katie reynolds

post graduation creativity

2011-08-24T19:31:00.001-07:00

CAUTION! work in progress

2011-04-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

Design Charrette with IIDA

2011-04-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

the workers:

Laura Snoderly

Robert Fausset

Linda Melendez

Katie Reynolds

Taeho Kwon

Megan Schwarz

the supplies:

the process:

Helix Graphics Work

2011-04-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

New camera exploration

2011-04-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

bright lights of studio

2011-04-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Portfolio Sample

2011-04-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

WACOM TABLET!!

2011-03-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

I finally got a Wacom Bamboo tablet for my birthday, and I love it. Here is my first official sketch. It's a bit rough, but I look forward to improving my mad skills over spring break.

Weekend relaxation and recharge

2011-03-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

This weekend the weather was unseasonably warm and wonderful so I headed home to explore in the jeep with my parents.

Conceptual Sections

2011-02-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Music Inspiration

2011-01-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

Feeling very inspired by Adele's new single. The video is killer and so is she. Must watch!

Resume

2011-01-26T09:43:00.001-08:00

ideas for sites in Greensboro

2011-01-20T17:27:00.001-08:00

My group drove around Wednesday looking for possible sites for our studio project this semester. We looked at the corner Walker avenue and Elam, downtown, and in the surrounding areas. Below are some of the possibilities we came up with.

Bakery Behind Mary Contrary on Elm St.

Vacant building on the corner of Washington and Elm- Glitters on the Corner

Vacant building on the corner of Fulton and Lee St.

Wahoos Bar on the corner of Walker and Elam

Internship!

2010-12-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

This is a sampling of work from the internship I had this fall semester at the Anthropologie in Greensboro, NC as a display intern. I have never been so inspired or happy with the work I produced. What a wonderfully, magical company to work for! I encourage you to visit a store in your area and be inspired by the atmosphere.

PIGEON STUDY- Watercolor

2010-08-07T06:36:00.001-07:00

THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT!

2010-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

I'm starting off this school year with an exciting new adventure, THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT! If you are a sketcher, you should check this out!

Life lessons

2010-06-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

I've been in a kind of inspiration/life funk the past month or so. I found this new blog that gave me some a little pep talk of sorts.

* images from http://pleasedonttalktomeifallinlovesoeasily.blogspot.com/ *

Capturing the world in sketches

2010-03-19T19:09:00.001-07:00

Check out this blog about a man that lives in NYC who is detirmined to draw every person in New York.

New York Sketches

2010-03-15T08:49:00.001-07:00

postcard portfolio snip-its

2010-03-12T14:51:00.001-08:00

PORTFOLIO

2010-02-23T17:54:00.001-08:00

Concept Driven

2010-02-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

Crafts for a Cause

2010-02-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

Binki Shapiro of the band Little Joy has started a project called Crafts for a Cause. Bands, artists, and movie stars design or decorate items to be auctioned off to raise money for Haiti. This is a really awesome way to "create" a way to help.

Making a difference

2010-01-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

I have said before that you never know when what you are doing will make a difference, and today I will say it again. A little boy in England wanted to raise money for Haiti by riding his bike around the park in his neighborhood, and he ended up raising $160,000.00 for UNICEF. Imagine what you could do to make a difference in the world. Watch the video here.

Lighting Model- Designer Inspiration

2010-01-20T16:58:00.000-08:00

Our first studio project this semester is to design a space based on given parameter, and create a lighting model all of which should be inspired by a designer or architect. My partner Maiken and I are using the designs of Alvar Aalto as inspiration.

(photo from: designmuseum.org)

(photo from: http://www.scandinaviandesign.com/artek/interior.jpg)

(photo from: http://www.allmodern.com/Artek-08330X-ARK1006.html)

(photo from: http://www.uncommonphotographers.net/?m=20051031)

Valentines is coming up!!!

2010-01-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

My birthday is the day after Valentine's Day, so I love to make it special for people that I know will make my birthday special. This year I have fallen in love with vintage valentines. I found some at a local antique store, but they also have these at Barnes and Noble. LOVE them!!!

Great Graphics

2010-01-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

Over break I worked......a lot. I spent a lot of time working for my Mom at her office updating spreadsheets, and filing, and organizing, and pretty much just doing grunt work. But while at work I intercepted this postcard that came in the mail from a company that they ordered from and I had to share it. Baudeville, who has really cool stuff that you should go check out now, sent a feedback postcard with two tootsie rolls attached to it, and it made it impossible for my mother to just throw it in the trash....something to think about when sending out portfolios?

