Hey all!

Since most of my classes are talking about space planning this week, I’d like to focus my blogging attention on that subject. Sometimes us students get a little carried away with our concepts and get stuck in a design that we later realize can’t fit everything we need. Space planning from day one has come to help me tremendously. At times I even have developed my concept from the way I lay out my plan. In Construction Docs and Contract Design we are designing office spaces and I have come to see that flexibility is key in designing a comfortable workplace that optimizes employee productivity. So, I have come up with a list of questions to ask yourself before planning your space:

Is the lighting sufficient?

Have you considered the acoustics of the space?

How large is the room?

Are there enough electrical outlets in the room for your hardware?

Are there phone outlets and a line for fax?

Where are the windows located?

How many different types of rooms are needed and how many of each type?

Where are your main corridors and point of egress?

That is just to start you off! Then comes the task of juggling all of those components and making it look fun and dynamic. The planning stage consists of several different events for instance; you are required to change existing furniture to new furniture, or reconfiguring the company’s furniture or a combination of both. You must be capable of creating a plan that will be able to serve your goals and objectives for the future plans of the company. In order to perform office space planning, one must recognize the goals as well as the future plans. Space planning, if not done right, can be extremely costly and ineffective. Yes, we are working on mock clients, but this is very important to consider while you are learning your way around these projects. The space plan should be functional and pleasing to the eye. A satisfactory work environment keeps the employees happy, efficient and productive and it keeps your grades up as well!!

Hope that helps a little!!

‘Till Next Time,

Kris

Hey All!

So this week is full of assignments, field trips, and coffee!! I apologize for the week of missing posts. I spent this past week/weekend planning and being the Maid of Honor in my best friend’s wedding!! So much fun, but very time consuming. This week, my Contract Design class will be heading over to one of my favorite places… the Boston Design Center!! We are going to be looking at some office furniture systems and whatnot. We are all pretty excited because it is a nice break from being in the classroom. We also are finishing floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, and picking out our furniture (the reason for the field trip). We’ve got a “whole-lotta” things to do in “not-so-lotta” time. We are learning more and more each day in Construction Documents. Revit is still blowing our minds! I have an exam in History of Furniture and Architecture tonight which I am very nervous for. As for Lighting, we are on track with learning how different lamps work and how we use them in different applications. In English Lit we are reading the wife of bath… somewhat interesting with our funny professor. FEWW… what a mouth full.

Well, sorry for the short post, but I have to get back to studying for my exam tonight.I’ll keep you posted on what I see at the Design Center.

‘Till Next Time,

Kris

Hey all!

So, since there is not much new in my classes today I have decided to start introducing you to programs as I learn them and open some eyes to cool interior design “stuff” going on around us! Today i want to gush and rave about Revit. As I said before, it is an autodesk program that is FREE for students…. yes, free… that is sent from the heavens down into my little laptop to make my life so much easier. From the second I opened it, my fellow classmates and I fell in LOVE. If AutoCAD had a twin borther that was better looking, smarter, and just all around better… he would be Revit.

Now enough of my emotion love affair with the program, let me actually tell you what its all about. Autodesk Revit is Building Information Modeling software for Microsoft Windows, currently developed by Autodesk, which allows the user to design with parametric modeling and drafting elements. In other words it helps you construct 2D and 3D construction documents (at the very least) easily. It does much, much more than that, but that is all that I have used it for thus far.

“Revit Architecture helps you to work the way architects and designers think about buildings with an intuitive interface, conceptual building design tools, and the ability to make changes that update throughout your design documents, capture early design thinking to better support design, documentation, and construction, and to facilitate smarter, more sustainable design by analyzing materials, quantities, sun position and solar effects, and gain better design insight through in-process visualization and analysis.”

My favorite part is The Building Maker feature. It helps you transform your conceptual forms into fully functional designs. Select and add faces to design walls, roofs, floors, and curtain systems. So what this means is that with a press of a button, your plans turn into a 3D building exactly to your specifications!

To find out more about Revit, just do my favorite thing…Google it and try it out!!! Watch some online Revit tutorials while you’re at it. They are an extremely useful tool and help you learn all your programs so use them!

That is enough ranting and raving out of me for one day…

‘Till Next Time,

Kris =)

Hey all!!

