Evolution of a Leaf's Deterioration!!!

The first time I started this assignment, I got about halfway done and realized just how boring I had made it. I wanted each image to be related to the next so I decided that each leaf should be more crumpled than the prior one.

Foreign Design

1. Arbitare

Arbitare is an Italian Magazine that is, for the most part, in Italian. It has been generous in subtitling the articles in English( a luxury that few American magazines will do). Apart from being Italian, this magazine reads like an average American one. Over half of the pages are ads, and it is not middle-end that the articles begin. The difference with this magazine is that the ads are back to back, as are the articles, so it provides to variety in layout. In this particular edition, Arbitare has dedicated it's articles to the study of Istanbul. One particular editorial displays and comments on the Miniatürk, memorial park that displays 105 models of work of architecture and historical places in Istanbul, the Ottoman Empires, and Anatolia. The article is not a long one, but it has provides an abundance of pictures.

2. Archithese
Archithese is a small, thin German magazine that is the opposite of the Italian ones. Every single page is white, it is simple and minimal. The two things that add life to this magazine are the pictures and the rough texture of the paper used. Instead of spending time sifting through the copious amounts of ads, this magazine it made almost entirely of articles. Even if the articles are almost all in German, the pictures are situated in a way that tells the story adequately. Since this is a "thematic review for architecture," there are pictures from various places around the world. The language gives away the nationality of the magazine, but without the text, I don't think I would even be able to figure out it's origin.

3. Domus
There is something about the ads in Domus that makes it seem more Italian. It might possibly because the products and the ad itself are in fact Italian. This magazine is better crafted than Arbitare for multiple reasons. the size is larger, both in size and in width; it attracts more attention because it stands out. Also, the paper is of better quality. Not that the layouts in Arbitare are poorly designed, I simply noticed the craft of the layouts in Domus more. Every page is so clean and organized, just as an Italian magazine should be Like Arbitare, Domus is Italian subtitled in English. The difference is that Domus has more subtitles, even on the advertisements. The magazine is rather long, but it is broken up in unique, quirky ways. In the middle, to break up the articles, the designers added the next excerpt on different textured paper that is cut horizontally. It adds a hint of interaction and playfulness in a very professional way.

Sustainable Design

After researching through articles about sustainable design in various design journals, I came to form my own definition on the matter. We all know that global warming is reaping havoc on our world. It is up to the inhabits to go green and practice sustainable design. I have fond that sustainable design I the a strategy targeted to reduce the negative impacts on the environment and preserve nature through the use of products good for the economy. Not everybody has to race out and completely convert to sustainable design, but everybody has to take small steps together.
Interior Sources Oct/Nov 2007
Every person counts when it comes to Sustainability. The article, “A Call to Green Action,” explains how individuals can do their part of the greater whole (i.e.- recycle, hybrid cars, locally grown produce, etc). Enough people came together and in 2005, New York passed an act that stated most of the new municipal buildings must meet a standard of sustainability
Buildings March 2007
In, ‘ A Smart Approach to Sustainability, Ralph Dinola explains that, “longevity is key to sustainability.” This article stressed the importance of small steps. People don’t have to switch everything over to sustainable design in one setting; they just need to become aware of a change. Location is a key factor in learning about an individual’s sustainability needs.

Metropolis Oct 2007
This article quotes Ray Anderson in saying that, “No one should be claiming sustainable products. There is no such thing yet in terms of zero footprint. What you can do is demonstrate reduced footprint.” So, instead of coming up with a solution to sustainability, ‘7 Steps In the Life Cycle of a Green Product,’ has come up with seven things a product can be that comes relatively close to being sustainable.

Buildings March 2007
Tools like this are helpful when it comes to aiding a person or building on their journey to incorporate more sustainable design into the world.

Dwell Nov 2007
Do you know who is already taking large steps to a more sustainable lifestyle? It is not who you’d think. The article, ‘ The Third Influx of Global Greening Is At Hand,’ notes that places such as, “ Wal Mart, McDonald’s, Ford Motor, even Shell and BP” are miles ahead of the mass public in “effective environmental action and awareness.”




