The Gap Between Art and Life

Old Photos

2011-12-06T21:36:00.001-05:00

My mother was going through some boxes of old photos the other day and sorted through them. There were a few pictures of people we didn't recognize and postcards from people we don't know. She thought we might as well throw them out but it seemed wrong to put pictures in the trash, especially when they look so cool. I thought perhaps I could give them a second life this way, we may not know who they are but we can still appreciate them.

Red Fox Trail

2011-11-01T22:23:00.000-04:00

During these past few months, my primary source of employment has been working as my 91 year old grandmother's caregiver. At first glance, one might think this job has very little to do with interior design. Perhaps they are right...but she does have a beautifully designed home, and now that I am there more often than I am not, my appreciation for it has doubly increased. Last week, I thought I'd capture some of my favorite rooms and details.

Cotton Candy Peaks

2011-10-24T02:09:00.009-04:00

In keeping up with my efforts to paint more, we had a painting party at my girl, Donna's, while watching horror films. Here is the result. I was inspired by a pastel color scheme I found in an fashion editorial, which was quite the contrast to The Shining that was playing in the background. I wanted to do something simple and abstract as well as try some different painting techniques.

acrylic on canvas

Bedroom Remodel Inspiration

2011-08-22T17:42:00.003-04:00

Since I've moved back to my hometown and in with my mother, I've been wanting to change up my bedroom. I currently have a vintage bedroom set that was my great aunt's circa 1930's/40's (seen here) which I have no intentions of changing, but I would like to at least change the walls, curtains, and linens up a bit. Below are some creative ideas for wall treatments and inspiration for an eclectic bedroom design. I love all these ideas: mixing textures and colors, making a gallery style wall of art, painting the ceiling, along with using patterned wallpaper, giant mirrors and curtain covered walls. The hard part is picking which one I like best!

images from elle decor, decorpad.com, styleathome.com

Back To Painting

2011-08-17T22:00:00.003-04:00

The Capitalist acrylic on canvas

My personal goal this summer was to get back into art, specifically drawing and painting. I started this painting a couple weeks ago on a craft night with my lovely roommates, and just added the final touches yesterday. I began the painting without any sort of plan or expectations, so first I created a textured background using a palette knife. The texture began to look a little like a grassy field, so I added a small boy. He was originally picking flowers but then I wanted him to be collecting something more unusual. Obviously, diamonds were what came to mind.

Internship Book

2011-07-29T12:18:00.001-04:00

Summer on the Chesapeake

2011-07-22T23:06:00.001-04:00

My family and I went for a short visit last weekend to my Aunt Jan's house in Gloucester, Virginia. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love this house. I posted about this house a couple years ago when I went up for Thanksgiving here. Last time I didn't take any photos of the living room, but this time around I was sure to. We spent the majority of the visit outdoors, however, so I took a lot of pictures in the backyard and along the inlet.

Beth Hoeckel: Inspiration

2011-07-19T20:21:00.002-04:00

While perusing The Jealous Curator the other day, I stumbled upon the work of artist Beth Hoeckel. She works with paint, collage, and mixed media to create these wonderfully playful, retro works of art. Each piece evokes in me a sense of fantasy and wonder but at the same time a bit of nostalgia. In these next few weeks of summer, I'm hoping to jump back into the art world and have some fun for a small break from design.

Store Room Details

2011-07-06T17:20:00.002-04:00

Lisa Sherry's store room is piled high with design products, all of which I wanted to take home for myself. Here are a few snapshots I took on my last day in this treasure trove.

Internship

2011-05-21T20:11:00.001-04:00

Starting in March, I began interning at a small residential design firm in Highpoint, NC called Lisa Sherry Interieurs. These are a few pictures of their office space there. The open area is also staged to represent their unique design style and to create an inspiring environment for the employees.

Final Studio Project

2011-05-03T18:50:00.003-04:00

***perspective renders still to come

Jerry Blow: Architectural Photographer

2011-04-26T01:31:00.002-04:00

For class last Thursday, we had an architectural photographer, named Jerry Blow, come speak to us. He talked about how to get started as a photographer, how to prepare and plan economically, as well as the importance of maintaining client relationships. Then he showed us examples of his work and explained how he sets up the "money shot". Jerry reminded us to be aware of the composition, color, and vantage points and to convey a message with the photo. Depending on the client's needs and the project itself, the photographer can make decisions to edit the scene by adding elements or taking things away that detract in order to convey the message clearly to the viewer.

For one particular project, Jerry photographed a proposed patient's room for a children's cancer hospital and chose to add a pillow on the bed in the form of Flounder from the Little Mermaid.

Assignment 4.0 - Networking

2011-04-20T20:31:00.003-04:00

As I near the end of my design education, I see the importance of being able to network successfully in the design world and maintain those connections. This year I went to several events for networking opportunities. One memorable event was an IIDA chapter meeting at the Momentum Textiles Facilities in Highpoint, NC. It was wonderful to meet some local IIDA members that are active in the design field and gain connections with professionals. The location of the meeting itself was inspiring as well. The Momentum Group is a company that designs and manufactures beautiful, durable, sustainable fabrics. Below are a couple examples of their work.

Raleigh Flea Market

2011-04-13T22:14:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I ventured to the Flea Market at the NC State Fair Grounds just before closing time. My sister tells me this is the best time to go because the vendors were beginning to pack up their merchandise and would sell for much lower a price to get it off their hands. As we walked around the grounds looking for some wooden chairs, I snapped these shots. I particularly loved the vendor with the glass door knobs. She also had old keys, hinges, and cabinet pulls that all reminded me of my Great Aunt's house. The second photo is of some metal figurines a man was selling in the back of his trailer. The color combination of the assorted metal pieces was unique and could possibly make a great inspiration photo for a new design project.

Helix Design: Group Marketing Project

2011-04-08T17:31:00.000-04:00

This semester I worked on a big group project to aid our 3rd year students in marketing for a skyscraper competition taking place in Chicago this May. My portion of the project was more geared towards the business side of the operation. By working on the business plan, I had the opportunity to research the finances including the start up costs of the mock business, Helix Design Inc., projected income of the firm over the next year, as well as how to present ourselves in an appealing way to "potential clients". The experience was refreshing and very eye opening to the process and certainly makes me think twice about starting my own business. I definitely would hire an accountant.

