SKETCHBOOK

SOUND SKETCH SERIES 1

Second Floor Acoustical Study

1.Good Acoustics:

 

Carpet, acoustic panel, coffers, fabric, upholstery, artwork on walls, background noises

 

Bad Acoustics:

Metal in ceilings, exposed piping, concrete floor, hard walls, metal door jams, reflective surfaces on lockers

2. In the classrooms the use of carpet, acoustical panels on the wall and in the coffers, artwork on the walls, and the upholsteries absorb sound making the space have less echo and background noise being able to hear more clearly what is being said or done.The other spaces lack soft materials, and therefor cause a reflectance of noises off of the hard surfaces, such as the metal, exposed pipes, concrete floors, and hard walls, throughout the spaces lessening the ability to hear clearly.

3. Rosette acoustical wall panels made by Anne Quinn. They are decorative wall panels. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offecct sound panel

 

 

 

 

Echo eliminator creates products that eliminate echo in the space

 

 

 

 

4. Harsh surfaces create a larger variation of noise within the space, so using a less harsh surface will help to lessen the all-around noises. A pin-able surface can be used to absorb sound but also be put to use. There are now products as shown above to make the space enjoyable but also eliminate background noises.

SOUND PAPER- HEARING ARCHITECTURE

Sound is something that I never really realize the effects on an interior space. However it is a key player in how we perceive a space. If the space is full of hard surfaces the sound will echo in the space creating a cold and harsh environment while on the other hand if the space is full of objects and rugs and furniture then those pieces will absorb the sound creating a warm and inviting environment for the user. This is why relators will always advise you to show a house with the furniture in it instead of just an empty shell of a house for buyers to look at. The furnished home not only gives the potential buyers an idea of how the flow of the house works and a reference of how furniture will fit in the space but it also absorbs the reverberations of the sound and makes the space seem warmer. The most common place that I have observed sound and how it reacts with its environment is at the Sheraton Four Season’s hotel where I work at the front desk. At the Sheraton most of the surfaces are hard ones with little carpet in the lobby and large stone columns populating the space the only textile in the space is the chair upholstery located far from the front desk and the carpeted floor behind the front desk area. Because of all the hard surfaces when you are checking guest into the hotel they can barely hear you even if the lobby is completely quiet due to the reverberations of the other people in the space and the echo over powers you when you are speaking to a guest because the carpet and soft materials around the desk absorbs all the sound directed at the guest. This creates a unfriendly environment for both employees and the guest since neither can hear the other. This space is one that is negatively affected by the choices of materials that were used because they are easy to clean and maintain but they have no absorbent qualities other than the carpet behind the desk which also negatively affects the space. In my option the space would function better if the lobby area was populated with textiles and soft products that would help to absorb some if not all of the echo and reverberation created by the multitude of people that are interacting within the space.

After taking time to realize how much sound effects how we perceive a space I view it in a completely different way. As designers we need to take into account how everything we use in a space interacts with each other and how that interaction changes with you introduce people into the space. In order for our designs to be universal we need to be purposeful in the materials we choose for spaces and take the extra time to consider how acoustics work within the space and how that positively or negatively affects the interior of the space and how we perceive it. 

SCAVENGER HUNT- LUMINANCE

Illuminance
[1] meditation room corner 95fc
[2] meditation room against panel 460fc
[3] hallway outside meditation room 27fc
[4] gatewood elevator 53fc
[5] gatewood stairs 31fc
[6] inside of supply stack 44fc
[7] inside black light box 4fc
[8] under a studio desk 16fc

Reflectance
[9] on desk surface 51.79%
[10] on light box 73.06%
[11] studio floor 10.71%
[12] wood bench 20.06%
[13] white foam core 80.90%

Transmittance
[14] vellum 69.74%
[15] black foam core 51.67%
[16] blue transparent film 31.03%

SKETCH SERIES THREE

I observed four different types of textiles under different lights to gain an understanding of how lighting effects color of things placed under it. Here are my findings:

SKETCH SERIES TWO

I visited the Weatherperson art gallery, East Coast Wings and, Adams Book Store. In these spaces i studied the types of lighting used and how the lighting was organized in the space.

