Emerging Technology

How do we blend the digital and physical world in design?  

   In class we discussed some new products changing the way things are done in the world of design.

Sonte Film:  Sonte film is the first ever digital/wifi operated window/mirror film.  Sonte film is currently a kick-starter product.  This product transforms spaces and allows many creative ways to conquer small interior space.  For example, you could have a glass wall separating the bedroom and bathroom.  With Sonte film the wall can be translucent, opaque and even used as a projector with the swipe of your smartphone.

LED XK Glow:  This is an LED light system that can control lights from a smartphone.  The system can change color, light pattern and speed of the lights.

Bemo- Extreme roofing/ cladding systems

Thermo Bi-Metal: Walls and skins as a passive system for heating and cooling.

San Fratello-Rael- "Emerging Objects"

• 3D printing wood that mimics nature, the Bevel bowl, the Seat Slug, 
• Straw and steel
• SOL Grotto- Strawberry Canyon Botanical Garden.

Field Trip: Handel Architects

     

You could call the Handel Architecture firm a jack-of-all trades firm.  Handel Architects doesn't just focus on one sector of the architect market, they cover them all.  Their firm completes projects of all types including residential, mixed-use, renovation/restoration, hospitality, office, retail, interior, master planning, and cultural/institutional projects.  Handel Architects completes projects all over the country and throughout the world.  They complete projects as small as a LEED Platinum residential home in San Francisco to a The Rosewood Abu Dabi.

    Our class was greeted by John Ishihira, Director at Handel Architects San Francisco and Jason Fox, architect at the San Francisco office.  We were each given a copy of "Icons of Architecture: The 20th Century" by Gary Edward Handel & Associates which was such a great gesture and has found it's spot amongst my favorite coffee table books.

   The Handel Architects of San Francisco is a relatively small firm with about forty employees.  Out of these forty employees there are only three interior designers on staff along with seasonal interns.  I really loved the work environment and how the office was designed.  They have configured several "pods" of four people usually including a project manager, technical person, a designer, and a jr. associate.  This configuration is set up to encourage working together as a team and learning from each other.  It was interesting to find out that Handel would prefer someone who knows a good amount about a lot of areas rather than hire an expert in just one particular area.  Larger firms tend to lean toward hiring specialist where smaller firms like theirs prefer a well-rounded person.  This was my first tour of an architecture firm and it was a really wonderful glimpse into what it would be like to work in that environment.

Guest Speaker: David Green

     David Green

David Green is a glass and curtain wall expert.  He currently works for the medium size firm  of Wiss, Janney, Elstmer Associates, Inc. (WJE).  WJE has offices in sixteen states across the nation.  

Notes from lecture/presentation:

Consultants- Ownerà Architect à Contractor

SD Phase- Schematic Design: material, finish and system selection.  Design and performance criteria.  Produce short narrative describing performance criteria for initial pricing

DD/CD Phase- Construction document phase

-Refine material, system, finish selections

-Details

-Performance spec

-Coordinate façade with other building systems ** Know what questions to ask

-Day lighting/energy efficiency

-code requirements and industry standards

-maintenance requirements

Bid/negotiation phase-

• -           Review bid submissions and proposal drawings
•        Bid interviews

Value engineering- ways to save money for owner i.e. use a different type of glass or other material to cut cost

Sustainability in Architecture and Design

Sustainability in architecture and design has really been pushed to the forefront of design within the past few years.  Creating beautiful spaces that are contributing to conserving our environments resources truly amazing.  I feel as though in the past things that were "green" or "energy efficient" weren't exactly the most pleasing to the eye and could even be called an eye sore, that is certainly not the case anymore.
The four leading sustainable designers today include Glen Murcutt, Ken Yeang, Renzo Piano, Michelle Kaufman, and David Arkin.