Phase 6: 3rd Floor Apartment

2011-04-04T01:46:00.001-04:00

Aging In Place: Designing for the Graying of America

2011-04-04T01:19:00.000-04:00

Last week I wrote a research paper on a new design trend in senior living called Aging In Place. The idea is to essentially make simple design improvements to suit a senior's needs so that they can remain in their current home instead of moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Home improvements such as installing handle bars and shower seats in the bathroom, reworking cabinetry to reduce any strain with lifting pots and pans, and replacing hard flooring with wood or wall to wall carpet to ease joint pain. This plan allows seniors to retain their independence and will thus improve their life satisfaction.

Phase 5: Lighting and Finishes

2011-03-21T23:11:00.003-04:00

In these plan views, I have indicated fire ratings, plumbing walls, and the existing walls of the site that I intend to knock out.

***click the images to make them larger

Phase 4: 1st and 2nd Floor Design Revisions

2011-03-14T18:50:00.002-04:00

street view

pb and java cafe

theater

2nd floor community space/kitchen

dorm room

guest room

Self Marketing Package

2011-02-28T18:44:00.001-05:00

This is my portfolio coverpage displaying an ink drawing I did last year.

Phase 3: 1st Floor Plan

2011-02-13T20:53:00.001-05:00

street view of the exterior

community theater

PB and Java cafe

614-618 Elm Street: Haiku

2011-02-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

past interwoven

embraces community

looks to the future

614-618 Elm Street: Strategies and Tactics

2011-02-03T16:41:00.003-05:00

Coffee Shop Inspiration

2011-01-30T22:08:00.001-05:00

These first 3 images are of a new Avenue 15 Coffee and Tea Shop by Starbucks. I love the rustic appearance and the use of recycled materials in the space.

This Greek bakery has an interesting feature with a bar open to the sidewalk for service and seating on the street.

This chair from Pottery Barn has an industrial look that I like and would be a nice complement to the pre-existing pressed metal ceiling tiles...

...and so would this stool I found on designpublic.com

614-618 S. Elm Street

2011-01-18T17:31:00.004-05:00

The site for my semester-long individual studio project is a 3-story building on Elm Street in downtown Greensboro, NC. The 1st floor will be a "PB and Java" shop and a community theater space. The 2nd floor (shown below) will consist of guest rooms and dorm rooms for live-in interns to work in the theater and coffee shop. The 3rd floor is currently occupied by the owners of the building, the Jones' family, who have a passion for the theater and a love for the community.

Laser-cut Jewelry

2011-01-10T20:47:00.002-05:00

This was a laser-cutting project I completed last semester for my CAD class, but I was unable to post about it until now because I didn't want my sister to see it before I gave it to her as a Christmas gift. The necklace and earrings were designed in the computer program Rhino and color-coded to specify the type of cut. I was inspired by insect and bird wings and used the teardrop shape as a repetitive element to create a unique shape with voids. I made the set out of thin birchwood and then stained different layers to create more depth. The wood was expensive and fragile, so I also made some practice pieces out of chipboard that I intend to paint various colors and wear around myself.

Nostalgia

2010-12-21T01:06:00.000-05:00

My childhood bedroom looks way better through a camera lens than I ever remember it being. With some good lighting and a fancy camera, you can bring out the beauty in absolutely anything (plus I cropped out all the ugly parts).

Villa Savoye: Revit Model

2010-12-18T01:44:00.000-05:00

I finally got to learn Autodesk Revit this year in my computer aided design class, and for this project I used the program to model Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye. The program is better for producing construction documents, but here are a couple renders that I generated as well.

Vance Chavis: Children's Computer Desk Detail

2010-12-13T17:31:00.001-05:00

***click the image to make larger

Vance Chavis: Final Children's Area Design

2010-12-13T16:37:00.001-05:00

These are renders I did using Google SketchUp and a whole lot of Photoshop.

Vance Chavis: Computer Desk 1st Iteration

2010-12-13T15:33:00.001-05:00

This linear form was my initial design for the children's computer desk. However, the desk only allowed space for 3 computers and our programming technology group found from their research that 5 computers were required to meet the needs of the library users. The class as a whole also later discussed using orange on all the seating as a way to make our design more cohesive, so I reworked material selections as well.

Vance Chavis: Preliminary Design Sketches

2010-12-13T15:12:00.002-05:00

These floor plan sketches were produced at the earliest stage of the design process. I found inspiration from my childhood school library, which had a partially enclosed "reading well" made up of wide, carpeted, curved steps that the students would sit on while the librarian would read a story. I loved this environment as a child and wanted to incorporate a similar space in our design.

At first we had placed the computer station in the center of the space, so for this design I considered computers on either side of the table separated by a low partition made up of colored 3form.

This is a birds eye perspective of the children's area early on in the design process. We were happy to see that much of this design made it through into the final design of the space.

Ikea Cookbook

2010-11-03T02:33:00.002-04:00

These are pictures of tasty ingredients by photographer, Carl Kleiner, and styled by Evelina Bratell that are to be used in the new Ikea Cookbook. I love the color combinations as well as the interesting compositions he creates with food. I cannot get enough of these!

[i]blog Sketch

2010-10-21T14:07:00.001-04:00

I was asked to do a drawing last week for the [i]blog, the IARc department's blog at UNC-G. This sketch is of the Lincoln Financial building in downtown Greensboro. I chose this subject matter because this building can be viewed from the windows on the northeast side of the studio as it is the tallest example of architecture in the downtown area. The sketch will be used as a backdrop behind the [i]blog header for the next month. Be sure to check out the [i]blog for current updates on the IARc department, including faculty and student's class and individual work.

NURB Gallery

2010-10-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

This is an art gallery and abstract installation that I designed in the computer program Rhino.

