Vacuum

I thought the discussion of the effects of Marketing and the role "Visualizers" played in marketing in class today was interesting. We saw vaccuums cleaners that were advertised in old print and the new Dyson vacuum was mentioned by Estee. I just had to look it up!

http://www.bcrfcure.org/part_promo06_dyson.html

PS:
Hope this is ok Megan.

Industrial Revolution, part I

A step forward or step in the wrong direction?

As we have discussed in class, historians relate the Industrial Revolution to that of the Neolithic Revolution, when humans became an agrarian community versus nomadic (Tate & Smith, 1986, p. 219). There is no doubt that because of the Industrial Revolution we have benefited from its many inventions, advancements and improvements. Without it, our lives as we know it would be non-existent. As a person that belongs to middle class society, I would not have had the opportunities which I enjoy today if it were not for mass production and technology. In addition, very few individuals would know and understand the same comfort and luxuries we expect today. Still, history shows that the ancient Romans (before the fall of Rome) were a very advanced society and had invented many processes and materials to make life easier and more secure. Unfortunately, these methods were lost or forgotten with the fall of the Roman Empire. It took many years before these techniques were revived and improved upon. However, these “improvements” employed different methods than what was originally utilized, and since 1850 we now have 35% more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere (CBS evening news, August 2007). Sooner or later our idea of “comfort” will have to become compromised in the interest of the world’s future. The effects of this change are sure to bring about a new revolution; one that is perhaps more healthy for our environment, but (as some feel) could be detrimental to our way of life.

Considering global warming, do you believe that the Industrial Revolution, specifically the discovery of coal and other fossil fuels, was a necessary step forward or a “misstep” in the advancement of modern man? Do you think we would have found the same quality of life if we had continued to develop the technology we were already using (such as wind and water mills)? Explain your answer.

Hey everyone it is good to be back in school...right? Well I hope to have some stimulating discussions with all of you. Hopefully we will have diverse opinions to share. Just as a warning, my spelling is terrible so if you are confused or if I have made some outrageous error please email me.
(minggal52386@yahoo.com)

Test

Testing 1, 2, 3

Welcome to ID 243

Anne Frank once said "paper is more patient than man." Today, the internet has become our "paper" and blogs, which are outlets for expressing thoughts and opinions, are a modern form of journals. For this class, the blog should be used as a tool to inform, educate, and express ideas centered on modern design, theories, and culture. All thoughts and opinions must be original to writer (blogger) and engage others to discuss the topic at hand. There are no "wrong" answers or responses, rather poorly supported statements. Therefore, it is important to use real examples and document sources to support your argument. Don't forget, these will be graded, so be creative with your discussions/ responses!

Contemporary Desing Part III

As we have talked about in class we are the contemporary era we are living it. Ideas and design are changing in forming into something of the future or something of now. Ideas of the past reflect design of today but with technology and new materials they can recreate old or even restore old building with new architecture. Today materials are easy to recreate to appear old. Buildings are created with new materials once again designing it and using old styles with flashy new materials.

Designers and architects have been researching green design and how by using certain products and materials they can change and the use of energy by the amount that is used and the amount created. Another name for this is green design. Green design has just become popular or even thought about being used in the last 10 -15 years. Green design may not be considered a style but it’s a direction that we are going. If we want to enjoy the earth later in our life or make it a nice place for the future generation we must start to consider green design. This has become its own style it’s unique and interesting. There are so many ways to use green design. Many different materials can be used glass, metal, recycled just to name a few. When these materials are constructed just the right way or in the right form they are extremely effective. Energy is not wasted and some is even stored for later use. A good example of both old and new architecture and green design as well is a building built in New York. The Hearst Magazine Building it was an original finished in 1928 but in 2006 an additional tower was erected. The tower was built and designed as green design. The Hearst building was the first and only building in New York City that is a green design.

This is just the beginning of hopefully many more green designs. From what we have learned green design may even be considered a style because of the use of materials and as contemporary style / design we may have found our new style.
This is a question I have for designs students. Will green design become more of a style or a technique for the future?

Contemporary Design III

Historically, almost every style can characterize a certain period of time. The Victorian Era carried us close to the 1900's with its innovative material use on exteriors, such as the Crystal Palace with iron and glass, and the amazing ability to fit large amounts of ornate and rich furniture into their homes. The Arts and Crafts is another example that characterizes the early 20th century. This style called for a return to handcrafting and simplicity with introducing more natural materials and innovative layouts.

