Design Research: Sustainable Design

Sustainable architecture includes innovative designs or a thousand year old designs that are being rediscovered and will be adapted to modern lifestyle and to your personal needs while respecting a more sustainable lifestyle. Well-thought energy efficient concepts are important as they can reduce the energy necessity of your home to zero, something that is much harder to achieve with retrofitting of an existing building.


Innovative Design, Inc. - Sustainable Architecture based in Raleigh, N.C. The company specializes in sustainable architecture and has many years of experience in energy efficient, high performance, environmentally sensitive design.

Bergworks GBM main page based in N.Y. “We see sustainable design as an inseparable part of good design. Green principles are woven into all our projects, incorporated so that they enhance rather than compromise design. The project history includes a wide range of commissions from urban planning and large scale development to houses and additions to apartment, loft and house renovations and commercial interiors as well as the design of custom and production furniture.”

The Epsten Group - Architecture, Engineering and Consulting Services for Residential and Commercial Clients based in Georgia. Leading environmental architectural firm in Georgia. Special expertise in healthy home consulting, environmentally sound construction materials and specifications, energy and day lighting design, water conservation and treatment, and working with ecologically sensitive sites. Ms. Epsten’s design for an environmentally sound, affordable, prototype home has received national attention and an AIA award. The Epsten Group serves clients nationwide and abroad.

Living Designs Group - Home is an architecture and engineering firm specializing in the integration of sustainable design elements for residential and commercial projects based in Florida. Whether your project is a luxurious resort with a complete energy independency, a land development with infrastructure for a new community, or simply a small home gently oriented with the sun, Living Designs Group will help you realize your desires.

Ecological Architecture is a company that has dealt with residential & commercial projects since 1982, and is based in Colorado. Contextual based solutions w/ sustainable, solar, & natural materials.

Common Sense Design, Alternative Architecture and Design Consulting is based in California. Can be described as a small architecture firm located in Sonoma County, California. We work collaboratively to create innovative, non-generic buildings and places which are respectful of the local built traditions, thoughtfully integrated into the natural landscape, sited in harmony with the local climate, built with simple, natural materials, and which evoke a sense of playfulness.

Hubbell and Hubbell - Home is yet another firm based in California. The company is described as a design that heals the soul and renews the spirit through organic design and art solutions supporting sustainable ways of living.

IndigoArch is a design firm based in California that have LEED certified architects. “We stay true to 3 decades of ecological commitment by our principals, showing that green architecture can be implemented in a practical and cost-effective manner. We take advantage of the diverse ethnic and professional backgrounds of our staff members who hale from South America, Central Asia and both coasts of the United States.”

Solar Power and Renewable Energy for Custom Homes and Sustainable Development is sustainable design firm based in Massachusetts. Solar Design Associates (SDA) is a group of architects and engineers dedicated to the design of sustainable buildings and the engineering and integration of renewable energy systems that incorporate the latest in innovative technology. Since its founding in 1974, the firm has earned an international reputation for the pioneering integration of renewable energy - especially solar-generated electricity - with environmentally responsive building design. The firm offers a wide diversity of services to private, commercial, research, and utility clients.

William Maclay Architects & Planners is an architecture and planning firm in Vermont specializing in the design of buildings that take care of human needs and aspirations while incorporating energy and resource conservation, optimal indoor air quality, healthy building design technologies and environmentally responsive land use planning.

Leaf Project

Time Capsule

The overall concept for our Time Capsule is that our project represents the support that studio gives us, as first year students, in our ideas and creativity similar in the way an easel supports a piece of art work in progress. Since the first floor of the Gatewood Building has no hint as to what the upper levels floors look like, we wanted to bring some aesthetic qualities of studio to the entry level of the building. Materials to be used are yellow pine, painted steel and galvanized bolts, which all follow the manner in which the upper levels of studio are styled in. The location for this time capsule piece would be to the right of the elevator in the corner, on the first floor. A TV or digital projector will display photos, videos, and slideshows of our five years in the Interior Architecture program. For the remainder of the 15 years, after we graduate and until the time capsule is "opened", work from Alumni can be played along with promotional IAR media.

Design Research: 10 Interiors

I really enjoy the eccentricity of this room. Upon first glance, it appeared to be some sort of a library due to the amount of objects in the room and the spiraling staircase found on the right side of the room. After examining the room closer, however, it is evident that this interior space is nothing more than a seating area. The fireplace and the neutral furniture really add to the space and the various works of art on the wall, somehow, refrain from taking away from the overall vibe.

