POINT: EXPLORATIONS

The explorations unit was an introduction to all the mid  century modern architecture from the 1950s and the architects that made a difference during this period of time. Frank Lloyd Wright's principles of organic architecture combined with many elements reflected in the International movements including the work of Le Corbusier, and Mies Van Der Rohe. Like many of Wright's designs, mid century architecture was frequently employed in residential structures with the goal of bringing modernism into America's post war suburbs. This style emphasized creating structures with ample windows and open floor plans with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. Many mid century houses utilized then groundbreaking post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls in favor of walls seemingly made of glass. Function was as important as form in mid century designs, with an emphasis placed specifically on targeting the needs of the average American family.


Later, some of the important architects that were revolutionizing the European architecture, brought some of that modern style to the great North American country. It was just the beginning of how European architects would influence a lot of the architecture in the United States that we see today. We talked about how Eero Saarinen contributed to the design of modern structures here in the United States, bringing some of that modern European style to North America. 
One of the examples we talked in class was the Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia, this particular structure included a landscaped man made lake to collect rainwater, a low rise hotel, and a row of office buildings along the north side of the main parking lot. The design also included a two level road in front of the terminal to separate arrival and departure traffic and a federally owned limited access highway connecting the terminal to the Capital Beltway I-495 located approximately 17 miles  to the east.

The European architects kept migrating to United States, and a lot of these european architects influenced a lot of the modern architecture from the 1950s. Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe (German architect) was another remarkable architect that influenced a lot of the modern architecture in North America. After 1933, Nazi political pressure soon forced Mies to close the government financed school. He built very little in these years one built commission was Philip Johnson's New York apartment; his style was rejected by the Nazis as not "German" in character. Frustrated and unhappy, he left his homeland reluctantly in 1937 as he saw his opportunity for any future building commissions vanish, accepting a residential commission in Wyoming and then an offer to head the department of architecture of the newly established Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Here he introduced a new kind of education and attitude later known as Second School of Chicago, which became very influential in the following decades in North America and Europe.

We learned in class that Chicago was one the cities where modern architecture was reflected the most and New York the second city with population growing, the need for high rises were necessary to accommodate people. 

The IBM Plaza building in chicago is one the examples of numerous projects that

Mies built in the United States

As we approached the end of the class, we studied the "hi tech" movement in the 1980s. A style of architecture and design that emerged in the 1980s, inspired by and embracing modern technology. It is characterized by visual simplicity, elegance and the use of industrial to refer to the development in the Modern Movement when designers began using new materials, such as glass, bricks, metals and plastics in favour of traditional materials; this is sometimes called the "industrial" style. This period of time is when the interiors of buildings were starting to be revolutionized by using a wide range of new materials from that era as illustrated below with the image of Interior of a mausoleum with decorative railing at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York.

COUNTERPOINT: MACHINE

For this assignment I did paragraph and artifact, basically the idea here was to link how the "hi tech" movement allowed the interiors to change and incorporate different materials. I focused on how galvanized steel cables were incorporated on this Joe's cafe restaurant to provide a sort of tension force applied to the wall. Bridge engineers often look for tension, and the best material for this is steel cables.

END OF SEMESTER FINAL PROJECT [IARC 211]

The main purpose of this end of semester project was to retrieve all the work that we had done for this class. During the course of the semester, we studied light and shadow in one point perspective. We also studied the technique of rendering different textures and the technique of working with prisma color markers. Hand render is a long process, but fun to do so at the same time. All drawings on this board have been hand drawn, rendered scanned. In conclusion, learning how to draw in one point perspective is the tool that I'm walking out of this class with. 

END OF SEMESTER FINAL PROJECT [IARC 201]

Folding Space Through Wovin Wall and Modular Acoustic Ceiling Panels

Wovin Wall is a modular system which can be extended in any direction to suit most spaces. For interiors which change frequently (such as exhibition and retail spaces), the modular nature of the Wovin Wall product is the perfect medium to reflect new color schemes, product launches or seasonal changes. Wovin Wall is available in a wide variety of standard finishes such as 3form C3 Color, wood veneer, polyresin, laminate and anodized aluminum. They can also be made from custom materials to suit the client’s project.

Design Process

The basic concept that opened my mind to explorations through folding was a project that I had done at my previous college. I started out with the idea that I wanted to build a floor tile, this idea was very interesting because when working with tiles the results are symmetry, repetition and balance. And that is exactly what I was looking for and willing to build out of the fold project. I started out by playing with different shapes, and looking for patters that would give me symmetrical objects. Up to that point I did not have a rule which gave me a more control of what I was experimenting. After a couple of models and explorations that I did, I came up with a rule that would orient me to a certain point.