Environmental Design+ Construction
Even School and Universities are deciding to become more sustainable. ‘Campus Commitment Shapes A Sustainable Community,’ displays how Pacific University was the first recognizable sustainable residence hall.
Interior Design Oct 2007
Switching over to sustainability cannot only have an effect on the environment, but it can look cool in the process. Ice Stone is the new kind of sustainable countertop made from recycled glass and concrete.
Sustainable Facility Oct 2007
Joel Pizzuti is the first to come up with the idea of ‘Green Construction.’ He placed 6,600 sq. feet of bio infiltration cells that would allow surface water to collect in a 32,000 sq. foot bios wale I order to trap pollutants and silt from ground water.

Other Journals used:
Dwell Dec/ Jan 2008
Perspective 2006-2007
Space Fall 2007

Orthographic View

Shading. Take Two!

This is the new location assignment now that Anna and I decided to pair up and work together.

2nd floor view

Time Capsule Zine

10 Buildings

Tom Chudleigh Errington, British Columbia (Dwell)

To own a tree house tucked away in the woods is every child's fantasy. Now, Tom Chudleigh has made it a reality for children and adults alike. The house essentially is a functional living space. There is running water, sleeping accommodations, television, microwave, refrigerator, etc. It has all of the needs of a conventional house, but it happens to be suspended off of the ground.
I enjoy the idea of a tree house. It would be less invasive, take up much less space, and it would be more environmentally friendly. I think people are so caught up on the size of their home, but this tree house shows that you don't need all of the space to have all that you need.

Vladimir G. Schuchov Chersson, Ukraine (architectureweek.com)

The Adziogol Lighthouse was designed by Vladimir G. Schuchov and it is made from iron framework. It sits out in the middle of the ocean and it is 68 meters high. I chose to write about this structure because of it's appearance. It is a graceful design, but it also looks very precarious. It looks as if a wave or a heavy storm could knock it over at any second. On a positive note, I like how it funnels upwards; it sort of gives the allusion of wave movement as the iron frame grows closer together as the structure grows in height.


Steven Ehrlich Architects Dubai (Architectural Digest Oct 2007)
This massive residence is an oasis in the hot desert, complemented with vegetation and basins of water. Reflected in the pools is the giant roof line, an imitation of the crescent moon in the desert night. The flow of the space is open and very much connected to the outside with the use of over sized doors and windows. The style takes a minimalist approach as to connect the residents to the weather and landscape beyond.

Peter L. Gluck Texas (Architectural Digest Oct 2007)
Peter L. Gluck explains that his design works with the surrounding land acting," not passive," rather ,"on the design." At first glance, the building appears to be a dual-level house. On further inspection, it is obvious that the first floor is built into the ground. The shape of the structure is deceiving; every side has a different viewpoint that could not be detected from the side before. The first floor of the space is entirely glass; it alludes to a tank, with seldom privacy and views in every direction.
Dover Castle Dover, England

Pictures of Dover Castle don't do it justice; it is even more impacting in real life. The size alone is impressive. It is not what people think of when they think of buildings but, at it's time, this Castle was a top notch building. Clearly they built it well, or else it would not be standing as well as it is today. The earlier structures are what later designers base their buildings off of, evolving the concepts into what we see today.

Carlos Páez Vilaró Uruguay (Architectural Digest Oct 2007)

When I look at this home, I immediately am reminded of making castles out of wet sand at the beach. It looks so handmade and sculptural with the odd shapes and curvature. It is a different approach to building, something that would doubtfully be seen in the United States.The white of the walls contrast with the surrounding water and make the white look even more pronounced and stark. the soft curves of the building makes the viewer wonder if the inside would have the same natural look to it.
California Academy of Sciences Metropolis Nov. 2007

What better place to have a green building than a building dedicated to sciences? Eco-friendly buildings are ones of the future and a smart move if earth salvation is the goal. I enjoy seeing a corporation take action in the preservation of the atmosphere; it leads others to follow from example. With green structures, there is also a great deal of interaction. People can sit on the grassy hills/ rooftops and stroll around the solar panels. I think the designers did a great job on this building. The Millennium Dome Sir Richard Rogers

