OtherSpaces, OtherRooms

2009-04-16T01:10:00.001-07:00

color play

2009-04-14T09:47:00.001-07:00

Warm Fluorescents

2009-04-14T08:11:00.001-07:00

The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro finds creative ways to create warm fluorescents.

Office Environments

2009-04-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

Overcast - The Inspiration

2008-12-06T09:45:00.001-08:00

Song: Ain't No Sunshine, The Remix by JaySam.

Overcast - The Presentation

2008-12-06T09:44:00.001-08:00

the perfect coat

2008-11-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

This would look so great in my store...or my closet!

LOGOS on BLACK BACKGROUND

2008-11-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

LOGO DESIGN - ON WHITE BACKGROUND

2008-11-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

Overcast Perspectives

2008-11-05T08:20:00.001-08:00

Perspective Inspiration

2008-11-05T06:32:00.000-08:00

I like the dramatic look of the white on black drawing. I want to try this. I think it will be particularly suitable for what I want to show in my space.

I like this drawing posted on a flickr blog. It is a hand drawn sketch colored later in photoshop.

The Rest Will Follow

2008-10-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

It's a blustery day in the city... or not quite. So my pieces that keep driving the idea conceptually are:

my product: high fashion meets practical sophistication :: trench coats and attaches, etc.
the cloudy day
the street scape: specifically power lines, street lines, electrical towers, light poles

How do these products relate to one another? Trench coats are symbolic for so many things.

They are iconic. Think James Bond, Jackie O, Prince Charles, Carry Grant, Carrie Bradshaw.

They are sexy. Think James Bond, Jackie O, Carry Grant, Carrie Bradshaw.

They are mysterious. One one hand people wear them to make a statement. And on the other people wear them to blend into the crowd. They cover everything, and in a way have become a symbol for covering what's underneath. They are a requirement for every good P.I.

They are also practical, they protect you from the elements. Walk down the street on a blustery day in New York and everyone has one. And what else are they all carrying? A breifcase- or today- a laptop case.

So that's why I have chosen these two products to go together. The same market that might purchase a trench coat, might also purchase a fine breifcase or designer pen.

And the idea is to have items for people to browse through and look at. Also, the merchandise would change fairly frequently throughout the seasons so that there is a limited amount of product on display at one time.

The cloudy day seems to work so seemlessly with the product as well. You can imagine a person, man or woman, rushing down the streets of downtown on a cold, blustery day on the way to a business meeting. From the looks of it, Greensboro most certainly has a fashion-conscious business class and they like to look good - even on a rainy day, from head to toe, car to car keys. It's about the details.

I want the store to reflect this type of atmosphere. Kind of gritty city on an overcast day. One thing I love about an overcast day is that the light is very diffuse. That indirect light seems to help keep colors outside in intense saturation, and it's so beautiful. I also like the idea of power lines and street lamps. If you've ever tried to go out and take pictures of the suburban landscape, you're constantly trying to frame a view without powerlines in it. In this case I want to celebrate the beauty of the banal and make it work to establish a mood.

The Revolution Mills is formerly very industrial. I can see how this shop would fit well into the context by keeping exposed a lot of the existing materials and adding in new reused materials that speek about the streetscape. A couple ideas for new, reused materials are steel- creating a few space dividers, or floor to ceiling fixtures inspired by the electrical tower. Very rectilinear, but also very formulaic and easily recognizable. In a way the trench coat is the same way. There are a million different variations, but they are all based on the same formula.

I have a distinct idea for thew way I want the lighting to feel. I want to screen the natural lighting, which in my shop would be at the back of the store, or use it strategically to draw your eye to an otherwise concealed portion of the store - perhaps behind a screen or mesh. Then I want to back light a single trench coat in a wall display. Maybe there are a few iterations of this on one wall. I would propose to backlight it with very diffuse light that also would help to spill into the space and remove the need for overhead lighting. Then, I would like to use embedded floor lights- like the ones you see on the outside of buildings, illuminating the facade, to create gently washed, hot spots on the front of the coat. I want to uplight the structural metallic fixtures in the space as well as you often see electrical towers uplit.

I want the thin, slightly sagging lines of the power line to be pervasive in the space. I can see a wall system, made of taught line on which wooden or aluminum portfolio binders hang. Perhaps there is a slightly canted (like a podium) style midfloor fixture that features five or six of these folios laying flat on the surface. Maybe there are a set of thin elastic bands that the folios slip under. It's an element that is both functional and aesthetic.

I also want to maximize my window display. I like the idea of this being the place where on my large slanted wall I can create an interior environment for my manequins by employing the metal electrical tower-like structure that curves over them. Spot lights like on a movie set - or maybe lamp posts or maybe a custom light fixture like one of those on the end of the long, overhanging lamp posts can spot light the product. It could be really cool to have this be the one place where the light slighty flickers on and off like a street lamp, sporatically and barely imperceptible atleast to the shoppers outside so that they have to do a double take to see if the light really flickers on and off or not. This might be a bit gimmicky. It only works on the shopper once, but I think it could be interesting and add to the authenticity.

Much of my inspiration for the store in terms of lighting contrasts that maintain a high level of sophistication is the flagship store for the french label L'Eclaireur. It however encorporates alot of warm tones in its design. I would like use LED lighting, which gives off a cooler light than incandescant (sp?). I think I will stray away from using the very blue looking LEDs and try to encorporate some of the newer LED technology which has been able to eliminate much of that blue essence. Nevertheless, I do want to use dark greys and Payne's grays, hints of a midnight blue and white. Much of my inspiration or color and texture will come from my photographs of the street and sky that I took. I would also like to encorporate the photography into the graphics of the space, especially the images of the lamp posts and the sky- they are slighty ethereal and menacing.

I don't want this space to feel harsh, subversive or frightening. I want it to feel moody and somewhat edgy, like how you might feel on a cloudy day. I always seek solitude on a cloudy day- it just brings the introvert out in me. In a way, I think I can psychologically use this to my advantage and play up how the product, the trench and the attaches/folios are about expressing your inner self, your individuality, or maybe even your somewhat darker alter ego. Just take a look at myspace and you'll get a glimpse into how popular the idea of the sexy, alter ego is.

The main thing I struggle with is how this store will remain fresh throughout the seasons. I need to be able to sell the product Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall. I think I can accomplish this with music and by making the lighting and the colors of the panels behind the trench coat display (I can't help but imagine resin) to be able to change. Maybe this is something I can do by using a colorless and cloudy resin and making it into a removable panel behind which I can put a color gel in front of the light or install a big, bold graphic on a huge transparency.

Precedents and The Like - WINESTORE

2008-10-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Winestore, Charlotte, North Carolina

"Bold Flavor," Inform Architecture and Design, 2007, No. 2, p18.

As their website says: "YOU'RE THE EXPERT ... Wine buying for the rest of us. It's not about stuffy wine reviews and knowing exactly what you want. Drink what you like. As long as you never use the term 'oaky,' you'll be just fine. "

I love the impossibly thin light tubes that illuminate the signage above the wine racks on the wall. There is such keen attention paid to the ceiling heights and creating spaces within spaces. In the front of the store there is a small area where the walling turns to ceiling and fixtures connect to floor and ceiling and create rotating wine racks that are larger than human scale.

