P Week...Opus Week 7

The periphery of Venice is clearly the Sea. Water surrounds this merchant city and creates a culture run by the tides. It’s beauty is embraced by all who see this unique floating city. I never understood how it was created until class when Patrick described the structure underneath. I found it incredible that the trees pushed into the earth underneath haven’t rotted or cracked from the pressure of buildings, people, and cars. This boundary of water became a part of life and the canal system became the route of life for Venetians. Periphery being the external boundary of any surface or area is also present in my new studio project. We have to design 4 units within 900 square feet including stairs, and a coffee shop/ community center. The periphery (boundaries) will actually be the surrounding walls. I have to design an innovative way to create boundaries and separate spaces for four different young couples to live in one renovated warehouse. I think it would be fun to somehow incorporate Venetian design into this renovation.

Here is a perfect picture to show the periphery around Venice. Surounded by water having no land is there boundary.

Image found at <http://z.about.com/d/goitaly/1/0/b/F/-/-/venice-island.jpg>


The term portfolio can have many meanings, from a physical carrying case, to a collection of a person’s work. In this case I believe portfolio is a final display of ones work. A single example of a portfolio display on one surface is the Palazzo Medici 1444. As it was mentioned in the chapter Rennaisance Architecture "The palazzo that Michelozzo then designed combined sobriety of traditional medieval Florentine residences with a sense of gravity and proportion and attention to Classical Roman detail" (Roth 376). The roughness decreases upon each floor. The three floors are a display of class and hierarchy. The rustic bottom is for the lower class moving upward toward the terzo piano where the delicate façade transforms. The series of arches leads your eye and conforms unifying the palazzo. Sitting on top is the huge overhung cornice “shadowing the city” as Patrick mentioned. This truly is a masterpiece of portfolio by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo. In my case my goal is to have a seamless portfolio by the time I graduate. Something to walk away from school with pride and perfection within one briefcase or these days one website. I take parts of work from each semester where I surprised myself with design and skills I’ve learned. Some pieces of work I’ve kept close since last year. Like the Palazzo Medici my rough work is at the bottom and my delicate perfection will be on top. Working from the foundation my skills will grow and so will my portfolio.

This is one image is one that I cherish It was for my drawing class last year and is very influential to my portfolio.

Process always leads to something whether it is creation, or decay. Anything has to follow a process for an end result. For example the base of the Campanile was rebuilt three time. It was a process for the piece of architecture to stand next to the Basilica di San Marco. With process comes faults set backs and then progression. For me design is one big process leading to a final design. My last process design was a place to bath like I mentioned in my last opus. I had to figure out what worked, last minute changes always happen and that’s what helped me design my final. I completely changed the way my ramp flowed, I also changed the entrance to the spa. The process of design starts from an idea moving forward and tons of sketches later I have something. Something that hopefully works and in the end it all pieces together.

This is part of my process developments for my shelter bus project from last semester. This whole project was a process of ever changing concepts and design ideas to make the bus innovative and different.

Perspective is another term that has many meanings.The physical form of perspective is described "The practice of drawing, as described by Vitruvius, also sounds remarkably modern, for he writes of ground plans (ichnographical) being laid out with compass and ruler, of elevation drawings (orthographia) being 'a vertical image of the front', and of perspective (scaenographia) with shaded and retreating lines converging at a vanishing point,” (Roth 122). Taking Santa Maria della Salute 1631 into perspective visually, and putting myself in the Venetian’s place I can understand it’s beauty. After surviving the plague this offer to the Madonna (Santa Maria) was there thanks for health. This quaint beautiful church atop the water and stairs, stands tall. It’s fresh white paint is exuberant and sings life. Each statue is raised circling the dome. I find this church remarkable and for it’s time it was brand new to have a church in a rotunda. It represented the Virgin Mary in many ways. Perspective is something to take in detail. It is either drawing a perspective to show the reality of the design, or it could be taking a situation from a certain point of view. In my case for studio we have study the generation X-Y so I’ve been researching a generation that I am in. Taking the generation into perspective to do an analysis of character is interesting. I found reasons why the X-Y generation act and think and what they expect in design. This isn’t an easy to please cookie cutter generation. We expect new and sustainable design. Taking things into perspective and minute detail tell the story to the big picture.

Here is a drawing of the literal term perspective.

A professional building is the Doge’s Palace 1424. It’s look is delicate with lace infused within the architecture. The detailed clean façade has a qualified look to represent Venice. I find it interesting that this is what represented the government in Venice. This very elaborate façade and fresh color. It’s arches and window designs alone are beautifully decorative. However, it compliments the architecture of Venice being professionally outstanding. From my point of view being professional is acting with class and being a good listener. This can be related into design, how far do you go outside of the boundaries? It is like thinking outside of the box following guidelines. This relates to my new studio project in which we visited a warehouse and must incorporate 900 square feet units within the space. How can I make this interesting to a young buyer? How far can I step outside the boundaries to make something innovative and cool? These are the questions that are running through my head in order to design a well built professional space.

This was a professional moment for me it was my critique for my drawing class.

In summary this week we studied Venetian architecture in keeping in mind that this was built on top of a salt marsh. I found every building remarkable especially the Piazza San Marco. It’s a beautiful culture run by the sea and the ways of the water. In sticking with periphery the Venetians live their daily lives along with the water in their house surrounding their stores, and in their homes. However the process it takes for them to live is all made easy with the canal systems, and the sidewalks, along with gondolas for transportation and bridges. Taking their lives into perspective is the only way one can design for this city. How do you walk through water? Raise the sidewalks. What happens when the tide comes in? Travel by boat. Everything is thought out, down to the color of the building these exuberant beautifully colored homes lead your eye down to the canal. This little merchant city is inspiring I think to anyone. It is professionally designed and takes each detail into consideration. I believe Venice itself is a portfolio tucked away off of the Adriatic waiting for each visitor to view it, and critique it’s beauty.