Sunday, February 27, 2011

ButT(0)n B0Uqu3t...

They say...Diamonds are a girls best friend. Chocolate brings her happiness and Flowers tell how you feel about her.. BUT gimmie a button and I'll love you always.
I ADOREEEEE this button bouquet. 
[definitely will have one on my desk and in my bedroom very soon!]








D/\si3s ...

I often visit blogs or design sites to stay inspired and creative and I came across this project where I was literally taken away with. 
Something so simple can turn out to be something so beautiful.
[Mylar installation by the Ball Nouges Studio]






Its such a beautiful day in greensboro that I thought this would be a perfect blog post.


Friday, February 25, 2011

CaRvaGGio T3am Pr()poSAL


JENGA 3.0

Dajana Nedic + Blakeni Walls + Sharon Frazier
SQUEEZE meets BUBBLE meets LEVITATE


About Caravaggio
Drawing inspiration from the Baroque style time period, the ideas of movement, tension, and contrast of light and shadow were significantly prominent with the work of painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The son of an architect, he tied physical observation with naturalism and chiaroscuro to provide a realistic style. Caravaggio’s name is derived from a small town in Italy, which embodies our ideas of working within a small community. With our conceptual ideas of lightness, compression and release, along with navigation, we will begin to defy our skills individually and advance to marry the separate ideas into a cohesive conceptual understanding with which to drive this project.


Theoretical Position

Translating the importance of language through stories and narratives helps us draw inspiration from architectural meanings. “It’s not the architectural sense of the buildings that captivates me, but the world they translate”, writes Jean Nouvel in the book The Singular Objects of Architecture. With this, we strive to extrapolate the truth behind the mystery of what shapes a space and how its connections can capture moments of lightness, floating, and compression.
“Photography is unclassifiable because there is no reason to mark this or that of its occurrences; it aspires, perhaps, to become as crude, as certain, as noble as a sign, which would afford it access to the dignity of a language” states Roland Barthes in his text Camera Lucida. Somewhat like Barthes idea of photography, we aim to translate our connections across the three spaces as those” noble signs” that begin to speak a distinct language of curiosity and intrigue.
Combining the three spaces, we conceptually recognize the advantages of pathways, destinations, moments of relief, and side trips. These spatial elements will aid us in linking and relating the three concept words of Squeeze, Bubble, and Levitate across all aspects of the project. “But for our purpose it is not the infinite variety of the religious experiences of space that concerns us but, on the contrary, their elements of unity” speaks Mircea Eliade in the work of The Sacred and The Profane.



Design Approach
Our aim for this design is to explore and examine the ideas of mystery, lightness, and materiality of the space. We believe that through both metaphoric and literal analysis we can begin to analyze how the use of words and strong concepts derived from previous projects can help bring our current design to life. We are prepared to include and enforce the use of materials, furnishings, and contrast of color to convey the connections that are evident within our concept as a whole. As our ideas are evolve over time, we ensure that our concept will be strong and prominent throughout the sum of the project.


Deliverables
In order to define our concept and present our collaborative process in a unified manner, we will start by proposing our ideas and developing a strong concept statement. As we begin to build a digital model, we will proceed to solidify the floor plans and sections, which will help generate the interior and exterior perspectives. We plan to utilize visual diagrams throughout our process in order to communicate the connections between the three spaces. Ultimately, we plan to realize the physical model of the entire space as a representation of our overall concept.


Team Qualifications
As a collaborative team, we bring an even balance of skills and innovation in order to provide a holistic perspective of three spaces coming together as one. These skills will help us to conceptually design and visually communicate an enriching space that tells a story and brings our ideas to life.

As originators we are confident that our design process will develop and further expand our knowledge in the conceptual, visual, and physical aspects of the overall project. Though we are close in relation to the design indicator scale, this can be seen as a positive trait for the team. Considering that we will most likely work in similar fashions, we can be sure that we will agree to do what is best and most important for the project. In addition to gaining a better understanding of our individual design processes, we will provide a healthy and creative variety to the entire collaboration.

