Building the home for Habitat for Humanity was an amazing experience I mean that in all honesty. I had such a great time working with all of my classmates and the other volunteers constructing the roof and putting up some of the trim edge work on the side of the roof. I have never worked construction but I loved every task I was put to. I loved how hands on everything was, most people think that building a home is confusing and something they could never be a part of, but I think everyone is capable of helping build and construct the frame for a home.

I would highly recommend working with Habitat for Humanity for anyone interested on any type of design. Very interesting how everything is put together and the process that takes a foundation to a frame to a home! I got to work on the hurricane ties on the side of the house that makes sure the roof and the outer frame do not come detached from the walls in the event of heavy winds.

Sketch Crawl

                The sketch crawl was my second favorite activity we got to be a part of during the Seattle trip. I learned that quickly and efficiently sketching out the basic layout of a space then filling that space with the details is actually quite a bit better then starting with the details and drawing out from them. I started drawing things that were directly in front of me but by the time I had moved back to the backdrop of the drawing everything was slightly out of proportion. I asked one of the field sketchers for a tip on how to show relative size and get a better sense of proportion in my sketches and he told me to add people to my drawings, which surprisingly I never thought of! He pushed me to fill the space with things that people easily identify and can mentally image automatically to be a certain size and make them pop to show a better, more proportionate view of a landscape or interior. I will apply the tips and lessons learned on the sketch crawl to the next batch of sketches we do in class and see if they improve!

Job Shadow: Interior Architects

                The Job shadow was easily my favorite part of the entire trip! I learned so much and it was refreshing and relieving to see the tactics and methods we learn in class used in the modern workplace! The job shadow made me realize that everything eventually comes together to make a final product. I guess I personally don’t think that far ahead but in firms today the final product is your grade in real life and is taken extremely seriously. I think I will start to plan out everything I have to do for each project so I can better plan out my time. All of my energy goes into the wrong places for projects and I need to deconstruct projects in my head and better visualize where everything will go and how everything will cooperate with other aspects of my project to better my final product. It was challenging to hear that Amanda, one of the many bright minds working there, was working on multiple projects at once. But it was relieving that the company came up with ways to work around these multiple projects and make sure both get done on time. I think my biggest struggle so far is not necessarily multitasking, but applying myself in order to get multiple projects done in the same week. I am so happy to have toured IA, I wish I had more time to just sit and watch the process work being done .

Frye Museum

                The Frye museum was next on our list of activities. The entry’s effect depends on which entry you choose. There is an entry that goes into a small waiting room then into the main lobby, but the one I chose to focus on was the ADA accessible entry way. The entry way glides up a steady slope with a beautiful modern art piece standing in calm water to your left, which adds a physical trait to the building of sleek modern design. As soon as you enter the building however, it turned into a golden section type dome with two large windows stretching high on either side flooding the doorway with natural light. There was also a skylight put into the top of the dome like structure that floods the main passageway with light and causes you to venture further into the museum. The entry way was definitely my favorite part as I could see all of what the designer was describing to us in clear form. That being said, the rest of the interior was bland and rather boring. This may be due to the tour seeming to end shortly after the entry way, but I saw little to no architectural integrity throughout. I did see a café attached to the museum with large windows looking to the public and large floor to ceiling windows that illuminated a room off of the café, but that was all that sincerely caught my eye. Human interaction in the space, in my perspective, would be completely focused on the art pieces being shown in the museum, which held up well with the basic museum layout and design. I honestly do not understand modern art so the art part of the tour was lost on me, but I found the rock garden in the center of the café/museum to be astounding.  