The store in clean and cool, an ideal environment for wine. This could explain why there is no major attempt at creating ingenuitive window displays: sunlight and heat destroys wine. Instead the focus is on creating functional fixtures that show off the product and market it to a particular customer. The red wall appropriate for a wine store provides some visual heat and warmth to the space. An alcove of golden wood also achieves this aim.

This is an interesting case study in how to organize a product that is extremely diverse, but on the outside essential all looks the same. While an interesting label will attract the customer, the store helps establish an order that can bring the customer closer to their perfect match in a creative way.

The fixtures are easy enough to interact with - ring holders hold vertically placed bottles of wine next to cards with their descriptions on them. Sandwiched in the inside of the fixture is a wine rack that hold the extra stock.

Bright colors and industrial materials keep the store universal in its appeal to men and women. The interior is sparse in the way of furniture. There appears to be a bar for tasting- sans the barstool. Also a similarly constructed semicircular cash wrap sits in the back of the store where the salesperson has a clear view of the whole store while remaining out of the main path.

The store is really very minimal. There is not much of what I like to call the "linger factor." The shopping experience seems to focused on ease of selection so that the customer may chose their product, pay for it, and head home. Perhaps this is a perfect marketing strategy in and of itself. Make it easy for the customer to buy, especially after an exhausting work week (i'm assuming when most people stop by), thereby ensuring their return.

Winestore-online.com says that "We wanted to eliminate that fear and extend the favorable experience on the retail side. We have built our brand value on providing a positive experience for our customers above all else. Winestore is the result of that concept – a contemporary solution to the wine purchasing experience. All the aesthetic decisions for the identity were derived in order to distinguish Winestore from other wine shops by being innovative as well as approachable. Winestore is about celebrating the individuality of each brand of wine it sells, as well as the experience."

The store is super user-friendly employing touch screen kiosks, wine-tasting machines and signage that tells you the simple facts: RED, WHITE, even TAX REFUND.

The idea here is to not bombard the customer.

"Our goal is to provide a fun, educational and non-intimidating shopping experience for wine lovers of all levels of expertise" (http://www.winestore-online.com/store/)

Precedents and The Like - SINCERE FINE WATCHES

2008-10-26T16:29:00.001-07:00

SINCERE FINE WATCHES, Sincere Haute Horology, Hilton Plaza, Singapore

Sincere Watch Academy

Singapore

Thailand

Taiwan

Singapore

Korea

Indonesia

Malaysia

India

It's no wonder why Sincere Haute Horlogerie at the Hilton Gallery in Singapore won Singapore Tourism's Best New Retail Concept. It is based on the concept "Only in Singapore."

"One distinct advantage Sincere Haute Horlogerie has over other watch boutiques is the luxury of space...For a lot of people, when you talk about luxury, space is a luxury. Our customers can enjoy the lounge environment. They can browse, it is like a meeting place for watch lovers." [Today Papers (March 30, 2007) ]

Sincere's Singapore store was to break the retail molds and provide a retail environment on par with any place store in New York, Hong Kong or Tokyo. I couldn't find much written on the interior design of the space, but the images really speak for themselves. There is alot of light play. The interior and exterior are so sculptural in form.

There is an admirably succesful blending of tradition and innovation here. The Sincere logo is chiseled, refined and timeless while the interior design speaks about the present, about the latest colors, product design, and architecture. It is luxurious and modern, yet curvaceous and sleekly comforting. Tones are warm oranges, earthy browns and ivory and in other places you see blue resin and metal framing and screening, yet both compliment the brand.

THE BRAND

The company states that it has built its reputation on these four strategic pillars:

Brand Management
Fine Watch Retailing
Lifestyle Watch Retailing and
Travel Watch Retailing

The company attributes its success to brand segmentation to fulfill the desires of its diverse clientelle: The Series Luxe, The Series Technics, and The Series Active.

Again, I appreciate how specifically they frame and describe their product.

"The Series Luxe features watches that reflect all of life’s luxuries. Gems and precious stones adorn these fabulous timepieces. Never failing to draw gasps of delight and awe
from onlookers, these watches are as much art as they are horological masterpieces. This magnificent collection belongs only to those who appreciate the finest things in life and who will go to great length to obtain them.

The Series Technics is targeted at the technologically-attuned segment that focuses on watches with great mechanical complications. The market for engineering intricacies is ever-growing, and the brands and models featured here border on the limits of man’s ability to create complicated timepieces of the finest quality.

The Series Active caters to those who are adventurous, sporty and who relish the pleasures of active recreations. These watches offer the best in presentation and performance while having the ability to sustain the rigors of every active lifestyle."

Interiors - Colors, Textures and Material Diversity

This space in incredible in its wide range of styles that come together seemlessly. Neoclassical furniture covered in velour and leather upholstery in dark, rich hues sit heavy and low against the expansive hardwood floor. The slight, yet minimal curves of the neoclassical reinterpretations pair well with the minimal, rectilinear solid wood furniture and shadow box-style display cases. The cases seem to float in randomized order, embedded in a mesh wall that keeps the eye dancing between the interior of the room and that which lies beyond and out of focus. Another wall is a screen and display wall entirely composed of the shadow box frames stacked upon one another and resting on a heavy base that doubles as cabinet storage. A few of the shadow boxes are backed and lined in red like jewelcases. Individual items are spotlighted this way.

One thing you'll notice about all of the retail spaces is that there is very minimal ceiling lights. This way the display cases are the most brightly lit. The atmosphere is dark, dramatic and sexy.

Long jewel cases double as bars, literally for special events - a key to creating a party atmosphere and draw a crowd to the store - host a soiree. There is comfortable seating where the customer can pull up a seat and talk with a representative and make well-considered decision. The company caters to the shopper looking for the full-service luxury shopping experience, and the purchase is much more like a finalized business transaction rather than an impulse buy. This sets up an arrangement familiar to many of the clients, some of the world's most famous celebrities and business moguls.

Read More About the Company -----> Sincere Fine Watches

Precedents and The Like - REI

2008-10-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

"The Great Indoors", Interior Sources, Sept 2008, Vol 17 No. 7
A Photo Essay about Gensler's unique design for an REI retail store

Gensler's took the opportunity in it's interior design of the new Boulder, Co REI store to reflect the company's commitment to sustainability and love for nature - inspiring customers to outfit their next great adventure. I really like this case study because the images of the interiors actually illustrate how a concept can guide the layout of a retail space. The photograph with the midfloor fixtures features a prime example. The fixtures are all substantially sized, typically two-sided so products can be displayed on both the front and the back, encouraging people to walk around them. If you look at the path created by the floor fixtures it is much like that of a nature trail, gently winding about a fixed obstacle like a large tree or boulder. In the same way, customers can slow down, wind about the store and look more intently at the product, browse through the racks, and really be immersed in the store.

Here the "linger factor" is key. There are level changes and natural lighting and information areas - an abundance of information to help educate as well as inspire. The graphics in the space are used wisely. Large black and white panaoramic photos are broken into panels and placed in the clothing areas where the compartmentalized overhead shelving would be - drawing the eye upward to the items in those shelves as well as creating inspiring vistas.

