Author Archives: tracywalker1004

My third image that represents LARGE scale is of the courtyard interior at the British Museum. I was reading a book that I ordered, Form & Structure, Basics Interior Architecture and this image caught my eye. On further investigation online, I read that an architectural competition to redesign the courtyard space was launched with the aim of revealing hidden spaces, revising old spaces and creating new spaces. There was more than 130 entries, the eventual winner was Foster and Partners.

The British Museum was constructed between 1823 and 1859 by Sir Robert Smirke and is today one of London’s main tourist attractions.

The redesign of the Great Court with it’s magnificent glass and steel roof –made from 3,212 panes of glass (no two of which are the same) – began in September 1999 and was opened to the public in 2000. The space now allows the previously hidden space to be seen once again, no longer lost to the general public. His design was loosely based on the Reichstag copula design, his main aim was for the public to take every step in the Great Court offering a different view of the surroundings. The two elliptical staircases that surround the great circular reading room provide access to the restaurant and gallery, whilst offering visitors the chance to observe the activities in the courtyard. Once completed it gave visitors the chance to move freely around the main floor of the Museum, offering a covered public space featuring as a crucial component part of a pedestrian route from the new British Library at St. Pancras, down through the Great Court, and on to Trafalgar Square.

I found a great sketch online, showing where two worlds of designs collide, in an amazing way. The roof stands 26.3 metres above the floor at its highest point, to give it a little more context it’s nearly as tall as six of London’s double-decker buses. The Great Court is a two-acre space enclosed by a spectacular glass roof with the world-famous Reading Room in the middle enjoyed by thousands of people each year. A great large scale example of how good design of buildings within a space really does work.

Fig. 1 – The Great Court at The British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/architecture/great-court (accessed 11.3.23)

Fig. 2 – A sketch of the Great Court at the British Museum gerard michel 7 | Architecture sketch, British museum, Architecture drawing (accessed 11.3.23)

My second image that represents MEDIUM scale is of a living room in a top floor duplex with views overlooking a trendy part of Paris. A three floor to ceiling property where Felipe Oliveira Baptista, a fashion executive and his wife, Severine, reside. When they were hunting for a flat in the city of Paris, they wanted a panorama view, this property was perfect for them.

The view overlooks the Saint Georges neighbourhood in Paris. The tall glazed windows and doors lead out to a wrap around balcony overlooking Neoclassical buildings. It is a beautiful setting by day but a real spectacle by night. Austrian blinds dress the enormous windows, framing the view, the room offers comfortable seating alongside different styles of side tables. The seating is modular which means it can be configured differently with ease, perfect in the size of the space.

The neoclassical colour palette has been used well amongst the furniture and paint, very in keeping with the style of property. I love their names, Jelly Bean Blue, Independence, Spicy Mix, Terra Cotta and Peach-Orange.

This image represents medium scale compared to the other two because the space has been designed and considered around people, the room is filled with the furniture that allows people to sit on the seating facing either the window view, the chimney breast or the entrance to another room whilst still being able to interact with another person who might also be seated. The combination and layout of seating allows people to relax and chat to one another. The high ceiling promotes a sense of spaciousness complimented by the elegance of the Austrian blinds. The floor space opens up around the seating to the double doors before taking in the panoramic view. There are different options of where to sit, whether it’s with the sun shining in or in the cool of the shade. The seating style caters for all sizes of humans whilst offering style and sophistication. Around the seating area is carpet, a soft feeling under foot would give the visitor a calm experience.

