        Armstrong, Mary : AssignmentsEdit Armstrong, Mary : Assignments here.Ex3 Reflection This exercise was a particular challenge to my creative process. I have never been very capable of working on a project that has no clear-cut path or process. This project challenged me to let go and investigate many different possibilities. I also had a hard time developing a set of rules and DNA to keep constant throughout the exercise. In the end, once I discovered what to keep constant, the rest of the project seemed to just come forward pretty easily. With the final product, I think I successfully completed the project’s goals. While my project has flaws in the final competition board, I think that overall, it was a success. My riffing process shows a clear connection between my original drawings and my final product. However, my final product has very little variation from my final riff. I could have probably created a more diverse final stage had there been more time to take critique and make changes. Another thing I could have done differently would be to keep better track of my rule sets and then work backwards from my final riff to create a new product. I would call Ex3 basically a creative extension of Ex2. The Fifth Street Bridge Katie Armstrong November 26th, 2007 A street can be defined by many characteristics. It can be seen in many different lights. A street plays a major role in the lives of the people it connects as well as the economies of the cities it defines. But what makes a street effective? And how are we, as inhabitants of the space defined by streets, to determine the quality of a street? The answer is in analysis and close observation. Streets contain much more depth than mere pathways from point A to point B; they encompass an entire stage of social uses, economic hierarchies, and physical space constructs. As designers and informed citizens, we must consider all of a streets purposes and functions before passing judgment on its quality as a whole. The Fifth Street renovations are no different from any other street, and we must regard all of the thought processes that went into its making with intelligent analysis and critique. The Fifth Street Bridge is the product of recent economic ventures and alliances between several prominent groups in the city of Atlanta. Newly constructed, the bridge provides an aesthetically pleasing connection between the heart of Atlanta’s midtown district and one of the city’s premier educational institutions, Georgia Tech. Despite the bridge’s obvious upgrade in aesthetics, this multi-million dollar venture has raised questions about the project’s necessity to the city. To determine its adequacy, one must consider all of the Fifth Streets many characteristics as seen through several different “filters” of spacial definition. ¬¬¬¬ First we must consider how Fifth Street functions as a public space. Walking down Fifth Street one can see a wide variety of cultures all colliding in one area. This street connects one of the top public universities in the nation with the hustle and bustle of Atlanta’s midtown. In service to the public sector, Fifth Street provides grounds for everything from restaurants, to shopping boutiques, to corporate endeavor. It simultaneously separates public from private while bringing aspects of private to the public. A street provides division amongst private spaces as well as access. This access to private spaces brings the private forward to a public audience with a public presence. Fifth Street, while encompassing many private domains, manages to present a unified public space. This is an important obstacle to overcome in the design and construction of a successful urban area. Walking from Tech’s campus uptown into Atlanta, Fifth Street has provided a unity amongst its respective private sectors and therefore, a community is formed. This community, comprised of students, businessmen, and locals alike, can find successful public use of the space defined by Fifth Street. The flow of space created by the designers of this newly renovated street provides not only a sense of community, but also a more aesthetically pleasing place to inhabit and utilize. And yet, even with Fifth Street’s appeal to all social sectors, the street is still divided. Another important aspect to consider when examining the street is its social divisions and hierarchies. When the Fifth Street Renovations were first enacted, the first area to be redesigned and modified was the bridge itself and the city block lying between the bridge and the Biltmore. The bridge was to be converted from a mere overpass crossing one of Atlanta’s busiest highways, to a space that was more reminiscent of an urban park. In effect, the bridge would provide a more unified link between the Georgia Tech campus and its midtown counterpart at Technology Square. Today the bridge has become yet another part of Tech’s campus. One can barely notice the constant stream of cars below when walking across the bridge into Technology Square. Fifth Street is can also be defined by its social sectors. Apart from being a promising restaurant and shopping district, Fifth Street is also home to Educational and Research driven facilities as well as business administrative complexes. These various social separations found along the street give rise to new interactions amongst its respective social groups. A corporate executive can be found dining in the same restaurant as a college student, all as a product of Fifth Street’s ability to create unity between separate social hierarchies. In providing a newly renovated connection between the heart of the Georgia Tech Campus and the heart of