Studio Bloggin': Done and Done

Everything is done. No more homework. No more stress. Plenty of Sleep.

It is weird reflecting back to the beginning of school when we had no idea what we had signed up for. Later we learn a book worth of information and knowledge and exert it our potentials into our models and projects. I learned this semester that we are capable to do anything. Whether it is work related or not, hard work is always paid off. I was fortunately chosen by Ezra to have my project archived which made me happy because I think there are others in the class that deserved it more than I did.

The studio is empty and filled with trash.

I am also ready to head on home.

Final Essay

Ryu Tomita

HMS101B

Prof. Sascha Frey

December 16th, 2012

The Unique Assembly of the Final Structure and its Program

From lines to volume to inhabitation, the concept-oriented semester made the project extremely difficult to connect from start to finish. The changing of dimensions from lines to volumes created differences in concept and movement within our ideas of line and points. My final project for this term concluded as a structure and space with a program that is ambiguously meant for changing apparel. Whether or not it is meant as a changing room is not clear because the program is a vague term which doesn’t specify its specific usage.

The final model derives from the development of the previous projects. In the first project, we based our model based on a verb to inspire the form. I chose the verb “twist” to create a model that was based on a negative-z and z plane therefore creating a top and sub-plane layer. As we moved on, we extended each and every line from the drawing that we based our model on. From those extended lines we extracted six to eight lines in order to create folds in order to create a volume with paper. We then recorded those paper models onto the computer software in order to create a larger volume with the triangular surfaces that were created to form the volume. For mid-terms, we then created a pattern or “surface” with the small volumes and then blew it up into a volume through a process of lofting surfaces. It is from that big volume where four “chunks” of smaller volumes were extracted. Within the layers of volume there were three different layers: bone, muscle, and skin. The bone is the core of the volume acting as the main tectonic of the structure. The muscle is a more flexible piece which creates the pieces that are required for the program. For instance, within the space of each smaller volume which we extracted, there were areas that I split and molded to allow ones to use the programs to sit or separate.

To learn from the critiques from the midterm, I decided to progress with a more arbitrary than algorithmic process for my final model. My previous surface model was created from the process aligning the edge to edge and surface to surface of a three-surface volume. The repetition was repeated in a linear form and moved directly upwards. During feedback one of the professors told me that the placement was too algorithmic therefore for the final project I took an arbitrary process to complete the assembly. My major effort in the final project was to tie my structure to the first assignment to the verb “twist.” As easy as the task sounds it took hours placing the prototype structures in order to show “twist” in a structure. Finally, I determined that if I faced the threshold of each structure in the outward direction, creating a spiral motion and then stacking them upwards like a bean stalk, it would be possible to create a twist motion. In terms of program, the form of the structure itself would help create privacy for the people, even without doors, because the thresholds faced outwards; functioning opposite of the experimental prison discussed in classed which had the threshold of each cell face towards a watchtower in the middle.

The small volumes were in fact an impediment to creating the bigger structure due to the lengthy floor space and low height of the individual prototype structures. The shapes of the floors for all of my shapes were incompatible with each other because it doesn’t allow freedom on choosing the direction for the different structures. The one requirement in creating the final structure was to have the bone layer connect to the other bone layer, which was actually a large hurdle to jump over. Also because of the complexity of the prototype structures, it was hard to connect the small volumes upwards. Due to this, on my plan view sections, there is a greater concentration of bone in the center which acts as the foundation and core of the structure and have the muscle and tissue layer act like branches and leaves. The elevation section were similar in that there was a dense layer of bonve layer going upwards through the middle of the structure and the muscle and tissue layer on the side like a donut ring. After numerous hours of staring at a screen, I created the final structure that related back to my original verb “twist,” while being able to create a space that pertained to my program.

I imagined that my space would allow the privacy for each individuals or pairs while changing. For instance for prototypes two and three, I placed a divider within the structures to create a separate space between the two people. If it were specific for a changing room, people would be able to wait outside to wait for their friend/family member to finish changing. If it were for a locker room, a friend can wait outside rather than waiting for them somewhere else. Also instead of creating additional parts within the structure to allow the people to move up and down, I relied on the site plan to mobilize people to move up and down the structure. As I explained earlier, assuming that the structure was located in the middle of nowhere, they would be given complete privacy because the threshold is faced outwards in a “spiral motion”; therefore no one will be able to see them from the outside. The site itself also forms in a twist motion due to the structures nature.

In conclusion, my final project resulted as a structure with a “twist” form with a program that is meant for changing apparel. The structure is unique for its concentration of bone layer in the center going upwards having the other layers branch out. The unique structure also helps create a twisting site plan which goes upwards as one walks along the perimeters of the structure, reaching their individual private spaces. The arbitrary process in design was a result of the feedback given to me during mid-terms and helped the process allowing the final structure to relate to its original verb “twist.”

Studio Bloggin' 5: Sprint to the End and Critique Response cont.

At my final critque I was complemented on my representation skills because my diagrams were easy to read. One thing that bothered them was the building scale to human figures. They thought that I could have tweeked the scale of the protoypes so that it could be more spacious.