Final Presentations

2009-12-02T18:40:00.001-08:00

The Limit Poster final

2009-12-02T18:35:00.001-08:00

2009-11-24T04:32:00.000-08:00

Random Inspiration

2009-11-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

While working on my final Project I found this store online and I just had to link it on my blog. Enjoy!!

Process work

2009-11-16T09:35:00.001-08:00

it was bring your beagle to studio night....bella loves studio.

The Hatchery- elastisized

2009-11-06T07:42:00.001-08:00

The retail space will be connected to the gallery space by an entryway that is made up of rubber and elastic cables strung from the floor to the ceiling.

The ceiling in the retail space is made to look like it is being stretched in all different directions. In theory, the ceiling will be constructed out of fabric.

Some of the walls in the space appear to be stretching out into the space, held in place by cables. This wall will be above the cash wrap which will be suspended from the wall by rubber and elastic cables.

The cash wrap will have a front panel that is covered in elastic banding, stretched to different thicknesses over a light box. The tighter the elastic is pulled, the more light will shine through. This type of accent lighting will be used multiple times around the store.

Shelving around the store will mirror the ceiling design, and will appear to be stretched out from the wall itself.

The lighting in the space will be accent from the panels of elastic, natural light that comes in through the gallery space as well as sconces and pendants. (dwr.com)

Both the front and back esntrance to the gallery will have a facade put over the existing building covering the brick in smooth, white. The concept of elasticity will be shown here by stretching the facade like the retail space's ceiling.

The is the plan view of the separation of spaces in the hatchery. The back entrance is on the left side of the plan. The spaces from left to right are the consultation/ meeting room, the co-lab studio, the retail space, and the gallery. The floors will be the existing wood flooring.

When you enter through the back entrance you will have access to the co-lab (collaboration studio) and a meeting/consultation space. Both of these spaces will have a window that opens up to the hallway so that they act as a sort of gallery space displaying works in progress. This idea will "stretch" the spaces into public view.

The opposite end of the hallway from the entrance is the retail space, the heart of the space.

The color scheme and furniture selections for this space can be found in the previous post- concept: elasticity which serves as my inspiration board.

Conceptualization

2009-10-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Elasticity: Flexible but able to retain shape

While in school, we are encouraged to expand our thinking, push our minds to their limits, and stretch beyond. The Hatchery will be a place where we can expand and push ourselves, and our work to it’s extremes. The Hatchery itself must be flexible and able to bend to the needs of it’s inhabitants and users. The furniture that will be in the space must be multi-functional and able to be moved to change the space around for different uses. Temporary walls will be created out of bungee cords that go from floor to ceiling, and can be manipulated by pulling and twisting the cords to created different walls and spaces to display work.

The retail space will be separated from the performance space by temporary walls of cable, and will have displays that can be moved around to accommodate new merchandise. The ceiling of the performance and retail spaces will be covered in a stretch fabric that will be pulled to different points to look like it is expanding and contracting. At one place, the ceiling will open up to a skylight above.
The work spaces and back rooms will have walls that mirror the ceiling up front. The feeling of the space being elastic will hopefully promote elasticity of the mind.

When we graduate and get employed, we may have to reign in our minds a little, and think more logically. Until that time, the Hatchery will be a place for our minds to stretch to it's limits, and to create and display truly amazing work.

Hatchery Bubble Diagram

2009-10-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Hatchery will consist of the Exhibition & Performance space, the Gallery Retail space, a Collaboration space between different departments at UNCG, and a consultation space where clients can meet with students from UNCG. The Exhibition space will be at the front of the Hatchery and will be immediately adjacent to the Gallery retail space and public restrooms. I would like for the Exhibition and Performance space to visually connect with the Gallery Space. These areas would have access to the back of the Hatchery where the Collaboration studio and Consultation space would be, but they will be separated visually.
The back of the Hatchery will be accessible from the back entrance and will house the collaboration studio and the consultation space, as well as a private bathroom. The collaboration space will be visually connected to the consultation space.

|inventory investigation|-Hatchery Style

2009-10-14T04:59:00.000-07:00

When thinking of what to put into the Hatchery I looked to my friends. UNCG has a lot of programs that produce truly beautiful student work that could be displayed in the Hatchery, and thankfully, I have a lot of friends to give me insight to those programs. Here is a list I created from talking to my friends in the CARS, studio art, theatre, and english departments.

Hatchery Inventory:
-paintings
-photography
-sculptures
-full scale wall installations
-models
-clothing
-costumes
-poetry
-digital displays of work, or presentations
-BCS short films
-music recordings
-theatre displays

2009-10-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

Group Displays

2009-09-24T11:22:00.001-07:00

Dis-playing

2009-09-23T08:27:00.001-07:00

Window displays can make, or break a store's image. Anthropologie has developed a unique style that accentuates the store's image, something we are trying to do with The Salvation Army Select. Below are a few of my ideas for the Select displays.