The aspect of this room that I like the most is the simplicity of the overall design. "Less is more" really comes into play in a room like this. The varying patterns used throughout the room, surprisingly, are appealing to me. Also, the color scheme throughout the room (mainly black and white with subtle uses of color) really make the room inviting. The only thing that I do not like, however, is the lack of "grounding" that the picture on the main wall has.

This room, to me, is the ideal little girl's room. However, it also has a very adult, sophisticated feel with a slight French influence. I really like how all of the patterns in the room work with each other to achieve an overall successful design style. The painting above the bed, to me, truly adds that certain "something" that pulls the room together, along with the finishing touch of the chandelier.

Upon first glance, I thought that I really liked the overall design of this room. However, as I looked at it closer I realized that the excess of furniture really distracts me. I love the colors in the room, but I'm not sure about the choice of accessories. For example, I really don't care for the orbital-looking piece of art on the right side of the room and the curtains are far more traditional than the rest of the room. Perhaps with a larger variety of furniture, in smaller quantity, the room would have a more unique feel.


This room reminds me of the Gatewood Arts Building in that it utilizes raw materials and is overall simplistic in design. The entire room seems to be vertically oriented, which is very appealing to me. I also enjoy the installation of wood in the center-point of the room, because I think it grounds the room and adds that "something" special. Also, the furniture in the room, admittedly, is relatively sparse but has been chosen by the designer appropriately.

This oriental-inspired room is one of the ten rooms that I really enjoyed because of the simplicity. Contrasting to the room above this picture, this Asian room is horizontally oriented but is still simplistic. The photography, virtually unmentioned in the other rooms I viewed, really had an impact in the end result of this design. The blue coloring at the very end of the room really forces your eyes to travel throughout the room, as you would if you were physically interacting with it.

Although I was sure that I would love this room, I really began to dislike it because of the colors and furniture. For one thing, the room is too symmetrical: one chair, one couch, and random accessories are on either side of the room and are divided by a really odd coffee table. To me, the style of the room feels like traditional, classic meets the 1980's in a really bad way. The color on the wall, the furniture covering, and the accessories all seem to be a very cheap.

I really love this dining room. The unusual placement of the pictures above eye level really adds to the overall design. The colors used in the room are relatively neutral, allowing for the small, unique touches of the design to really shine through. Although the room is one of formal gatherings, the styling of the room gives it a classy feel while staying somewhat casual.

This is my least favorite room of all of the ones that I examined. For some people, perhaps, the busyness in the room is exciting and adds to their senses. For me, however, all of the furniture, colors, patterns, accessories, etc. do nothing but distract me. I appreciate the materials, such as the wood, in the room but I do not like the combination of various, random materials (such as the marriage between wood and iron in the table).

This room is by far my favorite. The art work on the main wall really grounds the room. The furnitue is simplistic in the room but unique in its own right. None of the accessories in the room take away from the design; they only add to it. The patterns in the room (the rug, chair, and painting) all seem to work together to really make this room special. The colors, as well, work relatively well together and create an overall appealing room.

Design Research: 10 Designers

1. Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier, was a Swiss-born architect and writer who is famous for his contributions to what now is called Modern Architecture. He became a French citizen in his 30’s, and lived from October 6th, 1887 to August 27th, 1965. He was a pioneer in theoretical studies of modern design and was dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities. His career spanned five decades, with his iconic buildings constructed throughout central Europe, India, Russia, and one structure each in North and South America. He was also an urban planner, painter, sculpture, writer, and modern furniture designer.

2. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who was born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies, was a German-born American architect. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture. Like many of his post WWI contemporaries, he sought to establish a new architectural style that could represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did for their own eras. He created an influential 20th century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity. His mature buildings made use of modern materials such as industrial steel and plate glass to define interior spaces. His “skin and bones” approach to architecture led to a style of minimal framework of structural order balanced against the implied freedom of free-flowing open space. He lived from March 27th, 1886 to August 17th, 1969.


3. Charles and Ray Eames were modern furniture designers in the 1950’s who pioneered innovative technologies, such as figerglass and plastic resin chairs and the wire mesh chairs designed for Herman Miller. Besides this work, Charles and Ray Eames channeled their interest of photography into the production of short films (Traveling Boy, 1950 and Powers of Ten, 1977). Charles lived from June 17th, 1907 to August 21st, 1978 and Ray lived from December 15th, 1912 to August 21st, 1988. Both were responsible for many classic, ionic designs of the 20th century.

4. Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer who was sometimes referred to as the “Father of Modernism” in the Nordic countries. His work includes architecture, furniture, and glassware. Although sometimes regarded as the first and the most influential architect of Nordic Modernism, a closer examination of the historical facts reveals how Aalto closely followed and had personal contacts with other pioneers in Sweden. What they and many others of that generation in the Nordic countries had in common was that they had started off from classical education and were first designing in the so-called Nordic Classicism styles before moving, in the late 1920’s, towards Modernism.

5. Arne Jacobsen was a Danish architect and designer who was exemplar of the Danish Modern style. Among his architectural achievements are St. Catherine’s College, Oxford; Merton College, Oxford; Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen; and the Danish National Bank building in Copenhagen. Jacobsen has created a number of highly original chairs, such as the Egg and Ant Chairs, and other furniture. He received several international distinctions and medals for his achievements. He lived from February 11th, 1902 to March 24th, 1971.


6. Verner Panton is considered one of Denmark’s most influential 20th century furniture and interior designer. During his career, he created innovative and futuristic designs in a variety of materials, especially plastics, and in vibrant colors. His style was very 1960’s but regained popularity at the end of the 20th century. As of 2004, Panton’s most well-known furniture models, such as the Stacking Chair, are still in production. He also became well-known for his collapsible house in 1955, the Cardboard House and the Plastic House in 1960. He lived from February 13th, 1926 to September 5th, 1998.

7. Walter Adolph George Gropius (May 18, 1883 – July 5, 1969) was a German architect and founder of Bauhaus. Along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, he is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of "modern" architecture. In 1923, Gropius aided by Gareth Steele, designed his famous door handles, now considered an icon of 20th century design and often listed as one of the most influential designs to emerge from the Bauhaus. He also designed large scale housing projects in Berlin, Karlsruhe and Dessau from 1926-32 that were major contributions to the New Objectivity movement.

8. Henry Van de Velde was a Belgian painter, architect and interior designer. Together with Victor Horta he can be considered one of the main founders and representatives of Art Nouveau in Belgium. Van de Velde spent the most important part of his career in Germany and had a decisive influence on German architecture and design at the beginning of the 20th-century. Van de Velde studied painting in Antwerp, under Charles Verlat and in Paris under Carolus-Duran. As a young painter he was thoroughly influenced by Paul Signac and Georges Seurat and soon adopted a neo-impressionist style. In 1889 he became a member of the Brussels-based artist group "Les XX". After Vincent Van Gogh exhibited some work on the yearly exhibition of Les XX van de Velde became one of the first artists to be influenced by the Dutch painter. During this periode he developed a lasting friendship with the painter Théo van Rysselberghe and the sculptor Constantin Meunier. He lived from April 3rd, 1863 to October 25th, 1957.

9. Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and product designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism. Saarinen first received critical recognition while still working for his father, for a chair designed together with Charles Eames for the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition in 1940, for which they received first prize. This chair, like all other Saarinen chairs was taken into production by the Knoll furniture company, founded by the Saarinen family friend Florence (Schust) Knoll together with her husband Hans Knoll. Further attention came while Saarinen was still working for his father, when he took first prize in the 1948 competition for the design of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, not completed until the 1960s. The competition award was mistakenly sent to his — at that time more renowned — father. He lived from August 20th, 1910 to September 1st, 1961.

10. Harry Bertoia was an Italian-born artist and modern furniture designer. In 1950, he moved to Pennsylvania to establish a studio and to work with Hans and Florence Knoll. During this period he designed five wire pieces that became known as the Bertoia Collection for Knoll. Among them was the famous “Diamond Chair” which was a fluid, sculptural form made from a molded lattice work of welded steel. In Bertoia’s own words, “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes right through them.” Harry Bertoia lived from March 10th, 1915 to November 6th, 1978.

final drawings of time capsule

Process Zine

Thanksgiving Layout

Model Drawings

For my time capsule.......