Michelle Kaufman

Michelle Kaufman's design philosophy is based on creating "thoughtful design."  This means creating beautiful spaces working with nature, using less and using modern technology reduce consumption.  She specializes in pre-fab and modular construction.   Michelle compares the building of your vehicle to support pre-fab and modular home building.  You wouldn't build your car in your driveway so why does your home need to be constructed on site?




 She produces a "green solution" to home building by using eco-friendly materials, low energy options and thoughtful space planning.  With so much effort put into creating these green homes no attention to detail is lost on appearance.  Here are some renderings of beautiful homes she has created while abiding by her design philosophy to keep things green.  She has definitely become an inspiration for me and wanting to learn more about sustainable design.



Renzo Piano

As whimsical as his name, Renzo Piano creates incredible spaces that embody adventure, freedom and in some cases, literally, come to life.  One of his notable designs resides here in San Francisco. The Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is an incredible structure which is now the worlds largest LEED Platinum Rated public building and the "greenest" museum in the world.





Piano created a 197,000 square foot living roof above the museum.  He wanted it to seem as though he lifted up the park and built the museum under it, and he exquisitely achieved that.





David Arkin: Arkin-Tilt Architects

At Arkin-Tilt Architects the team founded their practice on the basis of five main goals.  I think they have really nailed the core principles of creating sustainable design.
Below from: http://www.arkintilt.com/process/goals.html

1.  Harmonize with the site:  The site is the starting point. We assess the site conditions (topography, vegetation, climate, context, local traditions and available resources, etc.), graph the sun path and diagram the site constraints and views. From this information we write a clear, simple statement of the best strategy to meet needs and goals. We also apply Chris Alexander’s pattern of leaving the ‘best spot’ on the site alone; then building in the area most in need of repair.

2.  Build as little as possible:  reducing square footage saves resources, saves energy, and can also save money; building less can also allow for a greater level of detail within the space provided. We also look for opportunities to work with existing structures and improve them, both in their thermal and passive performance, and aesthetically.

3.  Minimize energy dependence: The single largest impact over a building’s lifetime is energy usage. Buildings should be able to heat and cool themselves and generate their own electricity. Passive heating and cooling are a good place to start: daylighting plus efficient systems reduce energy demands to a point where renewable sources can be integrated into the design, creating self-sufficient structures.

4.  Maximize Resource efficiency: Careful material specification yields considerable use of reused and recycled materials, plus resource efficient building systems like straw-bale and rammed earth. Getting these materials or systems into the project can require additional research or coordination with suppliers and, in some cases, sourcing or fabricating. In straw-bale or earth construction, we provide information to building officials, sometimes conducting tests during construction.

5.  Demonstrate the beauty of ecological design:  We strongly believe that for ecological design to take hold, it must be uplifting and inspire delight in the natural world. Ecology is the true basis of good design – in daylighting and rich materials, in buildings that naturally suit their site and climate.

Design Principles in Rooms

Illusions:

• Light
• Color
• Scale
• Axis

Ordering principles:

• Axis
• Symmetry
• Hierarchy
• Transformation
• Datum
• Rhythm/Repetition

Interior design of rooms uses the same ordering design principles as in architecture of buildings and sites.  To create a successful interior space designers also use these principles of illusion including light, color, scale, and axis.  

Color is the most obvious of these.  The colors chosen for a space tell a lot about the use of the space, the owner if residential, the company if commercial and also about the designer.  John Saladino suggest the use of light and natural colors in designing rooms.  His work has a definite style and he stays very neutral in his color palette while occasionally adding pops of pastel colors for contrast.  He uses a lot of natural finishes creating beautifully serene spaces.  

This image from the book "Style by Saladino" cover is my favorite of what we saw during this lecture.  This space is so serene and implements many of the design principles including repetition, hierarchy and light.  

Saladino also uses other principles including scale and illusions with faux finishes.  Below are images of spaces designed by Saladino including one with a faux column to add depth and drama to the space and faux finish painting of columns.

