Graphic Reflection

 

Starting this poster required me to find many of the previous finished projects that best showed my progress throughout the semester. I tried to include the works that best showed off my abilities and skills. By sketching out quick thumbnails I was able to put together the posters with ease. I wanted to include an aspect within the posters that connected all of them together and would also give an aesthetic appeal. This ended up being the weekly sketches running along the left border. The color behind these drawings was taken from the most common color used within these sketches. When scanning the various layers throughout this project, many appeared dark and slightly tinted gray. I learned a new skill in Photoshop that allowed me to created cleaner looking drawings. I aligned most of the text on one side of the posters as well as keeping them within the same size text box to create a sense of repetition. I structured these posters based upon the assignment required. By making the final layer the largest the audience can focus on how the final details came to be as well as getting the idea of what my process was, through the smaller photos. The border along the bottom area accent strips pulled from the main colors used within that poster. I believed that these were able to enhance the posters not only through the use of color but also through continuation and repetition. I am very pleased on how my assignment turned out and I believe that these three posters prove that my skills have increased and advanced.

Design Firm Visit

Before break I contacted the EHS Design Firm to visit once again. This was the design firm that I job shadowed at previously. Danielle offered me to come back and I believed that she would give  me a great amount of feedback and advice. I prepared by collecting all of my final drawings and made sure they were protected so during the transition of my project nothing got ruined. I also brought all of my materials so I could set them out to explain how I wanted each room to look.

Once I got to the firm, after driving around in Seattle traffic, she met with me and brought me to one of their multiple presenting rooms. She then allowed me to hang up some of the drawings on the board. I started by giving a quick overview of the point of the project was, how I ended up at that point and the process I went through. Next I spoke about the drawings that were on the board. I presented in the order of assignments that we completed. I then brought up what I will be working on for the rest of the week. I really enjoy going to EHS Design and getting feedback and advice from a designer in a company firm. I do feel that I always learn something valuable after visiting this design firm.

As Dani gave me her feedback she focused on the technical aspect of the drawings. Such as the universal representations within the floor plans and perspectives. She then informed me the way she uses for projects. She explained the minimal space needed within doorways, the way to show the elevator and levels of stairs in the floor plan and the benefit of using line weights. At the end she did mention that she liked how my renderings turned out. She then offered to supply me with better materials and fabrics. I was very thankful for her generosity and advice because I have difficulty when picking materials. There is such a large variety of options that it becomes overwhelming at times. During this process she asked how we were going to present and would explain what she was looking for when putting materials together. When leaving she wished me luck and left me feeling much more inspired that when I first arrived there. I hope to visit again soon.

Danielle Nevils LEED GA
EHS Design/EHS Architecture
Exchange Building
821 2nd Ave, Suite 400, Seattle WA 98104
Phone: 206.223.4999
Fax: 206.223.2990
dnevils@ehs-design.com

Habitat for Humanity

On September 28 I went to the Habitat for Humanity site with a few other class mates. The weather was not the nicest and it was slightly raining. Once we got there we got an overview of what Habitat for Humanity does. We met all the workers and the woman who would eventually be living in the house. We went over the safety rules to make sure none of us got hurt, then we got straight to work.

There was a wall that was already started, so we got to assist in finishing it. There are these pieces called "greenies" that are nails with a circle of a rubber substance around the top. This allows a better protection against water and they were only used on the water proofing section of the wall coverings. Once nailed they are completely flat, as long as it was done correctly and they are easier to see. Next we were ready to put up the wall. Before that Bob, the head construction worker, put little pieces underneath the wall so that we could get a grip on it. All of us were spread out which made pushing the wall up much easier. We had to hold up the wall while it was connected to the other walls with nails. When putting up the wall we had to make sure that the floor line was straight against the designated line along the edge of the floor. It was a successful lift.

Next we started on the opposite was, but this time we had to build the whole thing. We had to get the pieces of wood, but before using them we had to make sure that they weren't warped in anyway. To check that, you have to hold up one side and look to the bottom to see if it curves. Each section had windows that needed to be accounted for. There are specific dimensions and wood lengths that need to be used. Hammering is no joke and after a while my arm started to become tired. Thankfully we got a break for lunch. After that we continued the wall and set that one up just as we did the other one. This wall was a little off the line so someone on the had to hammer it from the outside.

