BUNGALOW [final renderings]

BUNGALOW [lighting design process]

I figured through this design that I should consider the light fixture as my central piece in this space. It is the center of the room and the focus of this project - it is only fitting that it be designed first and provide the basis for the design of the rest of the room. Taking the pattern that I decided on, I converted it into a chandelier. I started playing with different aspects of the light in podium to get the desired effect for my design.

I was first playing with having it a horizontal hanging light, but I didnt really think that the shadows on the table spoke to centrality in that sense. The shadows on the wall did, but it wasnt quite the effect I was going for.


The light then got turned vertically so that it created a different pattern on the ceiling, walls, and table top. Definitely more CENTRALITY....


What effect does three hanging fixtures in one have? hmmm interesting appeal, but how about the lighting?

Here I simply changed the color of the fixture and it produced a warmer lighting. I thought this was interesting, seeing as its a dining room fixture. I then started playing with the color in relationship to the number of fixtures and light quality.

All three segments lit? or just the CENTRAL one?
CENTRAL one completely open without the back?

WOAH! look at the ceiling!!!! I love it, but its a little chaotic, time to tone it down some.

Playing with wall and ceiling color...


open again with the ceiling and wall color...
change up the openings? ewwww!
We might have a winner........

BUNGALOW [preliminary sketches - conceptual design]

BUNGALOW [concept: centrality]

From the Scallop shell theory I was operating on previously, I have abstracted an actual concept from it. The vertical lines that all meet at one central point on the shell begin to stand as the basis for the concept. The function of a dining room also suggests that it is a central location where everything and everyone comes together to meet at one point in the home. Centrality. The Arts and Crafts style was very linear and lacked the suggestion of curves. When thinking about centrality, I was able to create a pattern from squares that spoke to centrality.

conceptual thinking: abstraction of a scallop

concept: "an abstract idea. a general notion. an idea or mental picture of a group or class of objects formed by combining all their aspects. produced as an experimental model to test the viability of new design features."

a concept for a dining room [arts and crafts] ...

The function of a dining room is to create a central location where everyone in the home can come together to dine. It also stands as a location to house a collection of sorts. Its typically where family heirlooms and other antiques are housed. It is the heart of the home and creates an attachment where different aspects of the home come together.

When searching for a concept, I ran across several Scallop Shells. Scallop seashells encompass a fan-like shape where several vertical lines all meet at one point at the base of the shell. There are several suggested horizontal lines from color that ground the verticals and create a popular theme of forms in the arts and crafts movement. Because all these lines meet at one point, it effectively portrays the function of a dining room.

Abstracting the idea of this shell starts to suggest more of an actual concept for the dining space. It begins to speak about the centrality of something that is radiating outward. The base of the shell is where all the parts meet together, just like all the parts of a family and collection meet. The parts then radiate outward to meet the edges where Gestalt's theory of design suggests that it continues into infinity. There are suggestions of horizontal lines that intersect the verticals and "ground" the lines so that there is a distinct and bold structure. These are all aspects that relate heavily to the arts and crafts movement as well as the function of a dining room within a bungalow house. Centrality that radiates outward...

BUNGALOW [conceptual thinking]

concept: "an abstract idea. a general notion. an idea or mental picture of a group or class of objects formed by combining all their aspects. produced as an experimental model to test the viability of new design features."

a concept for a dining room [arts and crafts] ...

The function of a dining room is to create a central location where everyone in the home can come together to dine. It also stands as a location to house a collection of sorts. Its typically where family heirlooms and other antiques are housed. It is the heart of the home and creates an attachment where different aspects of the home come together.

When searching for a concept, I ran across several Scallop Shells. Scallop seashells encompass a fan-like shape where several vertical lines all meet at one point at the base of the shell. There are several suggested horizontal lines from color that ground the verticals and create a popular theme of forms in the arts and crafts movement. Because all these lines meet at one point, it effectively portrays the function of a dining room.

GREAT HOUSES [final analysis layout]

The design of this layout came primarily from the geometric shapes of the residence itself. Richard Meier values form heavily in his designs. He is known for his spaces being primarily white. The only color in this home is the wood flooring and the stainless steel chimney pipes. The board reflects this idea as well. The original class layout suggested highly saturated color images along the left bar of the board, but the opacity on the black and white images really speaks to the minimal color within the space itself. I decided to also stick with this trend of white by choosing a background lacking in color.

I included all three floor plans of each level of the home, as well as three sections illustrating the east (private) side of the home, the west(public front facade) side of the home, and the south side. On the board there is also included a contextual diagram that illustrates the home surrounded by forestry and overlooking the vastness of Lake Michigan. The light diagram beside the contextual diagram also demonstrates the concept of the building in terms of the private and public sectors of the space. Meier utilizes light to distinguish this concept. In the more public spaces of the residence he designs large open windows that invite the light into the space. On the private side of the building, however, there are limited windows, creating a space with less light, helping to indicate it's private nature.

I am satisfied with the overall layout of this analysis. I feel as though it effectively portrays Meier's concept for the residence and offers a full in depth precedent analysis of the building itself.

BUNGALOW [arts and crafts movement]

project: design a dining room for a bungalow house.

