Feedback Loop Two: Aws

Aws redesigned the Jackson Library at UNCG and his big idea was that by using focal points in three different ways; light, color, and organized distributed spaces that you could provide navigation throughout the space without the users being confused. 

Aws and everyone else that had the chance to work with the Jackson Library had unique issues and worked on specific areas based on what they produced earlier and felt strongest about. That library has so many issues within it such as circulation, space planning, materiality, way finding and many more things. These are all things I felt as if Aws dealt with in a successful manner because navigation is vital and the users really need to know exactly where they are within the space at all times. 

You can see how he incorporated lighting throughout the space which is most noticeable in the signage labeling the rooms, and color is another aspect I think works really well by essentially color coding various rooms and those colors show up at the main circulation desk through a mini map. 

Aws had previously studied the systems within the existing space in which he noticed how the overhead lighting served as a "path of direction" which he tried to incorporate into his current scheme. I think the idea of this is a very good one in which he articulated in a respectful manner without doing anything too over the top. This approach considers the people and workers and allows for everything that the library is currently lacking such as color, life, direction,  and a broader range of materials. 

Overall I would say Aws designed the space while thinking about the current issues and figuring out he could solve them and I think that definitely worked for him. The users seem to be the most important aspect of nearly every design and this is no exception. Everything he decided to do influences the patrons and helps them out by providing overall a better experience to the Jackson Library by taking advantage of lighting, color and organized distributed spaces. 

UNCG Music Library: The Stuff

After presenting our space plan which was our initial proposal where we were allowed to go all out and do whatever we wanted within the space, regardless of practicality or affordability. However, for this assignment we were to take that design and make it more manageable at actually accomplishing and being able to afford. For my design, I stuck to the same idea of silent music by attempting to create a space that basically performed and maintained those musical qualities but it still ultimately needed to remain a library. Our deliverables were that of the original assignment but we also needed to do some scheduling and specifications for furniture, lighting and finishes as well as numerous details and detailed elevations and sections. 

Digital Portfolio

Assignment 2.0 - Self-Marketing Package

Our latest assignment for Pro. Practice was to develop a package that contained a portfolio, resume with cover letter, business card, CD/DVD containing material and a leave behind as well. I decided to embrace my full name as you'll see below and create my entire package off of that.

What's Lies Ahead

On Friday myself and the other classmates with the Music Library met to talk over some larger decisions we as a group needed to make. Those decisions had to deal with this downstairs portion of the library we were given that houses the many many LP's, what to do with the large but not often used collection of CDs and DVDs, and lastly what to do about the circulation area. We wanted all of these choices we made to be made between us all to achieve some consistency rather than have one person do something we didn't all agree upon. 

Within my approach to this I intend to maintain my same concept of silent music but attempt to make it more noticeable. We keep going back to this conversation of this era being a sort of transitional period where digital is quickly growing but the means of physical books are still popular. So I want this space to be something that tries to address that, whether it's by making the stacks very flexible so that if they were to go away that leftover space could have something just as nice done with it as before. Also, I want to keep the space as open and freeing as possible but still be able to divide the space accordingly. I need the users to have access to the natural light because that just makes so much sense with books, and I'd prefer to have the circulation and stacks area along the other interior wall. 

Feedback Loop: Jamaan Simons

Jamaan Simons' proposal for the Music Library revolved around the idea of rhythmic enclosure and that was by creating individual moments that led to a greater unity throughout the space.

Everyone within the music library tried to make it unique to music specifically but Jamaan's did that really well I thought by working with the idea of rhythm and incorporating natural curvature. Enclosing the user was a brilliant idea in my opinion because normally in a library you feel so open to everything which isn't necessarily bad but creating intimacy for individuals is something original and exciting for sure. 

Jaman also decided to work with the ceiling which is often an area that gets left by the way side but within his design it was a major element and helped bring clarity to his concept. Not only does his idea of rhythm occur on the floor through furnishings and other visual cues but also through the dropped ceiling that curves from one side to the other which to me invites much more interest and a desire to dwell further into the space. 

One thing I did notice throughout this space is that Jamaan didn't integrate areas that seem entirely devoted to group interaction, sure there are areas where comfortable furniture is but not tables for multiple people to be seated at and work together on. I think through creating these individual and intimate moments there is also an opportunity to create that with a group dynamic. 

Overall I think Jamaan's design was great and the concept does seem very clear to me, however I think there is room for more clarity and development within. Group areas need to be incorporated and I think there needs to be more boundaries within the space broken apart based on function. With more development I think Jamaan would have something really special and I think it would feel much more unified across the entire space engaging the users in every way and making his concept really clear in every way. 

Ninety Seconds

During Wednesdays studio we had to work with a partner quickly putting together and presenting our "elevator speech". I worked alongside Faith Ramsey examining various reports that the Jackson library had conducted over the years. These reports came from three different sets of data, the first was a survey that over 600 people filled out asking about how many times they visit and what particular purpose. The second report involved people walking around the Jackson library and asking people specific questions such as do they bring their own material to study and what furnishings they prefer. Lastly there were six focus groups put together that looked at a concept plan for the Jackson which influenced the circulation primarily within the space. The first image of our presentation was finding commonalities between the Jackson and Music library alike, the second and third were issues that were unique to that library. Some issues we found among the Jackson library was that people didn't use areas for there intended use and that the interiors don't differ enough to impact that or allow for variation. The Music Library is a space that we thought to be restrictive and not allow for positive circulation through the space, specifically in between the stacks and carrels section. Both of these spaces relied heavily on the focal point being the circulation desk where users could interact and ask questions and they also didn't allow for the adaption of technology to be better integrated throughout. 

Infinitely Big

I'm currently taking Design II in the art department and just finished up my first project which was an entirely based Illustrator based assignment. It could really be about anything that describes us and for whatever reason I have this profound fascination for space and videos like this. So I decided to make space themed postcards that were graphic, bold and also attempted simplicity and consistency. 

Silent Music: Space Plan

The systems assignment gave us a chance to approach our library (UNCG Music Library) in a fairly open way but we were still able to develop some loose ideas for what we might do with the space. From there we moved into actually space planning the existing and designing however we wanted, whether that involved digitizing the entire collection or consolidating what they already had. The half of the class working on this selected library decided to follow the same format and for the deliverables we had to include a concept statement, floor plan, five sections, four perspectives, and alternative materials. 

If Only