david aminifall 2014 portfolio

arch 131 | a.bracco | california polytechnic state university, san luis obispo

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

“

”- rob siltanen

(table of contents)

about me[01] game space[02] walk the line[03] interpolated void[04] ufo[05] pier totem final reflection

just what i am.

// born in fairfax, virginia \\ raised in the shadows of washington d.c. // 50 percent iranian, 50 percent bolivian \\ 2 languages // car enthusiast \\ nature lover // inspired by organic forms \\ passionate about architecture and design // repulsed by chalk, stink bugs, and socks \\ enjoys freestyle rapping // usually doesn’t wear a beanie

[01](game space)

reflectionIntially I was apprehensive about this project. Suddenly, I was dropped into the unfamiliar world of diagramming, with nothing to show for it previously. Once I began to consider movement, it became very easy for me. I was proud of the finalized product, especially that I was able to use basswood to set myself apart from the majority of people and create a form that was meaningful in design.

[02](walk the line)

reflectionUpon entering this project, I was unsure, especially about my skills in capturing an experience in the form of a single line. Taking the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensory experiences of walking the path and transforming them into something so simple seemed odd to me. However, after many hours spent tracing, drawing, throwing away drafts, and one night spent entirely embroidering, I understand the power of the line. In reality, simple lines can tell great stories. I focused all my emotions and senses into that line. Even my feelings of frustration while sewing the actual line made it into the final product - you can see that towards the end, the line becomes exasperated and desperate to just finish. I feel that this project gave me a deeper appreciation for simple forms and line weight in my drawings. Additionally, I learned to admire the small elements that make up our life experiences. As an architect, it is crucial to pay attention to the things that people overlook. By being forced to document things in a boiled down format, I learned how to take in my surroundings and remember the small details that make up a bigger, important picture.

[03](interpolated void)

reflectionAlthough this was probably not my strongest project of the quarter, I did learn valuable lessons in terms of forming spatial relationships between nonsimilar objects. The final product is meant to distract the eye, by extrapolating certain elements. Unfortunately, the pictures, while aesthetically pleasing, were not easy to cut up and extrapolate. Although this was a weak project, it did give way to the UFO, which was one of my strongest.

[04](UFO)

reflectionI felt that this was one of my most successful products in terms of both aesthetic nature and design intent. I took the interpolated void, and focused on a single repeating element, bent it into shape, and created a good product which I felt used light effectively. By this time, I was acquainted with basswood and its properties, which helped immensely with the craft.

[05](pier)

reflectionthis undertaking was truly something I was not prepared for. The hours spent photographing, studying, and creating were simply too much to comprehend. The pier essentially dominated my entire life for about a month. The final model truly encompasses this effort, and I am proud of the persistent design language, craft, and also the inevitable blood, sweat and tears put into this project. I know there will be countless more, but this first large group project inspired me in too many ways to describe.

[00](totem)

[00](totem)

reflectionI found that this project helped me immensely in honing my shop skills. In the pier project I gained a decent amount of knowledge when carving out the wooden wavelike forms, but the totem allowed for me to create on a slightly smaller scale, and experiment with the elements of texture, patterns, and lines. Additionally, the piece of wood I used seemed to have a very beautiful redwood coloring which began to come out with the repetetive planing, cutting, and sanding.

final thoughtswhat to say about these last few months...it was an adventure to say the least. i lived and breathed architecture. as my friends in normal majors had normal college “fun”, i was in the studio working countless hours. there were many times when i questioned what i was doing, why was i pushing myself so hard. then i realized, i was truly passionate. i was not working simply because i had to, i was working because i WANTED to. and in this quarter, i grew more than ever before in so many parts of my life. i’m thankful for this experience and ready to take on whatever comes next.

-david

fin