Portland Art Museum

I recently spent an afternoon at the Portland Art Museum. This was an absolutely wonderful way to spend an afternoon, I highly recommend taking some time to visit if you are able. I began by visiting the Ancient China Exhibit. This space had taupe colored walls, with white trim. The sculptures were enclosed in glass cases, and the lighting was spectacular, it really made the pieces come alive. The warm wood floors gave a nice haptic sense in the space. With the lighting you didn't even notice there were no windows in the room.



Ancient Chinese Horse Statue

 

The Portland Museum is very large, so after I did my wandering through the Chinese Art, I joined a group for a tour. The tour I took was  focused on experiencing the special exhibit in the museum entitled "Venice, The Golden Age of Art and Music". This tour was for the visually impaired, so since my current design project includes both a galley space and vision impairment elements, I felt this would benefit my understanding of visiting a museum with a visual impairment.

 

We began our tour in a room where a museum docent talked about the importance of music in the culture of Venice during the 16th Century. She then played a short tape, and talked about the common instruments of the time, after which a lute, recorder, and several violins were passed around for the visitors to try to play and to touch and feel. There was even a harpsichord for everyone to try!

 

After the introduction to the music of the period, we went upstairs to the gallery exhibits. We were seated in front of a large painting entitled "The Wedding Feast at Cana" by Veronese. The docent described the painting and the special features, colors and history of the painting.

 

 

After hearing about the artwork, the museum had organized a duet to play some of the period music for us. A violinist and recorder player were a wonderful addition to the time spent on this tour. I then went to experience the rest of the Venice exhibit on my own. What struck me most besides the art, was the colorful walls. Red, blue, green and gold were colors painted upon the permanent and moveable museum walls. The unifying factor was the white wainscoting and millwork. The wall colors really helped to "pull" you through the spaces. Here are a couple of examples of how they used color.

 

 

 



Lighting was all artificial in this exhibit, they used adjustable track lights, but not the type I usually see. These were recessed tracks in the coffered ceilings which the curators used to direct light onto the art pieces. There was also plenty of ambient lighting, which made the spaces bright and cheerful with all the color.

 

 

Vision Impairment

As a designer, it is always a good idea to understand your client. This is especially true if you have a client with special needs for their environment. I experienced being in a wheelchair to understand ADA requirements, and it was very beneficial to my understanding of the needs they have that are different from what I experience.  This exercise was to experience what a person with a visual impairment experiences in their interactions with the built environment. I think this is something everyone should try, it really forces you to understand some of the difficulties  of visual impairment.

The excercise was to wear sunglasses smeared with Vaseline inside the lenses. We then were to navigate both interior and exterior stairs, use an elevator, and try to use an ATM.  I learned that contrast in an interior space is crucial to navigating for someone with a visual impairment, especially from the wall to the floor. I would look to this line to guide me throughout the spaces I was in. Spaces without this contrast were much more difficult. At one point I could not tell there was a room, because the room had glass walls and the carpet and walls were all the same tone. Another problem was glare. Shiny floors with fluorescent lighting made things worse. If I could rely on contrast I was ok, but no contrast and glare to contend with, made navigation very difficult. A third problem was depth perception. This was especially true when trying to navigate stairs. At one point I was trying to go down some terrazzo stairs, and finally had to hold onto the rail, and someone's arm to get down. These stairs had the traditional black grip strips on them, but there was not enough contrast with the color of the stairs to differentiate the contrast.

All in all, it was a good learning experience, one that I will remember when I am designing spaces for the visually impaired.

Habitat for Humanity Project

This is a poster of a Habitat for Humanity house that I designed with two colleagues. It was a group project, and I learned quite a bit about working with others, and myself. I enjoyed working with the group, and we got along fine. I learned about designing a house for a Habitat family, and the aspects in a home they are looking for. This includes a small foundation footprint , a one car garage, and minimal hallway/extra space. The space is focused on the useable family area, as this is most important in a habitat home. Another thing I learned was to try to design in 2' to 4" increments for the best use of materials. While there are things I would like to improve on, mainly in the poster itself, I am proud of our layout, and the renderings we did for this project.

Concrete Concept

This Design project begins with the adaptive reuse of the Northern Pacific Railway station in Pullman. As my concept inspiration I chose this crack in the concrete foundation of the station. Elements of design that I derived from this include line, from the crack itself, texture from the concrete and the lichens growing on it, and contrast which includes rough and smooth and the differences in the color of the concrete.

