Views From Bedroom 1, 2, and Bath
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Interview
Name: Carlos Estrada
Country of Birth- Columbia
Age- 28
Gender- Male
Marital Status- Married
Family Details- wife, 1 Daughter (Isabella- 1 year old). Both parents and brother (16 years old) live in Columbia (speak little English)
Native Language- Spanish
Occupation- Engineer
Path to Coming Here- flew here, came to college at UNC-Charlotte, wanted to further his education
Goals, Intentions- Become engineer, better job and school opportunities, make a life in America, start a family
Life Before and After- Knew how to speak English before coming, he now speaks primarily English, more educational opportunities, better roads. He grew up in Bogota (large city, capital) and he now lives in rural North Carolina (outside Statesville) and works in Mount Airy.
Challenges- English, communication, lived in international dorm at UNC-Charlotte
Acculturation techniques- watches tons of movies and family guy (to help learn English). He meet Sarah (his wife) in the international dorm at Charlotte. She is from North Carolina and was a Spanish major at Charlotte, so she was able to help introduce him to the culture.
Country of Birth- Columbia
Age- 28
Gender- Male
Marital Status- Married
Family Details- wife, 1 Daughter (Isabella- 1 year old). Both parents and brother (16 years old) live in Columbia (speak little English)
Native Language- Spanish
Occupation- Engineer
Path to Coming Here- flew here, came to college at UNC-Charlotte, wanted to further his education
Goals, Intentions- Become engineer, better job and school opportunities, make a life in America, start a family
Life Before and After- Knew how to speak English before coming, he now speaks primarily English, more educational opportunities, better roads. He grew up in Bogota (large city, capital) and he now lives in rural North Carolina (outside Statesville) and works in Mount Airy.
Challenges- English, communication, lived in international dorm at UNC-Charlotte
Acculturation techniques- watches tons of movies and family guy (to help learn English). He meet Sarah (his wife) in the international dorm at Charlotte. She is from North Carolina and was a Spanish major at Charlotte, so she was able to help introduce him to the culture.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Computing In Archtectural Design Response
Computers have played large roles in design in the past and the present from the early ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the modern day buildings of today. Computers have become a driving force that has allowed the industry to change and grow in positive directions.
During the Renaissance the Vitruvian ideal was becoming a strong force in the architectural world. The proportions of humans were being used in temples of the time. Using these proportions allowed for a greater connection between God and the common man. Designers were using compasses and straightedges to gain the correct dimensions needed. The use of these tools allowed for the development of algorithms. Once these were developed designers had the ability to create the perfect square. Algorithms lead to the first calculations that were used as the starting point of computers. The designers first did these calculations as the building was created. As time and technology progressed the idea of taking these calculations and allowing a machine to do them is what lead to the creation and use of computers.
The first computer was created in 1959 by IBM and used by the U.S. Air Force. It was so large that it took up thousand square feet. Instead of having a modern day keyboard this first computer had what was called a sketchpad. This pad was used to enter data into the system just like the keyboards of today do. This pad was able to straighten lines and square drawings. Thus creating a perfect line without the use of the straightedge for the first time. It was not until 1964 that computers entered into the world of architectural design. As time progressed into the 1970s programs were being written to help designers create perfectly straight buildings with an ease of use. These programs were referred to as CAD programs. CAD stands for computer-aided design.
As technology advanced the ability to create better CAD systems emerged. New programs allowed for the designing process to be more perfect and easy for the designers to create. The more time and technology advance the better the programs become. Computers themselves have become faster, smaller, and better when operating. This has allowed for an ease of usage. It does seem that technology may have gone as far as it is able to with computers. But as time and technology move forward the better the CAD programs could become. Architects and designers will keep updating allowing the systems of design to become more and more easily used.
During the Renaissance the Vitruvian ideal was becoming a strong force in the architectural world. The proportions of humans were being used in temples of the time. Using these proportions allowed for a greater connection between God and the common man. Designers were using compasses and straightedges to gain the correct dimensions needed. The use of these tools allowed for the development of algorithms. Once these were developed designers had the ability to create the perfect square. Algorithms lead to the first calculations that were used as the starting point of computers. The designers first did these calculations as the building was created. As time and technology progressed the idea of taking these calculations and allowing a machine to do them is what lead to the creation and use of computers.
