last friday i attended a lecture given by patrick lucas on modernism at home. he has been researching (with the help of others, too) the legacy and innovation of edward lowenstein, one of greensboro's most prominent architects. having started his work solo in the 40s, lowenstein did much of his work during controversial times. he was the first to incorporate race relations and design and hired african americans to work at his firm.
patrick talked a lot about how lowenstein "worked things out" in his designs. his buildings just..work. they answer questions you never even realized you had. he also noted that building appearances can reflect the cultural issues of the time.
he talked about modernism and how, at first we don't really get it. but when we live with it for a while we start to understand. I thought that was very interesting and it kind of spoke to lowenstein'is "working things out".
lowenstein layered buildings according to light, needs, and experience. he was also very interested in highlighting the bones of the structure and often did so with lighting.
i'm definitely glad that i attended the lecture and wish i could've done the walking tour and saw the houses in person. when thinking about greensboro it's easy to think of it as old and beaten down, outdated. but now i have a new appreciation for our city. i think that the more that people start to build up parts of it, our city will really come together. whether modernist, traditional, or something in between, greensboro is a mix of creative minds just waiting to be showcased!
side note: lowenstein's "working things out" reminds me a lot of something that jerry told our class the other day while filling in for jo. he said to, "answer the questions first and the design will unfold." this has stuck with me ever since. i think that it's really easy to get caught up in design and keep designing forever without ever really finishing anything. answering the main questions helps set up the foundation for the rest of the design to transpire. and for me, that is unbelievably helpful to hear.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
MIDTERM REVIEWS
midterm reviews proved to be insightful, as expected!
jo: suggested that i improve my renderings and add people
lauren: addressed the doors in the back of the building (currently there are a lot!)
she also talked about how i'd have to have a public restroom if i have a lunch counter
she mentioned that my apartment rendering was cold and that it could be warmed up a little
robert: agreed with lauren about the doors and the restrooms
he also addressed front stair travel distance and said it might be too far and should be looked at
also mentioned that there were venting solutions to allow me to have a grill and such in my food area (i was concerned about where it would vent to).
he said that i'd need to close off the bike shop if i want different tenants to coexist in the building.
he said my basement looked good as far as the code was concerned, and that i could use the back stairs for something else since i already had 2 stair cases and ways out.
jerry: had a lot of advice. i think he's quickly becoming my favorite person to talk to by far. we talked about his process because personally, i'm bad about the delivery but i love designing. i asked about his process and he said that he starts where the most life is present and moves forward. for this project, that is the street. start designing for the street view and move in.
he also talked about hand rendering and its importance.
we talked about how design can go for forever and that planning time wisely is key. he said to start with the most public spaces.
overall, the process is better than the product but the product makes you the money.
hugh: another of my favorites, talked all about the front, street experience. he said to go crazy with windows on the street level. he also emphasized sketches and hand renders.
i didn't get my poster printed, but here is what it looks like:
personally, i think that there is a lot of work to be done still! i really want to focus on the experience that one has in the building, i just need to get all of the essentials nailed down first. moving forward, i plan to hammer out the last crucial details and then focus on the experience from the outside moving inward.
jo: suggested that i improve my renderings and add people
lauren: addressed the doors in the back of the building (currently there are a lot!)
she also talked about how i'd have to have a public restroom if i have a lunch counter
she mentioned that my apartment rendering was cold and that it could be warmed up a little
robert: agreed with lauren about the doors and the restrooms
he also addressed front stair travel distance and said it might be too far and should be looked at
also mentioned that there were venting solutions to allow me to have a grill and such in my food area (i was concerned about where it would vent to).
he said that i'd need to close off the bike shop if i want different tenants to coexist in the building.
he said my basement looked good as far as the code was concerned, and that i could use the back stairs for something else since i already had 2 stair cases and ways out.
jerry: had a lot of advice. i think he's quickly becoming my favorite person to talk to by far. we talked about his process because personally, i'm bad about the delivery but i love designing. i asked about his process and he said that he starts where the most life is present and moves forward. for this project, that is the street. start designing for the street view and move in.
he also talked about hand rendering and its importance.
we talked about how design can go for forever and that planning time wisely is key. he said to start with the most public spaces.
overall, the process is better than the product but the product makes you the money.
hugh: another of my favorites, talked all about the front, street experience. he said to go crazy with windows on the street level. he also emphasized sketches and hand renders.
i didn't get my poster printed, but here is what it looks like:
personally, i think that there is a lot of work to be done still! i really want to focus on the experience that one has in the building, i just need to get all of the essentials nailed down first. moving forward, i plan to hammer out the last crucial details and then focus on the experience from the outside moving inward.
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