Filed under: september 25 | Tags: Class notes/reflections, Data Collection - Alternative Energy
I found the lecture on the built environment to be quite interesting. I never quite realized how much thought actually goes into the designing and creating of every tiny detail. Comfort plays a large role in this. The Pearl Academy of Fashion, designed by the Morphogenesis architecture firm, is taking comfort into extreme consideration. It has not yet been built, but is planning to use new yet sustainable ways of cooling the building and keeping it at a constant temperature.
“The entire building is elevated off the ground, sucking air in around the edges of the building which is eventually released up through the open-air courtyards.”
It is amazing that we as humans have the knowledge and technology to create such a building. Although it also makes me question why it is taking us so long to apply these techniques to all aspects of our lives. We have the ability to create a better world for ourselves, and slowly we will begin to see it change, hopefully…
Check out this design: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/09/25/pearl-academy-london/
Filed under: Uncategorized
It is one thing to talk about green design, but it is another to actually do it. It was encouraging to me when I came across Green Design Studio, a company is dedicated this very idea. The products they offer do not solve every problem posed to the environmentally conscious designer, but they are definitely a great start. From plywood to office furniture, these solutions are both green and aesthetically pleasing.
Design is no longer just an issue of aesthetics and functionality; the recent environmental movement has opened our eyes to a new way of thinking. For instance, Jae pointed out that we should consider light and thermal energy in design. A well designed building should, for example, incorporate a consideration for the thermal environment. Light and thermal energy can enter a space in a variety of ways, intentional or unintentional, such as windows, poor insulation, or humans. A good designer will consider these factors and work with them in order to create a structure that uses less energy while still meeting all the needs of the user and looking good at the same time. This is only one piece of the puzzle, however. There are a multitude of other factors that also contribute to an environmentally conscious building such as water usage, energy generation, and use of light, just to name a few. It is becoming clear that though it may seem like a fun and easy job to be a designer, our responsibility to the environment adds a twist to the old way of thinking.
This research carries on with Jerry’s presentation last week, and touches a bit on my realization of functionality from todays class. Joel Hesselgrn of Yanko Design has come up with a table chair. In actuality it is two basic chairs, that when laid down on the floor slide together to form a coffee table. A very simple design indeed, but something new to me. Their website states “sometimes you need an extra chair and sometimes you need a table”. A cheesy statement, yes, but it brings accross the point of the design. Functionality.
For more information visit www.yankodesign.com
Colors are aesthetically pleasing. I never considered colors to have a specific meaning, feeling or mood therefore i found todays assignment, “Your inner response to colours” quite interesting. After doing the assignment and then reading over the hand out package i was suprised to find similar discriptions of the colors because i didn’t realize how universal colours are. Puzzling together a fun color scheme for a room is fun, but i now realize that the colors have an impact. In applying this lesson to design i think i will learn to take note of colors, and question why they were chosen or why they don’t set the desired mood.
Also quoted in the handout “In ancient times…he expected colors to protect him on earth, guide him safely to heaven, and symbolize the majesty of the universe.” This quote stuck out to me because it shows how society has changed. Colours used to be viewed as having very serious meanings, and now these meanings are overlooked or rarely considered in everyday life.
I really enjoyed Jae’s presentation of the first house he designed for a client. I was shocked at the difficulty level of the house. All of the considerations of light, direction of light, space requirements, measuring the individuals abilities opened my eyes to the reason for design. Up until now when being in a house i think about the layout, accessability, how the different spaces relate to eachother, and the feeling i get in different rooms, but i have never thought about the reason for the design. Design is not all about aesthetics or comming up with something new and fresh, creating a new trend or look. A pretty design without functionality is useless. Lesson learned.
Filed under: Uncategorized
I always hear plastic is bad, use paper not plastic, plastic is destroying the earth. But then I found this site and it put plastic in a whole new light. Yes, it is still not good for the environment, but could it be saving energy and other aspects of the natural world. I’m still not sure what to think but I found this to be an interesting read: http://www.recycleyourplastic.ca/plastic_environment.html
Concerning our first lecture (Sept. 11) all about the basics of humans and nature we see that there is a dialectic relation between the two, both mutants and machines. We as humans are apart of the machine and cannot live without it. This is a suggestion that just as humans need nature they also need machines, implying machines to be a form of nature.
Side note: In recent studies it is shown that more people live in the city (artificial environment), than elsewhere (natural environment).
Comming across this realization that we as humans so desperately rely on machines to live our lives, makes me wonder if we ourselves have turned into machines? In the 21’st century mankind lives in a whole new world… a virtual world. This world is where information is found quickly on the internet, where letters are sent in the form of e-mail’s, and people can use the phone anywhere, at any time in the form of cellular phones. Humans have begun to rely on these machines so much that it is almost impossible to function without them and in some cases they have a meltdown when things don’t work. My only thought is that what will our world become if there were to be a major blackout? How would we survive? Are we placing our lives in the hands of these fragile machines, can they be trusted?
Indication that technology is taking over: According to http://www.email.about.com there are about 210 billion e-mails sent each day (updated August 2008)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Data Collection - New/Alternative Materials
While perusing the internet for new and alternative materials, I came across a website discussing recycled items used as alternative building materials. These recycled materials included cardboard, tires, and even beer cans! Not only is the construction of these so-called “Homes of the Future” reusing materials that would otherwise be sent to the landfill, but they are also helping to conserve the earth’s natural resources which would be used in the construction of a typical home. To read more please visit:
http://improvementweb.com/alternative-crazy-home-construction-materials-beer-cans-tires-cardboard/55/
At the end of class this week, Jae proposed the question “Who believes design can cause change?” I believe that design can cause all types of change, especially when it comes to the environment.
– Designers who implement “green design” have endless possibilities to change the state of the environment. I remember reading somewhere that buildings are one of the largest contributers to environmental change, and that through more sustainable design (like grey water systems, green roofs, solar panelling, etc.) we may be able to return to living within the sustainable limits of the earth.
– I also believe that, as one of our class mates pointed out the other day in Ecology and Design, that people use/buy products because they are aesthetically pleasing. Like our peer mentioned, if you want people to recycle, let’s make the recycling bins more attractive so that people are motivated to recycle, or if you want someone to use public transportation, let’s design it so that people are drawn towards it. These small changes in design can also significantly change the state of the environment.
Filed under: September 18 | Tags: Data Collection - New/Alternative Technology
I was on one of my favourite design websites today and stumbled across a link to a new product called the Rag Chair. It is not necessarily design in hopes to enhance comfort for the sitter, but it is a really neat idea. The chair is made nearly entirely of rags, or if one chooses, they can have their own old clothing incorporated into it as well. What a cool new way to recycle.
LINK: http://www.droog.com/products/furniture—objects/rag-chair/