The first computer was created in 1959 by IBM and used by the U.S. Air Force. It was so large that it took up thousand square feet. Instead of having a modern day keyboard this first computer had what was called a sketchpad. This pad was used to enter data into the system just like the keyboards of today do. This pad was able to straighten lines and square drawings. Thus creating a perfect line without the use of the straightedge for the first time. It was not until 1964 that computers entered into the world of architectural design. As time progressed into the 1970s programs were being written to help designers create perfectly straight buildings with an ease of use. These programs were referred to as CAD programs. CAD stands for computer-aided design.
As technology advanced the ability to create better CAD systems emerged. New programs allowed for the designing process to be more perfect and easy for the designers to create. The more time and technology advance the better the programs become. Computers themselves have become faster, smaller, and better when operating. This has allowed for an ease of usage. It does seem that technology may have gone as far as it is able to with computers. But as time and technology move forward the better the CAD programs could become. Architects and designers will keep updating allowing the systems of design to become more and more easily used.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Close To Home Paper
Sarah Mabry
IAR 222
11-14-07
When learning about Modernism a person never imagines that they could actually find examples of it in the city in which they live. It seemed only to be in big cities such as Chicago and New York. Modernism can be found even in cities like Greensboro. The Close To Home exhibit allows visitors to gain that understanding of what Modernism is and its impact on the city and the world through the work of Ed Loewenstein and others creating a large community to work with in.
The materials of the installation are what make it so visually pleasing to each visitor that enters the space. The combination of wood and metal give the space a polished and clean appearance. Wood was used to build the frames that hold up the metal sheets. Each metal sheet is used as a display space for the numerous graphics. Silver magnets are used to hold up the graphics on the metal. Using the magnets gives a clean and mysterious way that the graphics are held. It makes a visitor want to touch them and investigate how they are held up. Metal pipes where included at the top and bottom of each panel. The use of the metal and wood give the panels an even more modern appearance. The mixture of materials is seen in some the interiors of Loewenstein homes. There will be a mixture of brick, wood paneling, and glass used with in the space.
Light plays an important role in the space. Light fills the space from all angles. The glass doors that lead a person into the space allowing for an abundance of natural light to enter in. Allow with the natural light there are the overhead lights in the gallery. Each one provides a uniform blanket of artificial light. As a visitor walks along the exhibit they will encounter more light that is projected on the walls in the form of digital models of the project. All these elements bring the light in to illuminate the space. The light presents the concept by giving an example how many modern buildings can be lit. Loewenstein’s homes appear to have ample artificial lighting above surrounded by glass walls. The glass as in the gallery space allows for natural light to shine though.
Within the installation color is playing a subtle role. There are three colors that are used on the wood material. The framing of each panel is wood that was left in its natural state. There are accents of a burnt orange stain and a light shade of turquoise. In places there are in set panels that are stained in a dark chocolate brown. This stain allows for it to pop put against the natural wood of the framing. Another color is added in the metal piping as well. It provides an addition color that is not over powering. These colors could be seen in any modernist building in any part of the world. The light turquoise is also repeated in many of the graphics in the space. This color seems to act as a way finding device that carries a person around as they are reading.
The images with in the space add many elements to the exhibit. One of the most powerful images is the picture of Ed Loewenstein at the entrance on the left side. It allows a viewer to understand the impact of this man on Greensboro’s landscape and with in the movement itself. The other images that are very powerful to the visitors and especially the students are the ones of the women from Greensboro Woman’s College working on their urban studio home. It is very impressive to see women of the 1960s out working to build a home just as students of the program do today. These images show the community that modernism creates. The text located on the graphics brings out the accent colors that are used in the wood elements. The light turquoise and the gray are used to pull out these colors. Each graphic takes a person through the space letting them gain a better understanding of the installation. These graphics support the concept of the exhibit.
The different types of media help to give variation to the space. There is a combination of printed media in the graphics and images then there is a use of digital media as well. The visitor does not get bored with viewing the same type of media. At each entrance it starts out with the printed media. As a person walks through there are the surprises of the digital media. There are the digital models that walk a person through the exhibit space in the design process phase of the project. Placed in the corners of the installation are computers that allow a person to pull up more information about Ed Loewenstein, the woman from the Women’s College who worked on the urban studio home and the movement of modernism. The most successful ones are the printed graphics and images along with the projected models. The ones that are the least effective are the computers located in the corners of the exhibit. They seem to repeat the same information as is given in the installation.
