Falling Water Value Study

IAR 102 Cascading Latern

The Cascading Latern is my interpretation of an environmental interface. I want the cascading latern to be seen and remembered as a glowing underpass and as a ascending tunnel for music.

IAR 221: Explorations Unit

Around the 1800s designers and architects were racing to design different things and explore styles and materials. Two very influential things that were invented were skyscrapers and elevators. These two inventions go hand in hand because they aid each other. Skyscrapers around this time were mainly seen in New York and Chicago. These structures had to be substantial to hold up to the height of the building. The skyscrapers contrasted the different buildings around the city like most cities. Building such as banks wanted a more classical style. At the same time designers were recreating look a likes from the world fairs. Jefferson’s house in Virginia is an example of a recreation of old architecture from ancient times. The columns are a dead giveaway. Looking back at the skyscrapers, many people suggested that they resembled old gothic architecture. I credit this information from observing the tops of the skyscrapers. They are usually pointed with a little ornamentation around it.

While continuing to explore new designs I feel people kept going back to the old habits and designs that were a little familiar whether they did it purposefully or not. Reform, Form, and Context were three principles that were considered greatly in this exploration of new design. The movement of handcrafted vs. machine was debated as to which one was true design and talent. They started to encourage do it yourself arts and crafts. Stickley kind of started the building your house in a kit, which to me is very similar to what we see now on HGTV. Moving along with arts and crafts came the movements of art, art nouveau, art deco, lesperit nouveau, and Bauhaus. The other half of the world was still reviving classism.

The arts and crafts movement was mainly about rejecting the machine and focusing more on hand crafted work. The art movement included many different forms and painters such as Seurat completing post impressionists paintings and Picasso inscribing cubism within his paintings. Art nouveau was more of a different more cutting edge style. Art deco was primarily purchasing objects that could be placed within the design to compliment it. Bauhaus was more of borrowing design, which is something designers have been doing for years. In my interior architecture education the Bauhaus education is very important because it is based off the Bauhaus movement. Some of the important principles they teach are the elements of design and learning how to liberate your mind of things that might restrict your design.

The next movement that can still be seen today is modernism. Modernism around this time(1900s) was considered very machine like and cold. Also more interior decorators like Elisie de Wolfe are emerging during this time, which add more stylized looks to already built structures. The three principles that centered on modernism around this time were hi tech, deconstruction, and regionalism. Hi-tech elements that can be found in the structural design of a building were things like materials that looked very futuristic like steel. A good example of a building influenced solely on technology is the Piano and Roger building. This building has an open plan where all technology is pulled to the outside of the structure rather than the inside. Regionalism focused on post modernism and historic preservation. Geography was also something designers wanted to preserve as well. The Sea Ranch Condominiums used mountains and landscapes within the design to preserve the ground it stood on. Deconstructionism was more of a style of its own. A good example of this principle is the Vietnam Veteran Memorial that contains all the names of all the fallen victims of the Vietnam War. This Memorial wall was more important dealing with its contextual meaning more than its design.

Designers still to this day take their interpretation of modernism and design things that suite their personal design or good design for all. The suburbs that we have today in the 21^st century are a reflection of all explored designs and ancient designs. As more and more people design buildings their styles and principles will also be recorded and used in the future to borrow and be a principle for changing.

djavanriversilva.wordpress.com

IAR 221: Peacock Feather Inspired Perfume

IAR: 112 Self Portraits

IAR: 112 Scale Figures

IAR: 112 Bedroom Floor and persepctive views

IAR: 112 Kitchen Floor plan & Rendering Perspectives

IAR 112: Grid Perspectives

IAR 221: Final Blogpost

The object I chose that is very important to me is a cast iron skillet. I cook everyday and I had a cast iron skillet handed down to me by my mother. The design of the skillet is very simple yet very sophisticated at the same time. Just like it is in the picture, my skillet has little pouring spouts so that the skillet doubles as a shallow pot or frying pan. Secondly the material the skillet is made from is very substantial and can hold up to anything. The material is also a very good conductor of heat and cooks food evenly. The only down fall is this skillet has to be picked up with a towel or else you'll get burned. 