The Vance Chavis Library: Site Analysis

2010-10-01T02:00:00.001-04:00

This site analysis was conducted in a group along with Missy Wicker, Diana Stanisic, and Christyn Dunning. My portion of the project was the cultural context of the building for which I studied demographics of the surrounding residential areas, particularly Benjamin Benson neighborhood. I also was responsible for making the circulation diagram.

Downtown Greensboro

2010-09-26T16:42:00.003-04:00

I took these pictures with a couple of friends on Thursday this week. It was an extremely hot day, but we decided to walk around downtown and go to the Borough and the park on Elm Street. It took four years, but this city is starting to grow on me.

The Reading Room: Final

2010-09-19T15:12:00.009-04:00

Located in a patio between the Gatewood Studio Arts building and the Graham building on the UNC-G campus, this space is first defined by stripes of grass that lead students to a shelter and four chairs. These stripes promote circulation and flow through out this underused outdoor space by visually suggesting pathways. The design of this space was initially inspired by the human form; specifically, a reader. This initial form was manipulated and transformed to create a dynamic space beginning with the reading chairs and then branching out into the concrete grid pattern directing users to various destination points. The stripes also lead to several different areas with seating options, giving the user choices between communal or individual spaces. People who prefer an individual study/reading space find refuge in a shaded area beneath the trees in a lower traffic area. For those who require a more collaborative study space or just a group meeting area, the central high traffic area has been modified to accommodate this with wide benches and a lower flowerbed to create a visual focus.

model

poster

perspectives

Reading Room: Site Analysis

2010-09-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

The site I chose for my reading room was the courtyard between the Gatewood Studio Arts Building and the Graham Building on the UNC-G campus. I saw some unused potential in this space and hoped to resolve some of the design issues in order to help revive the area.

Reading Room: Precedent Study

2010-08-30T09:52:00.002-04:00

Enzo Outdoor Seating Installation

Verner Panton's Living Tower

Herzog and DeMeuron

The Cool Hunter

Argentinian cafe/wifi lounge

Stria: Albemarle Final

2010-07-14T18:47:00.000-04:00

These are the four final digital renderings I ended up with for the Albemarle project. I made use of Google SketchUp and various Adobe photoshop techniques to create the hand-drawn look I desired.

Chile: Model

2010-06-03T12:38:00.000-04:00

Materials: balsa wood, poster paper, gray Canson paper
Scale: 1/4"=1'

Chile: Earthquake Relief Shelter

2010-06-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

For this project, we were asked to develop a temporary relief shelter for those affected by the recent earthquake in Chile. My design is about community and gaining strength through numbers. For this reason, the shelter contains 4 units to house 4 families or groups of people. The shelter is centered around a reclaimed cement cylinder used for rain water collection. The cylinder would be buried several feet into the ground to help stabilize the surrounding wood structure in case of aftershock. To help direct rainwater into the cylinder, the roofs on each unit are angled towards the center. Each unit has their own private entrance and porch, but an outdoor community area is also included in the shelter to help bring the people together.

For the design of this poster, I wanted to try something different. This is my first poster that I have entirely hand drawn and I also used a new rendering technique. I was inspired by a first year student's rendering in the class I TAed for this semester. I used black ink with orange and white colored pencil on brown parchment paper. The result was an earthy, natural look that I think was fitting for the subject. The minimal color palette unifies the poster and the brown paper helped my poster stand out from the usual white digital posters.

This project was one of my finals for my third year in interior architecture. I cannot believe I only have one more year!

Stria: Albemarle Renderings

2010-03-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

As it turns out, working alone on the Albemarle project was a lot harder than I expected so after spring break, I decided to join the Stria group with Laura Snoderly and Heather Link. We presented our project yesterday to the class though our final presentation to the Albemarle community will not be until April, so we will be making a few changes to the design before then. I worked on a bike repair and custom bag shop that is located in the middle building of the complex. A restaurant and open market is to the right next the main street and residencies are in the back of the complex to the left (shown below). This is what I have so far:

Albemarle: sketches

2010-03-09T21:43:00.000-05:00

Watercolor Practice

2010-02-25T14:16:00.000-05:00

This is a contour drawing I did of Kacie Leisure in the first year drawing class I T.A. for that I later watercolored. Suzanne showed us a watercolor demonstration in class that really helped me with my watercoloring skills. I plan to use watercolor more often with rendering, now that I've gained more confidence in this medium.

Day Trip: Albemarle, NC Opera House

2010-02-15T01:51:00.001-05:00

The opera house in Albemarle was just next door to the building our class will be designing, but these days it lies empty. The images below are pictures I took of the balcony space. The opera house ceiling was once covered in these magnificent metal tiles, but the tiles have since fallen down and are now in stacks on the floor. The lighting was particularly moving with the five circular windows as the only light source. It would appear that the balcony space is now used mainly for storage of old antique furniture and a place for dust to settle. I'd love to try and incorporate both spaces into my design, but I have not decided yet on how to do so.

Day Trip: Albemarle, NC

2010-02-15T01:31:00.001-05:00

Our studio class took a field trip to the small town of Albemarle this past Monday. We did a site study of a space in the downtown area that was a Belk clothing store back in the day. The townspeople we consulted are looking for an exciting design idea that will revive their downtown that has suffered due to a thriving Wal-mart shopping center nearby. They specifically wanted a "young person's perspective", given that the town has a high population of senior citizens, so that is what we intend to give them.

Daylight Model: The Pavilion

2010-01-31T19:23:00.001-05:00

This was our first studio project this semester. The assignment was to develop and build a model at 3/4" scale that addresses the issue of natural daylight. My partner, Robert, and I worked together on this project. We were inspired by the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van Der Rohe, The Summer House in Trosa by WRB Architects in Stockholm, and the Cresent House by Ken Shuttleworth. The taller solid curved wall faces south and will reflect light down into the space and bounce off the shorter curved wall. The curved shape directs the bouncing light towards the center while the louvres help to block out the more direct light. The Pavilion is separated into two spaces. The area with the lower ceiling is a more private space with very little direct light and a water element that partially divides the space from the entrance. The space with higher ceiling gets more direct light and is therefore designed to be a public space.

