finalfulton

Networking Assignment

On Monday, April 4, I went to North Carolina State University’s AIA triangle speaker series, located in Raleigh. Each presentation within this series touches on current issues and events happening in the design world. It is open to members of AIA and public alike. The lecture I went to was titled: ‘Infrastructure as Architecture,’ and was given by current NCSU teaching fellow, Katrina Stoll.

The presentation highlighted the importance of urban design in shaping and benefiting our future world. We, as humans, have taken over the world, leaving virtually no land that has not been touched in some way. Technology and other advancements are lending to a strong connection amongst the continents. Globalization is taking effect and, according to Stoll, producing a more diverse world. Humans are no longer bound by oceans and distance, which is creating a massive cross-continental networking city. Katrina Stoll’s lecture asks designers to adapt to the growth that is occurring, on an urban scale. She notes that people should find a connection between design and conditions such as: social, political, and economic circumstances. In doing so, the future development will be beneficial on various levels.

The second networking event I went to was the Global Studio Event in the lobby of the Studio Arts Building on April 8. The event was held to pay tribute to the successful studio, and subsequent build of a school in Kyekyewere, Ghana. The event was set up, museum style, with various artifacts from Ghana. Student models of the school were displayed, showing the guests how hard the studio worked. Process work and Ghana information were also shown. There were apparels and images for sale, taken by the art students who traveled to Ghana with Iarc.

I found this event to be very interesting to go to. Since I did not have the Ghana studio last semester, I did not know as much about the projects as some of my peers. A lot of time and dedication went in to the production of the school, and I congratulate all of my peers for doing this. It is a great community based project. Not only were the students raising awareness regarding the need for a school in Ghana, but they were also reaching out, far beyond Greensboro, to make this world a better place. It reinstates the idea that community is essential in the design process. As designers, it is our duty to create a space that draws people together, further biding a strong community. Community by design has been in our curriculum for the past 4 years, and it will continue to be with us in our professions.

Research Paper

The research paper provided us the opportunity to write about a topic we were interested in. I chose to write about sustainable preservation. People get excited by the prospects of a new LEED certified building; it is sustainable and good for the environment. What they do not take into account is how much energy they are using to demolish the existing structures. While researching, I found some very useful facts that may get people to reconsider rebuilding, and start thinking more about re-using:

According to Charles Lockwood, “Existing Buildings in the United States outnumber new buildings by more than 100 to 1."

In 1900, 41 percent of the materials used in the US were renewable, but by 1995, only 6 percent remained renewable (NTHP).

According to the EPA, it is estimated new sustainable buildings that optimize as much as 40 percent of recycled materials would still take around 65 years to recover from the energy used in tearing down an equivalent existing structure

Mock Firm Branding Document

here is part of our helix design inc. business plan and branding document for the mock firm competition:

katie and i were in charge of the graphic portion of the branding document.