A giant shield created out of flowers made from old t-shirts acts as a symbol of reuse, a bold sign that can be seen from the road, and an art piece.

This idea brings the "Donation Station" idea into the store. The suitcases will be suspended and be "raining" donations into the window. A bright red umbrella with the shield logo will be suspended with the mannequin.
Another display option that I had was using old drawers as part of the display. Reusing them, and creating window boxes of sort full of flowers. The idea of using greenery in the space would make it feel more like a boutique than a generic store.

Blogs can open doors!!

2009-09-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

I read an article today about a pretty amazing little girl named Tavi Gevinson who's fashion blog on blogspot got her noticed by major fashion designers, and has now put her on the map as a major fashion blogger! Read the article and visit her blog, because it is amazing what we can do with our blogs!!

Inspiration Weekend

2009-09-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Salvation Army Select- The next step

2009-09-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

After presenting the marketing and donation ideas that we had in class on Wednesday, we were split into groups to implement some of the ideas that were discussed. My suitcase idea that I discussed in the previous post, is being combined with the idea of Ms. Lily Glover's mannequin idea, and turned into "Donation-Stations."

(Above Drawn By Lily Glover)

These "Donation-Stations" will be used as both marketing and donation opportunities. People can bring donations and play dress-up with the mannequins as well as being able to place items into the refurbished suitcases for pick-up. For areas where we plan on having a lot of donations, we will be stacking and securing the suitcases together, and cutting a hole through them. We will then place a cylindrical container in the hole for collection, in essence, using the suitcases to create an artistic facade to go around the drop-off container.

(Images by Allisyn Miller)

Our group divided up on Wednesday to try and get the ball rolling on this project. Allisyn Miller & Michelle Bodon are in charge of finding locations for the "Donation- Stations." Allisyn has been contacting MACK&MACK and the Village at North Elm to see if we can get some public venues for the stations, while Michelle has been focusing her efforts on finding places on campus that would be possibilities. Lily is diligently looking for mannequins and bust forms that we could use in the displays, as well as possibly in the store once it is open. I have been in contact with the manager of one of the local Salvation Army stores, trying to get suitcases donated for the displays.

Salvation Army Select

2009-09-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

In an effort to promote the upcoming opening of the new Salvation Army Select store, we as a class were asked to come up with ideas to get donations and press for the store. Keeping up with the ideals used by the Salvation Army, I decided to use items found in the thrift stores, and make new items.

My first ideas all started with a shirt. Plain t-shirts overrun the Salvation Army. I thought of all the ways to promote or raise donations that could come from a plain t-shirt.

When thinking about ways to get donations, I had a difficult time. My first ideas consisted of different containers that could be built and placed at different locations around town to promote the store, but that didn't go with the ideals that I was trying to use. I went down to the local Salvation Army and found an old, blue suitcase. ( I actually found a whole shelf of old blue suitcases.) This is where my "donation-station" idea came from. The idea is to take old suitcases from the store and turn them into the donation-station. Clean them up, put a poster inside to promote donating, and take them to local businesses around town to leave out. This not only would reuse an old product, and be an effective promotional tool, but it would make donation collection easier.

Timepieces

2009-09-13T09:04:00.001-07:00

We were asked to create three options for "timepieces" to go in our recently designed retail spaces. I wanted the timepieces to be environmental aspects of the store itself.

The first one was inspired by the Pantheon and the cycle of the sun. I designed an 8ft mechanical system at the top of the store, set into the dome. Throughout the day, the system rotates and at different times of the day, and a series of 12" holes open allowing light to penetrate the dark space bellow. The different angles of light will highlight different aspects of the store throughout the day. These renderings show the device open at noon, where the light would shine directly down into the store.

The second option that I designed sits directly below where the oculus would be. Inside of the store, in the center of the space would be a plasma screen set directly into the floor showing the supernova. Around the perimeter of the screen would be a ring of metal with lights imbeded into it. This timepiece more closely resembles a clock. Four large lights found at 12, 3,6, and 9 will be the brightest, while smaller lights in between will be more dim. As time ticks by, the lights will glow according to what time it is. It will continue to light up until 12 noon when everything will be lit for 15 minutes until it starts over again. The last image shows the timepiece at 3:00.

