Learning Portfolio(In progress) Angelica Flores Arch20 Spring 2016
Week 2: First Project-Dog House Arch 20 Spring 2016/Angelica Flores
Dog House 1
Perspective Views(from left to right): Front, Left, and Right
Perspective Views(from left to right: Worm’s eye view, at eye level, and bird’s eye view
Reflections Learning how to u se Google Sketch Up is both a challenge and a fun activity. During the f irst 2 weeks of school I became very much aware of my lack of computer skills . However I have learned in class that mistakes are ju st an opportunity to get bette r. Now I try my hardest not to get stuck and instead figure out how its done. It always takes me a while before lessons really sink into my memory so I learned to deal with this fact by revisiting notes and try ing to keep up with demonstrations in class. My first dog house that I tried to construct on my own didn't turn out quite as how I envisioned it and given current time restraints in conf lict with othe r classes I decided to keep it how it is and move on from it for now. I’ m hop ing that the next dog house I construct will be better than the first.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths: Even if this
is my first time using Google Sketch Up, I was able to use what I learned in class and apply them in my first attempts at designing. Weaknesses: I did not consider the degree of reality upon my construction such as dimensions and thicknesses. In result, my dog house has no thickness to it. I only realized this when a classmate asked a question regarding the topic. Opportunities: I always have the opportunity of going back and making my dog house better. Threats: The possibility of messing up when I attempt to fix my previous mistake and end up making it worse than before.
Dog House 1.2 My Self Practice of Technique Afte r learning about the offset tool in class I tried to u se it to create depth and dimension to my dog house. I was able to off set and create the window successfully. I thought maybe I could offse t my existing roof to cre ate the desired thickness that I wanted but it didn't quite work out that way. I first offse t one side and then used the push/pull and did the othe r side. This created an awkward inte rsection of p lane s whe re the point of the gable shou ld be. So I thought abou t draw ing a line and try ing to form that point by deleting some parts but that didn't work out eithe r because it would just delete at odd angles. I ended up drawing a line across the awkward intersection and deleting what stuck out. My end result is a f lat su rface where the point of the gable shou ld have been. I then realized that I forgot to offset and try to create thickness on the overall walls.
Lessons: Digital Versus Drawing Rapid V isualization
Practice: Drawing lines, circles, and spirals
Drawing things that we believed to be simp le is harde r than I thought even if I’ve taken drawing classe s before. I have the tendency to always sketch so it was hard for me to keep my pencil to the paper and draw in c continuou s fashion. Going back to the basics really challenges the ability of the mind to focus and slow down so that we pay attention to detail.
Lessons: Digital Versus Drawing Cubes In Space Before we started the Cubes in Space study in class I tried it on my own at home. I used the measuring tape tool to sp ace out everything. In my version the cubes are five feet by five feet and then I used the push/pu ll tool to bring it up to five feet. Than I spaced the cubes five feet apart from one another. In class I learned an easie r way of doing it by se lecting and copying more than one cube. Its faster and takes up less time.
Week 3: Dog House 2 Arch20 Spring 2016/Angelica Flores
Dog House 2
Perspective Views(from left to right): left side view, front, right side view
Perspective Views(from left to right): rear view, top elevation, and close up of window detailing
Reflections I decided to start anew using all the technique s I’ve learned in Sketch Up. I got the idea for Dog House 2 by think ing about puzz le pieces and how they fit togethe r. I played arou nd with the roof until I got this cool shape that look s like it fits like a puzzle. I even incorporated the idea of a puzzle in the way I style the window s. The windows are a set of three with the middle one slightly larger. Dog House 2 is more realistic than my Dog House 1 and 1.2. It has thickness to it and extras since I learned how to import images from 3D warehouse.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths: This time around I was able to design the dog house using a concept I came up with on my own. Weaknesses: Although my dog house 2 shows improvement from my dog house 1, the real problems show in the interior. I started of creating thickness in the walls but than lost them again because of my use of the push/pull tool. Opportunities: I had the opportunity of exploring 3D warehouse.
Threats: I had thoughts
of starting over once again but to much work has been done and I wasn’t sure if I could replicate what I had done, especially the detail of the roof.