The space I chose is a bathroom. In my opinion the bathroom is not just a place where you use the "rest room". I see it as a place of healing and a time to be calm. Usually your always going to be in the bathroom yourself. In ancient times Romans and Greeks would go to basilicas to take baths to be socially accepted. Being clean in our society is an important trait. It's a place of cleaning, freshening up, and looking our best.

The building I chose is Falling Water. I really appreciate the designs and consideration that went into Falling Water. All the rooms and spaces in this house reflect the ideas I also have about my own home. Now days rooms in house are built very large stating that this is where you going to be most of the time. Personally I would love to have a small room like falling water that forces you to go outside and enjoy the out doors on the balcony.

The place I chose is The Friendly Shopping Center. Friendly shopping center is where I do most of my shopping because of the close vicinity of all the stores I need to go to. It's very helpful. They design of friendly shopping is built and designed based on gathering. I observed a lot of circles and columns while I was there, which in my opinion are very welcoming. The stores that reside in the shopping center are food stores, clothing stores, theaters, electrical, repair, etc.

flickriver.com

wright-house.com

bathroomremodelcost.info

left4dead.wikia.com

IAR 221: Modern Recliner

For my modern object I have selected this recliner within this room. There are many qualities that make this statement true. For one this recliner is very sleek looking. It doesn't really have a welcoming gesture to it at all. The curvy shape in it makes it almost sculptural. I think the shape is related to the ergonomics of the body. The contrasting of colors is also a trait that is used in modernism. The tan color with the white compliment each other very well. The pillow at the top of the recliner evokes a little bit of comfort, but is quickly taken back by the surroundings and remaining structure of the recliner.

 Source

homearchitecturestyles.com

IAR 221: China's Modern Skyline

Shanghai

• Contains some of the tallest buildings in the world.
• The skyscrapers in Shanghai are very expensive to produce and build.
• The skyline in Shanghai has a lot of modern characteristics.

Skyline in Shanghai, China

China contains some of the most modern buildings in the world today. With its city being so big and filled with culture there's no wonder why there are such a variety of different skyscrapers.  I really appreciate the contrasting shapes within the buildings and all the buildings combined.they sort of have a unity that is brought together by their differences. In the Shanghai district the skyline seriously looks like something straight out of a fantasy movie. This skyline contains both modern and classical influences. There are some buildings that contain the classical Roman columns and some buildings with elegant draped fabric. I feel like the contrast and similarities between these types of buildings not only shows the advancement of China, but also the history of the world. 

The modern buildings in Shanghai evoke many different emotions. I would say that some of these buildings are unwelcoming. I say this not only because its hard to find the entrance on half these buildings, but because they look very machine like.

Skyline in Greensboro, NC

If I had to compare the Shanghai skyline to another placed based off of extreme differences, I would choose Greensboro. These are two very different looking skylines. Though there are some similarities, the differences definitely out weigh them. First Greensboro is built off land with no body of water near by unlike Shanghai. Secondly Shanghai has more of a color palette to their buildings instead of grays, blacks, and beiges. The reason I feel that the skyline in Shanghai is so colorful is because they want those buildings to be seen anyway. Not only does size matter in advertising these large skyscrapers, color also plays an important role. 

Skylines can be seen in a lot o f different cities. The most common factor that you will see in all of them is a sense of modernism and size.

Skyline in New York City, USA

I feel like most skylines in the USA have a sort of business conventional style instead of more fantasy modern like buildings. The buildings in the USA are modern, its just displayed in a different way.

Sources

en.wikipedia.org

rasktravel.com

visitingdc.com

IAR 221: Perfume Clothing

For my object earlier in the semester I chose a perfume bottle. I talked about how the perfume and the bottle exerted femininity and had a natural organic nature. Perfume can either be strong or too subtle depending on the amount you spray. For my newly designed object I would actually like to take the bottle away completely and design woman's clothes with the elements of the perfume bottle and scent within the clothes.  My clothes would be feminine and have natural organic themes and colors. The clothes would also have the scent of the perfume already in the clothes that never goes away even when you wash it. They will have the perfect amount of perfume so it's not too strong. These clothes are going to limited to shirts and dresses so women won't have perfume pants and shirts on, which might increase the smell, thus making it to strong. 