The third idea that I had for the space is similar to the one above, but on a larger scale. This timepiece takes up the entire floor of the private dressing rooms. A 16" wide glass circle, set into the black wood floor, is lit from underneath. As time passes the light travels around the circle gradually, making the room glow. At noon, the entire circle would be lit like it is in the last picture. The lights used in this timepiece will be filtered through the lightly frosted glass giving off a soothing glow.

Material board revisited

2009-09-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Supernova Materials Board

2009-09-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is a preliminary mock-up of my materials board for my retail space. The space is designed to be a space inspired lingerie store. Black lacquered wood floors and black metal walls are in the main gallery space of the store. Gold chrome mannequins will be suspended at different heights throughout the gallery and will be lit from above to look like alien figures floating in space. The black metal walls will be curved to make people in the store feel like there is no sense of depth, like they too are floating in space. The dressing rooms will be decorated in mid century space-inspired furniture to continue with the space concept, but to allow for a more upscale feeling. The lingerie displayed in the store are futuristic or space inspired, and will be displayed on the gold mannequins.

Material Girl

2009-09-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

In my Revisioning Retail studio Monday, we were asked to draw two pieces of paper out of a bucket; one pink and one yellow. The pink piece of paper had what our retail space would sell and the yellow was our concept. Our assignment was to come up with an idea for a store that would go in a mall that is trying to transform itself into a more upscale shopping center. My pink piece of paper said sleepwear and undergarments, and my yellow concept paper said supernova. To say that I had to think for a long time on how to relate my concept to the product sold in the store would be a lie. After doing some research, came across a description of different types of supernovae. It was on this website that my concept took shape for this project, in the form of a supernova created from Binary stars (A binary star is a pair of stars that are close together and orbit about each other), also referred to as a type I supernova.

How a type I supernova occurs:
a pair of stars are close together
they begin to orbit and revolve around each other
the pull of the smaller star draws mass and energy from it's larger companion
when the stars become too unstable, they collapse and explode

After reading this, I decided that the store needed to be an upscale, classy, deisgner lingerie and undergarment boutique.

"Most supernovae reach maximum brightness a few days after they occur and shine intensely for several weeks. Some fade within months. Others fade over a period of years."
With this model I decided to separate the store into different sections based on what the product was. Articles that were for special occasions, and only intended to be worn once, articles for everyday use, and articles that would be kept for years.

Some designers that I am looking at for inspiration for the product to go into the store are:

I also found that scientists believe that heavy metals like gold came from supernovas. In response to this I decided that instead of the traditional chrome clothing racks, I was going to have gold, and gold accents throughout the store. I found gold mannequins that I thought would be amazing in the store, they not only will match the display accents but they have an alien look about them which lends itself well to the supernova concept.

In my exploration of the internet, I found these heat sensitive wall panels that are amazing. I was trying to find something different to put in part of the store to give a little dimension and also bring down the noise level. These fabric panels can be arranged in different configurations and when touched or when a change in temperature occurs around them, they change like a mood ring. The colors and design created by the change resemble the pictures of supernovas, and relates back to the bright, colorful show brought on by heat. I invite you to visit the NunoErin website to check out these panels.

I would like to have a gold leaf ceiling in at least part of the store, possibly the dressing rooms, or at the center of the store. This picture shows a room with recessed cans set in a gold leaf ceiling which gives the room an ethereal feel, which is ideal for this space.

I decided to offset the gold with black floors and black ceilings in most of the space.

I know that I want to use black lacquered drawers in the space, but I can't decide between the sleek, modern 6 drawer units found in most stores, or actual chest of drawers to give the store a bedroom feel.

Retail Recon-Material Investigation case study

2009-08-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

In an effort to heighten my awareness on details in the retail environment, I did a materials case study on some of my favorite stores. When trying to decide which stores to look at, I thought about local favorites (anthropologie, gap, apple, etc.) but I wanted to get a more broad range of stores. Over Easter, I went to New York City for the first time with my Mom, and did some major shopping. While most of our time was spent meandering through Macy's, we managed to hit a wide variety of stores, some of which had amazing designs.

