Class Reflection, October 16th, 2008

Dr. Shauna Mallory-Hill’s presentation on light, strangely enough got me thinking more so about darkness than light itself. The absence of light is just as important as its presence. My fellow classmates and bloggers have made these issues of the negative impacts of light apparent as well, as expressed in their lighting suggestions to improve the studio environment. I find it amazing that the environments we create have such an effect on our sensory functions. This idea of light trespassing and light pollution intrigued me because people express such strong reactions and emotions to the wrong levels of lighting. You experience this, but you don’t really think about how your feelings are a direct reflection of a designer’s inconsideration for that one thing. I admit I’m slightly overwhelmed by the amount of thought that must go into what we might think are the small decisions. Every decision made has a direct effect on the way we experience a space.

Often we become concerned and preoccupied with form while leaving function to follow, but as our second guest speaker, Daniel Petrak, E. I.T M. Arch expressed, form can be most effectively generated by the other important issues at hand, such as in the context of ecology and sustainability. I found his studies and innovations on thermal modeling to be especially compelling and they inspired me to approach design in a new way. His analysis of daylight movement as a way to initiate the form of a building was well researched and developed, yet the outcome still possessed a kind of effortless beauty. We must always be lead by a larger purpose when we design, this I’ve realized with my own studio work. It’s such an obvious thing, however I’ve had to learn this through my own processes. When an idea is driven by superficiality, I struggle to fit the other essential components into the design, however when my thought is driven by something purposeful and meaningful, everything else just follows and fits into place effortlessly. This is so simple to say, but I believe one of the greatest challenges as a designer. It is something I will carry with me throughout my entire design education.