Assignment 5.0

The practice of design is ever-changing and evolving. The profession has been impacted recently by the state of the global economy, to name just one of the factors leaving an impression on practice. Digital technology, Building Information Modeling, Globalization, Sustainability, New Materials, and Integrated Design are other aspects shaping contemporary practice.

We were to write a research paper contemplating issues that shape the interior architecture profession. We were to focus on a particular aspect of current practice that we are interested in.

Here is my paper...

Residential Architecture

Kristina Stout

March 31, 2011

IAR 451 – Assignment 5.0

When I first decided to pursue architecture as my career choice, the residential side inspired me. Designing my own home is the ultimate dream of mine, but designing homes for others would be just as satisfactory. There are many aspects of design in architecture, and I would like to consider residential architecture a specialty. Upon designing a house the designer must consider several things; including but not limited to lighting, function, form, sustainability, color palette, and most importantly the user.

A residential architect is someone who creates and designs a place for people to reside. The space can be for an individual, a family, or multiple families. The end product should provide shelter and security for the basic physical functions of life (Residential Architecture). Residential architects not only have to design the space so that it functions well, but also design the space to make it feel like home. Interior design also plays a role in designing a home. I feel designing a home is more than creating a space for someone to sleep at night, it should be a place where people can create memories and make a home.

Ever since the ninth grade I have wanted to become a residential architect. Upon finishing high school and nearing graduating college, I have learned the hard way that there is not much of a demand for residential architects. Most of the residential projects people see currently are on television shows such as “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and multiple shows on the “Home and Garden” television network. Although these shows range from the extreme to the realistic, each still assists individuals on home remodeling and do-it-yourself projects.

Like many companies, there are specialists that work on smaller areas of a house. HGTV provides specialist services such as: kitchens, bathrooms, floor finishes, interior decorating as well as lawn and garden services. This is not exactly considered a do-it-yourself project, but each service requires an architect or an interior designer. Hiring a specialist to design a specific area in your home from scratch or as a remodel will give your space more attention. The specialist will know more about what the user wants and what they are trying to achieve rather than having the architect design the entire house.

When starting from scratch the architect must highly consider the orientation of the building in reference to the sun and landscape. Lighting is a major detail when designing any type of building, but is especially important in residential because this is where people will be living.

Richard Kelly is a well-known lighting designer who’s most famous works consist of the Kimball Art Museum, Philip Johnson’s Glass House, and The Lake Shore Drive Apartments (Image 1). Kelly was the original lighting designer for the Lake Shore Drive Apartments. Due to inclement weather the building had to be restored in 2008. The lighting design firm, Schuler Shook, was responsible for the restoration of the lighting back to what Richard Kelly had originally intended. “Kelly defined modern architectural lighting based on three principles: focal glow, ambient luminescence, and play of brilliants” (Zeiger). He designed the lighting so the building would have two different “personalities”, one during daylight hours and another during darkness.

The use of different lighting techniques allows the designer to achieve numerous effects and final appearances. Lights can be used to light a room or to be used as decorative features. Task lighting, accent lighting and wall washing/glazing are examples of different techniques used throughout spaces. The Lake Shore Drive apartments use frosted glass with a glowing appearance. Also, the use of task lighting, spot lighting, and wall washing is apparent in the lobby (Zeiger).

In the late 1900’s a design competition was held to design a pavilion to sit across from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin D. Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York. The project was to design a pavilion where the Martin House could still be viewed. Toshiko Mori Architecture won the commission and worked with the Arup Lighting to design the new pavilion focusing solely on day lighting (Seward).

This building features a structural ceiling that resembles an inverted hip roof. “In lighting terms this meant opening the interior to ample amounts of controlled daylight and a minimal application of electrical illumination” (Seward). The ceiling is an excellent example of where architecture and lighting are fused, each tiny detail were planned out to have just the right amount of daylight and electrical. The lighting designer specifically wanted the entire space to be lit by natural lighting, then at night have dim lighting so as guests could still see out of the windows and view the Martin House. “They preserve the building's transparency throughout the evening, a time when brightly lit interiors will turn glass walls into inwardly reflecting mirrors” (Seward).