Shading Exercises

New Design Technologies

One of the newest technologies to be utilized in residential construction is the use of simple composite materials for walls and roofs. Previously, this material had been available to only automobile and airplane construction due to the cost of the product. Fortunately, because of the recent demand for durable buildings in the west more specifically, this simple composite material has been dramatically lowered in price and is now more available to the general public. This material stays in one piece during earthquakes and any other event that may potentially disrupt the building environment. The material is attractive and can actually prevent mold and termite infestation. It is also safe, and highly energy efficient in reducing heating and cooling bills by 1/2 to 2/3 and are also environmentally smart because they reduce the need for steel and wood. In terms of architectural style, the material matches regional expectations and are adequate in fire safety.

Another technology recently created, and still being tested, is CSIP. Cement filled structure panels will reduce constrcution time, cost and overall operating cost in the long run. They are currently being tested for energy efficiency, structural strength, and hurricane/earthquake/natural disaster resistance. If passed, they will be used in multi story buildings to help with structural strength and cost.

Design Website Reviews

www.builderspace.com
I really wasn't impressed by this website at first glance because of how sparse the welcome page was. The background is white with only minimal color and small text. The resource page, however, were impressive as they had numerous industrial briefs. Overall it is a website that I would go to for a specific need, instead of viewing for sheer inspiration.

www.ia-global.com
I was impressed with this website at first glance because of the bright colors and enticing interactive technology found on the site. They also had a very nice portfolio that displayed their work. The design style of this company appeared to be somewhat influenced by Art-Deco because of the clean, geometric lines and intentional locations of color.

www.architectureweek.com
This website was similar to the builderspace site in the way of their usage of color and text. They did have good blogs and a nice amount of information that can be easily located on their site. They have adequate listings for their competition, blogs, directory, events, news, forums, and library.

www.schoedhardt.com
Although this website had a really nice use of color, they only had one example for each of their projects in their portfolio. This added up to only 15 photos for an entire website made specifically for showcasing and enticing potential clients. Also, it seemed that they wrote more about their company and design more than they showed the viewer, which to me is not a very sucessful technique for marketing.

www.brainforest.com
This was the only website, out of the ten that I viewed, that had an option for the viewer to leave feedback. Brain Forest is a graphic design website that appears to be user/people friendly, but they their porfolio pictures that are displayed on the website shuffle too quickly for the viewer to be able to really get an idea of the company's style.

www.jedesigngroup.net
This website had a completely different mood than the others that I visited on my research venture. The colors were very dark and rich and were joined with a somewhat classic yet bohemian style. Although the design style of this company was interesting and unqiue, their portfolio was a bit on the sparse side. They also display a cover of Good Housekeeping that they were in, as if to show their credentials, but they should show other examples than just that.

www.imichaelinteriordesign.com
This website had very nice pictures that displayed their various areas of work and design style. However, their website was really dark and seemed to lack the certain amount of "light" that viewers would be drawn to. Their style appears to have a somewhat asian, 50's, modern style with extensive and various material use.

www.deepblue.com
This company's website was very interactive and fun to view. The company is graphically oriented, so the complete layout of the page was really creative and efficient. Deep Blue designs for various areas needing design work; from transportation and commercial structures to recreation and animation.

www.legacydesign.com
Legacy Design is a company that deals specifically with media design. Their site would be very helpful if I was looking for inspirtation concerning any upcoming media project or if I needed help designing my own website. They were extremely informative, partly because they specialize in creating websites.

www.davidmichaelmiller.com
David Michael Miller works specifically with residential, modern houses. His entire website made it very clear that he deals with correctly designing structures based on the geography and culture of the area that the building will be created. He seems to take in to consideration the regional and geographical limitations that one may be faced with when building a house. His style only varies slighty, as he is very classic with a modern twist at times.

Shading

This week in our drawing class, we learned different methods of shading. Crosshatch, diagonal, random, and smudging are all methods that we learned could enhance our drawings and could highlight the quality of our drawing. I tried to use crosshatching on my egg project and smudging on the other composition.

Final Metamorphosis

In my final project, I really tried to combine equal parts of Heather and Hannah's projects. They were similar to begin with, but in their own unique ways. This wasn't an easy task, however. As Jake had mentioned to us before, the more different two objects are the easier it is to morph them together.

Metamorphosis: Heather and Hannah's Projects

The first photos are of Heather Link's pencil box project. I really loved how she had a designated space for each pencil, so I tried to replicate that same quality in mine. Hannah's memory project was similar in the way that she had specific areas for her individual objects of her project. I made a second pencil box, but similar to the shape of Hannah's memory project's design.