I am so intrigued by this building. It reminds me both of multiple bridges puncturing a tarp or cranes protruding out of the structure. I find it appealing to look at, yet confusing at the same time. I feel like it would be out of place in a big city. How could something of this caliber ever fit in with the other buildings? Especially ones that are much older with a traditional style. It is no doubt an interesting idea, but it's placement should be questioned.
High Tech Modern Norman Foster
Some people refer to this building as the "gherkin" due to it's resemblance of the food item. The metal frame and stripes of glass rotate up the structure, thus giving it the appearance of a rotating object. The building may be impressive to look at, but it's place in the city is something to think about. It stands above the rest and it has no resemblance to the surrounding buildings, making it look as if it was inserted with no thought.


CCTV Headquarters Rem Koolhaas

Koolhaas' CCTV Headquarters begs for attention; there is no way it could go unnoticed. The building stands above and outshines it's surroundings. The actual shape of the building is, by far the most unique. It is so dynamic and provides great views from every side due to the layout. With the combination of the glass reflecting the city and the gap in the middle of the structure, this building seems rather transparent, which is positive because it allow the structure to have an open environment.

Graphic Media

Forget that this piece is upside down and focus on the lines formed from the images and text. They may be constructed with altering sizes and width, but the angle s they are placed at structure and add some uniformity to the layout. The use of one color is a sea of black and white is an effective strategy as well; it draws the attention to that specific area of color, in this case, the title. This graphic layout is all over the place and I am not entirely sure if I appreciate that. There are image blocks of ranging size and shape, placed randomly across the ad. The text is another issue; there are too many fonts and sizes as well. Too much variety of color can damage a design and I think this is borderline excessive. I really would term this ad a 'throw up of idea.' The Designer should have chosen one concept instead of all three.


This graphic layout is effective because it uses strategies to provide flow between the pages. The font and the text strip are the same colors as the orange walls in the space. It looks appealing and particularly noticeable in contrast to the white background. The images are of different sizes, placed in an way that would not look off balanced.

This layout has a successful marriage of organization and spontinaety. The images are all so different and random looking but they are all toned down with the addition of the linear text boxes below. Following the line across the page that the text provides, the reader is allowed to look at the cluster of images in an organized way.
This ad uses shape references to appeal to the viewer. The circles contrast with the shape of the chair and therefore make it stand out because it is out of place. An obvious observation is that the circles are red; they contrast with the white of the background. The red is placed near the products to increase the viewing impact and importance.

This graphic layout is a different take on layout design. It has more a personal feel than any other layout, probably due to the handcrafted method of design.

Two New Design Technologies

Eventscape
Metropolis Nov. 2007
Eventscape has created a new form of ceiling decoration with the introduction of the Custom framed fabric ceiling panels with projected waves. The panels can be of any design, and since the design is projected onto the fabric, it can be changed to fit the desired style. Though the custom ceiling may not be practical for residential spaces, it certainly could be popular amongst larger companies and businesses looking for the extra “wow” factor.

FLIR Systems Inc
(http://www.buildersshow.com/Exhibitors/VBooth.aspx?id=12579#FP)

FLIR Systems has created a camera that is a non-evasive way to check the condition of the home. Specially designed for home inspectors, restoration contractors, and other home construction professionals, the B400 has everything built into one. There are infrared and visible pictures, insulation and moisture alarms, and touch screen technology. This inspection camera is the ultimate deal.

Drawing and Such

Thumbnail Final Product

Capsule Pre-Zine

Layout Option #1
Layout Option #2

Layout Option #3
Layout Thumbnails



Zine PrototypeSo, my actual zine does not look exactly like this, but as I was making it, I found myself liking ideas that I had not planed for.

Le Corbusier Shading

This one is my favorite, mostly because of the time I put into it. I ended up redoing the assignment because I did not like my first version and I knew that this would be good practice!!