Carli Sekella

Portfolio S1: Project Statement

2007-11-02T16:44:00.002-05:00

The project for first semester consisted of designing an AppleStore to be located on the corner or Boylston Street and Dartmouth Street across from Copley Square in Boston. 75% of the program is predetermined from what we observed in the store, while the other 25% could be whatever we decide, based on our concept and idea for what Apple is about.

We weren't told where our project site would be or what the size or program requirements were until halfway through the intensive week. We also were forbidden from designing or thinking in plan or section and had to do all work in perspective.

Portfolio S1: Concept Storyboard

2007-11-02T16:44:00.001-05:00

Our project began with a visit to the Cambridgeside Apple Store, observing (stalking) customers and experiencing the store as customers would. My first observation was that the store was arranged linearly, with all hands-on activity occuring around the edges of the store, and software and accessories in the middle, allowing visitors to simply walk up one side and down the other. The other observation I had was that while Apple products are meant to be inter-operable and used together, they are not arranged in the store that way. iPods are separate from the accessories, cameras are separate from the computers - part of the beauty of Apple products is their common functionality. I began by looking at ways to combine the zones.

In the initial concept storyboard, I was attempting to indicate an organic flow of space and a blending of uses and zones within the store. Tightly packed space helps create the movement through the space. The calm storefront contrasts with the interior of the store, to allow the products to be the focal point and the store to act as a stage for the display of product.

Portfolio S1: Initial Perspective Diagrams

2007-11-02T16:43:00.002-05:00

The assignment here was to draw in perspective and annotate with texture and color to further our ideas.

My first two perspectives were an attempt to balance the organic flow and space packing with the technical aspects of an Apple store. The third perspective is trying to convey the limited sense of path. All three show the blurring of zones, most visible in the second and third, which are mostly unreadable.

Portfolio S1: Model

2007-11-02T16:43:00.001-05:00

The next step was the create a study model and actually translate our ideas to 3D spaces - not 2D representations of 3D spaces. We were given only the dimensions of the site and height restrictions, along with program requirements - no indication of the facades of the surrounding buildings to play off. We first designed the inside of the space, and then the shell.

The first photo is taken of the interior of the physical model at the ground level, and the second photo is taken a level above. The concept of organic flow and combining zones led to the model consisting of folding planes, floors that become walls that become ceilings, to create program spaces and the "experiential concept." The columns that can be seen help reinforce the idea of flow through the space - as there is no clear path or direct connection, one must navigate around the columns. As can be seen in the photos, the columns lessen as one rises through the spaces and the space becomes more light.

In the Boylston Street elevation, the spaces created by the folding planes begin to break down the skin. The lower left corner is the entrance - entering into the compressed space enhances the space opening as one moves through the building. The skin of the building is set back from the site line, allowing the space inside to protrude into the streetscape.

In the Dartmouth Street elevation, the skin becomes part of the interior of the building, beginning to fold and create interior spaces. This elevation takes on a depth that the front elevation does not. The openings are large near the top of the building, allowing light into the upper floors.

The roof of the AppleStore becomes these undulating ribbons that create a useable space. Some interior zones protrude into the roof area - the roof becomes the zone for using Apple products and experiencing them as they are meant to be experienced. With minimal openings in the elevations, and the mass of columns deteriorating as you move upward through the spaces, the roof is the climax of the movement - open, organic, light. While the interior of the building is at a scale for many, the scale of a room, the roof is at a more intimate scale.

Portfolio S1: Perspective Diagrams

2007-11-02T16:42:00.000-05:00

Our next step was designing the experiential concept for the interior spaces. As the idea was space packing, the lower floors are a maze of columns and ramps, and glazing allows light to come from above, supporting your move up and through the space. The following images are in order of the movement through the spaces, from bottom to top.

Portfolio S1: Plans

2007-11-02T16:34:00.002-05:00

On the First Floor, the entries are tucked under the low space of the ribbon of circulation above. The stairs figure prominently as the primary means of circulation, and the columns allow for free movement while forcing an indirect path. Product display is cut into or added onto stairs and ramps. Light wells adjacent the elevator and the neighboring building create slots of space for views to above, and the well adjacent the building allows for views through the building and from the street to the alley.

