Icebreaker:

Success: I found myself challenged to create something meaningful from “found objects” around my home. I decided to choose the first twelve things I could find and dove in. My design focused on suspension, and a clever way of highlighting my favorite objects: three yellow and black buttons.

Struggles: Upon peer review, it was easy to detect which designs were found to be dynamic. Mine was not one of them, so I set out to completely rework my next iteration. Unlike many successful designs, mine seemed busy, lacking unity, and visually loud. Too many color schemes, too many contradictory shapes, and poor construction quality. This design, along with iteration two, was lost in the third week after the being left on the Muni. Reconstruction was left to memory.

Repetition in design create spatial rhythm and can draw the eyes to a contour of lines or shapes without becoming busy, loud, or visually unappealing. Repetition creates a familiar and comfortable regularity that the human eyes can associate with beauty. Order in design relates to an unspoken set of rules in the human psyche. The concept is more socially embedded and engrained in our minds, in fact than we like to believe. Architectural order obeys the laws of physics, the laws of symmetry, proportion, and is called upon from every classic study of numbers.

A dynamic design should have cohesion between shapes and varying forms. The repetition I found in my design was unsuccessful. My next model will take a much more thoughtful approach to repetition. Also, a milder color scheme will be adapted in hopes of unifying elements of my design.

Week 2

Successes: This design possesses more regularity, a sense of rhythm, and elements of scale and proportion. I decided to find unity in triangles and adapted a number sequence of 3, 4, 5. Three sided basics shapes, one pyramid made from 4 triangles, and 5 triangles suspended in the air from the latter. Coming from my last design, it seemed fresh and unique.

Struggles: Though my peers seemed to see that the design emerged from the previous in an ordered manner, my design was not acknowledged as being one built with “strength” This revelation pushed me into a deeper investigation of what It was exactly, that I wanted to create.    

Architectural forms manifested by people, for people, relate to the human for in a multitude of manners. Common proportional systems found all over our body, (say, the golden ratio) are manifested in beautiful and elaborate form in design. Scale in architecture relates to the human body in the manner in which we reflect it back to ourselves. Tight spaces create tension in a space which we mirror back into ourselves and large spaces lend to the feelings of being insignificantly small.

In literal representation, our eyes seem to be guided by concrete forms, whereas abstract forms seem to be enacted by an observance of the space created, or exaggerated by form. In space our eyes can draw imaginary lines and perceive implied rhythms. The abstract has the advantage of being interpreted in its boldness by many perceptions whereas concrete forms remain less ambiguous.

“What about the expected norm?” I do not think there is anything truly original in “going against the grain” More often than not, even the most complex designs seem to be broken down in to common and recognizable form. I think that a solid appreciation of the classics, allows for us to take working, functioning, and beautiful designs and carve something meaningful out of them.

Week 3 Successes: By eliminating a base for my design, I decided to create a from which could still illustrate the principals of the three-sided shape in suspension, but in a sturdy manner. I took to using balsa wood and attempted to create visual unity with my previous iteration by painting it black.

Struggles: Balsa wood, especially when painted, became delicate and hard to connect to other surfaces. My attempt to use clear plastic to draw attention to particular areas, like a window, was superfluous. The plastic proved difficult to attach to the balsa and basswood, and was constantly being scratched and nicked. The black paint was unnecessary; I realized that balsa wood is quite beautiful on its own.

Denotation, or primary meaning, seems to be our initial concept, or understanding of our design. Through the narrative, I have come to understand my ideas and concept from a very surface level, to a theme rich with meaning and significance. Much like the branches of a tree, new meanings ebb and flow into my creative processes. In developing my own designs, I have come to realize that the connotation, or underlying and supporting themes have rapidly changed from one iteration to the next. These small changes in connotation have evolved into a progressively deeper and more profound denotation. In my own process, I have found that form and space have interplayed in my process; there is a constantly changing hierarchy

History, time and culture are integral, symbiotic, codependent elements of the design. Without one, everything crumbles apart. Our designs evolve through history, through repetition, and through evolving out of styles passed down in tradition from culture to culture. Our culture defines the structures we build and defines form, function, space, and interpretation. Finally, time. Our universe is defined by numbers in space and time. Time, the langue of music, relates to special and structural music, rhythm in our design. Without time, we are a static point in the universe. Time is essential to space and form.