The sweet smell of fall, used textbooks, and double shot espresso coffee is in the air! School is in session and I’m back to give you the insiders look to a girl in a designer’s world in the heart of Boston at The New England School of Art and Design!

So, my summer consisted of working long days, taking two online classes (Contemporary Moral Issues and The Built World), going to concerts on the weekends, vacationing in Maine and Cape Cod, numerous trips to Fajitas and Ritas, and goofing around in the city.  I also decided to renovate my front hall and kitchen which consumed 80% of my time but was worth every exhausting minute!

Since I will be talking about this constantly, I might as well inform you of the classes that I am taking this semester. Let’s begin with Construction Documents. This class introduced my classmates and me to Revit on day one. Can you say A PROGRAM SENT FROM HEAVEN?!?!?! We have only gently scraped the surface of how to use it but we are all already obsessed. Good thing the ID Department doesn’t teach you this program when you first begin classes because we would kiss the fundamentals goodbye. Next is History of Furniture and Architecture. This class is a lot like Ideas of Western Art I&II that I took last year but we look at everything from a much broader point of view. It seems promisingly interesting so far.  I am also taking English Lit. This is a mandatory class but let me tell you… my professor makes it far from ordinary and boring. He is hilarious and makes everything relevant to modern times.  Contract Design I is another class I am enrolled in. So far, it is pretty challenging. We are designing an 11,000 square foot office space for Mass Clean Energy Center. Learning how to design for specific people can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating, but very helpful with real-world experience. The last class on this long list is Lighting. We have a great professor who explains everything well, but oh man is there a lot of information to learn. We have only had two classes and I already feel my brain cramping! Well, all of these classes are sure to provide me with a lot of stuff to let you in on. Look forward to keeping’ you informed!

‘Till Next Time,

Kris 

Hey all!

Well, here it is. My last blog post. I thought I’d give you some info about how this semester and my finals went before I log out for the last time. =( Finals week is so stressful that by the end of it, I started not to care anymore. I know that sounds terrible, but the no sleep/stressing about studying/being too tired to even eat ice cream thing is not really for me. So, I couldnt be happier that it is almost over. I have one more Codes and Construction final and then im done!

My residential design project came out pretty good I think. My Moroccan home away from home came together nicely and my presentation went smoothly. I feel like it will be a nice addition to my portfolio. My materials and finishes detailed built-in Tuscany inspired wine cellar also got great reviews. Apparently orthogonal drawing is a talent of mine and I actually don’t mind doing it. That project will add another dimension to my portfolio that it has been missing. Art history was a whole other story. I fell asleep while studying the day before and crammed the morning of, but I actually feel like I did OK. Plus, it was less stressful since I had my research paper done three weeks before it was due so that wasn’t in the back of my mind. Materials and Finishes kicked my butt to say the least. The final specs binder took FOREVER and the materials binder was pretty intense. I finished both early, but that didn’t take away from the difficulty of them. The final exam wasn’t hard per-say, but it was long and involved. It was an open binder exam, yes it might sound easy, but we also had over 350 pages of handouts. Needless to say I spent hours organizing and sub-organizing it until i knew where everything was. I feel like I did well on the exam, but it left me with several paper cuts from flipping back and forth so much in my notes. All in all, Finals week went smoother than I thought it would. I get about a week break then my summer online courses begin. Oh well, school never ends I guess.

I hope you all have had a good time reading my blog. Maybe you got a few laughs, some random information, and hopefully inspired to try interior design. I love the path that I have chosen to take in my schooling and career (even though I did complain about it a little). I love my school and my classes, even when they give me paper cuts and sore eyes from staring at a computer all day. I look forward to possibly starting this back up in the fall.

I hate saying goodbye so I will keep my familiar sign out,

‘Till Next Time =)

Kris

Hey All!

So this is my second to last post… tear*sigh*.

Today I was procrastinating and looking at differnet fun and cool design ideas when I should’ve been studying for my art history exam tomorrow. I came across this site that had tons of pictures of rope incorporated in design. I think it is such a neat idea! When I was little, my dad always had a great hammock at our house. I have such good memories of it. What I’ve always wanted was a hammock on my front porch, but I would settle for a porch swing. Below i’ve added pictures and one of my favorites is the porch swing with the rope tied rails at each corner. There are also door handles, railings, and even a side table alllllll made of rope! A different thought is hanging beds with big, thick pieces of rope. Take a look!!

