To better understand our clients, we conducted interviews at the Greensboro Bus Depot and at bus stops across the city. We were unable to recieve video or audio documentation, as we had hoped but its clear that the clients' words tell stories of their own.


4s Group: Ben Adams, Leah Petriccione, Christyn Dunning, and Anna Will

node| client

In an effort to carry our studio work beyond Greensboro's borders, we were instructed to choose a natural disaster and assume a victim from a video to be our client. We were to design something to prevent or ease the affects of the natural disaster. Our group decided to focus on earthquakes, and was particularly affected by the recent and devastating earthquake that occurred in China. Please follow the link below to meet our client; a father whose only son was killed when his school collapsed in the earthquake. We developed our design with all of the young victims' parents in mind.

Client: Father; Son lost in Sichuan Earthquake

www.worstearthquake.com

We chose to design a central "safe room" for schools, which would be easily accessible by every area of the school, and perhaps also act as the cafeteria. This would be a heavily reinforced, dome-shaped structure for children and teachers. The following images and sketch models document it's construction.








It is suggested that in the event of an earthquake, one should stay low to the ground, indoors, under a strong object. These desks would act as emergency earthquake shelters, in the event that children could not reach the "safe room" in time. They would be constructed using building techniques incorporated into the foundations of earthquake-resistant homes. The would also have a titanium frame anchored into the foundation for rigid support.

The Gate City divide

Public transportation is somewhat of a new phnomona to me. I’m ashamed to say that never before have I boarded a city bus with the intent to ride anywhere short of a UNC basketball game. Alas, my recent excursion via a GTA city bus has broken this sheltered cycle. My first impression of this public transportation was revealed to me following the hiss of the bus doors.
“Get on the bus!” barked the toad-faced woman behind the wheel. She scowled as my friends and I fumbled with our student IDs, stomping on the gas before we could even comprehend nearby seats. Getting oriented, I realized that the attitude of the bus driver was not too far a cry from those seated around us. Someone was snapping, bitterly, at their cell phone as another couple groaned about personal problems. Many patrons swayed, hypnotized, to the beat of their iPods, lip syncing to the distant droan that drifted from their earbuds. Others were engaged in deep thought, bumping along silently to the rhythm of the bus. And then there was our group; a sore thumb, a glowing beacon of ignorance. Well, perhaps without our intent fixation with our surroundings- staring, taking photos- we could have better settled into the dismal atmosphere. We, the white college kids, seems foreign those around us. We were completely separated from this world- segregated, if you will. These people did this daily and to us, this was an adventure. With very little thought, I realized the irony of the situation. Since the1960s, something had changed drastically. The fact is, people prefer to take their own cars, pinning a sore reputation upon a public transportation system that has long been a symbol of historical of significance. It is all too true that, after years of fighting for desegregation and peace, we all sit, segregated and ill, all the while finding this preferable. Something has certainly been lost over time, perhaps something we should rediscover.

Way finding in a new light

The start of second year studio has certainly redefined my definition of "group project." Working on a single project from an individual level to a group of nearly 60 shed light on the difficulties of working in a group. It is never easy for a handful of minds to unite on a single idea, but in the modern world this is a challenge we will often encounter. Our challenge here was to map out an assigned "way finding" experience through annotated images, which were then incorporated into a small group project. The products of each small group were then absorbed into a project involving our entire studio, thereby introducing us to the delicate balance of leadership and cooperation. Through much trial and even more error, our studio combined the models, maps, and images of our small groups to produce a life size game exploring the idea of way finding. I am not only impressed by the project we were able to produce, but too by the way in which we were able to organize people and ideas in such a large group. There was a strong effort to bring each and every idea to the table for consideration, and a universal push for cohesiveness both within our group and project.

First Year Finale

For our final project we were assigned a famous individual for whom we were to create a habitable wall. We were then assigned to a group and our clients' "walls" were to collectively create a neighborhood within the 3rd floor of the UNCG Gatewood Studio Arts building. Our resulting design was to best suite the needs of our client considering location, relativity to other clients, structure, and lighting. My client was Mark Rothko, celebrated abstract expressionist painter. I plan to continue revisions in my iterations, but my most recent product was designed to be a movable, changeable structure to fit his mood- whether it be joyful or depressed. I took advantage of the many windows in our studio to optimize lighting for his painting. His structure incorporates a select few of his signature colors, but not so much that it could overwhelm and strain his ability to start afresh on a new painting. My next designs will move towards a more simplified, unified structure to express a more solid concept.

No where like Elsewhere

Most anyone that has been to Elsewhere Museum (Greensboro, NC) would probably describe their experience as... well, hard to describe. Elsewhere is an artist's haven, brimming with just about any and every object imaginable. On numerous occasions, I heard people express the need for some particular object, followed by "Well it's got to be here somewhere!" This statement really describes Elsewhere in a nutshell. The great part about this space is its interactive quality. The objects in Elsewhere are designed to be rearranged and manipulated, so long as nothing is removed or added. Artists create eerie and playful exhibits amidst the towing piles of, well, stuff! One will surely find our classes' once stratigically placed post-it notes moved and worked into any number of places throughout Elsewhere!

My Design Visualization class was challenged to map out the Museum for Elsewhere's website. Considering the amount of space available to draw, it was difficult to choose just one. I chose my space based upon it's composition. The fabric on the walls created interest in contrast with the objects arranged around the couch. This was such a fun and unusual experience, from which I gained great drawing experience. Thank you Elsewhere and thank you Suzanne!

Nick Knack Pattywack

In preparation for an upcoming visit to Elsewhere Museum (Greensboro, NC) our Drawing class was assigned the task of drawing "Nick knacks" around the house. These are just a few that I had fun drawing. They became rather animated once I added color, which really made it a fun assignment!