Storytelling and Composition

For my design Visualization class we started out the semester with an array of interesting assignments. The first one called for us to create a two page layout displaying 5 illuminated objects having some form of value, including a quick description. We were also allowed to use pen and one colored pencil of of choice. Since my theme (cheesy, I know) was "off the beaten path" I added brown accents to my objects to make them appear a bit more "beaten"...along with a path that travels along the spread. The path served as the main focus of the layout, the words were important as well but serves more as accents much like the brown pencil i added does. The text is a curvy font that winds in and out at the ends of each letter, though the first letter of some of the descriptions is blown up like that in a fairy tale storybook with all its filled in designs that I took note of and incorporated in my spread. Each of the objects has varying importance but they all have some form of meaning to me as they came across my path.

"All I ever needed to know about composition...

I learned from flipping through the pages of magazines"

The next assignment was to tell a story of our first week back at school in the form of a magazine layout. I choose a spread from the "Dwell" Dec/Jan issue. The left side of the spread located as the fountain outside the school cafeteria, the girl came out looking a bit rigid and I added "brace yourself" at the bottom. The other pictures on the opposite page display several items that I associate with the beginning of a new semester.

Mr. and Mrs. Blandings Lake House

Some of my plans...

Final Plan view

Above are the elevations of the north, south, east, and west walls of the Blanding's lake house.

The Blanding's 12 year old son's room. I consider this a very odd perspective as we are at an unsure height. 

A bathroom perspective...looks like a pretty big bathroom to me.

Draft and final section cuts.

For the final project in Design Visualization last semester, we contorted a basic house plan to get some practice drawing out architectural plans, sections, elevations, with two perspective drawings with people actually in the space we design thrown in there as well. It was an imaginary lake house for the imaginary couple, Mr. and Mrs. Blanding, and their twelve year old son. The order in which our class went about the various stages of this project was first in pencil (with varying line weights) to complete the plan, the plan with furniture (we choose personally), a section of two sides of the lake house, and then an elevation. After all of this was complete as our final exam grade, I completed the house plans in pen (again, varying line weights) and added two perspectives to the collection. This being my first time working on a project of this sort, it took me many hours to get everything to my satisfaction. Having this project as our final exam put the pressure on to make it as neat and well done as possible. I redid a few of my final drawings and certainly changed layout in the final drawings a good bit between the initial plans and the final's.  Though I was satisfied enough with these to submit them for a grade, there is always room for improvement.

LUMINESCENCE: final design

FIELD OF LIGHT : GLOW

PLAN : ILLUMINATED

SECTION: PLAN VIEW CUT

ELEVATION: ILLUMINATED

SECTION : CUT FROM MIDDLE OF ELEVATION

The above drawings were part of this project as well. We could use either pencil or pastel on colored canson paper to depict an elevation, plan, and field of light drawing. I choose to work in colored pencil which involved quite a bit of layering! This is the first project drawings we have done which involved color, I don't normally work in colored pencils so this assignment was a learning process in how to layer and blend additionally.  I added an additional section drawing, I thought it balanced out the composition of my paper more effectively.

ILLUMINATED MODEL IN THE DARK: PLAN

MODEL IN THE LIGHT: PLAN

ILLUMINATED MODEL IN THE DARK: ELEVATION

MODEL IN THE LIGHT: ELEVATION

  Twelve trapezoidal faces held at a slight curve. Inspired by the warm glow cast in the pictures of the parking garages at night (see below in luminaire research) Made once again of acetate, tracing paper, and bamboo skewers. The faces that you see are made out of the yellow and orange acetate and the tracing paper, while the bamboo skewers internally help support the structure. This model faced many challenges in its creation because acetate  doesn't like to be help at a curve...even less so when doubled as I did with yellow and orange sheets. When I sketched this model out I did not mean for the trapezoid faces to be overlapping, but as it came together I experienced the happy accident of the mod-looking edges and shapes of richer color that were made when the trapezoids overlap as they do it the model above. The material shaped what my project became.  Although I'm happy with my final result I learned a lesson in how hard acetate is to work with.  Finally, I'm satisfied with the warm glow my final model projects. I hope you enjoy it as well!

sketchbook brainstorming, first sketch model, second model before final product

Sketchbook brainstorming...I decided I wanted to make a lantern with a marmalade-like glow. Using yellow and orange acetate  I planned to create scales in a pattern that would allow some pure light to peak through, casting interesting light patterns on the ceiling.

SKETCH MODEL

In no way a final. A sketch model which helped me in finding out what my materials can and cannot do...apparently acetate doesn't like to bend. First trials can be very helpful in figuring out these sort of things

SECOND MODEL

My luminaire casting its marmalade-y color of light on a dry erase board in a dark room.

The star-like light pattern.

These two images above and below are examples of the kind of light I was aiming for.

Using bamboo skewers, I created a hexagonal frame with two rows, which added up to 12 faces. I added triangles of varying sizes so the luminaire would cast light patterns onto a surface, these triangles were a combination of a layer of orange and yellow acetate and a film of tracing paper (to dilute the light). As you can see I did not cover up the top row, but this nakedness developed a harsher light when held at different angles so I decided my final product will conceal the bulb entirely. A little bit of process..

LIGHT AND LUMINESCENCE

In my next venture I will be designing a luminaire using two materials (besides the actual light and hardware) from my previous projects,  along with a new material of MY choice

...loose restrictions and wide boundaries...

possiblilities galore!

First off I began to research the many fields of light, curiosity is key.

Below are my observations and explorations

SHADOWS AND LIGHTPATTERNS

I love the effect created by the shadow lantern's i found at an online store...I started to ponder what other kind of patterns could be casted on a wall like so. One of my most intriguing finds so far...

Shigeru Ban's archtectual model uses gateways to cast linear rows of light. 

Web surfing yet again, this wall sconce delivers a delicate balance of bright light combined with the soft light that casts loose geometric patterns up and down the wall.

I took interest in the light pattern's created from the natural sunlight and surrounding branches...a touch of natural beauty.

DAYLIGHT: 3:30 p.m.  

...you might have to squint 

Sun rays beaming out of the branch's, a pleasant distortion of light.

Sunlight on a reflective window. This reflection casts intensity of the original source.

The intense glow of the afternoon sun dominates, my classmate included (:

The white wall seems to glow due to the position of the sun at this time (keep that in mind), the Deville's surface reflecting this light along its classy curves.

A building  framing the light coming from a lone window.

HARSH FLORESCENT LIGHTING

Dorm hallway light is harsh but purposeful.

A combination of daylight and florescent light. Do you see difference's in their whites?

Allows us to see yellow and white light side by side.

I swear this light looked hideous from afar...peering straight up at it  the warm grow escaping from its contained space appears much different than the yellow bulbs in the pic above.

Evening Glow

The surrounding deep blues of nightlight range in darkness between these two pictures which is relative to the hour in between taking the photo's. The main focus of this was the nice warm glow the interior hallways cast as night. During the day the florescent light appears white but when night falls a glow like that of a sunset takes place.

SUSPENDED LIGHTING 

Tian Xia Meta light

This product creates an awesome array of patterns on the ceiling, an awesome aspect I would love to incorporate into my luminaire...maybe i'll take some cues from this chandelier along the way.

Tamiri Suspension

The use of color is really spectacular in this product. The combination of the different colors creates this supernova-like effect. Both  lights are from Artemide.