Introducing Architecture for Humanity

Architecture for Humanity started in the 90’s in San Francisco, as a means to organize design projects for the less fortunate, often acting as a match maker between in-need communities/organizations, architects and designers, financial funding sponsors and contractors/physical production and construction services.

These projects are fundraised or sponsored by companies or even firms. There is always a “call to service,” in which Architecture for Humanity (on their website, a form of social media) promotes a particular project to a network of architects or philanthropic organizations, so that they can brainstorm. The key to their success, beyond the idea of helping others (and the possibility of a tax deduction), is the fact that it is coming from volunteer hands and heads, makes the organization all the more charitable.

Architecture for Humanity had a simple idea to a.) fundraise and b.) get the messages and ideas of their organization out there. It is titled: Design Like You Give a Damn and this book has caused international fanfare in the international construction and design world. The book features images of past constructions that the organization has overseen as well as call to entries by design students, activists and licensed architects and designers.

I have been looking to them as an organization that I could arrange a student volunteer service-cooperative project with, similar to endeavors with Un Techo Para Mi Pais.

http://www.architectureforhumanity.org

Designer’s spotlight: Laura Kirar, American interior designer and entrepreneur

Young Laura Kirar, Fine Arts graduate from the Art Institute of Chicago (1992) decided to actively follow one of her professors, upon the completion of her degree in his business of interior architecture. When I stumbled upon this elegant contemporary designer, I was beyond excited and I became inspired. She has had an intuitive business sense since she began working with high end firms and furniture manufactures, always yielding to excellent quality of both textiles and materials.

Ms. Kirar works out of a New York City office, as her own textiles and finishing brand president. Also owning, creating and overseeing her Miami based licensing company, she is an amazing role model as disciplined, discerning designer. This made me think of how Nathan Shedroff expressed the need of services being the most essential things that we can create as designers (vs products).She is also well published through out design world literature and has won several prestigious interior design accolades and awards, notably for her sensitivity to spaces that are close to the human heart.

"My interiors are more curated than designed." Laura Kirar

http://www.trudesign.com/

Davis Gym; De Stijl + function

Since visiting the UCD campus nearly 3 years ago, I have regarded the ARC, as an architectural gem on campus. Today, in 2009 we more notably consider the incredible state-of-the-art Mondavi center as the true modern marvel on campus, but a facility that is used frequently, by so many on a daily, routinely basis, deserves its credit as well.

Before I began this architecture critique, I referred to the “De Stijl,” Manifesto I as a means of headway, considering that the ARC building seems to exemplify “modernity” as it stands today in such contrast of UC Davis’ first two silo buildings; North and South Hall. De Stijl, known as a prolific movement that the Manifesto doctrine influenced, was written with the vision for the necessity and development of a new international design aesthetic. Later influencing the Bauhaus and Gestalt principles, this aesthetic has come to life in that it is a following of nature and naturalistic forms (also according to function, another entry in and of itself), all the while paying attention to a high art aesthetic, in which the bare minimum is needed to function successfully.

Now into speaking of the actual function of the building on the Davis campus called the “ARC”, standing as an acronym, it cannot be said that although the building has exposed internal structures, a concrete outer shell, highly exterior glazing on the window surfaces, that this building is very outrageous, or non linear. It follows from a natural progression of Art (with a capital ‘A’) and development of architecture in and of itself, from necessity.

An open double-heighted ceiling greets you upon entering the main entrance, the rich smell of a coffeehouse, as does a slightly-sweat-influenced humidity of the gym. To think that a building so large in scale, featuring unique cooling systems and sensitive windows that filter the rich, California sun was designed and created to be a shelter in which humans can build their strength & stamina- can be quite fascinating.

The true experience within this building is felt between the first and second floors, in which a main lobby can clearly be seen at the top of the second floor landing. This causes a sharp tension between the tight, narrow spaces, which are lined with weight/toning machines at the second floor, to being able to view the first floor, with it’s large open badminton hall, weight room (filled with mirrors reflecting the room, within the building), and main lobby. The sharp tension created is thoroughly met warmly, as young athletes physically thrust their muscles to be more powerful and strengthen their personal endurance. It is a pure sense of motivation that can be at times, difficult for a person to take in all at once.