IAR 221: Good Design for All

Downtown

Downtown Greensboro

In my opinion downtown Greensboro is good design for all. The reason why I chose downtown Greensboro is because I define it not only as a place, but also as a space. When I'm downtown I observe so many different aspects that cater to people's needs such as the bus stops, the bike lanes, street parking, restaurants, work buildings, outside venders, etc. I usually run a lot of my errands in downtown Greensboro and one of the things I appreciate is close vicinity of the different types of places I need to go. Most of the time they are walking distance, which is very convenient. Coming from the country where you have to drive everywhere, this is a big deal. I also love the live nature of downtown. There are a mixture of newly built building as well as run down buildings. In my opinion this contrast shows the history and character of Greensboro. 

A lot of different special events happen in downtown Greensboro. Whether its a concert, a new grocery store's grand opening, or festival, people begin to gather and make downtown come alive. To me this kind of reminds me of the Agora in ancient Greek times, where everyday business and life took place.

Source
greensboronchotels.com

IAR 221: Modern Exhibit

Barcelona Pavilion

Barcelona Pavilion

• Designed by Mies van der Rohe's
• Built in 1929.
• Location is Barcelona, Spain.
• This structure was built to be an exhibit for everyone around the world.

The Barcelona Pavilion is a very modern structure for its time. Though there are many ancient structural themes occurring in this building, Mies constructs them in a way that portrays elegance. I would say the most important elements of this building are its materials. There are a wide range of contrasting materials as well as materials being there to echo each other. Some of these materials include glass, marble, onyx slab, milk glass, metal, etc. 

Like many buildings of this time finding the entrance was challenging since most houses before these kind framed the front door, sort of welcoming you in. I do believe that modern buildings are welcoming too, just in a different way. If you look in the picture you'll see the small body of water that sits beside the Barcelona Pavilion. I feel like the combination of water and materials like glass and marble really adds serenity to the modern structure. It becomes a very calm and quiet place.

Barcelona Pavilion Floor Plan

The columns in this structure are very interesting. The appearance of the columns has a reflective chrome sheathing on them to sort of go along with the other reflective surfaces in the structure. The columns form a structural rhythm of two rows of four, in syncopated relationship with the walls, which are sometimes quite close to the columns, sometimes further away.(Ching, 732). I kind of feel like the columns aren't needed.  It would look more aesthetically pleasing if the walls supported the structure because I love the marble surface of the walls. 

Present Day

Recent Modern Houses

Geometrically the Barcelona Pavilion reminds me so much of modern houses we have today. The sharp corners and contrasting materials are very prevalent in many modern homes. A lot of them also have flat roofs, which could cause a little problem with rain if that's not taken into consideration when it is being built.

Sources

pushpullbar.com

                                                              bryndakirk.wordpress.com

homedesigncorner.com

http://www.imahnahome.com/uncategorized/freemans-bay-modern-house-belinda-george-architects.

IAR221: Reverberations Unit

Religion has had a significant influence on architecture for many years. The most common places would be the spaces inside of churches and cathedrals. In this time period people often used mental maps to record the locations of buildings such as churches and other geographic places. When architects build churches and cathedrals they often place or incorporate motifs within those buildings. We refer to this as “faith in stone”. For example many churches have stained glass windows with biblical stories painted directly upon the glass. I went to my grandma’s church for a very long time and I always wondered what the purpose of those windows was. After learning about faith in stone and glass it finally made sense. Another example of faith being incorporated in stone is the Amiens Cathedral. This is a gothic cathedral that contains really long columns. This columns are not only there to support the structure, but they are also there to represent the grand nature of the cathedral. Their vertical structure reaches to the heavens. That was a very important feature on gothic cathedrals.