The Hatchery: Booklet

2009-12-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

***click any image to make them larger

The Hatchery: Final Poster

2009-12-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

Aunt Jan's

2009-12-04T02:45:00.000-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year, My mother and I decided on a change of pace and took a trip up to Virginia to stay at my Aunt Jan's. To be honest, my Aunt Jan is really my Great Aunt Jan so she is in her 90's these days. One of the best things about visiting her is the beautiful house she lives in. She has a wonderfully hap-hazard way of styling her home as if to say, "that'll do". The home is cluttered with old photos and worn pieces of furniture passed down from generations past, but somehow it appears terrifically stylish. I have great childhood memories of roaming this house and discovering treasures around every turn.

My Aunt Jan is the big picture next to the window that looks like an old Hollywood glamour photo. Beautiful.

The Hatchery: Brain Dump Sketches

2009-11-06T11:06:00.000-05:00

These are some quick preliminary sketches I did to try some ideas for The Hatchery.

The Hatchery: Conceptual Framework Narrative

2009-10-28T14:25:00.001-04:00

My decided concept for The Hatchery is fish eggs. I have chosen to abandon the image of the hatching chicken egg and move to fish eggs because I like the statement it makes about community. Fish eggs are laid in much greater numbers, hundreds or thousands, where as birds tend to lay eggs only 3 or 4 at a time. The Hatchery is reaching out to the Greensboro community, and that is a large group of people.

Certain aspects of fish eggs that I would like to pursue are as follows: clustering, translucency, multitude, floating, and a warm glow from within. To achieve this affect, I like the idea of using translucent plastic tubes of varying heights protruding from the ceiling (and maybe some off the walls as well). These tubes would cluster around important areas within the store, helping with wayfinding, and then become more sparse in areas of less use. They would help to mold the space by flowing from higher to lower ceiling heights. Lower ceiling heights could be used in the retail space, consultation room, bathroom and the studio area to create a more intimate atmosphere. I'm also considering lighting the tubes from behind to create a warm glow that I found in many images of fish eggs, especially if the tubes were tinted a light shade of orange or yellow.

As far as layout and planning the space, I want to use semi-transparent or frosted glass walls to partition between spaces. However, it is also important for these walls to be temporary and moveable maybe by incorporating a track system because the space should be moldable so it can transform for different functions. I am also very attracted to raising certain spaces such as the consultation room or the studio space to further pursue the floating aspect of my concept.

The Hatchery: Programming Cubes

2009-10-28T10:30:00.000-04:00

Our group, made up of Denise, Kat, Josie and myself, worked together on the "large" programming cube last week. We researched important topics within the large scale, namely Elm Street (the location of the proposed Hatchery). Josie and I worked together on this side of the cube where we depicted a plan view of a block on Elm Street. The drawing is not to scale because we had to draw it from a google earth image for time reasons, however we thought it was important to illustrate the surrounding area including shops, crosswalks, and parking areas. The Hatchery location is shown on the plan in white, and there are screen shots we took of the google earth images in the top right corner.

Pumpkins!

2009-10-26T14:33:00.001-04:00

I love pumpkins. This past weekend, I carved a pumpkin shown above. I wanted to try a different technique where you shave away the rind of the pumpkin to reveal an image. It was difficult, especially because I didn't have the right tools. I used a spoon and an exacto knife (which i would not recommend) however, I ended up carving an owl and a moon, which is a lot different than the usual triangle-eyed jack o'lantern that I usual create. Consequently, I also made a pumpkin pie which was also a first for me as I rarely bake.

Ponyo

2009-10-23T15:27:00.001-04:00

This may seem silly, but when I was researching fish eggs I remembered a movie I saw this summer called "Ponyo". This animated movie by Miyazaki is about a fish that wants to be a girl and it is full of environmental themes. The animation was beautiful and could be a great inspiration for this space. If you haven't seen Ponyo yet and you like animated movies, it is well worth it!

The Hatchery: Concepts Collage

2009-10-23T12:39:00.001-04:00

These were a few inspiring images i found online branching off of the idea of a "hatchery". I immediately thought of birds when we were presented with this project because of Ashley's logo depicting a bird egg, however, I soon discovered that there are fish hatcheries as well. I liked the idea of the fish hatchery because when a fish lays eggs there are hundreds or thousands of them, while birds only lay a few. To me the fish might represent community in a different way with so many of them.

There are also 3 images that I found while searching "nests" and "nesting". I loved the nesting bowls in the top left and the nesting toy boxes in the bottom right. I thought those could easily inspire a space, maybe with some layering of walls or surfaces. The image in the top right shows a unique community of bird nests in Tanzania made by a black-necked weaver that I found fascinating with such an odd shape and color. I hope to translate this collage of images into a concept and a creative design for The Hatchery.

The Hatchery: Bubble Diagram

2009-10-21T10:12:00.000-04:00

This bubble diagram depicts my proposed hatchery space. I used hierarchy to show the performance space as the most important space. The diagram also helps to show adjacency, or a loose floorplan, with the gallery store at the entrance followed by the performance space, then a long hallway on the right side leading to the studio, consultation room and the bathrooms. The smaller bubbles stemming off from the main spaces depict the important components that each space requires.

Inventory Investigation

2009-10-14T04:48:00.000-04:00

logo by Ashley Boycher

business: help run/operate the store
interior architecture: design space/ contribute work for gallery
art: work for gallery/ work to sell
music: performance/ work to sell (CD's)
dance: performance
creative writing: performance (reading), gallery
drama: performance
media studies: shows (films), gallery (film installation)
consumer apparel and retail studies: performance (fashion shows)/ work to sell

***specifically it would be interesting to see the CARS and music majors work with the drama, media and dance majors on special costumes and musical arrangements used for performances at The Hatchery.

Tranquilities

2009-10-14T03:51:00.000-04:00

Tranquilities in Greensboro is a cute gift store very close to campus on Spring Garden Street. I love the quaint, cottage style of the store front as well as the crowded interiors packed with merchandise.