Unlike the Sincere retail locations, daylighting here is necessary to the whole atmosphere of the store. Light wells and skylights bring in daylighting at the same time as cutting down on energy consumption and photovoltaic capture solar power for reuse.

There is a whole forest of two-dimensional trees that surround you, serving as screens between rooms, wall art, and sculptural doors and entryways. An abtsracted motif appears in patinaed steel - a warm, earthy color. Those same trees occur in three dimensions as background or context in the manequin stands. In another place, more photo-realistic trees are etched into the glass. In the front entrance two mamoth abstract "tree trunks" span from floor to ceiling, far overhead. They are impressive and beautiful and make a statement about what is about to come as soon as you enter the store.

As far as I can tell, there isn't any color on the walls. None. Yet the place is vibrant with pattern and texture, and the fixtures themselves are honey-colored woods and the product creates an overall color scheme- or atleast a rainbow of options. Product is grouped presumably according to male, female, function, style, and then color, and size. This creates a natural order yet a few small signs built into the cases might provide more info, but they are minimal at best.

Precedents and The Like - SWATCH

2008-10-26T14:52:00.001-07:00

The Swatch store in times Square is just an over the top example of some very effective branding. The store is wrapped in literally wrapped in images. I chose this store because I've actually been there. It's very pop. I think that could be the design concept in a nutshell. Products pop in the displays, graphics pop off of walls, colors and light pop from the inside to the outside.

The windows are also used very effectively; cases in the interior are encased in bright colors that draw your attention fromthe outside.

It's very urban and international in its feel. The people in the ads are young hipsters, well dressed and - in their latest ads- actually in flight. The whole facade soars to the sky and manages to compete fairly well with the other eye popping billboards around it.

From the Moodie Report on Swatch ---> Read More
Swatch + Art
Right from the start, Swatch connected with contemporary art. Swatch watches were inspired by popular culture, and Swatch itself soon became a canvas for famous artists, musicians and fashion designers. One of the first major artists to collaborate with Swatch was the Keith Haring, and the relationship between Swatch and art has since produced a fascinating series of Swatch Art Specials by Pedro Almodóvar, Ágatha Ruíz de la Prada, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Vivienne Westwood, among many others. Recent collaborators include the performance artists and musicians known as Blue Man Group, and Norma Jeane, the contemporary artist who designed Once Again, Again, the 2008 “Club Watch” for members of the worldwide community of Swatch fans and collectors known as Swatch The Club.

Creative retail
Swatch The Club has evolved from a club for enthusiasts and collectors of Swatch watches to a worldwide community. Today, with more than 12,000 Swatch POS, creative retail is the name of the game. In addition to existing shop-in-shops, kiosks, monobrand Swatch stores and flagship Swatch Jellyfish stores, Swatch now sets up “Instant Stores” — temporary Swatch stores that can be set up quickly at an event or in a trendy new location. A new look in retail outlets is coming soon – a theatrical display of creative mobility designed to turn Swatch stores into stages for the product as protagonist.

Precedents and The Like - L'Eclaireur

2008-10-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

L'ecalireur, Le Marias, Rue Mahler, Paris

Very French and Very Experiemental.

I love this designer, the store and the brand. It's cool and eclectic. There's a bit of the Romantic ideal of the globe-trotting, treasure-hunting Indiana Jonesesque lifestyle in the artifacts that are positioned throughout the store. It's dark, mysterious and sexy - again, very French. We get a glimpse of where Anthropologie might have gotten their french-vintage-cabinet-of-curiosities-aesthetic.

The tones in many of hte spaces are warm. There's an ample use of leather and animal skins, glass, steel, and stone. The space relies heavily on monumental architectural details drawn directly from the Parisian cityscape. Skylights in a central room create a cool contrast to the surrounding rooms and draw the eye toward the center of the room. This room has a distinctly different feel and is pared down to shelving, manequins, mid-floor displays where clothes lie stacked ona flat surface. There is one long hanging rack and a modern shelving unit made of reclaimed wood. The room is largely a passageway from one wing of the store to the other so the center of the room is kept as a wide-open aisle. Again, the lighting in this room serves as a good model for how to work with artificial and natural light together in one space. Track lights cut through the natural light flooding through the skylight and still cast hot spots on hanging garments. This, along with the inclusion of a large spot light on a tripod give this room the impression of a movie set.

A video tour around L'Eclaireur, Paris

Precedents and The Like - APRIL 77

2008-10-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Aprill 77 Flagship Store 49 Rue de Saintonge, Paris

April 77 guy.

April 77 - begs the question, "Are we a clothing brand or a music label?"

We are both. Our clothing is music, and music lives on our clothing.

April 77 is a store based in Paris. They are part clothier and part record label, attempting to outfit the 20-30yr old music afficianado, educated and edgy, laid back, subversively vain. Their musical tastes are both phono and stereo- just like their fashion - backward and forward.

Their latest collection is called "We Lived Our Lives in Black."
I love the way they write about their collection. "Influenced by suburban England, Scottland and even Ireland in the 1980s, early 1990s, the soundtrack to this collection is Shoegaze, Britpop, Dreampop, made by isolationist teenagers and working class youth torn by religious and political conflicts. The Scottish band Jesus and Mary Chain and their improbable look are major influeneces in this collection with their aesthetic and sounds that mix pop music, Bat Cave and New Wave with practically nothing, rendering it both superpowerful and minimalist."

They have a pretty cool trench coat called The Fiction.

"Drip, drop. And we're not talking about coffee or pee.

We're not sure what the weather is like where you are this time of year, but if you're in Paris or London, it's probably well,

raining.

The Cure for all this is in The Fiction."

The flagship store in Paris is rich and minimal and all artificially lit. Lighting consists of spotlighting hanging clothes, powerful pin lights highlighting product on shelves and neon tube lighting referencing the discotech.

The walls and shelving are all brown, but the walls contrast one another: the flat brown paint absorbs light while the burled walnut shelving is highly polished (maybe even a printed laminate) which bounces back a powerful sheen as does the chrome hanging racks and a mirrored mid floor fixture.

The layout is minimal. The store revolves around a cylindrical center room with center geometrical arch made of a mirrored lintel with compartmentalized shelved in the posts. Shirts sit in stacks below and are lit with pin lights. The perimeter of the room is lined in shelves and racks placed at various heights. Many of the shelves are empty, accentuating its negative presence. In other cases a single shirt sits on a shelf. Clothes hung or in shelves around the perimeter are mostly black and white with some punches of color while those under the center arch provide the main color in the room.

Black and white clothes are punctuated with a punch of color, for example, a red bandana.

One large mid-floor fixture is a large shiny, metal cylinder topped with a flat cylindrical soffit housing pin lights that light the round rack below that houses only 5 seperately hung shirts. The shirts all hang well above eye level where you can walk beneath them. Next to this display is a set of semicircular shelves rounding the entrance to the room. On these rest candy colored and tortoiseshell Ray-Bans- one per shelf - Like eyes that peek out from dark corners. Even I am reminded of that 1980s Rockwell hit, Somebody's Watching Me.

