Interior Solutions

  Source Contemporary Architecture is an eclectic combination of styles that allows the designer the freedom to create almost anything. It is the style of the 21st century. It combines the modern influence of the late 20th century and introduces sustainability. Some of the most iconic, modern buildings around the world are contemporary. For example, the One World Trade Center. This building unlike any other, was held to high expectations. This building was not only a replacement for the towers that fell, but it is a monument. A memorial. Now the tallest building in the western hemisphere, the One World Trade Center stands at a symbolic 1,776 feet tall. The building has faces that connect to form a perfect octagon at it's center. The prismatic glass that covers the building shimmers in the light giving the entire building a kaleidoscope effect; likening it to a lighthouse. Other than being designed to be "the safest" building in the world it's modern looks are...

Sketch by Me Ergonomics: the study of the human body's abilities and limitations and how they determine how we interact with our environment and daily lives. Ergonomics determines how we work, leisure, and our safety while doing so. Without applying ergonomics to design, bodily injuries would be even more prevalent. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, works within the Department of Labor to ensure that employees everywhere are subject to safe working conditions. They have devised a list of regulations that employers must follow to insure the health and well-being of their employees is put first. This includes training, implementing solutions, and continuously evaluating working conditions. So how is ergonomics implemented in real life?   Source A good example of ergonomic design can be seen in the desk above. The desk is made so that it can move up so that the worker can stand and type or sit. These desks are meant to ease back pain that comes w...

Sketch by Me Anthropometrics, a big word you've heard, but do you know what it really means? In short, it's the measurement of our bodies and how those measurements determine what we do and how we move. These measurements are imperative to architects because they determine how buildings are made before the concrete is even poured. In general, these measurements are averages based on the population, but they are subject to change over time. These measurements include the obvious, height and width, but what about the distance an arm can reach when it's stretched up high? Or the distance from the back of the knee to the heel? These types of measurements take into consideration our daily lives and how we move within spaces we use everyday. Have you ever had to walk down a flight of stairs, and when you get to the bottom you have to duck your head because the ceiling is too low? Yea poor planning. You know what that architect didn't take into consideration? Anthrop...

Sketch by me "We are invited to savor danger from a haven of safety" -Grant Hildebrand  Grant Hildebrand studied the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright's "Falling Water" was particularly an interest for Hildebrand. Based on the Prospect and Refuge theory, humans, like other animals all have an affinity for a space where we can see but not be seen. Wright's architecture always focused on this idea as well as biomimicry, the concept of mimicking nature's spatial and visual qualities. Prospect and Refuge offers us a bright, open space and a perched view as well as sanctuary, and a safe resting spot for us to recharge.  Ideal spaces that are trying to imitate the theory of prospect and refuge tend to include: visual privacy, quiet space, and often personalization of that space. Prospect and Refuge can be seen not only in homes, but on beach boardwalks, campsites, malls, and in hospitals. Below is a picture of me on the boardwalk at Tyb...