Interior   ArchitectureOhio   University HCIA 202, Spring 2010Matthew Ziff, Associate ProfessorGrover Center W327MW 1:10-5:00 

Projects for HCIA 202 Spring 2010

Designing requires the ability to 'create', or come up with, or give form to, the visual, built world around us.  How is this done?  Is it a total mystery?  No.  There are approaches, methods, systems of thought and action that lead to or result in visual, buildable, objects and spaces. 

The design explorations undertaken in this studio are concerned with four conceptual beginning points, each of which will be the subject of your individual design work.  Each of these beginning points can be used as a method for creating visual design elements, spaces and objects.

There will be four projects this quarter.  Each project will be increasingly complex, and elements of the previous project will be used in the next project.

The four conceptual beginning points are:

I.  Geometry

II.  Nature

III.  Fabrication

IV.  Universal Design

Each of these represent entire worlds of exploration that lie at the very heart of what designing environments for human beings is about.

I.  Geometry

Two Weeks

Hand Drafting 

Project Drawings and Digital Presentation Due: Monday, April 12, 1:10 pm

Geometry is a widely used building block for all visual design.  The relationships within geometric shapes, and the potential for using these shapes to create complex visual and constructional components is vast.

II.  Nature

Two Weeks

Form-z

Project due:  Monday, April 26, 1:10 pm

(bio-mimicry):  Select an organic, natural, object/creature.  Visually analyze the selected piece, in plan, section, and elevation.  Identify shapes, patterns, elements and structures that makeup the piece.  Use these to create a objects, planes, volumes.  

III.  Fabrication

Two Weeks

Physical model building

Project due: Monday, May 10, 1:10pm

(industrial processes): using standard materials, standard fabrication methods, and standard dimensions, create a meditative, non-denominational, space. 

IV.  Universal Design

Four Weeks  

Hand drafting, Form-z, Physical model building

Project due:  Sunday, June 6, 5:00 pm

a broad underlying concept that should serve as a filter for all design decisions, is fundamentally about human use of spaces and objects within spaces.  A sub set of universal design is environmentally, ecologically responsive design, which is really, in a broad, and sensitively intelligent way, designing for all humans.