Farewell!~

It's time to properly close off this blog and say goodbye!

Over there-----> HERE! is where I am linking my final research paper. It basically summarizes all of my findings throughout the 12-week internship period! 

Over there-----> HERE! is where you will find the link to my presentation from May 6th, 2017. 

Below this line, is where you will see a picture of a poster I created to summarize my presentation!

Needless to say--I have thoroughly enjoyed my entire experience over the past 12 weeks doing my internship and completing the senior project at LEA Architects! I will be continuing my position over the summer as well! 

I would like to take this time now to extend my warmest thank you's to everyone throughout this entire Senior Project process! 

-Mrs. Rieser, my BASIS Phoenix advisor, who provided immense support and enthusiasm

-Mrs. Q and Mrs. Kate, my guidance counselors, for organizing the projects process for our class

-My family, for being ultra supportive of me

and especially

-LEA Architects, who provided me with an amazing workplace and incredible opportunity, experience, and consideration. 

Thanks for joining me on my journey in exploring and discovering architecture!
~Victoria 

Week 12: Thank you!

The past 12 weeks have flown by so fast! I have gained so much from this experience completing the Senior Research Project.

In order to properly conclude the project, I have written a paper describing and summarizing all of my architectural findings, that I will upload in the next week.

Presentations for the Senior Research Project will be on May 6, 2017--- one week!

I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this blog, and I hope you might have gained perspective into architects and architecture. Thank you for reading!

I am truly thankful for the LEA family. They have been extremely warm, welcoming, and helpful in my endeavors. Words cannot describe.

I know my adventure in architecture will still continue--- and I hope yours will too!

Please anticipate my paper and presentation!~
-Victoria

Week 11: Lights. Color. Action!

I went on another 'field trip'-esque activity this past week. I spent my day at Lelli Shop, an upcoming retail boutique shop off of 44th Street and Camelback!

Lelli is almost near opening! Hopefully in the next week or so!

The benefits about visiting Lelli at this point in time is that there is no clothing in it yet! (Or at least there wasn't...) LEA is very involved in the tenant improvements of Lelli Shop. It is located in those outdoor-styled shopping complexes, so rather than remodeling the exterior building, they improved upon the interior design.

The first time I visited Lelli Shop was back in early February. Within these last 2 months, so much change has occurred!

Lelli back in Feb.

I would post recent completed pictures of Lelli, but I don't have any... which means you'll just have to go down to Lelli to experience and see the shop yourself!! 

Otherwise... you can visualize with my written descriptions! (Of course if you can visit Lelli, you definitely should!)

Lelli Shop gives off a contemporary vibe. Contemporary, yet warm. Lindsey, Lelli Shop Owner, really wanted to have a great balance between having a shop that is classy, but still very welcoming (not intimidating). 

The walls, floors, and furniture in Lelli are all of light neutral colors: white marble, light grey/brown wood, white walls, grey hanging racks. The ultimate look is very classy, very clean. But what is the factor that will make this shop welcoming? The lighting!

Lelli has a contemporary chandelier with multiple bulbs, as well as other 'stage lights' (they look light stage spotlights), soffit* lights, and shelf lights (light bars installed inside the actual wooden shelf). 

*soffits are basically the extruded portions walls you may see in a room, and hold all of the mechanical/electrical/plumbing...etc. necessary for functioning buildings

All of the lighting in Lelli are mixed between your regular white lights, or warmer yellower lights. Lindsey described to me all of the thought put into deciding each temperature for each lighting bulb. There was a necessary balance to be determined between having a welcoming feel for customers, but also maintaining accurate 'clean' lighting to reflect the colors of the clothing merchandise. 

Going back to how architectural elements impact the public: this is one example. Lighting, material, and color are essential in attracting crowds and potential consumers. Having the contemporary feel allows the shop to express their quality in clothing, but the warm lighting, and warm light grey/brown wood flooring allows the shop to be welcoming in the sense that potential consumers won't be too intimidated to come inside. 

Definitely keep a look out for Lelli Shop! It'll be opening very soon, so if not to check out its architectural elements, come check out its clothing!!~

Week 11: Keep Calm and Be Bored---sidenote

Boredom. Why does it have such a negative appeal in our modern day? In a Metropolis magazine article "We Need More Boredom in Our Lives", by Rosanne Somerson, the appeal of boredom is challenged and advocated for.

Personally, I don't like being bored. But, I do like doing nothing. Doing nothing, I feel, allows me to mentally rest, and let my mind wander, or even just be blank.

This whole idea of 'boredom' in an efficient world is viewed as a waste of time, a waste of potential beneficial work. However, what Somerson argues is that boredom actually helps release more creativity (as she tested out on her students).

As I think about it-- it is true. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, endless downloadable applications on smart phones, 100+ television channels, 100+ shows and movies on Netflix/Hulu/YouTube--- there are no available moments to be bored! Comparing to the earlier times where black and white television with 2 channels had become a thing, we have an unimaginable luxury in our modern day lives!