The first store I would like to look at in Swatch Watch Times Square. This store catches your eye from the street with it's bright facade and window displays. When you walk into the store through the revolving door you are greeted by bright lights, bright colors, bright displays, and loud music. The only thing sold at Swatch is their line of distinctly unique plastic watches. Shiny plastic displays throughout the store hold the large collection watches. Bold blue terrazzo floors with glitter are accented with cylindrical, plastic displays in a complimentary orange. The metal ceiling, dotted with more recessed cans than I could count, reflects the entire store. The swatch store is just like their watches, bright, fun, and trendy

Another Store in Times Square that I found interesting was the M&M's store. The M&M's store sold all things M&M from the candy itself all the way up to dishes and aprons all while promoting New York City. Concrete floors and a black ceiling left the store's product to be the decor. As the store was on a corner on Broadway, two whole walls were floor to ceiling windows that overlooked times square. The other walls were painted the colors of the M&M's packages and the logo. Other areas of the store had murals painted on them like the one below depicting Time's Square overtaken by the M&M's logo. One of the largest walls in the store was covered in plastic containers that held M&M's in every color imaginable. Giant plastic statues of M&M's were dressed up all around the store, giving the store an almost theme park feel. The most important thing that I noted while visiting this store was that the store itself was a fairly bland space that was made bright and lively by the product inside it. This allows the store to reinvent how it looks by just changing up the product.

Across town, off of 5th ave in NYC was the Coach store on 57th street. The 5th ave shopping district is swanky to say the least, but the stores are beautiful. The all black outdoor facade from the store is a complete contrast from what you see when you enter. White marble floors, white shelves and tables, and white walls. Like the M&M's store, Coach allows the products to decorate the store. The shelving displays are all white, shiny plastic that create rectangular holes to put the purses in. Each hole is back-lit and lit from above with one of each different bag in each hole. This makes the store look more like a gallery, showing off artwork than a retail store. A band of wood paneling underneath the shelving units goes throughout the store, and keeps the white from being too overpowering, and gives the space a more luxurious feel. This is a beautiful store, and one of my favorites that I visited.

One store that I did visit here in Greensboro this weekend was Forever21. I have a love/hate relationship with this store simply because I feel like I am on sensory overload whenever I go in there. Forever21 uses the same principles as Coach in having a completely white space to allow the product to speak for itself. White marble floors, white walls, white ceiling, white tables, white mannequins. The difference here is that while the coach store had subdued lighting and music, giving a soft, luxurious feeling to the store, Forever21 has bright lights and loud music. Everything in Forever21 is trendy and bright, and the store lends itself to the clothes nicely. There is always a quick turn-around of the product in this store, and the blank canvas allows itself to the ever-changing inventory well.

The last store that I looked at for this case study was the Fossil store on Broadway in New York. This store was without a doubt my favorite store (except for Macy's) and not just because I got the cutest bag ever there. I actually did a little sketching while I was waiting on my Mom, and later in the hotel room. I'm not sure why I enjoyed that space as much as I did, but it felt really welcoming. The outside of the store had a large wall of white stone which carried over to the inside of the store as if the store was carved into the side of a mountain of stone instead of being a part of the buildings around it. White wood shelves and wood paneling around the store continued the natural feel created by the rock, which was mirrored in the concrete on part of the floor. The contrast of the natural materials of the store to the view of Times Square out the window gave the store a very unique feel. All of the other stores around Times Square were designed to reflect it, but not Fossil. It was a warm, inviting space, and one of my favorites.

THE HIVE- final draft

2009-05-09T05:36:00.001-07:00

THE HIVE:
A residential complex for members of the fast paced, high-tech x-y generation.

Below are images used in my final presentation of the Hipster Haven project. I really enjoyed working on this project, and I feel that my images convey that. My post-critique critique of my own project lead me to think about things I would do differently if I had the chance to redo this project. I would love input from others to help me grow as a designer. Having said that, scroll down, and I hope that you enjoy THE HIVE.

Downstairs Plan View

Loft Plan View

Living and Dining Areas

Kitchen and Dining Areas

View of Terrace on Roof

Stairs

Loft

Kitchen

Hipster Haven update with Podium first drafts

2009-04-14T11:03:00.001-07:00

Dining AreaLiving Area

Stairs

Kitchen

One side of the bedroom loft area

Becher-Weaver Conversion to Hipter-Haven Update

2009-04-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

The conversion of the Becher-Weaver Building continues. I am designing a prototype unit for the building. The following are plan and perspective views of my design of one of the rectangular units from the floor plan below.

Becher-Weaver Conversion to Hipter-Haven

2009-03-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

This project required us to convert the existing Becher-Weaver building in Greensboro into apartments for young adults of the x-y generation. The first part of this project, shown here, was to layout where the 900 square foot apartments would be as well as the 900 square foot coffee house. We chose to stay away from the idea of a long, thin hallway with straight walls and rows of doors. Some of our units just out into a trapezoid shape to show where the different units are. Below is the plan for the building as well as two perspectives of the space.
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a place to BATHE.....

