GAMMA installation

As a side note to this blog, I'd like to say as a girl in the greek society I have not been able to keep up with all of these Greek letters being our project- for all i know this isnt even the gamma installation-who knows!

Way to wrap up the semester. I will admit, I am green with envy that the younger years will be able to enjoy this space, when we put in all the sweat to make the studio a more livable space-because yes, we do live in it. 

Throughout all the troubles we had within this space, the project, installation and overall outcome of this studio was a huge success. I think that we would have had a more community 

 studio this semester if we had this space at the beginning. The space reminds me terribly of our first year in McIver, and I remember saying to myself when we moved into Gatewood 2nd year- WOW this building is great-but I loved mcIver, and I really did. McIver was an inspiration for most of us throughout this project, we wanted to bring back the openness of the space and the ability to see everyone working or goofing off within the studio. We achieved that as well as a bit of privacy throughout the loewenstein panels.

A JOB WELL DONE!

the end of NGHS

Its been a bumpy and wild ride for me with NGHS, rather just designing institutional for that matter. I was hoping to walk into this semester and be uber excited about the project at hand and just hit the pavement ending my senior year with a bang, I didnt quite have that, being that I dont have a passion (or mojo) for institutional design. I struggled quite a bit, but focused on my goals which I had made for myself at the end of the semester, which was doing research on institutional design and really REALLY working on my hand drawings and hand renderings. Once I was finally able to get some passion back into my soul for this project, after loosing it for awhile, I am proud of my work, and proud that I followed up on my goal and really concentrated on hand drawings, not tracing, not computer aided, but actual pure-hand-take me forever to draw-drawings. Below are 3 of my 4 hand drawn and hand rendered images for the NGHS project

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Can-Tastics take 3rd place!

I was right when I posted last night, or rather this morning about how there was really no organization or strategy to the CAN ART..however, it seemed to work out, as it always does because TEAM CAN-TASTICS took 3rd place..yea yea, even over MARIO!

It was a little rough of a beginning, most slurping up some sort of caffeine, scurrying around trying to find anything and everything that we could possibly use for "fasteners". Patrick in his hat (odd) and a wagon-like pully, rolled all the cans down to the weatherspoon art museum, where the "magic" took place. 

Like always, we did a bunch of trial and errors, a can-scape, a land scape, and other various attempts when we finally found joy and hope in taking the title with the 'tree of life' or 'cans of life'. Love how it relates so well back to studio and our concept - a TREE.

 

We never imagined we would win a prize, I will admit the competition was pretty intimidating with a ROBOT, MARIO, the 'SPIRAL' and other can-pieces. In the end we prevailed and took 3rd place, well deserved I suppose for the attempts we made and the passion we had for that tree?  

Anywhoo...I guess Patrick was right, we did have FUN DAMNIT! and it was nice to get away from studio for a little bit...

OH YA. and POTTED PORK!

Can Sculptures...FUN FUN FUN!

So, this week there have been many of times where I have questions the way I have gone about my final project..Hand drawing..hand rendering..Really? Shannon + Hand..anything takes forever. And although it HAS taken me FOREVER..and I am now only done with 4 perspectives I am starting to feel more confident in my choice. Hand drawing..and hand rendering..hand ANYTHING..was what I wanted to focus on this semster..not..do it in the computer and trace..pure hand..and it has been somewhat of pure hell, however, I did and I am pleased with my hand drawing skills.

On my breaks from being frustrated I have been thinking and been enthrawled with the next task to complete (not that the first one is done..) the CAN ART. Brillant idea, however, not a brilliant time. I feel as if we have no idea what is going to take place tomorrow and honestly I dont know who is going to participate..but Patrick is shooting for the moon on this and I think we should shoot for the moon too. He has come up with some creative ideas, and we have finally reached over 40 cans...I think were at 187..so we will have an abundance of canned items to make a wonderful can-ulpture. * not as creative as patricks..*

heres what I am expecting from 412 (patricks studio tomorrow..)

etched glass-forest like?