Lessons:1 and 3 point perspective Learning abou t 1 and 3 point perspective jogged my memory of when I took basic design, basic drawing, and freehand drawing classe s. Its good to be able to reme mbe r perspective views again because I w as able to apply it to my cu rrent freehand drawing class. For me, since I’ve taken drawing classe s before, I know some basics of shadow s but never the math of it. It w as ne at to le arn how the suns rays fall at an angle and in paralle l lines because I never thought of it that way. I’m not really a math person and it was never my favorite subject bu t to re late it to some thing I actually like, like drawing made it interesting.
On Sketch Up we saw the d ifferent perspectives in ac tion. We also le arned about Groups and Components. I struggled with groups and components so more practice is needed.
Lessons: Constructing Forms in Space This is a continu ation of last class rapid visu alization. Even if I’ve taken drawing classes before the term “casting edges” w as never really explained. I know abou t light sources, highlight, shadow, and then casting shadow. But I never paid attention to edges. Then we learned how v arious shapes can be derived from a cube. I found this helpful becau se usu ally whe n you learn perspective its alway s with cubes. Now I can see how I can draw other figu res in perspective. Since I like to d raw human figu res some times I’ve tried to env ision how to do it in perspective. Maybe a cylinder can be the arm, a circ le for the joint and so on. Its still hard for me to f igure ou t bu t I try whenever I have time.
Creating Floor Patterns We applied the concepts of perspective, shadow s, and forms in space to create f loor patte rns. In, all hone sty I never really pay attention to f loors. I think usually people look up at the ceilings and then to the walls, and then their attention passes the f loor. So for me, it was a little hard to design f loor patterns. The designs I drew started off with me trying curved lines and then I had the idea of distorting a checkerboard for my third drawing. Then my thoughts shifted to things in nature such as f lowe rs and water ripple s. For a brief moment I went back to shapes and tried to see if I could make a pattern going a certain d irection. I even went back to the simp le wooden f loor patte rn and then shaded a rectangle in the insides. Af ter I was finished I realized it looks like a close up of a plant cell which I thought was really cool.
Floor Patterns using Sketch Up In Class: Floor Patterns and animation
Sketch up is always fun and now we used animation. Animation and drawing were one of my dreams in high school. I use to do f lip animation using post it note s. Now actually being able to do at least scenes was really cool. Hopefully when I get better in Sketch Up I’ll be able to do even better animations.
My Own Floor Patterns
These are f loor patte rns I designed. I kept with the idea of ripple s in the wate r for the first two and I liked how they turned ou t. I also tried my plant cell idea but colored not the rectangle in the inside like my drawing but instead the space be tween. The patte rns I created plus the overlapping shadows makes for an interesting space.
Week 4: Walls and Follow Me study Arch 20 2016/Angelica Flores
Wall Studies: Planes/Sections/Variations The wall studie s we did in class coinc ided with the wall studies I’ m doing in studio class. Even though we had to go through almost the same lec ture again I didn’t mind having it repeated. It jogged my memory and gave me the idea that I c an explore my wall designs using Sketch Up. During bre ak I started sketching variations of a wall and some of the m tu rned out pre tty inte resting. With all the different ideas it re ally challenge s the notion of what is a wall and what makes a wall. In some of my ske tches I que stioned that if I have negative space in between two volumes doe s that make two walls or together one wall composition. I found that compared to the f loor study I was able to sketch out more ideas. I think its becau se I wall can be construed more ways than one compared to a f loor which alway s has to remain f lat for practic al reasons. But then if you think about it maybe a be nt f loor could be considered stairs. Afte r taking down notes we applied our studie s to Ske tch Up. This allowed us to see how variation and scale can change the imp act of a wall. Then we practiced using the rotate tool to rotate a whole set of walls.
Follow Me/Intersect Tool Study We used the follow me tool to create domes today. I got the hang of it the first two times and then when it came to the oc tagonal shape that’s w hen my dome s d idn’t turn out right. Sometime s in class it w ould even lag a bit because maybe I was pre ssing buttons too fast try ing to fix my mistake. Yet even though I messed up, I inste ad came up with this pretty ruby shaped dome that looks like a jewel tu rned upside down. Afte r that my circle tool started ac ting up and kept giving me pentagons. Since I was alre ady behind I decided to just take noted instead. It was only towards the end of class that my circle tool gave me circles again.
