Ashleigh Neitzel

cooper lighting

2010-06-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

Portfolio Sampler for Oulu University, Finland

2010-05-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

These portfolio pages are a collaboration of work from my three years at UNCG.

Physiology, Perception and Psychology

2009-09-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

As a group we chose the lounge on the second floor of the arts building. This room is primarily used for studying, reading, or to just take a break and relax. However, the lighting in this space is not very sufficient, we actually found the lighting to be kind of distracting. The track lighting created obscured views of the space as well as obscured the view of the objects in the space. The lighting creates unwanted shadows that make it hard to see when trying to do work. Since there are no windows in this space allowing very little to no natural light, we think that there should be a better artificial light source to allow proper working abilities. This lounge is primarily a public space, but is not very large, it is sort of a small, quiet space to get away.

As a whole we think the space is very boring. There isn’t enough seating or lounge space, keeping the space from being used to its fullest potential. The space feels cold and uninviting. The lighting in the space does not help the situation either, it’s primarily task lighting with cold light bulbs.above: Good example of task lighting only lighting a portion of the wall.

Lighting Design: Inspirations

2009-08-25T13:53:00.001-07:00

above: Seattle Public Library
The square shape of the windows create the actual wall of this space, bringing in an adequate amount of light which is needed in a library, as well as creating interesting shadows. Overall a very significant design.
The accent lighting in this space is used in an interesting pattern that's aesthetically pleasing. The use of white light contrasts strongly against the wood.
The use of LED lights in this building creates an interesting effect both during the day and at night. The ambiance of the light creates a different mood during different times of the day.
a further view of the building above
inside the building looking out
the light in this space creates a border and is used as a way finding tool. The light leads you through the space.
Light in this space is used to create form and dimension.
Light in this space is used to create symbolism and form through negative space.
Lighting is placed around the border of the ceiling, used to create a warm glow and greater ambiance.
The light placed in these cabinets create an interesting aesthetic, while at the same time putting an emphasis on the space.

Final Project: Hipster Haven Loft Apartments

2009-05-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Lambent Lofts: The Lofts at Northridge:
A renovated warehouse made into beautiful Lofts!

Exterior Elevation/porch:
Right Elevation
Plan View

Left Elevation:
Back Elevation:
Exterior Perspective
Loft Perspective
Dining Room Perspective
Living Room/Stairs Perspective

emphasis placed on voids in wall to bathroom-- gives light to bathroom and casts unique shadows.
Main Living Space Perspective

Dining Space: Podium Images

2009-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Perspective1 above

Dining Space Podium Images:

Perspective2
Perspective 3
Perspective 4

3D Max Renderings: Dining Space

2009-05-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

Dining Space: Visual Communication/ iar212-02

Perspective Rendering 1
Perspective Rendering 2Perspective Rendering 3
Perspective Rendering 4

Sketch-Up of Dining Space..and then some..

2009-03-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

Research: place to bathe..

2009-03-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

How do eastern cultures bathe?.....The Taj mahal in India greatly inspired the design of my bath. I'm fascinated with their beliefs on never ending life and their desire to reach this perfect state of nirvana or enlightenment. Nirvana is a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and samasara. It represents the final goal of buddhism. It can be considered or compared to a state of perfect happiness, an ideal or idyllic place.
Through my design, I have tried to create a sense or state of Nirvana for the guests who visit this bath. I want them to leave all troubles behind and have a weightless sense of self. While they visit they will have the chance to find that perfect state of happiness and relieve their souls and bodies of anything impure.
With a beautiful color scheme that warms the heart and soul, while at the same time being surrounded by the beautiful Himalaya's and the cool waters of the pool and rivers below, their is an ideal balance of nature created.
The smoothly polished concrete and a beautiful arrangement of glossy mosaic tiles in a warm red-orange and yellow palette, this is the perfect resort to experience that sense or nirvana and cleanse your soul.

a place to bath: Indiahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

2009-03-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

A place to bathe... in India
Perspective view looking West into space: 1/2"=1'-0"Perspective view looking West into pool: 1/2"=1'-0"

