arch 101 midterm learning portfolio fall 2011 gianfranco pescetti

• This was the start of my journey and this icebreaker was meant to

uncover the notion of inspiration and unleash my imagination.

What inspires me?

What do I do with this inspiration?

How has my original inspiration transformed through time?

These are some of the questions asked by my professor Jerry Lum.

As I pondered how to answer these questions, I began a journey that

took me far back to a childhood populated by nuns, priests, catholic

rituals, and fairy tales. In retrospective I think that is what informed my

passion for the theatre. One thing leads to another and ballet became

my life and so I chose movement as my original source of inspiration. But

it is all connected; dance, music, design…life

• The scope of the work was to create a 3d model based on my

inspiration. The hard part was to make up my mind and choose.

The challenge was to avoid the literal and embrace the abstract..

With no clear idea I created an object that evoked movement. It

was my first foray in trying to communicate an idea through

design. Exciting! It looked better in planning…nevertheless I was

proud. As it turned out I learned that the base compromised the

work. For the next iteration the objective was to create an object

with no base, “in space”.

• At this stage, while still struggling with the literal, I also

observed that I had not found a material of construction for my

models that would allow me to be free of restrain. I could

imagine the most interesting shapes, but could not build them.

• I had no choice but to be patient.

• After following Jerry’ s directions, for this iteration I made a conscious effort in building something asymmetrical. In that regard I think the effort was successful. Considerable time and planning went into this project; the insertion of the wood and nails had to be performed by perforating the sphere at a angle which proved to be tricky. The failure lays within the lack of interest on the other side of the sphere.

I showed a rib-like

structure in curvilinear manner

Iteration #4

This was my first try at staying with the same

concept and material hoping to see it develop

in a good direction. I should have utilized and

mixed additional material.

As I continued my exploration with Styrofoam I inserted wire on a star-shaped carving,

not before long I realized that I had carved

a pumpkin…in time for Halloween.

Joining forces

This time I was in real trouble. I had lost all sense of direction and became frustraded

For the lack of progress. At a loss I used a yin-yang shape combining Styrofoam,

wire and balsa wood. Not my best work.

• This last one finally felt interesting and complete in the sum of

its part making it possible to find purpose again. I feel that now

I have a strategy upon which I can develop a concept that can

lead to a readable and coherent narrative.

• At this point in our journey we switched gear and we ventured

in to the world of collages. The work was to use our 3d models

as a “launch pad”, and reproduce them via deconstructivism in

2d. After the initial reticence, I quickly understood that no

attachment should be carried toward the original pieces, and

with scissors in hands new shapes and orders came to life.

On my second try I decided to use

two point perspective with one

central vanishing point.

Excessive lines make this first attempt

not quite successful. Also the central

vanishing point makes the picture too

static.

Up to this moment I feel that I made many discoveries and that

those discoveries are already playing an increasing important

role in the decision making of my design. And it’s just the

beginning…