Depot final boards:

For my final depot design I incorporated the inspiration of light from a lantern and a local glass artist Robert Kaindl, to create a warm and translucent environment. The Concept development shows how I abstracted the lantern into a parti that depicts the words security, glow and support. From this step I created my 3D model that is shown in my concept model blog. Also in the beginning stages of this project I drew up bubble diagrams, floor plans, adjacency matrix's, and sketches all showing where i wanted to head with this project. My initial drawings are very similar to what my final rooms looked like in the end but with much more detail. Seeing this growth in my work throughout the project was nice to watch develop over the last few weeks.
My floor plan board is shown to introduce the project on the second board. The title "Shelter by the Sea" represents my project for its structural yet organic characteristics. In the main lobby area of the Bed and Breakfast space you can visually see a connection between my parti and the x represented in this space. at the heart of this walkway will be a change from wood floors to a glass mosaic tile that will be shown in greater detail later. The residents unit is featured on the right wing of the pufferbelly depot and guest rooms are located on the western side. Ultimately the floor plan goes from Public to private spaces very smoothly creating a nice environment for both. Overall the heart of this building is the lobby space that defines my parti inspiration.
This is my construction/ demolition Plan that shows which walls I tore down and which ones I also maintained throughout the building. I did maintain the ticket window wall and a few others but for my overall design concept most of the walls came out. Also I lowered a few windows that were situated high up to allow for more outside views in the residential unit as well as in one of the suites. I also added wood beams throughout the ceiling to play up the volume in the space.
My access/ egress plan depicts the main exits outside of the building. There are 6 different locations as to where people can exit this building easily. The residents alone have two doors which they can easily get out of. Also this plan explains some of my accessible and universal codes that i followed throughout my design. Things such as 3'0" door clearances and 5'0" turn around for wheelchairs.
Here my exterior elevation is shown as well as my Section through the building. My elevation shows the maintained brick and the recycled glass windows that I will be adding in the lobby space. Also you can see the bushes that will be planted in the front to create more of a sense of privacy for the guests and residents of the building. The section cut shows the dining space and lobby area as well as the suites and the residential unit on the right. Also you can see the change in ceiling heights between the more sheltered spaces and the open lobby that is still supported by wood beams that drop down to create comfort in this open space.
This board has the last of the detail drawings such as the site plan and the two interior elevations of the space. Also this board introduces the residential unit with materials and a living room view. The site plan shows the parking lot that includes a handicap parking spot and private residential parking. The elevations show the commercial kitchen space and one of the walls in the lobby lounge area that shows a display area for art. The residential unit is done in natural tones and in a relaxing green that contrasts with the bed and Breakfast spaces that are all warm tones. The living room will feature a green accent wall with light bamboo wood floor and bold green seating. The counter tops in the kitchen will be white so that a person with partial eye sight can easily see things placed against this light material.
This board shows my final textile design as well as how I implemented the design into my space. I used the design of this pattern to create a glass mosaic floor piece in the heart of my lobby to create a focal point. Above this I will hang one of my artists chandeliers to draw in attention to light. As well as using this design as a floor piece, I also used this design as a pillow fabric throughout my lobby to incorporate this warm glow and security throughout the heart of the my lobby.
Here is a view into one of the two lounge areas provided to guests in the lobby area of this hotel. Here again you can see the warm tones used throughout this space with an inspiration of underwater coral driven from my artist work into glass mosaic accent walls to create another focal point and interest throughout the space. I used shell sconce lighting in the center of the mirrors to create more reflection and emphasis on light.
This is a view into one of the guests suites, in particularly the ADA fully accessible room. Again this room features a glass mosaic wall with a picture of soft coral. In this room I used a darker stain bamboo floor to create a richer environment with more overall contrast. I also found a coral fabric that fit perfect for the bedspread in this room to create a nice cozy beach cabin feel overall.

Study Models:

In this first study model I placed the residential unit in the left area of the building while allowing for a open lobby space with private library and computer room to the right of that, and the guest rooms are situated in the right of this building. The residential unit was too small in this example and I didn't like the break up of private spaces on both sides of the public space. Also the lobby was not as opened up as I had imagined but the general location of the lobby space works well in the heart of this building.

This study model represents a commercial kitchen and dining space to the left allowing for easy access to the covered patio area outside. the lobby has been divided up with a big "X" which has derived from my concept model. This creates the major hallways through the lobby space. To create emphasis, I made the reception desk the only curved element in the lobby. The residential unit is placed behind the reception area and then the guest rooms are to the right off a main hallway. This model represents Public to private space very nicely by allowing all the public spaces to be more open and towards the street corner side of the building.

This study model is very similar to the second one in the Public spaces to the right. As for the residential unit this is now placed all the way to the right of the building, allowing for a residential entryway on that far side of the building away from the commercial Bed and Breakfast establishment main entryway. This plans circulation works the best and divides public and private spaces up again very nicely. Also in this plan I was thinking about back to back plumbing walls by having guest bathrooms share a plumbing wall to make the overall layout more functional overall. The reception desk needs to be moved closer to the front door, which will be an easy fix by just switching it with a lounge area. Overall this plan is the best representation of my concept ideas into a 3D study model.

Concept Development- Concept Model:

Final Parti Used for Concept Model development.


While building my 3D concept model I used the idea of emphasis on light while creating a supporting structure that let the warm glow radiate out but not to escape. The yellow pom pom ball in the center was used to show that light is delicate, and soft but very powerful and bold at the same time. The glow is soft but the color makes it stand out and shine beyond its boundaries. The wood pieces represent the main structural supports and the idea that light is natural and an organic element. The red material shows the texture of overlapping lines and allows viewers to see inside this form from all angles. These two materials create a contrast between the bold red color of the plastic and the natural light wood which catches one's attention. The use of repeating geometric shapes allows for a sense of comfort within the design and creates this secured environment for the light.