However, how in effect is this 'luxury' affecting us? Sure, daily improvements occur, but what about our abilities to entertain ourselves with just our minds? Having those blank moments, won't they allow for the advent of fresh ideas, and self-appreciation?

In relating this back to architecture, or more generally, the design process: boredom isn't a bad thing. It is an opening for new ideas to occur; a chance for rest to generate and a new perspective to somehow unlock.

"Distraction is easier than ever to find and harder than ever to resist. But until we push back and avoid getting sucked into the void of mindless media consumption, we will discourage our overextended minds from opening up to allow for creativity and discovery."

Check out the article here!

Week 10: More Than Visuals

"You can't hold architecture like a book in your lap" (14) -Hal Box, Think Like an Architect.

This is in regards to "Dreaming and Seeing" (chapter name, pun intended!).

Architecture, if not viewed as an abstraction... is the art of physical space. In his book, Hal Box describes ten ways to view and appreciate a building. I will elaborate on a few, and list the others:

1. Find it's purpose/function for the community -- This is basically the background check on a building. Finding maybe any historical significance, and the building's relations to its surrounding community. 
2. See beyond 'structures' -- light, shadow, texture, form, proportion...etc.
3. Gauge space itself -- how the space is interacting with sound, light, and other spaces.
4. Marvel at the physics and structure
5. Find and recognize materials used and their relations with each other
6. Find the base structure of the building (foundation)
7. What is (if there is) the historical inspiration? 
8. Find the relation between art elements
9. Gauge whether the building 'fits in' with its community
10. Why is this building special? 

This list is hefty. I don't think I would actually run through this list when casually looking at a building. However, this list is truly a look into the work of an architect. This would truly be trying understand and interpret the architect's work. Crediting the little details an architect designed for the space. 

"...the most important learning comes from seeing" (19). 

It is true. Architecture in itself is an experience. A 3-dimensional space can be viewed in a 2-dimensional format, but we would then be lacking a dimension in space as we experience the building. Actually, I would personally argue that architecture is 4-dimensional. Why? Because it has history, a story, a vibe... something that is known, but can't be expressed in 3D form---- it has to be experienced. 

Week 10: Collaboration #ARCHWeek17

Happy week of 4/10! This past week also happened to be ARCHWeek17! -->The national architecture week (4/9-4/15), hosted by the AIA.

Twitter has exploded with architecture tweets over the past week! A little overwhelming, especially as they mention topics relevant to my project as well! Today's topic (Day 7) is Sustainability. There was an interesting article reposted by the AIA earlier, and further backs up my point of how architects and architecture are the epitome of collaboration, wielding the power to either heal or destroy a society.

In the article "Three battle plans in the resilience war" written by Steve Cimino (article), he discusses how our world environment is inevitably changing. Meaning, both built and natural, one affecting the other in a cycle. This brings up the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) program, which basically is the effort to help make cities around the world more resilient to world problems (economic, social, physical).

Especially in the topic of natural occurrences (article talked about rising sea levels), the purpose now for the architects is to design a solution that will aid future lifestyle and living, with the imposed safety threats.

The benefits about having a widespread, collaborative program like 100RC, is that it garners much more publicity and thus awareness to the cause. Therefore garners much more involvement for the community.


A link to a video was also included, this being on Day 6's topic: communities. Shown below.

The above video highlights how architecture is truly for the people. In a literal sense for this particular firm in Alabama, the people and the architects collaborate and work together to build up their physical community. Frances Sullivan (former postmistress) from the video, states: "Architecture has the potential to be the solution." She continues on to say that even if it may not be the complete solution, "it can be the catalyst", and that "it is the people in the end that make a difference." 

Architecture: for the people, by the people. 

Week 9: Reflection

Reflection: Parking Structures- Part 2

A few days ago, Lance told me about one of the projects they were currently designing. It was basically one of those living spaces atop stores. Think New York. You have the shops on the first levels, and then basically an apartment complex on the levels above. Where do the cars go?

Coincidentally (or not) following the notion of the previous post's featured article, and how parking structures generally aren't the most appealing thing to look at... For this project, they decided to have the parking structure hidden behind the shop.

So they had this whole shop/complex designed out on their computer. It's specific, it's precise, all measurements are accounted for (even though so far it's only exterior work-- no interior designs have been made). I guess you can say it's a 'shell'.

Despite the whole complex already being planned out and fully complete, there was a space-related detail that became a little problematic. Thus, the parking structure had to be modified. You would think that it would be an easy fix, just adjusting the measurements for the parking should be enough. However no, structurally, the living spaces on top then became unstable. So, from here, the living space arrangements had to be reorganized as well, in order to be structurally sound with the parking garage on level 1. It's not too big of a deal, however, it does provide some insight on how much detail and precision is required when designing and well-functioning building.

Ultimately, all of the adjustments allowed for bigger individual living spaces, and a conservation of space for more parking. Yay!

Also, I would also like to highlight, how all of these 'problems' were found and corrected before construction has even begun. This explains into why projects will last for very long stretches of time, before a final product will be produced. Because drafts and drafts, and layers and layers of detail and revision and analysis are imposed in order to ensure a well-thought out building.