Dugg Dugg Art Gallery

2009-10-14T02:59:00.000-04:00

These images I found online of the Dugg Dugg Art Gallery are by James Willamor on Flickr. The art gallery is one of many in the NoDa area in Charlotte. I don't recall having been to the Dugg Dugg Art Gallery in particular, but I've been to similar ones in the same area. The NoDa area is a great place to go if you love a gallery crawl like I do! This space looks to be very open and inviting, and I really enjoy the dropped ceiling to make it feel more intimate (this may be an interesting way to designate different spaces in "The Hatchery").

Luna

2009-10-14T02:38:00.000-04:00

This clothing store, also located in Phillip's Place Charlotte, NC, has several fun design aspects that I found noteworthy. First of all are the wood floors with a tiled pattern created with stencils and different colored stains that gives the space a one of a kind feel. Next is the re-purposing of old doors for clothing displays and finally are the use of metal pipes and screw bases used to support glass shelving.

The Poole Shop

2009-10-14T02:23:00.000-04:00

The Poole Shop is not at all what it sounds to be; it is of course a clothing store. The layout of the space is a doughnut which I found unique, with the dressing room in the center. The bottom half of the walls were covered in horizontal wood paneling painted white, while the tops were yellow and the center structure with a funky wallpaper (shown in the last photo along with my mother haha). Lighting was a strong design aspect of this store with the metallic globe lighting at the front entrance, but there was also a fun red chandelier in the back of the space, and yet another entirely different fixture in the dressing room.

The Usual- Tate Street Coffee

2009-10-14T02:02:00.000-04:00

An obvious choice for inspiration, but a good one never the less, is Tate Street Coffee House in Greensboro, NC. This coffee house makes use of their walls to help sell artwork by local artists and also has art competitions through out the year open to the public to bring in the community.

Paper Source

2009-10-14T01:54:00.000-04:00

This store is a fun paper inspired space in Phillip's Place on Sardis Rd. in South Charlotte. I especially loved their fall window display making use of a paper owl kit that was on sale in the store. The store was full of little kids playing with the paper kits, but there is a more business side of the store as well displaying their proper stationery.

Imaginon

2009-10-14T01:43:00.000-04:00

The Imaginon is a children's library and activities center in downtown Charlotte, NC. When I was in high school I used to volunteer here for various community events. The space is very whimsical and colorful, as it should be for children, and successfully integrated the library and community spaces to create the Center. I love the assymetrical roof design and the bold use of color.

Red Tree Gallery and Coffee Shop

2009-10-14T01:27:00.000-04:00

The Red Tree Gallery located in Cincinnati, Ohio was an inspiring store that I found while searching Coffee Shops online. The store combines a coffee shop, a gallery, a gift shop and a workshop space; very similar to what "The Hatchery" intends to be. Right now they are offering a print silkscreen workshop and all of the merchandise sold in the shop is handmade by a local artist.

Paper Skyscraper

2009-10-14T01:17:00.000-04:00

Paper Skyscraper is my all time favorite gift store in my hometown Charlotte, NC and is located on East Blvd. The store, as I was told recently on my latest visit to the store this weekend, started out as an architecture book store (hence the name). Nowadays, there are lots of books, childrens toys, body soaps, and kitchen supplies to satisfy any gifting needs. The design is playful and unique; I especially liked the rippled sheet metal used behind the gift card display shown in the first image.

Small and Medium Design Displays

2009-10-02T11:47:00.000-04:00

Our studio class has developed two ideas for small and medium sized displays in the Salvation Army Select store. The medium sized displays are within the store with the mannequins displays. We wanted to continue the theme of the white-painted objects with all the displays, so for the medium display we plan to hang them from the grid panels on the ceiling. The objects will hang down around the mannequins to create visual interest without obscuring the signage too much. The smaller displays will be interspersed on shelving and tables throughout the store. These displays will consist of clear jars or glass containers that will be filled with smaller sized items (also painted white). Within these jars, we considered putting one red object in each to further emphasize the concept of "select".

Window Displays

2009-09-24T12:31:00.000-04:00

After getting inspiration from both my classmates and my own blog, I developed these four concepts for window displays in the salvation army select store. The top left, influenced by Allisyn's blog image of a display using recycled straws, I created a cascading effect for a back drop to the mannequins. The straws would be strung leaving a gap in the center of the strings to direct the eye towards the clothing but also to create visual interest as this would form a window into the store. At the ends of the straw lines the last straw would be frayed to make a star burst effect for an added detail. The use of recycled materials in this idea reflect the salvation army's reuse of clothing.

The top right idea was influenced from my own inspiration, an art piece by Kumi Yamashita who makes use of silhouttes. I wanted to include the symbol of the shield in one of designs and make use of their signature color red. The silhouttes would be painted on a semi-transparent screen (maybe an old curtain or bed sheet) and used as a backdrop behind the forms. The shield would frame the shapes and help to group them like a community.

The bottom right sketch depicts an idea I got from one of my favorite artists, Louise Nevelson. She makes use of found objects, typically wood, and arranges them into a form like a puzzle and paints them a solid color to make them one. In this display, I would make use of old chair legs or table legs and attach them to form tall columns. The columns would be lined up with little margin between to create a wall and would be painted all white. In this design I thought that including a remodeled chair would be ideal and have it painted red to symbolize the salvation army and their reuse of objects, strongly contrasting the wall of chair legs.

The final idea was the simplest but I think it would be very effective in grabbing people's attention. After our marketing for the store was finished, we could make use of all the red painted shoes that would be left over. We could create piles of red shoes around certain display areas and use it as a wayfinding tool. The bright red is sure to catch the customer's eye, so we could use the shoes strategically to guide them through out the store, telling them "this is where you should look next".

