Friday, April 3, 2009
Becher-Weaver Conversion to Hipter-Haven Update
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.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Becher-Weaver Conversion to Hipter-Haven
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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Friday, March 6, 2009
a place to BATHE.....
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.
section cut of pool
reflected ceiling plan
model
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
perspective
perspective
perspective from inside pool
front elevation of space
back elevation of spaceThe 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 poolI 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
Monday, February 23, 2009
Cultural Bathing- Budapest
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.
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.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Personal blog
just wanted to put a link up to me personal blog which i use to connect the dots in my life
Friday, February 20, 2009
Visual Communication
be sure to check out my visual communication blog to see all the cool stuff I'm working on!
a place to DINE.....
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.
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.
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