Images

Fig. 1 – The living room owned by Felipe Oliveira Baptista and his wife Severine https://www.worldofinteriors.com/story/felipe-oliveira-baptista-paris-home (accessed 9/3/23)

Fig. 2 – The Neoclassical buildings, Paris https://www.ihg.com/content/gb/en/guides/paris/neighbourhood (accessed 9/3/23)

Fig. 3 – The Neoclassical colour palette https://www.schemecolor.com/neoclassical.php (accessed 9/3/23)

Fig. 4 – The living room owned by Felipe Oliveira Baptista and his wife Severine https://www.worldofinteriors.com/story/felipe-oliveira-baptista-paris-home (accessed 9/3/23)

For this exercise I have found three different interior images that illustrate a different idea of scale in small, medium and large. In the previous unit I found three images on the internet but this time I chose to find three images in books and magazines instead. This way I’m taking the time to look at other mediums and I feel this will encourage me to examine and analyse differently. The internet definitely has its uses but I’m finding more recently that I also enjoy flicking through a magazine and researching by reading books. The knowledge that I have already built whilst doing this course has helped me understand the concepts of scale and I find myself looking at interior images differently, I’m seeing past the objects and furniture in the space, although these items have an important part to play in the space, I analyse spaces in a way that I’ve never done before. I take into account the way the designer has considered different challenges or not considered them very well and how the space functions.

My first image that represents SMALL scale is of a pebble mosaic floor. I found this image whilst reading an issue of The World of Interiors, my go to for daily inspiration. The hexagonal vestibule with a pebble mosaic floor is centred on a compass with belongs to La Colle Noire, a chateaux in Provence, owned and designed by Christian Dior.

Dior had a fascination for the mystical world and when he was aged 14, a palm reader predicted he would go from rags to riches, with women being the source of his success. Before his first meeting with an investor, he tripped on a star shaped metal trinket that was discarded on a street in Paris. He took this as a signal to start his own label, this then led to Dior’s mystical world fascination, which is evident in his designs.

The interior space is hexagonal in shape which immediately evokes feelings connected to nature and balance. The walls have pilastered architecture elements, which give the appearance of supported columns. Your eyes are then drawn to the calade floor. Dior designed the pebble mosaic in the form of a pink and grey compass, which also refers to the colours of his childhood home, Les Rhumbs in Granville, Normandy. I like to think that he would have acquired the pebbles from the local river valleys, gorges and coastland that Provence is known for.

Micro scale applies to this image because it’s showing how multiple smaller items have been added to create the floor. It was designed by Christian Dior purposely in the style of a compass because of his fascination for the mystical world. Stone dust is a byproduct of crushed stone, limestone being the local stone in Provence, which would be a layer on top of gravel and sand, then cement is mixed for the pebbles to sit in and once firm will set around them. This diagram shows how fine mist water is added and brushed using a paint brush to smooth out areas, a piece of timber or spirit level will be used to make sure the pebbles are level.

The floor is a stand out piece, it sits in the entrance to the chateaux which will be met immediately by visitors. It sets a precedent for the rest of the property which is equally beautiful. I love how the floor is of huge scale and speaks for itself, the space doesn’t need pieces of furniture or colour to shape or contain it, it’s doing its job, making an impression all on it’s own. It’s also such a natural material, it can remain a statement for many years to come without much looking after, it won’t need cleaning regularly as the materials are natural and will wear over time, a very sustainable interior space.

Images

Fig. 1 – Christian Dior’s hexagonal vestibule at La Colle Noire, Provence https://www.worldofinteriors.com/story/christian-dior-la-colle-noir-chateau (accessed 6.3.23)

Fig. 2 – A Christian Dior Mother of Pearl Necklace design https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/a38092928/the-magic-behind-diors-lucky-fine-jewelry-collection/ (accessed 6.3.23)

Fig. 3 – Christian Dior’s Childhood Home, Villa Les Rhumbs, Normandy https://landenkerr.com/musee-christian-dior-granville/ (accessed 6.3.23)

Fig. 4 – An image showing how a typical pebble flooring is created https://www.thisoldhouse.com/masonry/21016792/how-to-make-a-pebble-mosaic (accessed 6.3.23)

Having completed the assessment process for Unit One, I then took a break from my studies for a couple of weeks, during which time I enrolled and spoke with my new tutor to get a heads up on what to expect within unit two. It was a really helpful conversation and I also found out what is on the reading list for this unit, I have ordered the books from a used book site online, all three books at a fraction of the price you would pay for brand new, absolute bargains! There’s something valuable in buying a used book, somebody else has used it for similar reasons, I’m now giving it a new home and in time will pass it on for another person to do the same. So I’m looking forward to receiving them in the post this week, I’m excited to have books to refer to, something I can carry around from place to place, which will be a light relief from the computer screen. I find that reading books helps me relax and calms my mind. More books to add to my collection since doing this course, my bookshelf is looking very colourful and cultural.