A Pioneer stereo system rests on one shelf - a throw back to the 60s and 70s. My parents had one just like it. High-fi, a coveted collector's item- the family's fighting over it as I speak. Clad in beautiful wood veneer, you get a glimpse into the inspiration for the the whole store.

It's high-style London meets black vinyl. The brand comes across loud and clear.

Clark Kent, Dick Tracy, Annie Hall. They all knew what was up.

2008-10-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

Messenger

2008-10-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

Messenger

is a shop that carries a wide variety of messenger bags, portfolios, briefcases, laptop bags and other essentials for the creative professional. There is an option of custom printing or embossing one's monogram or original art onto the bag with an on-the-spot printing process. The idea is to create one-of-a-kind pieces not a whole run of marketing swag.

Possible items you might find in the store include:

This would be a new concept for Greensboro and would cater to the professional with a bit of expendable income. Having the ability to emboss, engrave or color print can yield a variety of looks for a variety of clientel. The look can be hip-hop or high-fashion. The branding of the store will largely determine the overall slant and is still to be explored...

Monogram

2008-10-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

The concept of the monogram will eternally be the symbol of prestige and personal identity.

Two companies that have made a name on the concept of the monogram...

GE Monogram Collection

Luis Vuitton

Screen Printing On-the-Spot

2008-10-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

There are some places that have gone into this venture:
Shag, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

They use what's called FastArtist software, digitize the artwork, pick a shirt, pretreat it, print it, and set it with a heat press.

http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=1398471

"The hard part," Ross says, "isn't choosing what to print on, but what to say. The possibilities are endless." ---> read more

Some business suggestions offered by,
Forward Printing , Oakland, CA
a small shop that purchased their first automatic printer. --->read more

Possibly the place where I can find info on an "upscale" on-the-spot printer. Does this exist?
Screenprinters.net

Zazzle.com
seems to be home to all sorts of customizable gear

Porte folio

2008-10-22T07:24:00.002-07:00

Porte folio - for the finishing touches

The idea for this store is to have a place where artists and designers can go to document their work for display and presentation and can pull together a finished portfolio that suits their individual style. I think for many artists and designers, the portfolio is a necessary evil. The idea of photographing, displaying and organizing their work is seemingly less creative and far more methodical than the original work. Porte folio would house the necessary resources for photographing, editing and assembling a professional portfolio, while the professional staff would assist through the entire process. It's like taking your big bag of receipts to the accountant at tax time...no one looks forward to it, but it's a heck of a lot easier than sorting through it by yourself.

The process would start with a consultation during which the artist and designer would be asked questions about what kind of message and tone they want for their portfolio. The consultant would assist the designer in narrowing down their ouvre. The consultant is not there to express personal preference but to help the customer achieve a consistent message.

In addition to the consultation, there would be computer kiosks, matting areas, portfolio supplies, and other periferal materials. The shop would be equipped to handle anything from single-project based presentations to comprehensive portfolios in both digital and physical formats.

To my knowledge, Greensboro, nor many cities have a place like this. While we at UNCG are given all the necessary tools to create our own design portfolios ourselves, many artists do not have the means to own all the necessary software or equipment, especially since it changes so frequently. This way they don't have to. There is someone there who can help them deal with the guess work. The idea is to create a product that is true to the artist and designer and not something that looks just like the portfolio before it. The store itself might house a few, high-end portfolio products or provide high-quality printing services, but many of the items would be available for order. The staff would bring expert knowledge of the latest available products and can negotiate more reasonable prices since the store would carry accounts with several dealers...

The store makes sense at the Shops at Buffalo Creek because it caters to artists and custom designers, and there is nothing like it in the vicinity. The challenge will be how to "display" a seemingly intangible product: a service. It needs to be about the brand. And then the products available for sale need to be displayed accordingly. There should be plenty to attract the do-it-yourselfer, like the students at UNCG or design professionals who are comfortable with creating their own presentations.

Perhaps this is a place to focus on software as well and provide training and tutorials?

I guess I need to really narrow it down and start to look at potential product lines.

A few places with supplies to peruse...

The most amazing art store in San Francisco...http://www.flaxart.com/pages/artsupplies.html

A boring archival documents store..http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com

Another idea would be to sell custom-made portfolios - ones that are custom screen printed or etched on the outside and would make beautiful gifts for an architect, designer or artist.

A few portfolio products I've found:

Another idea would be to sell custom-made portfolios - ones that are custom screen printed or etched on the outside and would make beautiful gifts for an architect, designer or artist.

BioMech Mills

2008-10-22T07:24:00.001-07:00

Wooly Bully

2008-09-29T16:15:00.001-07:00

Click on Images to See Original Source

Stephanie Metz does some amazing things with one simple material.

http://www.stephaniemetz.com/portfoliocurrent.html

http://www.barbaracade.com/work_rejuvenation.html

Adaptive Reuse ....

2008-09-29T16:13:00.001-07:00

http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0809_SoFloOfficeStudios/2.asp

This architecture firm's website has some interesting upfits...
Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd
http://www.msrltd.com/

Helpful Critique

2008-09-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

So after meeting with my groups today, I got some new ideas on how to deal with daylight-one of my primary concerns- and work with the idea of playing up its natural qualities in my space. I had explored the use of first floor skylights/groundlights, piercings that let light into the basement level. I looked at creating a slight level change on my first floor with a slight bridging effect that could allow me to make some interior clerestories. Jackie's exploration of cable and bridging began to expand my ideas of what could happen in the space on a grand level. At the same time, it reinforced for me how important it is to use the existing structure as your guide to give you a grid or a place to start because the existing space is already so rich with character.

Ideation - Revolution Mill Studios

2008-09-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

Revolution Mills and Surrounding Area

2008-09-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

One question I keep asking myself is "What is Revolution Mills Market's target market?" I feel like the answer partially lies in where we believe people will be coming from- Who's coming to our groovy, new open air, post-industrialized marketplace? I would like to appeal to a wide breadth of clientelle, those arriving on car, by foot and by bike - and especially utilize the proximity to the proposed North Buffolo Creek greenway as a main vehicle for bringing traffic of all kinds to the area. So I need to c apture a better sense of the area and remember my context- historical, cultural, and for this phase of exploration: geographical and environmental.

Terrain Map - Buffalo Creek

Aerial View of Revolution Mill

Street View - Revolution Mill Road

View from Maple St.

Future Retail Space

View from Yanceyville

Proposed North Buffalo Creek Greenway
and connectors

State of Retail in Downtown GBO

2008-09-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Mary Contrary, Elm Street
(the store front that stirred up the neighborhood- you either love it or you hate it)
photo from Springboard - Action Greensboro's Blog

Blount Hunter, statistics analyst hired by Downtown Greensboro Inc. sheds some light on the nature of Elm Street's retailers, “They have a certain amount of stability, either because they have an Internet presence, or because they have a wholesale business, and they are covering a lot of their costs by that side of their business. But they want to have a front door, and a presence on Elm Street." (http://springboard.actiongreensboro.org/2008/08/22/retail-advice/)

News & Record report - good news and bad news for Revolution Mill project...
(http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/08/22/article/downtown_sales_untapped)

"Based upon positive perceptions and prevailing usage patterns, downtown's current patrons can be expected to respond favorably to new stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and event programming as downtown's offering grows," says the study, prepared by H. Blount Hunter Retail & Real Estate Research in Norfolk, Va. "It is imperative that downtown Greensboro's offerings remain unique and of high quality ...."

