Design Development 1

Site Analysis

Group Critique

It appears that my lonesome journey to personally explore the idea, concept, is shared by others too.  I am not alone as I once thought I was.  One of the questions that arose in our discussion with Alyssa and Jackie directly pertained to the implications that concepts have in the overall design of a space.  One may come up with a concept that acts as a vehicle for making decisions but does it sum up the project as a whole.  Is it holistically inclusive or does it just indicate the interior or aesthetic design decisions.  Or is it a macro concept that does not relate on a micro level, or vice versus.  Does this mean that there must be a macro and micro concept?  From here Alyssa explained how they were exploring the space and how they were beginning to understand the direction their designs were headed in.  This was illustrated through some sketch up models, which as of now are featuring curved walls as a major design element.   From here they spoke of the five senses and how they really wanted to use this as their guiding light.  So my suggestion would be to find a way to relate the senses to the user of the space CBI and to the Client Duke.  Personally I like to write a lot, and I like to write down everything I know about the client and what they need and want.  Next to that I like to enumerate the words that sum up these needs and desires in order of importance.  These words can be conceptual or literal.  It is from here that I am able to relate my concept directly to the needs and desires of the client.  That was everything that is designed can directly be traced back the concept thus giving the design a cohesive foundation by which to stand the test of critiques at the end of the project.  Overall I think they are in a very good place and are on the brink of tying together their concept and design. 

Precedent Study

The primary site we chose to conduct our precedent study for CBI's showroom was the Apple store in the Soho district of Manhattan.  Some of the qualities of this building directly related to ours and the issues that will arise from our building will be similar to theirs.  As a result we will be able to observethe paths that Apple embarked on and learn from their successes as well as their mistakes.

CBI - Cocnept Analysis

Concept :Our concept is a response to beauty, function and quality; a direct study of Knoll and their culture

The CBI Showroom needs to be more then just a showroom it needs to inspire change. CBI has the opportunity to be the forerunners of creating a new design community right in the heart of durham - evolving the community. CBI also has the challenge of surviving the economic challenges of the city, its clients, its biggest customer-DUKE.

Inspire, evolve and endure are really the heart of the CBI project - in this case the concept has the opportunity to drive an amazing project forward.

Circulation : The space on East Chapel Hill Street is fairly narrow require any space planning to maintain definite paths or WAYFINDING. All major movement or level change will occur at the back part of the building where the original stair is located. Because the showroom is not technically open to the public most of the entering and exiting will also occur through the back entrance as longs as the current floor plan is maintained.

Site Context : The site is part of a historic block and therefore requires us to abide by some specific historic preservation guidelines. Also, the building it self is situated on a corner which offers the opportunity for fantastic curb appeal, great window displays (within the regulations of historic preservation) and better exposure.

Interior Finishes : Currently the building is predominately brick and concrete finishes. Some walls are covered with sheet rock but mostly the building is empty and awaiting the design.

Lighting and Color : Again the predominate colors are reds, browns and tans which are all found in the brick featured throughout the building. Nothing has been esthetically enhanced with paint or light. The only light in the space is natural and there is very little of it due to the site orientation and the size of the windows on the lower level.

HVAC/Building Systems: All of the HVAC is currently exposed and it appears that the building is constructed of brick and steel floor joists.

Unique Features : the most unique feature of the entire site is the little side street - Orange street. We have an opportunity to really create a beautiful street scape while maintain the regulations of historic code.

The building we have been discussing has so much potential it is exhilarating to think about possibilities and the directions in which we could go.  While there are many limitations with regards to historic preservation this too provides us with a multitude of opportunities to fuze the old with the new and blur the line between the two.

     While the MAC store ignored the historical aesthetic of their building on the interior, what they did succesfully accomplished was the incorporation of their brand, image, and indentity into the designed interior.  Their product permeated the interior and to the point that many of the construction materials were a direct reflection of the materials used for their products.

Opera House/Bridge

Nature has provided designers with inspiration since time began.  Nature to me is the epitome of quinteseential design.  For this reason it is always a pleasure to draw my inspiration from the forms that I deam inimitable.