I know that the next unit is called Medium – Design at a Human Scale and I’m hoping that it will be made up of similar exercises to unit one but looking at how human scale works within a space. I’m looking forward to digging deeper when it comes to my research. Once I had gathered my research for the last unit for assessment, I realised that my research wasn’t as in-depth as maybe I would have liked. For this unit I will learn to slow down and try and exhaust all avenues of research before moving on to the next exercise. I have written reminders on post-it notes and put them on the wall, this way I will get in to the habit of reading them, a bit like a check list. When I’m gathering research I will also remember to give my reasons, which I know will expand my knowledge. My own thoughts and analysis will continue to help me understand and think critically, I must build on this area too as I work through this part of the course.

I’m also hoping to expand my research by visiting interior spaces, exhibitions, galleries and meeting like minded people. It would be great to connect with more students too, hopefully there will be some more organised events that we can attend this year. Alongside my studies I am finding ways of creating a professional social media platform where I can share my work and improve my skills in readiness for working in the design field, I am looking forward to diving in!

This was my final assignment of the unit, I will reflect on the feedback from my tutor.

My tutor was pleased to see the culmination of the project and how there is evidence of a push in considering the graphic presentation of my work, the fonts/colours are stylish and well-suited. There are still areas for improvement, in-particular the layout, I will consider these and make the relevant changes.

My tutor would have liked to have seen my images presented larger and more structured. I didn’t add the 3D exploded diagram image, which I will add as it explains the laser cut panel assembly. My tutor noted that I have considered the colour, font and layout throughout my booklet. She has given me some guidance with how to sequence my document in a better way, which I will look at doing also. I must also consider how the research can be documented in more depth with further drawings and annotations.

As a whole, this unit was fun to do. I have been on a journey learning how to present work at a more professional level starting with creating my own model village brochure. From the title of the unit I was expecting to learn more about detail in design, which I have done, from researching and visiting a model village gave me a better understanding of scale. My second assignment, I looked at more detail of a light fitting. I still struggled at this point drawing a section and so I revisited the drawing and gained a better understanding of how to draw a section, this will help as I continue to communicate my design ideas throughout the course. Assignment four was definitely the best one yet. I feel that I have been given all of the tools to research and create my own 3D model. My tutor was pleased with my presentation and encouraged me to continue to build upon my knowledge and research skills.

Now time to collate the information for Assessment, wish me luck!

I gained access to text from An Essential Guide for Understanding and Applying Page Design Principles (2012) Quarto Publishing Group by Amy Graver and Ben Jura, Best Practices for Graphic Designers, Grids and Page Layouts. It was a really helpful document, it helped me to understand grids and page structure and how to organise content and images. It showed me how to be consistent with layouts and how to create focal points.

Having read this publication and referring to the text, I made notes in my notebook to help me with a starting point in creating my design layout. I also referred to a website that was in one of my earlier exercises, ISSUU.com, a very helpful site where anyone can upload their work and it gets transformed into a digital publication. I uploaded my final assignment and can see how it looks as a booklet, you can turn the pages, digitally and gauge how it looks with regards to borders and margins. It gives you a much better understanding of how the reader will see your work. There are areas I need to brush up on, which I will do before assessment.

My project book will be A3 landscape format, it will include a title page, a contents page and conclude with a comprehensive communication of the finished final design of my piece of fitted furniture. Within this book I will include my research of design precedents, my inspiration behind the design, the site analysis, the design development through sketches and drawings, photographs and my emotional 3D model. I must also try and use several different media to communicate my design, this way I am demonstrating my design development over the course of this particular unit.

