Art Museum Experience

During last week, I took the time to visit the Bellevue Art Museum in Bellevue, WA to view their "Love Me Tender" exhibit. This exhibit feature both 2D collages of currency artwork as well as 3D sculptures using currency. I estimated the total square footage of the space to be about 1500 square feet and the displays consisted of both pieces mounted on the walls, along with pedestal cases in the middle of the rooms. In some instances, cable suspension wires were used for a few of the hanging pieces of work. I noticed that all of the walls were stationary, so the ability to change the layout for separate exhibits was very limited but through the use of exhibit pieces and change in wall color they were able to direct the viewer through the space clearly. The environment colors were mostly dark with cream and grey wall colors, dark grey and black flooring, and a white ceiling. The only lighting sources were track lighting systems that spanned each room to highlight each piece as well as the cases situated in the center of the room. Although there was some daylight present it was filtered and redirected using resin panels so as not to affect the art pieces throughout the exhibit. I found their layout and directing through the space to be quite successful to emphasize the exhibit pieces and help highlight the most enticing artworks in the showcase. Overall the Bellevue Art Museum is a wonderful experience for artwork.

Visual Disability Experience

Riding an elevator

Attempting to use an ATM

 As someone who is already visually impaired, this was not much of a new experience to me. I have had contact lenses since I was 10 and glasses before that, so this activity just simulated how life would be if I did not have those corrections readily available. Everything appeared to be quite blurry and in order to read a newspaper or other element you must hold the object close to your face or get close to it. When walking around the CUB I found it was similar to walking around my apartment without my glasses or contacts in and I could navigate easily, but the problems arose when attempting to do simple tasks, such as pressing the correct elevator button or using an ATM. Although there were cues on the ATM machine of what buttons were which, without knowing how a keypad is normally set up, it would be difficult to operate without the knowledge of braille. Walking stairs was interesting due to the loss of perceptive depth and without having done this task multiple times without corrective lens I would have most likely tripped. Overall, certain aspects brought new light to my visual disability and made me better understand how to design for someone who has a visual impairment.

One Bedroom Residence and Common Area Design

Final Boards:

Final Model:

 

The song “Coming Home” by Gwyneth Paltrow brings to mind the growth and belonging experienced within the home. The encompassing feelings of warmth that envelope a home evoke playful curves and a sense of unity. The enlarging of elements through the space gives a sense of growth mimicking nature and its multitude of vegetation. Subtle curvilinear lines accent the repetitive unity, while stepped increase and decrease in size brings in the aspect of growth. Change in ceiling height as you enter the apartment and move deeper into the space evokes growth.  Repetitive elements are seen with the columns dividing the living and dining space as well as the tiling in the bathroom behind the vanity. Curvilinear shape comes in with the organic kitchen booth and shower design. To allow for the warmth home evokes, soft colors are chosen and daylight fills the apartment. Materials are chosen for their connection with nature both within the apartment and the common area. Growth is seen in the common area with decreasing sizes of furniture as you move back into the space as well as repetitive lines are seen in the ceiling lighting. 

The concept statement above applies to the common area and one bedroom apartment of the 2nd story to a hotel being re-purposed. I like the organic shape of the shower and its incorporation into the curvilinear aspect of my concept, as well as the curvilinear shape of the breakfast bar/booth and the ceiling curve in the kitchen. The repetition comes through with the tile behind the lavatory as well as the columns that divide the living area and kitchen. The idea of growth in the design is shown with the change in ceiling height, decreasing as you move back into the one bedroom apartment, as well as in the cabinetry both in the kitchen and living area with decreasing size of cabinets. I wish I had made the bedroom a bit more accessible, but everything else throughout the apartment is accessible for a person with a disability. The floor plan is very open so there is easy access to move through the space. In my study model I am very pleased with the detail and rendering of the walls, but which I had conveyed the change in ceiling height a bit better. The final boards I feel are very well planned out, there is only one portion of my common area board that feels empty, but other than that I am pleased with how it turned out. The most trouble I had with this project was picking which angles of the apartment to display. I found a lot of things important to show but I had to pick only a few or I would have had many more than five boards. Overall I am pleased with the design I created and the presentation of that design.