Building the wall and putting it up opened my eyes to how a house is constructed. Having to do the physical work really proved to me the construction of a house is very important. I got to see all the aspects to constructing a house and it made me appreciate the structure of buildings.

Sketch Crawl

We met the Seattle Urban Sketchers at the Seattle Center Armory to sketch around the center. The best advice they gave was to never stop sketching and that I can only get better the more I work at it. Their sketches were what I hope mine will someday be. I realize that everyone has their own style but I want to enhance my sketching skills and my familiarity with the markers and other sketching utensils. Through sketching I also wish to increase my ability to draw to scale, because right now I do feel that I have the tendency to draw a little larger than what I am actually looking at. I do feel that my drawings end up looking quite well but I want to not run out of room when trying to draw a space.  I know that I have evolved since the beginning of last year and know that I can only get better. Only an hour a day can create life-long sketching skills.

EHS Design Job Shadow

My job shadow took place at EHS Design with Danielle Nevils. It was great and very eye opening to me. I walked through an incredibly elaborate room where the elevators were located into an open business area. Danielle gave me a tour and a brief history of the building. It was first the Seattle Stock Exchange building and the owner of EHS design decided that they would use as many of the original pieces as they could throughout the space. The building has open spaces for the interior designers, the architects and another company that they shared the space with called PicMonkey. I was able to watch Danielle work on a project using autoCAD and I got the opportunity to ask her some questions about what I needed to learn and to do so that I am prepared to work in the real world. So I wasn't only sitting there watching her finish the project, she had me go into their elaborate library and  gave me the opportunity to help with another project. She told me that there are times that she is working on 3-6 projects at once. I am going to have to perfect my time management. Dani allowed me to assist her in one of the projects for a building where music will be made. She had already started the project but had me help pick out a table. I was able to see the wide collection of books that they had. I found a few different ideas that I believed would fit very well into the space. After that she had a meeting with a product representative, Juila Gütt, who brought in new samples of carpet. Many of these new products were mainly for office spaces and other corporate areas. I was able to see how those pieces could be applied. Being able to see a quick before and after was very enjoyable to me because seeing the small sample and the ending product is inspiring to know that I could be doing that type of work. They then took me to lunch at Boka, a stunning and beautifully designed restaurant. Once we got back she gave me an assignment to work on. She wanted me to figure out a color scheme for a beer website she was working on. I went on the internet to look up the different types of beer and the aspects that related to making beer. We discussed what worked and what should be altered. It was great to get an opinion from another person. I had a fantastic and inspiring time at my job shadow and hope to visit EHS Design again soon.

http://www.ehs-design.com/#/home

Frye Museum

 

We visited the Frye Museum and met the architect, Rick Sundberg. He wanted the museum to be a visitor experience more than just a museum. The design could have been typical with the main entrance in the front but that’s not what they wanted, they desired something better and more extravagant. The water that you walk by is eye-catching and very calming as you walk the ramp up to the entrance. The reflection of the light from the water shimmers against the wall in a constant flowing motion. The purpose of the renovation was to make natural light a main priority. He didn’t want the museum to be lifeless and dull. To help involve daylight, they created navigation through it. The dome in the entrance is a perfect sphere. It is incredibly big and creates a sense of openness. The rooms are very large and have only a handful of pieces in each one. Many of the pieces were extremely unique.

Chapel of St. Ignatius

The Chapel of St. Ignatius was stunning from the outside to the inside. The exterior is made of concrete and has dynamic arches that aren’t typically found in church designs. The water is in a tilt up concrete barrier that was not originally thought of. The structure is breath taking. The large door swivels to open up for a larger entrance. On the doors are oval windows and large, rusted, curved handles. These aspects give more visual interest just to the welcoming space. The church is right in the middle of Seattle University’s walkway, so it’s impossible to miss. The designer believed that it was so special that it should be placed in the center. The white light relates to the collection of students. He believed that faith and knowledge would become the light into our lives. Walking in there are grand arches on the ceilings with a pattern on the walls that can only be seen when light hits it. It is a random, yet organized pattern. The light that reflects into the chapel is affected as the time of day and the position of the sun changes.  The front is lit up with the colors of blue and green that is caused by the natural light shining in through the glass. As the use of color is quite exquisite, I believe that the arches are also a pleasing interior focal point. He made this space unique and grand in many aspects and I am glad that I was able to witness them.