midtown Atlanta, the Fifth Street bridge mirrors what could be the future relationship between the Georgia Tech campus and the rest of the city in which it lies. The Georgia Tech has, for a long time, been a separate entity from the rest of Atlanta. Clearly defined and separated by the boundaries of North Avenue, 10th Street and I-75/85, the Tech campus has remained as a city of itself, cut off from the heart of Atlanta lying just beyond the highway. However, with Tech’s continuing expansion into Technology Square, a more clearly defined relationship between the college campus and the rest of the city is eminent. By distinctly creating a connection between Tech’s campus and its midtown counterpart, the Fifth Street Bridge echoes the overall expansion of Georgia Tech’s endeavors into Atlanta. But the Fifth Street Bridge can also be considered a documentation of how far the area has come and what it used to be. Prior to renovations, the bridge was merely another city overpass with little walking space for pedestrians and the tremendous roar of passing cars beneath it. Hardly pleasing to anyone’s aesthetic values, the Fifth Street Bridge’s former state could not be considered a well-designed entity amidst its surroundings. In renovating the area, the designers were able to take into consideration all the present discrepancies and remodel with consideration to user’s needs. So, what has made the Fifth Street Bridge’s remodeling a successful consideration of social needs and desires for their public space? To answer this, one must consider the bridge’s new physical and material characteristics. What was once a simple city overpass has now been converted to a broad connector between two similar spaces. Complete with wide sidewalks and green space, the new bridge allows for the passersby to completely forget that they are still crossing one of the city’s busiest highways. The designers achieved this feat by widening the bridge and allowing for more space to absorb the noise from below. In addition to aiding users in gaining access to Technology Square, the Fifth Street Bridge’s new appearance also provides new aesthetics. Which would a pedestrian rather utilize? A narrow sidewalk marred by the deafening roar of passing cars, or a wide passage reminiscent of a city park? These are the differences between the Fifth Street Bridge and its North Avenue and Tenth Street counterparts. All three connect the Georgia Tech campus with Atlanta’s midtown, and yet, close observation will show that pedestrians utilize the Fifth Street Bridge far more than either of the other two. Fifth Street’s increased activity can also be attributed to its multiple functions and uses. While part of Fifth Street remains a developing restaurant and shopping district, less than a block away in either direction are educational and research facilities in the form of Georgia Tech’s management complex on one end and Klaus Computing on the other. As for the bridge itself, the Fifth Street Bridge contains multiple functions. Just this summer, a Georgia Tech sponsored event called “Flicks on Fifth” utilized the bridge’s widened form and ample green space to present popular movies to the community. A large screen was erected on one end of the bridge, and the street was shut down to through traffic in order to provide a large outdoor theater to the community. Once again, this would not have been plausible if the renovations had not been undertaken; noise from the underlying highway would have interfered immensely. The bridge also serves, to a certain extent, the purpose of a city park. On any given day, people can be observed utilizing the bridges benches to rest or catch up on homework; students play Frisbee on the green; and workers from nearby shops and restaurants take their breaks here. Finally the bridge serves the purpose of providing a transportation connection between a rising economic area and the heart of a thriving college campus. This direct connection allows for easier user access to certain areas of the city as well as the campus. Fifth Street serves several social realms directly. First, it provides public access between the various buildings that comprise Georgia Tech’s east campus. From Klaus to the new management buildings on Technology Square, Fifth Street provides the college students of Georgia Tech a necessary connection from place to place. It also provides these students with access to other important aspects of collegiate life such as dining alternatives and the campus bookstore. For the social realm of business men and corporate workers, Fifth Street is home to several corporate offices housing hundreds of jobs. In addition to the men and women who fin their jobs in the office buildings of Fifth Street, local shops and restaurants provide a small work force to the community. So now it’s judgment time, time to decide if the multi- million dollar efforts of all the various interest groups have been worth-while. We’ve examined all the various “filters” that comprise Fifth Streets being, and we’ve analyzed all its various purposes. So once again, I raise the question: What makes a street effective? More specifically, what makes Fifth Street and its renovations effective? Fifth Street adequately provides the public with a social realm in which they can thoroughly undertake their day-to-day activities while maintaining a unified sense of design and pleasing aesthetics. So, where is the argument? As stated already, the Fifth Street renovations were a multi-million dollar venture that some suggest was not entirely necessary. While the newly renovated space is much more pleasing to the eye, there are dozens of other