Comprehensive Depot Project

For this comprehensive project, my task was to finalize my Pacific Northern Railway depot transformation into an artist's gallery, residence, and studio space. As the depot has certain historical significance, adaptive reuse was a large component, as well as including universal design criteria in the residence, as one of the clients has a visual impairment. Spatial organization and concept application were also a focus, in order to have a cohesive design that is successful for our clients. I titled this project "Alternations", due to the geometric and linear qualities of my concept of the roof of the building.

Exterior of Building

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this project was being able to visit the site before beginning any of the preliminary work. This was very helpful in finding a concept that I enjoyed and could relate to, which was the roof and the architectural qualities associated with it. I was also very attracted to the historical relevance of the building and the story behind it, as this was at one point in time a working Pacific Northern Railway train station. This did influence my design process in the long run because I wanted to keep the original integrity of the building in tact. It would have been very difficult to spatially understand this building without first coming to view the whole space.

Parti design

Once I began the concept development portion of this project, I realized that I was initially attracted to the converging angles and variations in color that shadows create on the roof line. Depending on where a viewer is standing and looking at the building, they can see a completely different view than if they were at another point. This continued to be a theme throughout my development and has a direct correlation to my parti design. The varying thicknesses in angles symbolize the variation in the roof itself, and the geometric qualities are seen in the triangle shapes in the center. I also wanted to experiment with layering different lines and repeating them, to parallel this trend in the roof line if viewed from a distance. Later in my design I drew from the colors of the logo of the building, which are black and red. I very much enjoyed this aspect of the design process because it allowed me to express my own personal views of the project.

Textile design

After finalizing my design parti, I moved on into developing it into a larger 2D design pattern and textile. I enjoyed this for the same reasons as my parti, but it was more helpful to see how it correlates into a larger space. This is the main area where I applied the colors of the building, and translated my geometric patterns in a more literal way. In my design career I have never design a  textile before, so it was fun to go through that process and actually get a physical sample of my own design. Further in my residence space I applied parts of my textile into areas that I wanted to express my concept. Without this step in creating the textile it would have been difficult to visualize how it would look in an actual space.

Concept model

My personal favorite aspect of the entire process was translating these 2D designs into a 3D concept model. The main element I pulled from my parti was the triangle aspect, and I repeated this throughout the model in the form of cutouts. This was to show that just like the roof line, every angle of the model shows the viewer a different side depending on how they are viewing or holding it. I continued this application in my residence and gallery space as well, using cutouts with pops of color to tie into my conceptual design. One side of the model includes this pop of color, but can only be seen at the correct angle. The model also is not one sided, and can be flipped or rotated any way and is meant to be viewed in this manner. I loved being able to create this design and see it in a 3-dimensional way.

Process of building scaled model

The most challenging aspect for me personally was the creation of an accurate scaled model of the building. Creating concept models is very different than putting together a model with accurate dimensions, and this was much more time consuming. I greatly underestimated the amount of time it would take to complete this, as well as the math that was involved with the angles of the roof. It was a challenge picking out materials and adhesives to keep the model together, and constructing it was difficult and very easy to mess up. However, once it was complete it was very helpful to see the space as a whole, as there were aspects that were otherwise not included in my perspectives or elevations. The cutouts were one of these elements, and since they were so critical to my concept application, I am very satisfied with the site model as you can see these aspects. I feel much more confident with building models after going through this difficult process.

Overall, through this project I was able to work on aspects that I was less confident in, such as the model. I used to struggle with time management but the time constraints associated with this project prevented me from procrastinating things I otherwise would have. In terms of the final perspectives and elevations, I decided to use different media types to render them, which is something I never used to do. Presenting them in a final presentation allowed me to be much more confident in the way that they were executed. One of the biggest things I will take away from this will be the time management part overall. Working in a short amount of time with a great deal of work is extremely daunting, but doing this allowed me to produce work that I was proud of and in a quick amount of time. I will definitely be applying these principles to any design project that I will be working on in the future.

Sherwin-Williams Stir Competition

This poster represents a submission to a design competition, Sherwin-Williams "Stir", which involved creating a cohesive color palette using Sherwin-Williams colors and applying it in a unique way. The space directly relates to another project I was working on at the time involving a redesign of an Pacific Northwest railway depot, transforming it into an art gallery. The colors chosen reflect bright pops of vibrant color that would be seen in the art displayed, and are balanced out with the gray seen far right. Having never submitted to a design competition before, it was very helpful to go through the process and take this as an opportunity for others to see my designs. I have also never used such saturated and bright colors so predominantly in my work, and taking a risk helped further my ideas and explore different venues.