Week 4 Successes: Inspiration for narrative: Space, cells, and the scale of human in relation to the vastness of the universe: By taking into account a personal narrative and the ideas of proportion and scale, my work has found a sense of meaning beyond arbitrarily combining shapes into “something nice or beautiful” I am beginning to think about my work more deeply; it invades my thought during waking and dreaming hours and I am feeling a sense of confidence that my work can be something to take pride in. I have taken sequences of the golden proportion and Fibonacci numbers and my design seems more thoughtful. The most thoughtful design I have created. Every piece of my design has come from one original shape in the previous iteration. Everything has been carefully measured and examined, revealing proportional forms that intertwine, overlap, and play with the space I have created.

Struggles: By introducing form and scale into my design, I have forced myself to spend more time on paper working out shapes and mathematical proportions rather than just “jumping in” and building. Procrastination has set in; I'm not sure whether to take a literal or abstract approach to scale and proportional forms. I am truly understanding more about the craft of the design process. Though my design feels well planned and crafted, its look is simple. It feels very “basic.”

Understanding proportional forms can not only allow the designer to create unique and dynamic shape in their design, but to take those shapes and rework their scale to create useful asymmetry. Understanding proportion allows us to create dynamic forms out of otherwise seemingly ordinary shapes by reworking them, arranging them in proportionate hierarchies, and having interesting repetition by use of scale.

Humans have an attachment to the material, or tactile qualities of designs. As important as the designs themselves, the materials we choose to build with, their malleability, surface qualities, all relate to an aesthetic perfected in the craft of the final product. People want not only to marvel at their designs, but also to feel them, hold them in their hands, experiences the design with all senses when possible.

Good design requires time and quality.

Week 5 Narrative develops to include a place for human curiosity; design should invoke emotions which inspire the human experience.

Successes with scale ups: By scaling up portions of my design, I am able to understand that portions of my design have become static. A new opportunity for growth has arisen. Struggles: My over thinking of this design has lead to two nearly-identical scale ups, which, despite their modifications, seemed like an arbitrary process of searching for frames to support and execute a “dynamic” scale-up. I need to allow more time to execute creative designs for my model.

My narrative is evolving out of a curious pursuit of truth and understanding. Ask silly questions, question that which you think you understand. Take your soul out of your body and feel a new perspective and challenge the answers for imaginary problems. Seek the invisible. Feel space. Our models are small in scale. Rotate them in your hands, break them apart if necessary. Find unique proportion and stretch them, skew them, shrink them. !

Life is not about a pursuit of meaning; but rather that one should seek and create meaning for themselves and develop an environment which beckons a positive, inspiring, and welcoming pursuit for knowledge. Knowledge separates itself from information when we free ourselves from fear and judgment, and take time to question that which may seem clear and obvious. Adapting perspective, inviting criticism, and accepting failure are the surest tracks to actualization in design; design of life, design of knowledge and perspective, & design which genuinely beckons truth. !

In my attempt to shape space, I have created form, which extends and juxtaposes, and bends to create imaginary lines. Every part of my design should be like a roller coaster for the eyes- sending you in every which direction, only to have you wanting more when it is over.

Space, can in fact, be so flexible that anything can happen there. For this to happen, its form should embody a great surface area. The surrounding form should be flexible, versatile, and yet sturdy and sheltering. Complex space cannot be achieved without being enveloped by complex form.

Week 5.5 Successes with cardboard iterations: By taking my 3d models, smashing them into a 2d plane, bending them, reworking them, juxtaposing space, I am able to see new potentials in my design Struggles: This exercise had to be executed a few times to squeeze something meaningful; I am reminded that my choices of materials are just as important to my design and the concepts themselves. Supporting my firs iteration using a foam core board It was silly to conceive that this exercise might be any “easier” than the previous. Nothing is easy if you are truly trying.

A second time around…

Borrowing ideas from the phenomological approach,, we will consider that the architecture we build is influenced, if not borrowed, from the human body and made to invoke emotions of our human experience. Every design we make is engineered to be seen through two human eyes, built in consideration of the human scale, and designed to fit human (and animal companion) needs. It is the job of the designer to take these basic constituent parts and develop something beautiful. We take a design beyond the pragmatic and insert values of beauty to invoke emotion. We can blur the lines between inside and outside spaces, create weather-tight buildings which steel feel in touch with nature, and we can redefine what it means to be “in a room.” Spaces can be dramatically changed simply by the heights and lengths (or lack) of walls the size and number of windows, the sizes of spaces, and the way that a space plays with its surrounding environment. A building can be a prison or an oasis, that is for the designer to decide.