Design Principals

Learning the six ordering design principles is very helpful in expanding your vocabulary and the way you talk about design.  These design principles include Symmetry, Axis, Transformation, Rhythm/Repetition, Datum and Hierarchy.

Louis Kahn's Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA.

Symmetry (Asymmetry)- A balanced (or imbalanced) distribution of space or form about a dividing line or plane.
Axis: A line established by two points in space that balances design elements and extends beyond the built form.
Transformation:  The modification and/or configuration of an architectural element or theme that is used repeatedly, but altered based on two conditions: context and program.
Rhythm/Repetition:  A principal element is repeated or alternated and compared against other forms.
Datum:  The "reference zone" in design (ie. courtyard).  A plane or geometric volume that, by its regularity, gathers, organizes, and measures other spacial components.
Hierarchy:  The ordering of forms in space based on the size, shape, or placement of an object.


In most designs you can clearly see two or three of these design principles being used.

Module 2- Framing Space

   There were two areas that really stood out to me with the lecture of framing space which were "blending old and new" and "framing nature."

   I love all things vintage, but I think it's important to always have a balance in your design.  I love the concept of blending old with the new; wether it is vintage furniture, an original exposed brick wall, or original hardwood floors refinished to reveal their beauty.  My whole house is filled with vintage items I have either refinished, repurposed or kept the way they are for their unique charm.

  This 300-year old home in Israel was renovated but has kept it's character. The home-owners wanted the designer to maintain the old-world feel of the home.  With the preserved stone archways and minimalistic, modern furniture Pitsou Kedem Architects have achieved a wonderfully balanced space.






  The concept of "Framing Nature" struck me as something very important.  Growing up in Hawaii and now living on the California coast for five years makes you become very appreciative of nature around you and views.  You never want to obstruct a beautiful view or take away from your natural surroundings.  I believe successful architecture and design works with the nature around us to create beautiful spaces.

In the photo below I love how the architect caters to the view in every aspect.  The neutral color palette blends in with the foreground and doesn't distract you from the vast open nature in the background.



  Don't you just want to cozy up with a book here?  The nature outside this room is what makes the space interesting, you don't need much with a view like this.

Guest Speaker- Deborah Ogden

Last week, Deb Ogden who serves on the IDEX task force from the California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC) came as a guest speaker to our class.  I was so impressed with how informative she was and it really opened my eyes to what certifications I should be working towards getting in the future.  Especially after her presentation I think it is really important to differentiate yourself to potential clients and being able to label yourself as a Certified Interior Designer is a great way to do that.  The IDEX has definitely been entered into my "big goals box."

I have recently decided to change my education path.  I decided to work towards obtaining my AA degree in Interior Design from CCSF instead of transferring.  I attended the Fashion Institute in Los Angeles and received my AA in Visual Communications.  After countless discussions with my parents, mentors and friends I came to the conclusion that I am ready to jump into the real world and put myself to work!

What Do Architects Do? Perceptions, Myths, & Reality.

"Architecture is the process and product of planning, designing, and construction, usually of buildings and other physical structures."

The word Architecture is used in many different ways today.  From the general term of a physical structure, to the design of landscapes, and even to information technology systems

People have numerous perceptions of what architects do.  Many people think architects sit at a desk all day drawing plans.  Architecture is much more involved than that.  Architects and designers need to be connected with not only the building they are designing but the space where it will be built.  Connecting with the environment where you are building is extremely important.  In simple terms, you wouldn't build an igloo in Hawaii or a thatched roof in Alaska.  

The surrounding environment takes a huge role in successful architecture.   When Amily was discussing the work of Rick Joy, an Arizona architect, she said something that really resonated with me.  "What does this site want this building to be?"  This pertains to a "site visit"- where an architect or designer goes to the site and takes in the surroundings/nature/views giving them a sense of what they should design.  

Architects and designers also must be very involved with their clients.  They are building this space for someone else and need to find out their dreams and needs for the project.  If it is a home the designer should find out where the client spends their time and which rooms in the home they use most.