"Banners"...are they to 'market-down town' theme? yes, probably so. Trying to find the balance between forest and down town was hard to come by - so another tweak in the design has occurred. This always tends to happen, especially now that I have senioritis, I tend to stand by and tweak and add small things to the space early on in the design process when theoretically I should lunging myself forward and stepping in all sorts of crazy directions of design and then subtracting. However, I suppose I work backwards....

The 'banners' in my space have now turned into a series of etched glass panels, which allow a more tactile experience for the students and the occupants of the space. I imagined myself in this college forest I have created and how it is lacking the tactile experience. When in a forest you touch leaves, twigs, the dirt on the ground, its a never-ending series of exploring and touching, and those are the qualities I want the occupants in the space to have. 

late night discoveries

So while sitting in studio late night, sipping on a red bull to keep my mojo going, i have made a few realizations about the college area. Where is the horizontal elements? No where. Have I manipulated the ceiling? the floor? NO.
So, I did a few quick perspectives of ideas to help the space become more vibrant and more appealing. I have added a grid like-branching pattern to the ceiling that will serve as in-set lighting to help give a little more life to the space. The grid on the ceiling will be continuations of the systems of way finding and storage as well as the shelving system that span through out the walls and columns.

Another idea I am focusing on, is the desk situation, after sketching desks and trying to force something to work as not only a desk, but rather a table I have decided to have the desk cantilevered off of the column and given support from thin metal poles (like the ones in the systems) to help with the horizontal elements as well as the vertical lines.

So far late nights + red bull + a little cheer leading from peers has helped convert my space into a better interactive experience.

'being excited...coming a lonnng way...'

After discussing + sharing ideas in class on weds, I realized I:
a. had a lot of work ahead of me
b. dont have too much time ahead of me
c. need to get my 'mojo' back (it tends to come and go quickly during this project)
d. get excited about my designs thus far + those of them to come

So, I spent the weekend back home in Ohio, and it was nice to clear my head a little bit of all my tasks and figure out ways to climb myself out of this hole I have somehow dug for myself. I did some sketching over the weekend, and started working on perspectives. I came back on Monday and finally put the pencil to the paper and started to feel as if I was getting something accomplished, and am currently getting excited for the space (or the fact that I am making progress).

The perspectives above need a little touch up on the renderings, however, I believe this is where my final design is going. I want to incorporate more color into the space, and work on lighting techniques to help light the "forest" and make it more visually stimulating. I like how the stands have created an array of 'tree-like' objects and when moving throughout the space you feel as if you are in a forest, but can easily locate where you want to go, by the way finding systems.

The nook in the second image has been fixed to be more useful to the students as well as more engaging. Again, I would like to work on lighting techniques to help aid the students in way finding and make it more visually stimulating. The objects hanging from the ceiling are smaller versions of our LEED signs that will be taking place in the rest of the circulation space. Within the hanging signs will be clips and images of colleges. They will be made out of recycled glass and metal, *more to come on signs later*.

I guess its not so bad working within an institution - I just have to allow my mind to be creative in other ways + I am working on 'designing outside of the box'.

"You should be excited, this is a cool space." + today I can say I actually am excited.

Furthering ideas...

Visit to NGHS

On Friday, April 3rd a group of us ventured over to Northern Guilford High School to begin our collaboration with the art students. We showed the students some of our work from previous projects, mostly 1pt and 2pt perspectives and talked to them about how important art really is in the future, especially in any field in design. After talking to them about career fields and our work, we asked them if they would be willing to participate in our project. As the circulation group and the high school group we feel it is important to have the students impact the space just as much as we as designers are. We gave them the opportunity to create their idea of the perfect space, to let their imagination run wild all while working within the 2pt perspective Wade *the art teacher* has been teaching them. The hopes is, the drawings the students develop will help generate more ideas as well as give the administration a better idea of what their students hope to see in the space and what would really help stimulate their knowledge. 

We are excited to see what ideas they come up with and where their imagination takes them!