Week 6 Successes: Because my primary material choices, bass and balsa wood, the majority of my materials have primarily carried themselves out as expressions of frames. With a familiarity of this type of expression, as well as a familiarity of the materials, I looked ahead and anticipated for the following week’s iteration. I created a set of frames in order to anticipate a model which would suit textures and surfaces for the following week. Along with my evolving narrative, I took my ideas and elaborated on a study of numbers, space, rhythm and time. This design not only has a more dynamic and ethereal freedom, but seems to anticipate movement and freedom in a new and exciting manner.

Struggles: In concepting this design, I found myself challenged with the mathematics of translating the conceptual design of my model to a concrete creation. The “joints” or connections of individual pieces to form the whole gave me the most trouble. My intention was to create mechanical connections rather than relying on glue, but in the end I stuck to a number of different adhesives. My goal is to eliminate adhesives from my design for the remainder of the semester.

Week 6.5!Successes:!In looking forward from my last iteration, I felt thoroughly prepared to execute an expression of textures and surfaces from my last model. In using styrene rather than balsa wood, I was able to work with an array of material thicknesses. I found styrene to be easy to cut, shape, and bend. I enjoyed the smooth texture as well as the material’s reaction to light. !Struggles:!In attempting to create an accurately scaled and proportioned model from my previous expression of frames, I had a few issues working out the proper mathematics, especially the angles of connections. Despite my feelings for the previous model, I reverted back to a handful of different joint and adhesives to keep my model solidly intact. !

Truth in architecture can relate to many things. It can relate to the structure, and and the truth behind its form versus its materials. From here we can assess whether the design itself, the form, remains true to function. In design, we utilize many clever imitations. Some may argue that concrete flowers adorning a building are a violation of truth. These ornaments are superfluous, created for a visual aesthetic, and the viewer knows it. All will agree that concrete painted gold, and imitating old is a violation of truth. What is at stake? In imitating and reinforcing materials, we are creating form, rather than “discovering form” as was previously necessary in the complex mathematics of balancing stone and wood. This lends to a less organic structure.

With computer generated software, as well as an arsenal of materials and resources unlike ever before, humans are able to build just about anything they imagine.

With today’s high quality machining of parts, we are able to escape truth in materials. Cleverly concealed joints, supports, and fabrications give materials the ability to be present in design where they would not normally be sufficient on their own.

Successes: I have become immensely inspired in acknowledging the diversity of architecture in our beautiful city. Never before have I felt the need to get so close to a building, touch it, examine its materials, connections, and small details.

Struggles: Some building have proven more difficult than others to research. I am forced to make more of my own assertions about the design rather than relying on preexisting archives or data.

Designing with nature: The manner in which forms seem to be in accord with the nature of the materials and the “human spirit” of the time

Organic architecture and structure, form, and process:

Organic forms and materials looks towards nature rather than history for inspiration. Relationships and processes of materials are of equal importance to appearances, because organic architecture embodies a higher level of truth. The way a building stands, moves, or interacts with its environment is reliant on the structure of surfaces, their intentions, counterweights, and supports. In nature, form is emergent, not designed, and relies heavily on force and mathematics. We understand “organic” as being an analogy but still strive for designs which emanate from a growth or evolution mimicking nature. Conceptually organic and visually organic just go together because truth demands it.

Morphing is an essential concept in in the evolution of a design to match it environment or “intensities.” Morphogenesis is not simply limited to step by step track to optimization, natural morphogenesis

involves population thinking, and so does architecture.

Ex: the forces acting on a film of soapy water that contain a body of air will naturally resolve themselves into an equilibrium state that minimizes surface tension. The resulting sphere is not important, so much as the dynamic process that produced it.

By combining the deliberate with environmental intensities, we approach evolution in design.

“Golden Gate Theater” Golden Gate Theater. 1 Taylor Street. Eight stories; dome, arcaded top story, brick and fine terra-cotta facade, wrought-iron balconets. Entry and marquee altered, storefronts boarded shut. Owner: Shorenstein Hays Nederlander Organization. Architect: G. Albert Lansburgh. 1922.

