31 March 2009

Habitable wall 3D model

view from sleeping area
view from behind stairs/ workspace
view at bottom of stairs
view while ascending stairs

view from top right corner
view from entertainment area

06 March 2009

a place to bathe


perspective from upper pool


perspective from lower pool
south wall elevation

west wall elevation
south wall section

west wall section

ceiling plan

floor plan


In considering the design of a place to bathe, I looked at the Japanese bathing culture, and found that it is very different from that of which I am used to. There are three particular characteristics of their bathing culture that stood out to me. The first main difference is that they always cleanse themselves before entering the tub to soak and bathe. Secondly, their baths are typically very hot, and third, it is very normal to have communal baths. More often these are divided between the sexes, but it would not be out of the ordinary to have a combined bathe.
In my bath I intended to capture the Japanese style through materials and techniques. This pool area is attached to a facility that would fulfill cleansing, changing, and restroom obligations. Everything is complacent with the ADA disability standards, and if fully accessible to any and everyone.
My design consists of two pools connected by a series of level changes and flowing water. Three of the four walls are glass curtain walls to bring in natural light and create a very open, light and airy feel. The floor of the lower pool is river rock tiles, and the recessed ceiling is covered with bamboo stalks, both used to create texture and a more natural feel. The use of flowing water will create a more relaxing environment by creating a soothing background noise, and creating opportunity for water massage.
The water depth in the upper pool is two feet at the deepest point, allowing disabled people to easily navigate the pool on their own and with the freedom of no wheelchair.


Lower pool floor : concrete, river rock tiles Upper pool floor: concrete, white and green ceramic tiles South, East, West walls : glass curtain walls North wall: concrete, stucco Ceiling: plaster, bamboo stalks

25 February 2009

WPA poster

For this assignment I designed a poster modeled after the WPA posters. I looked at the original posters for inspiration and created a poster in Illustrator based on an image from the web.

22 February 2009

researching BATHE

what is a bathe? and what does it mean to bathe? we shall see.

The term misogi is used to describe bathing in Japan and means the ritual purification with water. It cleanses not only the mind and body, but also the kokoro, a persons spirit or heart. Bathing in the Japanese culture is very important. It is also very different from the American bath. Unlike Americans that fill up a hot tub and jump right in, the Japanese do the cleansing prior to soaking in an always, very hot tub. Typically a bucket of water is used to wash and cleanse the body, then a clean tub is used for soaking and relaxation.
It is also common to have mixed bathing, or see children bathing with their parents. This has caused some controversy because of the image it portrays, and at one time was banned in Japan. But, today it is often still seen. Sometimes this is done in complete nudity, or for those whom are more modest a towel or loincloth is used.

20 February 2009

unrban PATHways



this is a street scene from Bangkok, Thailand. i edited the image in illustrator. the top image is the original image.

19 February 2009

my MANIFESTO






my design manifesto is about creating something interesting and dynamic from something ordinary. i believe this shows that you can create design from anything, and create anything through design. my object was created from two recycled bottles, 1/4 in thick piece of foamcore, and strips of vellum. i chose to use three ways of connecting the objects; i used adhesive, one T pin, and the shapes of the objects to hold themselves together.

04 February 2009

Confused Dynamic Movement

for this assignment i was given the words CONFUSED and DYNAMIC MOVEMENT. using images from the web i created an image that displays all of these characteristics.



above are three initial designs

below are the images used in the final composition



below is the final composition

03 February 2009

Pattern Perception


for this assignment we chose an image of an urban landscape and created a victorian inspired pattern. i used the "steeple" of a builing and rotated and overlapped the image.

26 January 2009

computers IN design

When looking at the role of computers in design it is clear to see that this role has changed drastically. As technology has improved over time, computers have had a growing role in the design world. I think this issue has its advantages, but also has some disadvantages. I think that computers aid the design world by making it possible and much easier to design things that are very complex structurally. They create an engineering process that is much simpler. Instead of a person physically working out the mathematics of a design problem, it is instead plugged into the computer program where a formula is used to figure out the design solution for you. This is good because it enables us to create objects that would otherwise be entirely too difficult for us design. Our options become virtually limitless. Consequently, parts of the design process are lost, along with some aspects of creativity. You become limited to the shapes and colors of the design program, and can be influenced by choosing from a predetermined template. I believe this can cause things to become more streamlined and less original. Also, I think it can take away from your involvement and knowledge of the design. The computer temporarily takes the place of your brain. It does the work for you, possibly causing you not to know exactly how or why something works structurally. This can also be very beneficial. It cuts the design time and enables a quicker and smoother transfer of information among everyone involved in the design process.
As for the future of computer-aided design, I believe they will only become a larger part of the design process. I fear that if you are not fully equipped with the skills needed to use the programs, you will not make it in the design world. It is also possible that the programs will either become so technologically advanced that we would no longer understand or be able to use the programs to their full potential. Or, the technology will eventually reach a plateau and come to a point where it can be advanced no further and still be beneficial to the design world.

06 January 2009

Final BUS SHELTER

The fabulous bench

This is a view of the roof.


The BUS SHELTER is finally finished! After a very long, and fun semester in the studio and shop we (Second year studio) created this wonderful bus shelter.