Week 5:
A Plaza Inspired By Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio Arch 20 2016/Angelica Flores
Piazza del Campidoglio: In Class/at home
Reflection I tried to start this project at home and it tu rned out look ing weird because I couldn't get the move tool to copy. Late r on I found ou t how and was able to complete the steps at home. In class I found out an even easie r way to complete the the petal patte rn which is to cre ate a group, rotate, and the n input how many more copies are needed. Then we had to off set each individual patte rn. It got me thinking that if we offset the original petal and then copied it would that be even faste r? However I never got to try my idea because of time conf licts with other classes. Work ing on the plaza in class really forces you to concentrate and pay attention to detail especially in the cle an up stage whe n we had to erase extra lines. When I continued to work on it at home I had to repeat some steps so that I can show I full transition in the animation. I’m still getting the hang of animation. Af ter I checked how it played out I realized that I forgot to show the very first step.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths:
I was able to follow along in class and get most of the work done. Weaknesses: In class we didn’ t show all the steps so w hen I went home I repeated the steps so that I can show the process in the animation. In the f inal stage s of the animation I realized that I forgot to start it from showing the first step. Opportunities: I had the opportunity of trying out the easier me thods of comple tion at home since I had to repeat steps. Threats: The first time I tried this project I stayed up until 2am trying to figure ou t how to do it. I need to try and get enough hours of sleep.
Week 6: Melevich Construction Arch 20 2016/Angelica Flores
Lesson: Russian Constructivist Design How it was done: Today in class we learned how to use imported images and incorporate them into a design. We first learned how to import images by importing the Russian suprematist composition. We then traced the parts of the composition, used the push pull tool to create structures, and then began to design. The structures are put in individual groups. In the groups, we used the layer function so that we may work on the parts individually without affecting the whole. We then imported a blue sky image, copied, and scaled so that in may fit to look continuous and realistic as a background.
Reflection I think learning abou t the Russian constructivist was helpful for me to understand design that shows off the ske leton of a struc ture as a design. As we were working on it in class I realized that even if it showed off a skele tal structu re it didn't’t necessarily have to have a structu ral purpose and could only be for aesthetic enhancement to the design. For example putting arrays of lines to out a struc ture and define the form more. I surprised myself today being able to follow along even if I struggled w ith the p rocess of making some of the individual parts. The end product show s some of my struggle s such as creating an opening entryway for people to get into.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths:
My own design is from discoverie s made by try ing ou t differe nt hypothesis on what works and what doesn’t. Weaknesses: My overall design shows my struggles in the construction of my own ideas.
Opportunities:
Explored how to import images and use layers and groups in a more complex way.
Threats:
Looking over my final product I can see that it was approaching the d anger of being “over designed” with too many elements.
Week 7: Wall Studies Arch 20 2016/Angelica Flores
My Individual Wall Designs
I call this design “the morphed yen coin” because of the overall look. I wanted to explore the notion of turning a form that looks like a window into an entryway. Usually a window is settled on one wall plane but for this design I wanted to see what it wou ld look like to cre ate an opening where the two wall planes intersect. I was thinking about “Alice in Wonderland” while de signing this wall. The fact that Alice goes through different entryways and ends up in weird places. I think the way the path doesn't continue and the fact that its unreachable is very perplexing. It’s a path that doesn’t se rve a function bu t to make you wonder and imagine w hat it wou ld be like to reach it and walk through the doorway only to find out it also le ads to nothing. Even if this wasn’t my original intention my end resu lt came out to be a more interesting composition on its own.
This design came about from just me ssing with sketch up. Then I formu lated an hypothe sis of how can I create an unfamiliar experience. My end resu lt was this jungle gym like structu re with stairs on one side and a ramp or slide on the other. Depending on how an individual approaches the struc ture they will feel a challe nge and a sense of playfulne ss in how the individu al parts protrude outward or in the openings placed at reach or high above. This is more of an implied wall occupying a plane of sp ace. My thoughts behind this design was how aste roids in sp ace break apart and f loat about. They can break into many diffe rent piece s and each time they bre ak apart they becomes smaller and smalle r than there originally size. However they can also merge together and become bigger. I think this design is one that can be designed many different ways.
