Close To Home

Levels of Connection

The idea of modernism stretched across the architecture, art, music and literature worlds shortly after World War II. The connection between the different genres of modernism and the new ideas developed is the building block of the ‘Close To Home’ exhibit. All throughout the exhibit are different levels of connection ranging from the obvious, the wood panels, to the not so obvious, the intellectual experience.
The use of materials throughout the space connects the information displayed to one another and to the visitor. The entire exhibit consists of one large gestural moment that extends both inside of the gallery and out into the lobby. The wooden panels along with the metal accents create a continuous path that extends throughout the space to allow movement through the exhibit. Walking through the space and weaving through the panels allows the visitor to fully engage the exhibit.

The wooden panel in the lobby follows the same diagonal as the panel inside the gallery. This diagonal continues throughout the space and connects all the panels to the central moment.

The layout of the panels throughout the room allows space for computers and areas where videos can be shown. The connection of technology to the space allows the visitor to experience the exhibit on another level. This level allows the visitor to experience more then what can just be read. The movie travels through a modern house showing its modern elements. The video is successful in demonstrating and showing what much of the text is explaining. The text includes information about modern designers, examples of modern work through Greensboro, and the development of the interior architecture program at UNC-Greensboro. The text connects the visitor to Greensboro and to the idea of modernism.

The panels are arranged in an exact manner that creates areas for the computers and video screens to be displayed. The videos and computer reveal information that is hard to understand through just text alone.

As I traveled through the exhibit I experienced these connections first hand. The lighting in the gallery is more subdued then the natural light in the lobby. Shadows are cast throughout the space playing off the wood panels and metal accidents. I found myself following the path scanning all the work and then reentering the space to study it more. The contrast of metal and wood along with the text and graphics really grabbed my attention and made me want to continue through the space. The layout of the panels is what really makes this exhibit a success. The connections found throughout, help the visitor to experience the exhibit and come away from it with an understanding of what modernism is.

The interaction of the panels creates the pathway through the exhibit. Information found on either side of the panel explains the different aspects of modernism.

My Sister's House: Phase III: Narrative and Program Analysis

The suites found in ‘My Sister’s House’ are designed to allow the teenage mothers to feel as if they are home. With the numerous families living in such tight quarters, the focus of the space is primary on the privacy needed and secondly on the sense of community. Through the layout of the rooms and the design of the space, I will continue to emphasize the same ideas found throughout the house but on a more personal level through color, layout, and details.

KITCHEN:
Refrigerator/Freezer
Stove
Sink
Dishwasher
Pantry
Garbage Disposal
Table with 4 chairs
3 High chairs
Microwave

LIVING ROOM:
Couch
Pillows
Chair
TV
DVD/VCR
Coffee table
Side tables
Shelves for storage
Rug
Lamps
Ceiling Fan

SUITES:
Twin bed
Dresser/armoire
Mirror
Crib
Changing station
Nightstand
Reading lamp
Shelves for storage
Rocking chair
Ceiling Fan

BATHS:
Sink with storage
Bath
Shower
Toilet
Rugs
Towel Rods
Nightlight

3-D Technicolor Post

Personal sketch model of the 'moment' in the lobby of My Sister's House.

iar 222: self reflection

iar222 : history + theory of design ii self-reflection

Before starting this course, I did not realize how much thought and consideration went into design. It honestly never occurred to me that every element of every object has to be thought out and planned. The buildings we have learned about in this class are some of the most popular and most discussed in the 20th century. The designers of these buildings knew that they had the potential to be groundbreaking and start a revolution in the design world. Before this class, I never considered how design builds upon its self. The styles from long ago seem to reappear in the buildings of today.

The Robie House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909, was one of my favorites we disused in class this semester. This building had strong horizontal lines instead of the common verticals. Buildings after this time started to stress the horizon instead of the vertical. Before this time, many buildings showed power and importance by going upward. The Robie house did the opposite. It blended into its surrounding by have horizontal planes that extend and overpower the smaller verticals. This was also a new idea that is still used today. Before buildings had to stand out and had ornamentation along the outside. Wright removed those elements and kept his buildings very simple and plain. This idea was copied many times afterward.

Preserving the past is a big concept in architecture created today. It is quite common to find structures that have some connection to the past. This usually occurs through the use of columns, form, and line. I believe that the idea of creating an innovative building that reflects present circumstances is through the use of materials. With the buildings we have learned about in the past, they are usually constructed with concrete, brick, marble, etc. Now buildings are commonly found made of metal, wood, glass, and countless other materials. It is not uncommon to find structures that include several different materials on their outside. This is a relative new idea that goes to show how technology is represented in the buildings of today.

For the icons of modernism project, our group had air travel of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Through our research I found that air travel at that time was all about freedom. This was really the first time that traveling across the country and across the world was available to the average person. It was all about convenience, saving time, and comfort. Planes back then were just starting to divide into coach and business classes. They also started serving food and were designed to hold more people. Today the idea of travel is still very much about convenience and freedom. It is now easier then ever to order your ticket for a flight online. Planes are still designed with comfort in mind. Flights are now available nonstop for hours upon hours and the goal of the airline is to insure that their passengers are comfortable during these long trips through the extra large leg room and padded seats.

My Sister's House: Group Statement

"My Sisters' House" is a modern collaboration of open spaces and gestural moments to create for a more sculptural living environment for teenage mothers and their children.

My Sister's House: Individual Narrative

My Sister’s House started off as a basic design with enough square footage to allow room for mothers and their children to live. The sculptural floor plan allowed for our design to express a modern feel. It created spaces to allow extra rooms for the occupants the live. The feeling of the space now allows the mothers to feel comfortable in such a large building. The charretts helped us to understand how to develop our idea of modernism and how to incorporate it into the design of the building. The 1990s had a significant impact in our design. It forced us to reevaluate the space and allow for more gestural designs that reflect the ideals of that time period.

Good, Bad, Ugly

good-concrete
bad-pvc
ugly-laminated cypress siding

Light Studies

Here are pictures from the site of a water bottle at three different times of the day.

8:00 pm







1:30 pm







8:30 am