The rule was very simple, all folds come to the center, and based on that rule, I began to explore more of it. I kept building more models to give me an idea of which of those I could use towards a final one. Then I decided that I wanted to begin hanging all my models that were meeting my rule. I hung 10 models that I thought would begin to give me a certain idea of repetition. Ideas kept going through my head and as I kept looking at those models, I started noticing a relationship of paper and lighting. Then I got the idea of building a modular suspended ceiling panel. Throughout my research I found out that ceiling panels play a major role with acoustics, absorbing the sound and defining space of a certain room. Modular ceiling panels are used in reception desk area, bars, meeting rooms, waiting rooms, and so forth.

After I decided which of my models I wanted to use for my full scale model, I began to research on diagramming. One of the sources that helped me a lot was “The Function of Form” , a book that has complete diagrams and structures that gave me inspiration. After I got a clear understanding of where my project was heading to, I began to think about scale, materials, human interaction, and components that are critical to acoustic ceilings as well as components that are integrated in modular ceiling panels such as lighting.

FINAL BOARD 1

FINAL BOARD 2

FINAL BOARDS AND MODEL DISPLAY

READING COMPREHENSION 7

Migrant Mother Nipomo, California [1936]


For many, this picture of Florence Owens Thompson at age 32 represents the Great Depression. She was the mother of 7 and she struggled to survive with her kids catching birds and picking fruits. She and her family had left Oklahoma in 1925, before the Depression. The 30s made their situation worse. She and the family were following the migrant trail moving from place to place as crops became ready for harvest. Dorothea Lange took the picture after Florence sold her tent to buy food for her children. She made the first page of major newspapers all over the country and changed people’s conception about migrants.
From looking at this black and white photo, the first thing I noticed is how different types of lines (soft, medium, heavy, extra heavy) are created all over the picture to define texture, material, emotion, balance of light and dark. Soft lines as well as medium and heavy lines are visible on the child's cloth located on left. Heavier lines are visible on the woman's clothing, this heavier lines create that emotional expression that is the central focal point on the photo.  
Contrast is very very strong in this image, specially because the original photo was taken in black and white, so the light and dark is very noticeable. The woman's face is what capture light the most, part of her arm captures light as well as the child's neck on the left. Black and white photos provide more contrast than colored photos and are easier when working with light and shadow. One of the ways I see balance on this image is that the shape created by the woman is much more larger than the shape created by the the two children. The woman is centrally centered on the image, therefor creating a much more larger shape than the child on the right being close to the edge of the image. Unity is seen by the the different textures on the image, clothing is much more lighter texture than the background which I'm not really sure what the material is. 


Analyzing the Study for the Heart of the Rose by Elihu Vedder [1923 - 1936] one gets a sensation of feminism. Women are naturally attracted and conquered by roses, and this image represents the appreciation of nature as it relates to the nudity of the natural body lines of the woman posing in the middle of the rose. 
In architecture and design this could be linked to  Massey's statement " From the 19th century the two areas had been distinctly separated, with the feminine sphere of the home regarded as a temple of comfort and moral respectability, a refuge from the workplace" (Massey pg. 197) Architecture sometimes could be seen feminine with different textures, materials, artifacts, etc. 
In the mean while, Le' Corbusier was starting to incorporate new techniques in modern buildings as the era of architecture and design were changing. "Fifth, the villa savoy was provided with a roof garden" (Roth pg. 532) These were the beginnings of sustainable design in the 1950's. Becoming green is a high priority for urban planners. The environmental and aesthetic benefits to cities is the prime motivation. It was calculated that the temperature in Tokyo could be lowered by 0.11–0.84 °C if 50% of all available rooftop space were planted with greenery. This would lead to a savings of approximately 100 million yens per day in the city's electricity bill. The importance of roof garden structures is not only to make the building look "attractable" but more like to make the structure environmentally designed. 
Joe's cafe in London and the Josephs Shops, incorporated industrial materials like aluminum and tension steel cables" (Massey pg. 201) This era of design was completely when a variety of materials were starting to be incorporated in interiors of structures. The steel cables are now used in stair rails to provide a sense of stability and innovation in design. These steel cables also provide a sense of tension which is what most engineers use  in bridge design. 