Till Next time’

Kris

Hey all!

So with finals week looming over our heads, I have decided to dedicate this blog to how NOT to go insane this week! I am so overwhelmed/busy/ready to pull my hair out so I am going to use my own advice. RELAX! surviving finals week is one the most challenging aspects of college life. After an already long semester of projects, tests, and designing, this is a time of high stress for students everywhere… especially at NESAD.

Step one: GET ENOUGH SLEEP!! This is something that I feel like I don’t have time for, but it is a must. No one can ace a residential final presentation on 2 hours of sleep. In simple words: Not enough sleep = exam suicide. While not all students need, nor ever get, the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, it is crucial to make time for sleep during finals week. If you’re only getting a few hours of sleep a night, it is critical that you find a comfortable couch, bunk bed, or futon, and get at least 20 min of good daytime sleep.

Hey All!

Earth Day is the day to think outside the box. What are the consequences of our choices? What products are better for the earth? What should we avoid?  Just as you might suspect, there’s more to saving the Earth than putting newspapers in a recycling container once a week or throwing your empty cans in a bin. So, I’ve decided to make some fun little gadgets out of my recycled materials! In my furniture design class, I made a side table out of recycled magazines and a recycled plastic top. I also am planning on re-decorating a funky old coffee table I have. By using old extra paint from previous interior decorating and gathering bottle caps, a new and really cool looking table can be made! First, you sand down and paint the table. Next you lay out a design that you like on the top with the recycled bottle caps and glue them down. Last put a piece of glass or desired translucent material to avoid the design getting ruined (and for a flat surface) and VUAH-LA! A new and improved coffee table!

Let me know if ya like it!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

‘Till Next Time,

Kris

Hey All!

So today I’ve been doing some organizing and I began looking through some stuff. I have an ever expanding folder on my desktop entitled “Stuff I Like.”  Short and sweet.  Every time I’d come across an interior, fabric sample, furniture design, etc I liked I’d mark the page in the magazine, vowing to go back to it.  Or take a mental note to revisit that website when I had more time…yup…never happened.  Although I have files and files of inspiration pages, I decided that the time had come to make it digital.  Alas, my “Stuff I Like” file was born.  I was going through it today and realized there were too many beautiful, chic and wonderful interiors to keep relegated to my binders, so I made them viral! I’ve attached some of my favorites!

enjoy!

“Till next Time,

Kris

Hey All!

So, I dont have much to talk to you all about today. I have been working on pretty much the same projects since I last blogged. I’m encouraged by my progress thus far, but there is still a long way to go. I am building my 2 sections and 6 elevations in AutoCAD for my Moroccan home in Residential Design this week. My wine cellar is coming along well in Furniture Design. I am deciding which molding to use when I detail it… choices choices. I am almost done collecting my materials for my Final Project and Binder for Materials and Finishes. In codes and construction nothing new is happening…OHHH… but my class did play a very successful April Fools Day prank on my professor. Sounds a little childish, I know, but in a desperate attempt at comic relief from learning about the ADA bathroom codes my class and I reverted back to 3rd grade. We put one of the student’s cell phones in the suspended ceiling and set the alarm for every 5 minutes. It continued to go off for about half an hour before our professor stood on a table and found it. I took a picture on my iPhone but I can’t figure out how to get it on here. If I do, I’ll attach it to my post. It may not sound very funny, but we all enjoyed it. Anyways, neither here nor there… In Ideas of Western Art we are starting to learn about art closer to the 21st century. We are on 19th century and it’s really cool to start seeing buildings and paintings that are more popular with our generation. It makes the class more interesting than it already is.

On a lighter note, it is supposed to reach 80 degrees tomorrow!!!!! =X. I don’t know if I am ready for that yet. I LOVE this weather, but even in the summer 80 degrees is hot. I also have nothing but jeans to wear tomorrow… uh-oh. Well, that’s about all I’ve got for ya. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my progress in class and if I sweat to death tomorrow… grose thought.

“Till Next Time,

Kris