Slessor Gardens in 3Ds Max
CAD – 3Ds Max // Slessor Gardens
GIDE – Step Across the Border
The Quartet Acoustic
The exhibition focuses on the sense of hearing; hence, the subject matter is sound. The sounds of the domestic Rituals.
The iCon Magazine
A different approach has been taken where the subject matter is invisible. Designers usually focus on finding inspiration from an object to build a concept, however, in this project the unseen aspects of the subject matter will be the main inspiration for the design.
A lot of inspiration on the project is derived from the Crate House (1990) where Allan Wexler used all elements; the kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom.
The idea started with the thought process of how an individual is able to recognise a place or associate an environment with a sense other than the sense of vision. How can a connection between senses and places be created? It is a fascinating thought to be able to recognise a place by smell or sound without seeing it to identify it.
The idea of the exhibition is to create a space of a non-physical thing, something that people see and hear in their homes within different parts of a domestic environment. Space is aiming to be interactive, intriguing and allows people to have a unique experience and get inspired to think differently – that it is not always about how things look, but how they sound, what the sounds remind them of and mean to them. Every domestic environment sound is different so it would be exciting for the visitors to explore the space.
I recorded sounds in my house and listened to the recordings a few times to help me create shapes. The process was long and difficult. Initially, the plan was to record three different sounds that represent each room amounting to twelve sounds in total. However, while listening to the twelve sounds, coming up with an idea of how to express them physically got complicated. I remembered then how Allan Wexler focused on “smaller components, namely their fixtures and furnishings” and decided that I will pick one sound to represent one of the rooms, reducing the total to four sounds.
During research, I looked at movements of the body and discovered that there are 9.5 types of body movements. I focused on the angular movements, flexion and extension of shoulder, knees and neck.
After looking at movements I started the floor planning process of the exhibition. I decided to research and find a way to create a pathway for people to walk through the exhibition space. The domestic environment exists because of human beings, and a heartbeat is the sound of a living being. Therefore, the pathway is like a wave which is inspired by the rhythm of an ECG; the PR, ST Segments, QRS Complex and QT interval of a heartbeat.
The walkthrough is the “heart” of the exhibition. I wanted to create a domestic environment without walls and doors, just a pathway where visitors can stand and look into the rooms. There are four different rooms. Depending on where the visitors stand and look the view will change. The pathways have sensors and QR Codes that the visitors can download and/or listen to sounds individually.
Visitors will have to follow the pathway to discover which area of the domestic setting they have entered, without actually entering it. The pathway partition features 100cm distance between each sheet of wood laid horizontally to create the wave partition of the pathway, The distance allows the visitors to look into the rooms.
It is laid out similarly from bottom to top so anyone can look through regardless of their age and height.
- The four sounds that are represented in the exhibition are:
- The sound of boiling water – Kitchen
- The sound of a book flipping – Bedroom
- The sound of a shower – Bathroom
- The sound of a fireplace – Living room
Those four sounds were recorded in varying ways , bringing to my attention how one element, for example, water, is used in four different ways in the kitchen i.e. for washing dishes, in a dishwasher and the washing machine, etc. Therefore, I designed four structures to represent warm/boiling water in the kitchen. The idea is that when someone goes closer to the structures the water vibrates and creates the sound of the boiling water, and the closer someone gets to it the louder it becomes.
Similarly, the flipping of book pages is represented by differently sized circles which overlap each other. The closer someone gets the faster they flip while making the sound. The shower structure doesn’t move, it is represented by a small tube-like twisted crystal that was inspired by the circular form of a water drop as it drops in the tub. The fire structure rotates and people can see the inside, a burned copper structure when they are outside the pathway as well. The fire structure is made of six elements and there are spikes and dips.
The exhibition space uses a lot of technology, such as thermal image sensors, motion sensors and LED lights with coordination to the sensors.
Next Gen WORKPLACE
NEXT GEN WORKPLACE: CRITICAL SPATIAL PRACTICES
This project anticipates future scenarios for working by female only interior design practices, it takes inspiration from the independent and focused business woman and attempts to achieve a safe and homely environment within the work-place. The Building in which the workplace will be designed is currently a Gin Distillery in Dundee and is category A listed. The location of the building is easy to get to by public or private transport, and it is only few minutes away from the University of Dundee and the city’s restaurants and cafes. The building will see a dramatic interior renovation, currently being a gin distillery, it offers a totally different workplace for employers than that of an interior design practice, therefore renovation and remodelling will have to take place to offer the requirements needed for the new workplace.
