In-Progress Learning Portfolio ARCH 20 Spring 2016 Ariella Elia
Table of Contents… Dog House Studies Pg. 4 – 8
Interior Spatial Studies Pg. 9 – 15
Intersect and Follow Me Pg. 16 – 19
Piazza del Campidoglio Pg. 20 – 22
Tables of Contents Cont… Malevich Lithograph Pg. 23 – 27
Wall Studies Pg. 28 – 34
Geometry of Space and Staircases Pg. 35 – 41
Folding Paper Airplanes Pg. 42 – 47
Strengths: Remembering to use simple tools such as “push/pull”, “move” etc. to make accurate measurements. Using the Dummie book and video tutorials to create detailed windows and gabled roof with eaves. Using “components” to add entourage and doors. Weaknesses: Not grouping things properly and then everything gets deleted! Most measurements are not accurate.
Two-Point Perspective
Strengths: Creating detailed windows and roofs are too much fun! I think I went a little too window-happy on this mansion. Weaknesses: Becoming a bit over zealous by trying to create columns with a balcony (which was initially supposed to be an awning). This wasn’t executed properly, but it displays my effort.
Vignette
Right View Opportunities: Practice using the measuring tools to make my designs more accurate. Threats: Getting caught up in the little details as time flies by.
Strengths: Creating basic forms such as cubes and turning them into rooms with accurate measurements. Duplicating the rooms rather than creating each from scratch. Creating window cut outs have become easier as well. Creating floor patterns was fun! I used the offset tool to create more intricate floor patterns. Lastly, I used the animation tool to create scenes!
Weaknesses: My stubbornness. I really liked the idea of hexagon windows, however once the shadow tool was turned on, there wasn’t much light coming into the room. I tried to make it work by painting the colors in light/bright tones with an accented wall. Still didn’t seem to have the effect I was striving for, but I just proceeded with the rooms.
Opportunities: Adding interior furnishings and exterior landscape for a more interesting presentation. However, my computer’s processor has been extremely slow lately, therefore disabling me to add such entourage.
Threats: Computer’s processor is extremely slow. It is frustrating trying to add shadows and entourage into my creations because everything glitches and sometimes computer shuts down automatically.
Vignette Peach room with fun floor design. I tried to add the couch and more furnishings, however processor was too slow.
Yellow room with a traditional style hardwood floor. I semi-regret the size of the windows because there’s not enough light coming into the rooms. Not being able to see the colors in the models is disheartening because all of the colors are complementary and joyous.
Rapid Visualization: In class I learned about shadow and shade. Drawing cubes and applying shadow and shade logically as if the sun was actually hitting the object. This helped me understand how the shadow tool actually works in Sketchup.
Strengths: Creating this mosque-inspired building was quite simple. I turned the middle building into a group, then the two outer buildings into components so they will share the exact same characteristics.
Vignette Weaknesses: After creating this building, I’ve realized that it’s not as complex as I could’ve made it. My mind gets stuck on one idea and then fails to think outside the box.
Top View Opportunities: Research all sorts of buildings and take notes on certain details to help me become more creative.
Side View Threats: Using the same methods in designing buildings; not venturing outside the comfort zone.
Step-by-step Animation
Two Point Perspective Strengths: I am developing projects much faster and creating hypotheses if instructions are unclear. Weaknesses: I didn’t notice many weaknesses during this project. If instructions were unclear, I didn’t let that set me back and would persevere until project was complete.
Top View Opportunities: Paying more attention in class because I didn’t see which circle we deleted. From this picture, you can tell that the circle that connects with the star is huge! Threats: Not using my time efficiently. I felt that since this project came with a set of instructions, that it would be easier and faster. That was not the case! This project still took a lot of time.
Top View Strengths: The Malevich project was by far the most challenging project thus far! I felt that the abstract lithograph helped me to be more creative. I’ve pushed myself to look at the lithograph to see what I can add to balance out the initial design, so I created an abstract fountain. Also, I think I have fallen in love with layers and grouping objects. Layers certainly helped me “dissect” any problems that I encountered when trying to connect the pieces.
