Visit to the Freelon Group and the library

As I enter the parking lot of The Freelon Group, the anticipation has already sunk in so deep that I can hardly wait. This will be my very first time going beyond the lobby of an architectural firm. Previous to my visit I believed that I did not desire to; nor would ever be qualified enough to gain employment with an architectural firm. Since then, I have changed my thoughts, my opinions and my heart based on the information that the firm’s interior designers and intern architect shared with the class. This trip revealed that interior designers practicing in an architectural firm undoubtedly play a vital role in all projects. One which is taken seriously and is integrated in all projects. I was ecstatic to hear the designers speak of how little I needed to be “artistic” [with drawing] when communicating ideas to clients. As we toured the office areas and pin up spaces, my observations of the presentation boards and such furthered my feelings of delight to know that it’s not all about “hand renderings or super imposed graphics”. The boards were clean and simple digital renderings with little process work. I LOVE IT! This firm is speaking my language. At some point in my education at UNCG I became very discouraged. I felt the program placed too much emphasis on hand methods as well as a strong focus on “artistic” values in communicating with clients. On the other hand it’s prepared me to skillfully and effectively sketch impromptu when the occasion arises. Therefore, the education I am receiving at UNCG is preparing me to compete for a number of positions within an architecture firm or an interior design firm, both residential and commercial. It’s also enhancing those skills of the students who are “artists” at heart. In some cases I believe that there is a place for those designers as well. For instance, tvsdesign’s seem to be a firm that would embrace someone who is an abstract thinker with an artistic flare. Their projects seem to be such that, one would have to visualize, then hand draw, then calculate, then formulate, and then digitally render. The Freelon Group’s projects seem to be structure, commercial, and code driven. Simple and sometimes mundane but is delivered and executed in the manner of tremendous admiration and appreciation. This happens to be the description that their very own designers verbalized regarding most of their projects; however, they did mention that the more exciting projects were the libraries. It’s apparent why they would think of it this way. The design process for the library was done with great thought many revisions, explained by Kevin Turner. He was assured that the design was functional and efficient when his wife and kids entered and for the first time and knew how to navigate with ease.

In comparison tvsdesign’s interior designer delivered a more personable presentation and made a great connection with our class through work samples that we could relate to. Both tvsdesign and The Freelon Group gave the class an insight on how the professional world of design operates on a day-to-day basis. They gave an account for the course load we are undertaking in our studio-based studies. Best of all they gave us the courage to go forward and pursue our niches we are currently setting forth because there are positions at every firm where your talents and skills can be an asset!

Thanks Tina..............



photos by: Katherine McCain

SImplymecwb

CNNC - Center for New North Carolinians

Assignment 2 in STUDIO:

There are 18 students who have been assigned the task of working with CNNC to develop schematic designs for the new office located at the Lofts on Lee. We are divided into 4 subgroups; I belong to the "immigrants" group along with Cassandra Bradsfield and Alyssa Hankus. We are responsible for collecting data from the tenants [refuges, clients, immigrants]of the 3 communities that will ultimately help us decide how the new facility can become more engaging to them and less administrative [like]. Subjects to be explored : Cultural Content – Shadowing - Interview

Here are my findings and observations:

Avalon’s population

Central African Republic

DRC – Democratic of the Congo

Sudan

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Burmese refugee camp in Thailand

Vietnamese

GreenHaven’s population

Nepal refugee camp in Bhutan

Burmese refugee camp in Thailand

Vietnamese

West African Congo

As I walked in Avalon’s community center Kara, an AmeriCorps volunteer was able to help resolve _____________ [Central African Republic} anti-virus issue with his laptop. He just seemed to be very excited about having this piece of machinery that was obviously outdated. What was also very obvious was his excitement about his life. He spoke little English and was eager to converse with me. He hasn’t had any interactions with the CNNC’s office but was proud to be in the USA; he actually arrived here through the efforts of a local church. He shared information about his job search as Kara helped with explanations of a few items.