2009-03-06T05:27:00.001-08:00

Inspired by the warm springs of Budapest, my design for a place to bathe is a tranquil space. The warm water pool or "bath" was designed to look like rock that has been eroded over the years by water.

plan view

The pool is 48" deep, with a water level of 40". This height comes to almost the shoulder of a wheelchair-bound individual. The different levels of "sediment" are actually cut out at different heights to allow for seating. The different heights allow for different levels of submersion in the water.

section cut of pool

reflected ceiling plan

The walls of the space are curved to take away the sense of space. Individuals in wheelchairs are forced to be constantly aware of the heights of things, so I wanted them to be in a place where there was no sense of height.

front elevation of space

back elevation of space

The pool was designed as a place for relaxation for wheelchair bound individuals. The setting of the space is somewhere serene, almost as if you are actually outdoors. Earth-toned stained cements, and rubber flooring warm the space.

perspective

perspective

perspective from inside pool

I chose to use rubber flooring to allow for a smooth, mat surface, and also to allow for slip resistance. By using the slate textured rubber in nutmeg, the feeling of stone is continued throughout the space.

The pool itself as well as the wall that protrudes from it are all made of stained concrete. The different levels are different colors to look like sediment. The top of each layer in the pool are covered in a matching layer of rubber to make it more comfortable, and to allow for slip resistance.

model

Cultural Bathing- Budapest

2009-02-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Budapest, Hungary is referred to as "the city of healing waters." The city sits on a thin layer of earth under which is an abundance of thermal heat that creates hot springs. The original Celtic settlers of the area discovered the magic of the warm water springs, but the Romans moved in later, and harnessed it's power. Today the city is covered in spas, both public and private, that attract people from all over the world, and are used everyday by it's citizens. The combination of different pools with different water temperatures, in addition to massages, make the spas of Budapest the perfect place to relieve stress and the pain of arthritis and joint and muscle pain.
The pools are typically separated for men and women. Traditionally, only the men were allowed to bath, and even today the spas have men-only days. The process of bathing is almost ritualistic. A bather signs in, goes to a locker to change, showers, then starts in the main pool. After a long soak in the main pool, it is customary to move to the smaller, warmer pools, then to the sauna. Once the bathing and steaming is over, there are rooms that one can go to, to take a nap before dressing. The whole bathing experience is supposed to last around 2 hours.
I chose the baths at Budapest for this project because I want the bath that I design to be a place of healing and relaxation. I want it to be an experience that can be had everyday; one that will be enjoyable.

Personal blog

2009-02-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

just wanted to put a link up to me personal blog which i use to connect the dots in my life

Visual Communication

2009-02-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

be sure to check out my visual communication blog to see all the cool stuff I'm working on!

a place to DINE.....

2009-02-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

Our objective was design a functional space as well as a dining room table and side table/buffet. We began by designing the furniture, and worked the space around it. My concept for this project was biomorphism. Biomorphism is the use of living organisms as the inspiration for the design of inanimate objects or environments. I used the model of a leaf to aid me in my design. When a plant gets too dry, it's leaves curl in on themselves. When the leaf regains it's sustenance, it opens back up; thus the basis for my table design.
My table design is made to resemble that leaf. A sculptural, organic base acts as the stem, rooting the table to the room. Two 15"leaves, attached with piano hinges, fold up from under the table when it is in use. In essence, when the sustenance reaches the table, it opens up, like the leaf. The table is 10'10"L X 4'. It is made of bamboo and rattan, and sits up to 12 people.My buffet design echoes that of my dining table. The side leaves on this table fold down flush when not in use, and fold up and slide in to add room for serving. This table is also made of bamboo and has two doors with a brown linen inset, that slide to expose storage. A contrasting red-orange stain ties the buffet to the dining chairs, which are the Globus Chair by DWR.

I chose the Globus Chair because I wanted the room to be environmentally friendly. This chair is made from beech plywood, and gives the illusion of a leaf or bloom. I also chose a chandelier made of recycled metal in the room, which reminded me of an abstract sun. The purpose of the room was to be a place to dine, but I imagined it to be a dining room in some urban-jungle condo. I wanted to bring a sense of nature to the space. Natural cork flooring, low VOC paint in a light blue, and indoor window boxes with a layer of moss that can double as shelves help to finish the room.
I used windows that span almost the whole length of the wall on the north and west walls. The windows start 60" off the ground and are 18" high. The South and East walls have lighting set into the wall at the same height off the ground, and are covered in plexi-glass. I chose this banding effect to let the light shine down and to give the occupants mostly sky to look at, instead of a city view to continue the illusion of nature. The plexi covered lighting fixtures are on the two interior walls, and are attached to a dimmer to control the artificial light to match that of the natural light entering through the windows. Here are some more views of the room done in sketch-up and podium.