MODEL of Ramp: 1/2"= 1'-0"
Floor Plan: 1/4"=1'-0"West Elevation: 1/4"=1'-0"North + South Elevation: 1/4"=1'-0"

East Elevation: 1/4"=1'-0"Wall section of pavilion space: 1/4"=1'-0" Reflective ceiling plan: 1/4"=1'-0"

FF&E Specifications:

FLOOR: Concrete & mosaic tile / flat finish/ high gloss tiles

CEILING: Concrete & recessed lighting/ flat finish

COLUMNS: Concrete/ flat finish

POOL: Concrete & Mosaic tile/ flat finish/ high gloss on tile

DOME: Gold plated aluminum/ brushed to high sheen

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - --

Floor MANUFACTURER: Keystone cement Company.

Mosaic Tile MANUFACTURER: Xiamen Huabao Stone Co., Ltd

Aluminum MANUFACTURER: All Metals & Forge, LLC.

a place to Dine...

2009-02-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

BOARD 1
BOARD 2

perspective view of dining room

I've created a place for 12 people to dine. This space has been designed to bring the outdoors in to create a more intimate and cozy space.

Final Scene of Discourse

2009-02-12T10:49:00.001-08:00

Second Pattern Perception:

2009-02-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Playing with light, contrast, hue and saturation to get a different affect.

iar 212: First Pattern Perception

2009-01-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

To the left, I've created a pattern which was inspired by a victorian wallpaper I found online. In most victorian wallpapers, repetition is valuable. Patterns are over done and chaotic. So that is was I tried to represent here. I took an urban landscape that I found on the internet and cut out the most interesting par. I then repeated this in an aesthetically pleasing manner in a circular pattern to come up with a victorian wallpaper of my own. Overall I think it's a well done representation. Don't you?

What is my inspiration?

2009-01-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

Design Manifesto:

Light. Culture. Environment. Experience.

This is how I express my design manifesto.

Assignment 1: Computing in Architectural Design

2009-01-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

Computing in architecture and design has been increasingly worked upon since the Renaissance, but was already considered long before that time. However, during the Renaissance, new technology made it possible to further explore more advanced options.

During the Renaissance, architectural designers recognized the need for representation of their work. Architects needed to create some kind of geometrical construction to communicate their ideas to the builders. Designers also found the importance of having a human scale figure in their model as a means to show the size, proportions, area and volume of the space.

It was in the 18th century that Leonardo da Vinci created the Vitrivius man so that designers could focus on the scale and proportions of the human figure when designing. Not long after that perspective drawings emerged. This created a way for designers to express their ideas for a space in a -3-dimensional space. To create depth in their drawings foreshortening objects that were further away in a space, created a “natural” spatial organization, and made a more realistic space.

As time moved on, further exploration of computing design ideas emerged. In the 1970s computers began to appear in architecture firms. Along with the early CAD systems, which required large and powerful computers; not like our desktop computers today. These large computers were mainly used for the drafting aspect of design. This first generation CAD system acted as a building design system, more than anything else.

However, architects wanted a less complicated program that was easier to work with. So, they designed a “dumb down” CAD which dealt with polygons, solids, NURBS, and “blobs.” This program could now address walls, doors and windows, with a focus on the architectural spaces such as hospital rooms.

Similar programs were being created and developed during the same general time period, such as META KAAD and BDA. BDA was created in the 1990s and was used to measure the performance of energy-related problems. Both of these programs are still under construction today, and have not yet been put out on the market for large cooperation to use.

A third-generation CAD system is being developed and worked on today, with a main focus on knowledge-based, object-oriented design abilities. This generation of CAD wants to move away from the purely geometric route the second generation took. What they hope for this program is to have new methods to manage data that hold an extreme amount more than the previous two CAD programs. They hope to lower the amount of computers needed to hold data. They want to create inhabitable physical environments and making the computer the environment. Since the new space of today is “virtual,” their focus is on creating Virtual Environments.