NGHS

After visiting the High School and sitting in the college area - I realized there were a lot of opportunities for change- as well as a lot of challenges there were for me to face as a designer. My goals for the college area is to make it a space where juniors and seniors would want to hang out in and learn about their future, I want to provide a better way-finding system (which is drawn below) as well as a better shelving system. As of right now all of the program books from the school are scattered on random shelves and it would be hard for students to utilize the space and the books the corner is offering. 

ATLANTA

NOTE: please read this in an english accent....

It all started with the southern snow storm of 2009, causing build up on the highways, panic in the drivers and well...simply left in the snow. The fourth years trip to "HOT-Lanta" (cough) rather, COLD-Lanta, minus three, spent three days gallivanting around the city visiting design firms and furniture showrooms and tasting the cuisine hot-lanta had to offer.

Day 1: Our morning started off bright and early at 9 am – SHARP. Herman Miller was the first of the day, we enjoyed juices, coffee, pastries and fruit while engaging in casual business conversations with our colleagues. Betteye Russell, the women of the hour(s) started off by giving us a brief tour of the Herman Miller Showroom and had a wonderful speaker who gave us helpful tips, hints and suggestions on life after i.arc – yes, there really is a life after i.arc. 

We then braved the cold, and traveled to our next destination point, while some made it there quickly, others opted to take the scenic route (1201 E. Peachtree St.)  Lord Aeck + Sargent greeted us with warm coffee, tea and a quick tour of their studio space and a brief insight on their historical preservation projects. With tummies growling and faces numb, the fourth years headed off to HOK. Hungry, everyone indulged in yummy cookies and canned soda and had an opportunity to get off their feet and chat for a while. HOK gave us a tour of their space and showed us the multitude of projects in which they had been embarking on. A question session closed the tour, and again, many helpful hints were shared.

Pause- “okay see you @ 11 am tomorrow.”  “ 11..no, try 9…” (everyone growls at Patrick and Betteye) The rest of the evening was up to students to explore the city, relax and enjoy good food and company.

 DAY 2: 9 am came wayyy too fast. Bearing the cold, the heels and a slight “headache” we once again embarked on a long, exciting day of firms and showrooms – this time however, included a lunch break! Knoll was the first stop on the agenda and this gave us an opportunity to finally sit in the chairs we had been drawing on index cards for a full semester, thanks to “P”.

 We left with our brains filled with knowledge on the designers and textiles and headed off to TVS- Designs. TVS- Designs gave us the opportunity to learn about research in design and how crucial it is; from there we were given a brief tour of their space which left us speechless and worked from exploring their four floors of studio space. LUNCH TIME. Excited we had an opportunity to eat this day we all ventured to different locations for lunch and enjoyed a couple hours to get off our feet and relax and ponder everything we have experienced thus far. Last and final trip was to Perkins + Will where like TVS-Design we were greeted with an alum from i.arc…how exciting! Her and her colleague gave us insight on their institutional and healthcare projects and answered our last questions.

 We then ended the trip with one final group shot – and embarked on the long journey home. 

OH- AND THANKS TO P.DIDDY + T.DAWG  FOR PUTTING UP WITH ALL OUR SHANINIGANS!

POETICS OF SPACE [chpt. 2 +3]

2 [house and universe] 

Throughout chapter 2 Bachelard really puts into perspective how important it is to look at things as indivual units but make sure to think of things in the grand scheme. a drawer + a dresser + a room + a house + the lot + the universe. When looking design, and objects in that sense, I really start to understand the [roots charrette] because it was an item that we took, magnified, and put the magnified piece of the object into perspective with its surroundings, studied it and then placed the small piece into the universe. Anyway- in chapter 2 Bachelard is relaying how an object is placed in the universe and how it related to the environment. The quote on pg. 38, "Isn't it true that a pleasant house makes winter more poetic, and doesnt winter add to the poetry of a house?" Really started to put my mind in the right spot for this chapter. It is true. If you live in a comfortable, pleasant house, it makes winter less cold, and less miserable. When a space is inviting you dont want to leave it, you want to stay confined in the space and enjoy it. Bachelard goes on in this chapter poetically speaking about how the space and universe shouldn't be two juxtaposed objects, they should correlate with eachother, helping and "awakening" each other. 