Gallery Visit

On a recent trip to Spokane, WA, I visited an art museum at the Gonzaga University campus called the Jundt Gallery. As I am currently working on a project that entails a commercial gallery space, it was very helpful for me to walk through this space and gain insight. I have always noticed in galleries that for the most part the walls are colored white, however in the Jundt the walls were clearly an off-white and closer to beige. This affected the individual pieces on display quite differently, there was less contrast between the walls and artwork, however it was much easier on the eyes for me as a viewer. Many of the displays were movable on an overhead track system, which is convenient to fit the needs of different exhibits. Benches and seating areas did exist in certain parts of the gallery, which is a convenience for people who wish to take a break from standing and viewing the art. Overall it was very helpful to take notes and observe all of these different aspects, and I hope in the future to be able to visit many more unique spaces.

Vision Impairment Exploration Exercise

As I am currently working on a project that involves a client with a visual impairment, I participated in an activity where I could simulate what a person with that condition can and cannot see. Myself and a partner wore sunglasses with petroleum jelly applied to the inside of the lenses, which greatly reduced our vision and made it difficult to decipher shapes, colors, light, and depth. Walking around in public spaces, I had to be guided by my partner to navigate even areas that I was relatively familiar with. Some places were much more easy to view than others, for instance, a library with a lot of natural light was far easier to see than the ground floor of a building with no windows. What I found most interesting was how some spaces seemed to accommodate more towards those with visual impairments, like ATMs that had braille and audio cues to aid with monetary transactions. Some spaces did not, however, and were extremely difficult to maneuver. This included areas with highly reflective surfaces like glass or metal. The biggest help, and something important that I will take away from this design-wise, will definitely be the use of color contrast and how much this aids in deciphering between different areas. Stairs are a good example of this, with colored strips applied as tread for better visibility between each step.

Concept Development

With this new project, my task was to remodel an old railway depot for the Pacific Northern Railway into a artist's residence, gallery, and studio. My specific inspiration for this was the angles of the roof line, as they are very unique and geometric in style and aesthetic quality. Using this knowledge and appearance, I explored the different angles and transferred them into design criteria such as sketches, abstract explorations, and 3D models.

Inspiration Photo

Looking at the roof in this particular photo, one can see the different geometric shapes used in the construction. Triangles, rectangles, and simple lines are all visible and unique. In the first stage of abstract exploration, I experimented with these shapes and the overlapping aspects of the roof line. Both thick and thin lines are used to parallel the contrast in the roof, as well as to show the layers and repetitive quality. Once I completed this part of development I converted my abstract design into a pattern on photoshop, adding color and rotating different pieces. The colors that I chose reflect the colors of the brick used on the roof, as well as the logo colors of the Northern Pacific Railway. Eventually once it looked the way I wanted it to, I sent it into a website that converts jpg images into textile designs (seen at bottom).

Abstract Exploration

Textile Design

The final stage of my concept development was using all of this knowledge and previous application and creating a 3D model. Conceptually speaking I continued with the usage of triangles, as I saw them as an integral yet simplistic element of the roof. In addition to this, I also used a pop of red to create a focal point, as well as the tie in the colors of my textile design. The model itself is made out of museum board, and I cut away parts of the triangles to once again highlight the various geometric aspects of the angles of this roof.

3D Model

Adaptive Reuse Case Study

The Flour Mill

In this exploration I researched with a group different locations and meanings of adaptive reuse. The specific site that I chose was the Flour Mill in Spokane, WA, which was an actual working flour mill at one time before it was transformed into a retail space. Working within a group for this was helpful because we were all researching very similar topics but different locations; collaborating helped me see different people's perspectives. In terms of the topic we researched, it was interesting to discover that many locations in America are part of the National Historic Registry to preserve their original integrity and character. Many locations are similar in this sense. The meaning of adaptive reuse is taking an existing space and changing some aspects of it, mostly aesthetically, while maintaining the original history of the space. The Flour Mill includes many structural aspects that were there at the initiation of the building, but the use of the space is now used for shopping and dining.

Habitat for Humanity Tiempo Commons

In this project, the Palouse Habitat for Humanity is in the beginning stages of its newest project in Moscow, Idaho. Working in a group environment with two other interior designers, we designed a space for the future inhabitants of this new home. With square footage limitations as well as a fairly modest budget, our work was pretty well cut out for us. Following Habitat's mantra of "simple, decent, and affordable", we planned a two story home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms with plenty of family space to encourage a sense of belonging and community. Our concept and inspiration of "roots" comes from both the literal aspect of the scenery of the Palouse, in addition to the conceptual aspect of the partner family planting their roots in a new environment. 

With no partner family selected yet, we decided to allow many different options for family dynamics in this house. The downstairs is built with aging in place in mind, with five foot turn-arounds in the kitchen and bathroom, and side by side washer dryers with pocket doors used as much as possible. Upstairs, there exists a family space/study area that can serve a multitude of functions depending on the residents. Having the space as small as it is was definitely a challenge for our group. However, it was very eye-opening to think so consciously about a volunteer project such as this; keeping in mind that volunteers are in fact the main source of labor. These limitations allowed us to recognize the amount of work and thought that goes into a Habitat for Humanity home, and I certainly hope to contribute to one in the future.

Graphic representation of living spaces and materials

Concept statement, floor plans, and exterior elevation