Inspiration: Art

2009-09-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

starting from left to right: Louise Nevelson, Andy Warhol, Jerry Uelsmann, Claude Monet, Marc Chagall, Sandro Botticelli, Marcel Duchamp

starting from left to right: Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Hamilton, Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Yamashita Kumi, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

I find art to be a great inspiration to me as a designer, hence my blog name. In all my years in IARc, when ever we are assigned studio projects I go down to the 2nd floor of Gatewood to look at the art student's work to help me with ideas. These images shown are a compilation of just some of my favorite pieces of art that could easily be translated into the design of a space.

Marketing Techniques for Salvation Army Select

2009-09-16T02:55:00.001-04:00

1.CROCHET:
Although I doubt that many people in our design studio can crochet, I still thought that this was an interesting and sustainable way to make a product for cheap (they are made from plastic grocery bags) and my sister tells me they are very easy to make. One would just need crochet needles. I thought the coaster would be easier and could be made to put in the mailbox with a note attached putting emphasis on the re-using aspect of donating to the salvation army select and maybe giving a specific time when to put out clothes to be donated.

2. DRESS:
This idea is to set up mannequins in a public area with a lot of traffic flow on campus like the EUC. It is relatively easy to get used or worn mannequins from department stores for little to nothing. The mannequins would include signage explaining the new salvation army select store and how the students can help by donation. I particularly like this idea because it gives the students a chance to have fun with the donation process by dressing the mannequins themselves.

3. FOLD:
This final idea is an extremely cheap and easy way to market for this store. The idea is to fold t-shirts out of old newspapers or magazines or any recycled paper product for that matter and include a simple message. The t-shirts could be given to local stores, more specifically clothing stores, and they could then give them to customers after a purchase. I think the origami would be more effective than the usual flyer because of its unusual shape and hand-made appearance they will take a second look.

Timepiece: Connect The Dots

2009-09-14T06:42:00.000-04:00

1. This is a clock I've designed to be placed in my retail space. The face is made of stainless steel and as the time passes by the faces will rotate and the holes will reveal the numbers beneath it. The small circle will represent the hours and the circle on the outside ring will represent the minutes. I was inspired by a wrist watch shown in my earlier post that was designed for someone blind and made use of raised bumps to denote the hour and minute hand.

2. I worked on stretching my concept of braille even further and began to consider feeling and the nervous system as the blind depend on their sense of touch to read. The timepiece would be a large design made of wire or string mounted on the ceiling and molded in the shape of the dendrite part of a neuron. The nervous system would be represented by wires or string and then attached to small, dim halogen lights. As the lights go off and on, they would suggest the energy released when neurons are fired. Every five minutes the lights in the timepiece would go off in succession starting in the center of the dendrite moving outward into the store. I also considered having the lights go off rapid fire on the hour, but that may be too distracting for customers.

3. For my final timepiece design I wanted to incorporate the importance of texture that I have through out the rest of the space. I considered many silly things such a sandbox that customers would mark in with tools and would show time by building up during the time the store is open. By the end of the day, you would be able to see the masses of people that had visited the store and would be clear to start again fresh the next day. I also wanted to incorporate this new idea of the nervous system so I thought of ripples in the sand at the ocean when the tides go in because they have a similar branching shape. There could be some sort of waterfall that would run constant over the sand creating these "veins" in the sand. However, I think this might be hard to recreate. I even considered an in store ant farm recessed in the wall as shown in the image above. The ant farm would obviously change over time as the ants explored new spaces and the tunnels would branch out into the dirt similar to the nervous system and from far away the ants just look like (what else?) dots!
***The color of this image was distorted on blogger, sorry!

A Timepiece

2009-09-11T02:46:00.000-04:00

These are a few unique watches for the blind I found online searching. The first is the Haptica braille timpiece that has a moveable part in the middle that rotates to expose the time in braille. The second timepiece is the x-watch by Damien Kozlik which tells the time by use of LED lights. Where the strands cross the numbers converge and show the time. The middle also has raised numbers in braille. I specifically enjoyed the last one shown, however, because it is so minimal and sleek. Time is shown simply by a large dot for minutes and a smaller dot for hours.

Connect The Dots- Material Board

2009-09-04T15:14:00.000-04:00

The design for this undergarment and sleepwear store will be based on the concept of braille. I love the idea of braille because it is a form of communication and it offers a unique texture. Both of these aspects of braille were important to me and I wanted to convey this within the retail space. I chose materials with varying textures for the space also to relate to the merchandise. When buying sleepwear and undergarments the most important thing to me is what the material is and how it feels. I tried to reflect the braille's dots in other ways through out the space with the pendant lamps and the resin and cocoa cylinders. With the cylinders, I planned to arrange them in lines with the manniquins on top interacting with one another to suggest the communication aspect of the braille. I want the merchandise to be what "connects the dots".

Materials Collage

2009-09-04T00:29:00.000-04:00

These are some materials that I am using for my sleepwear/undergarment store design. I based the room around braille so I wanted to emphasize texture in the space encouraging consumers to feel the merchandise. I also picked a warmer toned flooring with the bamboo to create a more intimate feeling in the store. If people are buying undergarments they especially don't want to feel uncomfortable in their environment. I chose a teal color called Shorline Green from Behr to use on the walls in between the braille textured wall flats. This will help to break up the busy pattern and provide added color in the space.

Connect The Dots...

2009-09-02T02:25:00.000-04:00

Braille is my new inspiration for our current assignment in my retail design studio. We are to create a materials board for a retail space with a given concept. I was assigned to design a sleep wear and under garment store with the concept of "connect the dots". From there, I eventually found an image in a design magazine (I forget which one) of a printed wallpaper modeled after braille. I love the idea of varying textures with the raised bumps and I would like to create a design with differing sizes of braille within the space.

Palette Generator

2009-09-02T02:04:00.000-04:00

I attempted the palette generator for inspiration using a photo of my sister and her husband at their wedding in the mountains. I loved the color palette that was generated with the pale greens, grays, blues, and pinks. These colors will surely inspire a soothing retail space.