Sharon, who is a 14 on the indicator design scale, brings ten years of experience in the field of European furniture, as well as working knowledge of the industries in that field. With a strong attention to detail, she shows passionate care for her work through clean craftsmanship and an inherent eye for balance, proportion, and harmony. She has a natural ability to abstract ideas develop them conceptually in order to bring the real and creative worlds together in a unique way. Her philosophical approach to design is necessary for understanding the underlying information that might otherwise go unnoticed.


 Dajana is a 12 and in close proximity to Sharon, also shows close attention to detail as realized in her sketches and renderings. She has advanced experience working with Photoshop and Illustrator which will be a benefit to the team overall. Her conceptual ideas coincide with her structural ability to first think things through and carry out her ideas with integrity.  Her open-minded attitude and ability to offer honest and straightforward critiques make her a valuable team player.

Blakeni, who is a 20, shows advanced creativity and an eye for color ultimately bringing visual strength to the overall aesthetics of the project.  Her detail-oriented style results in a profound attitude that is prevalent in not only her personal style but also in her work. With unique characteristics unlike any other, she embraces the ability to create a vision and conceptually carry it through with every aspect of her life. Her work is never without reason, which reinforces her love for design and determination for expanding her knowledge. Her ability to fabricate ideas into concrete forms helps to better visualize her design process.


Goals
The collaborative efforts that our design team will capitalize on are shaped by our  personal goals as defined at the beginning of the semester. Our goals will drive our own area of interests and involvement in this project as listed below:

Blakeni Walls - focus on representation and proficiency of our design digitally using the program Rhino, a concerted effort to be organized in the design process and documentation, and an effort to mesh more as a team than working more on her own as a natural tendency.

Dajana Nedic- attention given to her time management skills in exploring the design process with the team dynamic to help reinforce this goal, explore further the research phase of the project, and improving her communication skills in presenting her work as a collaborative whole.

Sharon Frazier - giving emphasis on exploring different ways of approaching the design process from conception to presentation, gaining a better understanding of how to use existing design work of precedents as inspiration however moving beyond them in a more original way, and more concisely and confidently communicating the design ideas during presentations.


Collaboration
Our team brings a strong collaborative spirit in working seamlessly together. It is our approach to work side by side in a concerted way helping each other complete work as the other team member becomes available. It is our strength to listen well and to offer a helping hand as a team foundation. Each designer will bring her own strengths to the design process and we anticipate the final conceptual outcome to be stronger as a result of our collaborative efforts than we could have accomplished solo. We plan to meet together in the studio on Monday and Wednesday from 3:30-6:00pm, and on Thursdays from 4:00-5:00pm. On Tuesdays we will work individually to bring the ideas together on the following day.


Responsibilities
The whole team is involved in the concept development and overall collaboration throughout the entire project. The following responsibilities are led by the noted team members, which are to be cross-trained across the whole team. As we have realized our individual strengths, we plan to combine and employ as a team.

Dajana Nedic
·      Concept statement
·      Physical Model
·      Public Space

Sharon Frazier
·      Perspectives
·      Diagrams
·      Research

Blakeni Walls
·      Digital Model
·      Floor plan + Sections
·      Ceiling Plan

We plan to meet daily from February 14th to the 23rd in the open space of the Maud Gatewood Studio Arts Building, with intention to explore, develop, and carry out the project conceptually, visually, and physically. 

Jenga 3.0 [ Jigsaw Presentation Boards]



Thursday, February 24, 2011

WiLd FL()w3Rs..


I created this rendering a few weeks ago and went over it with a sharpie marker in the first rendition. In this second try I decided to keep it completely digital and added lighting to this one! :

click on image to see it larger.


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

RuD3 B()y..

So if you haven't noticed... Im obsessed with Rihanna. 
...I know this Rude boy video is old but lately I've been researching prints and aztec. 
Her video is the perfect modern twist of african inspired prints.
The Gorgeous colors are so young and vibrant... its creativity bursting at the seam.
INSPIRED. 


















I couldnt just stick to one. They are all my favorite. 

Sunday, February 20, 2011

F/\sHi0N BLU3S...


