this will be blank
Laura Butera
(610) 731 1014 420 Howard Rd. Gladwyne, PA, 19035 LFButera@gmail.com
Frobel
Wayfinding Castle Heights
Hildreth Hill Geneva, NY
Geneva New York is made up of eleven different neighborhoods but most city residents do not identify with their neighborhood. I worked on a project to try to create a stronger sense of identity and a belonging through the use of design.
I explored two particular neighborhoods; Castle Heights and Hildreth Hill. I sketched different houses, streets, and buildings to try to capture the essence of each neighborhood before designing logos for each.
Castle Street
Logo Options and Early Renditions
The neighborhood voted on logos to represent Castle Heights and Hildreth Hill.
Neighborhood logos provide a more defined sense of community, futhering the level of cohesion and pride within the entire Geneva community.
a
le st
li
heig
c h
ve
.stay
ht
s
c
Final Logos
.gro
w
Inventory of Wayfinding in Hildreth Hill Neighborhood
While I was working on the logos I was also taking inventory of all the street signs in the same two neighborhoods. I found that all of the street signs could describe where you were, but did not convey neighborhood identity. This provided an opportunity to merge the two projects.
Key:
Former Street Sign Poles: 15 Signs: 30
Classic Street Sign Poles: 5 Signs: 10
Former Neighborhood Watch Sign Signs: 12
Current Street Sign Poles: 6 Signs: 12
Current Neighborhood Watch Sign Signs: 4
Wayfinding Options for Geneva Wayfinding, as defined by Kevin A. Lynch, is “a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment�. After looking at case studies of cities with successful systems, I proposed different options that could work well for Geneva.
Banner
Identification Sign
Gateway Sign
Sign Toppers
Proposal and Signs Today Since we were doing an inventory of all the street signs in Geneva the optimal option was what is referred to as a sign topper, a small sign that sits on top of street signs. A colleague and I proposed our project to the City Manager and the Director of the Department of Public Works. Our proposal was accepted and implemented.
Community Garden Working with a community member I designed and built 5 raised garden beds for a community garden in Geneva, NY.
Two members of the Community Center and I met with middle school aged kids twice a week to teach them how to plant and care for the garden. At harvest time we taught them how to cook what we grew.
Before
After
Analyzing Pallets
space
line
movement The simplicity and functionality of the wood pallet is what inspired this project. I began by diagraming the wood pallets and then converted these drawings into three dimensional objects.
*
space
line
space + line + movement movement
Maintaining a rule of connection, the space, line, and movement structures were combined to create one large structure. After creating one cohesive piece, I narrowed in and focused on the connection of pieces. This led to the next part of the process.
System of Construction: “Crate”
I focused on a detail that emphasized the connection of sticks and planes. By enlarging the scale every detail had to be considered of how these pieces would work together in the Connection Study.
Connection Study
Size: 18’’ x 18” x 103/4” Oak, wheat board, pine
System of Construction The system of construction of the Connection Study helped me understand the connections and turn it into an inhabitable space.
Thin planes held by thick blocks meets in a finger joint at the corner where the method of construction is reversed.
Human Experience The language used throughout the Connection Study and now applied to the Inhabitable Space maintains a simplicity and a rhythmic balance. This simplicity makes the Site Model welcoming and inviting and also speaks to the adaptability and user-friendliness of the Site Model.
User Friendy: Users can alter their experience in the Inhabitable Space by physically sliding the blocks or benches to their liking. Moving these pieces can change the amount of sunlight or privacy desired.
Site A specific site was chosen which altered the way I designed the site model. Things considered with a specific site in mind were: view, feeling of enclosure, and reasons for use.
Urban Book
Barcelona metro system
A book is a structure that contains information diachronically. This book is designed to document Barcelona’s geography, population, and metro system in its structure and its content.
I studied three main aspects of the city; its geography, population, and metro system. I came to find that all three parts of the city are layered, which led to the structure of the book.
Book within a book: Each section of the book structure contains a smaller book depicting information about the three main layers of Barcelona.
Each page in the three small books is itself a piece of art. The pages display information about the geography, population, and metro system.
Systems
[sis-tuhm]: noun. A set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole. In order to understand a system you must first break it down into parts, then build it back up.
Osaka subway system
After breaking the metro map down to its essence, I discovered two main parts: interweaving lines, and a surrounding curve. These parts were then turned from 2D diagrams to 3D models.
I created my own system by maintaining a construction method throughout the 3D transformation: thin features notched to thicker features. Each component of the whole also grows from “thin” to “thick”.
Frobel Chess Set I created a set of blocks that also functions as a chess set. A group of blocks adds up to create each chess piece. The more important the chess piece is, the more blocks are used to create it.
Knight
Rook
Each chess piece is a simplified depiction of its traditional chess piece. For example, the bishop appears to be wearing a miter and the knight looks like a knight riding a horse.
Deconstruction of blocks to chess set
Roma
Fisheye of Pantheon
My sketchbook was how I came to know and understand the city of Rome during the four months that I lived and studied there.
View of Rome from Aventine Hill
Via del Governo Vecchio
San Lorenzo, Firenze
Capitoline Hill
Il Tempietto
Bazilika San Gorg Martra, Gozo
Charcoal Charcoal is often used for gesture drawings but I wanted to push the medium in a different direction. This large scale drawing attempts to capture light and shapes to create a realistic still life.