I used Indesign to create my project book, but not before researching other designers project books. I was initially looking for similar colours and shapes that I have within my own design i.e. brickwork wall and organic shapes. I needed to consider page layout, typography, colour and how I would create a flawless page of images taken on my camera? I set to researching that very question. I then remembered we had research other students project books and portfolios a few exercises back. I referred back to this link and set about searching for pages with flawless images on, I wanted to create a page where images from another piece of software were placed without seeing a frame or box around them. It took me some time to find out how to achieve this look, but eventually I did!

This example below shows how the edges almost sit on the page without too much of a colour difference. I worked on changing the images within my iPhone via the Notes App, within this app you can scan your work in your notebook and then adjust the image by changing the contrast, brightness and saturation, producing translucent images, that look much more professional.

I found a template that I liked the colour combination of and set about adding my work to the relevant pages. I played about with different fonts and eventually found one I loved, there are so many to choose from! I was also keeping in mind hierarchy, something my tutor has noted was missing in a few areas of my work. I changed some of the pages to a brick colour and decided to alternate the pages, to add some interest, I didn’t want every page to have the same theme of colour, but I knew that I wanted the text the same size, to give it some consistency. By creating this look hopefully my booklet will look coherent. My book contains 8 pages that are made up as follows;

A title page

A table of contents

1. The Brief
2. Site survey
3. Precedent research
4. Pattern sketches
5. Emotional connection in 3D form
6. Construction sketches
7. Technical drawings
8. My vision

Throughout this process I was conscious of trying different mediums to present my work. I sketched with pencil on paper. I took photographs. I used Autocad to create technical drawings. I also used Autocad for my finished design, which I was not happy with. I attempted drawing my design using Procreate on the iPad, I’m just not comfortable with this way of drawing. I then decided to sketch with a pencil on paper and use black fine liner to make it stand out before adding colour using pencils.

After adjusting each image that I sketched on paper, to remove the edges, I added them to the relevant page and gave them a title. My tutor noted that I should present the images in a way that the reader can understand, show the journey and improvement of ideas. When adding photographs of my 3D model I felt the need to add a poem, I’ve never done this before but for some reason it felt right to do so. The poem confirms my thoughts and ideas behind the 3D design.

My final assignment for this unit is to communicate my design proposal. The journey starts with the brief and continues through precedent research, or inspiration, and the factual information about my site – the survey and analysis.

Then the sketch designing, doodles, scribbles, iterative development models, materials samples and all other information that feeds my design. All of this is really important to contextualise my design – to place it physically, within the chosen site or space, and also to place it emotionally.

Exercise 1: Model of Emotion

Emotion is very important when designing. I want the occupant to feel emotion when looking at my design so for the next exercise I have made a 3D physical model that describes the emotional context of my design. When considering the type of feeling that I wanted to evoke with my finished piece I started with researching what demonstrates that feeling.

Visceral Design – is a process that automatically creates an emotional response. It’s intuitive, a feeling that you feel towards something.

Behavioural Design – is how a design influences human behaviour, how the product design is used, it’s function, performance and effectiveness.

Reflective Design – captures the meaning of the design, the impact of thoughts and the cultural impact.

I made a list in my notebook of the materials used for my design; natural wood, plywood, brass hinges and knobs, floral pattern fretwork.

Why did I choose to use natural wood? Because of the colour, warmth and tones in natural wood. The idea of using a preloved piece of furniture fills me with joy, saving a beautiful design, repurposing it and saving it from being dumped or burned, therefore no need for new materials.

Why did I choose to use plywood? I just love the formation of the layers, its really effective, strong material it is also idea for cutting out the floral pattern for the fretwork.

Why did I choose brass hinges and knobs? Knowing that I was using the natural wood together with the plywood fretwork and adding a coloured piece of plywood to the back of the fretwork meant that I needed a pop of colour that complimented all three elements but also stands out and will be very noticeable.

With all this in mind I created a mind map around the key design elements of flower, colour, brass and strength. From that derived feelings connected to those words and above all the word ‘strong’ was evident. Flowers have a delicate but organic strength within them. Colours can symbolise strength whilst brass is know for its strong properties.