As the new millennium approaches there is a change in world maps and architecture. In the dark ages there was a lot medieval castle like cathedrals located in France. These cathedrals contained pendentives and some classical elements of the renaissance period. Many Villas were also built around this time period, one being the Villa Rotunda, which is the most copied building of the western world. As time goes on there begins to be a lot of rules that the western world adopts. These rules include things like exact measurements, balance, layers, etc. Unlike the Chateau fountain staircase which completely rejects the renaissance.

Architecture has been linked to emotion in history. The space in the interior of a building can have an effect on how you feel. Architecture in happiness is not just concluded as buildings that make you happy because they are pretty. Architecture in happiness means that the building must function well, stand the test of time, and interact with people in a positive way. For example I recently took a trip to falling water and toured the interior spaces in the bedroom. Although I loved how the space looked I didn’t have the same interaction with it as everyone else did. The space made me feel a little uncomfortable. I feel this had to do with it being so neat and set up. It wasn’t very homelike to me.

Semiotic language means to uncover the latent meaning in everyday life. I feel that when Wright built Falling Water he had his own semiotic language of how the space would be interacted with. Semiotics can also play a part in class. When you go on vacation you’ll notice most of the time that either the top floor is more expensive or the bottom floor. Town housing back in the day had the same idea and that usually separated the rich from the middle class.

Colonial expansion brings new and old ideas to new places. Some people were trying to revive the old while others were trying to reform or change old ideas. All designs in architecture go through a period of revolution. This is a cycle of things falling out of popularity, coming back into popularity, and being completely thrown out. For example things such as skinny jeans, Chuck Taylor’s, and penny loafers are all things that have went through a period of revolution.

During the 19^th century a lot of new innovations and revivals begin to come into play. These new innovations include things like steel, glass, cast iron, and the revival of concrete. The Crystal palace, designed by Paxton, was essentially a huge greenhouse where they held fairs and other events.

I believe that architecture is revival from the past with little differences to be called original. I also believe that it is important that we go back to old architectural elements in order to remember the past.

Example of revival of roman columns on

the white house.

foxnews.com

IAR 221:Modern Architecture

Falling Water

When I think of modern buildings before its time, Falling Water always comes to mind. Falling Water was built in the 1900s by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright is famous for his modern style homes and buildings. While visiting Falling Water a week ago I was informed that the client of Wright wanted a sort of modern getaway cabin in the woods. Although Wright used materials that were very ancient the design however is not. Falling was also a building with style and substance. I feel these days you have a lot of modern aesthetically pleasing buildings with wasted space. In Falling Water no space is wasted. The bedrooms are very small because Wright felt that was just a place for rest not to hang out all day long. The living room and cantilevers have the most multifunctional space.

I feel that the reason people in the 20th century tried so hard to be modern is because they felt like designers borrowed from the past too much as many people do. Design is one of those things where it is hard to be original because a lot of things have been done before. I also feel that whoever influences you as a designer often reflects the work you do. In Wright's case he was either trying to break the rules of what he had been taught or he was influenced by his mentors. 

Picture Source

wright-house.com

IAR 221: Crystal Palace Fairs

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace(front)

• Designed by Sir Joseph Paxton.
• World fairs were held within this building.
• The structure was mainly made out of steel and glass.

From first glance the Crystal Palace resembles a huge greenhouse. It's arched glass ceiling echoes the elements of a greenhouse. These elements were put in place by Paxton who was an innovator of steel and glass greenhouses.( Ching, 664). Paxton played these elements up even more by adding plants and trees in the inside of the the nave of the building. Many plants and trees died due to the heat and humidity within the palace. A lot of contrast was added to the building with the actual people who were on exhibit in the building. These people were usually slaves and native americans. There ancient setups and customs were opposite to the new innovation of steel and glass.

Trees & vegetation in the Crystal Palace

Many fairs were held within the palace. These fairs would sort of advertise new products on the market. These products were mass produced or handcrafted products from other cultures. Millions of people flocked to these fairs to buys materials and to view the structure and exhibits.