Kara believes that the expansion of the new office could lend itself to becoming an offsite venue to a small group of girls she teaches. She is currently planning on teaching them to cook in her kitchen at her small apartment because it’s bigger than the small kitchen in the community center. FOOD for THOUGHT! She also feels that the outing will be refreshing to them; she describes it as “a change in scenery”.

Younger adults seem more interested in becoming educated, they seem very proud to be here. I meet three young men who were all in school [college] that wore their name badges as they went on about their day. It wasn’t because they forgot to remove them. It was because they felt a part of something that connected them to the USA…the place that allowed them to THINK and be FREE!

__________ doesn’t go to ESL however his sister does, she is a young adult and is seeking to advance her education. ____________ was very helpful and willing to share information because I was a little lost. He was not as intimidated by my presence as the older generations were. He was one of the three young men attending an area college.

This is the generation that could spoke broken English however; understood main ideas of the conversation. They will adapt very well in the US perhaps sacaficing some of their cultural traditions.

Family is as important to them as it is to us however; they seem to rely on each other even more because there are a number of other ethic groups amongst the population and they feel more of a bond within their own household than outside.

Due to the fact that the tenants of these communities are refugees they have trust issues. Many looked at me as an outsider and with uncertainties. They seem puzzled by my presence because they are accustomed to the AmeriCorps staff members and volunteers.

Maintaining their culture is a huge part of the older generations daily life and activities. They like to cook authentic foods and some even like using the fresh air to dry clothes vs. using the electric dryer. Becoming accustomed [Americanized] seems to be a slow process for the older generation. I met a woman ___________ who’s laundry became nearly unmanageable because the washer and drying system / process was as foreign to her as the new land she’s arrived upon. The shrubby at her front door is just too small to accommodate amount of laundry her family had accumulated. However, she still leaves behind the socks of her baby and a few other small garments dangling on the bushes; today’s weather was just irresistible. This is the generation who will probably never become fluent in our language nor desire to become fully. This is primarily because the men are workers and the women are homemakers. There isn’t too much need for them to make a complete conversion as there is for the men.

GlenHaven’s Visit

As Renee and myself walked in the room where the residents were busy painting ______________ turned around and said “TEACHER” with a colossal smile with open arms as she gestured for a routine huge. She was reaching for Renee but I wanted one too! ;o)

She is Montagnard. _____________ is roughly 50 years old. Her generation thrived in the community center’s activities. They appear to be very happy to participate in the kindergarten [like] crafts. They were very proud of their work and showed a tremendous amount of gratitude for the women whom volunteered.

Side bar:

One of the volunteer’s daughters is featured in the January’s edition of “Better Homes and Gardens”. She was very proud to share this information when she learned of the nature of my visit. She was also happy to point out every detail of her daughter’s beautiful home and their family photo.

There were other crafts that the refugees had made previous to my visit, like crocheted necklaces and other unique pieces of jewelry. These items are sold at local crafts festivals and help resupply the crafts and other small needs of the refugees.

The community centers house and volunteers facilitate:

· ESL – tutoring and citizenship classes

· Sewing classes

· Donation storage

· A nurse’s station

· A full kitchen for nutrition classes and Friday cookies

· Computer lab [computers supplied by UNCG]

· Backyard at GreenHaven has a playground with table and benches

· A reading room

· Educational and informational station

· Small office for volunteers

My observations are that it takes very little to make these settlers happy. They come bearing gracious spirits and a strong sense of pride for where they’re from and where they’ve arrived. With a little guidance this population is certain to be productive members of our society.

