CLASS: materials and spaces as media
TERM: fall 09
The object of this term long project was to develop a 'space of celebration' using 2D, 3D and virtual methodologies. The theme I chose to work with for this space, was a celebration of wave riding. (obviously) I really couldn't restrain myself. Any chance to create a project about my favorite pastime, I'm doing it!
1. We started out creating a mood board that set the scene for the rest of the project. Below is a sample of my mood board. Changes in color of the ocean by the sun plays a large part in my memories of wave riding. Second only to the actual rush of being pushed along the face of a wave. There are also several images included that describe the culture that surrounds this activity.
2a. We were then asked to create a symbol of our theme. Something that I always found interesting was how surfers tend to describe waves utilizing their hands. I wanted to capture this in a three dimensional form. I did this by creating a mold of my hands, then casting it with Plaster of Paris to create a positive form. Below is the first iteration.
2b. This is my second attempt at creating a cast of my hands. Some of the feedback I got was to lose the circle base and have the form be free standing. I also tried to make more of a direction of the "wave," with the lip flaring out a little more. I feel that I was a bit more successful with this cast, and I hope to do more using other surfers hands as they describe their ideal wave.
Below is a video of me taking the cast out of the mold as well as a few detail photographs.
3a. This is my first attempt at building out the actual space. I was trying to create a space that allowed the visitor to experience what it feels like to be in a barreling wave.
3b. Unfortunately I got stuck at this point, creatively, with the space. I was struggling trying to figure out what this space did... what experiences the viewer would go through... Because of this struggle, there wasn't much change between this iteration of the structure and the previous.
3c. To break the creative wall, instructor Rob Ball had me create a few different simple forms just to see if it would jar some new ideas. The last two images actually worked themselves into my final spatial design.
4. This is my first stab at my newly designed space. I ended up departing from my previous ideas and came up with a few different experiences for the user. Firstly, the space is to be perched upon a bluff overlooking a secret surf spot, completely off the map. The only way to know about this place is if you were to stumble upon it. (In the surfing world, people have certain locations that they keep to themselves, in fear of an over populated lineup. This would mean less waves to go around for them to ride.) The space serves as a place to camp after a nice long session at the wave below. As you enter, you go through a barrel like shape which opens up to the campground. To the left, there's a place to store your boards (picture 2), a fireplace to sit around and talk story (picture 3), and the hands from the photographs above, which you can sit or lay under for shade during the day (picture 5).
The new space is made out of some colored translucent material. Colored lighting gels were used for the model. The chosen colors are meant to reflect the colors seen in the ocean. As the sun passes through the day, the colors within the structure will shift from yellows to blues, to greens, reds, etc.
The paper person represents the scale. He stands at approx. 5'10" - 6' tall.
5. This is the fourth and final iteration of the space. Some things were updated, such as the board rack (picture 2) and the hands, which were made out of a more translucent material to allow more light to pass through them and ideally be able to be lit from below to create a glowing effect.
TERM: fall 09
The object of this term long project was to develop a 'space of celebration' using 2D, 3D and virtual methodologies. The theme I chose to work with for this space, was a celebration of wave riding. (obviously) I really couldn't restrain myself. Any chance to create a project about my favorite pastime, I'm doing it!
1. We started out creating a mood board that set the scene for the rest of the project. Below is a sample of my mood board. Changes in color of the ocean by the sun plays a large part in my memories of wave riding. Second only to the actual rush of being pushed along the face of a wave. There are also several images included that describe the culture that surrounds this activity.
2a. We were then asked to create a symbol of our theme. Something that I always found interesting was how surfers tend to describe waves utilizing their hands. I wanted to capture this in a three dimensional form. I did this by creating a mold of my hands, then casting it with Plaster of Paris to create a positive form. Below is the first iteration.
2b. This is my second attempt at creating a cast of my hands. Some of the feedback I got was to lose the circle base and have the form be free standing. I also tried to make more of a direction of the "wave," with the lip flaring out a little more. I feel that I was a bit more successful with this cast, and I hope to do more using other surfers hands as they describe their ideal wave.
Below is a video of me taking the cast out of the mold as well as a few detail photographs.
3a. This is my first attempt at building out the actual space. I was trying to create a space that allowed the visitor to experience what it feels like to be in a barreling wave.
3b. Unfortunately I got stuck at this point, creatively, with the space. I was struggling trying to figure out what this space did... what experiences the viewer would go through... Because of this struggle, there wasn't much change between this iteration of the structure and the previous.
3c. To break the creative wall, instructor Rob Ball had me create a few different simple forms just to see if it would jar some new ideas. The last two images actually worked themselves into my final spatial design.
4. This is my first stab at my newly designed space. I ended up departing from my previous ideas and came up with a few different experiences for the user. Firstly, the space is to be perched upon a bluff overlooking a secret surf spot, completely off the map. The only way to know about this place is if you were to stumble upon it. (In the surfing world, people have certain locations that they keep to themselves, in fear of an over populated lineup. This would mean less waves to go around for them to ride.) The space serves as a place to camp after a nice long session at the wave below. As you enter, you go through a barrel like shape which opens up to the campground. To the left, there's a place to store your boards (picture 2), a fireplace to sit around and talk story (picture 3), and the hands from the photographs above, which you can sit or lay under for shade during the day (picture 5).
The new space is made out of some colored translucent material. Colored lighting gels were used for the model. The chosen colors are meant to reflect the colors seen in the ocean. As the sun passes through the day, the colors within the structure will shift from yellows to blues, to greens, reds, etc.
The paper person represents the scale. He stands at approx. 5'10" - 6' tall.
5. This is the fourth and final iteration of the space. Some things were updated, such as the board rack (picture 2) and the hands, which were made out of a more translucent material to allow more light to pass through them and ideally be able to be lit from below to create a glowing effect.