Here are a couple more gestures drawings that I did in my Contemporary Moral Problems class:
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
10 Interior Environments
This interior below was probably my least favorite because it seems to have too much going on. I do like how it is spacious and functional with plenty or room to prepare things, cook, and eat. However, the busy tile along with the intricate carvings in the wood, flowered wallpaper and curtains all seem to be too much. With all of these nice looking items in the kitchen the floor doesn't seem to fit in with it. It almost seems boring and the color doesn't go well with the rest of the kitchen. While the kitchen has an expensive look about it, I feel it could have looked a lot better if it wasn't sooo busy and if a couple of those elements were done instead of all of them.
The kitchen below looks really nice and has several unique features. One thing that really stood out to me was the island in the middle and how it isn't all one level. Another unique element is how the drawers are curved and also how the wine rack is built in. Although there seems to be good lighting in this kitchen it still seem to be rather dark because of the dark wood and counter tops. This kitchen does look spacious and very functional.
When I first saw this room I was really intrigued by it. I love the simplicity that the room seems to have even though it isn't simple. The many angles to the room give it a lot of interest along with the wood that was used in it. You see this wood in the fireplace, the small table and the chair, and it all works very well with the room. I really love the built-in seating area. The color scheme of purples, white , pink, and brown works really well for the room and makes it seem more comfortable.
The interior design of the room below really caught my eye because of the repeated pattern that you can see through out the room. The blinds in this room are what really give this room a lot of personality. I love how the blinds are not all one color and also how they are vertical. This idea of lines is seen throughout the rest of the room in the pillows, rug, bowl on the table, and a couple of other places. The color scheme gives the room a very cool and relaxing feeling.
The thing that first caught my eye about this kitchen is the blue countertop of the island and how that same blue is repeated on the wall. Also I love the cabinets and the square pattern on them, it seems very unique. It is also really nice how the floor and cabinets are a similar color, they really work well together. The kitchen also seems to be very functional with plenty of storage space for all types of things.
The bedroom below seems to be very simple but the one thing that really stood out to me was the cabinets and storage around the bed. It seems custom made to fit the room and the bed. I like how there are lights coming from the top cabinets shining down on the bed. Also the small shelves around the bed are a nice addition. I don't really care for the brass looking bed because it doesn't seem to fit in the room well.
I choose to look at the The Super Group interior designed by ai3 because we had heard the lecture from one of the designers about this space. I think hearing all the needs and wants of the client as well as hearing how the designers approached the space really helped me to appreciate it more. The space was designed just how the clients wanted it and really fit their needs making it a great space. I love all the custom designs that are a part of it. It seems very functional and provides all the necessities that the client needed in that space. The choice of color really adds to it and gives it even more interest. It is very unique and something that you would not find in just any office. The main reason that it is such a great space is because it was designed well for the client and was all that they wanted it to be. The designers were able to take what the client wanted done and make it happen.
I really like the kitchen pictured below. It seems to be very spacious and well organized. One of my favorite things about it are the cabinets on the bottoms where you can kind of see through the glass to see what is in them. I love the wood that is used and the rich color that it has mixed with the metal that is used in the kitchen. One thing that does seem out of place about this kitchen is the cabinets at the top. The color used for them doesn't seem to really go with the rest of the kitchen. Other than that I love the neat clean modern style of the kitchen.
When I first saw this room I was really intrigued by it. I love the simplicity that the room seems to have even though it isn't simple. The many angles to the room give it a lot of interest along with the wood that was used in it. You see this wood in the fireplace, the small table and the chair, and it all works very well with the room. I really love the built-in seating area. The color scheme of purples, white , pink, and brown works really well for the room and makes it seem more comfortable.
The bathroom below has a very beach-like feel. The use of boats, lighthouses, and sea horses give it that feeling. Also the blue color, like the room above, gives it a calming and relaxing feel. I wish the shower had frosted glass instead of this clear glass that you can see perfectly through. Other than that, the bathroom has a very simplistic and beachy feel about it.