Although Ezra didn't tell us to, I added a skin layer on my model in order to show all three layers that my structure was composed of. They complemented me on the model as well which I was content with.

I listened passed to a lot of what the critics said because I couldn't understand the vocabulary that came out of their mouth, but according to my TA who watched my presentation said that I wouldn't understand that language until third or fourth year.

Studio Bloggin' 5: Sprint to the End and Critique Response

The final stretch to the end was extremely stressful. I was up for 48 hours with a 30 minutes nap midway. I threw-up after my nap and had to get back to work.

Anyhow, despite all the stress, I was able to complete my final structure with sastisfaction. In order to connect my final design to my verb that I used in the first project. As easy as the task sounds it took hours placing the prototype structures in order to show “twist” in a structure. Finally, I determined that if I faced the threshold of each structures the of the direction, creating a spiral motion, then stacking them upwards like a bean stalk. In terms of program, the structure itself would create privacy for the people because it faced outwards, completely opposite of the experimental prison discussed in classed which had the threshold of each cell face towards a watchtower in the middle.

My final project for this term concluded as a structure with a program that ambiguously was meant for changing clothes. Whether or not it is meant as a changing room is not sure because the program is a vague term which doesn’t specify its specific usage.

Corporate Occupancy of Pratt Space

Ryu Tomita

Eng 101B.01

Prof. Sacha Frey

December 7th, 2012

Corporate Occupancy of Pratt Space

Though we tend to think higher education is unaffected by corporations to offer an unbiased education, it appears it is inevitable for corporations to permeate the boundaries of the institution. With this understanding of the greater good of the students’ education and corporate influence on campus, a map can be created mapping the intensity and density of capitalism and education in certain areas depicting the clash between the two forces.

As DeCerteau would have explained, Pratt’s campus is a located on space. It includes buildings, classrooms, school facilities, lawns, and offices, but those spaces are merely spaces. What makes the space meaningful and fulfill the potentials of its boundaries are the ideas, emotions, and/or meaning. Part of what fills the invisible space is corporate influence and their influence can be seen in different scenes. Tiffany and Co. has had a huge influence on Pratt for assisting in the design for the library. Starbucks is served in all cafes around campus including Higgins Hall and Pratt Studios. Naked Juice and Illy Coffee offer raffles in the cafeteria and their hats are worn by the dining hall staff. MTV is displayed on the cafeteria television screen.

            These observations contradict the purpose of a school to create a non-biased educational environment. Schools and intuitions should minimize the influence from corporate beliefs and a capitalistic mentality in order to allow students to develop a strong education and less dependency on materialism.

            Thus there is a clash between two forces on this campus, or a LOCAL “gameboard”-type configuration as Corner would explain. (The gameboard is generally seen in a bigger city-planning scale) On one hand there is a party, mainly the students, who are either opposed or careless of the influence of corporations, in order to maximize a their education; on the other, there is the corporations which takes advantage and influences the population that is present within this space.

            If this is to be seen on a map, locations that house classrooms would hold a strong density of student force, which I will call S. On the other hand, public spaces such as the cafeteria or lounges will house capitalism or C. For example: the dining hall program doesn’t host lecture or classes to offer education so it would not have much S; however, because it stocks and advertise food and drinks such as Coca-Cola and Dirty Potato chips, which are forms of marketed snacks owned by corporations (Dirty Potato chips is owned underZappe Endeavors which is owned by Utz Quality foods), it will have a strong C.

            As a result of the high prices that the corporations charge the students, many students resort to local groceries and restaurants. Personally, my friends and I often eat outside of school in order to save money. One student explains, “I’d rather eat outside because the food is expensive and not good quality. Yamashiro tastes better.”

            The data for S and A is more qualitative than quantitative because it is based on not only how often it can be seen, but how influential it is towards for the student.  The computer lab is an example of my argument. The Pratt campus holds four computer labs dispersed throughout campus. The wide screen and up-to-date computers are used as classrooms and as workstations and are open throughout the day and until midnight. The computers are helpful because they allow students to access the latest technology in order to learn and adapt to new software and gears; however, there is also a lot of corporate influence in the labs. Out of the four computer labs, three of it holds Apple computers. This is great for Apple branding and marketing because it is able to boast to students the latest technology and its slick design. It also targets many students to want an Apple computer because Apple only holds about 20% of the Operating System market compared to the 65% by Windows. Pratt being a privately-owned school also means that students are more likely to be from wealth, making the students an easier target as a business. The influence of the company cannot be measured by numbers because it also has a strong density of S, but also is pulled by the C factor. 

            Although an educational environment should lack influence from corporations, it is inevitable. Corporate influence can be seen throughout the Pratt campus from the dining halls to computer labs. There is another variable composed of the student body who are against or careless of its influence. If a map of Pratt is drawn the qualitative densities of S, it would be greater in areas like classrooms where there is less corporate influence, compared to computer labs where there is a huge corporate influence.