Fall 2010 Final: Wellness Center Project



Poster # 1



Poster # 2

Poster # 3

Poster # 4



Poster # 5



Landor Office: Wellness Space

Wellness Space in progess; It is to be a frozen yogurt and coffee space located under the the Landor office headquarters.  Here are a couple of the beginning posters.

Wellness statement along with floor plan of the space

Materials and products and perspective(soon to be added)

Here is some of the process work pertaining to the space planning process of designing the interior for Landor's headquarters in Portland, Maine. There are only a few of the hundreds of sketches shown that were taken into account for beginning the design for the interior of Landor's office. 

First off to get the overall feeling of the space planning aspect, the relationships between each employee should be taken into account. Meaning, where each of the offices or teams shall potentially be placed throughout the office interior.

The process that I personally took was first making relationship and bubble diagrams:

Relationship Diagrams

 

 

Bubble Diagrams

 After going through the process of "figuring" out where specifically each room was going to be positioned, the next step was literally measuring out how large the room was actually going to be. Luckily with the given square footage required for each occupant, it was interesting to find how big and small each room was needed. Seen below is an "ideal" layout of the Landor office in it's early stages. There are three floors, the top floor is a mezzanine level, the second floor holds the main offices, and the third(the round floor) is dedicated to half the Landor office, while the other space is dedicated to another area. This half in particular is dedicated to  the whole idea of wellness. For the office in Portland, Maine, the company is going to share there occupancy with a soft serve frozen yogurt location. As of now, the idea for the name of the frozen yogurt place is to be called "Yo So Sweet". The name is, basically, combining the sweet and delicate tasty sound of frozen yogurt into the title. 

Block Diagrams

In such a sustainable and beautiful society as in Portland, Maine, the idea of transportation is also another aspect that has been interpreted into the design. Landor wants to encourage it's employee's to ride their bikes to the office rather than driving. This will help decrease the use of toxins omitting from cars and lessen their contribution to air pollution. By installing a bicycle storage room for its' commuters, this will defiantly help that encouragement.  Below are some ideas of how to store bicycles in such a small given space.

 

 

 

 

Rough sketch of a possible design and arrangement of 20 bikes in a 150 sq. ft. area.

Some bike hanging/ storing idea to incorporate into the bike storage room.

Culture and Lifstyle of Geneva Switzerland

 “The culture of Switzerland is characterized by diversity; the wide range of traditional customs is one reflection of this assortment”. The three main languages and main cultures that inhabit Switzerland are French, Italian, German backgrounds. Specifically in Geneva, the town is known for its interesting culture for holding the European headquarters of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN High Commission for Refugees and CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. The picture to the left is of the "feast day" Canton Appenzell Inner-Rhodes; the woman is wearing a fan-like exquisite head piece called a Schlappe. This is the traditional dress of the feast day costume.
Wellness

Pounds of recycled bottles.

On the topic of wellness, all of aspects from how people live, work and play, contribute to a healthy life style in Geneva, one being recycling. Not just within the town of Geneva, but the entirety of the country is unbelievably dedicated to keeping their country environmentally-friendly. Waste management, vehicle fuels, biodiversity, forests, water, and quality of air are huge factor s that is always being taken into consideration when discussing and how to protect the environment. 

Leisure

 
For leisure, many Swiss citizens enjoy reading, riding bikes, going out for walks, and spending time with friend s and family.  Many of the Swiss are active and enjoy being outside, despite the winter months, nearly half of the population engage in an athletic activity once or twice a week. In a study conducted in 2005 by, Swissinfo.ch more than 75% Swiss citizens read every day and to also include, gardening, going to the cinema, and visiting art exhibitions are entertaining leisure activities as well. In addition, skiing and visiting Switzerland’s famous mountain tops is especially noted as a great activity to partake in during the winter months.

Particularly in Geneva, the town is very well known for its’ festivals and fairs. Every year the town holds an exclusive fair for their infamous Geneva Seal, or Poinçon de Genève, in other words, a specific type of a very fancy watch. The town holds the International Salon for Prestige Watchmaking to promote their Seal (watches). In March, Geneva holds its annual car fair and some the other fairs that are held include the Inventors' Fair and the Book Fair. However, most famously, the booming city is definitely known for its festivals dedicated to music and art; festivals including, the Montreux Jazz Festival (two week period during the summer), the Paleo Festival (July), the Bâtie Festival (September), the Geneva Fête de la Musique (June), and finally, the Bol d'Or Mirabaud (June). The pictures to the left are views of the various festivals and street fairs that take place annually throughout the town of Geneva.Upper Right: An areal shot of the Street Parade in Zurich, that attracts thousands and thousands of ravers from all over Europe.