 

 

The next part of the design process was to take the elements and principles that I found in my concept inspiration and create a 2-dimensional drawing . After exploring many options, I decided to move forward with this design. Now you may think this appears to be a flower, but to me it is a path. It is somewhat random, as the crack, but also somewhat predictable, like a topographical map of a steep slope. The lines represent the obstacles along the way, much like the path of life, or even a path of a railroad track.

 

 

 

From This drawing I progressed to my textile design. I took the line drawing and repeated it in a "path" varying the size and color of the design. The colors are derived from the color of the lichen in the concept inspiration, and the color of the sky, which I always think of when I think of hiking along a path.

 

Finally, I took my 2-Dimensional design and created a 3-Dimensional model using the same elements and principles of design from the other parts of this project. This concept process of the design was so difficult for me in the beginning, but now it has to be one of my favorite parts. I feel more at ease with the entire process, and I know how the progression is supposed to evolve.Here is a photo of my 3-D model.

 

 

 

In this model I tried to incorporate the texture, both smooth and rough, line, contrast, and a feeling of a path. I also wanted to show a contrast between the organic aspects from my inspiration, and the structural aspects of the concrete. I enjoy this process very much, and feel more comfortable with it each time I do the conceptual part of a design.

Reflection

    

Line, all sketches begin with line. It is such an important element when communicating a

design or idea. The first way I have progressed in being able to communicate visually, is by improving the quality if line in my sketches. One important lesson I have learned is that less is more, and to make every line gesture count toward the overall sketch composition. It is a very effective way of visual communication to use fewer lines. Line weight is another important aspect to sketching. As with all design, a good sketch or drawing should have an n established hierarchy of line. This communicates the importance of features, as well as emphasizing the principles of rhythm, repetition and contrast. The element of line is something I will continue to focus on, and hopefully make more progress on as I continue to learn and improve my freehand and drafted drawings.

    A second way I have progressed in my ability to communicate visually is by experimenting with different styles of drawing. I have especially worked on communicating through a “looser” style. The sketches and drawings I find most appealing have both a controlled aspect and a “loose” aspect. I am at ease with the control, but have been working toward a freer style. I have tried several ways to develop this style. One, I have held my pencil, or drawing tool in a free, loose way, having a grip at the end of the utensil away from the paper. I have also experimented with different types of media to help develop a less constricted way of sketching.

     Use of media is also something I have worked on and developed this semester. I have used several types of media that I have never used before, including oil pastels and xylene based markers. I have also continued to refine my use of watercolor and colored pencil. Another approach I have tried is to mix different types of media within one sketch or drawing. The most successful being the use of colored pencil and marker together. I will continue to try different types of media and mixing them in new and different ways to create unusual effects that can further enhance my drawings. I believe this will enhance what I have learned this far, and help me to grow and learn in my ability to communicate visually.

     Finally, and probably most importantly, I have gained confidence in my abilities this semester. As my drawing and sketching abilities have improved I have become more confident. I have challenged myself to try new things and create more difficult sketches all semester. I will continue to push myself, so I can be comfortable in my ability to render, sketch and draw.
 

Design Firm Visit

    

     Wednesday, November 27, I met with Nicole Diedrich from Susan Thorsen Interiors in Kennewick WA. Nicole graduated from the American Institute of Interior Design, located in Fountain Hills Arizona. She then worked in the Seattle area for several years before settling in the Tri-Cities area. She has worked at Susan Thorsen Interiors for several years.

     Nicole primarily works in the residential sector of interior design, but also does some light commercial work such as Doctor’s offices and an occasional Winery. Much of the business at this firm is done with builders building new homes, or residential remodel and renovation projects. Susan Thorsen is a full-service design firm, providing everything from a simple consultation to interior space planning, hard finish selections, window coverings and furniture and accessories if needed. The showroom was filled with beautiful samples, and thousands of choices. This firm specializes in the “hard”material aspects of interior design, offering many flooring, counter, tile, paint and fixture choices. Nicole typically gets input from the customer, whether it is in their showroom, or at the client’s home. She then comes up with a plan that includes choices for the client to review. After choices have been made, contractors and sub-contractors are hired, and she is continually checking on the work progress and the quality of work.