This is a very “high impact” building, primly utilizing De Stijl principles, right here in our neighborhood.

(photo credit: personal photos)

Un Techo Para Mi Pais, UTPMP Barrio Nicole, Argentina

Building as if you care.

Being bilingual and having been raised in Guatemala during the summers, I’ve seen first hand the lack of appropriate housing for the indigenous people in the cities and the countryside. I have always had a desire to give back to those less fortunate.

One of the greatest projects that I participated in this past year was a service trip to Barrio Nicole, Argentina. The organization Un Techo Para Mi Pais (A Roof for my Country) really impressed me, it was comprised of college age students spending time physically constructing homes for the less fortunate.



Our group constructed for them simple one-room enclosures with four wood walls. We dug holes for wooden piles, laid out the framework and added floorboards. We then raised the walls and installed the windows and door, and later the roof. My team worked solidly and cohesively to build these ten homes. We created HOMES where these families now had doors to shut out the rest of the world and to interact with one another within the intimacy and privacy of their own space. What a concept.



Shelter is such a basic need in human survival. Void of any aesthetic detail, our constructs were simply functional. As a student of design and interior architecture, it was during this trip that I decided that I would like to design with a humanitarian mindset, taking into consideration the socioeconomic factors, landscape and environmental concerns of the region, and to help those in need whenever possible.

http://www.untechoparamipais.org.ar/espanol/index.php

(photo credit: personal photo)

“Design dissolving in behavior,” Objectified film

In the Gary Hustwit film Objectified, the relation between form and content was not that of a conventional educational video. It would appeal to a crowd that appreciates untraditional, artfully presented films. This also goes to say that the type of information and ideas presented in the film varied greatly from one another in visual content, ranging from interview style shots, to production within a factory, drawing boards, urban streets to shots of the designers in their own homes. There was a definitive flow and progression of thought about design and it’s purpose from the perspective of the designer.

Various designers from all over the globe offered commentaries. Hustwit’s film seemed to be planned using a traditional essay-style format of a layout. There was an introduction with a thesis, main idea (the meat) and a conclusion, and within each juncture between 2 and 3 designers spoke either about a specific product or company of theirs, or a social issue surrounding a product or movement, each segment appealing to the progressive world of contemporary design, “working to stimulate people’s minds and souls.”

Innovation in design, connections made at the CLTC

I had never considered the importance of the type of light distribution systems (a.k.a. light fixtures) in every day-to-day spaces. Luminares include the light fixtures, placement of light as well as bulb used. They reduce glare, direct light to support a specific task and may have aesthetic intentions.

Focusing on several types of commercial lighting fixtures, we went over the common, standard florescent two strip bulbs in a plastic textured enclosure, these account for 60% of all American public spaces. They are inexpensive yet at the same time, extremely effective in producing high light levels. My professor argued that they are no longer preferred because they cause a lot of glare.

Comparable to recessed lense troffers are parabolic systems, which have parabolic shaped individual reflective grid systems that were designed at the onset of the computer revolution in corporate offices. With these parabolic systems, one has more control of the amount of light that enters, and was created to balance the light coming from the ceiling and the light coming from computer screens. Found in mostly higher end commercial and higher education buildings, they offer a darker feel for the light coming off of a higher angle.

I’m finding this to be a very difficult course, because the content of the material covered is very rich and so different than the fantasy realm of design that I am used to. As a design student, creating away without a single notion of budget or many other practical limitations I have found at UC Davis, to be very difficult. I find that as I have been working at a TA and as a student at the CLTC, I have began to realize that creating within limitations give the final product or creating more deserving credit for their innovation.

http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/

(photo credit: personal photos)

Switzer-sonoma-land Landscapes

The beauty of the exotic landscape of Switzerland would have to be a combination of three key natural elements: a.) a vast/large scope of perspective, b.) plush & vibrant greenery, and c.) mountains upon mountains, all of which California possesses! Not to mention the kind and approachable people that make up Switzerland’s multicultural population, another component that makes up Switzerland’s charm. The other day, while visiting my Aunt’s home and land, she mentioned to me that she tried to “capture Switzerland” as she began renovations on an acre of her Sonoma hill. I couldn’t help but wonder what all this entailed.

