Precedent Studies

In preparation for designing our dining spaces, we were told to pick three precedents: a dining space, a public ritual space, and a social space. 

Dining Space: I picked this particular restaurant because I loved the effect the light created when illuminating the divisions between the seating. The color of light can be changed, which was something I wanted to incorporate into my project to commemorate the summer and winter solstices. 

Morimoto Restaurant, Designer: Karim Rashid (www.karimrashid.com)

Public Ritual Space: I picked the design of the Kodak Theater during the 82nd Academy Awards because I loved the effect created by light shining onto the crystal curtain. It reminded me of a waterfall, and I thought I could create a similar effect using a chandelier, using warm colors for the summer solstice and cool colors for the winter solstice. 

Kodak Theatre (82nd Annual Academy Awards) Designer: David Rockwell (www.rockwellgroup.com)

Social Space: As I was browsing several high-end nightclubs, I came across the Industry Nightclub. Again, the lighting effect is what inspired me to bring into my space...it definitely creates a mood that evokes intimate conversations, which I wanted to achieve in my own space. I also liked the idea of bench seating as a way to make my dining experience more intimate. 

Industry Nightclub, West Hollywood (www.evitaparties.com)

Reading Response 6

Blog Post 6: Florence & Amiens

Regional context is apparent in the designs of the cathedrals influenced at Florence, Italy and Amiens, France. As Italy was beginning to enter the Renaissance, France was still in the gothic mindset. This idea was manifested in the architecture of the cathedrals: the Duomo at Florence appears to be more of an artistic expression whereas the Amiens cathedral is more rigid. The Amiens cathedral had a focus on structure more so than in Florence. Because Amiens was under constant threat of attack, the cathedral could possibly have been seen as a safe haven for the people. Amiens was also larger than the Florence cathedral, supporting this idea of protecting the people by being able to accommodate more. The Duomo at Florence uses color by using a brick roof on the domes. This makes sense because Florence is near the Italian coast, where more color is seen to be used, in contrast to Amiens' monochromatic stone facade. Use of circles and arches in both cathedrals contribute to the idea of "dematerializing" the church.

Both cathedrals address the universe in similar ways. The cross structure of the cathedrals reflect Christ, perhaps the Duomo in a more defined way, indicating locations of Christ's head, hands, and feet. Both cathedrals have geometric, labyrinthine floor patterns. This could symbolize the search for truth, or perhaps the complexity of religion. The floor pattern at Florence uses color and rounded elements, while Amiens uses darker, straight-lined patterns, staying true to their Renaissance and Gothic design influences.

Cognitive Maps:

The cathedral at Amiens literally comes to a point, and has a sense of hierarchy as one would walk through the building. This gave me the idea to use symbols of fire and clouds to represent heaven and hell; heaven is literally higher thus giving a vision of hierarchy, while the idea of walking during from the street during this war stricken time in France and deeper into the church suggests the idea of the church a safe haven. The religious implications of heaven and hell is appropriate for the church in this context, suggesting being saved when coming into the church.

This map is reminiscent of the map of Rome we saw in class, but at a building scale. The Duomo took the idea of the cross most literally, and was screaming at me to place the images of Christ's head, hands and feet on my cognitive map. This also gives a sense of hierarchy by traveling from the low to the high places on the body, and also because the building is heavier towards the side of Christ's head. The religious implications of this are also apparent because one enters from the street  to Jesus' feet in a very grounded state of mind and travels to the heart of the cathedral to become spiritually closer to God, like Jesus, and perhaps adopt a state of mind like Christ.

Material Value Studies

Final Compostions

For this assignment, I began practicing drawing the materials in my sketchbook in both pencil and pen. By paying lots of attention to detail using photos I took of my materials, my wood, fabric and tile studies turned out very successfully. I had trouble drawing the lines for my carpet study softly enough, but revised my technique to make my lines less harsh and more soft and organic. As I moved on to the final composition, the drawings became much more tedious and time consuming than anticipated (especially the fabric at 1"=1'0" scale), but after much judgement I managed to create a successful transition from dark to light in each of my studies. 

Wood: Hand-Scraped Hickory (Bourbon, Renee Chaput)

Tile: Fritztile, Pearl Gray (White Matrix)

                              

Fabric: HBF Textiles, Andante Encore (846-11 Crema)

Carpet: Sistaltile 2 (101 Speagrass)

Unit Summary 1

Week 1:

-We explored exponentiality in design, as scale moving inward and outward from a point of central focus, Powers of Ten by Charles and Ray Eames illustrated concepts of perspective, relativity, interconnectivity, and how humans relate to their environment.