Size: 30” x 40”
Size: 30” x 40”
Woodcut
Coming Home 11” x 17”
geneva st.
Neighborhood 12” x 17.5”
Fall Leaves 7.5” x 10.5”
Behind the Palatine 10” x 13”
Woodcut Series: Human Impact Man-hand-an Bridge 11� x 15.5�
This series is a study of the impact humans have on the environment. At first glance they may just look like common scenes, but look closer and reconsider...
Scuba 11” x 17”
Humans in Nature 11.5” x 11.5”
Acrylic A study of light and color through the medium of acrylic paint.
Paint techniques and colors based on Portrait of Madame Matisse
Madame Matisse by Henri Matisse
Watercolor: Philadelphia
For one week in the summer of 2010 I went out onto the streets of Philadelphia to try to capture the mixture of old and new architecture and the urban feel of the streets.
Watercolor: Portrait Using one strong light source and a mirror, I studied different ways of capturing shapes and shadows on my face.
Work Experience
Education
Laura Butera
(610) 731 1014 420 Howard Rd. Gladwyne, PA, 19035 LFButera@gmail.com
blank 82 Hobart & William Smith Colleges - Geneva, NY Degree: B.A. anticipated May 2012 Major: Architectural Studies with minor in Studio Art GPA: 3.7 (out of 4) - Dean’s List (6 of 7 semesters) HWS Architectural Semester Abroad Program - Rome, Italy The Shipley School - Bryn Mawr, PA AmeriCorps Summer of Service Assisted in urban restoration and design of community gardens Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center Designed street signage and wayfinding graphics for the city of Geneva, NY Point B Design/Build Assisted architects in design and construction of private art museum Private Swim Instructor, Self-Employed Stony Lane Swim Club, Assistant Coach
2008-2012
2010 2004-2008
2011
2011
2010 2008-2010 2006-2010
Additional Experience Awards
Skills
Jane Goodall Institute - Roots & Shoots Program Teaching environmental concepts to elementary school children Campus Activities Board, HWS Colleges Executive Board Member and Director of Public Relations Directed and designed graphic materials for all major campus events One Million Calls for Clean Energy Co-founder, 7,000+ blank 83 member organization for clean energy Habitat For Humanity - Gulf Coast Mississippi Assisted in reconstruction of areas affected by Hurricane Katrina Women’s Safety Awareness Workshop Leader Campus Peer-to-Peer Counselor Geneva Childcare Center - Teaching Assistant
2010-Present
The Senior Architecture Prize - HWS Colleges For leadership, service, and academic achievement in Architecture The President’s Civic Leadership Award -HWS Colleges For outstanding contributions to public and community service HWS Dean’s List Honors (6 of 7 semesters) Journal of Global Perspectives - Artwork selected for book publication Team Leadership Award - HWS Campus Activities Board First Place - Lexus Environmental Challenge College Scholarship Award
2012
Proficient in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, SketchUp 3D Design Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint Proficient in Italian language Skilled in many studio art mediums for drawing, painting, printmaking, etc.
2009-2012 2009-Present 2007, 2008 2009-2011 2009-Present 2010
2012 2008-2012 2012 2009 2008
Skills
Work Experience
Education
Laura Butera
(610) 731 1014 420 Howard Rd. Gladwyne, PA, 19035 LFButera@gmail.com
blankblank 84 82 Hobart & William Smith Colleges - Geneva, NY Degree: B.A. anticipated May 2012 Major: Architectural Studies with minor in Studio Art GPA: 3.7 (out of 4) - Dean’s List (6 of 7 semesters) HWS Architectural Semester Abroad Program - Rome, Italy The Shipley School - Bryn Mawr, PA AmeriCorps Summer of Service Assisted in urban restoration and design of community gardens Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center Designed street signage and wayfinding graphics for the city of Geneva, NY Point B Design/Build Assisted architects in design and construction of private art museum Private Swim Instructor, Self-Employed Stony Lane Swim Club, Assistant Coach Proficient in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, SketchUp 3D Design Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint Proficient in Italian language Skilled in many studio art mediums for drawing, painting, printmaking, etc.
2008-2012
2010 2004-2008
2011
2011
2010 2008-2010 2006-2010
Additional Experience Awards
Jane Goodall Institute - Roots & Shoots Program Teaching environmental concepts to elementary school children Campus Activities Board, HWS Colleges Executive Board Member and Director of Public Relations Directed and designed graphic materials for all major campus events One Million Calls for Clean Energy Co-founder, 7,000+ blank 83 member organization for clean energy Habitat For Humanity - Gulf Coast Mississippi Assisted in reconstruction of areas affected by Hurricane Katrina Women’s Safety Awareness Workshop Leader blank 84 Campus Peer-to-Peer Counselor Geneva Childcare Center - Teaching Assistant
2010-Present
The Senior Architecture Prize - HWS Colleges For leadership, service, and academic achievement in Architecture The President’s Civic Leadership Award -HWS Colleges For outstanding contributions to public and community service HWS Dean’s List Honors (6 of 7 semesters) Journal of Global Perspectives - Artwork selected for book publication Team Leadership Award - HWS Campus Activities Board First Place - Lexus Environmental Challenge College Scholarship Award
2012
2009-2012 2009-Present 2007, 2008 2009-2011 2009-Present 2010
2012 2008-2012 2012 2009 2008
blank 84