Each visitor takes the time to stop and read the graphics as they walk through the space. The design of the space allows for a visitor to enter either one of the two entrances. That gives lets confusion as to the flow of the installation. The experience that a visitor has is one of being in a home. It’s a foreign space that is large but it does have a feeling of closeness with in the space. That is due to the shape of the structure and the concept that is seen through out it. The sense of community that a person gains is what makes the homey feeling. Modernism is a global
movement that seen in the smallest to largest citiesin America. Community is what makes the design happen. That feeling is well portrayed in the space.
Close To Home is a celebration of a man and his work and the movement in which he fits. Community is what makes it happen. A global movement that is possible for everyone.
For this sketch I wanted to represent the connection that is made with the installation and the surface floor that it sits on. Each piece of wood comes together to connect then it places itself on the floor. The colors used in the wood and metal blend well with the concrete gallery floor. Both panels strike a nice balance with the floor.
As a person walks through the exhibit each panel flows well from one to the other. What makes that happen are the corners of the gallery. Each panel stops but it is not a sudden stop. The panels stop in the corners. At the end of the panel there is a piece of wood that is the same as what it used in the panels. It gives what’s on the walls and the panels a cohesive look to the project.
In the sketch above I wanted to represent the how the panels come together. The one on the left is larger in scale compared to the one on the right. The two panels are different in scale within themselves but each one comes together gracefully. It is done by using joints that are carefully thought out.
IAR 222
11-14-07
When learning about Modernism a person never imagines that they could actually find examples of it in the city in which they live. It seemed only to be in big cities such as Chicago and New York. Modernism can be found even in cities like Greensboro. The Close To Home exhibit allows visitors to gain that understanding of what Modernism is and its impact on the city and the world through the work of Ed Loewenstein and others creating a large community to work with in.
The materials of the installation are what make it so visually pleasing to each visitor that enters the space. The combination of wood and metal give the space a polished and clean appearance. Wood was used to build the frames that hold up the metal sheets. Each metal sheet is used as a display space for the numerous graphics. Silver magnets are used to hold up the graphics on the metal. Using the magnets gives a clean and mysterious way that the graphics are held. It makes a visitor want to touch them and investigate how they are held up. Metal pipes where included at the top and bottom of each panel. The use of the metal and wood give the panels an even more modern appearance. The mixture of materials is seen in some the interiors of Loewenstein homes. There will be a mixture of brick, wood paneling, and glass used with in the space.
Light plays an important role in the space. Light fills the space from all angles. The glass doors that lead a person into the space allowing for an abundance of natural light to enter in. Allow with the natural light there are the overhead lights in the gallery. Each one provides a uniform blanket of artificial light. As a visitor walks along the exhibit they will encounter more light that is projected on the walls in the form of digital models of the project. All these elements bring the light in to illuminate the space. The light presents the concept by giving an example how many modern buildings can be lit. Loewenstein’s homes appear to have ample artificial lighting above surrounded by glass walls. The glass as in the gallery space allows for natural light to shine though.
Within the installation color is playing a subtle role. There are three colors that are used on the wood material. The framing of each panel is wood that was left in its natural state. There are accents of a burnt orange stain and a light shade of turquoise. In places there are in set panels that are stained in a dark chocolate brown. This stain allows for it to pop put against the natural wood of the framing. Another color is added in the metal piping as well. It provides an addition color that is not over powering. These colors could be seen in any modernist building in any part of the world. The light turquoise is also repeated in many of the graphics in the space. This color seems to act as a way finding device that carries a person around as they are reading.
The images with in the space add many elements to the exhibit. One of the most powerful images is the picture of Ed Loewenstein at the entrance on the left side. It allows a viewer to understand the impact of this man on Greensboro’s landscape and with in the movement itself. The other images that are very powerful to the visitors and especially the students are the ones of the women from Greensboro Woman’s College working on their urban studio home. It is very impressive to see women of the 1960s out working to build a home just as students of the program do today. These images show the community that modernism creates. The text located on the graphics brings out the accent colors that are used in the wood elements. The light turquoise and the gray are used to pull out these colors. Each graphic takes a person through the space letting them gain a better understanding of the installation. These graphics support the concept of the exhibit.
The different types of media help to give variation to the space. There is a combination of printed media in the graphics and images then there is a use of digital media as well. The visitor does not get bored with viewing the same type of media. At each entrance it starts out with the printed media. As a person walks through there are the surprises of the digital media. There are the digital models that walk a person through the exhibit space in the design process phase of the project. Placed in the corners of the installation are computers that allow a person to pull up more information about Ed Loewenstein, the woman from the Women’s College who worked on the urban studio home and the movement of modernism. The most successful ones are the printed graphics and images along with the projected models. The ones that are the least effective are the computers located in the corners of the exhibit. They seem to repeat the same information as is given in the installation.
