waiting room.  Doctor offices can be scary for some people, but I think that depending on how the waiting room is set up and the presence of it can comfort the patients before they go back to the rooms to be seen.

 

Moments

A moment is when something special happens in time. A collection of moments can be linked together to tell a story.  In drawing class we were to draw thumbnails of different moments in and around our assigned building.  These thumbnails allowed you to see specific parts of the building that are of importance. 

Duality

Duality is when one thing can be used as two different things.  An example of this could be the use of a tire.  The most common use for a tire is on a car and driving, but it can also be used as a tire swing and for fun. 

Unity:Scale:Section:Boundaries:Vignette

Unity is when all the different parts come together to make the whole and create a sense of oneness.  The columns in Egypt were made of post and lintel construction.  The two or more vertical post holding up the horizontal frame works together to create the whole building structure.  In Greece two examples that use post and lintel support are Lion Gate and Treasury of Atreus, both located in Mycenae.

Scale is “How big a building is, relative to the size of the average human being, is said to be its scale”.  (Roth, 75)  In drafting class after building Pat’s furniture we drew the elevations to scale and placed an average human model to show the scale of our furniture.  

A section cut shows detail that might not always be visible from the elevation view.  In the History of Interior Design & Furniture book it shows a picture of a floor plan with section cut.  (Blakemore, 4) We also did section views in drafting for Pat’s furniture.  We also researched different types of walls and drew section views of the walls.

Boundaries are formed when walls or other vertical structures section off areas to create a specific location. In history the boundaries that earlier populations made were with the structures and temples.  In the History of Interior Design & Furniture book Blakemore talks about the tympanum and how the center of the cornices creates an open, sometimes filled, space.  (Blakemore, 29)  The wall models we designed and made this week were an example of boundaries.  We use those walls to incorporate our artifact into the space.

Vignettes are a good way of drawing to be able to focus in on one area and then lead the eye out to the unfinished area or object to make the viewer wonder what else is there to be discovered.  We have worked with doing a lot of vignettes this week in the drawing class.  It is fun for me to focus and detail one area and then let it fade out and let the color fade out but not because your on the end of the page but because you want it to be more interesting and leave the viewer thinking.

To summarize this week, unity, scale, section, boundaries, and vignettes tie together by seeing the whole picture.  The unity comes together by all the parts being one, and the section allows you to  see them broken down to see more details easily, and the scale allows you to change the size of the object, and the boundaries are what gives it the guidelines and vignettes are what you do to focus in on one area and let the rest fade out.