     The aspects of the work Nicole enjoys most is working with the people, and the creativity her job allows. She is very knowledgeable in all residential materials, and knows what type of material will be best suited for her client. Susan Thorsen Interiors pride themselves on providing quality selections, products and installation on all their projects. They also feel that they provide a value-added factor of expertise and knowledge, along with the competitive prices they offer to their clients. Susan Thorsen has been in the Tri-Cities for 25 years, and has built relationships with quality contractors and sub-contractors in the area. Nicole told me they actually have a list of “go-to” contractors that they routinely work with and look to for advice on products and installation methods. They will not continue a professional relationship with a contractor if they are not willing to stand behind the work they do.

     While Nicole did not have an aspect of her work that she disliked, she did say that she missed creating project boards and drawings. I brought my current studio project for her to look over, and she said the hand- work was something she missed from her time at school. In their firm, they do not create client boards, or do presentations. Nicole said this was too formal for the type of client they find in this area. People in the Tri-Cities feel that designers are expensive, and want the consultation at a minimum price. Not spending the time to make boards, and do presentations not only saves them time, but it also cuts down on costs. This was very surprising to me.

     When I asked Nicole what the most frustrating part of working with construction professionals was, she said it was their reluctance to use new or different materials in the projects. Her comment was that they could be very stubborn at times, and only wanted to use products and materials they were familiar with and had worked with previously. She talked about the importance of creating a network of people that are trusted and reliable to work with. In the type of business they do, this is paramount. She felt that the reputation of their firm was only as good as client’s response to what they provide. They do not advertise, so word of mouth and client referrals are the primary source of new business.

     I had a great visit with Nicole; she was very informative and taught me a lot about the type of business a small local firm like this does in Interior Design. This was a wonderful experience, as the firms I have previously visited have all been large. Having exposure to a different type of Interior Design business helps me to determine where I might like to work and what types of opportunities there may be for me once I graduate.  

Job Shadow

   While in Seattle, I was so fortunate to spend a day at the Gensler firm located on Sixth Avenue in downtown Seattle. It was an absolutely wonderful experience, and I would not change one thing about the entire day.

   The morning began with meeting Chelsea, a LEED certified designer in the firm.  She started with a tour of their office space. It is a beautiful space, and I am sure that clients are as comfortable as I was when I visited.  Chelsea was relaxed and friendly, and immediately I felt at ease. She showed the break-out rooms for small meetings, the living room that was used for meetings, or when the people working need a little more relaxed space could work. I toured the design library space, the kitchen, and the working spaces. Chelsea pointed out some of the projects, and models that people in the office were currently working on. A hotel project in Tahiti immediately caught my eye.

   After the tour, Chelsea took out the materials from the project she was working on. It included all the materials, as the project was ready for a client presentation that afternoon. I saw the plans, elevations, color schemes, and materials she had chosen to show the clients. It all was very inspiring, and I could definitely see myself doing this type of work.

   After Chelsea, I met with Jennifer. She is a Test Planner in the Gensler office. She showed us the project she was working on, and how she takes the program from the client, and tries different spaces to see if all the needs can be met within the space. She does this through bubble diagrams, and trace overlays. It was so educational to see her approach, and something I will take from for a long time.

   Jennifer passed me along to Kara. She took me to a project they had recently finished that she had been working on. It was so exciting to see the space, and hear about Kara’s job at Gensler. Kara is a design coordinator, which basically means that she is the one that plans all the components of a project, and makes sure they are all in sync.  She took us to the Glumac office space there in downtown. I t was such fun to see a completed project! I learned a lot about details, and things I hadn’t even thought about while I was with Kara. She definitely opened my eyes to job possibilities that I did not know about in the design world. Kara took me to the Seattle Convention Center for a wonderful, healthy lunch, and then we headed back to the Gensler office.

   Once we were back in the office, we saw a presentation from a furniture design company from London. It was a good experience, as I had never sat in on a presentation of this type. Their aesthetic was very clean and modern, and they had many good features to their designs. I especially appreciated the green aspect to their designs.

   Finally, I met with Stephanie de Villa and Savannah Barker. Stephanie is working on a project with Princess Cruise Lines, and talked a little about that. But what was really interesting to hear from these two, is how they go about getting new job opportunities in a sector of business they don’t currently have a large market share in. I heard how the developed a focus group, and things they did to try to obtain business in the restaurant and boutique sector. I am sure they will be successful at this, as they were both talented resourceful women.

I really could not have had a better Job Shadow experience. It was an inspiring day filled with inspiring people. I hope to be part of this exciting design world soon!