"Greater San Francisco" movement of 1912”!The nature of the theater reflects a level of opulence symbolic of the city’s effort to rebuild and gentrify the area. This theater, like many before, embodies similar design motifs, but has simply been “reworked” to fit its location We can see morphogenetic properties in Lansburgh’s work, as he designed over 50 theaters in his lifetime

This building , though seldom used today, once housed an elegant array of retail shops which lined the inner theater. Atop the building, a simple, yet ornate dome peeks into the sky. Despite the fact that this portion of the downtown san Francisco are has deteriorated, this building remains beautifully intact, with its gliding angled balconies, its sturdy stone construction, and its beautiful dome. Even today, the building responds to the site by reflecting emotions of the past; theater going, live music, building, growth and reconstruction. To me, this building is a reflection of simpler times; the 1920’s and reconstruction, an era with a completely different set of moral and socioeconomic values. I feel nostalgia from a time in which I didn’t exist. Perhaps its Hollywood, or just the spirit of san Francisco. When I see it, I see something classic and worthy of respect.

Originally was a Beaux-Arts  building designed by architect Clinton Day, built in 1896 on the corner of Geary and Stockton streets across from Union Square. The building was one of the few in the neighborhood to survive the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and ensuing firestorm, although the interior was badly damaged by fire. The interior was redesigned by John Bakewell and Arthur J. Brown after the earthquake, and rebuilt with an opulent central rotunda capped with a stained glass dome   Although Johnson & Burgees attempt to preserve the dome somewhat entraps, rather than glorifies it, the building is an interesting evolution passed down through many designers. I love the combination of styles.

This bird’s eye view of the Nieman Marcus building nestled on the edge of union square illustrates the boldness with which it stands out. The glass corner façade puts the beautiful rotunda on display, open to all onlookers stepping down from the sunny square. Light flood the front entrance, beckoning shoppers into the bright, clean, and glittery entrance.

The building’s exterior checkered pattern again responds to the retail area’s need to look fresh, modern and competitive. This building does well to stand out amongst its neighbors, and heightens the aesthetic look of the entire retail area.

The combination of classic and modern architectural styles coming together in this building’s design makes this site exceptionally unique.

Located at 90 7th St., the 18 story building was designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis and Smith and was completed in 2007. Although somewhat of a contradiction, the building had “organic” principles in mind. Ex: by excluding an hvac system, the building saved $11m in constructions costs, significantly lower carbon emissions. Yet, for a building designed for workers promoting public health, the building ended up being uncomfortable and difficult to control. Organic aestheitcs left the building way below the median for standards in thermal comfort, acoustics, and & lighting.

Despite the building’s setbacks in regards to accommodating the comfort needs of its occupants, the federal reserve building establishes a feeling of modern opulence and grandeur. In regards to its site, the federal building is the tallest, and arguably most ornate building in its block, stretching 18 stories high and housing over 600,000 sq. ft. The steel columns and glass panels radiate in the downtown sunlight, boasting their features for all onlookers to see. Beauty is all in the perspective; and from every angle there is something new to appreciate and marvel at.

The last 8 weeks of Architecture 101 have provided a rich, positive and unique learning environment. Through critical processes, peer review, and design evolution, my understandings of form and space and the way in which they can be morphed and modified have lead me to an understanding of the struggles that a good designer must undertake to achieve a successful creation.

I have come to find that while we may stumble into inspirations, sometimes finding them where we expect to encounter them the least, that nothing in the final concept can be arbitrary or left to accident.

My greatest inspiration thus far has been in a study of quadrivium, or in Latin, “the four ways,” the four classic liberal arts consisting of arithmetic, geometry, music and cosmology. Numerics, a language common to all cultures of life, relates to the architectural language we have used since day one. The first science, arithmetic (numbers), relates to repetition, proportions, and basic measurements. The second discipline, geometry (numbers in space), relates to the complex angles, as well as the connections which bind our designs. The next and third discipline, music, (numbers in time) relates to rhythm in design, and again, goes back to repetition a well as harmonic proportions. Finally, the study of the cosmos, (numbers in space and time) relates to the understanding of space and the way it is shaped, exaggerated, and expanded by form.

I intend to take what I have learned and evolve my previous designs into large scale models with complex mechanical connections, a variety of both sturdy and malleable materials, and a renewed sense of design confidence. I feel eager to begin the final project.