The scene Bachelard paints for us when speaking about a horrible storm and a house battling each other, brought me back to the first chapter where he talks about attic + cellar and how as a class we discussed how each of them meant a different variety of safety to us. Going off of that,  our homes are our shelters, our safety nets, they are what we hide in during a storm, to keep us and protect us from bad, we ask it to battle the natural disasters, and for the most part, they do protect us. When I was reading the description of the storm and the house and that battle, I instantly thought of our institutional project and how we as designers now have the opportunity to provide the students with a safe shelter and home, one in which they feel safe to educate, teach and be themselves in. I want to achieve all that in the institutional building as well as a space where they can daydream, interact with and creatively think about the space that surrounds them, together all of these opportunities and objectives can allow students to grow stronger. 

3[drawers + chests + wardrobes]

a quick note about chapter 3..

I found it interesting when bachelard spoke about how dressers, the drawers with it, the knobs on it, all have a part of intimacy like us humans. The shelves, in a closet- they lack privacy when the doors are open, the items inside are exposed and open for viewing. How do we as designers face the opportunity to work with public vs. private, solids vs. voids - especially in a space like an educational area? 

im not going to lie, i did a lot of huffing and puffing during this charrette. There may have even been some choice words coming out of my mouth after i finalized my 5th set of 32, and realized I still had a ton more to go. BUT in the grand scheme of things, I will agree that it was a useful exercise, looking closer to how joints are related, how objects are put together, as well as magnifying bits and pieces of an object help a designer to understand the object better. The sketching process and all that came along with that helped me with designing my passage way. I wanted an outdoor space, where color, light and shadow could inhabit the space. I envisioned the passage way being either a sky walk from one part of a building to another or just a walkway thats facing out into the exterior space. The passage way reminds me of The Modern Art Museum in Barcelona, Spain. The Modern Art Museum was an all white building for the most part, yet utilized its window spaces with different colors so that the light + color + space could have a different effect depending on the time, and weather.  

MR. Ryan - NOT my dad...

There were three Mr. Ryan's in my life during my high school years...

1. my daddy

2. my history teacher 

3. my math teacher ( son of history teacher)

I always thought it was ironic- and when people didnt know the teachers they would ask if we were related..which I wasnt. Mr. Ryan the math teacher was this cute young teacher with curly hair who sometimes wore glasses, lucky for me, math wasnt my strong suite so I got to spend some quality time with him went I would go in for math help. Both Mr. Ryan's were laid back teachers, easy to get along with and always did a fun twist on what we were learning. 

Mr. Ryan ( the older one, the history teacher) thought he was such a tough guy- he'd walk up and down the isles rambling on about civil war- or whatever we were talking about that day  and blab on and on about how great he was because he was Irish - who would have thought that with the last name of RYAN! He was constantly comparing "guns" with the guys in the class, and giving them a tough time about not being in the weight room. His four leaf clover - located on his lower right ankle ( thats how often he showed it if I STILL know the location of it) was displayed almost just as much as his guns.

The point is...throughout all these crazy endevours in their class, they made learning fun and interesting- putting a twist on it with their personalities. Now, the young mr. ryan has a window cleaning company..and randomly in the summer i find myself making awkward conversation with him, while he's on a ladder cleansing my windows... WEIRD.  

does study hall count as a favorite class?

Really? Does study hall count as a favorite class - because it would easily be my favorite, hanging out with my friends, getting into trouble for talking to much, and writing notes in middle school and high school to pass to my boyfriend at the next bell.... Oh boy, that was certainly the life. 