Her picturesque vision unfolds here, in Sonoma County. After purchasing the land two years ago and coming back from an European adventure, she noticed the visual similarities between the two (Sonoma and Switzerland) and felt the desire to blend these two favorite valley views together.

She noticed a dead tree of the neighbors that was about to go to the wood chipper, and asked them to cut it up horizontally into little stumps, about 5” thick to act as tiles or steps leading one from the bottom of the hill to the top. Then, she sprayed “clover seed” onto the bare hilltop. When that finally grew in, it totally transformed the area into a fluffy green hillside, accentuating the age old surrounding pines. I can’t wait for Spring in Sonoma.

Sonoma-switzer-landscapes

Professional title: Color Theorist, proper

Josef Albers, American. Homage to the Square, 1962. Portfolio of 10 screenprints, composition 111/16 x 11 in. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY ©2007 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The book, The Interaction of Color by Josef Albers, presents us with an in-depth series of color experiments and studies which were created to help in the teaching of color theory! It has been an intense read, but very provocative in its different presentations and the formality of the subject at hand.

The Lighter/Darker and Intensity of Color section of the book was the most interesting to me, because the concept was presented so practically. By using colored paper squares to differentiate differences in intensity of color, one could test their own perception to determine the actual lighter or darker hue. This is often difficult, and Albers tries lightly not to discourage folks from trying these tests themselves.

The color overlays and vidid shapes featured in the back of the book relate to each of the sections with clarity. His choice of color combinations, analogous colors, as well as monochromes, fascinate me. When I began to do some research on Albers, I realized that in the museum in which I interned over the summer- we had some of his Homage to the Square studies! Albers was instrumental in the Bauhaus education movement, and it would be essential to any student who is not colorblind to take a look at some of his theory put into practice in his personal artworks.

And my objective? Perception of the logic and magic of color . . . there is no end with color. — Josef Albers

What do you know about sustainability?

Mr. Shedroff seemed honored to give his lecture to design students, as he has a rich background in academia. The subject of the lecture being very broad, gave him the chance to focus in on any topic that he found suitable for the audience. He stressed the importance of understanding the correct definition for the term, “sustainability” and went on to explain how it can relate to everyday facets of life, beyond that of bio/eco/green “trends.”

Mr. Shedroff began by announcing that understanding sustainability means focusing on the new development of services as opposed to products. The thought of this blew my mind. In his Powerpoint, he presented three overlapping circles, Design, Sustainability, and Business, where services fell in the middle of the overlap.

The fact that the presenter stressed that we understand the correct usage for the term “sustainable” made me realize that this was his call to action. As a designer, visually interpreting his pie, bar graphs and sustainability helices relating various information were helpful in comprehending his analyses, as well as seeing his comparative photographs of far away lands. His usage of organized lists, and color coordination was helpful in understanding his message. Also, the fact that Mr. Shedroff spoke about how he revisited a problem, restated a set of previously set guidelines, openly admitting that he was incorrect, was very forward thinking of him.

http://www.nathan.com/

Printmaking qualms, 2D, emphasis, value, perspective, negative & positive space

I was surprised when a person I know closely was given the task of carving an image out of a woodblock. Not for the content of the assignment, rather for this person’s lack of proper execution of her idea. It was not communicated correctly because she did not use proper technique, and in my opinion, proper research of the subject at hand. Perhaps I am being critical. I think it is warranted given that this student is a student of the “Fine Arts”.