To have a bedroom like this would be very nice. I love the openness of it and the door with big windows on it. It seems like a nice relaxing retreat. The white drapes give it an airy feel along with the other white furniture. I love the bed with the dark wood and how the dark wood is repeated throughout the room. One thing that the I dont like the room is the bed spread. It seems out of place and doesn't go with room as well as something else could. Maybe if the color of the strip was blue or even green it would work a lot better.
Monday, October 29, 2007
more contours
Over the weekend I went to Homecoming at Gardner-Webb University (the school I was at before I transferred here to UNCG). I had some time to myself in the afternoon so I did a contour drawing of the bell tower there.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Portrait Installation
I actually really liked this project despite the limited amount of time we had to work on it. I was overall relatively pleased with my portraits, even though some of them looked nothing like me, and I really liked the way in which I displayed them.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
shading
Here are a couple of my sketches using shading:
The picture above is the first shading that I did. On this one I used diagonal shading. The picture below was of a soda can and I used random shading on it.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
10 Architects/Designers
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Llyod Wright was born June 8, 1867 and died April 9, 1959. He was one of the world's most influential and well known architects. His architectural career lasted from 1887 until 1959.
When he was a child, Wright spent a lot of time playing with the kindergarten educational blocks forming three-dimensional compisitions. This helped in influencing his approach to design. Many of his buildings are noted for their geometry. Wright never went to high school but he was admitted into the University of Wisconsin in 1885 as a special student. While he was in school part-time he was an apprentice to a local builder and professor of civil engineering. In 1887, Wright left the university and moved to Chicago without receiving a degree from the university. In Chicago he joined the of Joseph Lyman Silsbee but within a year he left there to work for Adler &Sullivan. Frank Lloyd Wright married his first wife, "Kitty," in 1889, built his first home and eventually his studio in Oak Park, Illinois. When Wright left Sullivan he then started his own practice at his home and by 1901 he had completed about 50 projects. Some of his works include: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Illinois, Midway Gardens, Imperial Hotel in Japan, Hollyhock House in California, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, Price Tower in Oklahoma, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wisconsin, The Illinois-mile high tower in Chicago, and many many more.
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier's real name was Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris. He was born October 6, 1887 and died August 27, 1965. He was a Swiss-born architect and a writer. He is most famous for contributions to Modern Architecture. Growing up, Le Corbusier was attracted to visual arts and studied at La-Chaux-de-Fonds Art School. Here he had an architecture teacher, Rene Chapallaz, who largely influenced Le Corbusier's first houses. Some of his works include: Villa Cook in France; Church of Saint-Pierre; National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Villa LaRoche, Armee du Salut, Place of the Soviets, United Nations headquarters in NYC, Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France; and many more.
Antonio Gaudi
Antonio Gaudi was a Spanish architect, born June 25, 1852 and died June 10, 1926. He was part of the Art Nouveau movement and was most famous for his unique stle and highly individualistic designs. He was an architecture student at the Escola Tecnica Superior d'Arquitecturea in Barcelona from 1873 to 1877. Some of his major works include Casa Vicens, Palau Gueel, College of the Teresianas, Casa Calvet, Casa Mila, and Park Gueel.
Frank Gehry
Born February 28, 1929. Gehry is a Pritzker Prize winning architect that is based in Los Angeles, California. He was born to a Jewish family in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He studied at the Los Angeles City College and eventually graduated from the University of Southern California's School or Architecture. He also studied city planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for only a year without completing the program. Gehry was a big fan of hockey and designed the trophy for the World Cup of Hockey. Some of his other works include the Easy Edges furniture series, Harper House is Maryland, Gehry Residence, Loyola Law School in California, Santa Monica Place in California, Frederick Weisman Museum of Art in Minnesota, Disney Village in Frace, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, Dancing House in Prague, Walt Disney Concert Hall in California, and much more.
Eero Saarinen
Born August 20, 1910 and died September 1, 1961. He was a Finnish American architect and product designer. Saarinen had a close relationship with Charles and Ray Eames and was good friends with Florence Knoll. He studied sculpture at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris, France. He also studied architecture at Yale University and finishing his studies in 1934. Some of his works include: CBS building in NY, Washington Dulles International Airpport, Gateway Arch in Missouri, John Deere World Headquarters in Illinois, Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, the Womb Chiar, Grasshopper Lounge Chair and ottoman, side and arm chairs, and the Tulip and Pedestal groups.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
He was born March 27, 1886 and died August 17, 1969. He is regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture. He used such materials as industrial steel and plate glass in his designs. He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture. Mies never received an formal education. Some of his works include: Westmount Square, many residential homes in Germany, New National Gallery in Berlin, Bacardi Office Builiding in Mexico, Barcelona Pavilion in Spain, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in D.C., IBM Plaza in Chicago, Seagram Building in NYC, Lafayette Park in Michigan, the Barcelona Chair and Brno Chair.