My Individual Wall Designs(continued) The first pictu re on the lef t is my initial design before I changed it. It was me playing w ith the move tool to create more inte resting forms. However, the randomne ss of the forms atop the simple rectangu lar base s ju st didn't go together. The next picture is the next stage of my design. I instead decided to focus on rectangle s as a main form to w ork w ith. Then I explored the notion of negative and positive spaces to cre ate a nice shadow quality. It w as hard to conceptualize in my head becau se I was sculpting out what the empty spaces would look like. In the end I was able to come ou t with this neat design that has the feeling of lightne ss because of the openings and this feeling of ascent with the increasing incre ments in height to highlight the stairs as a person goe s up, and vice versa as they go down. The final pictu re is an hypothesis of what a pair of the same design would look like facing each other. I spaced the m a few feet apart because I imagined the possibility of a middle walkway.
Reflection Designing various walls was very fun. I use Sketch Up to conceptualize my designs for Arch 101 before I build a model so I can see it first hand. Designing walls in Sketch Up reminded me of projects in Arch 101 abou t designing walls. Comparing my previous work to the walls I’ve designed now, I would say that my current designs are more interesting. Now as I de sign I am becoming more aw are of my thought process in be ing able to identify stories I wasn’t aware I was formu lating. From a yen coin, aste roids, and “Alice in Wonderland” the se stories help me furthe r define my design to create intere st. I realized that there is a story behind everything. Sometime s the re alization of an existing story can come during the de sign p rocess or even after.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths: Designing with a story
in mind and using the story to test hypothesis to see if existing story matches the design. Weaknesses: Identifying what parts of a design are needed and what is arbitrary.
Opportunities: I took the opportunity
to test my hypothesizes and analyzed concepts such as shadow quality. Threats: If I wasn’t able to identify what is arbitrary in the design then the design would seem meaningless or have discourse within its relation between the parts as a whole composition.
Week 8: Choice of Inspiration(Challenge-Stairs) Arch 20 2016/Angelica Flores
Learning How to Make Stairs
Steps(according to tutorial) 1. Draw circle 2. Create one wedge, turn into component 3. Enter 23 copies to go around whole circle, then copy the first layer and enter 12 copies 4. After achieving cylinder form, select the parts of the steps 5. Select the whole cylinder and delete 6. All that’s left are the stairs, (double click component to put it in edit mode) create circle for pole and then on the inner tip of the wedge. Delete outer circle, then push down to get rid of tip 7. Draw circle for railing on the corner of the wedge. Find center and draw a line up. Connect the line to the next line from the next wedge. Select both the line across and the line going up. Use follow me tool on circle to create the railing. 8. Use push pull tool to bring pole up to desired height.
After I got the hang of creating stairs I started to create this design. I like to call this design “the gradient stair.� Just like in a gradient scale there is a gradual change of values, I decided to test it on stairs to show a gradual change moving up and down. I originally wanted the gradient to be continuous in one sequence but I would have to make it a shorter flight of stairs to use the limited amount of color. Since I did it in three sequences the third sequence leading to the top is abruptly stopped creating a similarity in experience in going up and down. If I achieved a continuous gradient in one sequence going up and down than the experiences would be different. The ascent and descent would be more defined. If we start from the bottom of the steps the darker steps appear closer and as we look up the farther steps are lighter further indicating that there farther away. I imagine doing this design with a bright color to see if I can get a different affect.
After experimenting with color I tried experimenting with size and transparency. I decided to try creating a wider stair case. From my observation a wider stair is more inviting but also less intimate of an experience because of the added space. It allows for a number of people to pass at a time. Then I tried to see the effect translucent material such as glass would have on the steps. The see through quality of the steps creates an element of danger because as you pass up and down you can look through and see how high it is from the ground. The added width and translucent material makes for an overall sophisticated and clean look that are mostly associated with office buildings or high establishments.