Case Study: Retail Material Investigation

2009-08-31T02:00:00.000-04:00

1. On Saturday, my roommate and I took a trip to the mall. Upon entering the mall, I started to look for stores with unique lighting or material methods and The Body Shop was the first store that caught my eye. The woodwork around the store entrance and the shelves along the perimeter of the store are painted green as this is a signature color for the company. The materials used in the store were more natural like bamboo, painted wood, linen, woven grass and green and white stone tile flooring. The Body Shop also made use of an image of grass that was printed and attached to the tops of several display areas giving a natural but modern feel to the store. Color was brought to the store mainly through the products themselves. The lotions and soaps were stacked neatly and created a rainbow of color across the wall.

2. The second store I went into was Brookstone. I love the modern yet warm feel to the store with the use of the medium toned wood and exposed metal framing. The store is appropriately more industrial as they are selling home electronics. The use of light in the store was noteworthy as well with the recessed and track lighting and especially on the store front with a backlight on the metallic logo.

3. My final case study at the mall was PacSun. I had never been in a PacSun before, but I was told by an employee that they had been newly redesigned. The color scheme was blue and orange on the walls representing their surfer-style clothing well. The floors were a stained concrete with an orange tint. All of the clothing racks and shelves were metal and dark wood giving the store a more rugged feel. PacSun also utilized lighting for wayfinding in an interesting way by hanging a large, orange pendant lamp over the cashier's counter at the far end of the store.

4. Although I have not been in a Lacoste store recently, I have been to the one in the Southpark Mall in Charlotte. I mainly love Lacoste for their silly photos on their website with their jumping models because they always make me smile. However, I think their store materials are something to consider as well. In Charlotte, the Lacoste store is smaller and more narrow. The whole store is done in a white plastic that is a bit reflective and very sleek. In the store front pictured above, they made use of a shiny metal for the logo and the supports for the display tables.

5. Similar to Lacoste, I have not been in a Kate Spade store recently but there is one in Charlotte as well that I have been to in the past. The store front is in green, pushing off of the wall slightly making it stand out and Kate Spade New York is written simply on the green contrasting in white. Most of the lighting in the store is recessed in the shelves while the rest of the store is dimly lit to put the focus on the handbags. Kate Spade designs bright and colorful bags with lots of bold prints, so the white store contrasts the products well directing the shopper's eye to the merchandise.

A Product, A Designer, and A Space

2009-08-26T22:06:00.001-04:00

This is a wire pendant light by Green and Graham design. I thought the wire design would create interesting shadow patterns on the walls and create for an inspiring space. I also liked the open design exposing the bulb allowing for optimal light emitted

This is an installation by Dale Chihuly, an inspiring artist who works with blown glass shapes and lighting to create unique works of art. I chose this image for its surprising reflections and shadows casted on the wall. The blown glass shapes are apparently backlit creating a dramatic effect on the space.

I found this image of an outdoor mall space with a tent-like covering to create an interesting lighting effect. The white material gives the illusion that it is still bright outside, distracting shoppers from noticing the real color of the sky.
This may be a strategy by the mall to encourage shopping late into the day.

Object of Persuasion

2009-05-10T18:00:00.000-04:00

This is a poster I made in photoshop for a dining room table I designed earlier in the year. I wanted to emphasize the long lines of the table by orienting the poster horizontally and utilizing a photo of my table that focused on the linear aspect of the design. The word 'lineage' refers to the linear design of the table including the stainless steel strip running down the center of the table top. However, I also chose the word 'lineage' because it also relates to a timeline or family heritage. This, I thought, was an important message to send to the potential buyers because the warmth of the distressed wood as well as the familial aspect of the name remind people of the large gatherings that could take place around such a table. The text in the poster is one straight line to again emphasize the linear design of the table and it further explains the design of the table. I also included some line drawings at the top of the poster to illustrate that the table can be pulled apart to make two seperate tables to meet the needs of different families and their homes.

Hipster Haven: Urban Planes

2009-05-08T18:33:00.000-04:00

Presentation Board
Materials ModelSketch ModelStair Model

Loft PlanReflected Ceiling Plan

Floor Plan

East Wall Section
North Wall Section
Detailed Wall Section

Orthographic View of Stairs The apartment complex Jennifer and I designed focused on apartments that fit together like puzzle pieces. We wanted to create something different than the usual rectangular spaces giving the complex a selling point. For my individual apartment design, I stuck with this concept and utilized a boardwalk to direct circulation in the space. It also helped to break up the space in a unique way, rather than using walls. On the ceiling, the boardwalk is reflected using a row of skylights pushed up into the ceiling. I made use of more sustainable materials such as Lyptus wood, Ice Stone for the countertops, and the original concrete floors. This space is ideal for a couple of the x and y generation.

WPA poster: hybrid cars

2009-04-28T02:27:00.000-04:00

**blogger altered the colors slightly in the image. "Hybrid" is meant to be in black.

Urban Pathway: The Bean

2009-04-09T02:50:00.000-04:00

This was my favorite assignment for this class as it was my first attempt at Adobe Illustrator and I became entirely absorbed into the project. I chose an image of The Bean located in Chicago, Illinois because when I visited Chicago for the first time this was one of the things that stood out to me the most. I loved how facinated people were with the reflective material and what an attraction it was for the park in which it resides. When approaching this project, I wanted The Bean to be the focal point so I made the urban background scene in black and white. In the original photo, there were also many people standing infront of The Bean and interacting with the sculpture. I decided to take them out all together and leave just their reflections in The Bean. In doing so, I hoped viewers would study the image further and maybe suggest a deeper meaning. What if the people gathered around The Bean had made as much an impression on the sculpture as the sculpture had on them?

Final Noguchi Space on SketchUp

2009-04-01T20:37:00.001-04:00

3DS Max Renderings

2009-03-31T00:56:00.000-04:00

I struggled with the 3DS Max program more than any other I have used thus far. Trying to use the "daylight" tool and position the sun to create shadows was very challenging. The program was confusing and organized poorly, making it difficult to complete the simplest tasks such as applying color. Each material had to be imported separately which was slow and tedious.

Graphic Pattern

2009-03-23T21:56:00.001-04:00

This pattern was pulled from a photo I took last year in Charleston, SC of a historical chapel. The assignment was to depict a Victorian pattern. I did so by using the blue negative space, and creating a Victorian inspired shape in the absence of the architecture.