In the Second Floor Plan, the circulation ribbons from below extend to the exterior of the building to force a choice in the way you want to move through the space. The ribbons are reinforced through the use of wood on the floors, walls, and ceiling, while other areas are concrete. The elevator in the center of the building is not easily accessible or in any way reinforced as the primary mode of travel through the building. Columns are interspersed throughout the space to allow freedom of movement in all directions. A small light well along the side of the elevator allows light to penetrate through all levels and minimal views of spaces above and below.

Portfolio S1: Elevations

2007-11-02T16:34:00.001-05:00

In the Boylston Street Elevation, the wood of the folding ribbons exposes itself along with the colums. The area of entry is inset from the street and under a low ceiling to create a cave-like experience. The stairs from the inside are exposed to allow for movement to the second floor from the exterior, or from the second floor to the street. A light well along the building next door allows views to the interior and upper levels as well as through the building to the alley. The louvers on the upper levels are angled to allow views from Copley Square to the roof, and to allow light and air to penetrate in both directions.

In the Dartmouth elevation, the entrance addresses the pedestrian scale while slots of glazing allow views in and small amounts of light. The upper floors have plenty of glazing to allow light in during the day and out in the evening.

Portfolio S1: Sections

2007-11-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

In the East-West Section, the area just inside the entry can be seen under the stairs in a cave-like, compressed space. Upon entry one is presented with many circulation options and slots of space through which to view into the upper levels. The building is offset from its neighbor with a light well, drawing one deep into the space and presenting views in all directions, through the building and into the street and alley. The stairs here are tight treads to instigate quicker movement, but are cut through with display areas

In the North-South section, a ribbon can be seen from the ground to the roof changing thickness and motion. The maze of columns beyond grows thinner as one moves through the space to the open roof. The stairs have wide treads to create a slower movement and ample space for product display. Below the stairs is an enclosed area for staff and storage.

Unity '08

2007-04-27T21:04:00.000-05:00

Although I sit firmly on one side of the political spectrum, and it would take A LOT of things to change my mind, I thought this was pretty interesting. Sam Waterston told me about it on C-SPAN.

Unity '08

The online community can choose a bipartisan ticket for the 2008 Presidential race. With over $2.2 BILLION dollars spent on the 2004 election, and with current amounts raised looking to easily exceed that by November 2008, this will attempt to curb the spending race.

Planned Obsolescence

2007-04-10T14:04:00.000-05:00

Planned Obsolescence and Housing

Haven't had time to read this yet, its more of a bookmark for me to come back to later. Sounds interesting though. Great blog name too!

And Part One, for those of you who come over from Steve's blog, deals with consumer products.

Prefab Housing

2007-03-22T07:41:00.000-05:00

OK, so its not really affordable at $300 per square foot, but its green! And pretty nicely designed.

Watch out, Google!

2007-03-20T15:25:00.000-05:00

JK! I think you have nothing to worry about.

File under: No Shit, Sherlock

2007-03-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

The 37% of people who are not loyal to WalMart are also interested in quality products

At least they know their demographic!

Second Life

2007-03-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

John Edwards creates campaign headquarters in Second Life

Architecture of the Air by Christopher Janney

2007-02-24T15:17:00.001-05:00

Thought this was interesting as an Experiential Concept

Sonic Forest

Studio: Final Review Image 1

2007-02-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

In the initial concept storyboard, I was attempting to indicate an organic flow of space and a blending of uses and zones within the store. Tightly packed space helps create the movement through the space. The calm storefront contrasts with the interior of the store, to allow the products to be the focal point and the store to act as a stage for the display of product.

Studio: Final Review Image 2

2007-02-17T16:52:00.000-05:00

In the perspective diagram, I wanted to present an organic flow through the space, pierced by columns. The "forest" of columns would prevent direct movement through the building and instead allow a meandering or wandering course of travel.

Studio: Final Review Image 3

2007-02-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

In this preliminary perspective, ramps and stairs on the first level can be seen pierced by the columns. Columns provide product display to create movement around them. Cuts and additions to the stairs can provide product display or seating areas.

