AIM
humberto norman arch 131 fall 2014 california polytechnic state university, san luis obispo
ali mcbride
table of contents biography 00 totem 01 game space 02 walking the line 03 interpolated void 04 ufo 05 pier 06 miscellaneous
“life is a painting and you’re the artist”
born: january 9, 1996 in stanford, ca from: woodside, ca places: mexico, haiti, jamaica, grand cayman speaks: english, spanish, latin loves: riding horses, playing guitar, listening to music, playing softball, reading, writing, philosophizing, learning, loving fun fact: does not like chocolate favorite song: you be the anchor that keeps my feet on the ground, i’ll be the wings that keep your heart in the clouds by mayday parade meyers-briggs: istj
biography
00 totem
learn by doing
playing with various tools and machines to make art
01 game space
orthographic analysis of game spaces
by understanding all aspects of space, you understand the activities that can be performed within that space
from 2D to 3D
taking a newly aquired understanding of space to create a new form
reflection
Game space expanded my imagination and began to prepare me for the architectural world. At first, my designs and diagrams were very literal but quickly became more abstract as I began to see the different spaces within the games as art instead of reality. This project taught me the most about the creative mind and how it applies to the surrounding world, not just the artistic world.
02 walking the line
observations
good design is influenced by careful observation of space
mapping observations to see the bigger picture
applying observations
looking at detail in a different way
reflection
This project proved to be more challenging than I originally anticipated. Taking the observations was easy but applying them in an abstract way to the final line was very difficult for me to do. Even after finishing my line, I feel as if I was too literal in my design. However, I am happy with how different mine was from everyone elses. I thought in a more 3D way, making mine seem more realistic. From this project, I learned how to imply a purpose without directly drawing or creating it.
03 interpolated void
looking inside the box finding patterns in every day life
cutting, shifting, deleting, extending finding connections between two separate patterns
drawing, eliminating, refining
simplifying connections and deciding what is important to the space
digitalizing
turning a drawing into a digital composition
reflection
Interpolated void was probably one of my favorite projects this year. It allowed me to utilize and expand my imagination while still creating something meaningful. I was most challenged by the idea of simplifying to focus on the most important elements of the design although it seemed as if everything was important.
04 ufo
ripping, folding, cutting
turning the interpolated void into a space
folding, cutting, lighting
creating a new space influenced by light
reflection
Designing my UFO was a very stressful and fun process. I restarted my study models many times and came upon my final study model by accident. I was so unaware of what I had done that when it came to creating my final model, I took apart my study model, only to find that I couldn’t put it back together. However, I am still very satisfied with my final model. I love how although there are so many spaces within, light still reaches every corner and crevice. I also find it interesting that I was given many comments that my final model looked like either water or fire. Perhaps I should take that feedback and go further...
05 pier
taking it all in
analyzing the site to truly experience what it means to live in a space
sketching observations from reality to paper
coloring with water
experimenting with an element from the site
its about the little things
taking exact measurements and testing their accuracy
programming
imagining life in a new space
enlarging and enhancing
recreating an observation...only bigger!
reimagining space
applying purpose to an existing form
extending lines
looking at flat drawings in a 3D way
its a design choice
restarting from scratch and finalizing decisions
and so it goes
accepting mistakes and moving on
reflection
The pier project was the ultimate test of my new understanding of space. From program diagrams to obliques, each step continued to introduce a new way of thinking that I had not had the opportunity to embrace before. More than anything, this project taught me the importance of time management and communication. Architecture is not a solo profession. The architect must be constantly communicating with the construction manager, the engineer, the electrician, the site owner, and many other people while still attempting to hold a sense of individuality. Similarly, my group had to work together, compromise, and even completely restart in order to reach our final design. However, in the end, our hard work and dedication paid off and I am proud to have the ability to put my name with theirs, on our model. I only wish I had more time to see where else this project could have taken us.
06 miscellaneous
art at work
contour figures drawn from life
living art
contour portraits drawn from life
strike a pose
finding patterns within human motion
13 min
speed drills
8 min
testing the limits of our sketching skills with our dominant hand
5 min
going blind
blind contours of with the dominant hand
3 min
2 min
1 min
1 min
switching it up
2 min
sketching with my non-dominant hand while blind
3 min
just a little off
no longer blind but still using my non-dominant hand
5 min
8 min
5 in
8.25 in 5 ft 4 in
4.8 in 7.5 in
4 in 3.25 in 2 in
4 ft 7 in
Ali McBride
homo sapien
an accurate recreation of the self
Ali McBride
how puzzling
isometric drafting puzzles of various objects
architecture is music in stone a composition based on music
play with your food!
using food as a painting medium
food for thought
analyzing architecture with food
reflection My journey through first quarter architecture at Cal Poly was a long but generally fun experience. More than anything this year, I learned the importance of purpose. Any person can make a building or space but if it has not purpose, then what is the point of creating it at all? This year also sparked a new appreciation for sleep. Passenger said it best when they said “you only know you love her when you let her go” and its definitely true. It wasn’t until I was living off of a few hours of sleep a night that I saw how privileged I have been. Despite my lack of sleep, I am proud to say that I have not yet been overwhelmed by the mountain that is the architecture major at Cal Poly. In fact, I think that I have come to love architecture even more, although most of the quarter was dedicated to abstract thinking. I look at the world around me now in a completely different way. Instead of a lawn or room, I see potential for art. Architecture is more than just walls, roofs, and windows. Architecture is music, rain, dance, and every other aspect of life. Life is a painting, and I’m the artist.