Currently though, design is going in many different directions. There are deconstructivists such as Rem Koolhaas and Peter Eisenman, who love to push the envelope with new material uses and cutting edge technology use. The Prada retail store in New York (to the right) is an example of Koolhaas' innovative use of planes and materials.
On the other end you have a return to the classics, again, but with a twist on the earlier elements of this style. An extreme example is Greenburg's "perfected" and enlarged version of Washington's Mount Vernon. Some say that this structure could easily be mistaken to have come from a much earlier period.

So, my question is, with so many different styles happening at one time, will we ever be known to have come togehter to create the great style of our time?

Contemporary Design III- 21st century design and beyond

Just like any other transition between design periods there is always an emergence of the two styles. Right now the emerge consist of elements like straight lines, flat planes and right angles from the modern period, and complex curvilinear lines and free forms from the contemporary period. New technologies, like computerized drafting and 3-D modeling software, is making it possible for designers to have an unlimited freedom unlike before. In the past, designers (architecture and interior) have been basically limited to what they can draw onto paper letting drafting tools with right angles and straight lines being an extensive influence to their designs. I am not saying that curved elements have not been apart of architecture in the past, but if it was used the space was labeled as being special.A good example of the emergence is the Frank Gehry Walt Disney Concert Hall, which has a combination of complex curvilinear and rectilinear lines on the exterior and the interior is symmetrical with some unusual curving forms.
Some designers feel that the use of the computer will damage the production of creativity from designers, where others believe that it will give the freedom that sculptors and other hands-on crafts have- the freedom of limitations. This freedom for designers will allow the exploration of clean free flowing forms. A good example of this free flowing form is the Reebok Flagship Store located in Shanghai, China. It is clean, asymmetrically curvaceous and spaces blend seamlessly into one another, which this also allows functions of the space to overlap.

So, my question to you all is that do you believe that the use of computer related technology interrupts the production of creativity of designers and why, and also, do you feel that we will continue down this road of free flowing spaces and move away from the usual rectilinear feeling that most interiors possess?

Contemporary Design_part II by Kelly Stevens

In the design world today, there are several different "directions" in which modernism is taking. Previously, the international style has been the most prevalent theme seen in modern design after World War II due to the spread and developments of air travel, making country to country travel take only hours. Communication has developed through the use of internet and other devices which make communication easier and faster no matter what the distance. This caused more influences to be seen world wide. However, now other sub-styles are beginginng to emerge conerning modernism: Hi Tech, Post-modernism, revival of tradition, and Late modernism. My question is this: in the future, which one of these "sub-styles" do you see becoming the more dominant theme to be used? Do you think international style will still be the most prevalent, or because of the fast developing technology that in the future all design will become high-tech based? Or, have we already stretched modernism out too far and feel the need to return to traditional modified classic styles? Because design is such a broader and more in demand occupation these days, will there be no over-riding theme to unify the term "contemporary", but instead just have a hodge-podge of individual styles?

-Kelley Stevens

Contemporary Part 1

Today we live in a hi-tech environment. As our interiors demanded more technology designers needed to explore the relationship of technology and design.

One of the first designers to marry the two was Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983). He was an American engineer, inventor, and philosopher. Many of his designs were called futuristic and most never went into mass production, like a prefabricated bathroom that was put together like a puzzle on site. One of the designs that he did implicate was a dome at the World’s Fair in Montreal in 1967. The large dome was enclosed by automatic plastic panels that allowed light to come in and out.

Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers teamed up to build on of the most hi-tech environments of its time. The Centre Pompidou in Paris, a multipurpose cultural center, shows structure and technology of the new century. “The large, multi-story building exposes and displays its structure, mechanical systems, and vertical transport (escalators) on its exterior in a way that suggests, on the west side, the scaffolding of a building under construction, and, on the east side, the pipes and tubes of an oil refinery or chemical plant.” (P.411) The design of the building unifies the structure and technology that make the building progressive.

After working with Richard Rogers from 1963 to 1965 Norman Foster went on to use technology in his spaces. One of his more noted designs was the office building of Willis, Faber, and Dumas in Ipswich, England. The large space is connected with two escalators that point upward towards a ceiling with open trusses.

James Sterling was a British architect that played with manipulating space through technology. For example at Olivetti training facility in Haslemere, England had rooms that served multiple users. Later in his career he moved away from technology and focused the relationship of art and architecture of the past in the modern world. The Staatsgalerie in Germany has classical elements that have been manipulated with a modern eye.

Have advance in technology influenced the way that we view design? Do you think that we have lost our classic roots? Has technology spurred or hindered creativity? Are contemporary spaces lacking in design or concept? Do they only focus on the materials and technology?

(Image 1 from http://ecmarchitect.com/gallery/d/89-1/dome_sm.jpeg Image 2 from http://www.architectureweek.com/2000/0920/images/11133_image_5.150.jpg )