Studio: Final Review Image 4

2007-02-17T16:38:00.000-05:00

Studio: Final Review Image 5

2007-02-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

In the Second Floor Plan, the circulation ribbons from below extend to the exterior of the building to force a choice in the way you want to move through the space. The ribbons are reinforced through the use of wood on the floors, walls, and ceiling, while other areas are concrete. The elevator in the center of the building is not easily accessible or in any way reinforced as the primary mode of travel through the building. Columns are interspersed throughout the space to allow freedom of movement in all directions. A small light well along the side of the elevator allows light to penetrate through all levels and minimal views of spaces above and below.

Studio: Final Review Image 6

2007-02-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

Studio: Final Review Image 7

2007-02-17T16:05:00.000-05:00

Studio: Final Review Image 8

2007-02-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

In the North-South section, a ribbon can be seen from the ground to the roof changing thickness and motion. The maze of columns beyond grows thinner as one moves through the space to the open roof. The stairs have wide treads to create a slower movement and ample space for product display. Below the stairs is an enclosed area for staff and storage.

Studio: Final Assignment

2007-02-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

I am sure these will change some as I build my final model. I don't feel they were translating very well to plan and section, so I am still working on them.

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Section

Section
Boyston Street Elevation
Dartmouth Street Elevation
Site Plan

Theory: Research

2007-02-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

What I'm browsing for my theory paper:

Pre-Fab

Design Like You Give a Damn

Prefab Modern

Other suggestions welcome!

Theory: In 20 Years

2007-02-06T22:34:00.000-05:00

What do you hope will be true for your community (at any scale) in twenty years, and how can you use your professional life to help achieve that vision? All comments, especially to the contrary, are welcome!

In Columbus, affordable housing in safe areas is deteriorating. What once were beautiful homes with manicured lawns, now have become run-down apartments in neighborhoods that aren’t safe. German Village, where I live now, has seen an enormous influx of wealth in the past 30 years, where people with the means have restored the neighborhood to more than its original beauty. But not more than a few blocks away, the neighborhood isn’t so nice; the rent is cheap and the houses are in shambles, and its all some people can afford.

So middle-income people, who can’t afford the large prices for small places near downtown either buy older houses in gentrifying areas and renovate them, or move to the suburbs, where they can get brand new houses for affordable prices. But people without cars or the means to renovate do not have these options.

I was responsible for making site visits every two weeks to a Section 8 housing project in Toledo, Ohio. The 40-ish houses were spread over a few dozen blocks of bad neighborhood – contractors were robbed on the job, neighboring houses burnt to the ground, furnaces and garage door openers couldn’t be installed until there were residents because they would be stolen in broad daylight, only to be found in a yard a block away. One house had a bullet through every window pane. The houses we built were affordable and well-built, with garages and porches and air conditioning, but they did not change the neighborhood. People wanted nice, safe homes to raise their children, but were stuck in a neighborhood where few had futures. This is not affordable housing; this is housing with a huge price.

I say people deserve to have pride in their neighborhoods; maybe people were upset that we had converted empty lots and abandoned houses into nice places, maybe they didn’t want new people moving in who might be more concerned about crime in their neighborhood, but no matter what, I think that if they had more pride in the place they lived, they might be more hesitant to destroy the good that was coming in. Just infilling a neighborhood with new housing does not make it a place that people want to live.

So the answer seems to be a whole new neighborhood of housing. Economically, multi-family buildings make the most sense, but aren’t always the best socially. Without having any street frontage, an area for curb appeal or personalization, it may be hard for families to have an area to claim and have pride in. This would be magnified by each unit being accessible only from the inside of the building; a common entrance can either foster familiarity and community, or anonymity and ignorance. And, since we are talking Columbus and families, outdoor space seems to be key, whether individual yards or larger public green space, and large multi-family buildings don’t foster the most green space. Individual spaces seem to make the most sense, as another place for people to have pride in their homes as well as a safe place for kids to play away from streets. Parking is another issue, especially in urban environments. Surface parking is sometimes the most economical, but walking a distance to the house with groceries and children running through the parking lot is not the most safe. Having a garage on the property within a few steps of the door would allow for safe vehicle storage, a place for outdoor toys, bicycles, and lawn equipment. Safe vehicle storage is most important in this scenario, as being late for work because the car is covered in ice or someone sideswiped the vehicle on the street would most likely not be tolerated.