It is unpredictable where these ingenious virtual programs will take us next. I have no doubt in my mind that these virtual programs will be created in the next five years. Technology has improved immensely since the Renaissance, and has improved fast! After these virtual environments have been designed and completed, I can only imagine that the focus will lean towards energy-efficient “green” design. Soon I don’t even think research will be necessary. The most durable, cost-efficient, and eco-friendly materials will be at a touch of a button. Sustainability is the next focus. Soon designers will hardly have to think about how things are put together, it’ll just be there for them.

GUERRILLA MARKETING: 9/22/2008

2008-09-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

reaching out to the community:

In reaching out to the community our group wanted to have a centralized sculpture that was a landmark for everything else. This sculpture is to incorporate something that the community would continue to pass on lee street and turn around a question the meaning behind the structure. In there search they will find that it leads back to the interior architecture studio. The sculpture is very important in this proposal, but we didn't want to limit ourselves, so we connected all of our other proposals back to this idea.

Bubble Diagram:
How the sculpture relates to every part of our marketing
Places:
for fundraising
In the photo above we marked a location where a lot of our guerrilla marketing would take place. The depot is the heart of the Greensboro transit system, so in order to connect with the rest of Greensboro, why not penetrate at the very epicenter? here we would conduct fundraisers to "sell" our products, which include food, pens, stickers, flyer's-all completely free.

Print:
posters, flyers, handouts etc.
These two sketches are our ideas for posters, or handouts that could be handed out, or placed in local coffee shops, or even left with the tip when you are out to dinner. The main idea behind these logos is to attach them to the back of many local companies, shops and public buildings restroom stalls. Our group members all decided that when you are on the toilet there is not much else occupying your time and that you were more likely to pay attention to an add in this manner.

Products:
1.) bumper sticker 2.) chocolate candy bar 3.) "wu-wu" t-shirt

Our team thought that by focusing on a single icon and logo, and replicating that in all the marketing, would be the best way to catch people’s attention. The object we chose to use was a sculpture, and what better thing to use than a “wu-wu” to catch every ones eye.
The part of marketing that I focused on was our products. We thought by having a variety of products we would be able to cater to more people rather than focusing on a single product that may only cater to a few peoples needs. So, I made apparel such as t-shirts, bumper stickers, candy and chocolate bars, pens and coffee mugs. By doing this we hope to have everyone, everywhere saying, “what’s a wu-wu”?

1.) chewy candy 2.) "wu-wu" pen with logo 3.) coffee mug with wu-wu IAR logo

HTTP://
the "wu-wu" video

GUERRILLA MARKETING VIDEO

2008-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Hey, is that a wu-wu?"

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY GROUP MEMBER:
laura snoderly, tiffany garber, and ben adams

Codes + Proxemics + Ergonomics

2008-09-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

It was interesting to look at and to consider the various requirements necessary to support human activities and needs. Even before this portion of the assignment, while were designing both our bus:shelter and our shelter:bus, we tried to take into consideration things that people might need, such as a comfortable amount of space to operate in. We did not have the technical term “proxemics,” but we tried to observe other people and to recall from personal experience what we would want in a space, what would be useful or comfortable, beyond something that simply “looked nice.”

In terms of ergonomics, for the baby bus shelter, we looked up normal heights of tables, and considered how wide a baby might be laying down with some wiggle room. Codes were a little different. The bus shelter, we believe, is handicap accessible, but it was good to look at the actual codes and the amount of space necessary for a wheelchair to pull in and turn around. The baby bus is not handicap accessible, since the largest portion of it was designed specifically for volunteers or staff.

We would recommend that designers be open to making changes to better accommodate people of varying abilities. Especially when dealing with a public structure, such as a bus shelter or shelter bus, the whole intent of the design is to be as useful and enjoyable to as many people as possible.
Codes help with this because they provide standards that a designer may use that they might otherwise be unfamiliar with. They provide a precedent and are another source of information for the designer to draw upon, beyond creativity, that function in a very real sort of way.