My visit to GreenHaven and Avalon

Building Information Modeling

Cassandra W. Brunson CAD IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

Parametric modeling is an interactive digital form of an object or a building. It is not random data however it is a collection of measurable data that is capable of corresponding to one another. This form of modeling allows changes and edits in one family / component to reflect in all families instantly with one simple click. Therefore, if the designer chooses to make any changes with the walls, doors, materials, or roof in plan view [2D]; these changes will automatically update simultaneously in all other views. [elevation, section] Parametric modeling allows objects to maintain relationships within and between objects. This method of building supports cohesiveness in all documentation of a project. The parametric engine in Revit guarantees, “a change anywhere is a change everywhere”.

I’ve been successful in visually communicating my designs ideas in SketchUp due to it’s amazing rendering Plugin [Podium SU]. This allowed me to share my ideations with my professors or clients in a creative manner. However, I have been limited in exchanging this information with any others in the construction process. SketchUp doesn’t seem to be designed for efficiency in floor plans, sections, and elevations. Although, they are possible to create in SketchUp, they are primarily useful when diagramming and not actual measurable tools for building. Instead, I’ve used AutoCAD for these purposes, and have also experienced great limitations with the exchange of information and modeling. AutoCAD has been a life safer for editing documents. Then on the other hand, it too has been detrimental at times because it’s not built to correspond with other families/components within the project. Therefore, if I changed the position of a door in plan view, I must remember to change it in all views, as well as how it is attached to other components.

I am pleased to be introduced to a software program that operates on a BIM approach. Revit will allow all the headaches and heartaches from the previous software to cease. Changes will occur throughout the entire model simultaneously with the click of a button…plan, elevation, sections, and schedules / lists. It will be easy to correspond with contractors and clients based on the capabilities of documentation that can be generated. The computer will basically do the hard work, like calculating, communicating and translate changes in data, unlike CAD. I’m looking forward to worker smarter and not so hard.

a cultural self-portait

Computing in Architectural Design

Computing in Architectural Design…..by Yehunda Kalay

provided a history of computing in architectural design dating back to Mesopotamia around 5000-2000 BC. There was as much of a need for precision in geometry while building that structure as there is now with the Apple store in New York City. Kalay discusses the evolution of computer-aided design in terms of “generations”.

The first generation CAD systems concentrated on [1] geometric modeling, geared toward supporting the needs of mechanical industries; and [2] buildings, geared towards supporting the needs of the construction industry. Therefore this generation of systems was often referred to as “building design systems”. While the second generation CAD systems became known as “drafting and modeling systems”. This was primarily due to the needs of the architectural community. Similar to the first generation, CAD systems required large and powerful computers to support the calculation-intensive computations needed to manipulate and display geometrical constructions. These systems also required expensive display hardware, specialized input devices, and graphic oriented input devices; thus, could only be afforded by large companies. As the personal computer became smaller and affordable due to the Apple II the demand for useful software became prevalent. In January 1984 Macintosh was introduced and they soon developed early CAD systems like MacDraft. While this was a giant stepping-stone the capabilities of these systems were limited and non-professional. Autodesk and other software companies began to introduce/write software that bridged the gap; and supported architectural design. With this progression architects gained the ability to draft and communicate designs with photo-realistic renderings. Kaylay says, Third generation CAD systems “seem very similar to the first-generation CAD system, which were centered on architectural objects and were intended to support the design, not merely the representation of buildings.” Meanwhile, the electronics industry developed software that could truly aide in the design in ways that no human can do so. This development left an impact on the architectural industry as well as many other disciplines. While there’s always room for improvement I believe we should approach with caution the demands we place on the computer [aid-ing] human designers.

With that notion, Kalay expresses the roles of computing in architectural design.

Computers are instruments with no intelligence of their own as humans we use them as design tools, means of communication, and as a design assistants.

Design Tools

Ex: Drafting and modeling tools are examples of, see what can’t be seen by naked eye, realistically visualize buildings that do not yet exist, measuring instruments

Communication

Ex: members of design team can communicated efficiently and effectively

Design Assistant

Ex: human designer can be relieved of performing mundane tasks

The roles of computers are significance regarding architectural design and are still rapidly changing….thus effecting architects, designers, as well as the environment.