Weakness: Becoming frustrated with the awkward geometry!
Opportunities: The most frustrating part of this project was the disoriented geometry. Lines wouldn’t be plush to the surface and therefore I had to figure out ways to get lines to adhere to the correct surfaces. I would get a bit stressed out because of this, but I have to remind myself to breathe, move onto something else, and then come back to the problem.
Threats: Similar to my weaknesses. Yet altogether, I feel very proud of what I’ve created and finally pushing myself a bit to create more objects from the lithograph.
Strengths: Using rapid visualization before creating the walls on Sketchup was a good way to start. The rapid visualization helped me be more creative in designing the different types of walls. However, Sketchup made it more fun when adding color and texture.
Weakness: Creating nice window openings was a bit of a challenge on the curved walls, but I tried my best with different techniques.
Opportunities: Putting more thought into the rapid visualization. Threats: Becoming complacent. I honestly felt that we digressed, especially going from the Malevich lithograph, but I still tried to put my best effort into the project.
I really enjoyed making glass walls. This one in particular reminds me of a glass case that you’d see at the zoo. Concrete walls and the glass for zoo guests to peer through.
Bird’s eye view of plan. I love all of the different shadows that are being cast by the different shaped walls.
Here are a few examples of my rapid visualization. After uploading these, I realize that you cannot see what is written on the paper. Above the drawings, I also wrote down as to which texture, color, and material I would like to apply to the walls.
Strengths: After missing a few classes, I was worried about falling behind and not being able to create an intricate design. However, I believe this building says otherwise. My main focus was creating spiral staircases and having a building that would showcase the stairs in a contemporary style. It was challenging and tedious, but I just had to remind myself to breathe and drink coffee.
Weakness: Although the final product of this contemporary building of spiral staircases looks pretty cool, the design itself does not make sense. My intentions for this design was to create a vertical maze; reminding me of a jungle gym but one that everyone (children and adults) could enjoy. However, some staircases were not connecting to the floor. I was certainly trying to connect the staircases, but it just wouldn’t work. This is something that I’d like to learn how to do so I can feel that it’s truly completed.
Opportunities: I feel that if I had managed my time better, this would be a really cool design! This design does not feel finished because my creative person inside of me is squirming around and saying, “there’s still so much to do!”. I would’ve liked to create more intricate staircases with guard rails and perhaps add more entourage to the scene.
Threats: With this particular project, I consider lack of time management to be my main threat. There is a lot of potential for this design and I could’ve done so much more with it! However, I am still pleased with how it turned out. Mindful note: I should use my agenda more often.
Top View I absolutely love the shadows that are being cast! The actual building from the bird’s eye view looks funky, but those shadows are so cool!
Vignette
This vignette shows how massive this structure really is! You can also see the winding staircases leading up (but no where to go) and could most definitely be a safety hazard. The design intention was there, but unfortunately not executed. However, I do feel passionate about this particular design, so I think I will continue to work on it during any “down-time� I might have in the future.
From Top Left to Bottom Right: Process of making paper plane. Continue to next page‌
From Top Left to Bottom Right: Process of creating flotilla of planes complete.
Strengths: Creating this flotilla of planes were quite simple than what I had imagined. After duplicating the planes, I decided it would be best to put them all into separate “layers� so I can keep everything organized. Also, using the sandbox tool was fun and refreshing to learn something new.
Weakness: Looking back, I should’ve made the land more expansive so when taking the screen shots, you won’t see the two different spaces. I tried to scale the land to a larger size, however the trees would not move with the land. Let’s be real: it took a long time to place those trees and I did not want to move them all over again.
Opportunities: I could’ve taken more time to add a camp site and people watching the planes fly above them. I think that would’ve been a cool little story line!
Threats: I think I should’ve been more mindful of the scale of the land. I think if the land was more expansive, I could’ve gotten better screen shots and perhaps look more realistic.