Charles Eames
Eames was born June 17, 1907 and died August 21, 1978. He was an American designer, architect and filmmaker. He worked along with his wife, Ray, and the two were responsible for many of the classic iconic designs of the 20th century. Charles studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis briefly before he was dismissed because of his strong interest in modern architects. Eliel Saarinen had a great influence on Charles, and Charles began to study architecture at the Cranbrook Academy of Art where he became a teacher and head of the industrial design department. Some of his work includes: Meyer House, Bridge House, Case Study House #8, Eames House,Eames Lounge Chair, La Chaise, Eames Aluminum Side Chair, Eames Eiffel Plastic Side Chair, Eames Sofa Compact, and much more.
Oscar Niemeyer
Neimeyer was born December 15, 1907 and is a Brazilian Architect. He is considered to be one of the most important names in international modern architecture. Niemeyer went into the Escola de Belas Artes where he graduated as an engineer architect in 1934. In 1939, Niemeyer with Lucio Costa designed the Brazilian pavilion at the New York World's Fair. The mayor then presented Niemeyer the keys to the city of New York. Some of his other works include: the Pampulha Complex; Ibirapuera Park, the Copan Apartment building, the JK building. Neimeyer also built his own house in Rio de Janeiro-the House at Canoas. He also built the Niemeyer luxury apartment building in Belo Horizonte.
Richard Meier
Meier was born October 12, 1934. He is a contemporary American architect that is known for his use of the color white. Meier attended Cornell University where he recieved his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1957. In 1963 he started his own practice in New York. Meier built a lot of his work off that of others, especially Le Corbusier. In 1984 he was awarded the Pritzker Prize. Some of his works include One Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, NY; ECM City Tower in Prague; San Jose City Hall in California; Jubilee Church in Rome; Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art in Spain;and High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.
Arne Jacobsen
Jacobsen was born February 11, 1902 and died March 24, 1971. He was a Danish architect and designer. He has had several architectural achievements that include St. Catherine's College in Oxford, The Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, the Danish National Bank (Copenhagen), along with several town halls and other buildings in Denmark. Jacobsen has also created a lot of original furniture designs including the Ant Chair, the Swan, and the Egg chair. He is probably most known for his Model 3107 chair, also known as "Number 7 Chair."
Frank Llyod Wright was born June 8, 1867 and died April 9, 1959. He was one of the world's most influential and well known architects. His architectural career lasted from 1887 until 1959.
When he was a child, Wright spent a lot of time playing with the kindergarten educational blocks forming three-dimensional compisitions. This helped in influencing his approach to design. Many of his buildings are noted for their geometry. Wright never went to high school but he was admitted into the University of Wisconsin in 1885 as a special student. While he was in school part-time he was an apprentice to a local builder and professor of civil engineering. In 1887, Wright left the university and moved to Chicago without receiving a degree from the university. In Chicago he joined the of Joseph Lyman Silsbee but within a year he left there to work for Adler &Sullivan. Frank Lloyd Wright married his first wife, "Kitty," in 1889, built his first home and eventually his studio in Oak Park, Illinois. When Wright left Sullivan he then started his own practice at his home and by 1901 he had completed about 50 projects. Some of his works include: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Illinois, Midway Gardens, Imperial Hotel in Japan, Hollyhock House in California, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, Price Tower in Oklahoma, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wisconsin, The Illinois-mile high tower in Chicago, and many many more.