To offer those requirements for the anticipated future workplace an understanding of how changes in which the people work must be observed as this impacts the function and design of the space. Frank Duffy, a British Architect and DEGW founder suggests that workplaces should be designed suitable to the emerging technology, economy and work culture of the 21st century. Looking at todays’ workplace culture it is more about people connecting with other people. This can be seen in many workplaces today such as the The Geodis Offices which is located in Mexico City. It is designed in a way that it is spatially connected, this connection is formed of angular patterns both 3D and 2D that are used on floors, walls and ceiling to highlight areas and thus form a pathway and a connection. Although the colour scheme of the office is dull but the open and airy space encourages socialising. The exhibition ‘Workspheres’ in MoMA, highlights the revolution of a workplace design, and describes that it significantly affects performance and satisfaction. Today, creativity and teamwork are encouraged in a workplace therefore a relaxing environment with energetic vibes is desired.
The encouragement of connecting is part of the concept, mainly the concept of the project is to aid women and raise awareness. The idea of the woman only workplace came from the fact that there are 70% British female architects whom experienced sexual discrimination or harassment. Designing a woman only workplace will create a safe and relaxing environment for women to work in. The main design concept is influenced by Zaha Hadid, her designs are always bold and daring as she uses interesting architectural forms, from angles to curves or a combination of both. Her work reflects to her independent and strong character, such as the Guangzhou Opera House where dramatic interplay in form is achieved, thus using angles in the project is the main inspiration, as the sharp ends of angles and their crisp edges depicts the Zaha Hadid character. The space is also influenced by The Wing which is a co-working space for women situated in New York, it uses soft colours and material to depict the soft side of femininity and offers a homely residential feeling by using comfortable furniture, light-filled and open layout. The relaxing colours and soft materials will balance out with the sharp angular edges and invoke a homely feel. To encourage socialising and teamwork a gathering/open workspace is used. The space features open areas, private offices, meeting rooms, storage and a small kitchen. There is easy circulation around the workplace. The ceiling feature of the 3D angular glass is inspired by the 3D shapes used in the Geodis Offices.
DWELLING: D2 – DESIGNER’S DEN
D2 is a combination of functional and timeless style. It is classic contemporary with a touch of traditional details, such as gold leaf detail on the small tables, coffee & the dining table. The particular use of dark; Nero Marquina Marble & light; Italian Carrara Marble along with stylish fabrics & textured leather adds a hint of luxury and elegance. The main highlight of the apartment is the 2-toned marble staircases, with horizontal Cabernet Mahogany wood railing. It’s sophisticated yet comfortable living environment… Chic, relaxed and homely.
Rendered Perspectives:
InDesign 2 x A0 Sheets:
The main double doors open up in a small entrance area, there is a coat rack and an umbrella stand for the very unpredictable weather of England. There is also a small closet for shoes and bags. Another set of sliding doors leading into the main apartment. When you enter through the sliding doors to the left you see a free standing mirror, and to the right is a small seating area. Then comes the staircase, designed with 2 different marbles; Nero Marquina Marble & Italian Carrara Marble and horizontal Cabernet Mahogany wood railing. There is a meeting area next to the staircase – Eliza, the client can’t meet all her clients in her Atelier. Next to the meeting area is a living room, and there is a triangular glass partition wall. The window is nearly as wide as the width of the apartment and it gives a really beautiful view of the garden. In the basement, there are the utility & storage rooms. Part of that storage is to be used for Eliza’s personal design collection. There is a guest room, with an attached toilet and shower room. When you go to the first floor to the right side of the staircase is the kitchen, on the left side, are the dining room and the drawing room. The second floor has a small office area with skylight. To the left side of the staircase is the master bedroom with the attached bathroom. The grid glass skylight extends over the staircase area as well.
LINKS:
EMOTIVE OBJECT: interConnected.
My inspiration behind my Emotive Object is FAMILY.
I decided to create something very conceptual to showcase Conjugal/Nuclear Family. A family that is connected with each other, there is a strong bond between all the members and they are always united. Care for each other and support each other. Everyone has a different responsibility in the house. Each triangle is a member of the family the bigger triangles are senior members of the family and the smaller ones are children. There are different textures on each triangle, and that represents different personalities, habits and routines. Everyone’s struggles and achievements are different, everyone’s journey is distinctive, however, they are all together and connected.
LINK:
Hello & Welcome!
I am Tehmina Ahmad, and this is my Design blog. It is my digital portfolio and I will be displaying my Interior Design projects, my personal work that includes photography, and my current university projects. The blog will showcase my strengths and skills which I have acquired in the last a few years.
In the past, I have had my Beauty & Design blog merged together. It was convenient for me to have one WordPress account for both; however, I believe it’s ideal to have individual blogs, to keep it simple and chic.
Thank you for taking out time to read my blog post. & I hope you’ll find the upcoming posts exciting & inspiring…
I’m super excited to relaunch my Design Blog, with a new theme and format.
T.
TKA 