blog post

for consumer theory, we focused on canterbury cathedral, apple (specifically the nyc cube store), and the colosseum, because they show how people adapt and how design affects our lives, and how we affect design,
for brand theory, we focused on starbucks, eiffel tower, and the vatican. they each well represent themselves and their specialty (food, landmark, religion) by utilizing design to their advantage.

Social Learning

Churches are a great example of social learning in interior environments. They provide a service to the community, and just being within the space itself can clue the visitor in on the buildings purpose. The other important thing about the interior space of churches is that social learning is very prevalent when a new user is in the space, as they learn what to do and how to behave by observing other, experienced people who are also using the space.

Anthropometrics

The good example is the chairs in Pence Hall 209, they are wide enough, feature built in desks, and although they are close together, they don't feel claustrophobic. The seats and arms are the appropriate height.

A bad example of chairs are the chairs in the first year studio. My desk does not account for my chair, so no matter what you do, the chair will be pushed in. Since I sit in an aisle, it makes it difficult for people to walk past.

(My images are having a hard time working, I'm trying to fix it but it's not working with KTower wifi. I'll hopefully have it fixed by tonight)

Central Kentucky

Keeneland, an iconic part of Lexington, is one of the best examples that provides a sense of place for Central Kentucky. By combining a cultural activity with a tourist attraction, and a lot of originality, Keeneland is a landmark that creates a sense of place true to Central Kentucky.

My Chair

Single Space

Although the Hall of Mirrors best represents European architecture of the 1500-1800s, it is one of the best examples as it expresses the opulence and grandeur that the Europeans were trying to convey. That time period was all about elegance and status and how to show it. Mirrors, gilding, and stones (marble, granite), were all ways to show your status in society. Versailles' Hall of Mirrors is a great example of this as it utilizes all three features (mirrors, gilding, stones) to convey the Palace's importance in Frances society.

1501-1800 Installation

My group has decided to install the images from space at the top, to objects at the bottom. By going from large to small, the viewer can see how culture and art have affected each other and trickled down (or up) between buildings and household objects. We also have everything (loosely) organized by date, the 1500s are grouped together, as are the 1600s, and the 1700s. Out timeframe is very interesting because it is when interior designed experienced its initial kickstart as an art form.

(I do not have an image because I was busy helping pin or handing out tape, I didn't have time to photograph)

Challenges

Some of the challenges I faced when finding images that accurately represented the 1500-1800s was how black and white ruined aspects of the interiors and exteriors, like that color and metals were used a lot to define status. Especially in France, gold gilding was so prevalent that when you take that and make it grey, it loses a lot of its unique-ness and interest. Another challenge was finding images large enough that had a enough color range to make it interesting when I changed it to black and white.

Magazine Research

Because I was not in class on Wednesday (alarm was set for 8:20 pm not am!), I was not assigned a time period. Not knowing that they were assigned by every five years, I chose my favorite issue of Lonny Magazine, which unfortunately is from 2013. This was interesting when we met in groups and compared time periods. In my group we had magazines from 1890, 1930, 1995, 2010, and 2013 (if I am not mistaken). Having an odd year was interesting as it allowed us to see the immediate transition between years, assuming we are all up to date on 2015 design magazines. 

Some things we noticed was how images we not a huge focus for magazines in the beginning, but now they seem to dominate the entirety of an issue. Another thing was details, like how they utilize colors used in the images in the text, or graphic details that make an issue less Times New Roman-y. 

Architecture and Design Book

Although there were many challenges with proposing a ten page architecture and design book, the main difficulty was selecting and narrowing down the right of information. There is so much to be said about architecture and design that narrowing it down is incredibly challenging, you really have to consider what is good information versus what is important information. Selecting images was also problematic, as what is truly the most important to one person may not be important to the next, especially when you factor in personal tastes and styles.

Light at Grand Central

Grand Central Station is a prime example of how natural light was strongly considered in the buildings initial design. The first photograph is from the 1920s, when light still streamed into the common area of the station. The middle photograph is recent, and shows how natural light no longer streams into the station, and the third photo shows why the natural light is gone: taller buildings. It is a shame that when the new taller buildings were constructed, they did not consider the timeless beauty of Grand Central Station.

Light in interior spaces is crucial to the integrity and design of a space. Light can enhance the overall mood of a space, making it dreamier or darker; light can also make a space feel more modern or historical. This heavy amount of control that light has is can make or break a space. And in the instance of GCS, it was a crucial part of its initial design, until the city out grew it.

Images: Getty, Flickr

Time Lapse