READING COMPREHENSION 6

[1]

Art Nouveau in Spain

Art Nouveau was more than a mere style, It was a way of thinking about modern society and new production methods. It was also an attempt to redefine the meaning and nature of the work of art. From that time on, it was the duty of art not to overlook any everyday object, no matter how utilitarian it might be. Art Nouveau had a big impact in design in North America all the way to the European continent. The period of time is when architecture and design were flourishing and on its way to the modern style of new inspirations, materials, and techniques. In Spain the style was concentrated in the eccentric hands of Gaudi in Barcelona. His unmistakable style characterized as organic architecture, often used Moorish, Gothic and Baroque elements, combining them with fabulous solutions in a special way: mushroom hat roofs, face shaped windows, colorful mosaics from broken ceramic tiles, amazing works of a talented mind.

He could have been considered even a madman if the aldermen of Barcelona would have been somewhat more conservative, but instead of that many big orders were provided to him fortunately. Casa Battlo is a building that illustrates his style of architecture and the movement of art nouveau in Gaudi's designs. From the outside the facade of Casa Batllo looks like it has been made from skulls and bones. The skulls are in fact balconies and the bones are supporting pillars. Gaudi used colorsand shapes found in marine life as inspiration for his creativity in this building, the colors chosen for the facade are those found in natural coral. The inside dining room illustrates the undulating ceilings, strangely curved windows and door frames, and containing biomorphic furniture designed by Gaudi himself and carved in solid oak. 

Image from Massey pg 47, Art Nouveau in Barcelona, Spain

Art Nouveau in Munich, Germany

Art Nouveau in germany was commonly known by its German name, Jugendstil. Drawing from traditional German printmaking, the style was much different than that in Spain, including precise and hard edges, an element that was rather different from the naturalistic style of the time. The movement was centred in Munich and Darmstadt and was an essential element of the German movement. Within the field of Jugendstil art, there was a variety of different methods, applied by the various individual artists. Methods range from classic to romantic. One feature that set Jugendstil apart was the typography used, whose letter and image combination was unmistakable. The combination was used for covers of novels, advertisements, and exhibition posters Designers often used unique display typefaces that worked harmoniously with the image. The movement was influenced by different individuals, unlike in Spain, August Endell was one of the designers that was creating beautiful designs in Munich. When looking at the Elvira photography studio stair case, one gets the illusion of floating marine motifs just like illustrated in the image above, which makes sense because all the shapes used on this stair case were originally marine inspired shapes. 

image from Massey pg 46, Art Nouveau in Munich, Germany

[2]

One of the most famous houses of the modern movement in architecture, the Villa Savoye is a masterpiece of LeCorbusier's purist design. It is perhaps the best example of LeCorbusier's goal to create a house which would be a "machine a habiter," a machine for living in. Located in a suburb near Paris, the house is as beautiful and functional as a machine. 
The Villa Savoye was the culmination of many years of design, and the basis for much of LeCorbusier's later architure. Although it looks severe in photographs, it is a complex and visually stimulating structure. As with his church of Notre Dame du Haute, Ronchamp, the building looks different from every angle. After falling into disrepair after the war, the house has been restored and is open to the public for various tour purposes. Features of the villa include modular design, abstract sculptural design, pure colors, a very open interior plan, spiral stair cases and ramps, roof garden with the idea of building what has been removed from earth, ribbon windows. All these features are part of the modern movement used in most of LeCorbusier's designs. Also the idea of the house raised on stilts to separate it from earth and use the land efficiently. 

LeCorbusier, Villa Savoye 1928 - 1931 Roth pg 531

[3]

Grete Schutte Lihotzky Frankfurt Kitchen  1926 pg 77 Massey

REFLECTIONS SUMMARY

Kathryn

http://kmfryeblog.blogspot.com/

she states how iron and glass became the dominant idea and the explorations of new building materials and techniques as the 19th century emerged. She also talked about how the royal pavilion incorporated many of the western and eastern influences in design. She states how exotic the interior of this building is and how the chandelier in the middle becomes hierarchy to establish the gathering space of the dining room table. 

Hailey

www.hrtaylor.blogspot.com

states  the explosions of how new design revelations were brought into the western designers viewpoints. According to Hailey, world Fairs began to expose  from all across the globe under a single roof, allowing people to be able to touch and experience the world around them. Image below illustrating the new era of design in the early 19th and late 18th centuries. 

Samantha

http://samanthalynnsmith.blogspot.com/

focused on the arts and crafts movement that started in Britain and comes to the United States of America later. She also discussed the great exhibition of the 1851 crystal palace of how it was an era in design of many ideas and introduction to new innovations in design.