SKETCH SERIES ONE

I studied the sitting room at my house and how over time the lighting conditions and shadowed changed. Here are a few quick sketches of what i observed happened with the shadows and light that entered the space.

DAYLIGHT MODEL

LIGHT BOX PROJECT

IMPACT ON LIGHT ON OUR HEALTH AND WELFARE

Lighting has an impact on how we live our life’s but recently scientist have learned that light actually physically effects our health and welfare. There is a receptor cell in our eyes that help tell us what time of day it is and the amount of melatonin that our body should produce which is the chemical that makes us sleepy at night and awake in the day. Along with the receptor cell our body benefits from sunlight and if we don’t receive enough it contributed to a condition called SAD that is due to an unbalance of chemical in our body. However light must be controlled for levels of glare and discomfort because while light needs to be a part of our life’s and unbalance of one type of light can lead to a higher chance of cancer.

Research has found that while light is good there are many bad effects many of which involve our sleep cycle and how our body produces chemicals to relax us and make us go to sleep at night. This over exposure to light throws off our daily routine and rhythm that lets us naturally know the time of the day.  Along with the side effects that make it hard to sleep a study found that the effects of bright light late in the afternoon before bed cause weight gain because it hinders the production of a hormone that slows down the breakdown of our daily calories.

Light is a very good thing and can have many positive benefits as well as negative ones so therefore we must control the amount of light we are receiving and help to manage others by the types of lighting we use for spaces we design. 

LIGHT REVELING OUR WORLD

Light is something that can mold how we view a space, if the lighting makes us feel a certain way then it works with or against the design of the space and it is our job as designers to take into account the various ways to use light. Through understanding different environment around us we can learn how to adapt the lighting into the interior spaces and manipulate how users perceive the environment.

Different places change how we view light because there is never another place exactly like the one you are standing in at any given time. Also within the place there is never one moment the lighting conditions are exactly the same and this is what develops the ever changing lighting for that space. Over time we learn the rhythms of a space and how the light changes and cast shadows. Because of this we become connected to that environment because we become comfortable in it. Just like how your childhood home will always have that comforting feeling because you have experienced the space and know how the light evolves over time.

Light and nature is another element that is constantly evolving as seasons and weather conditions come and go. Lighting conditions found in nature can be used as a powerful lighting design tool and through using a part of our environment we can evoke a feeling from users that bring them to another experience and it doesn’t have to be a condition they have ever experienced. 

Light and Climate have a lot to do with the “warmth or coldness” we feel from a room. A cold room in the winter can be made to feel warmer with the use of red hued colors and the glimpse of light that warms the space both thermally and visually. Along the same lines the use of shade in the summer conveys and the sound of running water give off  the same feeling, one of coolness because you are not in the direct light and the light you do gain from you environment is being diffused.

Just as climate differences effect light so does the time of the day and the time in relation to seasons within the year. In the spring light seems to be more bright and pure where as you move into summer the light become warmer with orange hues and violet shadows and this gets stronger as you move into fall. Once you reach winter the light fades from mostly reds and oranges to more blues and pale whites that give off the feeling of coldness. If  you think about we know the changes light goes through we just don’t realize it, for example if you glance out the window and know what type of climate and time of the year based just on the physical conditions of the environment around you.

Our impression of our spaces is comprised of the experiences we have in them and most of which are when we are completing task and how effectively the light allows us to complete them. If we had dim lighting like you would want in a bedroom in a kitchen then it would hinder your experience in the space rather than benefit it. Working conditions contribute to our happiness in a space and how we use them since some spaces are beneficial to work and others for relaxation.

Lighting is one of the most important factors when designing a space because it connects how the environment make us feel to how the design is suppose to function and without both working in conjunction the space will not perform the task we design it to. We must always consider what light condition we want to use in a space because it directly effects how we view the space as a whole.

Sketchup Podium Renderings

Sketchup Activity

Top View (parallel projection)

Birds Eye View (perspective view)

Isometric Perspective View

Isometric Parallel Projection

Hidden Line Perspective

What i want to Learn!!!

After learning about many different programs i would still like tot know more about how to render things in Photoshop using the present tools and filters instead of just pulling in textures like i have in the past. In Illustrator i would like to learn all the basics and how to create a better presentation board. In Autocad i would like to learn more about how to work it, just how to do simple task like working with print space.