Brandon Young's Archive

I came across this film a couple of years ago. Beautiful cinematography and architecture!

The article linked below provides a brief synopsis of Renzo Piano’s expansion to Le Corbusier’s chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, which many consider to be the epitome of modern architecture – a masterpiece. A little closer to home, Piano is currently designing the addition to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, which was designed by Louis Kahn and considered to be a masterpiece of modern architecture as well. Piano’s sensitivity to these modern masterpieces is through his understanding of the site and the experience of those visiting these places. Both projects incorporate portions of the building that are below grade (buried) and landscaping to help reduce the visual impact of the structures. Which one is more sensitive given the existing context and “purity” of the sites?

A Grand Opening for Renzo Piano\\\’s Controversial Expansion at Ronchamp Chapel | News | Architectural Record.

Design Process and Conclusions Statement:

The intent of this exercise is to assist you in gaining a better understanding and insight into your work. You are to create a blog posting for each project that articulates the process (inspiration, formation and manifestation) you underwent as you carried your inspired idea to a final, tangible product. While this is not an English course, I expect you to be cognizant of proper grammar, spelling, vocabulary and sentence structure. (Please see syllabus for written assignment expectations.)

The writing assignment will be posted to the class blog for review; therefore, it will also be available for your classmates to review. The goal is to create a safe space (the blog) where each student can:

• Improve writing skills, especially as they relate to design disciplines.
• Connect current course content, concepts and techniques to personal experiences and real-world applications
• Encourage dialogue between classmates with thoughtful and constructive responses to the ideas of others.

Posts

Minimum Requirements:

1. 250-300 words (word count appears below the post editor window after you save the draft).
2. Content must relate directly to current project, course content and required reading.
3. Include a hyperlink to an outside source that relates to your writing and/or course content.
4. Include an image from another source that visually relates and exemplifies the content of your writing. This can be from the hyperlink mentioned above if appropriate.

Related Content Suggestions:

• What are the project’s goals and objectives? Don’t elaborate or spend too much time on this – assume the audience has a basic understanding of the project.
• What was your inspiration and how did it meet the project’s goals and objectives?
• Where there any precedents for your work? Why are they important?
• What personal experiences do you bring that influenced the work?
• What are major concepts/themes in the work?
• What were the conflicts and difficulties present during the process? How did you resolve those – or did you?
• What questions arose during the process? How did you answer – or did you?
• Why is your response relevant to the project’s goals and objectives?
• Incorporate relevant information from reading and research
• Evaluate the success of the final product

Comments

Minimum Requirements:

1. Elaboration and response, not just simple agreement. For example:
   Comment A: “I agree. This is a good idea.” = ZERO CREDIT
   Comment B: “I agree. It makes me think of…” = POINT
2. Charitable tone
3. On Topic

Overview

In today’s society, more and more children attend some form of preschool or child care before they begin their formal education, which is typically marked by kindergarten. Preschool and kindergarten place much significance on children’s play as a critical developmental tool. (The concept of kindergarten, “child’s garden,” originated in Germany by Fredrich Froebel. This project requires each student to develop a design concept for a single preschool classroom that accommodates 20 three- to five-year-olds. The space needs to facilitate a variety of small group and individual activities, including block-building, sociodramatic play, art, music, science, math, manipulatives (puzzles and games) and quiet reading and writing. These activity areas should be clearly defined by the spatial arrangement and clear pathways need to be provided for children to move from area to area with minimal distraction. Of course, the design needs to meet the needs of children (esp. when considering equipment, furniture and finishes) while providing an inviting and fun learning environment.

Assignment

Part 1: Research

Begin the project by learning about designing for children. In addition to considering the size of your client, which dictates certain dimensional criteria, we also need to consider the effect of color, types of spaces/zones needed and their adjacencies, circulation/pathways, surfaces and storage needs. I have provided a list of resources below to get you started, but please do not feel limited to this list.

Part 2: Observe and Interview

This step is a continuation of the first and will provide first-hand experience of a pre-k classroom environment. Our class will visit Abilene Christian School’s preschool classes providing you the opportunity to see examples of preschool classrooms, observe the children and teachers using the space and talk with them about their likes and dislikes. Click here for the questionnaire.

Part 3: Design an Environment for Children

Using the drawings provided, design an environment for a preschool classroom (20 three- to five-year-olds) taking into consideration insight gained from the observation and interviews. The design should strive to meet the following goals:

• Visually rich, fun and surprising
• Provide spaces and surfaces for display of children’s work
• Provide a variety of settings for work-in-progress
• Introduce a variety of social setting for small and large groups
• Make strong connections between the indoors and outdoors (use daylighting as much as possible)
• Connect spaces to promote communication, orientation and flexible programming and staffing
• Build in flexibility of space to accommodate evolving teaching practices
• Create a distinctive and pleasing entrance
• Eliminate physical barriers and isolation
• Pay special attention to the scale and height of typical elements such as windows, doors, doorknobs and pulls, sinks, toilets, counters, furnishings, mirrors, steps, shelving and storage, light switches, towel dispensers and other accessories (anthropometrics for children)

The design should include spaces that accommodate the following activities:

• Group Instruction
• Group Reading
• Wet Area (for projects/art)
• Small Group Area
• Work Area for Teacher
• Storage
• Restroom

Process:

• Sketches: 30 sketches (minimum)
  
• Reading (selections from the following):
  • Developmentally appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (Bredekamp & Copple)
  • A Place for Learning (Logrippo)
  • In My Room/A Place for Learning
  • In My Room – Color My World/Body Colors (Logrippo)
  • Color Harmonies
  • Elementary Schools (Interior Graphic Standards)
  • Pre-K Spaces
  • Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors
  • Ch. 7: Floor Plans
  • Ch. 9: Elevati0ns
  • Color, Space, Style
  • Ch3: Drawing Basics (esp. pgs 30-34, 36 & 38)
  • Ch. 4: Presentation & Communication (esp. pgs 58-63)
  • Ch. 9: Color
  • Ch. 10: Material
  • Ch. 11: Texture
• Writing:
  • 1 Blog Post & 2 Comments (see Writing Requirements)
  • Design Concept Narrative
    

Final Deliverables

Presentation Materials:

• 18″ x 24″ Drawing Sheet (vellum or quality drawing paper)
  • Furnished floor plan @ 1/4″ = 1′-0″ scale (include electrical symbols and legend)
  • Elevations of all walls @ 1/4″ = 1′-0″ scale (10’ max. ceiling height)
• 18″ x 24″ Finish Board (foam core)
  • Include all finishes, materials and colors
  • Design concept narrative (detail the implementation of color, choice and convertibility)
• Include Title Block on each sheet/board that includes (hand lettered on drawing sheets)
  • Preschool Classroom
  • Your name
  • DSGN 242
  • Fall 2011
  • Sheet number (1, 1 of 2, 1/2, etc.)

Process Documentation:

Neatly organize the following process documents in a report binder or folder with your name on it.

• Photocopies of all sketches/process drawings
• Completed interview questionnaire

Schedule + Deadline

• Fri., Sept 16: Project 2 assigned, introduction to designing for children
• Mon., Sept 19: No Class – Attend Summit and Post to Blog
• Wed., Sept 21: Observe and interview children and teachers at Abilene Christian School
• Fri., Sept 23: Ideation, bubble diagrams, design concept development
• Mon., Sept 26: Design concept development
• Wed., Sept 28: Furnished floor plan due (can be on trace) – Group critique @ beginning of class, identify material and color and concepts
• Fri., Sept 30: No Class
• Mon., Oct 3: Elevations
• Wed., Oct 5: Elevations, finish selections formalized
• Fri., Oct 7: Elevations due (can be on trace), Work on presentation drawings + materials
• Mon., Oct 10: Design process and conclusions statement due (post to blog), Work on presentation drawings + materials
  
• Wed., Oct 12: Project due at the beginning of class – Final Critique

Link to Grading Criteria

Resources

• Pre-K Observation and Interviews
• ACS Photos
• Stepping Stones Photos
• Child Care Centers (from Architectural Graphic Standards)
• Furniture and Plan Equipment for Child Development Centers (from AGS)
• Accessibility section from Interior Graphic Standards
• Bredekamp, S.C. Copple. Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Early Childhood Programs
• Ching, Francis. Interior Design Illustrated,Wiley.
  • pgs. 52+ (User Requirements – Activity)
  • pg. 72 (Relationships)
  • Plan arrangements
• Erickson’s Psychological Development Stages
• Henry Dreyfuss Associates. Measure of Man and Woman, Wiley
• Better Homes and Gardens. Childstyle, Meredith Books
• Jordan, Wendy. The Kidspace Idea Book, Taunton Press
• Logrippo, Ro. In My World: Designing and Living and Learning Environment for Children.
• Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
• Ruth, Linda Cain. Design Standards for Children’s Environments, McGraw Hill
• Torrice, Antonio. Logrippo, Ro. In My Room: Design with and for Children.

Interesting visualization of rebuilding the World Trade Center site I came across on History.com. There are other interactive features on the site worth viewing, but please be aware the content is just as graphic and sobering as it was ten years ago.

I found a couple of youtube videos about how to write like an architect. For someone who still needs to work on lettering (me), the first one is informative and concise.

The next one is a response to an “angry” e-mail sent to the creator, Doug Patt, of the instructional video. I just though this one was clever.

Frank Gehry’s first skyscraper clad (or “draped”) in stainless steel curtain wall panels. Definitely more interesting as you get closer. Notice the use of any flat planes – including window planes – to reduce complexity (and cost) of the curtain wall.

You can read an article here and see a video about the creation, and coordination, of the curtain wall system.

Below is a link to an article posted on CNN.com about the National September 11 Memorial. It discusses the process, and the problems, inherent with creating such an emotionally-charged monument. Toward the end of the article, mention is given to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial designed by Maya Lin – then a young architecture student at Yale University. I remember one of my architecture professors saying that architecture is only truly created when we design a monument or memorial. Maybe that is due to the significance (social, political, cultural, etc.) of such an artifact and the symbolism – meaning – it holds.

The making of a memorial: Reshaping ground zero – CNN.com.

A Strong Clear Vision is a good documentary about Maya Lin that discusses in some detail the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

While I am thinking about kinetic sculpture, here is one a student pointed me to a couple of years ago.

Here is a link to Art+Com’s website with more images of the project.

Interesting piece on wind-powered kinetic sculptures created by Dutch Artist Theo Jansen.