The study, which suggests downtown should not try to compete with Friendly Center or Four Seasons Town Centre, says the center city could support another 100,000 to 300,000 square feet of retail space. Only 64,000 square feet of space is currently available on South Elm Street.

The study suggested a two-year goal for retail growth of between 75,000 to 100,000 square feet.

To close the spending gap, the study recommends:

• Concentrating retail on South Elm. The street already has a group of existing shops and a collection of buildings suitable for retail use. Such a cluster stimulates customer traffic and sales.

"Before the retail core becomes a 'destination' it must succeed by serving patrons who visit downtown for a variety of reasons other than shopping," the study says. " Causing more of downtown's current patrons to think about visiting shops and restaurants when downtown is a major marketing challenge and downtown's greatest opportunity."

• Creating a "priority retail development zone." Covering the first six blocks of South Elm, the designation would encourage shops on ground-floor spaces instead of offices, restaurants and clubs.

• Focusing recruitment efforts on independently owned and operated businesses. This means that it is unlikely for downtown to attract national chain stores in the near future.

Wolverton pointed out that independently owned businesses are the most vulnerable to failure, need training to help them perform better, and should locate in smaller spaces that keep overhead, manpower and inventory low.

• Getting buildings ready for occupancy. The study says too many downtown structures are in bad condition, and their owners expect tenants to fix them up and then demand rents that are too high.

The study also says the city should adopt minimum building maintenance standards for commercial structures similar to those that exist for residential property.

The study also encouraged city government to consider downtown for catalyst projects that would generate additional economic activity.

One possibility would be to move Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market from 501 Yanceyville St. to the center city.

"The fit is very good," says Blount Hunter, president of the research firm. "I see that as low-hanging fruit."

Shopping Centers

2008-09-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

London's Gallerias

Oasis Of the Seas

Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall

Vancouver Cityscape

Portland, ME Pearl Public Market...a lesson in what to do...and what not to do.

http://www.cooltownstudios.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=2&search=%22experience+economy%22

In a Turkish Bazaar

GUM Moscow's State Department Store

http://www.moscow-taxi.com/sightseeing/red-square/gum.html

mixed use resources:
http://www.housinginitiative.org/ppts/from_MDC_Website/DPmixed_use.pdf
http://www.brookspublications.com/files/HISTORIC_MAPS_sept08.pdf
http://www.sfu.ca/city/city_pgm_video019.htm

Revolution Mill Studios photo hunt

2008-09-17T10:58:00.003-07:00

texture.color.materiality

light.rhythm

light. color.context.connection

texture.rhythm.past.

texture.color.materiality.juxtaposition.decay

transition.texture

past.present.future.light.circulation.wayfinding.reuse

materiality.decay.reuse

materiality.reuse

past.present.connection.decay

light.context.landscape.decay

past.present.future.rhythm.enclosure.systems

reuse.systems.color.context.past.wayfinding(potential)

light.rhythm.connection

past

texture.materiality.decay

context.past

light.materiality.past.present.future.context.connection.transition

Revolution Mill Studios

2008-09-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

Image from http://preservationgreensboro.typepad.com/weblog/2008/01/is-historic-pre.html

Preservation Greensboro calls it “the most substantial preservation project in the history of the Greensboro.” http://preservationgreensboro.typepad.com/weblog/2007/12/index.html

In keeping with the tradition of the Cone Mill philosophy, the Revolution Mills is compared to a "city-within-a-city," incorporating nearly one million square feet of mills and warehouses. It is a movement toward a new era in Greensboro development, one in which a diverse range of tenants forms a mutualistically beneficial community.

Revolution Mills originally opened its doors before the turn of the 20th century. Like all of the Cone Mill sites this flannel factory was approached as a self-sufficient community- almost utopian in scale. There were villages, wellfare centers, YMCA's and recreation provided for employees.

Unfortunately, during the 1970s and 80s, Cone Mills was losing business to overseas markets and a flood of imported textiles. Regardless of the attempt to minimize their losses with a “Crafted with Pride in the U.S.A.” pr campaign, Cone Mills was forced to shut down Revolution Mills along with its sister mills, Proximity Cotton Mills, Print Works, and Minneola Mill. (www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Cone-Mills-LLC-Company-History.htmlhed the Tabardrey Manufacturing Company.)

Revolution Studios, LLC got ahold of the building in 2003 and began renovations for commercial office space. The approval of Historic Preservation tax credits gave the project an exponential boost in funds and brought the project to a whole new level. Today it houses over 90 businesses, offers its tenants social as well as professional networking opportunities, and a chance to cross-polinate in a way never conceived before in one location in Greensboro.

Vortex Motorscooters

2008-09-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

Inspiration

2008-09-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

Scoot Magazine - a very nifty resource and so much fun for the scooter fanantical!
http://www.scootmagazine.com/index.php

The mechanic at Scooternerds in GBO gave me this magazine after being such a nice guy and showing me around their under-construction show room and confirming my suspicions about the true persona of hte scooternerd. I'm a wanna-be scooternerd now. Meep meep.

All I Want for Christmas is ...

Lots of Scooter Images to Feast Your Eyes On

Citroen's Flagship Showroom - Paris
and winner of the IIDA annual design award

Firewinder- an LED light that's full effect is rendered with a little help from some wind power

Retail Rotold Case Studies

2008-09-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

original photos and drawings by Ashley Warriner

Morgan Imports - Durham, NC

locality = identity. warehouse revived. industrial eclectic.
Morgan Imports in Durham occupies a substantial hunk of corner retail space in the repurposed warehouse district in Durham now known as Brightleaf Square. The shop front - or back it might seem – is loading dock-turned front porch, sprawling across the entire length of the building and home to potted plants and a butterfly bench. A welcome gathering place, it is both in scale with its surroundings and in keeping with the local character. A patinaed iron railing becomes a bold design motif – industry meets artisanry – an homage to the city itself. The front entrance is charming red brick flecked with bit of peeling paint with rusticated accents of knotty pine, glass, and corrugated metal. Glass doors give only a peek at what’s inside.

Ox & Rabbit Soda and Sundries - Durham, NC

the allure of good lighting. fun with color. curb appeal.
From across the street, this little shop nabbed my attention with its fun and whimsical use of color as well as its subtle inner glow. Unlike it's neighbors, this little store looked super bright and cheery inside in large part due to a large overhead skylight filling the shop with its sweet rays. The shop is whimsical and contemporary in its use of color - icy popscicle blue with accents of lime, aqua and orange. Rainboots and t-shirts and old furniture, a spinning wheel, retro mobiles and art deco light fixtures bring the windowscapes to life, beckoning in the passersby.

