One of the most beneficial components in understanding how to design for my artist was getting to know a little bit more about them. The Artist Questionnaire really gave me a great starting point to develop a design concept and approach for the use of the existing space. I don't feel as though I would have been successful without the interview component where I established a greater knowledge of the work that they do, and how they approach their work as an artist. Shellie Gansz is a family photographer who works around the idea of capturing moments with real life emotions and expressions, she feels as though it is her duty to connect with her families on a one on one basis to better capture their bliss. Just asking her questions about her philosophy was very beneficial. I also got a better understanding of the work that she most enjoys doing. I took advantage of her knowledge and became more mindful of the spaces she needed to better design a commercial space.
As it may have it, the design of the commercial space was very important as Shellie required specific attributes to best create her work. One major component was the use of natural light in the interior of her space. She also wanted high vaulted ceilings and the ability to to create wide open spaces as well as close intimate ones. In developing my concepts I was to retain the original ticket wall located within the depot, and the facade of the depot itself as it is listed on the State Historic Registry. I found it to be a challenging progression in the way I placed certain walls and allocated spaces within the depot, but ultimately developed the best possible solution. The demolition plan best shows the final adaption and use of space. This type of plan was new to me, as I had never done anything like it before, It was as if I had a blank slate and the ability to mold my interior. The ability to represent that space is seen in the key drawn adjacent to the plan. I worked the space as to best retain many of the existing walls and water lines from the original plan, and created a great utilization of the natural light provided by existing windows.My concept development stems from the textile component of the semester were we worked around a image that best captured the Pufferbelly Station for us. The multiple parti drawings and abstract craziness that filled the flimsy i used really offered a great deal of possibilities. I ultimately worked around the idea of water pipes that jetted out from the walls of the Pufferbelly station. I thought that there was something really special about the way they looked and believed that they had something great to offer. In my design of both the residential and commercial space I tied the concept together with two large semi-circle architectural wall features that represented the three major components of my design development, which were, power, control, and nature. I separated the commercial space from the residential and created long flowing halls that offered a guided path for the user. When examining the space it feels as though those two original images placed amongst my boards really translate into the design of the space.
I also took into consideration the needs of the visually impaired spouse with the use of contrasting color that revolved around an analogous color scheme and use of non reflective surfaces. I considered walking paths and clearances as they were important in complying with Universal Design and ADA design. Ultimately it is visually a balanced composition throughout the space, and was all possible from getting to experiment with the activities done outside the classroom and within the readings. I have become more aware of my impact in the built environment as I can really effect the way a space can be used and utilized. I may have not thought of these factors before hand but getting to do things outside of my comfort zone really gave me a better understanding on how I should design. The Egress and ADA plan portion of my plan drawings illustrates my knew knowledge of the use of the requirements and components required in commercial spaces.
Ultimately the most challenging thing for myself was time management, I knew that there were a lot of components that had to go into the design of this space, taking into consideration many different aspects and putting them all together, but that was one of the most enjoyable things about the past few months. I have learned so much about the world in which we design for. The use of space and the historic nature that will guide our ideas and values for the future. I know that this project has offered a compilation of all of my skills, the way I work with requirements and the use of tangible skills, I take pride in the work I have produced and in particular the model can best represent the new space for such a great artist.
