Architecture PortfolioAaron Prinz

Design Studio 1, City College of San Francisco

“An introduction to architectural concepts and principles through 2-D and 3-D design projects. Focus is on issues, requirements, and objectives related to visual perception of form and space, architectural meaning, spatial experiences, and the human condition.”

-CCSF Course Catalog

Our first assignment was to glue twelve objects to a 8”x11” piece of chip board. With this iteration I wanted to create something that told a story and I feel I accomplished that by having the pawns arranged around the toppled king that is tied down in the center. The pawns are the weakest piece in a chess set, but by repetitively using the same piece with arrange in the circular shape I feel it provides a level of empowerment to the pawns and this is how the storyline was successfully conveyed. I tried to break the symmetry if the arrangement, but I felt that the narrative would be lost if I did not arrange them in a uniform shape. Overall I feel this design was a good start for my design journey because it helped me think critically about items and their relationship with one another.

Iteration 1

Plan and Elevation View of Iteration 1

My first iteration of my kit of parts (left) did not capture the reasoning behind having a kit of parts, so I did a second iteration (right). This second set of kit of parts helped me lose my fixation with the chess pieces while helping me examine the different parts the make up the chess pieces. I also realize that now I can use aspects of the chess pieces to create new designs without the resulting design looking like a chess piece. I feel like this was a turning point in my design process.

Kit of Parts

I was inspired by the shapes I discovered in the kit of parts and that led me to use nuts and bolts as connecters for this iteration. The entire structure is hinged on the longest bolt that runs through the large green sphere, and ends at the middle disk on the other side of the design. The downside to the construction of iteration three is the cost to build the model, as well as the heavy weight of the model. Ultimately I enjoyed this assignment as a way to create a design using elements from the kit of parts from the previous iterations. I find it interesting that the design is completely different from its predecessors, but the design is derived from their elements and shapes.

Iteration 2

I found it a relief to get away from having a base on my design, and even more of a relief to move away from the chess pieces. I came up with the new design for iteration three by using shapes, curves, and form taken from my revised kit of parts from the first iteration. I wanted to keep the strength that was echoed in my first design, and I feel that this new design does accomplish that. I think this design is a big breakthrough in my design process. I do however regret erasing lines while I drew my design, so I can’t compare my the my initial ideas to the finished product.

With my initial design for this iteration, I did not mean to have the black fins running through the design. I originally thought of having one central bolt running through the middle with nuts as spacers, similar to iteration two. I though the design looked too simple, lacked a dynamic quality, and didn’t evoke any feeling when I looked at it. This is how sketching my iterations has helped my design process. It allows me to experiment with concepts to see their affect on the design. When I first added the fin it ended with the same point at both ends which I didn’t like. I’m trying to achieve a move asymmetrical design, and that was the inspiration for adding the curve to each of the black fins.

Iteration 3

With this design iteration I focused on integrating repetition through a proportional system into the design. I decided on Fibonacci’s Sequence. When you look at this iteration, you can see that the diameter of the disks in the design do follow Fibonacci’s Sequence, starting with the two smallest circles which have an equal diameter of one inch. They are followed by the remaining circles which follow the proportional system: two inch, three inch, and topping out with a circle with a diameter of five inches. I think the systematic increase in the size of each circle contributes to the power of this iteration that is expanded upon in my narrative. I also like that this design holds itself together with only friction. Personally I feel that this is my best design so far. I feel that from every angle of the design the viewer experiences something new that will draw them into the design.

With this design I wanted to focus on the use, as well as the effect, of transparent, translucent, and opaque surfaces. The transparent blue surfaces invite the viewer inside the design while the translucent surfaces designate space. On the bottom of the design the opaque triangle of chipboard provides structural support to the curved piece of wood extending out the bottom of the iteration. I needing to change my materials to help elevate the way I view my iterations, and have them taken seriously by others. The reason I didn’t make the change earlier is because I was unsure how to represent a circular object using wood. To solve this I drew inspiration from the windows of the Marriott Marquis in downtown San Francisco at 4th and Market.

Iteration 4

I wanted to use the second half of Design Studio 1 to focus on using sectioning, along with repetition, to create more dynamic designs that pulls the viewer through a transition of both space and time. With all of my designs I strived to create something that would be worthy of being constructed in a full scale installation on the hillside for the final project. To accomplish that I strived for all my iterations to meet the requirement of the final by having space for one, while also allowing adequate space for multiple people, and creating a framed view of the surrounding environment.