Week 9: Folding using the Rotate Tool Arch 20 2016/Angelica Flores
Sequence of Folding
Paper Airplane Flotilla
Reflection As a class we took a moment to play and fold paper airplanes. It was some thing I haven’t done in a long time and it brought back memorie s of doing origami when I w as a kid. It was during a time where paper was a source of amusement before technology. The paper airp lane folded in class was like a study model before approaching the task digitally on Sketch Up. It helped to visualize how to fold on the application. Afte r folding we made our on terrains using sandbox. It provided a se t environment for ou r paper airp lane f lotilla. The computer I w as working on had its moments where it wasn’ t responding so I had to finish the rest when I got home. At home I imported a sky background and created a river. Designing terrains are fun because you get to create your own environment and it doesn't necessarily have to be real. If I had the time to experiment I’d try and create my own fantasy worlds. I could try creating a te rrain upside down or maybe try to create an underground cave.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths:
I was able to follow along in class even when at times the computer wasn’t re sponding. I didn’t let that stop me and finished it whe n I got home. Weaknesses: I could have made a more inte resting te rrain for my paper f lotilla to f ly over but I can always go back and make changes for the better when I get the time. Opportunities: I took the opportunity to f ind an easie r way of taking p icture s of my work. Instead of exporting images, sometime s I w ould ju st take screenshots to save time. Threats: The computer not re sponding could make me fall behind not just because of lost time but also due to my forgetfulne ss. I do most of my work in class and then work on what I can at home so sometime s I might forget that I didn't do much in class and come home with more work then I anticipated. Those kind of events are ou t of my control and even if I end up with more work some times, I’ve learned to cope w ith it and just find time to do the work.
Lattice Munings Pavilion
Reflection My pavilion was designed with the concept of a maze. I wanted people who visit the place to feel slight confusion, bu t then overcome it by solving the puzzle that is the maze. I designed it to be a space of discoveries from the different pathways. I have pathway s that le ad to dead ends, upstairs, and to an unde rground level. The stairs are partly hidden bu t visible from the east entrance ramp. Then I also have the underground entrance hidden. I want people to tu rn the corne r and be surprised to f ind what look s like a rectangu lar cutout. It is myste rious and leads to a space that feels unfamiliar before leading people back to the familiarity of the repetitive structures. The stairs leading to the highe st elevation of the overall struc ture provides a vantage point to the two lower elevations. Obse rve masse s of people suddenly disappear bene ath the f loor and wonder where they have gone. Designing this pavilion proved to be a challenging and fun experience. This exerc ise taught me a lot abou t the relationship between expe riences with jou rneys and destinations. A jou rney has to have a purpose and having a de stination prov ides a reward for having taken that journey.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths:
I effectively executed my intent of bringing up a maze feeling. It is like a solvable puzzle that still brings surp rise and discovery with every pathway.
Weaknesses: My weaknesses
are in the slight oversights that were noticed late in construction. Some parts don’t line up or connect correctly. Opportunities: I took the opportunity to challenge my self and create a maze with different elevations and vantage points so people can see where they came from. Threats: My first atte mpt in creating my maze design ended with me deleting everything and starting over again. I was unhappy with my organization of struc ture s. The de sign was absent of nodal regions and was becoming a se rie s of continuou s pathways that le ad nowhere. I was getting lost in my own maze. So I mustered up the courage to start over and it was for the better.
Week 10: Folding and Cutting Experiment Arch 20 2016/Angelica Flores
Folding and Cutting Experiment
Reflection For my experiment w ith folding and cutting I made a dance studio. I started with two pieces and then grouped then individually. Then I copied and placed them in the order I w ant to create the patte rn of the roof. At first I thought that af te r I wou ld create the roof, walls, and f loors, that I wou ld stop bu t then my imagination took over. I thought of a dance studio because I want to take up a dance class maybe some time during the fall. I don’t know how to dance but I’m willing to learn. It could be an outlet to relieve stress. I’ve taken up beginning modern dance before but I w ant to learn other dance s as long as the opportunity is there. I realized that my roofing already gave a sense of direction of where the people should face and rehearse. At first I atte mpted to put the mirrors on the right w all but it didn't seem right. I figured out that to have the people dancing on a perpendicular plane w ith the roof disrup ted the harmony. The triangle forms framed the people within the given space. So I put the mirrors to the back side and the entrance to the right so when people walk in for practice their bodie s are paralle l to the roof. I created a spaciou s place that can support a dance class w ith movable storage unit seating against the wall.
S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths:
I combined my inte rest in dancing to my love of architectu re to c reate a space whe re I can express myself in both areas of art. Weaknesses: The glass in between the triangle forms of the roof don’t fit exactly in its space so there are still gaps in the roof. I will fix it when I have the time. Opportunities: I took the opportunity of using one of my created textures by find ing a picture of wooden f looring and then uploading it to Google Sketch Up. Threats: There is always the threat of how much time I spend designing. I always feel like once I start there is no end until I feel withdraw al in submitting my work because it cou ld alway s get be tte r. Its all in my effort of managing my time for this class and other classes as well.