Based on this research I chose to create a floral pattern using gold coloured flat wire. I found a website tutorial for creating a sketch style wire leaf, ordered some flat wire from the internet and played around until I created a similar style to the tutorial. The sketch style wire leaf represents strength in the materials I have chosen to use in my bathroom cabinet design, with a nod to the leaf pattern in the fretwork. I had thought that maybe I could create several of these and show strength in numbers but actually on reflection, one wire leaf design is powerful enough to connect with the design emotionally, it shows strength, organic curve connecting to nature, form, texture and colour.

I used pliers to straighten the ends coming out of the circle shape to make a curve shape and then continued bending the wire to create smaller leaf shapes, a stem and two more leaves at the bottom. I then captured the 3D model against different backgrounds to show the scale and depth of the wire, the shadows add dimension and balance to the photograph.

On reflection of this exercise, I believe I have been successful in communicating the emotional context of my furniture design through my 3D physical model. I have created a simple yet effective 3D model that compliments my simple yet effective wooden piece of fitted furniture. There is strength in my wooden furniture design that is layered with elements of texture, pattern and colour. My 3D model has texture, colour and strength, but gently informs you there is harmony between man-made elements and the natural world.

For Assignment 9, my tutor noted that my drawings are starting to work really well in communicating the design, showing a stronger understanding of sections, which is good progress. There are few issues with scale and line weight which I will take a further look at and correct them.

My tutor also noted that the sketching I have recorded in my learning log is working really well to help show off my thinking at a detailed level, including the 3D CAD exploded diagram where I am showing how the plywood fretwork would be fixed to the framework.

I must consider how I organise my drawings, showing alignment and dimensions in the correct way.

Going forward I have made a list to help organise my thoughts and actions

• continue to build upon the correct way to showcase my drawings when drawing technically
• continue to build upon my graphics and presentation skills
• continue documenting my ideas throughout my learning log and show my notes and analysis of my work
• continue to explore how I can organise my ideas and designs going forward

For Assignment 9 I have produced technical drawings that are in detail and describe some important elements in my piece of fitted furniture. Detail drawing no. 3 shows a section of how the base of my cabinet frame meets the brick wall and the floor. Detail drawing no. 4. shows a section of how the sink meets the worktop. I have also created two other drawings, one of a front elevation and the other showing the overall design.

I have presented the drawings in different scales. I spent many hours this month studying Autocad online, practising and making lots of mistakes! But I persevered and produced drawings that are legible and communicate my bathroom cabinet design but not before receiving helpful feedback from my tutor where I was given guidance in making them look more professional.

I found this assignment quite challenging, I soon realised there was so much more to learn with Autocad than I already know, but I followed youtube tutorials and soon learned the correct way of doing certain things. I found myself spending many hours of an evening after work throwing myself into learning the software. It’s very intuitive and once mastered fairly straight forward to use, I’m realising that I need to keep practising a few times a week so that I don’t forget what I have learned. I was pleased with my drawings and needed to adjust them slightly after feedback from my tutor. I look forward to finishing this unit with my assignment 10, where I will communicate my design proposal in the form of a design booklet.

Following on from the research task: what it looks like or what it is, in the form of a video lecture, I have sketched designs of my fitted furniture. I noted from the video that it can be easy to understand what an object is just by looking at, but to understand how it is made you need to pick it apart, you need to see detailed drawings to fully understand how it is fixed together. It is really important when designing a piece of furniture, that as designers, we explain why and how certain pieces work together, we can produce drawings to communicate our ideas.

I chose to design a piece of furniture that will fit in an ensuite bathroom between two chimney breast stacks. To communicate my ideas i have made a few sketches. These sketches show how I have developed my design. I have looked at different styles of legs and how they may be fixed to the cupboard. In the summer of 2021 I visited the London Design Festival where there was a display of beautiful colours and patterns from around the world, I have taken inspiration from the Islamic patterns, they are beautiful and intricate. I have sketched a few different patterns that would work for my cabinet design.

I have also looked at how the drawers will be put together, the dovetail joint is a seamless connection. There are so many ways of displaying a sink bowl and the taps that sit on the sink. My sketches show those variations and a side elevation showing how the drawer and cupboard would look like inside.

