Design.Everything

1. Alarm Clocks- I have a fixation with retro clocks and hence the reason why I have so many. They display the perseverance of technological demand, and in turn have far more character.
2. Music- Specifically movie scores, music is essential in my design process. It allows me to cancel the surrounding noise, and concentrate. Also, ideas complemented with music produce organic, whimsical designs.
3. The real first art class I toke was a high school ceramics class. It taught me rudimentary design skills, and allowed me to interprate my design in tangible forms.
4. Aspen, Colorado- Colorado is another world. Its clarity and openness is conducive to design free of unnecessary elements. 
5. Childhood Backyard- My mom encouraged my sister and I to use outdoors as a playful pastime.
6. Elise- my sister is a large part of my inspiration. I’ve always looked up to her for her artwork; she is very talented.
7. Gamble House- The intricacy of the Arts and Crafts Movement is fascinating. The high craft and attention to detail inspires me to push for high-quality technique.
8. Merchandise Mart- It was seeing this building in Chicago that sparked my interest in sustainable preservation. Merchandise Mart is the largest and oldest Green Building In the United States. It shows that sustainable design does not have to be new design.
9. Baltimore Aquarium- this building is one of the most memorable buildings I’ve been to. Flowing from one room to the next, way finding goes hand in hand with the exhibit tanks.
10. Windmill- The Windmill Inn in Wraysbury, England was the first inn I stayed in while outside of the country, lucky for me; it was a converted windmill. England opened my eyes to a different world of design; everything about it was a new experience, starting with the very space I stayed in.  

Systematic Response

Systematic Response: A Call and Response Structure that provides aid to disaster victims, by means of education, collaboration, and materials for society rebuilding. 

It takes mere seconds for a hurricane to destroy a community. In the aftermath of such a situation, outreach forces, strangers alike, are responsible for uniting over humanity. This Shelter: Bus, along with the subsequent relief workers, respond both physically and literally to the grief stricken community. In a systematic approach, the victims and relief workers unite to rebuild their environment, as well as alter their view of humanity. 

The Structure is so much more than a Bus, rather it is a communal bond, an initiator of good design.  When disaster strikes, the bus provides a new beginning and a better future. It literally gives back to the community. The outer shell is comprised of lumber, material which the community will use as temporary disaster homes. The victims will be educated by the relief workers on how to effectively build said temporary sites. As time passes and the permanent homes are under construction, the temporary sites will be dismantled, and the material will be incorporated into the permanent houses. This would include the bolts and fasteners, as well as the lumber for framework and floorboards. In the end, the shelter: bus would forever be a part of the built community it revived. 

In the beginning of the project, I knew that I wanted my shelter: bus to be more than a temporary relief vehicle; something that aided the disaster site, and then left. I saw my project being a part of something more substantial and permanent. Also, it would reinforce the idea that design can unify; it can create positive change. It can also come from the most unlikeliest of sources, even something seemingly simple as a bus. 

While researching, I was drawn to the design of the human body. It is both intricate and very easy to relate to. The appeal of unification brought me to the nervous system. Essentially, it is a central call and response network. Feelings, ideas, sense, all depend on the nervous system. It is comprised of small components that branch out from a central station. The interior of the bus consists of systematic design. The space is open, divided only by a system of glass panels. The panels designate appropriate space for the relief workers and their needs; there is enough privacy without creating separation. There is nothing in the space that is not composed of smaller entities. Each scale is taken into consideration from the most detailed, to the most broad. For example, the color choice is based on layers and mixing; a system is used when processing secondary colors for they are a combination of primary. The wood in the structure embraces the grain and blemishes, displaying the systems and beauty found in nature. On a larger level, each portion of the bus is connected by, not only a datum line, but a series of glass encasings. The glass unites the structure, all the while highlighting the separation of spaces. There is not one piece in the composition of the bus that does not contribute to the greater whole.  

. After the bus responds to the community, the remaining core would be a statement in itself. It is the brain of the operation; the workers reside there, as well as respond from there. Though obscured by the outer shell, it was present throughout, simply more so after the process concludes. Essentially, the core, or brain of the bus would remain, and the shell, or nerves of the bus would forever be dispersed throughout the community.

Diagram

Section A: 

Displays that the spaces would be divided only by glass panels. The opacity of the glass would vary according to the need for privacy.

Section B

Everything in the Bus has a system. The bus is broken into three areas; public, semi-private, and private. This space is the eating and living area, a public space. 

Section C

Details

End Result

Sandwich Massachusetts is nothing if not a town rich of history. Known as the oldest town on the Cape Cod, Sandwich was founded in the mid 1600s. The small town, originally a timber exporting community, would not see a drastic change until 1825 when Deming Jarves moved to the coast.