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier's real name was Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris. He was born October 6, 1887 and died August 27, 1965. He was a Swiss-born architect and a writer. He is most famous for contributions to Modern Architecture. Growing up, Le Corbusier was attracted to visual arts and studied at La-Chaux-de-Fonds Art School. Here he had an architecture teacher, Rene Chapallaz, who largely influenced Le Corbusier's first houses. Some of his works include: Villa Cook in France; Church of Saint-Pierre; National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Villa LaRoche, Armee du Salut, Place of the Soviets, United Nations headquarters in NYC, Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France; and many more.
Antonio Gaudi
Antonio Gaudi was a Spanish architect, born June 25, 1852 and died June 10, 1926. He was part of the Art Nouveau movement and was most famous for his unique stle and highly individualistic designs. He was an architecture student at the Escola Tecnica Superior d'Arquitecturea in Barcelona from 1873 to 1877. Some of his major works include Casa Vicens, Palau Gueel, College of the Teresianas, Casa Calvet, Casa Mila, and Park Gueel.
Frank Gehry
Born February 28, 1929. Gehry is a Pritzker Prize winning architect that is based in Los Angeles, California. He was born to a Jewish family in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He studied at the Los Angeles City College and eventually graduated from the University of Southern California's School or Architecture. He also studied city planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for only a year without completing the program. Gehry was a big fan of hockey and designed the trophy for the World Cup of Hockey. Some of his other works include the Easy Edges furniture series, Harper House is Maryland, Gehry Residence, Loyola Law School in California, Santa Monica Place in California, Frederick Weisman Museum of Art in Minnesota, Disney Village in Frace, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, Dancing House in Prague, Walt Disney Concert Hall in California, and much more.
Eero Saarinen
Born August 20, 1910 and died September 1, 1961. He was a Finnish American architect and product designer. Saarinen had a close relationship with Charles and Ray Eames and was good friends with Florence Knoll. He studied sculpture at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris, France. He also studied architecture at Yale University and finishing his studies in 1934. Some of his works include: CBS building in NY, Washington Dulles International Airpport, Gateway Arch in Missouri, John Deere World Headquarters in Illinois, Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, the Womb Chiar, Grasshopper Lounge Chair and ottoman, side and arm chairs, and the Tulip and Pedestal groups.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
He was born March 27, 1886 and died August 17, 1969. He is regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture. He used such materials as industrial steel and plate glass in his designs. He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture. Mies never received an formal education. Some of his works include: Westmount Square, many residential homes in Germany, New National Gallery in Berlin, Bacardi Office Builiding in Mexico, Barcelona Pavilion in Spain, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in D.C., IBM Plaza in Chicago, Seagram Building in NYC, Lafayette Park in Michigan, the Barcelona Chair and Brno Chair.
Charles Eames
Eames was born June 17, 1907 and died August 21, 1978. He was an American designer, architect and filmmaker. He worked along with his wife, Ray, and the two were responsible for many of the classic iconic designs of the 20th century. Charles studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis briefly before he was dismissed because of his strong interest in modern architects. Eliel Saarinen had a great influence on Charles, and Charles began to study architecture at the Cranbrook Academy of Art where he became a teacher and head of the industrial design department. Some of his work includes: Meyer House, Bridge House, Case Study House #8, Eames House,Eames Lounge Chair, La Chaise, Eames Aluminum Side Chair, Eames Eiffel Plastic Side Chair, Eames Sofa Compact, and much more.
Oscar Niemeyer
Neimeyer was born December 15, 1907 and is a Brazilian Architect. He is considered to be one of the most important names in international modern architecture. Niemeyer went into the Escola de Belas Artes where he graduated as an engineer architect in 1934. In 1939, Niemeyer with Lucio Costa designed the Brazilian pavilion at the New York World's Fair. The mayor then presented Niemeyer the keys to the city of New York. Some of his other works include: the Pampulha Complex; Ibirapuera Park, the Copan Apartment building, the JK building. Neimeyer also built his own house in Rio de Janeiro-the House at Canoas. He also built the Niemeyer luxury apartment building in Belo Horizonte.
Richard Meier
Meier was born October 12, 1934. He is a contemporary American architect that is known for his use of the color white. Meier attended Cornell University where he recieved his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1957. In 1963 he started his own practice in New York. Meier built a lot of his work off that of others, especially Le Corbusier. In 1984 he was awarded the Pritzker Prize. Some of his works include One Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, NY; ECM City Tower in Prague; San Jose City Hall in California; Jubilee Church in Rome; Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art in Spain;and High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.
