Archisculpture: A Studio Space For Santiago Calatrava

So ever since our Gateways project ended a little after Spring Break we have been working on our final sorta project which was designing a studio space for a visiting artist. The whole class of first year IARc students were split up into two groups. One half of the class was assigned the administrative office of the Gatewood Building and the other half was assigned this loading dock area in the Gatewood as well. So I ended up being in the loading dock half, and that started out by measuring every inch of that space which was definitely a challenge. And from there, we had to create our proposal for what we planned to change within the space as well as our artist we had decided to design a space around. I had fought with many people but in the end I went with probably my idol... Santiago Calatrava; a Spanish architect. This guy creates building structures with a rich story and such a delicacy to them as well. After we finalized our artist that we would shape a space around, we were to do tons and tons of perspectives, probably 20 in the end. My first 15 perspectives in which were sort of conceptualization and color schemes as well are here in an earlier post. After this we finally started getting to the final stages by picking out materials, creating a Sketchup model and a real to scale model as well. First I'll show you my final perspectives and some initial Sketchup shots as well.

now I'll show you my final floor plan and final elevations with my proposed alterations to the area. 

and for the final I selected three materials in which I was including in the space, they were poured concrete as the flooring, and a material called Plyboo for the flooring of the level change, and polycarbonate plastic for the kitchen cabinetry. 

and from the beginning I knew I kinda was wanting to experiment with Podium, a rendering plugin within Sketchup. And last Friday I had the chance to, so I went in the lab for several hours and started messing around and had a pretty good turnout and I was proud of the final images.

and finally here are some images of my original model made at 1/4" scale out of foam board and new model at the same scale out of balsa wood. 

lastly I've got some overall board images and the requirements of the board were this... two 32x40" matboards that included 3 hand rendered perspectives, 3 Sketchup perspectives, a floor plan, 4 interior elevations, 2 materials, a color scheme and precedent images. 

and this is our last project kinda... so I'd show you what I'm working on now for my autonomous project which involves 80 sheets of 36x48" corrugated cardboard. You'll find out soon enough! 

WAIT FOR IT! 

It's Not Bob The Builder; I Assure You: Clue 7

And so finally the last part of this was to take our altered vehicle and to color it using techniques our TA's had demonstrated for us, shown here. So I went with a technique Tracey had shown us in which you were to use colored pencil and to basically dot the drawing as if there pixels or something of a photo. 

Re-Imagining The Wagoneer: Clue 6

The next clue was to take our car that we had previously drew and to lay some tracing paper down and alter the car into something new and exciting. Whether it be something futuristic, scary, old timey or funky. So after some thinking and some advice from others this is what I got.

I Never Was Much Of A Pimp: Clue 5

So! Continuing with our scavenger hunt for Suzanne our 5th clue was to draw some sort of vehicle, any vehicle in two point perspective just as a lined drawing. And here was the turnout... my dream automobile. 

Color Exploration: Clue 4

So finally the last part was to explore color in this perspective by creating three copies and rendering them, each one exploring different colors. And throughout one perspective we couldn't use more then four colors. And I'm gonna go ahead and let you know that Dajana (my wife) made me use colors I definitely, normally would never use.

and that's that! 

Hey, There's No Book In That Nook: Clue 3

Okay so after clue 2, we had to pull from these details three of our favorite which I tried to show by a thicker border. From those three we were to construct a one point perspective that incorporated these three details into a space. For example making something into a flooring pattern or wallpaper, furniture... etc. And it wasn't supposed to be a huge space, Suzanne compared it to like a reading area or something, so here is that drawing after being inked. 

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto: Clue 2

So I currently am partaking in a sketching scavenger hunt for my drawing class, and this update is our second clue to the scavenger hunt. The second clue has us drawing two places around campus that help some meaning to us. So for this newest clue we had to draw details from something at our desk, 25 details to be exact. Very similar to a old, old project where we drew many details of a stick and cell phone. 

A Much Needed Update

So you might remember one of my latest posts about a multi media one point perspective that we had to construct in Suzanne's class. Well after that assignment we had to trade these drawings with another classmate and rearrange their space to our liking. But we had to keep it somewhat intact with it's original design. Such as the overall layout or it's overall feel and for mine I traded with Dajana (my wife) and she had drawn a mountain in the background through the windows. So I tried to channel that sort of feel and create some modern and warm kinda cabin. And here was the final result!

and I'd also like to apologize for the lack of blogging, I've been so busy here lately with my final studio project but I just finished wrapping that up today actually, HOORAY! And they'll be a new post of that project to follow this one soon enough. It's almost Summer and I'm excited but also gonna miss being in studio every day with all my buds. It's all I've known for nearly a year but I'll see them again soon enough! 

I Like Easter Egg Hunts Better...

So Tuesday Suzanne presented us with our final assignment for her class in which we are partaking in a scavenger hunt of sketches. With each class we have, we get another clue or thing to go draw. For this first clue, we had to choose two public places on campus that have a meaning to us. Whether it be something special to us or maybe it's some place we are everyday. And these are the two places that I chose to sketch...

I chose to draw the critique space on the 4th floor of our studio building. Not only is this a place I tend to visit generally everyday but it's also the place that's special to me because it's where I was introduced to this program in particular. And it's also where I met 50 some people that I would form good relationships with and would also be stuck with for possibly the next 4 years and for that reason this is a pretty cool space to me.

The second place is the park and ride stops located throughout campus; ever since I started school here at UNCG in Spring of '09 I have commuted. And what that means is I drive roughly 30 minutes to school everyday to park near the coliseum on W. Lee Street and have to ride a bus that stops at three different stops sprawled through the campus. And I have been doing this a year and a have now, and it does get old but it's what I have to do. 

STAY TUNED!

Falling At Falling Water

So recently the entire first year in the Interior Architecture program embarked on a trip to Monticello in VA and the University of Virginia and our last stop was the infamous Falling Water in Mill Run, PA. We left on our journey on last Sunday the 11th of April at roughly 6AM and came back to Greensboro the following day Monday. The bus was pretty uncomfortable for me honestly because I'm around 6'2 maybe and my knees were in the seat in front of me the entire time. But first we arrived in Charlottesville VA where Monticello is located and I documented several photos. 

And shortly after we left Monticello our next stop was the University of Virginia and unfortunately I left my camera on the bus so no photos from there so I'll use a Googled image...

After UVA we left for our motel called the Casselman Inn located in Grantsville, MD, we arrived there around 10PM or so.

And finally after that we headed towards the main attraction, Wright's Falling Water in Mill Run, PA. But to get there we first had to endure Toby (bus drivers name) taking us through the mountains which were intense hills that had everyone completely on edge. Finally, we arrived!

Lastly I don't know if you noticed or not I have 0, zilch, nada one single sketch! Well theres a story to that because after lunch at Falling Water (which was overly priced) I decided to try and attempt walking in the water that a trail had lead us to and me being slightly stupid walked right out onto this rock covered with moss and dirt and busted my butt right away in front of 6-7 people... embarrassing somewhat. But I fell in the crevace sort of area and got pretty soaked and when I fell my sketchbook somehow went flying on the other side of this rock and went into the whirlpool of water and just kinda sat there and luckily Stephanie (Stephon) was there to go back across this rock and get my sketchbook for me, oh and to photograph it too.  And currently this is what my sketchbook looks like...

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!!