It is important to carefully consider lighting for the certain task or activity that will be taking place in the area. For instance, in a bathroom the user would not want to have the light so bright as to make them uncomfortable. But at the same time, the lighting over the mirror needs to be decent for someone who might apply makeup. Kitchens typically need to have brighter lights so the user can actually view what he/she is doing. Dining areas may have a dimmer so the user can have the light as bright or dim as he/she would prefer. Depending on the occasion the mood over the dining table may change.

Different lighting features are chosen based off of the function of the area. The functionality of a residential component is crucial. The architect would not place a bathroom on the opposite end of the house from the master bedroom, just as a kitchen and dining area should be adjacent to one another. Different buildings have different purposes. Houses will function differently than apartment buildings. There are similar and opposite considerations when designing each. A house typically has bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, and a living room. Additionally, some houses include a laundry room or office.

Apartment buildings will include multiple units that typically include one to three bedrooms with one or two bathrooms. The units will have a kitchen, dining area, and living room usually combined into an open floor plan where the resident uses furniture to denote each space. Apartments technically have the same spaces as a home, but are typically closer together. There will be hundreds of similar units in an apartment building with one main office that is usually separate from the living areas.

The main function of any building is to provide shelter against weather and invaders. The function of a building where people will be residing have these same requirements in addition to a place the residents can do personal things. Residents need a place to cook, sleep, bathe, and generally just live in.

Many people will argue that form follows function, or vice versa. I believe that the form and function of the building are designed throughout the entire process; one does not come before the other. When designing projects, I will sketch out some options for starting points of what I want the final building to look like. Upon laying out the interior spaces, the exterior almost always changes. The floor plan happens based on what I originally sketched for the exterior, but the exterior may also shift or change drastically due to something that is happening on the interior.

When designing the building, I feel the most important factor is the user. The architect does not always know who the user is going to be specifically. The most common house in today’s society is a “cookie cutter” house. So, the architect knows he/she is designing the home for a family (in most cases). When designing an apartment complex or a duplex, the units are designed for families, individuals, or for a multi-family use.

More specifically, apartments can be designed as a studio space with a complete open floor plan, or they can be designed to have the most use in the smallest space for college students. The studio apartments are left open so the user can completely design the space however they would like. The college specific apartments typically have four bedrooms with anywhere from two shared bathrooms to four individual bathrooms. The units will have one kitchen and living area that is shared between all residents. There has to be some form of privacy in situations like this because more often than not, the residents do not know each other going into their lease.

Apartments also have to be well designed so they can withstand people moving in and out often. Normal ‘wear and tear’ maintenance will have to be addressed frequently, but the over all structure will most likely deal with more movement than a house that keeps the residents for a longer period of time.

After the space is designed a color palette must be chosen. The Home and Garden Television Network online provides users with a few simple steps. First, locate the largest pattern in the space, such as an Oriental rug or large piece of artwork (McCleary). Pick colors you like from the patterns, but make sure to have some neutrals as well. Too much color is not a good idea. Also, the author, Kathy McCleary suggests to begin with the formal areas of the house, such as the living room, dining room and entryway. Choose the color schemes for these areas first then pull colors out for accents in smaller, more private rooms.

Mark McCauley has summed up the process for all color scheme issues. “Decorating a space in terms of color is as easy as 60-30-10” (McCauley). When decorating a particular room, divide the colors into these percentages. The dominant color should take up sixty percent of the colors. The secondary color should take up thirty percent and the accent color should take up ten percent. He states that the 60-30-10 ratios apply to numerous aspects of life. He specifically relates it to a man’s business suit. The slacks and the jacket would be the sixty percent, the shirt would be the thirty percent, and the tie would be the ten percent. So applying this to a room would be equivalent to the walls as sixty, the upholstery as thirty, and the accent color is ten. McCauley claims that if you follow this simple rule your room will come together (McCauley).