Arne Jacobsen
Jacobsen was born February 11, 1902 and died March 24, 1971. He was a Danish architect and designer. He has had several architectural achievements that include St. Catherine's College in Oxford, The Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, the Danish National Bank (Copenhagen), along with several town halls and other buildings in Denmark. Jacobsen has also created a lot of original furniture designs including the Ant Chair, the Swan, and the Egg chair. He is probably most known for his Model 3107 chair, also known as "Number 7 Chair."
Monday, October 22, 2007
Design Journals
Contract Magazine
Contract is a magazine that is devoted to commercial interior desing and architecture in the US. I choose to look at a magazine from the US because this is most likely the place I will end up working after completing the program. I really enjoyed the clean designs of Contract and how it is well organized. The main genre of the magazine is commerial interiors and architecture and you can see that throughout the magazine.
Architecture Australia
Contract is a magazine that is devoted to commercial interior desing and architecture in the US. I choose to look at a magazine from the US because this is most likely the place I will end up working after completing the program. I really enjoyed the clean designs of Contract and how it is well organized. The main genre of the magazine is commerial interiors and architecture and you can see that throughout the magazine.
Hinge Magazine
This is a design and archtecture magazine from Hong Kong. Its focus is to provide a strong focus for design with an attitude that is distinctly international. This magazine has a somewhat modern feel to it. It is not only focused on Hong Kong but other locations as well.
Canadian Architect
This is a magazine for architects and other related professionals that are practicing in Canada. In the magazine they feature different articles on current practices, different building technologies, and the social issues that affect architecture.
Architecture Australia
This is a premier magazine that looks at the architecture activity that takes place in Australia and also Australians that work all over the world. In the publications that show recent project, award winning works, and other issues, events and politics of the industry. It is published 6 times a year. Architecture Australia is for architects, interior designers, building designers and other building industry professionals. I like that this publication is not only about what happens in Australia but what Australians are doing in other parts of the world. The magazine is more modern and well put together. 
Sunday, October 21, 2007
10 Websites of Design Firms and Organizations
In viewing various design firms and organizations online one that I came across was Innovative Spaces, Inc. Inovative Spaces or I.S. is a interior design firm that specializes in creating imaginative spaces for children and adults. After viewing the site you can tell that their main focus is children and that they really try to cater to the childs' needs. The site was relatively easy to navigate; with clear titles to pick from which led to more and various information about the company. There really were not a lot of graphics on the website. And while there were pictures of their work, I would have liked to see more pictures of the work that they do.
Another design firm is Slifer Designs. They are located in Colorado and are dedicated to creating luxury living experiences. I really enjoyed looking at their website. It was easy to navigate and to find the type of information that I was interested in. They had everything well organized where you could find their portfolio, services, shopping, their blog, and contact information. Their portfolio was full of interesting projects they had done; complete with pictures to give you the full idea of what everything looked like. The website gave plenty of information about the different services that it offers. The whole website was very professional with well taken photographs. I loved the designs that they had done with several of their locations.
The Neutelings Riedijk Architects website was one of the more interesting website that I had looked at so far. The layout of the website itself was very interesting and intriguing. And even though it had a more interesting layout it was just as easy to navigate. The use of colors and lettering helped in making this easy. Everything was well organized where you could see their realized works, current portfolio, competition designs, development strategies, and then their office information, news, awards, and backlist. The quality of the website is very good and very professional. I really enjoyed looking at their various buildings that they had already completed. The architecture of the buildings is outstanding and the design is sooo interesting. Each building is unique and different from all the rest. As much as I enjoyed the buildings they have already completed, I also really liked looking at their current projects. Since these have yet to be completed there are only drawings and the ideas for these buildings. Overall I found this website very intersting and informative.
Jensen and Macy Architects have a really neat and interactive website. At first you have to click on the website to enter it and this leads you to all of their design work. There are several different categories to choose from; ranging from their restaurants, to residential work to retail. Once you click on one of these categories there are different pictures, or projects you can choose to look at. The website was very informational and showed a lot of their work. One thing I did not like about the website was on their information page, where you click to see other things about the architects and this opened up a new window. I would have like to see this information opened up in the same window. Other than that the website was very professional and very clean. I loved the quality of the pictures and the unique thumbnail pictures that they used for each project.