bridges in the city that serve quite the same purpose without the cost. Many will argue that the money should have been allocated elsewhere and the bridge should have been left as it was. Altogether, the decision comes down to a matter of values. Where do our values lie as a society of mixed social standards, wants, and needs? Yes, the bridge, if left alone would have quite adequately served the purpose of providing a connection between Georgia Tech’s campus and Atlanta. However, in keeping with Georgia Tech’s campus standards, the renovations were a necessary component of the campuses designed order. Which would you, as an inhabitant of the surrounding area, rather utilize? A structured, aesthetically pleasing walk way, or a cramped sidewalk on a noisy overpass? The answer should be quite clear. ¬¬¬In going forward with the remodeling venture, the designers and benefactors have stated what they believe to be most important, providing a stimulating environment for its users and inhabitants. Without the renovations, the ever-expanding Georgia Tech campus would have a clear division between its east campus areas and the newly developed Technology Square. Now that we’ve ventured through the various pros and cons of the Fifth Street Bridge, it is time to decide for yourself what you believe is right. All we can do is to provide an educated critique. Perhaps, in the future, builders will find even more uses for the Fifth Street Bridge. With developing technologies, the bridge could one day resemble the Ponte Vecchio of Florence, Italy with shops and restaurants lining the bridge itself. New uses will arise as public desires shift and change as they always do. However, one thing is certain; no matter what the renovation is, people will always find a way of making it usable, as is human nature. People will utilize what they are given and will make the best of whatever designs and changes are set before them. The Fifth Street Bridge is no different. Though its purposes may not be wholly clear now in the public eye, once given a chance to show its beneficial qualities, the bridge will become yet another integral component of campus life and midtown society. Introduction to Architecture Part 1: In this lecture, we were introduced to the ideas of building for the here and now and designing in a manner to shape the world we live in. We were told to think about what distinguishes a work of architecture from an ordinary building. We looked at examples of enlightened architectural thought processes with the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and Tadao Ando, Church of the Water in Japan. Both had specific design concepts they were trying to achieve, and both were designed to meet a specific need of the time. We also looked at some of Winston Churchill’s thoughts on architecture’s purposes. We then continued looking at examples of well-thought out architectural design concepts. By looking at examples such as the layout and designs of the buildings at UVA, we were shown how a concept can shape the mood of an architectural space. Part 2: 1. Hierarchy: for the purpose of this lecture, hierarchy can mean the order of space to create a specific feeling of unity and structure amongst its architecture. Ex. The palace at Versailles and the surrounding gardens and town. 2. Center: the structure or design concept from which remaining architectural designs of a space seem to radiate. The source of an influence. 3. Community (Common Unity): sense of unity created by well-thought out design concepts; individualism within unity. Similarity and unity. Part 3: For this program, some of the primary questions being asked are: “How can a space be designed to meet the needs of the community here and now?” “What makes a space architectural?” and “What designs create a sense of power amongst the community and communicate the best to a population?” It seems that architectural design is always motivated to creating a specific feeling amongst the people that inhabit its space. Different designs have entirely different motivations. A university’s design will be very different from a business establishment’s design because they have entirely different purposes. Introduction to Building Construction: Part 1: In this lecture, we looked at the building and design process from owner to developer to architect to building construction manager. We looked at the process step by step and studied how the buildings we create have to be operated in. We looked at all the requirements to getting a project up and running, all the steps to financing and supporting a project. You must do research to discover the right place and the right people to collaborate on a project. This is an example of an integrated system and wholistic thinking. We then looked at the examples of Shanghai and Dubai (two rapidly developing cities) and how they incorporate AEC Integration. Part 2: 1. AEC Integration: Architect-Engineer-Construction Integration; combining multiple disciplines to create a more efficient design and construction environment. 2. Types of Construction: From residential to commercial, different types of construction require different levels of involvement on the part of developers, financial backers, architects, engineers and building construction managers. 