Impaired Vision Experience

The other day I was given the chance to see what life would look like with different types of visual disabilities. My classmates and I used sheets of plastic to perform 2 visual experiments. First we looked though 2 layers of plastic then through 4.    

The image below on the upper left is how most of us would see the world. The image on the right is what things would look like looking through 4 layers of plastic. A visual disability like this would make it really hard for one to make out specific objects and surfaces, but what can be seen are colors and shapes. Knowing this can help for designing a space for a person who happens to see the world in a similar way. For example, if the individual can clearly depict colors and shapes rather than

After we saw the hallway with different type of visual impairments we placed on sunglasses that had a film of transparent paste. It made it hard to see where we where going and made it hard to walk because sometime we didn't know where we were walking. I almost fell a few times.We tried using a local ATM to see if we could use it well with the glasses on. On the ATM we saw that their where some color coded pads. The number pad was green, and the slot to slide your card in was red. These things made it easy to now where to place our hands when we where using it. The ATM also had button that where raised from the pad so one could fell for them. The buttons also had braille on them so if one was visually impaired if they knew braille then it would be easier for them to use it. 

We also walked through our library one our campus and walked down the stairs. The black strips that the steps had made it easy to know where the end of a step was and when a new one started. This helped use not fall down the stairs. 

This was an eye opening experiences. Now I can apply what I have learned to designing a better space. 

Uris Giron 

Habitat for Humanity

When I volunteered for habitat for humanity this year I met an interesting man who helped give me a different perspective on how to design energy stare homes. His name is Ken Hall, a construction supervisor. He showed us how the water was connected to the house. This was interesting because when he could turn the water off for one part of the house and not the others. From some house I worked on in the past I had to walk to the front of the house and turn off all of the water when I need to work on the pluming. It was also interesting to hear how habitat for humanity really worked. For the longest time I though that they were giving house away, but now I know that the patrons of the home still pay for it. 

Client Breif

When I was creating is client brief I saw how help full one can be. They are great for helping the design process stay on track. I will make sure to makes these in the future for more projects.

Unit 2/ Common area presentation boards

During this final presentation for the project in Parlous, WA, I found my self in an interesting place. When working on process design I was trying to figure out when the right point was to show clean crepe work was and when that line where I should still make some, some what hand drafted work. Where the client would feel like they still have a say and when they feel content with what is shown to them. If I could change anything about this project presentation I would better manage my time to create a better model for my presentation. I know what I created was annoyware close to the quality of work I know I can make. But all in all I think the project went well. I know I still need to work on creating a better concept statement that is more cut and dry to the point then the long winded on I created.

Critique from BLRB Designers

I went to BLRB architects for a critique in Tacoma WA. I asked my Benjamen Feild if he would take a look at my project and give me any advice to help make my project better. He was more then happy to. He prepared a wall for me to present on my work on and garbed five other designers in the firm to help with the critique. 

David Pool

Jonah Jensen

Steffany Tilton

Aaron Winston

Abbey Cwiek

Abby told me that when I was thinking about what materials to use that I should keep in mind all five scenes. Another designers told me that I have an interesting problem with nature lighting and that I should keep in mind how to solve this problem. He told me that glass around the top of a wall can help move the light to through the space. Ben told me to make the presentation a story, to have a beginning, middle, end, to talk about the buildings history, present and future. this gave me a new way to look at the whole project. 

I was given so much good advice from the critique from all these great designers. I know that the next time I need some advices that the designers at BLRB will be more then happy to help.

 BLRB architects in Tacoma, WA

Uris Giron    

Site Visit to Northside Residence Hall at Washington State University

  

Site: Northside Residence Hall  Location:  Pullman, Washington State Budget: $32,600,000...so far Project team: Architect: NAC/Architecture Mechanical Engineering: MW Consulting Engineers Electrical Engineering: NAC/Architecture Structural Engineering: DCI Engineers - Spokane/Seattle/ Portland Design Builder: Graham Construction & Management, Inc. Landscape Architect: Kathy Shultheis      Today I had the chance to visit a construction site on my campus at Washington State University. The Washington State University is constructing a new dormitory that will house 300 residents. We approaching the entry of the site as it was still under construction. There is still quite a bit more time until the site's complication date, but I believe that too truly understand how to design buildings, one needs to be able to imagine its construction from the ground up.       When I moved through the building up to the second floor, I was exposed to some of the "bones" of the structure. The contractors seemed to of had a problem with the architects design because they had to change a type of material that was specified for a support joint. The material that was chosen instead was glued wood panels (as seen in the image below).      When walking through the corridor on the second floor, I asked our guide "Tom Golden and Louise Sweeny" some question about the construction of the site. The first question was about the structures LEED certification. The Louise said that they where aiming for a LEED Silver certification, this is not required for university structure's  but the designers believed that this was an important aspect of the structure.

     As I was walking through the buildings I saw that some rooms on the floors where accessible for people with the need for a wheelchair. The hall ways where at an exceptionable size, but the overall hallways design was quite abstract when thinking of how it will be used. There were many strange angles all throughout the design.

     When I saw where the master plan was kept, it made me think of how easily it could be damaged.
This could be from water to ware and tare. There has to be a better way to keep plans on site that will be keep in better conditions.


     All and all the site visit was a lot of fun. I learned how this site was being constructed and some different ways they where going about it. Not too riveting, but interesting none the less.




Uris Giron