Concept Development- Textile:

The lantern was my chosen inspiration because it emphasized light and showed contrast with materials and colors nicely. As I abstracted this object I generated words such as glow, support, and security, which highlighted the main aspects of this fixture.

This is one of my preliminary parti sketches that represents those keywords visually. The circle represents the soft glow of light and it is positioned so that it is secured within repeating lines that radiate out from this source of energy. The straight lines represent support and structure for the circles, protecting this delicate form while still allowing for a sense of openness inside.

Once the parti was made into a pattern, new forms are created that enhance the concept behind this idea. The circles have been fully surrounded in areas creating an even more sense of shelter within its structure. Also the "X" shape is created and holds four circles within itself still representing the structure holding the glow but now incorporating more light and emphasizing it more as a focal point.

Once color is applied to the parti the sense of light radiating from the circle shape is more apparent by using a warm analogous color scheme. The vibrant colors help make this pattern stand out to represent how bold light is.

The final parti represents the glow of light radiating out into a supporting secure structure just like the lanterns warm light shines out but never leaves is comforting boundaries.

My final textile design is very bold and catches your attention immediately just like the glow of light does. The Parti was a decently sized 8"x8" square. I wanted the parti to be big so the idea of light as a focal point would be more present. The Bold idea of this parti really stands out in this scale and I am really happy with how it turned out. Overall this textile represents light with a contrast between the soft glow and the supporting structural fixture of my inspirational object

Vision ability Workshop:

My observations after the vision workshop made me realize just how frustrating it would be to have a visual impairment and people who do have these deficiencies are therefore very patient. Things were very blurry and hard to make out clearly such as reading the newspaper seemed impossible with the glasses on. bright lights and signs were more visible but not necessarily defined. People were shadows far away and even when they were closer they still seemed blurry and it was hard to tell when people were looking at you and such. Contrasting colors such as red really stood out against a neutral flooring to me on my walk. Overall light and contrast were the biggest factors that guided me throughout different spaces. I remember at the elevator I had to get really close to the buttons to even make out what was up from down. The whole experience during this workshop made me feel a little a dizzy and even at times nauseous. At the WSECU ATM it was very hard to see the buttons 1-3 because they were hidden by a cover that cast a dark shadow over the key pad. There was no Braille to help identify anything but there was red, green, and black markings for the cancel, enter and OK buttons. The sketch above shows the library stairs that include tactile black markings to help the visually impaired feel and see the contrast between the neutral step coloring and the edge of each step.

Artist Poster

Robert Kaindl has inspired my design philosophy through his colorful imagination and unique vision. His glass art shapes are very natural forms and he is known for his sea shape art. Also his use of color that is very bold makes a emphasized statement that I want to incorporate into my designs. He has transformed glass into sophisticated high end creations that are very aesthetically pleasing. The beauty found within his art translates to me an underwater world of magic and excitement. His vision depicts a world that is full of fantasy, color, free flowing movement and emphasis. His works of art really gives me the impression of the unrealistic which makes his pieces that much more interesting and impressive. The imagination and creativity displayed in his glass art really excite me and I can see color and natural shapes being a big inspiration in my design concept.

Context Poster

I researched the 1906 Lodge located just outside of San Diego. It was very interesting to learn how different B&B's are from hotels, inns and other resorts. A bed and breakfast is situated around a courtyard, in this case the lodge includes a garden and pool in their courtyard. Special amenities include pool side loungers and towels. Also they provide gourmet breakfast instead of just complementary breakfast seen at many average hotels. Also the rooms all have a different theme which makes every stay a different experience. I really like this aspect of a bed and breakfast because people do have different styles and definitions of aesthetics. This lodge goes from Japanese inspired rooms to patriotic American inspired rooms. The overall lobby and shared space of this bed and breakfast are more neutral, warm tones that will make people feel comfortable and as if they were at home rather than at a hotel. There is a great deal of thoughtfulness that went into the planning of such unique spaces that allow for multiple visual experiences. The rooms are very romantic and comfortable and allow the guests each their own access to a private balcony and spa tub. I would love to stay at this bed and breakfast to just experience the warmth of the environment in balance with the life on the beach.

Habitat for Humanity:

Above is the proposed floor plan for a 3 bedroom 2 bath Habitat for Humanity Home that my partner and I created around the essence of family. Throughout our design we wanted to provide comfort for the residents by dealing with public space first and then private spaces later. This resulted in an open entryway into the great room and then more private bedrooms off of hallways towards the back. This allows for the family to come together easily but also makes having independent free-time available to everyone in the family. This house is just over 1,000 sq ft, not including the garage or covered porch area. Within this space we were able to accommodate a fully accessible guest bathroom and add a second functional bath off the master. Also hallways are 4' wide allowing for wheelchair access throughout the space with 5' turning radius in rooms and in the kitchen.

Our color scheme derived from the warm hues in wheat stocks found locally here on the Palouse, which ties our houses interior in with the natural exterior terrain found on site. Overall this house gives off a warm glow that resembles the love and comfort found within a family.

This floor plan worked well for a small house design especially by opening up the living areas into a great room space which allowed this home to expand. For other projects like this I might think about providing a more family orientated living room furniture layout that has side tables and more seating available to a family. Also providing bar stools off the island kitchen counter would help bring the family together a bit more in the public spaces of this house.