But on a more serious note, my favorite subject in high school was my creative writing class. It was a time when my mind could wander and think of all of the crazy things I wanted to write about (within measures) and really enjoy putting the pencil to the paper. My teacher was a bit crazy, and definitely had the reputation of being a hard @$$, but I think creative writing let her mind and soul wander and also allowed her to rid herself of stress and focus on creative experiences. She would allow us to day dream and allow our eyes to wander to each other or to the large windows we had in class, because she believed it would help us with our writing - and I too believe it helped.

Torch was the name of our school newspaper, and not only was I involved because it was 7th period and a lot of the time we would skip out, when there wasn't an Issue to be written that week, but it was a time again were I could be creative with my mind and enjoy putting my pencil down to the paper and allow myself to write about something I felt passionate about.

Writing this blog has made me realize I have lost my passion for creative writing, I could blame it on the i.arc department for stealing my creativity for the projects we do within these four walls, or I could blame it on myself for not continuing to enjoy writing. Coming to college and being forced to write, or read books you don't enjoy, takes away bits of your creativity and your desire to focus your attention on those activities. It's harder to be creative and passionate about something when you are forced to do it, and within Torch and creative writing it was our option to engage in those classes and it was our creativity and passion which kept us going through out the semester. 

ohh Bachelard...

 " polarity of cellar and attic, the marks of which, are so deep, in a way, they open up two very different perspectives for a phenomenology of the imagination." 

the cellar and attic are in fact, two very different spaces in which beings interact within the space differently. Bachelard speaks about how the action of descending and ascending effect the way people view a space or interact within the space. Ascending + descending are sometimes viewed in a religious manner as descending into hell and ascending into heaven, which for most people make a basement seem as a dark and gloomy space. After discussing it with the class in detail, you really do see how the cellar and attic are spaces of polarity and how each imagination views and interacts with the space differently. 

Weekend off? whats that?

Never thought I would hear those words, but I guess good communication, a collaborative project (which was a success) and hard work really does pay off...

The integration charrette, was a charrette that tested our ability to help further another groups design. We recieved Special Relativity which dealt with the concept of matrix and the 4th element of the matrix being the human element. 

Changes we made to their project consisted of color change, floor change, adding another door to raise the capacity of the room as well as adding in some different lighting.

As far as our installation went, it was important for us to make it work together with our previous project  which is displayed in the Lobby of the Gatewood Building. Because we had gathered information and learned from the past charrette it was important for us to tie the two projects together. We tied them together by using the same experience of the mylar/velum paper as an over lay as well as a highway sign and blue tape to direct your eye to 204. 

you GO glenn coco!! (rm 204)

Whew. First official post on this little guy...It's been a whirlwind of designing this past week and a half on this slim LARGE charrette (or project-depending on who's narrating). I dont think we realized how slim LARGE this charrette was, and after decided we weren't taken the best approach in the space, we switched on our "non-safe" gear, and re-designed our space. It certainly set us back quite a bit-but we sure did come out with a better design then we would have "playing it safe".   

Looking back on it now, I definately agree this 2-week charrette was an accomplishment, from friday to sunday night we produced a great new proposal for room 204, 3d auto cad perspectives, sections, and a cool new lectern, that seemed to be exactly what we hope for. At the end of the day- "you go glenn coco" still puts a smile on my face, and so does our new room 204. 

I still dont appreciate institutional design, and I think this charrette and future projects of ours will help me cross institutional design off my list of possibilities for the future....(or will it?) I think my 'not being able to think outside the box' really gets stuck inSIDE the box in institutional..we will see, I may need to do some more research and discoveries, but so far-institutional is not in my future (that is AFTER patrick's studio...) 

Here are some of the beginning process works- The intention was to play off of the human form and how one would interact with the new lectern-after seeing and using the old elmo, I knew for the future design it would have to work more ergonomically. 

Here is an autocad 3d perpspective looking from behind the lectern toward the open break-out space. 

Another view from the lectern looking towards the class. On the right, is the soft wall we propose to have help with living organisms in the space, and making sure that the room is never set in one position, and that it can always be changed.