Having chosen my site for the design, I’m familiar with the space that I needed to fill, that was the easy part. I also had a fair idea of the amount of cupboard and drawer space that I need to accommodate the toiletries. The existing sink and pedestal is at a good height, so the measurements are very similar.

I originally thought that at the smallest point above the sink maybe I could fit a mirror, but I have since realised that the space is fairly narrow and we would have to bend down to look in the mirror, not ideal! So with this in mind I think a few shelves would be perfect, I would like to follow the pattern design at the top as well as the bottom, that way they will tie in together nicely, but I’m not sure if this would work or even be possible.

With this design the user will still be able to enjoy the red brick on both sides and between the sink area and the shelving above. I think that the cupboard design on the fronts will add style and fun to an otherwise plain piece of functional furniture. The design style is so different to the backdrop of the red brick wall, it will compliment the red brick shape, it will offer a decorative style to a rectangular block wall. I have designed the piece of furniture to have that instant impressiveness and by adding a textured pattern design to the door and drawers fronts it will not only offer style but texture in a very traditional style bathroom.

I also need to take into consideration the brick wall and how to treat it so that it’s waterproof because the bathroom will produce steam when the shower is being used and there will inevitably be water splashes from using the sink. I will need to apply a brick sealer product that will soak into the pores of the brick, this will seal the bricks but will also act as a prevention of the natural brick dust. I’m prepared for the bricks within the recess to be particularly uneven, so I will fit battens of wood to the walls to make a cupboard frame and then add patterned wood to the front, which will make up the doors and the drawer. So basically there won’t be cupboard sides or a back but the frame will be strong enough to carry the sink, the frame will sit within the recess so there will be no need for sides. I will use the required size of batten for the frame which the cupboard doors and drawer front will be hinged onto, also taking into consideration the size of the hinge for the size of the door. The hinges need to be strong enough to hold the doors and the plywood fretwork. Here are some image examples.

I’m very keen to source the doors and drawer front from another piece of furniture, maybe salvage a few pieces to bring the fronts together in one design. This way I’m considering sustainability and if I use the carcass of the door and drawer front I can then add the fretwork to the inside and then apply another layer of plywood, painted in a funky colour, to the back of that. This way you won’t see inside the cupboard itself. I’m not keen on seeing cleaning products each time I enter the bathroom, the fretwork can be the standout piece with coloured wood as a backdrop. I have created a 3D image of how the fretwork, frame and plywood would look in the style of an exploded diagram. It’s in greyscale but gives you an idea of how the pieces would fit together, pinned by nail tacks. Drawing in this way also gave me time to practice technical drawing in Autocad and in 3D.

When I first thought about putting furniture into the space I was very much drawn to Edwardian style cupboards, their warm tones and chunky style appeals to me, but after sketching and researching patterns I’m finding a patterned fretwork style frontage much more appealing, especially for this small space. I like the idea of sitting the sink partly in the top of the furniture, hence the reason for a less deep drawer. This way I can have more cupboard space below bringing a little more height to the sink within the space, this also means the hot, cold and waste pipes can be hidden behind at the back of the cupboard. Within this design I can also include sustainability, which is very important to me. There are so many unwanted cupboards to be found in junk yards and emporiums that I feel I could reuse the cupboard fronts and once I’ve got the correct measurements I can source them fairly easily. Even the wooden framework could be up-cycled from a second hand unit. By sourcing a second hand cupboard is helping reuse furniture that could potentially go to landfill and it’s also helping a small business survive this fast fashion world we are currently living in.

Reflecting on the design process, once again, it reminds me how important it is to sketch out ideas. What a journey this exercise has taken me on, pulling all of my knowledge and learning together to create my own design. The sketches are still fresh in my mind, I just kept adding ideas to them, this part was so much fun. I can honestly say that at the beginning of this exercise I was not expecting to draw so many little ideas. I am still drawing inspiration from exterior sources, whilst walking around my local town over Christmas I was seeking patterns and colour to bring into my design. I am now looking forward to putting all of my ideas into an organised format for the final exercise.