Codes will greatly affect our work as designers in the future, as more codes are developed for people of differing abilities, and as more environmental codes are created as sustainability becomes the norm.

Bubble Diagram for Bus Plan 9/17/2008

2008-09-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

Above: Bubble Diagram for layout of Bus interior.

Shelter/Bus Container MODEL 2 9/17/2008

2008-09-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Shelter/Bus: Container MODEL 9/17/2008

2008-09-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Shelter/Bus: Container 9/17/08

2008-09-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

Client Charrette: Part II Shelter/Bus

2008-09-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

What would you need if you were caught in a natural disaster?

Image: the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Bus/Shelter: Part I

2008-09-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Mass and Form -- The basic form of the bus shelter is rectangular form, with an open front and an arched roof.
Unit and Whole-- Rectangular glass panels form the shell of the structure. There are six panels across the back, with two metal benches taking up three panels each. The sides of the shelter are two panels wide. The roof is also.. composed of rectangular panels, in this case arched ones, that form a semi-circular shape over the shelter. There is one linear support across the bottom of the arch, which bisects the structure, emphasizing the bilateral symmetry of the structure.
Additive and Subtractive-- Subtractive features of this space include where the sidewalk is recessed by the area created for the bus to pull over, which leads to an extension of the sidewalk, creating a void in the grass for the shelter to be placed. Finally, the shelter itself creates a solid shell, with the central mass removed, allowing for the space to be occupied by bus passengers. The arched roof is an additive feature which creates a more lofty void than would have been created with a flat roof.
Material and Finish-- The materials used are green metal, tinted glass, and plexiglass. There are yellow and blue painted signs on the glass sides.
Repetitive and Unique-- Vertical lines are the most predominant repetitive feature. These flow down from the building behind the structure, which has vertical sections between the windows, to the ribbed roof, to the metal partitions between the glass panels, and finally to benches and the sidewalk.
Tectonic and Mechanic-- The structure is used to conceal people from the elements while they wait for the bus.
Circulation and Use-- The structure is directly across from where the bus pulls up, providing a straightforward path for passengers to enter the bus. The fact that the sidewalk runs parallel to the bus path allows departing passengers to exit and go either direction.

Jenny Paige Postcard:

2008-09-07T12:58:00.001-07:00

The three R's: Reading, Riding, Recording

2008-09-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

The start of my bus ride adventure wasn’t all that bad, but by the time I was ready to get off I never wanted to come near one again.
It was about 2:45 in the afternoon and myself and three of my friends were about to leave so we could catch the 3:05 bus, so we grabbed our directions and headed out to find our bus stop location!
We found our bus stop, and luckily there was Jimmy John’s right near the bus stop because we all really needed to use the bathroom. I went first, and then Hannah had to go, while she was in the bathroom the bus came. So I called her phone to let her know. She didn’t answer, we tried to stall a little bit, but the bus driver was rushing us to get on. When we got in the bus I told the bus driver that we had one more girl coming and to wait a minute. He told us to go sit down, and I thought that he understood me, but then he started speeding off before Hannah even came out of the bathroom. I guess he didn’t hear me, how could he though when the inside of the bus sounded like you were standing under the hood of a car. The rest of the bus ride only went down hill from there.
Okay, so we’re sitting in the very back of the bus because those were the only seats available, and everyone is starring at us. To make this moment a little more awkward the girls and I get out our cameras to take pictures so we could better explain this experience to the class. Were sitting there flashing pictures and laughing about how weird this whole thing is, and I got the vibe that the people on the bus felt like we were making fun of them. I have never felt as uncomfortable as I did at that moment. I felt completely out of place, and I’m sure that’s exactly what the people were thinking as they watched us.
We came to a stop at the bus depot downtown and everyone gets off the bus, except for us. Brianna gets up to ask the bus driver if this bus was going back to the campus area or if we should get on another bus. He looks at her and gives here a short answer of yeah were going to four season and looks away as if the was the dumbest question her had ever heard.
Everyone is back on the bus now and the girls and I are sitting quietly trying to not stand out in any possible way so we don’t get those negative looks again. The bus is back on campus now and the first stop he makes we jump off. The girls and I stood there for a moment in silence and then at the same time said that was the most awkward thing I’ve every experienced. We questioned the professors and wondered what their reasoning was for this exercise. Now it was time to read the article.
It made sense to me now after I read Chafe’s text. I had no idea that Greensboro was ever that segregated; and the fact that nothing was ever truly solved doesn’t help the situation. When I was on the bus that day I almost felt like I was in the 1960’s in reverse roles. I felt the way that black people may have felt, and I know that their experience was probably extremely worse, but for that moment I had some kind of idea.
I think that if I would have read the reading before riding the bus I may have looked at the situation completely different, but I didn’t, and when I was on the bus I was sort of mad that me and the girls were getting glared at. The tables really turned after I read the article and I feel bad that I ever felt that way now.