Street Bean Espresso and Shelter

We visited the New Horizon Teen Homeless Shelter. We were informed that many of the kids that came into the shelter were there due to family disruptions and/or were victims of adults. Many of those teens believe that the streets were safer than being at home, which is heartbreaking since home should give a sense of comfort and safety. I was glad to see that there was a place for teens to go to and that not only were they able to visit there, the shelter also assisted the teens with clothing, food and counseling. They also assisted them with job opportunities and other new possibilities. The shelter mainly got kids from the age of 13-22, but there have been children as young as 9 years old. The shelter wanted to redesign their space to be a more inviting space where the teens felt safe. They have been in business for about 15 years and renovated in 1996. Their idea was to make the upstairs an office space and dorm rooms where the kids could actually stay since the shelter is only open Monday through Friday from 10 AM-12 PM then 7PM-9:30 PM. It was great to hear that they don’t turn away anyone that needs help.

The space is very industrial because it is in constant use by many people. The shelter’s drop-in space was once a loading dock and is also the transition space. I feel that they tried to make it more inviting by painting it with bright colors but it is still quite dim and dark. They had a problem with graffiti so they painted a part of the wall with chalk paint so the kids could still draw on the wall if they pleased. One of their main goals is to keep the kids safe so this space is able to let them keep track of everyone coming in and can confiscate any possible weapons, as well as hold any pets the teens might have. Many of the basic needs such as food, laundry, and clothing are provided at the shelter. They do need to keep the space open and completely viewable due to the possible dangers that can occur in closed spaces. The shelter holds activities that the space must also be able to accommodate to.  Many of the people that come in are also handicapped so the area must be ADA accessible. It’s very sad to see that so many kids come into the shelter, but it is also reassuring to know that there is a place they can go so they can be safe and hopefully turn their situation into a positive one.

 

The Street Bean Espresso has a great sense of design. The flow of the space is functional and it is very aesthetically pleasing. When you walk in, the space is open and the color scheme suits a coffee shop. The decorations give the space a little unique flare and it is organized very well. Since the shelter wants to incorporate the coffee shop into their new design, I feel that it could enhance the space quite well.

Westlake Residence

 

The construction site at 325 Westlake that we visited was amazing to me. I was able to learn about the structure and the bones of a building. When creating the building the architects and owner decided that they wanted the industrial look and they would have the structural pieces exposed. The wood was African Iron wood and it is very long lasting and durable. The workers also focused on weather proofing the top patio space. The view was magnificent and the patio space could be used for multiple purposes. Everything that was in plastic would eventually be replaced with glass. Some of those areas included full walls of windows that would face a beautiful view. This site contains some of the largest pieces of glass anywhere. They have about 120 square feet of windows which is huge. Each apartment includes two stories. They have European style bathrooms, which were a bit smaller and more compact. The upstairs included the bathroom, washer and dryer, a closet and a space where a bed could be. The braced frame would be exposed and the additions to the room are built around it. A wall is built along the stairs for storage use. There is a one foot space between the floor and the construction underneath. The ADA space was currently the office but would be put to use once the building was finished. The original building had a bit of work needed since it was built in 1908. I will never forget that code rules, since no designing can take place if the building is not up to codes. I do have a bit of trouble envisioning the space when it is only the construction work and I hope to strengthen that ability. I also hope to revisit the building once it is finished.

zHome

The very first visit on our Seattle trip was the zHome. This apartment complex consisted of two and three bedroom apartments. At first look the exterior is very stunning with interesting geometric designs. Each roof contains solar panels to help provide energy for lighting. These solar panels are able to create the correct amount of energy needed during the season, so nothing is lost. The outside is also filled with a variety of plants instead of lawns because grass is an "exotic" plant that requires too much water and they save a large amount by not including grass. The exterior is also painted with warm and neutral colors such as reds and oranges and wood panel as well. They are close together reducing the amount of space needed. There are two garages that are shared under a complex, so that all of the parking could fit. Not every design is perfect and that just happened to be one of the sacrifices that were needed to be made. Once you walk into the studio apartment through the sliding glass doors the space was open and inviting. The woods panel was tiger wood imported from Brazil and it is long lasting and if I may say very beautiful. The kitchen is quite large in comparison to the overall size of the apartment. The countertops were made of recycled glass and there was no vinyl on the windows. The walls were designed with a special insulation so that the heat and cool air does not leak out. The deck was also made out of the tiger wood instead of having a synthetic deck. The complex is also designed around play areas to create a sense of community. These apartments are a great way to live because they work with the environment instead of against it.