Blue Jeans, Blue skirts..
 tops, blazers, poofy pants
It's not just a mood. It seems to be a trend!
Below are a few photo's that I snagged from "The Sartorialist" aka Scott's Blog that I adore!
These trendy women show us that feeling the blues isnt always bad... 










GUy S()mbr3ro




This is a graphic artist I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. 
He has a scrumptious way of connecting the two worlds of hand art and computer design. 
Definitely a style + technique I'd strive for!

CaM3Ra LuCidA [Diagram]


The diagram above that I created, helps depict my thoughts about the book Camera Lucida.
From this reading I have an insight through the lens of a professional photographer... learning how to separate emotion from photography.
It is a language and depending on your cultural exposure, we perceive these two dimensional story tellers in a different dialect than someone of a different culture. 
Photographs keep the dead alive. But in a way where their previous existence is only a distance memory.. a yearning.
Similarly to architecture, photography focuses on capturing a specific moment in time and when is the perfect time to do so. 
Camera Lucida was a hard book to connect with but as I pulled out the similarities between the two worlds of architecture and photography I began to translate their languages into recognizable principles and concepts. 

S()rtiNG Th3 PiEces - [Jenga 3.2 Diagram]


The diagram above suggest the idea of where three different books come together. The red lines do not touch, solidifying the fact that they are three totally different books. The Venn Diagram layered over it shows the idea that the books have concepts that overlap in different area's in one way or another and eventually find a common ground where they meet in the middle with the same concept of "perception".
These three books all share ideas of cultural context, language, significance and perception. Below are little blurbs where each book has a brief synopsis. 

Camera Lucida : Roland Barthes
This book suggest the idea of photography as a silent language. It captures a moment and tells a story of its time... which links similar ideas to the concepts of architecture.  It enquires the nature and essence of photography and the believe that it brings back the dead.The book investigates how the photographer decides what to capture in a specific moment, and the emotional impact of what the photographer perceives through his lens seen through a cultural and political filter. - Blakeni Walls
SILENT LANGUAGE
CAPTURED MOMENT


STORYTELLERS


Singular Objects of  Architecture : Jean Baudrillard and Jean Nouvel
French philosopher and architect engage in a revelatory conversation regarding architecture and visual culture. It's not the architectural sense of the building that interest John Nouvel but the world it translates. The world of architecture, revealing the deeper nature of things, revolves around the world of seduction and illusion to capture the participant and to reflect a conscious hyper-reality.- Sharon Frazier
SEDUCTION
ILLUSION
TRANSLATION



The Sacred and the Profane : Mircea Eliade
This book is divided into four sections: Space, Time, Nature, and Self, which mainly address the basic principles of religion and how that is distinguished through the idea of the sacred and the profane. It emphasizes the formation of the world and the role of centers resulting from the cosmos and chaos. This book provides a significant meaning to the reason why a certain place or space is designated as sacred. Some of the key points that I noticed throughout were the consistant separating details that ultimately relate to the whole. Also, the manifestation of ideas and knowledge that leed to a higher understanding of the divine. - Dajana Nedic
SEPARATION


SIGNS
SIGNIFICANCE

Thursday, February 17, 2011

INspiR3.








Sk3tcHed SPaCe... [Jenga 3.0]

This first sketch is focusing on our public space which we will design in Jenga 3.0. The black signifies the public region. We wanted to portray an open space which was inclosed within the exterior walls of all three units. The pink boxes signify each of our units and how they will join together. [note: the little squares inside the pink boxes are where the doors are located, for navigation purposes]


This next sketch depicts the navigation through the public space between the three individual units. The axis that we established was solely based on the axial geometric lines seen in all three units. The T axis solidifies the strength in Dajana's unit, emulates the length of my narrow unit and borrows concepts from Sharon's interior kit of parts


This is a section sketch I quickly drew to help my peers understand the "solid" which will act as the means of egress through our space. The dotted lines suggest where the three units would sit. We decided to use the center.. the core.. our captured moment as we navigate through the space as a patio of some sort, where the "community" [the habitants of the units] come together as one, both literally and metaphorically.