Relocated from Boston and the New England Glass Company, Jarves selected Sandwich for the potential sea trade and shipments. The location was also opportune due to the small size and promise of growth. Not only did Jarves begin to recruit employment locally, but he also enlisted the help of glassblowers from his previous company, as well as men from England and Ireland.

In no time, the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company prospered, producing beautifully crafted pieces. The Triple Overlay was by far one of the most interesting pieces. Symbolic of the rich history and luminous potential, this lamp guided and aided the growth. As the Company flourished, so did the adjoining community. A thriving community depended on the outcome of its factory, for it was the dominating employment in the area. The Company, in its most successful stage, employed hundreds of workers. Times were good for Sandwich. Once a small, agricultural community, now the town had something to be proud of, something that influenced not only them, but far beyond. This was the case, until the company’s closure in 1888.

 Glass Making literally shaped the environment around it. When The Company closed, there was nothing for the community of Sandwich. It forced the town into an economic depression, workers were forced to find other jobs or worse, leave Sandwich. Countless companies attempted to fill the place of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, but none would suffice; the use of the overlay method would never be as lucrative as when developed by the originally factory.  Years passed, and no sign of hope came for the glass industry. By 1944 every last factory had been removed, leaving very little of the company that meant so much to the town.

Though Sandwich no longer produces glass, the history of its foundation resides everywhere. The glass museum pays homage to company, and houses an array of beautifully crafted pieces. Residents cherish the glass products as well, collecting them in tribute. Now, the glass products from Sandwich are a rare commodity due to their craft and history.

Sandwich and Boston Massachusetts share a fondness for glass making. Both produced some of nation’s finest glass of the time. They were innovative, curiously experimenting with new ideas. Business wise, Boston and Sandwich were almost a pair, but community-wise, they were very different. Unlike Boston, Sandwich and its glass company were one in the same; they were dependent on each other. Where Boston flourished prior to the Glass Industry, Sandwich prospered because of it. 

Sandwich Glass Museum http://www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/

Weekly Assignments 8-12

Week 8: Lamp: Marker

Week 9: Desk: Pen

Week 10: Louis XIV Bed: Graphite
Week 11: Faucet: Colored Pencil
Week 12: Barcelona Chair: Marker 

Front View of House
Section Of Entryway and Library

It had been 50 years since Deming Jarves strolled into Sandwich in pursuit of opening the infamous Glass Company. Once a very small town, Sandwich now thrives with a close community, united by ties to the production of high crafted glass works. In this town, glass fabrication is not a job; it is an art form, a way of life.

Though mostly a town comprised of modest homes, Sandwich has embarked on building a number of ornate and expensive homes reflecting the colorful, elaborate nature of the period’s glass production. The company currently fabricates a line of finely blown, delicate glass; a glass highly alluring to the upscale patrons. No other house in Sandwich could possibly capture the essence of the glass creations, so much as the new gothic revival off of Main Street.

            The American Gothic Revival is a style highly influenced by its past. Contrasting to the European Gothic Revival, the American is far more an exploration of materials and new inventions. Exceptionally demanded, it calls for speedy construction, as well as high crafted carpentry. The beauty is in the details, and it should accommodate pieces that will highlight said entities. It is no wonder then, that the new Triple Overlay Lamp will reside in such a dwelling.

            Tucked away in the home’s library, the Overlay Lamp stands as a symbol of exploration and persistence. It can also be seen as an aid in viewing the beauty of its surroundings. The glow highlights the hard work, the attention to construction, and the impact of both the lamp itself, as well as the building encompassing it.  The supplementary furniture in the room remains simple, paying homage to the lamps impacting statement. Soft fabrics and rich wood only appear more alluring in the soft glow of the space. Sure the other rooms in this particular house have Glass Lamps and other works from the factory down the street, but this lamp in the library, is extraordinary. It illuminates the hopes for a prosperous, highly knowledgeable future.

                 Situated in nearby Boston, the Nicholas House shares the same ideas as that of the Sandwich Home. Crafted in a beautiful manner, they are both commodities alone, but when furbished with ornate essentials, they are highly impacting. They both allude to a time of exploration and prosper. The Nicholas House is, however, a museum and therefore does not reflect the Sandwich home’s ties to its beloved and notable, Cape Cod Town. 

Works Cited:

The Sandwich Glass Museum:  http://www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/about_us/history/page_3

Gothic Revival 1830- 1875 The Pointed Style:  http://www.realviews.com/homes/gothic.html

west Side story

quotes courtesy of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

History impacts anything and everything. It is the foundation and inspiration of the future. Known as one of the purest love stories, Romeo and Juliet has, substantially impacted the fate of subsequent tales. West Side Story uses Shakespeare’s play as a mentor, adapting it to suit the appropriate issues of the time period.  Names change, locations alter, but the core-the very essence of the story- remains the same.