3. Productivity: a measurement of efficiency. Part 3: In the field of building construction, many needs and concepts arise. How will the project be financed? How will the architect play a role in the actual construction of the project? How to translate a design from blueprint to construction? Introduction to Industrial Design: Part 1: In this lecture, we explored the question “What is design?” We were shown how design concepts should promote aesthetics as well as functionality. We learned about all the facets of industrial design and the many different opportunities for design that are presented by the field. Everything from household appliances to medical machinery can be encompassed in industrial design. Finally, we learned about the ideals of good design. Part 2: 1. Design: a concept that promotes certain ideals such as functionality, aesthetics, and economy. 2. Aesthetics: the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments. 3. Humanization of Technology: creating new innovative technologies that are more user friendly and functional in the human realm of uses. Part 3: This area of study raises many questions. How do we make products to be more functional while retaining aesthetically pleasing aspects? How does problem solving affect the design process? What design concepts will create innovative products that are user-friendly, environmentally efficient, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing? Library 101: After Katrina: new solutions for safe communities and a secure energy future. Ed. Kaid Benfield…[et al]. Washington D.C.: Natural Resources Defense Council, 2005 Akaka, Daniel and Voinovich, George. “Innovation to the Rescue.” The Washington Times (August 29, 2006). Axtman, Kris. "Need is vast, but so is outpouring ; Private donations for hurricane victims may reach a billion dollars.; [ALL Edition]." (2005): 1. ProQuest. The Christian Science Moniter. 2005. Barnes, Fred. "Post-Katrina Politics." The Weekly Standard, no. 11 (2006): 2,8. Barry, John. "A city worth saving; A year after Katrina, we see now that unintended forces changed the geological equation, making the Crescent City vulnerable. These shifts in terrain benefited the rest of the country while sealing New Orleans' fate.." (2006): LexisNexis. USA TODAY. 2006. Brooks, Rick. “Katrina Survivors Face New Threat: City Demolition; Some Salvaged Homes End up on Condemned List; Ms. Debose’s Due Process.” Wall Street Journal August 9, 2007):A1. Brown, M. Christopher and Robinson, Sharon P., The Children Hurricane Katrina Left Behind: Schooling Context, Professional Preparation, and Community Politics. (New York: Peter Lang, 2007). Brown, Joseph E. and Kenneth Caldwell. “Urban Land” Washington D.C.: 2006 Nov.-Dec., v.65, n.11-12, p.38,40-43,45: Avery Index Chaney, Keidra. "What Lies Beneath: Katrina, Race, and the State of the Nation" Bitch Magazine: Feminist Response to Pop Culture. Oct. 2007, 78-79. Curtis, Wayne. “Preservation: the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation” Washington D.C.: 2006 Sept.-Oct., v.58, n.5, p.4951: Avery Index Freudenburg, William R., Robert Gramling, Shirley Laska, and Kai T. Erikson. "Katrina: Unlearned Lessons." World Watch, no. 20 (2007): 14-19. Garrett, Brandon. "Criminal justice collapse: The constitution after Hurricane Katrina." (2006): ISI. DUKE LAW JOURNAL. 2006. "Hurricane Katrina's aftermath still affecting housing, health." The Nation's Health 8, no. 37 (2007): 8. ProQuest. American Public Health Association. 2007. Johnson, Kevin. "New Orleans area sees hope in restructuring its police forces;." (2006): LexisNexis. SA TODAY. 2006 Karaim, Reed. “Preservation” 2006 Mar.-Apr., v.58, n.2, p.[26]-31: Avery Index Kennedy, Shawn and James Murdock. “Architectural Record” New York: 2007 June, v.195, n.6, p.85-88,226: Avery Index Louisiana Laws and Statutes. The conservation laws in relation to fish, oysters and shrimp, enacted by the regular session of the legislature, 1932. New Orleans: Department of conservation, 1932 Louisiana Mounds Society. Newsletter/ Louisiana Mounds Society. Shreveport: The Society, 1986. Mardi Gras, gumbo, and zydeco : readings in Louisiana culture. Ed. Marcia Gaudet. Jackson: University Press, 2003. Masozera, Michel. "Distribution of impacts of natural disasters across income groups: A case study of New Orleans." (2007): ISI. ELSEVIER SCIENCE. 2007. Parker, Laura. "City's public defender system troubled before Katrina; Activists, lawyers, feds see a chance to fix New Orleans' judicial problems." (2006): LexisNexis. Gannett Company, Inc. 2006. Postal, Arthur D. "Hurricane Katrina Puts New Orleans Agency to the Ultimate Test." Nation Underwriter. P & C, no. 111 (2007): 20-23. Rosan, Richard M. “Urban Land” Washington D.C.: 2006 Sept., v.65, n.9, p.58,60,62-63: Avery Index Sawyer, Tom. "New Orleans Disaster Blamed on Decades of Bad Decisions." Engineering News-Record, no. 258 (2007): 13. Sipes, James L. “Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: How Landscape Architects Can Use Their Digital Skills to Play a Key Role in the Process.” Landscape Architecture vol.96 (April 2006): 84, 86, 88 – 95. Suplee, Matt. "New Orleans gets affordable, greener housing." Architectural Record, no. 195 (2007): 40. United States Congress, Senate, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hurricane Katrina: what can the government learn from the private sector’s response? Ed. Van Zante, Gary. “Voices From the New Orleans Design and Planning Diaspora.” Places vol.17 (Fall 2006): 64 – 65. Woods, Clyde A. “Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans: Katrina, Trap Economics, and Rebirth of the Blues?” American Quarterly vol. 57 (December 2005): 1005 – 1018. Mary Armstrong Assignment September 30 Lecture 9/17 In this lecture, the speaker talked about bringing together aspects of ID, BC and Architecture and how components of each affect the way we act within our environments. He talked about various components of every-day life that affect our livelihoods such as physical activity. He talked about such statistics as the BMI and how it affects the population. He discussed how the built environment can either encourage or discourage physical activity and why it is important to promote aesthetically pleasing design concepts that encourage physical activity. BMI: body-mass-index
