Renee N. Wilson

Conceptual Models

2009-09-23T07:31:00.001-07:00

Preliminary Questions
What does the building desire to be?
• Showroom space, workspace, positive cultural addition to downtown Durham.
What should the space stand for?
• An example of a modern integrated workplace/showroom
• Think urban gallery
What should be its identity?
• It should draw from the identity of the people who work within it.
• A place for the creative to come and produce, a place to inspire future projects.
• That cool window display
What are the specifics on the original site that I want to engage in?
• The façade—there is a huge opportunity to create some serious curb appeal. I want the window display to add to the urban landscape
• Enhance the space inside—by creating environment that has structure but is loose, all at the same time. I want to work with the rectangular box, no unnecessary walls and maybe a mezzanine

The Problem
The site in question is a blank canvas. It is a big box. In the case of the interior, there are no walls and few limitations. As for the exterior, there are a few more limitations, but still an enormous opportunity to transform the space into an exciting addition to the urban landscape of downtown Durham. In general, the entire building is needs to be given dimension. As it is now, the building seems too flat and plain. This space needs definition by carving out multifunctional spaces and curb appeal by enhancing the view from the street.

My Story
After leaving the parking deck, I cross the street. I have the building in my site. As I’m walking up Orange Street, I look to my left and see the latest window display and guess who assembled it and what products they used. I catch my coworker’s eye through the glass and wave as I turn the corner to the entrance. I open the door, and I am enveloped in a cocoon of color, creativity, texture, and light. There is jazz music playing softly in the background as I pass the front desk. I look up at the workroom on the mezzanine and smile as I see a few of my coworkers already tapping away at their laptops or talking on the phone (personal and work calls). I jog purposefully up the cast iron staircase on the right to access the mezzanine. I move to put down my purse and laptop. After grabbing a cup of coffee from the cart nearby, I wander to the railing and look down below at the colorful vignettes created by the clusters of furniture.

CNNC-Reception Desk

2008-05-09T11:15:00.001-07:00

CNNC

2008-05-09T11:14:00.001-07:00

Presentation Boards

2008-05-09T11:10:00.001-07:00

Presentation Boards

2008-05-09T11:08:00.001-07:00

Logo

2008-04-24T07:56:00.001-07:00

Parallelism

2008-04-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

2008-04-01T07:15:00.001-07:00

This particular ad reads as a single composition even though it contains both images and text. The text serves as support for the focus in the ad which is in the bottom right.

Moods A Many: ADORATION

2008-03-25T06:57:00.001-07:00

Patterns

2008-03-20T06:48:00.001-07:00

Viz Renderings

2008-03-18T17:58:00.001-07:00

Process Work for Phase 3, Part 2

2008-03-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

Process Work for Phase 3

2008-03-18T17:49:00.001-07:00

Presentation Boards

2008-03-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

My Sisters' House SketchUp Video

2008-02-19T04:16:00.000-08:00

Views of My Sister's House SketchUp Model

2008-02-19T03:05:00.000-08:00

Photos from our visit to Leon's

2008-01-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome Mat: Ireland

2008-01-30T08:55:00.001-08:00

Life Portrait Collage

2008-01-25T08:37:00.001-08:00

Interview

2008-01-24T16:04:00.001-08:00

Name: Clarence Elmo Wilson
Country of Birth: Trinidad
Age: 50
Gender: male
Marital Status: Married to Leslie Wilson
How old were you when you came to America? 20
How did you travel to the US? On a plane.
Who did you travel here with? My mother and brother Robert. (age 19)
What made you want to come here? I read books and learned about other places, I wanted a change of pace, wanted to see the world, get off the island. Also, to live near my mother.
Where was the first place you lived in America? Cleveland, Ohio
How old was your mother when she came? 34...she was there 10 years before my brother and I came, she flew down to Trinidad to get us.
What was life like in Trinidad? There was only 2 seasons; a rainy season and a dry season, I only wore shoes sometimes.
What did you do as a child? Made kites and flew kites, had kite wars in the sky. They were kites that you could move around by pulling on the strings.
Are there any traditions or customs specific to Trinidad that you have either abandoned or held on to since coming to America? Always held on to the music…I loved the music. Calypso and Soca. Love for the island. Fresh food…juice, fruits, vegetables, meat. Island cuisine.
How was life different once you got to America? The seasons, in Trinidad there are only 2 seasons, and America there are 4. When we got here it was cold. The way people interact with you is different, people in Trinidad are friendly. People say hi as they walk by. In America everyone minds their own business. You don’t see as many old people in America.
What activities did you do with your friends? In Trinidad we got together and played soccer, or rode bikes, went to the beach together. In America, kids hang out but they do some different activities like going to the mall. I always liked to paint and draw.
What was your first job? Welding when I was fifteen, and I worked for my dad who was a plumber, for five years. I finished school at age fourteen in Trinidad.
What made you want to join the Army? I needed something with a steady paycheck and my brother was already in the army and said it was ok so I decided to join.
How was your experience in the Army as an immigrant? People didn’t treat me much different because there were a lot of other people from different ethnic backgrounds and from Trinidad and other islands.
Did marrying an American help you assimilate? Yes, she helped me assimilate to American culture; she brought out the warmer more considerate side of American culture.
What was the hardest part about coming here? Adapting to the changes, everything in America requires you to go to school and become certified to do a certain job. Being black in America, without that piece of paper was difficult. In Trinidad it is predominantly black people and it is a melting pot, everyone gets along.
What did you do to assimilate yourself? Reading about American history and war history. To be in the army you had to know about different leaderships and to do that you had to read books. Also, interacting with American people everyday.
How have your experiences as an immigrant affected your life? It gave me a foundation, a belief system, a value system. I value family and education.
What are your plans for the future? Complete my certification for special-education. Get a master’s degree in psychology and my ultimate goal is to teach psychology at a college level.
Do you still have family in Trinidad? My brother, aunts, uncles and cousins, nieces and nephews.