In printmaking, choosing an element to emphasize is of primary concern. When one is leaning how to print make, it will become apparent that utilizing dark and light, are the two means by which your image or design will come across. Imagine a black and white photograph. The effect of that may be extremely intricate or quite plane depending on the way the composition is set up. This is to say that a print rich in detail and visual stimulation can be created by means of printmaking, even thought it is on a two dimensional plane, and using the black and white, or white and black not only as contrasting values, but as the line and both negative and positive space at the same time.

Overall grade: D

Image credit: littleblackjournal.com

Project Runway, 3D, repetition, unification, focal point, perspective

Project Runway is one of my favorite network television shows. It gives one (design savvy or not) a chance to briefly have a glimpse into the work of a designer, under the pressures of time constraints, budgets, competition, experienced designers, inexperienced designers, materials and design process. The show has been running for at least 4 years. Because I have been watching the show since it began, my subjective experience of studio life at Davis has me constantly relating it to the Project Runway show! At times I find myself wishing there was theme music, or special emphasis on the clock, indicating that deadlines are approaching!!

A means of presentation of the newly-created garments in the Project Runway show, is with a fashion show, thin and tall models featured. It think that the model’s appearance (although there is variety in their ethnicities) creates emphasis and unification by means of repetition during the show, allowing the unique garment to be featured non-objectively. The focal point is present as the viewer’s eyes are lead up and down the runway (a very ridged and precise perspective), as the catwalk is stark white, quite the contrast to the black floorings and walls used during the fashion show event.

image credit: personal photo & flypaper.bluefly.com

Review of an Exhibition Design review

As a design student, I think one is constantly testing their design integrity, whether one wants to or not. The truth in the success of one’s project, as I have realized, depends on dedication. Dedication to a precise attention to detail, dedication to getting the proper research and backing for the context, dedication of time and sacrificing other activities (weekends, socializing, etc.), dedication to the belief and conviction of your project’s relevance, and pertinence and dedication to communication with your partner.

By saying all of that, I have never been more satisfied with the turnout of a project than I was last week, at the completion of “phase 2” of our exhibition design model. My partner and I had been heavily moved by the research that we found, and in turn, that was what drove our project. The level of depth and research that one can go into when beginning a new endeavor, is endless. I wonder how IDEO knows when to stop. Perhaps time constraints.

I did find it interesting that some students had ideas, but the level of execution was not there completely. I think it is hard for us to limit our ideas because the proper materials/ graphic tools are not at our grasp. The result can sometimes be a poorly crafted project.

image credit: personal perspective renderings, phase 3 of DES 185

Nelson Gallery, displaying fabric works

I had stumbled across the Nelson gallery last Friday, as I was going to visit our design advisor. I really wasn’t expecting to walk into an exhibition of quilts, and other African goodies but was very pleased that I did. I took a quick walk through the small gallery, and was interested to find relatively simple quilts on display.

Before reading the exhibition wall text, I was surprised that UC Davis art community would find these simplistic patterns, with naturally dyed fabrics of any interest. Of course though as in academic I have been proven wrong time-and-time again, the significance was deeper than I had considered.

My mother was waiting outside for me in the parking lot behind the art building. I raced out of the gallery to find her, and quickly persuaded her to come inside and check it out. My mother is a quilter, and I am constantly urging her to display her work properly. It was difficult to tell in that gallery what different methods could be employed to display these intricate textile works, but it seemed that they were hung on two metal/wood dowels. Several of the quilts had spotlights, seeming to be incandescent bulbs. I wonder which types of bulbs should best be used for illuminating works like these, especially since they [the fabrics] were made using such delicate weaving and dying techniques.

In the quilt, Sharecropper’s Masterpiece, I couldn’t help but think of a candy store, with the thin candy-pinstripes that reverberated through out the piece. Yet, there was more integrity to the work, as the piece work appeared to be in a woven pattern. The orientation of the small pieces, although each was cut from the same fabric, differed greatly, repeating in orientation at every other placement. The obvious repetition was precise, not only the placement, and the initial cut (I could imagine the artist measuring the squares, and using a tool to ensure that the lines were at a certain angle) of the fabric showed extreme patience and dedication to the work. The title suits, as it could be, the Quilter’s Masterpiece as well.