IOB Narrative

The “industries of the blind” walkthrough was an experience like I never could have imagined.  The image I had of the space from driving past it hundreds of times on Lee St was about accurate of what was experienced within the walls of the building.  Upon entering the building, you are brought into an overly white and boxy space.  There is no flow within the design to speak of.  The main lobby space is broken up into an entrance, a seating area, a gift shop, an office, and a stair well; all of which are given their own (unnecessary) room.  Once you are have braved the redundant walls, you are led to the staircase.  The staircase leads you up into a more private sector of the building.  There is a seating area at the landing followed by a hallway containing the offices of those in charge.  Continuing on to the right there is a conference room, which fit our class nicely, but truly when are there that many people in there?   The end of the hallway dumps you off into the factory.  The feeling completely shifted in the factory setting.  Suddenly, it was dark and cold.  The lighting looked as if it had been taken straight from a hospital and placed within this factory.  The set up of the factory couldn’t have confused me more but there were many different sections.  It was divided up into a nape pad section, a clipboard section, holding place for all the brooms, pen section, clothing section, and a cafeteria.  When talking with the employees, this place is a horrible reflection on the true atmosphere.  I got the impression of a family environment, something joyful and proud.  The space presented something quite different.  It was more of a the employees are here to do there job and then leave, no socializing or being any form of comfortable.  I hope that we are able to bring to the IOB a sense of place and purpose not only within their building but within Greensboro as well.

Project Selection?

[1] I would most prefer to be on the project team for the Industries for the Blind.  I could most contribute to this project because I would love to work in such a positive environment for a great cause.  From the moment I stepped in, there were so many ideas running through my head which gave me a positive vibe towards this project.
[2] I see my skills carrying forward in this project in many ways.  I'm good at building upon existing ideas and since this structure is already there, it would be a blast figuring out which walls can go and where new ones can come up.  I'd also love to talk with the employees there and figure out what would help them the best and what they'd like to become of the space.  I have a heart for disadvantaged people so I feel like working on this project would put me right in my comfort zone in one aspect while completely taking me out of it in another.

Monticello/Fallingwater Trip

We just returned from the Monticello and Fallingwater trip.  Besides spending long hours on the bus and staying in questionable motels, it was one of the best experiences I've ever had.  Both places brought forth totally different view points on design.  At Monticello, I was fascinated by the way in which Jefferson had designed the parts of the house he wanted hidden to be underground while serving as outdoor patios for his main house.  The interior of the house was interesting but I couldn't help but wish they had shown us more.  We continually walked past doors and I would think to myself all the possibilities of what could be behind those doors but I'll never know.  The building itself was beautiful but it was the outside that truly blew me away.  However, while I enjoyed Monticello, if the trip had ended there I would have seen it as a waste of a lot of money.  I'm thankful it didn't because Fallingwater was beyond my wildest expectations.  Upon arrival, I couldn't wait to get off the bus because those curvy PA roads and I didn't get along well at all.  I went down to the visitors center where I was taken into the first group to tour.  As soon as we got down the hill, I was amazed.  It was already so beautiful and by far the most unique house I have ever seen.  We went inside to the great room and the beauty didn't stop.  You had a view surrounding you everywhere.  I loved that there were stairs leading into the waterfall from the living room.  The first thing I could think of is how respected a designer would be to build a house like that now; it was so modern and catchy.  But Frank Lloyd Wright built it back in the 1930's.  The design was all his own and has certainly stood the test of time, bringing in aspects others hadn't even fathomed back then.  I loved the fireplace, even though the tour guide informed us that its original purpose hadn't worked out as planned.  We walked out onto the terrace to get a glimpse into the kitchen.  I really wish we would have been able to see in there.  Upstairs, we saw the bedrooms.  They had it made.  Opening up the windows to hear the waterfall would be the most relaxing sound to fall asleep to.  The low ceilings brought a sense of intimacy into the bedroom spaces.  I found it crazy how low to the ground all the beds were; now that I think about it, all the furniture was lower then todays standards would have it.  The bedrooms were so bright and airy compared to the hallways in which led to them.  I loved how Frank Lloyd Wright had brought the outdoors in throughout the house.  The house truly looked like it fit into the landscape very well.  This house alone truly changed the way I think about design.  All the houses today seem so simple compared to what can be done if you try.  It taught me not to be scared to step outside of my comfort zone and design the most extravagant thing I can think of.  While Frank Lloyd Wright was not the best person, he was an amazing designer and I can't wait to see more of his designs.  This certainly won't be my last trip to Fallingwater.

http://www.wright-house.com/frank-lloyd-wright/fallingwater-pictures/F1SW-fallingwater-in-fall.html
This picture is temporary until I'm able to upload the ones that I took.