New blog

2009-01-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

I have just created a new blog to exhibit what I am working on this semester in my visual communications class. I will be posting projects as I work on them, so be watching!

-katie

Bus shelter

2009-01-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the final bus shelter. We all worked very hard last semester to make sure that our final product was one that we could be proud of. Lots of hard work went into this project, and I for one am very proud of everyone in studio for making this happen.

BUS SHELTER

2008-10-13T05:49:00.001-07:00

Check back for deign process pictures!!

Functional Art

2008-10-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Precis

2008-09-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Drawing Class Work

2008-09-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

These are two of my assignments from this semester so far in drawing class. The one on the right is in pencil and the one below is in watercolor. I posted these because this was my first attempt at watercolor, and I want to remind myself that I need to keep practicing.

More Guerilla Marketing Examples That are funny

2008-09-22T09:52:00.001-07:00

Guerilla marketing 101

2008-09-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

In this form of Marketing we chose to use home furnishings found at the Salvation army to "decorate" the Park and Ride bus shelters around the UNCG campus. This would not only highlight the project of BUS/SHELTER but also a later project working with a Salvation Army store which will be later in the year.

Another form of marketing that we decided on involved the speaker on the bus system itself. A string of words that evolve into shelter and bus which summarizes the projects that we have been working on. The plug for the blog at the end will direct riders to look at the other work that we have been doing.

To look at other forms of marketing taken on by our group look at these blogs:
Kurt
Kevin
Lily

Codes+

2008-09-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

Following our experiments with codes, ergonomics and proxemics a few issues of our designs have been revealed but we have also learned something new about the way people are thanks to the research we preformed. For example we discovered that people are generally comfortable having a space of about four feet between them and people they do not know which interestingly enough has effected our original estimates as to how many people could use the benches provided in our bus stop. Proxemics also helped us to realize that in a counseling situation the distance between where the doctor and patient would normally sit may in fact create a little tension between them due to the discomfort felt. In codes themselves we saw a number of handicap accessible features are not built to code to better allow the mobility of handicapped people.
We think that designers should always be open to change. In fact we as designers should embrace change, it may take away some sort of element you were going for but it could also create the possibility of an even better element to your design. Codes may seem like a burden but they exist to help make sure that no one is left out and if you have a great design you would’t really want to leave some one out. We will all be effected by codes at some point or another, at some points we may not be happy about codes affecting our design but other times codes will help us form a better connection with the people we are actually designing for, everyone is different and your architecture needs to be able to react to that, other wise it will be a failure and it will lose its intent.

For the Codes+ project we had to look at Codes, Ergonomics, and Proxemics as they applied to our Shelter/Bus and Bus/Shelter project models. These are my sketches, for more, see Kevin and Heather's blogs.

This is the entrance to the Shelter/Bus created as a shelter. The codes for a wheel chair ramp were applied to the model making it 60" wide and 36" long.

This is a diagram that shows one of the doorways in the Shelter/Bus for medical care. The door was widened 12" from the existing doorway to allow for two-way flow of traffic.

This diagram shows the Bus/Shelter. The roof had to be extended in order for there to be 60"of covered space for a wheelchair bound person to wait for the bus. The column that goes through the shelter for support was moved so that someone who is wheel chair bound is included in the shelter instead of being seperated from the other waiting passengers.

The table heights in the Shelter/Bus for shelter had to be lowered in order to acomodate those that are in wheel chairs. The green shows the new height at 33".

This is a diagram showing the pathway through the Shelter/Bus for medical attention. The space is 8 feet wide, and has plenty of space to provide the required 60" turning radius need for wheel chairs- this should be kept in mind when furnishings are added to the space later on.

Shelter/Bus sketches

2008-09-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

These are sketches from my group the "kings." We decided to design two shelters inside of buses. One bus is constructed for medical attention, and one for shelter.

Video Interview

2008-09-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of the Client Charrette

2008-09-14T19:59:00.001-07:00

As apart of our research for the bus/shelter client charrette we were sent out to get the opinion that matters the most, that if the city bus riders. Our group set out for the nearest GTA bus stop and upon sitting down, we asked the lady sitting next to us if we could interview her; she said "yes," but she wished to remain anonymous. Thinking she was about to get off at the next stop, Kara quickly sketched her. She had short gray hair, glasses, and appeared to been in her sixties. We found out that she rides the bus everyday to and from her job as a Gulford County School teacher. She said it takes about an hour of waiting and riding the bus every morning to get to work. At first she seemed a little shy, but as the ride went on, she opened up a little bit and started talking about her children. When it was time for her to get off we thanked her for her time and went on our way to the depot.

-The Kings symbol group. Illustration by Kara.