Ninth Street Flowers - Durham, NC

visibility. color. multiple points of interest.
After surveying the world of retail design over the past couple of days, I realized that most outdoor shop windows fall flat on their faces when it comes to displaying the product rather than obscuring the product. This one was as clean as a whistle and as clear as a bell---allowing the objects inside to sparkle like gems in the evening sun. While only a few actual plants were visible from the window the shiny glass bottles of various shapes, colors and sizes, vases and scrolling metal flower pot holders dance on a dark, black background. Their arrangement is simple and straightforward, positioned right up against the glass and crowned by a well-placed and proportioned logo that proves that a little goes a long way.

Scandanavian Shop - Chapel Hill, NC

ambiance. uniqueness. art historical.
This reminded me of a grown-up toy store...all the things one could want: suitcases, shoes, soaps, stacks of books and scandanavian things. Two yellow-chartreuse walls that glow gold against red swags in the foreground. There is a complex use of space within the confines of an ordinary shop window. Posable figures in dynamic positions hang from homemade, yarn-trapezes and swing among strings of mini-lanterns. New shoes in incomplete pairs in candy colors are obvious and ironic in their singularity. The symmetry of the store front is also very strong and the use of pattern in the blue and white awning and the potted plants mix soft and hard. An old newspaper article next to an old toy engine invites the window shopper to investigate further.

Vespa Ristorante - Chapel Hill, NC

warmth. indoor-outdoor. european cafe casual.
Yes, that's right, there is a Vespa restaurant and dealership all rolled into one. The atmosphere is distinctly European and cultivated while seeming unpretentious and easy. An old Vespa sits out front- and brings with it allusions to Roman Holiday and rustic cobblestone streets. Lovely cypress create a screen between the walk and the dining area and entrance, establishing a transitional area between inside and out. Behind the warm glow you can see through the large windows, you can spy maps of Italy and vintage movie posters. The restaurant does a good job of addressing visitors on foot as well as drivers. The facade is tall and accomodates ample signage, critical on a corner that is somewhat obscurred by trees and the sheer density of the commercial district.

McPhersons Hardware- Burlington, NC

controlled chaos. nostalgia. product diversity.
Every inch of real estate is accounted for here in a hardware store that looks like it's been there for the past 50 years. It's got the essentials displayed: birdhouses, clay pots, mailboxes, American flags and other miscellaneous. The old lettering over the entrance takes you back as does the old facade- a sewing together of two old buildings into one with a lean-to shed roof on the other side protecting the potting soil. Signage here is important among all the chaos lest something be lost. A cardboard sign in the shape of a key indicates the service provided inside while radio flyer wagon boxes remind one of the importance of brand loyalty. The store is located on main street and is distinctively small-town and locally owned.

The Tire Center of Burlington - Burlington, NC

product placement. advertising and brand recognition. architecture as signage.
The Tire Center of Burlington is a prime example of a store that relies heavily on name-brand recognition and its visibility to the potential customer. The store front is brilliant in its configuration: a rounded, futuristic (now nostalgic) looking window that faces on-coming traffic on a busy one-way street. Shiny wheels sit poised on shelving that recedes into the background, leaving the product as the main focus. Metallic license plates carry the names of all the major brands. The store front and sign rise high into the sky - rocketing upward.

Hot Topic - Greensboro, NC
theme. thinking outside of the box. interactive.
Does it really matter what they sell? Its just fun to walk through the faux steel half-pipe and follow the sound of the music. Hot Topic is unified by its strong brand and theme- it's young, rebellious, raw and industrial. It's dark on the outside and well lighted and energetic on the inside.

Basix - Greensboro, NC

simplicity. branding. unique display.
I chose this store because its brand name seemed very well conceived in the design of the store. It was about basics. A white framed box bumps out and creates two store windows, while oversized doors open into the open space. Ceilings are left exposed and painted gray. White walls and white floors highlight the color and texture of the product itself: hip-hop clothing for the teen market. Nothing but three manequins stand in one window with short sparkly dresses. The vibe swells from the entrance and the mammoth glass walls magnify the intensity of light streaming from the store.

Final CNNC Presentation

2008-05-05T12:08:00.001-07:00

Click On Images to Enlarge Them

Viz Renderings of My Sisters' House

2008-04-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

Podium Renderings of My Sister's House

2008-04-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

My Sister's House animation

2008-04-08T12:50:00.001-07:00

I had to do a lower resolution video because my video was too large, but hopefully this gives you a good view.

My Sister's House Sketch Up Assignment

2008-04-08T09:24:00.001-07:00

VOTE!

2008-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

CNNC in progress - 02.26.08

2008-02-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

Center for New North Carolinians - Process Work

2008-02-20T08:26:00.001-08:00

joris laarman - bone lounge

victoriaandalbert sofa

color exploration

the cube - by leonardo

two interiors by Legoretta + Legeretta
inspiration for saturated colors

lighting possibility

exploratory sketches

"misfits" lounge - massive curvaceous forms inform furniture and formal choices

sketch models

Styles in Graphic Design

2008-02-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

Bauhaus
Herbert Bayer's Bauhaus Dessau poster. Simple. Angular. Reductive in color and line, yet employs photograph. New way of seeing and representing things. Balance and harmony rule the composition.

Pop
Atlantis Runner, Peter Max, seriagraph, 1973. Cosmic look. Bold background, pastelle forground. Whimsical feel. Colors in motion. Psychadelic. Playful. Curvilinear contours filled with solid color or small iconographic images (puffy stars and rainbows.)

New Pop

Retro Modern
Nerd Bird, Craig Sheldon, for Threadless. Argyle is cool again! Lively patterns. Simplicity. Playful. Straight-laced fun rather than full-out groovy. High contrast graphics with minimal subtle detail. Studious and cute.

Nostalgia Remix
Cliff's Tattoos, Andrea Vander Kooij, 2004, applique and embroidery on vintage bed linens. Embroidered tats! Flat graphic style composed of contours and fills in a limited palette juxtaposed with organic patterns. Moody. Ironic.

IAR 212 - in the subway

2008-02-19T08:53:00.001-08:00

The DC Metro - the coffered ceiling is incredibly interesting- so I focused on it and other repeating elements, and then gave the whole thing an updated color palette.

IAR 212 - Parallels

2008-02-12T10:25:00.001-08:00

Here's a graphic that I produced in imitation of the sony ad, comparing a natural object to a man-made object. Here, I chose two objects that related formally to one another, then I created a convention, the form of a flower, to relate the two together again. I repeated the element spinning in space to add dynamism, and then brought everything to a close with a visual punctuation mark in the form of the small pistachio in the foreground.

IAR 212- Ads that Work

2008-01-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

What I love about this ad is it's sheer simplicity. The black background becomes powerful in relation to most of the other ads and spreads in the magazine. It's also an appripriate choice for an ad about technology - it's sleek and provides high contrast between the text and the playful, brightly colored logos spilling across the page. This contrast only cements the concept of High Definition by bringing each visual element, whether graphic or textual, into a crisp clarity.

This is always my favorite page in my CRAFT magazine, and it's an advertisement! It just makes me happy seeing the smiling girl in her kitchy-crafty, anti-glam house. The method here is perfect for a craft magazine, imitating paper collage in the retro/rockabilly/mod style. There is an enormous amount of texture and pattern here that has been brilliantly balanced mostly through the use of solid white blocks, creating resting places for the eye. The text is as equally creative and loose without looking unplanned or messy.