Chapel of Saint Ignatius

                Daylight reflects beautiful in the Chapel of Saint Ignatius. I have previously gone to a service in this chapel with my brother as well. I love the way different light shows a story of Saint Ignatius through his time in scripture. The use of stained glass in a modern setting brings an old way of representing religion and a greater power to a new way of thinking. When I see the Chapel of Saint Ignatius I see a modern outlook on a religion buried in old scripture. The building was refreshing and well presented, inviting yet direct. It was very basic, there was no room that was used for absolutely nothing, the space was well constructed to make every square foot count and have its purpose. The light refractions of different colors seemed to give off a calming feature, especially behind the main stage of the chapel. The overall experience when it came to light was calming and soothing, which a church should be. The interior form had many oddly shaped areas that attracted attention when walking in and seemed to guide you to the main area. The greatest space of all was the wall behind where the sermons were given. An oddly shaped sculpture built up an implied wall, and bursts of light showed through, attracting all attention to the main focus of the chapel. Human interaction is very important, you do not want a building that looks completely out of place, but stands out nonetheless. This is a very difficult task to pull off but the use of the water feature that brings you to the bell tower seemed to complete the entire image and settle any unsettling nerves of the architecture of the space.  

Street Bean Espresso and Shelter

                The philosophy of New Horizons teen shelter is to provide a place to sleep, eat, do laundry, and even take a warm shower. However, New Horizons is not a permanent residence for these outcast, homeless teens and that is what the owner and founder is trying to accomplish. What this space needs is organization. I would recommend a series of lockers and/or cubbies to store the personal belongings of the teens staying there. As for permanent residents I would create a series of cubicle type living quarters that are designed in a way to be private but also easily penetrable to create a sense of community and security provided by the workers of New Horizons. Most of what the main hangout area provided was in the right areas, they just need a sense of organization to ease any amount of stress that the teens may be already experiencing.  Security cameras may also work but I think a greater amount of light and colors on the walls and around the corners of the area would make the entire area seem more open and safe for both the workers and the teens staying there. The Street Bean Espresso Shop was pretty interesting and was better designed for human interaction then the shelter was. It was open, simple and modern. The street bean espresso was very stress free and seemed like a healthy environment for the working teens.

Westlake Residence

                Our second site on the first day was a construction site that had a grown level for artists and the upper floors were for apartments. When seeing the residences that were presently being constructed I saw more of a design perspective in the accented notes of the heavy concrete plates and slabs that make up the flooring and parts of the walls of the mostly studio apartments. The construction process was the most interesting. It seemed as if the workers were constantly learning and figuring out exactly where everything was going, which I think is one of the most interesting processes I’ve ever witnessed in the field of design. Our tour guide guided us on an informational quest throughout the hallways and half-finished stairwells that showed basically all of the layers of the process that builds the building from the ground up. One of the most interesting parts of our tour was the main floor/lobby/arts center with an upper deck that looked out upon the street level windows. One of the better ideas I saw being put to work in the main lobby area was the natural lighting that improved the overall implied space and height of the ceilings. The exposed beams added an industrial look that would fit an art studio perfectly. The deck at the top of the building has one of the most beautiful views of the Space Needle and the lake, which would bring up all of the residents and provide a kind of community space for the entirety of the building. This space could work for small functions or parties or possibly a date!

Z Home

                Our first visit was the Z Home project in the highlands, just before Seattle. Designing for residential can be tricky, it is important to think of where your supplies for building every aspect of your home or simple residence come from and the expenses that come from that. The Z Homes were studio, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom residences that have literally no energy usage from outside sources. They obtain all of their energy from solar panels located on the surfaces of the welcome gate and the roofs of a majority of the buildings located on the site. What I found to be most interesting about the site was the extent the contractors were willing to go to ensure the net zero energy compliance along with the materials and overall construction of the buildings to promote energy sufficiency. The building was made from materials that were ethically sourced, which brings a more natural look to the space and is necessary for people who live a lifestyle that promotes fair trading and living ethically. The interactions between the space and people were refreshing and clean cut. The home was seemingly spacious without using very much overall square footage. Overall the space was well thought out and would work perfectly for someone who is living on their own and doesn’t tote a lifestyle of clutter!