Mark Brand Architecture is an architecture and interior design studio that "balances high design with practicality, combining understated elegance with elements of drama." The layout and design looks simple and clean but their designs seem to be anything but that. From the home page of their website you can view their portfolio, more infor about them, links, and also their contact information. For their portfolio you could view pictures of the different projects that they have completed. Also, they gave a lot of information about each project; as to what materials were used, how they were inspired, and other aspects of the project. I really liked the amount of information that they provided. Some of the other design websites did not include text with the pictures of their projects, and I think this worked well for Mark Brand Architecture.
Another design firm is Slifer Designs. They are located in Colorado and are dedicated to creating luxury living experiences. I really enjoyed looking at their website. It was easy to navigate and to find the type of information that I was interested in. They had everything well organized where you could find their portfolio, services, shopping, their blog, and contact information. Their portfolio was full of interesting projects they had done; complete with pictures to give you the full idea of what everything looked like. The website gave plenty of information about the different services that it offers. The whole website was very professional with well taken photographs. I loved the designs that they had done with several of their locations.
The Neutelings Riedijk Architects website was one of the more interesting website that I had looked at so far. The layout of the website itself was very interesting and intriguing. And even though it had a more interesting layout it was just as easy to navigate. The use of colors and lettering helped in making this easy. Everything was well organized where you could see their realized works, current portfolio, competition designs, development strategies, and then their office information, news, awards, and backlist. The quality of the website is very good and very professional. I really enjoyed looking at their various buildings that they had already completed. The architecture of the buildings is outstanding and the design is sooo interesting. Each building is unique and different from all the rest. As much as I enjoyed the buildings they have already completed, I also really liked looking at their current projects. Since these have yet to be completed there are only drawings and the ideas for these buildings. Overall I found this website very intersting and informative.
Jensen and Macy Architects have a really neat and interactive website. At first you have to click on the website to enter it and this leads you to all of their design work. There are several different categories to choose from; ranging from their restaurants, to residential work to retail. Once you click on one of these categories there are different pictures, or projects you can choose to look at. The website was very informational and showed a lot of their work. One thing I did not like about the website was on their information page, where you click to see other things about the architects and this opened up a new window. I would have like to see this information opened up in the same window. Other than that the website was very professional and very clean. I loved the quality of the pictures and the unique thumbnail pictures that they used for each project.
Mark Brand Architecture is an architecture and interior design studio that "balances high design with practicality, combining understated elegance with elements of drama." The layout and design looks simple and clean but their designs seem to be anything but that. From the home page of their website you can view their portfolio, more infor about them, links, and also their contact information. For their portfolio you could view pictures of the different projects that they have completed. Also, they gave a lot of information about each project; as to what materials were used, how they were inspired, and other aspects of the project. I really liked the amount of information that they provided. Some of the other design websites did not include text with the pictures of their projects, and I think this worked well for Mark Brand Architecture.
When I first looked at the Mary McKenna & Associates, Inc. website it seemed very simple and not as sophisticated or complex as other websites I had looked at. However, what I first took as a bad thing really wasn't bad at all. I not only liked the simplicity of the look of the website, but the website itself was easy to navigate. From the home page you can choose to look at the portfolio, studio or contact information. The portfolio contained different projects that the company had completed. Here were pictures, drawings, models, and information about each project. I really enjoyed looking at the drawings and models of the different projects, just as much if not more than the pictures. Several of the drawings you can tell are just sketches and not long, thought out drawings. I love that! I really liked being able to not only see the final project but also the process. I think that is only thing that really made this website stand out from others that I've looked at. 
Narofsky Architecture had a really neat website. The firm is made of architects, interior designers and furniture designers. And they design for almost anything. Their website was very easy to navigate; showing their projects, recognition that they have received and how to get in touch with them. Their projects were so interesting to look at. You are able to view pictures of both the interior and exterior of the project. I would have liked to have seen more of their development and initial ideas for the projects- their process and how they got to their final product. However, I really enjoyed their designs and their photography of their projects is amazing.