Each visitor takes the time to stop and read the graphics as they walk through the space. The design of the space allows for a visitor to enter either one of the two entrances. That gives lets confusion as to the flow of the installation. The experience that a visitor has is one of being in a home. It’s a foreign space that is large but it does have a feeling of closeness with in the space. That is due to the shape of the structure and the concept that is seen through out it. The sense of community that a person gains is what makes the homey feeling. Modernism is a global
movement that seen in the smallest to largest citiesin America. Community is what makes the design happen. That feeling is well portrayed in the space.
Close To Home is a celebration of a man and his work and the movement in which he fits. Community is what makes it happen. A global movement that is possible for everyone.
For this sketch I wanted to represent the connection that is made with the installation and the surface floor that it sits on. Each piece of wood comes together to connect then it places itself on the floor. The colors used in the wood and metal blend well with the concrete gallery floor. Both panels strike a nice balance with the floor.
As a person walks through the exhibit each panel flows well from one to the other. What makes that happen are the corners of the gallery. Each panel stops but it is not a sudden stop. The panels stop in the corners. At the end of the panel there is a piece of wood that is the same as what it used in the panels. It gives what’s on the walls and the panels a cohesive look to the project.
In the sketch above I wanted to represent the how the panels come together. The one on the left is larger in scale compared to the one on the right. The two panels are different in scale within themselves but each one comes together gracefully. It is done by using joints that are carefully thought out.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Program for Phase 3
The program for My Sisters House Phase 3 is as follows:
1 crib
1 twin bed
1 dresser/wardrobe
1 rocking chair
1 nightstand
2-3 lamps
1 changing table
1 ceiling fan
1 area rug
1 system of shelves
2 window treatments
1 crib
1 twin bed
1 dresser/wardrobe
1 rocking chair
1 nightstand
2-3 lamps
1 changing table
1 ceiling fan
1 area rug
1 system of shelves
2 window treatments
Intent Narrative
For this phase of the My Sisters House project I want to design a space that is comfortable, safe, and functional for the residents staying at the home.
I want to design a space that is comfort by giving the suites the appearance of their own homes. This can be achieved by using fabrics and finishes that are warm and inviting. Allowing them to be in a comfortable space may relieve some of the stress and anxiety they maybe feeling.
The level of comfort each of the girls gain from the space allows it to become a safe environment for them to have their babies and raise them. It has to be a horrible experience to be thrown out of your home and then have no where to go. This place will become their safe haven where nothing can happen to them.
Functionality is a key element to the interior spaces of the suites. Each one has to fit the need of the mother and her child or children living in it. Achieving this will be done through a well crafted floor plan and choosing the right type of furniture for the space. Placement of furniture will be key to the mother can move around the suite easily with her newborn. If she is having to move around oddly place furniture she will gain a sense of frustration that will be heightened by having the newborn. The floor plan has to be thoughtful of that. Furniture that is used will be another important element. Each piece has to have a purpose that helps to make the mothers job easier. They will be pieces that have lot of storage and functionality. It needs to be able to grow and change with the growing baby as well.
This is the intent that I am trying to aim for as I am working on phase three of My Sisters House.
I want to design a space that is comfort by giving the suites the appearance of their own homes. This can be achieved by using fabrics and finishes that are warm and inviting. Allowing them to be in a comfortable space may relieve some of the stress and anxiety they maybe feeling.
The level of comfort each of the girls gain from the space allows it to become a safe environment for them to have their babies and raise them. It has to be a horrible experience to be thrown out of your home and then have no where to go. This place will become their safe haven where nothing can happen to them.
Functionality is a key element to the interior spaces of the suites. Each one has to fit the need of the mother and her child or children living in it. Achieving this will be done through a well crafted floor plan and choosing the right type of furniture for the space. Placement of furniture will be key to the mother can move around the suite easily with her newborn. If she is having to move around oddly place furniture she will gain a sense of frustration that will be heightened by having the newborn. The floor plan has to be thoughtful of that. Furniture that is used will be another important element. Each piece has to have a purpose that helps to make the mothers job easier. They will be pieces that have lot of storage and functionality. It needs to be able to grow and change with the growing baby as well.
This is the intent that I am trying to aim for as I am working on phase three of My Sisters House.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)