Elements & Principles of Design

We spend our lives surrounded by walls, in rooms, and spaces, some decorated, others left a stark white. But the ones that stick with us, those that we find aesthetically pleasing, they all are similar at an almost scientific level, containing and combining components that make them successful. These components are known as the elements and principles of design, including but not limited to line, shape, or emphasis and harmony. In this particular instance, the commercial space merges several of these essentials.  

                The elements of design are probably the easiest to spot with an untrained eye. The most obvious element of design in the featured image would have to be line. All of the lines are curved, from the ceiling, carpet pattern, down to the curve on the back of the chairs. This continuous curved line gives the space its bubble-like, circular shape, defining another element.  There is also the application and placement of color and light. In this case, he colors are all cool colors, ranging from a bluish purple to a chill lime green. However, if you notice most of the colors are either a muted pastel or a dark rich undertone. Another obvious factor is texture. All of the surfaces are very smooth, flat, maybe even sterile, lending its self to more commercial public use, rather than a cozy home interior. Last but not least, pattern is seen throughout the whole room. The most noticeable pattern is the wallpaper applied behind the counter of the bar space. But this blending circular pattern is replicated throughout the area again in the curvature of the lines and furniture.

                Along with these elements of design the designer went to the effort to include multiple principals of design. Due to the scope and size of the provided image we can’t tell much about the rooms balance whether or not it is balanced symmetrically or asymmetrically. Nevertheless, we can see many other components. There is rhythm in the form of repetition and transition, both expressed through the lines, the curved lines being repeated and also allowing ourselves to move along the edges of those defined curves. There is also emphasis, mostly through the use of color with the lime green counter top and chairs, accenting the different tones of purple. Two other principals at work are harmony and unity. Once again it relates back to the lines tying everything together and uniting the room as a whole.

                All in all, it is the combination of the established elements and principles of design that make this room a design success. The use of line, color, shape, to the emphasis, rhythm and harmony all joined together to make this commercial interior aesthetically pleasing to every individual that inhabits the space.

                

Unusual Material: Newspaper!

Houses, buildings, monuments and other structures are typically made with wood, brick, metal, concrete, and a variety of other materials. However, some people choose to step out of the usual and invent other ways to construct houses, people such as Sumer Erek and Elis F. Stenman. Erek’s philosophy of “making public use of a public space using public waste” is supported and expanded by several modern architects in the recent years along with examples of his own. In this particular case, Erek along with Stenman choose newspapers, in different forms, to build the walls and even the furniture that would offer structure and support from the everyday world.

                Both artists choose to go about their building in unusual and diverse ways. There is not much information on the actual construction or process of Erek’s building but the concept is clear, ingenious and evident even through a simple photograph. Located in London, England, the structure is formed using approximately 80,000 recycled Metro newspapers. Main large corporations such as Metronet Rail, controllers of the underground transportation system, have donated a large majority of these old newspapers. Erek went about using these newspapers when they were rolled, stating that “People don't think you can build a house from newspapers because paper is flimsy, but when it is rolled up it is quite strong”. He constructed a metal frame to outline the shape and space of the building and then inserted the rolled newspapers in rows and stacked them upon each other, securing them with average plastic zip ties. His efforts were successful and recognized by the producers of Metro themselves.

                Sumer Erek’s idea was not the only one of its kind.  Another man, Elis Stenman, also sought to create a house from newspapers, perhaps even before Erek. Stenman was an engineer; his “newspaper house” was first started as just a hobby, a break from his typical job. In 1922, he began; building the framework out of standard wood, the newspapers acting as the insulation. His approach was to have the newspapers folded and stacked tightly. He insured its longevity by gluing the newspapers together, and then treating them with many coats of varnish.  The newspaper was originally supposed to be covered like any customary house, but it wasn’t.  As the years passed, the concept developed and grew, the newspapers were kept well varnished, but then elaborate and usable furniture was added. The house was actually occupied in the summertime, completed with electricity and running water. Ultimately, the idea of newspaper as a building material served its purpose and even went beyond the basic design or one’s simple curiosity, turning into a type of artistic expression.

                Nevertheless, like every good idea, it has its pros and cons. The positive aspects are most apparent. Houses built with newspapers are environmentally sensitive, fulfilling every sense of the word recycled. They cause one to think, and use their imagination, expand beyond the normal, a new form of art. With easier access to the materials and less demand for it, it is also cost efficient from an economic stand point. However, there are of course, negatives. Newspapers are still a kind of paper, meaning that they are unstable, capable of deterioration and weakness. They are flammable and therefore, inconsistent and incompatible with some household items. They are also unclean and not necessarily sanitary. It is up to the architect and personal opinion to weigh the objectives and decide if a newspaper structure fits ones specific need or desire.