Client Brief

For the client brief we started out interviewing the owner of the building as a large group, each presenting our own questions and recording the answers. This really helped me get an idea of what he wanted for the building. I wish he had been a bit more clear of an idea, but at the same time the freedom was wonderful in order to come up with my own design. The client brief helped me organize all of the information he gave us and take out what I believed to be most important to the design. Then I was able to come up with a clear adjacency matrix and bubble diagram for the space. I wish we had been able to visit the site to get a better idea of where we were designing and the space we were given, but not seeing it in person helped to work on visualizing the space in the mind's eye.  I am happy with the turnout of my adjacency matrix and bubble diagram but which I had used more compatible colors to harmonize the diagrams. Overall I it was a great basis to start my design work in the building.

Residence Design Visit and Critique

While at home for Thanksgiving Break I was able to sit down with Kim Sparks, an Interior Designer in Bellevue, to discuss my final residence designs. I brought her a few floor plans, some concept sketches and the materials I envisioned in the space. She looked over my work as I explained it and gave me some really good feedback and some ideas of what to change. She told me that she like how I made my residence open and flowing and that the concept I had created was present but not overpowering in my designs. By meeting with someone to discuss the project outside of the studio, it gave me a new pair of eyes and some new insights I probably would not have heard from my peers. It really helped to talk to someone outside of studio and I would be interested in doing this for projects in the future.

2 Bedroom Apartment Bathroom Design

The song “Coming Home” by Gwyneth Paltrow brings to mind the growth and belonging experienced within the home. The encompassing feelings of warmth that envelope a home evoke playful curves and a sense of unity. The enlarging of elements through the space gives a sense of growth mimicking nature and its multitude of vegetation. Subtle curvilinear lines accent the repetitive unity, while stepped increase and decrease in size brings in the aspect of growth. The tiling on the wall behind the lavatory evokes the growth with their change in size and vertical repetitive nature. Curvilinear shape comes in with the organic shower design and openness. Materials are chosen for their connection with nature and the counter marble resembles forestry. To allow for the warmth home evokes, soft gold tiling surrounds the shower and warm lighting fills the space.

Above is the concept statement with application into this two bedroom apartment bathroom. The design is supposed to related to the idea of home. I like the organic shape of the shower and its incorporation into the curvilinear aspect of my concept. The repetition of line from my concept really comes into play with the tile behind the lavatory. I also like the privacy created by placing the toilet back in the nook. I wish I had made the sink counter a bit larger but I feel it works for the space. In my study model I am very pleased with the detail and final construction, but which I had drawn in all of the walls instead of just a few. The final board, however, seems very empty in certain areas even if my pieces are gridded and organized according to sections. I am pleased with how my perspectives turned out, but the color does not come through enough on trace paper, so for the next design I will try using marker paper instead. Overall I am pleased with the design I created and find it is very open. Although the shower does not have a bench in it, the rest of the bathroom is ADA.

2 Bedroom Apartment Kitchen Design

The idea of home brings to mind the growth and belonging experienced there. The encompassing feelings that envelope a home evoke playful curves and a sense of unity. The enlarging of elements through the space gives a sense of growth mimicking nature and its multitude of vegetation. Subtle curvilinear lines accent the repetitive unity, while stepped increase and decrease in size brings in the aspect of growth. Cabinets evoke the growth with their change in size and repetitive nature, while elements are further integrated through molding and accentuating materials. Flooring and cabinets are chosen for their resemblance of the forestry that is unique yet unifying in the world. To allow for warmth to infiltrate the space a window is placed on the far wall to let the sun stream through from the skylight creating the comforting feeling that nurtures the growth within the home. 

Above is the concept statement with application into this two bedroom apartment kitchen. The design is supposed to related to the idea of home. The warmth of the space really invokes this idea to me and I like how it is incorporated into this space. The appliances and fixtures chosen although sleek in design are also some of the most efficient models on the market which help the client strive for a more sustainable space. I wish I had placed the stove in a different location due to the vent blocking some of the light from the window but it was a sacrifice to be able to include double wall ovens in the space. In my study model I am very pleased with the detail and final construction. I find although the lines are freehand, it is crisp and clean in appearance. The final board, however, may be a bit crammed and I need to spread out the designs into a few boards next time. I am pleased with how my perspectives turned out, but my rendering skills of materials needs to be worked on. The end result of the resin material is well done but my rendered hardwood flooring needs to be developed.