Blog Post-Poetry Composition

Free Verse:

Dancing in the wind to a tempo all ones own.

Rhythm seen only in the repetition of these objects. 

Common items turned into a structure of beauty.

Balance producing perfect harmony.

Rigid yet graceful in a style all ones own.

Reading Response #5

Hagia Sophia:

Hagia Sophia located in Istanbul, Turkey is the Church of Holy Wisdom, it is a former Byzantine Church and a former Ottoman mosque.  Although today is now a museum and is known as one of the great buildings of the world.  

- 532-37 CE

- one of the greatest buildings in the Western world

- a 30 meter square is in the center

- an earthquake destroyed the dome in 557 CE

- Anthemius and Justinian produced the dome structure

- one of the most talked about buildings in Christian world

- a second and new one was built

- the dome was scalloped with 40 ribs

- windows along the base making it appear as if it is floating

- a screen of columns and windows close off the east and west arches

- the building can be looked into on both sides

- the sense of drama that pervades the building is created by the north and south galleries

- this divides the buttressing into different segments

- the vaults were made of thin brick

- to prevent problems buttresses were put on the exterior

- light shines directly into the nave

- the building appears to be effortless

- ones eye moves to each surface making it seem like structure was no present

- covered with gold mosaic

-the exterior of the Hagia Sophia

- the interior dome of the building

- a plan view drawing of the building

Reading Response #4

The Colosseum:

The Colosseum in Rome was from 72-80 CE, it was the first and largest theater that was designed as a freestanding object holding up to fifty thousand people.

- aerial view of the Colosseum

- this shows the exterior wall of the Colosseum

- the interior of the Colosseum

- common element in Greek and Roman cities
- built with concrete vaults
- it is still standing today
- it sits in a valley between three hills
- known as a landmark
- can be be seen from all directions
- was a place for public punishment until the 8th century
- gladiatorial combats and the exhibition of wild beasts took place
- there is a balanced interpretation of structure and mass
- the wall was fifty three meters high
- the layers of the wall were divided into Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
- no openings were on the forth story
- to support awnings large masts were clamped against the building
- was at Rome's center
- similar to the Temple of Fortuna
- used for entertainment, sports, and battle
- columns appeared to be more structural than they actually were
- has underground vaults
- it has survived through earthquakes, fires, and lootings

Campus Circles

The location on campus that I found most successful was the back entrance to the Jackson Library.  Everything was on axis and looked like it was placed where it was for a purpose.  It was done this way because it was one of the main buildings on the original campus.  The axis it was located on also contained the Stone Building, Music Building, and Education Building.  Looking from any of the locations, you can see the others perfectly.  The back entrance to the library was also on axis with the statue of Duncan McIver.  All of this greatly added to the successfulness of commodity in this campus circle.  The firmness of the space is just as successful.  The most obvious would be that it has withstood the test of time and remained in good condition for as long as it has.  But with firmness being deeper then just this, it also is successful in the way that it serves as a front porch into the library.  The columns give it the entryway sense as well as making it recognizable as an important location on our campus.  The delight of this space is successful as well.  It flows well with the other older architecture on the campus that is still standing.  This entrance is the most beautiful part of the library.  The addition to the library serves its purpose but is in my opinion the most tasteless building on our campus.  The materials used on the back entrance are classic and timeless.  The overhang provides shade from the sun while still allowing light in between the columns.  It also allows for a place to have recessed lighting for when natural light is no longer prominent.  The final successful element of this campus circle is the message it sends across.  Circles are placed in important or sacred spots.  The placement of this circle into the library represents a place of knowledge on our campus.  We know that knowledge and wisdom are significant to our campus because the theme is carried through to the statue of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom.  This was the most successful campus circle to me because when I was there, all the features we were to look for made sense and I feel that even non-majors would be able to see the great layout and beauty of this campus circle.