Building a new development near downtown brings up other concerns, such as land availability and flood zones. New developments are often built on sub-prime land and separated from necessities such as grocery stores, banks and the post office, not to mention jobs and schools. Infrastructure is important, as some families would not have cars, and children will have to get to school safely. Ideally, the community would be in part self-sustaining: groceries, banks and schools would be available within walking distance.

Now we have single-family homes as part of a mixed use community. There are plenty of HUD and Section 8 websites that have a laundry list of items that make good affordable housing: covered entries, lever door handles, full basements, front knobbed stoves, minimum 10’x10’ bedrooms. While I can appreciate what they are trying to do, which is ensure that affordable housing doesn’t become cheap unusable housing, I think it takes more than a select few “luxuries” to make families feel at home, especially when someone who does not live like them has chosen which options they will have.

My goals for the year 2027 in regards to affordable housing is for there to be a choice of good-designed housing available for those who need it. I still feel the best way of accomplishing this is through pre-fabricated units, although as a goal I don’t think it is the most important thing. By good-designed housing I would say energy- and space-efficient houses that easily fulfill their intended uses and are easily adaptable by the families or individuals that inhabit them. What good is the laundry list of choices if they don’t agree with the lifestyle of those people who will be using the spaces? Schools in Ohio are identical in terms of program and square footages, because a board determined it was exactly what students of a particular age group needs. How can it be said that low-income inner city students learn in the same way as wealthy suburban school children? But to provide a list of spaces, finishes, lighting, windows, technology – rooms can be arranged to fit individual lifestyles.

In 20 years, Baby Boomers as well as young families will be in need of affordable housing. A secondary wave of development – after the first wave in the 1960s and 1970s, which probably included the same Boomers – will be center stage, as older Americans begin to sell their 2-story suburban homes and look for smaller, more efficient homes that are easily accessible. Having a mixed use development would foster community between generations, and pre-fabricated units could allow for the same pieces to be used differently in a house for a young family and a house for a retired couple.

Tax credits are available for low-income and senior housing developments in historic buildings throughout Ohio. These buildings are often in the center of town, with limited parking but plenty of walkability. However, fitting enough units into a building to make it economically viable causes spaces that often aren’t well-designed or completely useable. At this point I don’t know what assistance is available for other low-income or senior housing.

Although there has been a housing boom going on in much of the country, little has been done to alleviate the disparity between higher-income and lower-income housing, and much of the building has been in higher-income and more desirable areas. Affordable housing is in need of design just as all other housing is.

Studio: Detail

2007-02-06T22:19:00.000-05:00

I am attempting to further break down the ribbons into thick and thin, with splits and detaching to create spaces within. I will continue to explore the ways in which this can happen in plan and section. I would like the spaces created to act as the product display, through shelving, platforms, or digital means. Because of the non-hierarchy between the floors/walls/ceiling/stairs, displaying the products this way may enforce the linearity and organic flow of the spaces.

Studio: Preliminary Element Investigation II

2007-02-02T21:11:00.000-05:00

One of the comments to my other Element post was to disengage floor from ceiling, so they aren't parallel or linked.

My thoughts were to have the ceiling act very cave-like on the lower levels, and become less deep and rugged as you move up through the space. The peaks pierce the floor surface to create areas where light can shine through.
Or, the ribbons could further break down into rippling waves, separating and coming back together.

Just a few further investigations of how the ceiling and floor can begin to disengage and act separately.
In general, I am not happy with the sketches and I am afraid I have bitten off too much, or am behind in the thought process for my element. Failing fast! More to come as I rethink this one.

Studio: Preliminary Element Investigation

2007-02-01T20:43:00.000-05:00

Some initial thoughts I have regarding thickness
The peeling and folding begin to create interstitial spaces that can become display areas, occupied by product or people. I definitely need to push this more - can the peeling and folding possibly inform the roof areas, or can the interstitial spaces act as the same kind of zone as the roof, for winter months? More thoughts and sketches are needed.

Studio: Precedents Part 2

2007-01-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

Per Chris's comments: PLYarch

These speak more to my concept but are giving me some smaller-scale ideas. The first three, and even the last one to an extent, can begin to inform my roof areas.