The word Bungalow is often used for any small 20th century home that utilizes space efficiently. It tends to feature a one and a half story space that suggests most of the living spaces on the ground floor. The roof tends to be relatively low pitched and suggests a large open front porch that creates outdoor room. Easy access to other outdoor spaces such as verandas, porches, and patios is also offered in bungalow style homes.

Bungalow houses reflect many different architecture styles. In this particular project, we are concentrating on drawing influence and aspects of the arts and crafts movement. This design movement encouraged attention to materials and traditional craftsmanship through the use of simple forms and decoration. The time period proposed economic and social reform and basically spoke against the “victorian clutter” of previous design eras. Influence is drawn from the medieval designs of the Gothic Revival and suggests bold forms and strong colors.

BUNGALOW : [some inspiration]

MAGAZINE ANALYSIS : Southern Living 1979

Southern Living [the magazine of the modern south] : 1979 : trends + furnishings + entertainment + beyond

Publisher: Progressive Farmer Company

820 Shades Creek Parkway

Birmingham, Alabama 35209

Magazine Subject Features:

* The Future of the South

* Travel and Recreation

* Homes and Building

* Garden and Landscape

* Foods and Entertainment

* Directories (travel, classified, school, gardening, shopping, etc.)

- The Magazine offers decorating tips such as twig art, ceramic tile flooring, punch tin, and other natural like decor.

- Energy efficiency becomes a large part of design and appliances through 1979. Its interesting that even though they were considering sustainability, our world is STILL in the shape its in today. That says a lot about people.

- The appliances are fashionable and cost effective as well as "energy efficient."

- Another common theme was reusing items other than a simple function. [old doors as room dividers, shutters to shade deck, table instead of desk, etc.]

- Arbors are a reoccurring theme in porches throughout 1979.

GREAT HOUSES [project statement]

Richard Meier’s Douglas House stands as a beacon of light on a steep and secluded hill in Harbor Springs overlooking the vastness of Lake Michigan. Meier carefully engineers a means to secure the residence to the site, anchoring the multileveled ship like design. Meier values attention to space, form, light, and the combination of these elements. Meier shapes space and structure to create a summer retreat that manipulates light through a series of squares, rectangles, and materiality. The home adopts its form from basic geometric squares and rectangles. Meier’s design features a distinct difference between the private and public sections of the home. The only entrance is on the backside of the home, the private sector of the space on all three levels. With few windows and surrounded by forest, Meier succeeds in maintaining this increased level of privacy. To enter the structure, residents travel down a narrow road and cross a “flying bridge” that leads to the entrance at the building’s roof. The bridge echoes a Medieval means of crossing a moat to enter a protected home.

From this rooftop area, a visitor descends into the open spaces of this relaxing summer retreat. The front façade of the building, open to the views around the structure, bears the signature of Meier’s structural approaches, allowing for the installation of a large amount of glass and white lacquered wood of the home spilling down the sloped terrain. The use of white manipulates the light that enters the space in a dynamic way through the window to amplify the contrast between light, shadow, solidity, and void. The vertical, stainless steel smoke pipes, combined with the placement of the white nautical railing and wood decking enhance the sense of a ship. The glass and white lacquered wood reflect again and again the natural light spilling into the public space from the reflections off the waters of Lake Michigan.

“It’s a great spatial feeling that relates to the landscape and allows you to appreciate the changes of color during the day and seasons.”

GREAT HOUSES [introduction]

We are currently researching and analyzing precedent studies for our studio. The Great Houses project requests information on a certain residence on which to compose a case study. My choice was The Douglas House designed by Richard Meier. It encompasses an idea of public and private sections of the home being distinct. The concept is based around the idea of a ship and the public and private sectors that accompany the vessel. There are also physical aspects of the home that suggest a ship-like quality as well: full white lacquered material, wooden floor on the decking, white nautical railing, and stainless steel smoke pipes resembling ship piping. The home is also anchored to a sloped terrain and over looks the vast waters of Lake Michigan.

A few images of the residence...

front facade from water

west elevation

looking southwest

family room

family room with blinds

"flying bridge" [entrance]

looking west

roof view

from 2nd level

studio: perception + expectations + growth

Studio by definition is "a place where an artist, designer, photographer, etc. work. It is a place for instruction or experimentation in the art of design." The studio space is a multi-disciplinary space that encourages interaction between other studio members, other interior architecture majors, and professors. This interaction is designed to create a dialog between people to encourage a deeper understanding of material as well as developing a personal style that emerges in our work. This particular studio should be no different. The dialog between Patrick and my fellow studio members should be influencing my designs and encouraging me to develop my design skills.

I expect to grow more through this semester than ever before. I feel as though my previous studio semesters have set the basis for my design knowledge and foundation for the fundamentals of design. This studio, however, will be a year of growth and development within my personal design theory. I intend to have more of a grip on my design tendencies by the end of the semester.

My strengths have been identified, but I plan to use this semester to continue to develop those strengths and try new aspects of design (lighting and acoustics) to enhance my designs. I am interested to see how my strengths lie in these subjects as well to see if I potentially would like to concentrate on their effect on my designs more heavily. It should be a very rewarding and enriching semester! lets get started!