Program for My Sister's House: The Suites

2007-11-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

Communal Areas:
Kitchen
-sink
-counterspace
-dishwasher
-refridgerator

Dining
-table
-chairs
-high chairs

Living
-couches
-side tables
-coffee tables
-entertainment center
-TV

Suites
Bedrooms
-Bed
-desk
-wardrobe
-crib
-shelving unit

Bathrooms
-tub/shower
-sink
-mirror/medicine cabinet
-toilet
-storage

Intent Narrative for Phase 3 of My Sister's House

2007-11-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

My inspiration for this phase of our project comes from an effort in Helsinki to beautify construction area around the city. Through the use of applied texture as well as the juxtaposition of color, I will execute the creation of an atmosphere that will help to facilitate the transition from child to adult.

Close to Home Sketches

2007-11-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

Close to Home

2007-11-16T09:26:00.001-08:00

Upon entering the gallery the enter the Lowenstein exhibit, one must marvel at the view through the glass of the Maud Gatewood Gallery of the freestanding structures inside that form the exhibit. The impression the work presents to its visitor is one that suggests the great care taken to ensure the inclusion of all aspects of Edward Lowenstein’s work and to make sure there is a complete story that is told through the use of the images, text, graphics, and the structure of the installation itself. “Collaborative Modernism” is the term I would use to describe a space that has taken the work of a local architect and used such a body of information to describe Modernism as it affects Greensboro. By the pairing of materials, the design of the structure, and the information presented, the students who executed this project banned together to create a space that is indicative of a blend of design ideals.
The most prominent feature of the exhibit happens to be the shape of the main vessels of information. These wood and metal erections are an interpretation of the shapes found often in Lowenstein’s residential homes. The colors, especially, are representative of the woods used in the Spangler residence. Angled, overhead wooden planes are utilized to mark certain pathways and the metal bands that are eye level to the viewer are mounted throughout the space between wooden posts. The juxtaposition of materials, wood and metal, create a great visual effect because they work together in supporting the information presented on the metal as well as in the overall shape itself. Mounted on each section of the metal bands is information that is presented in a variety of different mediums. The text printed helps to support the visual information and vice versa. The method of integration the exhibit uses to display text and images, help the visitor to cross reference information. The text offers a thorough exploration of some specific works of Lowenstein’s career. After reading and viewing panels of information, then the visitor can then move forward and have a better experience of the space itself through the work of the students of the art department. The panoramic views created of the interior of the Lowenstein houses provide a greater understanding of the space, as it would be if one were actually in it. The dual presentation of Lowenstein’s work affords the visitor a chance to learn and experience through two points of views.
The collaborative efforts to bring the project to fruition are evident in the work on display. The images from the art department help to support the analyses the interior architecture students provided. The structure on which the information is presented helps to bring home the work of Lowenstein in its very form. The shapes in Lowenstein’s work in the Spangler house and his own residence are emulated in the form of those freestanding structures. The exhibit itself informed me of Modernism’s role in Greensboro, the fact of which I was not remotely aware. This exhibit helped to defined Modernism as it pertains to me. The flexibility of Modernism is what allowed Lowenstein to apply its principles to the Greensboro environment, which leads me to believe that Modernism can fit in anywhere as long as it works with the existing environment in a way that enhances its natural aesthetic.

Group Color Model

2007-10-26T09:21:00.001-07:00

Individual Color Sketch Model

2007-10-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

[PAST+FUTURE]

2007-10-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

[METRO STATION]

2007-10-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

The entry gates to the Metro, created by Hector Guinard, are an example of forward thinking design because they interact with numerous people everyday. They are structural monuments placed throughout the city of Paris clearly marking the points of entry to the Metro. Design of today should be more conscious of its environment as well as seek to thoroughly engage the people who come in contact with it. Because of the nature of the gates' use and their visual impact, I perceive the gates' to be as relevant now as they were when they were erected in 1900.

[HUMANITY]

2007-10-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

I have come to realize that design plays a large role in our everyday lives. Design affects where we live, how we make breakfast, what we wear when we leave our homes, and so on. In order to lead comfortable, efficient lives design must be discovered, transformed, and perfected. As design students we have a responsibility to contribute to this cause by studying design's place in our lives and generalizing that notion so as to make it accessible to a larger audience. It is that large audience whom for which we should strive to design.

[intent]

2007-10-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

My Intent:
My sisters' house is to be a safe haven for those who are experiencing an upheaval in their normal lives. This space is to provide a place for deep analysis of oneself within the surrounding commnity and offer contemplatin of expectationsfor the furture. Also, transformation and further introspection will be key goals at my sisters' house.

Tutti Frutti's Intent:
Our design consists of communal areas connecting individuals to open spaces with bold statements through colors, materials, and innovative forms.

Good, Bad, Ugly...MATERIALS!!

2007-10-03T12:26:00.001-07:00

Good: Reclaimed wood
Bad: Clear cut ebony
Ugly: Brass 1970s punched ventilator grille

9am

2007-09-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

7:30pm

2007-09-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

4pm

2007-09-21T07:37:00.000-07:00