Studio: Precedents

2007-01-29T20:48:00.000-05:00

Some projects and pieces of projects I am looking at:

SHoP Architects: Dunescape at PS1

Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Alice Tully Hall

SHoP Architects: Wave Analysis And of course the obvious in regards to wall thickness - inside the duomo in Firenze:
and Notre Dame du Haut

Lecture tomorrow 1/30

2007-01-29T19:52:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: This lecture is actually at the Wexner Center Performance Space! See you there!

Those of you in Columbus - Winy Maas of MVRDV is lecturing tomorrow at 5:30 at Knowlton Hall. I am going, along with a co-worker or two. If anyone else is planning on attending, let me know!

Studio: Intensive Comments

2007-01-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

:Continue to think about column form - I agree, column forms should perhaps also change throughout the spaces, especially when they pass through a floor or roof
:Could there be a way to use a smaller scale of platforms that connect the columns which would become displays? - I think the columns should stand alone and not be connected. If the columns are joined in some way, it would act to direct people and the idea is to have minimal if any direction.
:Change materiality of ramps (to glass?) to allow views to lower level ramps - I like this idea. Perhaps there can be slits of glass in the ramps, floors/ceilings to allow glimpses of above and below, and to allow light to filter through the spaces.
:Add steps to ramp surface for product display... further blurs distinction between different elements - yes and yes
:Add benches to steps... blurs line between floor display and circulation - yes
:Look at the use of different colors on the columns to visually guide customers to specific products. Perhaps shades and tones and not contrast and stark - This is something to think about. Along with the one below.
:Possible literal or material indicators for new / experienced users - Yes, I agree there needs to be something to guide you, or else no one would come back to the store after their first time, because they couldn't find anything! I am not sure what the resolution will be.
:Columns could do a similar thing as Felix with products moving through, thus being able to introduce more products without removing older. - I'm not sure I understand this comment, Paul can you explain?
:Space is dynamic, ever changing. Could the materiality of the columns change as building goes up? - yes
:Do the columns need to be vertical? What if they slanted at different angles? - I suppose they don't need to be vertical, but I did like the rigidity of the columns set against the organic flow of space.
:Environmentally temper this roof space... - I agree, it should be available for use in the cold months. This is something to think about and explore.
:I think you should explore this facade. Many opportunities can be gained - I agree, the facades are fairly unexpressive
:I love this model - Thanks Felix
:Frame views to architecture of Copley Square from playground - The roof could use some attention also. I'm not sure at this point how to express the roof manipulations to effect some change in other areas of the building
:This is a great feature... Do more of it throughout... Its exciting - Facade still underdeveloped
:Undulating landscape... How is this accomplished? I like how your concept goes from floor to ceiling - I have a few precedents for the undulating landscape, but agree that it needs further development

Studio: Intensive Final

2007-01-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

The Intensive culminated with an informal review and presentation. I tinkered with my model a little, and produced new perspectives of the experiential concept of the space.

The roof of the AppleStore becomes these undulating ribbons that create a useable space. Some interior zones protrude into the roof area - the roof becomes the zone for using Apple products and experiencing them as they are meant to be experienced. With minimal openings in the elevations, and the mass of columns deteriorating as you move upward through the spaces, the roof is the climax of the movement - open, organic, light. While the interior of the building is at a scale for many, the scale of a room, the roof is at a more intimate scale.

The following images are in order of the movement through the spaces, from bottom to top.

Studio: Intensive Part 2

2007-01-24T20:40:00.000-05:00

Studio: Intensive Part 1

2007-01-23T20:51:00.000-05:00

Our project began with a visit to the Cambridgeside Apple Store, observing (stalking) customers and experiencing the store as customers would. My first observation was that the store was arranged linearly, with all hands-on activity occuring around the edges of the store, and software and accessories in the middle, allowing visitors to simply walk up one side and down the other. The other observation I had was that while Apple products are meant to be inter-operable and used together, they are not arranged in the store that way. iPods are separate from the accessories, cameras are separate from the computers - part of the beauty of Apple products is their common functionality. I began by looking at ways to combine the zones.
My storyboard indicates the Apple store as a calm storefront with an organic flow through densely packed space. The edges of the zones are blurred and the interstitial spaces flow into one another.