This DisneyParks ad appeals to my imagination. They've used very sophisticated photography to create the illusion of bringing a storybook character to life. There is a dreamy, supernatural quality to the light in the way they have taken the beams of light and brought them into the foreground. In reality the tree and its branches would probably have been completely backlit. There is slightly sinister mood created here with the juxtoposition of the innocence of Snow White and the baby forest animals and the dark, lush forest that surrounds her, recalling the thread that ties all Disney movies together: the battle between good and evil. The other Disney Parks ads are just as successful at showing this play between dark and light, taking a contemporary look at fantasy that appeals to adults who have grown up with these tales, even more so than their children.

IAR 212 - Moods

2008-01-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

The idea here was to create an image that caused the viewer to feel confused by combining elements from three different images and melding them together. My images were: a campfire, lava, and red ice.

IAR 202 - An Interview

2008-01-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

An interview with Claudio:
An Interview

Ashley/Denise: Hello, Claudio. Thank you for taking the time to help us with our project. So we’ll begin by asking you what city you are from in Italy?
CS: From Naples.
Ashley/Denise: We are wondering why you would want to leave such a beautiful country?
CS: Yes, it is a beautiful country, but because of political and financial reasons, the opportunities and freedom for a prosperous life do not exist as they do here in the States. Our family was very poor; I would have not been able to go to college in Italy.
Ashley/Denise: So you went to college? Where did you go?
CS: Yes, I went to UNC-Wilmington and majored in International Business.
Ashley/Denise: That’s fabulous! So how old were you when you came to the States?
CS: I was 15. I’ve been here for 20 years.
Ashley/Denise: And how was your journey here?
CS: Well, I already had 2 older brothers that were American citizens, so the move here was not difficult. I lived with my family in New York for a year when I came over, and then we moved to Wilmington [NC].
Ashley/Denise: Will you tell us about your family?
CS: Yes, I have 4 older brothers and a younger sister. I also have 3 nieces and 2 nephews. My oldest brother, Giovanni, still lives in Italy near Bologna. Another brother, Nunzio, is in New York. He is married with 2 children. Everyone else is still in Wilmington.
Ashley/Denise: Are you married?
CS: No.
Ashley/Denise: And your parents?
CS: My Mom is in Wilmington as well; my father passed away in ’01.
Ashley/Denise: We’re sorry to hear that. How is your mother?
CS: She’s doing ok. Since all of us kids are grown, she thinks often of moving back to Italy to be with her twin sister in Ischia. Her English is still very broken, so it’s been difficult for her.
Ashley/Denise: So English has been hard for her. But you hardly have an accent. Was learning English difficult for you?
CS: Yes, I think that was the most difficult thing at 15 and having to go to high school. We all had tutors though.
Ashley/Denise: Were there other challenges?
CS: The process for getting a green card is long and tough. Oh, and finding Italian foods, like bread, meats, and different pastas was very difficult when we moved to Wilmington. The only kind of bread we could find was sliced sandwich bread. And Mueller’s pastas are awful.
Ashley/Denise: What kinds of things did you have to adapt to within the American culture?
CS: In America, drinking is such a ‘big’ thing. In Italy, it’s part of the culture—you grow up drinking wine that your uncle made. It’s a regular thing at dinner.
Ashley/Denise: So why did your family choose Wilmington for your place to live?
CS: Mainly because it’s close to the beach, and that is what we were used to in Italy. And, at the time, Wilmington was still very quiet and affordable.
Ashley/Denise: So your work is in Wilmington?
CS: Yes. I am the International Sales Manager for House of Raeford. We export poultry to other countries. I travel quite a bit.
Ashley/Denise: Do you enjoy it?
CS: Yes, I do. Importing/exporting is what I wanted to do when I finished college. For a few years, I imported Italian wine into the States. It was interesting and I learned a lot, but it was hard to make money. I guess there’s too many other people doing that as well.
Ashley/Denise: It sounds like you are enjoying your life here. What other things did you do to adapt to the American culture?
CS: I worked to get rid of my Italian accent. I believed that has helped me succeed in business.
Ashley/Denise: Well, Claudio, that’s all the questions that we have for you. Thank you so much for your time.
CS: You’re welcome.

IAR 212 - Pattern Perception

2008-01-22T15:50:00.001-08:00

The Valencia Museum transformed into a mesmerizing spiral.

IAR 212 - Computing in Architectural Design

2008-01-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Assigment: Discuss the roles of computing in design today, speculating what it could be in the future

Required reading: Reference: "Computing in Architectural Design”, Architecture’s New Media by Yehuda Kalay

The article presents one example in which the product of computer aided design is not merely only as good as the designer who operates it, but, on the contrary, is highly reliant on the sophisticated computations only feasibly performed by a computer whose “brain” is infinitely more equipped than that of a human’s to handle millions of variables.

I become suspicious when researchers start talking about intelligent computers because I think that idea that computers are infallible holds no credibility. It’s only because I’ve experienced too many instances where data is lost or where as a designer, I am trained to create graphics that are limited by my understanding of the software, or the limitations of the software itself. I hope there’s a day when computers become more interactive and when they truly become an environment (“place”) where ideas and concepts may be crafted and realized in real time without being inhibited by too many codes, rules, and prescribed fixes. Those, I believe, should be left to the human brain.

I like to imagine the growth of networks and the development of highly interactive interfaces where we can talk to computers, use touch screens where our fingers become our tools, not necessarily light pens or other instruments, a design environment that becomes more sensory than ever. I like to imagine the disappearance of the computer lab. Instead computers are always there, wherever we need them, but infinitely more robust than the average laptop. An interior designer shows up at a job site, gets out of her car and grabs her blue print tube out of the backseat. Instead of reaching in to retrieve a set of plans, she pulls out a soft roll of what looks like black rubber, lays it out flat on the table, where we realize it is an interactive touchpad, a high-res screen and computer all in one, capable of linking into a network, a remote hard drive/power source where all power and information is all transferred over airwaves.

Fantasies aside, my fear is living in a world where we think computers can do our jobs for us. I am recalling to mind a time recently when I went to Starbucks with a friend and ordered two coffees and two waters. After the cashier printed labels for our drinks, after the barista lost them and refused for twenty minutes to fill our order since there was no ticket for it, and after a manager tried to assuage us by offering us coupons for free drinks instead of listening to my criticism of their obviously fallible, “automated” system that encourages employees not to think for themselves, I walked away wondering, (at the young age of 28, mind you) “What is the world coming to?”

As computers and networks become more sophisticated, instructors and managers must become ever more adamant about teaching students to use their most valuable tool and design environment: their mind.

IAR 202 - Mi corazon, companeros!

2008-01-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

The assignment here is to design a welcome mat for a visitor from Cuba.
I made this thinking about my Cuban friend Arisdel from images she frequently uses in her letters to me.

