Taste

I know I am a bit overdue on my posts! Studying abroad in the fall kept me very busy and I am finally updating my blog with projects I worked on under the instruction of the fabulous and inspiring Guido Incerti. In Florence, our first project was to design a pavilion for a wine festival that will take place in one of the main squares of the historical center. The concept developed out of inspiration for the barrels that wine is stored in. Line and contrast were two key elements that went into the final design. There are four main gathering areas in the pavilion. The lounge area, formal seating area, bar, and conference room for private parties. Circulation was very important. The three entrances allow occupants of the interior and those out in the square to move freely in and out of the space.

Explore the Past, Experience the Present, Imagine the Future

The Little White Schoolhouse is located in Valley, WA, a town with a population of about 1,900 people. The school house has been empty for quite some time and it is the desire of the Valley Historical Society to use the site to create a Heritage Museum for the town. The once one room schoolhouse will be a place for the community and other visitors to come and reminisce on the past, present and future of Valley as well as see a rotating exhibit which features located artists. The lower level will be a community space where events and meetings can be hosted. It was a great experience to work with the community members and create a design that tells their story as they want it to be seen. The workshop taught me how to collaborate with others as well as it revealed the importance of communication and working with the client.

Public Space?

 The Public Space Symposium was very informative. There were three different speakers representing different parts of the world: Helsinki, Mexico City, and Seattle. From the lectures, it was interesting that the majority of the discussion was about streets. The images show the notes I took at the symposium.

The New Value of Design

The School of Design and Construction at Washington State University was happy to host David Katsuni from Interior Architects Seattle. David's lecture focused on the new value of design through collaborative work. He offered four case studies of buildings his firm designed and spoke to why each one benefited from the collaborative approach of the professions rather than working alone and passing it along lastly to the interior designer. The lecture was very interested and it reiterated the importance of integrated work among architects and interior designers.  Below are images of the notes I took during the lecture.
 

IIDA Student Mentor Day

Visiting Mario & Sons in Spokane. Anna in the middle and Beth on the right.

As a student member of the Inland Northwest Chapter of IIDA, I have the privilege of getting involved in their events and meeting Interior Design professionals. This year for Student Mentor Day I went to Spokane to mentor Anna Bair, the Costentino representative. Costentino is a leader in the innovative development of top-quality surfaces. They are most known for their quartz surfaces. Once I arrived at the Spokane showroom, Anna gave Beth and I an introduction to the company and a tour of the warehouse. It was great to be able to touch the pieces of stone in person and discuss the differences between the different lines of stone the company offered.

The rest of the day Anna took us to different firms where she met with clients and also allowed us to talk to them and hear their advice for us as students who are soon emerging into the profession. It was comforting to hear that the industry is getting busy and it is looking like it will be a good time to graduate next year. One thing that was neat about the day was we went to lunch at a restaurant designed by HDG. The design was remarkable but what really stood out was that the bar top was made from Costentino Quartz! It was cool to see how something Anna had marketed to HDG had then been used in their design. Overall, the job shadow was a great experience and it was interesting to learn more about the role of a product representative rather than working in a firm as a designer which is what I had been used to.

Implementing Informal Learning

This semester, there is a focus on informal learning in the third year studio. The first project was to create a new vision for the exhibit located in the lobby of the School of the Earth and Environmental Sciences at Washington State University.  The existing exhibit was installed roughly 20 years ago and it desire of the building inhabitants to update the graphics and improve the spatial arrangement. The space would benefit from a new design and graphic unity. In the first phase of the design the existing display cases stayed in their place and movable options such as benches and smaller cases were rearranged to create a circulation path that engaged with the information in the display cases. The goal of the display cases are to tell a story of Geology and the environment. The sequence moves through the big bang, rock cycle, environmental hazards and narrows down to the specific geology relating to the Palouse. The graphics of the display cases introduce color and excitement to attract visitors and encourage learning.

This project was different than those in the past because it was done in a group of 9! The large group was a new experience and took a little bit of time to get used to . Once leaders were established and tasks were assigned the project quickly progressed! The process began with the graphic design of the display cases. Individually, each member designed the basics of what the case should include depending on the topic and then one member of the group creates a unified graphic layout so there was a consistent layout and transitions from one display to the next. In the design process, behavior observations and light mapping were a large component. Once the data was collected decisions based on the new floor plan could begin! There is a large window that faces north which was loaded with many different plants and trees and the team decided that to move the plants to different windows or remove some would be the best way to attract people to the space. By removing some of the plants and relocating the chairs in front of the window this would be a more effective use of the day lit space and also bring people into the area of the exhibit.

The main part of the project I contributed to was the program. The program consisted of an introduction, site map, research, case studies, adjacency matrix, bubble diagrams, observations, and other data that was picked up along the way.

Once phase one was presented to the staff of the School of the Earth and Environmental Sciences the group began creating interactive displays and activities to relate to the display cases. Many study models were created during this phase. To relate to the Rock Cycle case, I created an interactive display that related to the “Who am I?” section of the poster. In this section, the observer reads a description of the specific rock and then proceeds to guess what type of rock it is. In the interactive display, one can flip up a placard and reveal the correct answer as well as an image of the rock itself!

This project helped me realize that when working in a group, leaders and necessary to move things along and it was interesting to see how much more effective our group worked when there was a set plan and deadlines picked by a team member. A big part of working on a team is trust. We need to hold each other accountable yet also trust each other to complete our part of the design on schedule and to the best of our ability. It was difficult to let go of control at some points but overall it was a very good learning experience.

Final Posters for Phase 1.

My research component in relationship to Informal Learning.

The Final Rock Cycle Poster. Where rock images are placed, physical rock samples are displayed.

Chicago Study Tour

 In October 2012, I had the chance to explore Chicago with my peers from the new School of Design and Construction at Washington State University.  The study tour lasted a week and we explored the famous architecture of the city and presented our findings to one another. On this trip, there were 60 students from the disciplines of architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture.The city fascinated me and I quickly fell in love with the "Paris of the Plains". That was a phrase one of my professors used to describe the city and it stuck with me. One of my favorite spots we visited on the trip was just outside Chicago, the Farnsworth house.  It was a beautiful fall day and the white steel and glass structure stood out with the radiant colors of the season.  It was amazing to see such a brilliant building designed by the Famous Mies Van Der Rohe. The composition and line of the exterior work so well with the complex, interlocking interior.  The design features and thought that went into the creation of the Farnsworth house blew me away. Additionally, our group had the chance to visit the Design Mart and a firm while we were there. It was very insightful to see how the industry works in a setting outside Pullman or Seattle. I feel as though it is all coming together!

The Rookery

Farnsworth House

Myself with the famous "bean"

A Frank Lloyd Wright home in Oak Park.

Our group gathered in front of the "bean" at Millennium Park.