2. How does the built environment affect the way we carry out our daily activities? 3. What kinds of statistics are used to gather information on obesity among Americans? 4. Why is it important to make aesthetically pleasing designs that promote the use of such things as staircases rather than elevators? Lecture 9/19 In this lecture, Mrs. Dessault spoke of the transformation and remodeling of Atlantic Station over the past several years. She has been documenting the change of the area from a run-down steel mill to the present day construction of shopping districts, office space and housing. Her biggest interest has been in utopian architectural design and recycling land. She has been documenting the changes from demolition of the steel mill in 1999 to the present day construction. Utopia:
1. Where do utopian architects draw their inspiration from? 2. How has the remodeling of Atlantic Station affected the economy of the surrounding area? 3. What kinds of built environments promote the ideals of a utopian design? 4. Which schools of architecture deal with utopian design? Lecture 9/26 In this lecture, the speaker discussed the famous 18th century architect, Palladio and his design concepts. Palladio was an architect working in Italy who was most famous for his Greek and Roman design ideals. He was well known for his use of proportion and scale. His techniques were both aesthetically pleasing and cost efficient. Many of his buildings had temple-like facades. Classical Architecture:
2. What types of design has Palladio had the most influence on? (i.e. residential, commercial or government?) 3. In the 18th century, classical design was cheap and efficient; is it still cost-efficient? 4. How do modern architects pull design concepts from Palladio? Mary Armstrong August 29th, 2007 Description 1: The installation found in the courtyard of Architecture West can be best described as made of twisting plastic(plexi-glass?) sheets bound together by thousands of tiny screws. Toward one end of the installation, the sheets of plastic are quite long and hardly twisting, whereas on the opposing end of the installation, the sheets become more dense and twist at a greater magnitude. Also, the installation appears to magnify itself as it moves from right to left. It begins at a very small height of only a foot or so, and ends towering over the onlooker. In early morning light the installation gives of the quality of floating, bubbles perhaps. However, in late afternoon sun, light rays bouncing off the curvature of the plastic panels give the installation a much more substantial and somewhat intimidating presence. Speculation 1: Installation 1, found in the courtyard of Architecture West, is a prime example of experimental use of common building materials. It would make sense that the designers behind this particular construction would have been interested in changing the use of simple plastic sheets. Perhaps the builders wanted to test the strength of said materials under complicated design conditions. To design such an installation, I can only guess that the builders would have taken into consideration the space they were required to work with and used its predetermined qualities to shape and mold their design allowing for an installation that not only fit in the space provided but actually worked with the space. In contrast to the stark grey concrete walls of the studio building, the installation winds around the concrete slabs in a wave-like motion. This contrast creates a well-matched cooperation between the installation and its environment. Description 2: The second installation found in the atrium of the Architecture West Building can be best described as being made of thin wood paneling. It reaches easily from floor to ceiling with a slight wave that begins around the second story of the atrium. This wavelike movement of the paneling gives the structure an airy feel, rather than a heavy rigidity of many wooden installments. Due to the large number of thin wooden shafts, light filters through the paneling from the clerestory windows quite easily adding to its lightness. However, when viewed from an angle, the panels appear more solid. It appears to be simply constructed held together by thin rods at various intervals in the paneling. The addition of a bench at the base of the installment also gives it an added sense of function to go along with its form. Speculation 2: Installation 2, found in the atrium of Architecture West, is both a work of modern art as well as functional component of the atrium space. In this design, the architects involved would have taken into consideration the uses of the space they were given to work with and designed an installation that would work in the space as a functional piece of architecture. By anchoring the structure with a bench on the ground level, the architects have successfully created a functional piece. The designers would have been interested in discovering the functional uses of design as well as its aesthetic values. Once again, I can imagine that the builders would have taken into consideration the space they were working with and design an installation that would best add to the space. The installation creates a soaring sensation for those who look at it, adding to the perception of height in the atrium. Link to this Page
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