ALTERNATIVES SUMMARY

Kathryn

http://kmfryeblog.blogspot.com/

opened the alternatives summary with the explosion of the Renaissance  making an interesting  point on how simple shapes became a reason for resonance. Then after exploring the renaissance she begins to talk about the baroque period in which she states that this period of time is where breaking the rules and boundaries becomes the alternate to design. Also you begging to see more fluidity in design in terms of new techniques as the design continued to change. To illustrate how the baroque and renaissance periods emerged, she provided an image of the Laurentian library. According to Kathryn the image shows Michelangelo's technique of representing the idea of waves and how there is not a boundary for water.

Hailey 

www.hrtaylor.blogspot.com

begins the alternatives unit with defining what the word alternatives mean and according to her definition the word "alternatives" is defined as employing or following nontraditionalor unconventional ideas,  and methods.  As she explored the renaissance unit she provided the image of the Florence cathedral as the domes were beginning to be incorporated on buildings. 

Samantha

http://samanthalynnsmith.blogspot.com/

states how churches allowed people to travel across Europe and the influence of how the renaissance changed the design of churches during the renaissance period. Image of the Basilica San Marco illustrating the gothic revival on churches as well as the incorporation of domes.  

COUNTERPOINT: CLOCK

For the Reflections unit we had to fashion a clock which the main purpose was to incorporate one form one scale and all of four aspects as we had previously addressed in all of the past counterpoint projects. My idea consisted of a word that meant revolution to the 19th century, then address people, material, symbol, and nature. For this project I incorporated the images of the Crystal Palace in London, The Galleria Vitorio Emanuele II at Milan, and The Galerie des Machines in France. The three buildings show scale as it relates to people, show material which was iron and glass the two new building materials that revolutionized the 19th century. The images of the three building also showed symbolism which was marked in each city because of the impact that it created by the exhibition of iron and glass. The clock part comes together as emphasizing a timeline that started with the Crystal palace as the great exhibition of 1851 took place in London. That's where Iron and glass was considered to be a revolution, which later transformed the style of architecture of different places in Europe such as Italia and Francia.

POINT: REFLECTIONS

In the reflections unit we studied the stages of  architecture and design and the different shifts as the introduction of new building techniques and materials emerged. But first we studied how Thomas Jefferson borrowed  inspirations from different places in Europe. For example the design of the U.S. Capitol building was inspired on ancient classical buildings which were The Roman Pantheon,  and the circular domed Rotunda dedicated to all pagan gods. As we talked about the different buildings in Washington D.C , we explored the lay out of the city of Washington and how it was design to accommodate the different branches of government. After surveying the site of Washington, Pierre L'Enfant which was the designer, developed a Baroque plan that featured ceremonial spaces and grand radial avenues, while respecting natural contours of the land. The result was a system of intersecting diagonal avenues superimposed over a grid system. The avenues radiated from the two most significant building sites that were to be occupied by houses for Congress and the President.

Influenced by the designs of several European cities and 18th century gardens such as France's Palace of Versailles, the plan of Washington, DC was symbolic and innovative for the new nation. Only limited changes were made to the historic city bounded by Florida Avenue on the north and the waterways on the east, west and south until after the Civil War. The foremost manipulation of L'Enfant's plan began in the 19th century, and was codified in 1901 when the McMillan Commission directed urban improvements that resulted in the most elegant example of City Beautiful tenets in the nation. L'Enfant's plan was magnified and expanded during the early decades of the 20th century with the reclamation of land for waterfront parks, parkways, an improved Mall and new monuments and vistas. Two hundred years since its design, the integrity of the plan of Washington is largely unimpaired boasting a legal enforced height restriction, landscaped parks, wide avenues, and open space allowing intended vistas. Constant vigilance is needed by the agencies responsible for design review, it their charge to continue the vision of L'Enfant.

As the 19th century approached, we were introduced with the revolution of iron and glass, and the changes in manufacturing , transportation, architecture, furniture and so many other fields of study. The great exhibition of the Crystal Palace is a great example of the revolution of iron and glass and how this two new building materials combined made such great structures.

Furniture in the 19th century had major changes as well, The design and development of furniture over the centuries had been steady and predictable. It was largely influenced by the availability of materials such as iron, and the changing fashions of the eras. Armoires were designed for suits of armour, but later became wardrobes for clothing. Chairs lost their arms to accommodate wide skirts, and became upholstered and comfortable to fit in with the drawing 

rooms of fashionable ladies. 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh is another household name in design today. 
He was primarily an architect and designer and a great exponent of Art Nouveau, but his progressive ideas spilled out into his furniture designs. Together with his wife, Mackintosh had a great influence on the changing styles from the Arts and Crafts movement to the radical mass produced Art Nouveau styles of the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Image above illustrating the use of wallpaper covering in the walls and how it revolutionized the interiors of rooms in the 19th century. Wallpapers were used much more like to tell stories and record timelines.