Overall I am not very satisfied with this iteration. I think it is mostly due to my material choice. The connections between each section are sloppy, and negatively affects the overall look of the design as well as its structural integrity. I think the circular theme could work for future iterations, but I would like to see it arranged in a horizontal pattern to create a transition to multiple spaces instead of a singular space.

Iteration 5

I feel that this iteration is an improvement from my previous design. Each section grows larger than the its successor, creating an awning, until it comes full circle, and then begins to shrink back down. I wanted to use the sectioning to mimic a sound wave, and create I nice framed view for someone standing under the awning looking through the design. Again the connections are not as clean as they could be, however, they are an improvement from my previous iteration.

Iteration 6

I think this is the turning point in the design work as it pertains to sectioning. By using the same size squares, but changing the size and placement of each circle it pulls the onlooker through a journey as they transition from one side of the design to the other. If this were to be built at full scale it would create a different experience for a the viewer as they move from one space to the next as the entrance to each space becomes increasingly smaller.

Iteration 7

This design really plays on the previous design, however, by adding the rotation to each section creates a much more dynamic design. The rotation represents a transition through time, creates a since of motion, while establishing a flow that can be seen on the all sides of the iteration. It helps lead the eye from one end to the other. This was another turning point for me. Even though I used the exact same shape for all the pieces of my kit of parts I was still able to create a dynamic design that functions on multiple levels.

Iteration 8

I liked my previous iteration but wanted to design something that could interact with nature if it were to be built full sized. The idea was that by elevating my previous iteration, and adding a series of sails, the entire iteration would spin as the strong ocean winds blow across San Francisco. The materials I used for this iteration did not function for what I needed them to. The center of the iteration began to list down until it eventually touched the base that it was mounted on. I also think that for this iteration to function properly in the wind I need to improve on the size to weight ratio because, as of now, it is too heavy to spin in the wind.

Iteration 9

In an attempt to create a design that will function in the wind I scaled up my previous iteration, and also made some alterations to materials to make it lighter. By having the chip board frames with paper skins, this iteration does spin in the wind, due to the hinges I designed at the end of each stand. I used wood to connect each section of the frame. This resulted in more durable construction, and a much cleaner look. The problem with my elevated spinning design is that it doesn’t meet the program guidelines for having a space for one or accidental encounters.

Iteration 10

This is by far my favorite design from my time in design studio 1. It echoes my previous iterations, but has a much more aggressive feel throughout the design. It is as if iteration 8 were to explode, and the fragments had lodge themselves in the ground. I really like that because there are a multitude of pieces and angle this iteration creates a number of different experiences depending on which perspective you have.

Iteration 11

Going into the final iteration before our final project I wanted to create a design, using what I learned from my previous iterations, that satisfies the program requirements. I think the frame around the walkway adds to the intricacy of the design, and creates a unique experience for the person walking though it. Even though the framed sections are identical in their kit of parts, by rotating each piece by 90 degrees it creates a new experience for the person walking through them. Once a person reaches the center they would have the option to open or close the window coming out of the top of the sitting area. Also when the window is open it would create a nice framed view of the sky. The overall shape of this iteration is an “S” shape to avoid symmetry which is something I have struggled with in the past.

Iteration 12

Hillside Installation Our group decided to move from the original idea of using pentagons to using hexagons because we thought it was a more dynamic shape. Also to help transform time we added a spiral to each hexagon similar to iteration 8. This makes a unique experience to each space as you move into each part of the installation. We also used a translucent fabric to help define space as well as peak interest from the outside to draw people inside.

I think one of the best parts of the design is how it interacts with the sun. In the late afternoon the thin framed construction in combination with the ropes around the outside create a one of a kind shadow pattern. Overall this installation met all of the requirements and is an enjoyable place for a single person as well as a group.

Typicals, Floor plan, and ElevationMy father has worked as a draftsman since the late 1980’s, mostly designing custom homes

in my small Northern California town. In high school I began doing dimension, and electrical plans for him. Recently I have been learning more about the 3-D capabilities of the software to help model floor plans.

3D AutoCAD Renderings

Freehand DrawingI am currently in the process of taking my first freehand drawing class. These are a couple of examples of my work so far since the beginning of the semester.