Paxton's idea for the Crystal Palace was for it to look delicate, but large at the same time. The palace consist of light weight elements that were built on site.(Ching, 664). 

Present Day

Greensboro Coliseum

The Crystal Palace in many ways remind me of the Greensboro Coliseum. Architecturally the glass on the coliseum and the palace echo each other. The pattern of the glass and the support beams are very similar. I have also seen many plants within the Greensboro coliseum as well. 

This weekend the coliseum held the craftsman show, which they have every year. In the craftsman show are a couple hundred artists selling their handcrafted artwork. It's sort of like fairs they used to have in the Crystal palace.

In today's culture we still have many conventions that cover things from anime to apple products. I feel that the innovation of the Crystal Palace influenced the fairs and conventions that we have today.

Sources

                                                                      en.wikipedia.org

londonwalkblog.blogspot.com

tigerrag.com

Revolutionary Lamp

This lamp has been in my living room for a long time. As you can see there are a lot of detailing along the lamp stand suggesting a certain class. A lot detailing and art that was carved around an object, walls, or floor was a sign of wealth. In the middle of the lamp there are groves going vertically up the lamp. In my opinion the middle of the lamp echoes Greek and Roman columns. If I had to pick one I would defintinely choose ionic since there is not enough detailing to suggest otherwise. I feel that this is revolutionary because it is kind of like the revival of Roman and Greek architecture. While observing the lamp shade I noticed a smalling detail along the bottom. It looks like woven braided yarn dyed gold and ivory. The lamp shade is not perfectly round at the bottom. It has little indentations around the it. This could go along with the theory of reform because most normal lamp shades are round at the bottom and very boring. This change was probably more pleasing to the eye.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Ward Willits House

Front view of the Ward Willits House

• Built between 1900-1902.
• Wright designed this house with influence from Japanese architecture.
• This house broke the rules of the normal suburban home.
• Ward Willits House is located in Highland Park, Illinois.

Frank Lloyd Wright was a designer who supported English arts and the Crafts movement. A lot of the suburban homes that were being built around this time contained this idea. When Wright begin to build suburban homes he broke the rules by opening up more space within the houses he was designing. Wright played with horizontal lines and contrast while designing the Ward Willits House. The horizontal lines in the design add more space to the outside of the house as well as the inside. The dark stained wooden members contrast the white stucco on the walls.(Roth, 497).

Ward Willits House Floor Plan

Wright was famous for hiding things such as water heaters and regular heaters within structures he placed in the rooms or in the structure itself. He felt that they we not aesthetically pleasing. As you can see in the floor plan the Ward Willits house is built in a landscape principle, but also has that cross mid section where spaces contributed around within the structure.

Present day: Falling Water

There are a lot of similarities and differences between Falling Water and the Ward Willits House. These houses were both built in the 1900s. When looking at the environment or starting places of both designs you can see that they are drastically different. Falling water starting place was on a stream bed in the middle of the Pennsylvania woods. Wright's principle for Falling water was to incorporate nature into the structure rather than leveling it out and building something on top of it. For the Ward Willits house Wright designed these structure on a flat suburban area in Illinois.

The similarities of both these designs mainly have to do with the idea Wright had for both of them. First, both designs had Japanese influence. Secondly these designs both contain a lot of contrast. With the Ward Willits House it's more in the color of the structure on the outside. In Falling Water the balconies in the structure overlap and cross each other. Lastly the most important similarity in my opinion was Wright's idea of opening up the space. The spaces Wright created were multi functional and no space went without purpose.

Sources

delmars.com

m.eb.com

wright-house.com

IAR 221: England's National Style

The Georgian Style

Example of a Georgian style home

• Georgian style first originated in England.
• The two main qualities of georgian architecture was functionality and serviceability. 
• Georgian architecture was also used in the American colonies that the english controlled.(Ching, 581).