Ride, Don't Walk

I was the first partner to use the wheelchair. My first step was to get into the elevator to ride it down to the second floor of the Carpenter building. The elevator was wide enough for me to enter but I had to turn around when I was in it, if there were to have been more people, that action would have been almost impossible because to turn around, there is a great deal of space needed. Next I had to go into the bathroom and enter the handicap stall and turn around. The door was not ADA approved because there was no automated door button and the door opened into the bathroom but was incredibly heavy and difficult to open. The sink wasn't too hard to approach and use. Then I had to exit the bathroom which was again very difficult due to the weight of the door. The coffee stand on the first floor was my next destination. The ordering stand was much too high and was slightly awkward to order from. I was only able to see the cashier's head. The stand where there were napkins was accessible, but with reach. The wheelchair accessible exit to Daggy hall was a ramp that was much too steep and I crashed due to the incredible steepness. The Daggy hall ramps are also much too steep and when I left the building the front wheels would tip up which made me almost fall completely backwards. I then returned back to the fifth floor to return the wheelchair.

Through this exercise I realized that using a wheelchair is very difficult and time consuming. I had to go around main entrances to be able to enter a building at all. I would have to wait for elevators to enter a different floor. Many things were out of my reach and/or my knees would be in the way. Many of the ramps I had to use were definitely not ADA accessible and were very dangerous due to the steep slope. It was hard for me to stop because of the speed I was traveling. I crashed twice which isn't safe for handicapped people. By doing these tasks I have realized the difficulty of everyday life while being in a wheelchair. Many places are not ADA approved and there should be changes so that anybody can enter and use any space or area.

Personal Sense of Home

When I think of home I think of a sense of comfort and safety. I believe that anywhere can feel like home if there is a personal connection to that area. I feel that if there is an area that I consider "home" I would also have to have some familiarity in the space and have put my own personal touches on it. Not only do I need to have a sense of comfort but I believe that a home isn't quite a home without those special memories that cause you to have emotional attachments to that space. I have moved from my house that I lived in for 16 years and I will always considered that my home no matter what because I had so many experiences and memories within that house. I loved all the aspects to it and because that's where I grew up, it is a little difficult to remember all the details to my adventures but I can always remember where something happened and how I felt at that moment. Having all my childhood experiences take place within that house will cause me to have such a strong connection to it for the rest of my life.

Every part of that house made it special to me. Not only did my house have the tallest ceilings which caused anyone to feel instantly in awe by the immense space that was in the entrance. I loved all the aspects to the house, expect for the fact that during the summer my house became incredibly hot and we tried everything to cool down. I had this play set in the backyard that my dad built when they first bought the house. It had a swing, a teeter-totter swing next to that and connected was a little tree house section that led to a slide. This play toy gave me endless amounts of joy when I would play on it. Whenever my friends came over, all we did was head straight to the backyard. My backyard wasn't incredibly large but we did have this section against the fence that was layers of rock then dirt and so on. While my mom gardened I was able to climb on those layers and have my own little adventures because when you are a child, everything becomes a possibility. It's the memories that will allow me to remember that house forever because of the fantastic experiences I had throughout my childhood growing up and to this day I still miss it.

Poster

I have gotten use to all of the different tools Illustrator offers. By completing this poster I have learned to use the scanner and how to place an image on not to copy and paste. By using a picture instead of a plain color I have accomplished creating an interesting background to the poster. I had to change the layout multiple times to accommodate for all of the different elements to the poster. I found a successful layout until I came to the realization that the oblique was not the shape I was assuming. I believe my poster came out very well explaining my growth as a designer through this class as well as having examples to prove my progression.

Sketch Journals

This was our first journal assignment and I enjoyed finding the subjects that I was going to be tracing. I did it in pencil to make sure that I didn't mess up but then came to the realization that any final project needs to be in pen. The believe that the arrangement of the figures allowed each drawing to stand out while still complimenting the others. I was able to learn to create clean one stroke lines. This assignment caused me to pay attention to detail as well.