My first two perspectives were an attempt to balance the organic flow and space packing with the technical aspects of an Apple store. The third perspective is trying to convey the limited sense of path. All three show the blurring of zones, most visible in the second and third, which are mostly unreadable.

Affordable Good-Designed Housing

2007-01-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

_"Copycat Workmanship" - good affordabe modular housing does not have to look identical or cookie cutter, but can have identical bones and pieces that can be put together in interesting ways to fit an individual or family lifestyle.
_ Affordable housing does not have to be high-rise 1960s "utopian" which was (and is) actually for from utopian - high crime, squalor, run down. Green spaces left as park and playground sits empty and unattended due to crime. Corbusier said that a building should not be so high that a mother cannot recognize her child playing below. The anonymity involved in living in these places does not make a good living environment. High rise housing will not work in rural areas where poverty is high.
_Trailer parks allow for a sense of community, but these are not safe in many areas where tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods may be prevalent. These areas are usually on sub-prime land, near highways, away from cities, in flood plains, in low-lying areas. Usually the land is not part of the trailer ownership, and trailers depreciate in value.
_Modular housing can be built in a safe environment on the ground, indoors in heated or air conditioned spaces, by skilled labor whil do not have to drive miles a day to different job sites. Pieces can be completed quickly with no inclement weather delays. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing can all be organized and complete for each piece before making its way to the site. Many material deliveries to the site aren't required, as mass amounts can be delivered and stored safely at the interior site. Builders would no longer need to carry as much insurance or worry about material or equipment theft.

Joe's response:
_Dwell home competition as a resource/model of how high design standards can be achieved (also control craftsmanship)
_What does the term "modular" housing mean to people - poor, low-quality. What can change this initial notion?
_How do locals perceive the modular idea moving into community? Local govt intervention needed as well?
_Ways to implement green design/off-the-grid principles to help reduce the cost of ownership?

Rick's response:
_highly technical - research methods which have worked and not worked. Both from a technical detail and design/aesthetic p.o.v.
_what are the economic factors involved?
_Types of governmental funding for research/implementation?
_Design competitions?
_Can you pursue this project type with current firm? If not, are the interested?

Tim O's response:
_One thing to ask yourself is how do we minimize urban sprawl which is reducing our natural environment exponentially?
_Could you participate in the design competitions for the Habitat for Humanity house?

For reference: Wired Magazine and Dwell

Studio: 3D to 2D

2007-01-12T17:52:00.000-05:00

I analyzed Screen Shot 1.

Scheme 1

It seemed to me that the room appeared very small, but could easily be much bigger. The night vision camera make is hard to dicern, but it seemed as though a lot of natural light would enter the room.

Scheme 2

Going back to my diagrams, where the wall was partial to instigate the action, perhaps there is a lot of space behind the wall that you can notice, but cannot access or inhabit. The natural light in this scheme is coming from the side instead of directly opposite the mirror wall.

Shopper to Consumer

2007-01-11T20:27:00.000-05:00

The notion of conversion is very interesting. It seems that stores just try to get people in the doors, which I'm sure helps their bottom line, but without knowing their target demographic it doesn't seem that they are using their full potential.

WalMart seems to be really harnessing the power they wield with their "Always low prices" campaign. In one of the documentaries on the store (I can't remember if it was this one or one on CNBC), they talked about how the only products that were really the lowest prices were the ones in huge racks in the middle of the aisles. But WalMart didn't put them there for you to buy them; they put them there to get you thinking about microwaves or DVDs or hand lotion, so you will head to that section of the store for your preferred brand or a movie that you actually want to see. Once there, the idea is already planted in your head that "those DVDs were only $7.88" and while you are marveling at how low the prices are, you just paid fifty cents more than you would have somewhere else. I don't shop at WalMart - but I can bet that Paco Underhill's students have followed quite a few people around the store to figure out that somehow, seeing a good deal on one item translates to "everything is such a steal!"