                In the end, it is inspiring to see aspects of our everyday lives, common buildings, altered and changed to adapt to the world today. By using newspapers as a building material, Sumer Erek and Elis Stenman force us to challenge what we have perceived as the norm.  Along with their ideas, there are any other unusual materials used in construction, each of them with good and bad qualities, but all of them serving a definite purpose, and all of them becoming more than just a straightforward structure.

Works Cited:

·         "A House Made of Metros! | Metro.co.uk." Metro.co.uk: News, Sport, Showbiz, Celebrities from Metro Newspaper | Metro.co.uk. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.metro.co.uk/news/110616-a-house-made-of-metros>.

·         Paper House Rockport Massachusetts | Rockport MA Attractions, Rockport, Massachusetts, Rockport Things To Do, Rockport Museums, The Paper House, Rockport, Massachusetts. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.paperhouserockport.com/index.html>.

Fabric Is Everywhere: Application of Fabrics

               

                Fabric is everywhere; it is versatile, able to be used in a variety of situations, providing aesthetic beauty along with common functionality. It operates as both, a two-sided substance, applied in a multitude of ways throughout our everyday environment. Textiles are seen most frequently in six forms, ranging from use on the floor to application on the walls. Each use individual, unique, and designed specifically for the room it is placed in and in turn, the building it is placed in. By simply walking around the Texas Tech campus one can easily see the application of fabric in these six ways.

                First, fabric can be used as an art form, whether it is the canvas that an artist paints on or the arrangement of pieces of fabrics as art itself. In this case, there is a piece of wall art found in a friend’s dorm room. It is basically just strips of multi-colored fabric placed side by side to create almost a collage. But it ties together a common scheme of colors in a new and unusual way, becoming an eye-popping room decoration.

                Second, one of the most common uses of fabric is as drapery. Seen in most homes and even commercial spaces, fabric is used as curtains. Their basic use is to block sun rays from entering a space, but they can also be used to control room temperature, and allow privacy for the inhabitants. Curtains in particular, can be made from almost any available fabrics, based on the need and purpose. Drapery can range from sheer flowing white curtains in a beach home to the exact opposite with thick heavy dark hanging curtains in a hotel room or more regal space. The curtains featured in the picture, are used in the dorms to block the sun and offer privacy at night when the room lights are on. They are fairly thin and made of cotton to make it more cost friendly and easier for that lifestyle. They represent just one of the many options one has when using drapery.

                Third, fabric can be used as just a wall covering, taking the place of paint and even wallpaper. It can be maneuvered to create a certain affect or atmosphere in a room. Obviously, by using cloth to cover the walls, one has a variety of color choices, much like regular paint. However, by choosing to use fabric you allow for more texture to be incorporated in the space. In the dorms, fabric is hung on the walls to soften the cold demeanor of the rooms, and to also distract the inhabitant from the drab and uniform color and arrangement of these rooms, which is the exact purpose of the purple wall sheet featured in the image.

                Another use of fabric is evitable to everyone literally anywhere, if one takes the time to look around at their surroundings. Every time you take a seat, maybe at a dining table or in your favorite lounge chair, you are enjoying a use of fabric. Most chairs whether they are fully covered or only require a covered cushion, involve cloth in one way, shape, or form. The use of fabric in chairs is mainly use to promote comfort, and in some instances, yes, durability. In this case, the black and red leather bound chairs, are done to provide student of the Human Sciences College a comfortable place to study, but also a seat that adds to the décor around it, matching the schools well-known team colors. Luckily however, chairs, couches, ottomans, and so on can be made, upholstered with any fabric that fits you.               

Similarly, floor coverings that we walk on everyday are made with fabric.  This use of fabric ranges from the usual carpeting to the basic rug, all the way to the elaborate highly- priced Persian rugs. Floor coverings can be used for comfort, temperature control, and protection of the actual flooring beneath it. The picture above shows a simple woven rug used to distract from the red brick beneath it, giving the room a warmer softer feel and also taking away from the rough and natural look and feel of brick.

Last but not least, fabric used as panels. Panels are very versatile and can be placed almost anywhere. They can be used on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceilings. The most common use of cloth-covered panels on the wall and ceiling are for atmospheric effect, usually having to do with sound quality. Another use of fabric panels, as shown, is as panels that double as partition walls, stood upright from the ground. Usually these panels are attached to wheels to make them easily mobile and are arranged in various ways to section of a certain area. However, the possibilities of panels are endless.

As mentioned, these six uses for fabric are seen everywhere in our day to day lives. We tend to take them for granted and are not aware of their purpose and or effect on what we do or experience. Regardless, they are around, in our homes, offices, public spaces, making things more comfortable, more appeasing, perhaps more useful; whether it be to cover our windows or decorate our living rooms.