Postcard to Tommy:

2008-09-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

The First Week of Classes:

2008-09-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

Coming back to the studio after summer break was more than easy. I was greeted with hugs by all of my old friends and tons of questions about my summer. I felt so comfortable, almost as if I had never left.
Very traditional of the IAR program, we jumped right into our first project the first week. Group work was the main focus for the week, which I think was a good idea because of the new transfer students, who had no idea who any of us were or what to expect from this program. By working in groups the previous IAR students were able to get to know the new students, and they were able to get to know all of us.
Group work really taught me, and the whole class a lot about working together as a small group, and then as a very large group. You know, it’s not the easiest thing to do when you have sixty students with creative minds who all want to pitch their ideas. It becomes quite chaotic. But we learned to come together as a team and listen to each other and take into account what each person had to say.
The leaders of the group really stood out during these activities. Because of all the chaos there had to be someone to step up and take charge, someone who could really yell and get every ones attention. Now I know who not to mess with!
Ashleigh Neitzel

sketch up model of 1st house

2008-04-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

My first sketch up model of the first house model built in drafting.

How do you sleep?

2008-03-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

Not your average night of sleep...

A tree house!

Probably not the safest place to sleep, but at least it's warm..

Precedent Analysis: Baths of Diocletian

2008-03-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

Bottle Caps: Part II

2008-03-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

The Process to our final design:

After concluding that our dinnerware was not very efficient for the consumer, we pondered upon the idea of what light would look like shining through the bottle caps.
Our first idea was to make some sort of lamp shade, but it was not exactly eco-friendly because you still were using resources that weren't completely natural.
We then turned to the sun as our light source, and thought that the light shining through the bottle caps produced a glow that was aesthetically pleasing.

That's how our final design of a recycled stained glass window developed.

We didn't want to stick with the ordinary, rectilinear shape of a stained glass window. After experimenting with different shapes we thought that the diamond was the most appealing and easiest to hang.
We first concentrated on the individual bottle caps shapes. The way that we made the unique shape of the bottle caps was by cutting slits that were evenly spaced around the rim. We then pulled each individual tab apart to create the flower appearance. To connect the bottle caps we poked thumbtack holes into the caps and used biodegradable fishing line to connect them tightly.
However, just the fishing line alone was not sturdy enough to hold the structure as tightly as we wanted. To fix the problem of the string not being strong enough, we had to add wire to the back of the structure to act like a spine. This seemed to do the trick!
Now, to hang the stain glass window we added string to the top bottle cap and hung it on a suction cup that could be easily placed in any window.

Good example of the sun shining through the "stained glass" window.

Bottle Caps: Part I

2008-03-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

First Iteration of Bottle Cap project:

When we were first informed about the bottle cap project we wanted to design something that could be reproduced quickly and easily. We thought that if it were made more simple it would have a better chance of actually becoming a product that could be mass produced.
We came up with a drinking glass and a bowl. However, this idea was not very realistic or efficient. There were spaces in between each bottle cap, which made the product not functional.
We had to think of a different design that could be both functional and efficient for the consumer. While still keeping in mind, something that could be easily reproduced.

Photo of the Drinking Glass.