-We then explored Stonehenge and the pyramids at Giza. Stonehenge shows how architecture can be a symbol through its form (circular form has a meaning of equality). Stonehenge also shows the importance of light through indication of equinox and solstice. Pyramids have a strong upward arrow, shows five cardinal directions. Pyramids emphasized size and height.

Stonehenge

auburn.edu

Week 2:

-We identified three architectural elements that repeat themselves throughout architecture: circles, groves, and stacks.

-Circles: the sun and the moon. Circles mark sacred spots.

-Groves: trees, reaching vertical. Groves are like groups of people.

-Stacks: mountains and gathering resources. Stacks emulate the human body.

-Succession of prototypes: archetypes: hybrids in early examples of architecture show how certain types of structures came into existence.

            -5 orders of architecture are seen in the evolution of columns: the Tuscan (prototype), Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian (archetype) and Composite (hybrid)

-Repetition of these basic design elements lead to contrast and emphasis, unity and harmony, balance and proportion.

Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns

chestofbooks.com

Week 3:

-The Acropolis in Greece served as our key example for archetypes of western architecture.

            -Megaron served as a template for concepts of porch, court and hearth.

            -Porch: Athena Nike, Court: area of Erectheon, Hearth: Parthenon

            -Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns are seen again to show distinction among the architecture, columns are another example of groves.

-Xi’an Palace in China and especially the Tomb of the First Emperor show strength through repetition. Sculptures were proportioned in stacks, armor in stacked form served as both protection and exhibit aesthetic quality.

-We analyzed space, power, experience, precedence, size, order, scale, technology and surface through the Xi’an Palace

-We explored the idea of real vs. ideal: Greece saw their empire as the center of the entire world.

-The Greek Theater was another example of circles, groves and stacks: Arena seating in a circular plan, benches and levels of seating were an example of stacking, and columns were once again seen as groves.

Acropolis

theodora.com

Week 4:

-The idea of commodity, firmness and delight was introduced (contrived from Vitruvius’s ideas of utilitas, firmitas, and venustas)

-commodity: the function factor in architecture

-firmness: strength of the structure

-delight: aesthetic, overall feeling and experience

-We learned about the Roman Empire and their main ideas expressed in architecture.

-plan: cardo and decumanus: the city grid was a universal treatment of the empire

-road/street: all roads lead to Rome: every road led to the center of the city

-aqueduct: aqua vitae: very important because of the time and money spent by the government; Rome was destroyed by the destruction of aqueducts

-bath: architecture and ritual: façade is highly polychromatic and reflective (water), immense use of stone and tile, huge structure

-basilica: gathering place: long and designed to carry the speaker’s voice

-temple: adaptation

-arch: memorialization: marked important spots

-column: “wu wu”: marked important spots

-market: edge: away from government

-forum: major open space

-ampitheatre: atop a landscape rather than on it

-colosseum: bread and circuses: feed and entertain the people and they will stay

-dome: bringing the world under one roof (circles marking sacred spots): domes meant to show travel of light across the earth

Ancient Rome

mariamilani.com

Dining Narrative: International Eradicating Hunger Day

In 2015 the first of the United Nations mandated eradicating hunger days has arrived, and one group of friends and family is gathering in one of the satellite dining spaces around the country that is equipped with the necessary social media devices to connect with people of all different countries in order to share a meal together.  This dinner party of ten will be dining in a pent house apartment overlooking New York City.  As the group enters the dining space, they are seated on a tufted banquette along with Louis XV ghost chairs that are illuminated in warm light to commemorate the summer solstice. The seating is situated around a ten-foot long, 3½-foot wide modern rectangular glass table. Above the table a dramatic crystal chandelier hangs that has the appearance of water droplets falling over the table; this is also illuminated in warm LED lighting. The place settings show each guest at the table what nationality the person whom they will be dining with via web chat; the India setting has no silverware, the China setting has chopsticks, etc. and each setting has the flag of their designated guest country on the plate. The guests are seated comfortably with four on the banquette, two at the heads of the table, and four in chairs along the side. As the party sits, a screen rises up from the center of the table and their international cyber guests greet them. After the introduction, the server brings the food in several courses, with dishes from every country represented at the table. A built in sideboard allows a place for serving platters. Above the sideboard is a mirror with a map of the earth cut into it, which reflects the chandelier on the table. Now that each of the guests of the pent house have conversed with a member of a different country, they exit onto the balcony for coffee and conversation about their experiences at an international dinner, some perhaps still sharing views of New York with their dinner partners via laptops. A firework show brings the end to the cultural celebration.

Blog Post 5

Old cottage, what structure have you left?

No ceiling to balance your floor,

Marring the composition of the village below,

Your presence resonates a past life.