Here's some inspiration I gathered before I got started:

I actually do have a Cuban pen pal. She's never been able to travel outside the island itself, even though she wishes she could very badly. So we exchange photos and stories. Here are some of hers:

Other sites if you're into Cuban art and culture:
Gladstone Gallery
Lisson Gallery - Allora & Calzadilla

Close to Home, From the Inside Looking In

2007-11-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

The Edward Loewenstein Close to Home exhibit brings history close to home for University of North Carolina Greensboro students by offering a place to explore the origins of modernism, the story of one architect and educator’s emersion into his craft and into his community, and how modernism can become the vehicle for actively shaping one’s world.

A stunning view from inside the Gatewood building lobby reveals a structure occupying an interior space and immediately sets up a myriad of relationships between inside and out.

Patrick Lucas, Interior Architecture professor at UNCG, and his students designed an experience that allows the viewer to become an insider on the uniquely creative and prolific Loewenstein years and be inspired by a close interaction with his and his students’ particular brand of modern design and philosophy.

It seemed that the exhibit designers were aiming to recreate what Loewenstein’s students referred to as “warm modern,” featuring interesting textures and blending of interior and exterior finishing materials. The lumber, pipe, perforated metal sheeting which created formulations of interior and exterior, closed and open spaces within the exhibit achieved this aim very well. The use of magnets to hang the signage was pure genius in its practicality and minimal interference with the exhibit aesthetic and readability of information.

The color choices and application, on the other hand, did not as exude the same kind of authenticity. While it is obvious that material choices were influenced by mid-century modern but brought into the 21st century, I still wonder if the wood might have been painted rather than stained since the pine only looks cheapened by the stain and since the color was neither as bold as the blazing oranges seen in the photos of commencement house nor as earthy or “woodsy” as their exteriors.

In the case of lighting in the space, less was more. I did not really notice the light, neither shadows nor glares. I noticed when stepping outside the gallery, the wonderful play of shadows on the floor, but while in the space, I think not noticing the light was actually a benefit since the content and even the structure of the exhibit was of greater importance.

The images in the exhibit were really the most brilliant story-telling device. In the section on the general history of modernism in design, the exhibit featured images of art and architecture that I had previously seen in texts or slides from class, but never up close and in such detail and vibrant color. For the first time, the architecture really started to come alive, and it was possible to imagine myself standing inside the picture plane looking at the monument before me.
There was so much information in so many different forms, whether it was pictorial, textual, graphic, animated, archival, or experiential. I returned to the exhibit three times and have yet to comprehend its breadth- which is both a blessing and curse. It’s a blessing for the creators of the exhibit who had a lot of ground to cover, a lot to say, and a blessing for anyone who really thirsts for a comprehensive understanding of mid-century modernism from macro scale (international importance) to micro scale (how UNC Women’s College students and UNCG Interior architecture students have been and will continue to be involved in the actual molding of their immediate environments).

But it is also a curse for someone like me, who wants to read it all! Most people are probably satisfied to come in, grab a few bites and leave, but I find it somewhat overwhelming, and I’m lucky enough to be able to visit as often as I like! The exhibit is very successfully broken down into digestible parts, but it still feels like a bit too much.

The various media go a long way in communicating the feeling of looking at interiors and exteriors from an insider’s perspective. The photos, as I’ve mentioned, beautifully represent color and atmosphere, while the 3-dimensional models of the Commencement houses are brilliant for distilling the plans and sections while showing light effects or contemporary furnishings. I personally respond less enthusiastically to the animated visuals, especially since they only give a sense of structure and a hint of finishes, not detail. I also don’t tend to want to look at computers in exhibits unless they incorporate some sort of audio experience. I spend enough of my day on a computer that I find other media more exciting and compelling.

As one moves through the exhibit, there is truly a myriad of interactions between the architecture of the Gatewood building and the exhibit as well as relationships between the viewer and simulated interiors and exteriors, ceilings and floors, viewing surfaces and walls, and other people in the exhibit. The exhibit designers created a magnificent view of the exhibit from the outside. A structure on the outside links visually in one continuous plane to the inside.

The gallery space is divided up by structures that serve as partitions, wall mounts, or mini-dwellings. The viewer moves from many stages from feeling inside or outside depending on which way they turn. Take the area inside the right entrance to the gallery for example. You enter in, and moving to your left, you feel small in front of a large, long wall of images. Turn 180 degrees, and suddenly you are inside a structure, being held by two obtusely angled walls. But you see through the perforated metal so that you feel you are on the outside of some other space, glimpsing a moving light that makes you wonder what is inside the structure beyond the partition in front of you. So you navigate around the wall into a space with angled walls and ceiling- and you exit immediately realizing your best view is from outside. The visitor is constantly guided by information and by form.

The flow of traffic is one of the most successful of any small exhibit I have ever experienced. A class of 60 people managed to move about, occupy, and interact with the space and with each other with ease; unlike the modernism exhibit we viewed at the Weatherspoon where there were frequently areas of congestion. I am amazed that there was even room for seating! The exhibit itself is a true testament how creative designers can truly break down a space and exponentially increase the functionalism of every square foot in way that is respectful of and inspiring to the occupant making them feel like they are a part of something bigger – on the inside looking in.

My Sisters' House

2007-11-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

The three bedroom suite in My Sister's House will be a place that functions with the utmost of ease, while allowing the girls to fulfill the role of caretaker while providing ample opportunity for playing and enjoying time with their newborn. The design of the space will place priority on adequate lighting, a feeling of youth and vitality, organization, and ultimate consideration for the basic needs of warmth, sustenance, sleep, and love that are at the core of what the baby requires for its early development and what the mother desires to provide for her baby in order to make her secure and successful in her new role.

The rooms in the suite are all vastly different in their dimensions and so the design will capitalize on that sense of individuality by offering each occupant the benefits of one overall program with a customized configuration. The work of Architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe will influence the glazing choices and an overal geometric composition while overscaled mobiles in each room taken from the designs of Alexander Calder will provide contrasting organic forms to the room while adding subtle motion to the room. The mobile will also serve an inspiration for a more sophisticated approach to balance within each space. Ultimately, we want each mother to feel intimate with her own space, and consequently, comfortable enough to share intimate moments with her baby and with her suitemates and dorm mother, and therefore be more successful at balancing her own needs with those of her baby while having time to focus on school, friends, and family.

My Sisters' House Program

2007-11-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

3 bedroom suite
program

bedroom:
changing station
bed
chaise or rocking chair
crib
desk
desk chair
storage- school
storage- baby supplies
storage- baby clothes, blankets
storage- baby toys
storage- mother's clothes
storage and display- mother's favorite things
mobile
music
baby monitor
trashcan, hampers
evening lighting/ night lights
task lighting

bathroom:
vanity- 2 sink
shower 2x6 wall
storage- shelving- one cubby for mother, one for baby- 6 total
storage- bathroom, communal supplies
storage- towels
non-glazed tile
heated towel racks
hamper
trashcan
mirror
toilet
shower
baby bath
lighting- over vanity, shower

3-D tecnocolor

2007-10-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

My Sister's House

2007-10-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Seeing a single brick in a wall. CHARRETTE

2007-10-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Group Luscious
good: North Carolina Fieldstone
bad: Polyurethane
ugly: Corrugated Plastic

Where's the Sun? 201 Gillespie

2007-09-20T18:42:00.001-07:00

9am

11am

4pm