Different view of Drinking glass.

Top view of bowl.

Side view of bowl.

Produce Project: Yellow Bell Pepper

2008-03-07T15:06:00.001-08:00

This is a photo of my group, "The Bell Peppers" as a whole. For this project we had to chose a piece of produce that we thought would be interesting. I chose a yellow bell pepper. We then had to draw the pepper exactly how it looked. After that we cut the produce in half and drew it how we saw it that way. We zoomed in 3 times at this view. Then we to took this project a little more abstract. We had to look at the pepper very closely and get different patterns from it. To make our patterns more interesting we had to introduce some kind of tool. I chose a curling iron. We then had to take the patterns that we had drawn previously and draw them how they would look if say, a curling iron had gotten to them. This made all of my patterns somewhat curly and intertwining.

This is "The Bell Peppers" at a different view.

I couldn't get this photo to turn vertically, but this is a picture of just my board. It shows the process that I went through to get to my final model (the tall orange model on the bottom shelf in the center). It starts with the literal drawings, moves down to the pepper being cut, then moves to the patterns I made, and finally the tool was introduced.

After all of the drawings we had to make several models. I used the highlighted drawing (on my board) as inspiration for my models. I loved how it curved and moved and I really wanted that to show in my models. It was much harder to create that illusion than I thought it would be.

As you can see I went through many different kinds of models until I finally got one that I was satisfied with.

This a further away view of my project. You can see all my patterns and models here.

Floor Plan: Elevations

2008-03-05T14:54:00.001-08:00

Doors and Windows

2008-03-05T14:52:00.001-08:00

Floor Plan

2008-03-05T14:47:00.001-08:00

Louis Kahn 1960 Fisher House

2008-03-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

This floor plan is of the Louis Kahn 1960 Fisher House.

For this assignment we took the dimensions out of the book and enlarged the scale. I then added dimensions and poche to where the house had been cut.

Floor Plan I

2008-03-04T14:49:00.001-08:00

This is a floor plan from a work sheet that I was assigned. I had to take this plan and enlarge the scale. I then added poche to the walls and dimensions to the windows, doors, and walls.

Pat's Chair III

2008-03-04T14:41:00.001-08:00

This elevation is from the 'Pat's Chair' assignment.

In this assignment we were cutting the chair into two sections. The top left drawing is the stop of 'Pat's Chair' showing where the structure is being cut. The bottom left elevation is the north view (cut longways) with poche to show what is actually being cut through. The bottom right elevation is the west view, and it also is poched to show where it has been cut through.

Pat's Chair II

2008-03-04T14:38:00.001-08:00

These elevations are from 'Pat's Chair.' There is a north, west, east, and south view and the dimensions are given to give some idea of the size of the structure.

Pat's Chair I

2008-03-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

The elevations shown above are from the project 'Pat's Chair.' There is a north, south, east, and west view.

The objective was to create a place where she could work, dine, store things, and sit. The structure had to be one piece, and the material that could be used was limited.

2X4 WOOD

2008-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

When I started the sketches for this project I knew from the beginning that I wanted my object to have a curvilinear form. My initial idea was to have the long thin strips of wood projecting up and out from a bottom base. I would keep the strips in their curved form by adding a strip of wood (the same size as the bottom base) to the top for pressure. When I finished cutting and sanding all of the individual strips and I started to construct my form, I ran into a slight problem. I realized that it was going to be top heavy.

I now had to improvise my idea to make something that would work as a self-sustained system. I drew a few sketches and brainstormed some ideas and came up with the design that I have posted above.

What I did: I took the base and top from my first idea and sawed evenly spaced notches all the way down the sides so I could fit the thinly sliced strips of wood in them, going from top to bottom. When I was finished I didn't like how the object looked when it was laying flat on its back. So... I decided to hang it. I drilled two holes in the top two pieces of wood so that I could slide a piece of rope through them. I really wanted to emphasize the light and the way it shined through the spaces of each strip. It almosted reminded me of a blind, so it only made sense to hang it up vertically.