I think the first step is getting shoppers in - Underhill clearly states in his book that the stores he is helping are doing well to begin with, and are getting the shoppers in, but somehow are failing in the conversion department. In thinking about all of the Apple articles I have read today and hearing about the iMac, iBook, iPod, iTunes for the past however many years- they are very good at design, marketing and hype but I would have to say that about a quarter of the people in their stores at any one time actually buy anything. The Apple store in Columbus is always swirling with people - I have been in there probably about a dozen times, and I have only bought something once. My boyfriend has probably been in there twice as much, and has purchased something twice.

The idea of conversion makes me kind of sad, to think that we all are so easily influenced to buy things based on their strategic placement within the store or creative signage. As I am typing this, a Target commercial is on the TV and the song playing in the background says "Wanna gotta get it gotta get it right now" over and over. Not very subliminal...

Big Brother Investigation: Final

2007-01-09T20:37:00.000-05:00

In analyzing the screen shots, one thing that began to jump out at me was the prevalence of mirrors. Of course, the mirrors are there to hide cameras and other behind-the-scenes action, but they also provide more interest to the images. For one, not only can you see the action that the camera is intending to show, but you can begin to get "hidden" views of the same scenes - the backs of people or action taking place just out of view. They also provide more interest to the images through their reflection of inanimate things - specifically furniture and walls. By reflecting the walls and the furniture, the rooms take on an infinity quality and seem to go on forever.

Screen Shot 1

The mirrors and dark edges around the mirror wall first struck me. It was almost as if the mirror wall could be on a track, and the wall can move closer or farther away from the action, hence the dark caverns on either side. The dark frames around the windows enhanced this image in my mind. The dark wall is also reflected in the right-hand window, deepening the sense that the wall continues beyond.

Screen Shot 2

This image to me was the strongest case for the imagined transparency in the mirror wall. By reflecting not only the bed, but the pattern of the wall, it appears as if the room continues on, and the mirror wall is simply dividing it.

Screen Shot 3

I thought about this shot a little differently. Instead of the opposite wall from the camera being transparent or mirrored and informing the actions in that way, the wall is left in the shadows to push the action away and into the yard. Although this wall is mostly glazing, it is the least transparent and most divisive of all four screen shots.

Screen Shot 4

This screen shot had the most solid opposite wall. The lighting in this room is concentrated to the centers of each of the walls, leaving the corners dark and enhancing the idea that the wall as detached. Another detail to support the idea is the wainscoating and chair rail - they stop at the opposite wall.

Big Brother Investigation

2007-01-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

For some initial feedback, I am posting some of my sketched diagrams on each of my four chosen screen shots. Click the sketches for a larger image.

Screen Shot 1

Screen Shot 2

Screen Shot 3

Screen Shot 4

Fortifications for All

2007-01-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

Many ideas jumped out at me while reading the selection from Susan Bickford's "Constructing Inequality," mostly from my own biased ideas about what a city should be. The most intriguing, however, was the idea of fortification. I suppose I never really put together that a "fort" that a child builds actually comes from the word "fortification" - perhaps because my childhood forts were more about privatizing the inside than prohibiting the outside from coming in (or maybe there can't be one without the other!).

There is a commercial in central Ohio for a large homebuilder, where the various "residents" run down things they wanted in a new home that brought them to this builder. "My own room," "a deck," "cathedral ceilings," a big backyard, a fireplace, lots of windows, hardwood floors - the list is seemingly endless. But its the end of the commercial that really drives it home for me: as a father drives his car down the street one evening, before picking up his sleeping son to carry him inside, he passes what would appear to be a neighbor walking a dog (in the street, because there is no sidewalk). He doesn't wave or acknowledge the woman. Why is this a place where someone would want to live? While listing all of the things these people want in the actual structure of their homes, they never mention anything about the neighborhood. It seems this dream house can be next to the railroad tracks or just below the interstate - and it doesn't matter who your neighbors are, as long as they stay out of your yard and off your deck.

Whew! That rant was just a little off-topic! I think that the idea of fortification doesn't have to be physical. Just owning your little quarter-acre seems to be enough of a fortification for some, while in the city there is less of an option to fortify. Public space intrudes (especially at my house with zero street setback!) right up to the building - while in some suburbs, the lots aren't even violated with a sidewalk. Gated communities further this notion by restricting even who can access the streets.

Fortifications aren't just city versus suburb, all middle-class. I'd like to know some of your thoughts while I think about this further.

Test

2006-12-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

Test post!