otto zenke competition [initial thoughts]

[high rise] final boards

[mcmansion]

[ranch] : final

the ranch we designed was located at 602 rockford road in greensboro. based on a painting entitled 'no. 1' by konrad cramer, my design vision was about seeing the big picture first, then observing the details. geometric forms and bold blocks of color greet the eye initially. as the viewer moves into the space, subtle patterns on surface treatments and intimate details reveal themselves. the overall goal was to recreate the experience i had when viewing cramer's artwork.

[ranch] : art analysis

[bungalow] : final boards

[bungalow] : process

[bungalow] : initial sketches

magazine research

we researched home and design magazines throughout history. the magazine i was assigned was better homes and gardens for 2009. the recurring ideas for the year were home organization, achieving high style for low cost, mixing styles and patterns, using color and accessories to transform a space, and living a well-balanced lifestyle in all areas.

great buildings

our first assignment of the semester was to research great buildings from history. i researched villa capra [vicenza, italy - 1566 - andrea palladio] and casa rotonda [stabio, switzerland - 1980-82 - mario botta]. both feature a centralized plan accentuated with natural light at the center. situated in the countryside, the residences are carefully positioned take advantage of the views while holding a specific dialogue with the landscape. villa capra was a residence used for entertaining and display of status. on the contrary, casa rotonda's role was that of a traditional private residence.


botta's intention with casa rotonda was to make the shell circular to eliminate any true facade, thus preventing any direct confrontation with surrounding buildings. the dialogue was between the landscape and the distant horizon. a central north-south sky light floods the interior with light, placing emphasis on the central corridor.


when desiging villa capra, palladio intended to provide a compass, a blueprint of the ideal building. the geometric nature of the plan and overall symmetry are imitated for years to come all over the world.

course expectations

based on the name of our studio (bungalow : ranch : [mcmansion] : high-rise), i think it's safe to assume we are focusing on residential design this semester! having taken classes with patrick before, the studio will place emphasis on precedent studies. research into the background of a site, building type, or specific building paired with the investigator's own experiences will be allow us to synthesize a complete understanding of the world around us. from this studio, i hope to develop strategies to deal with all types of residential design. i also hope to learn more about my design process and refine it to make me more productive and holistic as a designer. i'm excited about what the studio has to offer!

design[ing] happiness

i couldn't decide on just one space that makes me happy, so i decided to post three. different elements of each appeal to me and make me happy.


this room makes me happy because of the neutral colors and the large windows. i like a lot of natural light and floor-to-ceiling windows are a must-have for me! the stone walls on the interior give the room a natural, earthy feel which puts me at piece.


this second room also has the same neutral, calm effect as the previous one. the contrast between furniture frames and cushions, as well as the subtle bursts of color, appeal to me. the horizontal lines of the room make me feel comfortable and embraced.


this final room appeals to my new sense of color. i have recently fallen in love with the color scheme of grey, white, and one other color, preferably yellow or coral. this room uses grey, but manages to stay bright and cheery with the use of yellow and white to keep everything light, airy, and clean.

process reflection

overall, i am happy with the final phase of the unity village project. it was interesting the way we narrowed our focus through the three phases from the entire range of residents down to a specific set of users. although i felt the project was a little rushed for the time frame we were allotted, i did learn more about how i work as a designer and the process i must go through. for example, using the trace paper to draw quick floor plan variations helped me step outside of the floor plan i thought i wanted to use and kept me from being stuck with one design. i also used this project to try a new rendering style. i printed out a sketchup perspective with textures. i then hand rendered over it, adding pen marks and shade and shadow using markers. it took several tries to get the final result, which i still felt could have been better. i would use this technique in the future with minor changes to make it look perfect.

looking back through the project, i appreciate the process work we had to collect because it is nice to follow the project from conception to realization. being able to see how the design developed is helpful not only for me as a designer, but also for clients. design is all about revisions because the first design is never the final design. after looking at the process books of my classmates, i realized how different everyone's process was. a good designer knows how to recognize which ideas can be developed further and which should be left behing. this semester has helped me improve this skill and appreciate the work and development that is required to create a good design.

floor plan development

i tried this floor plan in which the two students share a bedroom. although it seems to help with the layout and integrating the communal spaces, i realize the importance of privacy and personal space. college students want a sense of ownership over their room and a place to call their own.


... so i went back towards the first plans i developed with two bedrooms. after desk critiques, i was encouraged to integrate the poker and living areas. the shape of the space is difficult to create a cohesive room. i also have been struggling on how to make the poker table adaptable/storeable. in this floor plan, i had the table folding out of the wall. however, it would be difficult get all the seats around it when poker is in session. back to the drawing board...

more inspiration...

originally, i planned to use floor seating to manipulate the scale in the living room and create a new experience when viewing the television.


my idea for floor seating came from video game chairs. every guy i know that plays video games does so in a reclining position. my brother and cousins all have these game chairs, which sit on the floor. in the final space, i also will add ottomans as an alternative seating position. when i see people watch spots, including myself, they usually are in an upright forward position, often on the edge of their seats. the ottomans will offer that alternative in the living room.



i chose this kitchen because of the open shelves and simple colors that make it look clean and uncluttered. the contrast draws the eye to the countertop and emphasizes the horizontal lines in the room.

the entertainment center shelves are one continuous surface, which provides a fluid, integrated look. it also has a sleek, modern feel, which is what i want to bring to the space.

floor plan

this is closer to the final floor plan for the apartment. it includes a living room, bar, kitchenette, poker area, full bath, and two bedrooms. the struggle was working with the curves and angles to accommodate all necessary space while minimizing wasted space. it is still a work in progress, but this is the stage i'm at right now.

programming

jeff linn [design strengths]

when asked to discuss the strengths of another classmate, i chose to talk to jeff linn. he told me he was good at bridging the gap between aesthetics and function with his designs. it is easy to design something purely aesthetic or purely functional, but a satisfactory balance is not as easily attained. thinking about jeff's work throughout the past semesters i find that i agree with strength. in our foods lab project last semester he created a healthy balance between the two. he found creative ways to solve spatial dilemmas while also creating an interesting and stylish interior. this is an important skill for any designer to possess. having knowledge of precedents that handle problems successfully and being open to unexpected sources of inspiration will help me also achieve the same success.

living area development

in the living area, i wanted to create a multimedia environment that manipulated scale. there are four screens that can collectively show one picture (like a movie theater) or each can have a separate picture (great for watching multiple sports games or multi-player video games). the seating is at the floor level to make the user feel smaller compared to the screen
and the whole area.

these are the initial models done in sketchup. the top of the seat has an extended bar area, which can be used for dining.

a little inspiration for shape and scale...