Another aspect of design that is becoming more popular everyday is sustainability. The Merriam - Webster defines sustainable: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. A successful sustainable building is one that uses green materials, uses less energy than the average building, and sustains it self through weather for an extended period of time.

Architects are being encouraged to make their future designs “green”. In fact, The American Institute of Architects (A.I.A.) requires each member to take four hours of continuing education courses in sustainable design every year (Jensen). As of now, this requirement extends through 2012 (Pogrebin). Architecture is a rapidly changing field and architects must continue to refresh their knowledge of sustainable construction methods and building materials (Pogrebin). Robin Pogrebin states that education does not stop at architecture school. Education continues to grow every day that one practices architecture.

The American Institute of Architects is aware of the issue of climate change and wants all architects, especially their members, to be up to date on current trends and materials for sustainability. One of the most popular sustainable buildings is the Proximity Hotel located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The hotel has a minimum of seventy sustainable practices including but not limited to: using forty-one percent less energy than the typical hotel, one hundred solar panels used to heat the hotel’s water (Image 3), and salvaged but solid walnut trees were used for some of the materials (Proximity). After construction of the hotel, eighty-seven percent of the construction waste was recycled and installing high-efficiency Kohler plumbing fixtures has reduced thirty-three percent of water usage (Proximity). Although this is a commercial project, all architects can use the techniques executed in this hotel.

The materials chosen must also be appropriate for the certain climate in which the structure will be located. Structures built at the beach will be constructed differently than those located in the mountains. The mountain buildings will be at a higher elevation and have to be able to withstand heavy snow and ice. Structures built at the ocean have to be able to withstand hard winds. No matter the location of the building, the materials must be specific to the geographic location.

On the business side of residential architecture, it is basically the same across the board. Architects can be self-employed, work for a small group, or work for a large firm or corporation. Residential architects may work independently or in collaboration with other members of the firm. The daily routine consists of meeting with clients, occasional site visits and working on the design of the structure. Residential architects are considered specialists. They are trained to be able to design a structure to suit specific conditions and needs of the user.

In conclusion, there are multiple routes to take when trying to be a residential architect. One could jump straight in to be an architect for the whole building, or specialize in smaller areas such as kitchens or bathrooms. Working on the building as a whole the designer must take into account many conditions including lighting, function, form, and the user. Sustainability is crucial in today’s society and architects are expected to continue their knowledge on the matter. Material choice and overall construction of the building is highly important and dependent on the location. Knowing what I want to pursue as my career is half the battle. After graduation it will be my goal to focus on obtaining a job in the path that I have chosen.

Image 1

The Lake Shore Apartments

Lighting Designer: Schuler Shook, Chicago

Architect: Krueck & Sexton Architects, Chicago

Image 2

Eleanor and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion at Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin House Complex, Buffalo, N.Y.

Lighting Designer Arup Lighting, New York

Architect Toshiko Mori Architect, New York 


Image 3

Proximity Hotel

Greensboro, NC

Solar Panels Heat 60% of the hotels hot water

Bibliography

Jensen, Danny. “Architects Required to Study Green Design.” Take Part: Inspiration to Action. Mar. 2010. Print.

McCauley, Mark. “Top 10 Tips for Adding Color to Your Space,” 30 Mar. 2011.

Web. < http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/top-10-tips-for-adding-color-to-your-space/index.html>

McCleary, Kathy. “How To Choose A Color Scheme.” 30 Mar. 2011. Web.

< http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/how-to-choose-a-color-scheme/index.html>

Pogrebin, Robin. “Architects Return to Class as Green Design Advances.” The New York Times. 19 Aug. 2009. Print.

“Proximity Hotel.” Web. 30 Mar. 2011.

“Residential Architecture”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica

Online, 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. architecture>

Seward, Aaron. “A View on Wright: Toshiko Mori and Arup Lighting Fashion a Respectfully Glowing Visitor Center for Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin House.” Architectural Lighting Magazine 1 Sept. 2010. Print.

Zeiger, Mimi. “Lake Effect: Restoring Lighting Designer Richard Kelly’s Modernist Legacy.” Architectural Lighting Magazine 1 Jan. 2010. Print.