Georgian architecture began with the rise of King George I. King George is known for creating the system known as the Whigs. Soon after all the political changes came architectural changes. This change was known as Georgian architecture. Most Georgian style buildings were brick with simple doors and windows. These building were also very symmetrical and almost always had some sort of walkway or porch leading up into the building.

Stratford Hall Plantation

Georgian architecture was adopted by the mercantile class, who were involved in coal and agricultural ventures.(Ching, 581). This led to Georgian architecture going abroad to places such as America and Ireland. 

In my opinion these buildings are very elegant. I would say mostly upper class people resided in these homes. These Georgian style buildings remind me of modern day mansions. When I compare mansions and the Georgian style building I'm mostly referring to the type of class that is associated with the buildings, not so much on the size. Some of these Georgian style buildings are only 2300 square Ft, but the elegance and simplicity of the architecture makes them grand in their on way.

Modern day Mansion

Sources

ratethismuseum.com

thehammocksonthesound.com

flickr.com

IAR 221: Object Space Building Place

For my object I chose a disposable coffee mug. The object screams "I'm on the go". Its a portable coffee cup that could essentially hold anything you want it to. Being a college student, I usually see a lot of these on campus, but the most prominent places you would receive or see these coffee mugs in are cafes. 

The shape of the coffee mug gradually gets wider as it gets taller. This design allows for it to sit comfortably in the hand as you carry it. The brown paper also reminds me of recyclable material, but its there for protection from hot liquids.

The overall language that I'm receiving from this object is fast paced, quick, easy, warm, and good design. Not only does the coffee give you a quick joult of energy, but the good design of the vessel that holds the coffee makes the experience even quicker. 

IARC 102: Understanding music through 3D design

While interpreting Beethoven's music in class we picked several elements of design that fit the music piece. These elements included contrast, repetition, and elegance. When we came back from completing our individual projects we had to decide what aspects of each project to put within the final project. As you can see in the photo there are three sticks that erect from the middle vessel. I chose that form in my individual project to represent elegance. While the form is simple the other elements of the project makes it work. At the bottom of the project is a very strong base, which is supposed to represent the dissonance in our music piece. This particular aspect of the project was designed my Monica. The lined up bamboo sticks on the base add more to the elegance feature we were going for. 

The vertical stacking vessel in the middle of the our design was designed my Torrey. The stacking represents repetition that is found in the music. Last, but not least we examined the paper curls designed by Rachel. We found that Rachel's curls vs. Torrey's vertical stacking added the contrast we were looking for.

IAR 221: Hacienda Communities

Haciendas 

Ancient Hacienda, Yucatan.

• Haciendas usually specialized in certain things.
• Slaves that resided in the Haciendas were usually bound to that Hacienda forever.(Ching, 557
• The word Hacienda comes from the Latin word focere which means "to make something".(Ching, 557)

Haciendas go back to the 1500's made to be communities that were mostly populated by slaves. The slaves that made up these Haciendas were usually African and Native Americans. The reason why I also refer to Haciendas as communities is because not only did the slaves work there, they also lived there. The Mexican people had to ensure that the people and themselves got what they needed since the Haciendas were far from metropolitan centers.

Panoramio, Ancient Hacienda

For this reason Haciendas varied in size. Some Haciendas had its own market place, cemetery, jailhouse, etc. I feel that another reason they built a little community is because the slaves and their descendants were stuck there. There was porbably children  and older people there and they also had to be some sort of order.  All these communities focused on producing things. Things like coffee, sugar cane, cotton, food, etc.

Cotton

Present Day

Haciendas in my opinion remind me of big factories. Factories all over America rarely make everything. They usually specialize in one or two things. My aunt used to work at UNIFI. UNIFI made yarns and fabric for textile products. My aunt would spin yarn for ten hours because that was her job. They provided areas where they could eat or rest . As far as the architecture, factories and Haciendas are very large in size. The spaces within these structures a made for production and easy traffic flow.

Sources:

http://www.colonial-estates.pvoss.de/mexico-historical-haciendas.htm

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/23870526

http://kaufmann-mercantile.com/organic-cotton/