A Squared Studios is a "co-operative design environment commited to all things art + architecture." They do architecture, graphic design and photography. When viewing their website I first thought that it appeared to be well organized and easy to navigate. However, when I was looking through the work they had done, I had a lot of trouble trying to view all of their pictures. I could look at the first picture of a project but when I tried to look at others from that project I could not get them to show up. However, I still really enjoyed this website and design firm because it was not completely an interior design and architecture firm. I also really liked looking at their graphic design stuff and their photography.
AJC Architects has a nice, neat, and well organized website. Everything is very clear and easy to find. Their use of subtitles are very helpful in locating the information you are most interseted in. They have information on awards that they have received, all of their portfolio work, work that they have not yet completed, information on those that work for them, and how to contact them. The website is very interactive and interesting. Their designs are intriguing and really grab your attention. This firm does everything from schools, to commercial buildings, residential, and government buildings. They seem to be very diverse in the types of jobs that they do and all of them seem to be equally as good. They also included a lot of their process work and not only photos of the finish product.
Hurlocker Homes has a very nice website. Although it seems simple in looks it is very interactive. It was easy to navigate and pretty well organized. I really enjoyed the designs that they have done but you can tell that a lot of their projects have some similar elements or designs in them. Just like other design websites that I've looked at it included pages about their portfolio, different projects, team members, and contact information. Even though the pictures of their projects were good, I would have liked to see more diverse pictures and also items from their process; whether that is first drawings or models. Other than that the website was well organized and did provide adequate information.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
met.a.mor.pho.sis
For this project, we were to take two projects from other classmates and 'metamorphosize' them into one another. I was to use a project of Maurshell Stokes and of Megan Schwarz. We had the option to pick from any of their projects (the egg project, pencil box, or the memory box).
When I first started doing thumbnail sketches I was unsure of which two projects I was going to choose and which two would work best with one another. So I decided to just start by drawing all different types of possible combinations from all the projects that I had to choose from. Here are those very first drawings:
After I did that first page of drawings, I was able to narrow down to which two projects I wanted to use. I decided to use Maurshell's egg project (which had lots of holes in it) and also Megan's egg project (which consisted of the egg hanging in the middle). I decided to use these two because the had very different qualities about them but both of them dealt with the egg. These second and third pages of thumbnail drawings were different ideas I considered using once I decided to use these two egg projects:
This last page of thumbnails was my first middle mix that I decided to use. After we had made the middle mix we were told that we then needed to make two more projects...each a middle mix of the middle mix we had already made and one of the original projects. The bottom drawing on this page shows my initial ideas for the full metamorphosis:
After finishing these drawings, I went on to make the prototypes of them. Here are the pictures of the final metamorphosis:
Megan's Egg Project
Megan-Middle Mix
Middle Mix
Maurshell-Middle Mix
Maurshell's Egg ProjectAnd here are some other pictures of different views of my middle mixes:
Top view of Megan-Middle Mix
Top view of Middle Mix
Another view of Maurshell-Middle Mix
Overall I really enjoyed this project. It was a different experience taking ideas and projects that were already there and doing something more with them.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Memories
...Project 3...Design and construct a container to house a personal memory.
This was my second iteration. After receiving feedback on the 1st one, I was able to develop my idea a little more fully. I wanted to show the feeling of being trapped and tangled, and the feeling of not being able to escape.
So our third project of the year was to design a container for a memory. The memory I choose to use was the time I was stung by a jelly fish.
This was my first iteration. At this point I was a little unsure of the main idea that we were trying to get across with our projects, whether we were supposed to just represent the memory some how or if it was to be a little more abstract.
This was my second iteration. After receiving feedback on the 1st one, I was able to develop my idea a little more fully. I wanted to show the feeling of being trapped and tangled, and the feeling of not being able to escape.
And this was my final memory container. Not much changed from my second iteration, but i tried to focus more on crafting it well in my last one. I choose the green paper on the inside because when I was stung by the jelly fish at first it only felt like seaweed and this paper reminded me of it. I also choose the frosted looking paper because when you are in the ocean you can't really see what is in the water. But i choose to leave the one side clear so that you can see what is in there. Overall I was pleased with my final project.
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