A Place To Bathe

2009-03-06T01:04:00.000-05:00

preliminary sketch

Floor Plan

reflected ceiling plan

wall elevation

wall sectionsketch model

perspective view of pool

perspective view of ceiling

This "place to bathe" was designed around people with spinal cord injuries. People with spinal cord injuries are usually dependent on a wheelchair and would benefit from a bath with wheelchair access. The water is good for soothing spasticity in muscles, which is common in people who spend most of their time seated in a wheelchair. The spinal cord transmits messages out from the brain to rest of the body. In the design, I let the central column represent the spine, and the different level changes that ripple off of the spine represent the messages sent through out the body.
I also took inspiration from Native American sweat lodges, specifically those in Mexico. Their bath houses, or Temazcalli, starting with the Mayan civilization, were typically dome-shaped with an oculus to let out the steam from the hot stones. My design reflects this with curved walls and a circular window at the top of the column.

FF&E:
Flooring materials are 4”x4” square terra cotta tiles, Quantum by Ann Sacks
and 1”x4” rounded glass tiles. The color will be medium gray for the square tiles, and white rounded tiles. For the finish the texture will be rough on the square tiles for tread with a metallic glaze, and the rounded tiles polished to show level changes. sealer over both to waterproof. The walls will be made of stucco and painted light gray with a semi-gloss. The central column will be made of the same 1"x4" rounded glass tile from the floor in white and polished to subtly reflect light.

Binding the Present with the Past

2009-03-05T19:29:00.000-05:00

presentation board

wall section

sketch model

exploded axonometric drawing
floor plan

reflected ceiling plan

wall elevation

wall elevation

perspective

2009-02-17T01:07:00.002-05:00

A few images from my animation of the Isamu Noguchi space on SketchUp

Final Noguchi Residence in SketchUp

2009-02-10T02:47:00.001-05:00

I had trouble capturing the scenes for these photos. When I would go to move the camera view and make a new scene the walls would disappear as if cut in half, therefore making it hard to get any good views.

Noguchi Residence in Sketchup

2009-02-04T23:12:00.001-05:00

This is my design for an Isamu Noguchi residence from 1st year done in sketchup.

My Design Manifesto

2009-02-03T01:00:00.001-05:00

Our first assignment for studio this semester was to discover our own design manifesto, or what we believe are important rules to design by. My manifesto was that architecture should embrace the environment in which it is built, and blend in with its surroundings. We designed a visual representation for our manifesto. Mine represents the natural and manmade environments and blending together in the middle.

Shelter|Bus Final

2009-02-01T14:11:00.003-05:00

This was my final solo project for first semester 2nd year. I designed a shelter|bus inspired by the north star for four hurricane relief workers.

Assignment 1

2009-01-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

In response to the article entitled “Computing in Architectural Design”, I believe that computing will continue to play a large part in the architecture field in the future.

Today, people in the architecture field use computer programs for computing more accurately such as the CAD systems that have been developed since the 1970’s, as well as rendering proportionately and more easily. These programs are helpful to prevent human calculating mistakes, and are making it easier to calculate curved shapes such as the fantastical designs of Frank Gehry. Without computers to help with calculating, designers would be limited to only creating 90 degree angles and box shaped buildings for fear of miss calculating. In using third generation CAD systems, designers can be informed when violating certain design codes or computers can automatically incorporate certain design aspects saving engineers tedious work. These programs are helpful and don’t inhibit the design process.

In the future, I wish to see further use of computers, but it is not in our best interest to depend on them completely. Computers should continue to be used in the future for architecture, but need to support the designer’s creativity and not hinder it.

Museum Visit Sketches

2008-12-08T12:05:00.001-05:00

Fall Break- Charleston

2008-10-26T22:14:00.001-04:00

I love visiting Charleston, SC and seeing the historic homes on the Battery. I love the old southern homes from the 1700's with the wrought iron and wood details. These homes strongly influence my design style today. I'm still a southern girl at heart.

This visit I was able to do some house tours which I have never done. I especially enjoyed a tour of the Calhoun Mansion which I do not have any pictures of, because they do not allow photography within the home as it is still a private residence. The Calhoun Mansion is ecclectically decorated almost like a museum, with decor from all around the world including some pretty creepy taxidermy on the 3rd floor.

My Bus/Shelter Design

2008-10-26T22:05:00.001-04:00

I chose to experiment with a unique form, taking inspiration from a spider web reflecting the bus routes. This form allows bus users to utilize the bus stop in a different way. Rather than sitting on a straight bench, one can sit on any side of it and can still see the road because of the open design. The glass ceiling provides shelter as well as the opportunity to view the surrounding natural area located on Tate Street in Greensboro.

Alexander Fisher- The Peacock Sconce

2008-10-13T01:18:00.000-04:00

The Peacock Sconce was made around 1899 by Alexander Fisher. A sconce is used as a holder of a light source on a wall. He designed the sconce for the sole purpose to be exhibited and not used within a home. However, if the sconce were to be used within a living space, the space would be designed in the style of the arts and crafts movement. There is also a strong influence of art nouveau, because of the peacock motif relating back to nature. The use of metals and the enameled decorative peacock feathers give off the impression that this would be a higher class home. The windows are therefore taller with long sweeping curtains, ideally velvet. The fireplace is more grand with a frame surrounding it along with a larger mantle. The furniture pieces included in the space are from the art nouveau movement with very organic details such as the swirling woodwork in the couch on the back wall. Furthermore, the decorative pieces added to the space reflect the natural theme of the peacock as well. There is a vase in the far corner of dried flowers and the rug in the center of the floor has an art nouveau influenced swirl. The same swirl motif is shown in the oversized mirror as well as the metal fire screen. Alexander Fisher’s use of metal is also reflected in several other areas of the room including the mirror on the opposite wall of the room and the fire screen just below the sconce. The Peacock Sconce represents a harmony between embracing nature with the art nouveau and arts and craft movement, and the industrial revolution with his use of steel and other metals.