Carter Nelson: Assignment 04

Candace and I CNC-milled two models of our project 1b furniture solution. The first is a prototype of the joint, sliding system, and the second is a scale model that represents the aesthetic and functional attributes of the full model. We created a bunk that offers privacy, storage, and a control over interaction and that interacts with the user.

Accoustic Cinematek

I felt the Cinematek asked us to tackle the relevancy of cinema itself considering today's reliance on technology, mobilization, and individualism when it comes to watching film. However my solution strove to stress the importance of cinema in the role of daily social interaction by celebrating all of life's mundane moments making up a larger more compelling picture. The project focused on change in material from brick, metal, screen, and glass to stress different experience and perception throughout the program. Accordingly, I designed a tile to abstract ideas of framing moments of time into an acoustic system placed on the outside corridor of my theaters. The tile was designed to amplify and scatter sound in this corridor to remind moviegoers of the outside context as they enter and leave the cinema.

An early process drawing showing the placement of the tiles on the ceiling.....

In my final review presentation I actually used this module for a screen. Using the rays of Sonic, I could further develop this design to manipulate light to benefit the space. 

Carolina Tamayo | Assignment 6B

For my theater tile, I decided to tie it back to one of the main features of my design: the facade.  I made my tile with the same square pattern seen in the elevation.  The only difference is that I pushed and pulled the squares in the tile to provide a desired sound effect. 

Problem | The problem with my theaters is that they sit right on top of each other so the bottom theater has a roof that slants backward.  In order to get the sound to the seats at the back, the tile would be placed in the slanted roof.  

Material | The tile would be made out of a hard, smooth material like plastic or gypsum board that would reflect the sound to the theaters at the back. The sonic image and other diagrams are represented bellow. 

Ana Mernik Looking Out Week 16 (Last Week of Class WOOT WOOT)

For my last blog, I'd like to take some advice from Julian Treasure, a sound expert. As students of architecture, we often hear the words "moment" and "experience," but we many times forget that those don't come just from a building's form and materials, from something we see and touch. So much of our experience in a space is linked to how it sounds. This is what Treasure calls the "invisible architecture."

In his short TED Talk, Treasure calls on architects to pay better attention to acoustics when designing spaces. Giving a hospital as an example, he shows how sound effects us physiologically as well as psychologically - when hospital rooms are loud, the nurses and doctors are more distracted from their work, and the patients and visitors more anxious. Treasure gives two simulations to prove his point. In the first, he shows how reverberation can affect the intelligibility of a teacher in a classroom; in the second, he reduces the reverberation by 60% and compares the results. People's motivation, productivity, and even health improve when reverberation is taken into account.

His talk is only about 10 minutes and worth a listen...get it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5nbWUOc9tY

Gary Li: Best Final Assignment Ever

The acoustic tile that I designed was based on the idea that the person within the theater would be able to catch certain glimpses of different moments of the building. So a person standing from the ticket booth could see people sitting at the bar, casually sipping on their mimosas, or watching people learning film software. This design was all about experiencing architecture through this idea of film strips where each "moment" was a clip within the entire film . What these tiles allow for is the ability to glance through them as a whole but at the same time offer some sort of protection/ barrier between the spaces. The tiles I imagined would be made out of some type of wood because of its ability to absorb sound (at least I think it works that way, I am no sound designer). Overall this tile works with my design idea and does offer some sort of sound protection(not too much though). 

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 16

This is a wooden swing/ sculpture design was created by Veronica Martinez. It was crafted by Spanish sculptors and is made out of cerejeira wood and treated with Teka oil. The ergonomic curved shape makes this seat a comfortable and relaxing space to be in.  Additionally,  the leaf form was inspired by warm season of autumn.

Link: http://www.trendir.com/archives/006525.html

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 15

This is a renovated home was designed by Carlos Delpin and his wife Eneida Nunez. It is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The architects maintained the original Spanish tiles but added new lighting features like the three skylights in the ceiling. They describe the experience of the house as "living with a light show."

Link: http://www.trendir.com/house-design/puerto-rico-architecture-authentic-remake-of-a-modern-puerto-rican-residence.html

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 14

Now that we are so close to the end I am starting to miss my home.  This is the Natatorio located in my town's local College, UPR  in Mayagüez. It was designed by Fuster + Partners Architects. It was started in 2007 and completed in 2010. They constructed this new natatorium for Centroamericano Olympics in 2010.

Link: http://www.archdaily.com/198498/natatorio-fuster-partners-architects/

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 13

IBUKU Architecture focuses on bamboo as their primary material. Bamboo is very sustainable and strong and was used to create an amazing village in Ayung River Valley in Bali, Indonesia. It maintains the culture of its residence and a connection with its natural surroundings.

Link: http://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/living/living-space/ibuku-architecture/

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 12

This is the Chokkura Plaza by Kengo Kuma and Associates. It was design for an exhibition in Tochigi, Japan. It celebrates and plays with material and its assembly. In this case, the material is the Ooya stone characterized by its softness and porosity. The building functions as a community hall that has assembly spaces and galleries.

Link: http://www.architecture-page.com/go/projects/chokkura-plaza__all

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 11

This is a futuristic housing module designed by NAU firm. The module is called the Living Roof and its self-sustainable. It demonstrates the essentials, just refuge and views into the city.  Also, it plays with the new architectural idea of mobility.

Link: http://zeospot.com/contemporary-house-architecture-design-1/

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 10

Ponsonby’s Mackelvie Street Shopping Precinct won a Commercial Architecture award in 2013. This shopping centre was design by RTA Studio. It located in Mackelvie St. in Auckland. It grabs the pedestrians' attention with its unique, lacy facade.  

Link: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1310/S00669/mackelvie-street-head-turner-wins-top-architecture-award.htm

Carolina Tamayo | Looking Out Week 9

314 Architecture Studio design this beautiful residential home in Athens, Greece.  It hovers over a pool to give the sense of sailing, which was inspired by the owners passion for yachts.

Link: http://aasarchitecture.com/2013/01/h3-house-by-314-architecture-studio.html

Looking Out Week 3

The Holmenkollen Ski Jump, designed by JDS Architects, won the Norwegian Steel Construction Prize in 2011. In our Materials and Assembly course, we learned about steel and its structural strength. This project shows very honestly the capabilities of steel by cantilevering most of its structure, just relying on steel. Its slender form is also visually intriguing due to the cantilever.