Within this sketch I payed much of my attention to the landscape since it had the most vibrant colors as well as it took up most of the space. I wanted to create a sketch that looked as realistic as the original picture. I kept to the same color schemes and textures throughout the picture. I did end up using mainly one tool which limited my skills but I believe that the assignment came out successfully. In the future I will spend more time on the photo as a whole rather than each individual aspect, to make sure that there is harmony throughout the photo.

Looking at tessellations within nature caused me to realized that many patterns that make up fabrics and other designs come from these. This was a helpful introduction for our next in class assignment. I chose objects that I found the most interesting. I also looked for similar features within each one so when I merged them together, the design would be an original while still having a high quality.

When using the cross-hatch technique the light source is very important factor. Adding this feature in anywhere would not make sense within a design. This skill can create a great dramatization in a sketch but there needs to be a plan when creating this element. The more I work on this feature, the better I can use it within my designs.

By sketching in this fashion without using any guidelines can be difficult. When starting the sketch I created a slight outline of the chair by using the negative space sketching. I had to focus on the shapes around the chair and not just the chair itself. This caused me to have to observe the details that I normally would not focus on. By using this method, the chair tends to be more obvious due to the dark background.

This assignment really allowed me to take advantage of the detail pens we received in the beginning of the year. I learned to sketch this object by using correct dimensions. While drawing the different views, I had to position myself in a variety of angles that allowed me to view all the elements to the chair so I could depict each one.

This was my first introduction to drawing floor plans. When creating these designs I had to imagine as if I was looking straight down from the ceiling. I would draw a light line as my eye went around the edge of the room. It was a little difficult doing it on a napkin because of the texture. I made sure to create a correct representation of the room by measuring each piece.

This sketch put all of my two-point perspective skills to the test. I had to incorporate the horizontal line, right view point and left view point. Shadow and perception of the corner also had to be included within this sketch. By having circular objects in the corner I had to make sure I used the correct techniques to represent it properly. The corner was simple with multiple elements to it.

This assignment was one of the more difficult sketches I had to do. The most challenging part was creating the room in one-point perspective. I redid it many times until I was pleased with how it looked. Adding the other elements such as the window, door and couch was much easier since the perspective was correct. I feel that I added too much detail within the first sketch making both the drawings very similar looking. I could have added a much darker value in the second room sketch. This makes me realize that I needed more contrasting features.

I found this assignment very enjoyable because it was completely different than any other sketch I have done so far in the class. The medium I used was thin black paper. This causes a completely different outcome of the sketch. The black makes any color I used to be much more lively, in my opinion. As I was sketching I almost left it simply with only white, but then I realized that there would be a much greater affect if I incorporated color that related to the material of each section.

David Katsunai Lecture

This lecture was held by David Katsunai who assisted in designing the Amazon building in Seattle, WA. My home town is very close to Seattle, I am majoring in interior design and I started to use Amazon so this lecture interested me in more than one aspect. I was very amazed to find out how much of a difference can be created through just a simple change of the interior. I learned a great deal of facts that I can use when I start designing my own projects. It was great to find out that interior designers can have a great impact and that working with all of the other architects and major parts of the building can create the number one most efficient building. It gives me motivation and excitement to start working in this field.

Tessellation ID

The pictures I chose were found randomly by searching my topic but happened to come together very well. As I was manipulating them I was not thinking of how they would connect in the end, which I should be thinking of in the beginning. In the end I believe that the colors came together very well creating a complimentary color harmony. The tessellations shared a common pattern of dots in most of the pictures. I wanted to focus on pictures that had simple designs but still enough interest in each one to have enough strength alone but together create an even better picture. I was able to create the tessellations easily but there are some white spaces that did appear within some of the connections. I am now able to cut a picture but keep the important parts of it. My skills in Photoshop and InDesign increased greatly through this project.

Palouse Sketch PSD

I chose this image to work on because I was drawn to the large space that was taken up by the landscape and the colors popped out to me. I believed that I would be able to represent the texture of the farmland while still using techniques that I preferred. I put great detail into the landscape because it took up most of the picture and had a very vibrant color that I wanted to focus on. It was difficult for me to use the layers because there was a point where I go lost on which objects were on which layer. I spent a large amount of time focused on the landscape which in my opinion caused the architectural aspects to lack detail. I stuck with a specific tool that I was very familiar with which gave the best textural characteristics but limited me as well. I think that overall my picture came out very successfully.