Public Transportation Assignment

2008-09-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Civility and Civil Rights was a very moving and interesting article. I read the article before getting on the GTA bus, which I think helped me think clearly along the way. I got on the GTA route 2 bus at the corner of Tate street and Spring Garden. My co-passenger and I rode the bus the entire length of the route, to Four Seasons Town Center and back. I was out of my element the second I stepped on the bus; I couldn’t even figure out where to put my $1.20 fare, and had to ask the driver for help. The bus was fairly empty. There was a girl sleeping at the back of the bus, Emme (the co-passenger), two older ladies, two women, an older gentleman, a young man and me. I was fumbling through my route map trying to see where we were going, and how long it would take to get back.
I started to relax after a few minutes, and began to look at my surroundings and to photograph what moved me. Everyone on the bus was accustomed to it. They all were reading books, or looking out the window, or even sleeping. They knew exactly when to pull the bell to get off, a feat which I just this week mastered on the HEAT bus. I started to notice that the neighborhoods we went through, I had never been to. They were lower class homes and government housing. The entire bus emptied off at the Four Seasons mall, where most of the bus was going to work. After that we picked up new passengers on our way back to Tate and Spring Garden. There was a school age girl with a backpack, a young mother and her very talkative son, a couple, and two older gentlemen. While riding, I thought about the text. I thought how wild it was that at a time in the past century, this would not have been possible. I rode at the very back of the bus, so that I could take in all of my surroundings, but that seat would have been occupied by an African American who wasn’t allowed to sit at the front of the bus just because of their race. On my way off the bus I saw a sign posted up front; it read, ROSA L. PARKS February 4, 1913- October 24, 2005 “In honor of her sitting.” This really touched me because her strength and determination, and local action helped change things nationally, which made me think of the article.
Civility and Civil Rights was a little disheartening. The Greensboro Women’s College in the article, now known as our beloved UNCG, hindered the progress of the desegregation movement, which really upset me. As someone who grew up not only in the south, but 25 miles to the east of Greensboro in Burlington, I know that this wound is still fairly deep. My mother went to Williams High School, the same high school I went to. During her freshman year she was bused, along with her entire class, to Sellars Gun, an all African American school, to try and desegregate. This was in 1978. I heard about the sit-ins growing up, and I knew that there was a very important sit-in in Greensboro, but that’s all I knew about it. Reading about the perseverance of four STUDENTS really made me proud. It takes the “think globally act locally” movement to heart. The local actions of four students from Greensboro helped change the entire social climate of our nation. This article inspired me to think, and to act. No one thinks that they can make a difference, but this article shows that you can.

Week one

2008-08-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from my final group project due today. I chose to put these up as a preface to my post on this first week of class, because it culminated all the work that I did throughout the week. As my first week of class not only for the semester, or school year, but the first day for me in this program, it put me in a state of panic. I admit that I am usually a collected sort of individual, but this week, I was frazzled to say the least. Coming in with an associates degree in interior design somewhat skewed my expectations for this class. I had the "I know exactly what I'm doing" mindset, which quickly vanished that first day of class.
The weather seemed to reflect my emotional state this week- grey, humid, and rainy. Monday through Wednesday night I was stressed out wondering how in the world I was going to get everything done. I was worried that the skills that I learned at my other school weren't good enough for the program. After talking to some lovely "jokers" and expressing my concern for drawing skills they looked over my sketches, and told me that I was in good shape. I really appreciated them taking the time to give me feedback and to look over my work with me, it gave me confidence in myself, and helped me push through the rest of the week. After that, the rain went away and the week ended with all of my projects being done and turned in on time, and a beautiful, cool, sunny Friday afternoon. So no class Monday, Tuesday starts a new week, and I am ready for what that holds.

2008-08-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

Wayfinding Project for IAR 201: In this project we were given a location and asked to go there from our home, finding landmarks along the way, and sketch them. These are landmarks along the path from my home at Sherwood apartments to Blandwood mansion in dowtown Greensboro, NC.

Bio

2008-08-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

My Name is Katie Reynolds, and I am a native of North Carolina. I grew up all around the state in Wilmington, Boone, and finally Burlington where I graduated in 2005 from Williams High School. I attended Randolph Community College in Asheboro, NC where I received my Associates degree in Interior Design. Deciding that I wanted to pursue bigger dreams than an Associates degree could offer me, I decided to continue in school, and get my Bachelors degree. I am currently a student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro majoring in Interior Architecture and minoring in Scenic Design. I would love any input you have to offer, good or bad, in an effort to be the best designer I can be. Thanks for checking out my blog!

-katie reynolds-