Food

Of the most famous food in Switzerland, their chocolate and cheese definitely stand out the most in particular. Many restaurants throughout the Swiss region have their own specialties and make dishes depending on the seasons and so forth. Cheese Fondue is probably the most well-known dish throughout all of Switzerland. For the dish, two to three different cheeses are used with the combination of white wine, kirsch, or cider; all melted together in a large pot, the condense transforms into this creamy luscious goo for dipping of pieces of bread, meat, and  an array of vegetables.

Be Swiss for the day! Here is a recipe to try out:

Cheese Fondue

Also the Swiss are highly known for their CHOCOLATE!!  Some of the biggest names of chocolate originated from the beautiful country of Switzerland such as Nestle and Lindt. Think about it, eating a Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie is Swiss (French-Swiss), who knew!! To add, a little fun fact for some enjoyment: “The Swiss hold the world record for individual chocolate consumption with each person eating over 10 kilograms per year”. That is a lot of chocolate!


In comparison to Geneva's sister city, Portland Maine, many of the cultures in the United States and the Swiss are very different, but still are similar in some shape or form. Similarly, Americans always appear to be in a hurry and are constantly on the move, while the Swiss seem to have a "control", lets say, on their workloads and life. They are able to squeeze small sections out of their day to find time to read leisurely, and Americans can not even find time to sit down and eat lunch or even go to the gym. Geneva's quality of life can definitely set a great example to follow by; it can serve as an inspiration for designing a workplace or an office environment. Basically, the incumbents of these qualities will provide the outline of a successful plan and design. 

Herman Miller- Office Solutions

 Last Wednesday, we had a speaker from the Herman Miller representative from Connecticut. Boy, was that an epic presentation; the rep honestly left me wanting to know more about the product line that Herman Miller has to offer and so many interesting facts, lessons, and interesting tid-bits were learned by my classmates and myself.  As a little gift, we received a small jar of real honey to take home; the honey was from real genuine honey-bees that occupied the Herman Miller headquarters’ greenhouse in Zeeland, Michigan for a short period of time.(We got the remnants of what was left, lucky us!!) 

The company uses a very eco-friendly way of recycling, they use the “cradle to cradle system”. I found it very interesting that whenever a chair or any Herman Miller product must be dismantled, the company does not leave a piece out without inspecting it can be reused or recycled, instead of throwing the entirety of the chair in to a land fill. If a piece is more than difficult to recycle, then it is highly encouraged to use the remaining parts to be constructed into another product. The company’s adopted Cradle to Cradle Protocol serves as a guideline and influence when “recycling” their own products and designs. 

One of the products that I was particularly drawn too was the MIRRA chair, a very sustainable chair that is made from recycled material all over and is suitable for any kind of individual. The back of the chair is exceptionally really neat as well, from the company’s website I read that there are over 500 geometric shapes poked into the polymer backrest to provide ventilation and mostly flexibility comfort and adjusting. Along with Herman Miller’s issues on ergonomics, one key feature about the chair is that it has the plan of “Human -Centered Design”. The object of the “human-centered design’” concentrates on the individual’s lower back to keep it properly aligned using its’ “PostureFit feature” In the long run, by using a chair such as successful as the MIRRA, we as customers can benefit by not obtaining bad backs or awful posture in the future. Many of Herman miller’s chairs have this design incorporated as well. Even though the chair is quite expensive, it still catches my eye and is defiantly worth for what its’ worth.

Herman Miller's Resolve Office System

Another really interesting fun fact about Herman Miller’s office chairs is that they are designed to accommodate “any” individual, either a person who is 4’6 or 6’4 or if there is even a various weight difference, all of the chairs are designed to withhold every person and offer the same effects and comfort.

The “Resolve” Office System is a line that definitely intrigued me to the most extent throughout the entire presentation. Its’ very organic system is exceptionally versatile with its 120˚ desk connections, pole-base system, and centerline to centerline construction. The systems are “highly recyclable; workstations are 86% recyclable and contain 27% recycled materials. Every part is easily disassembled for recycling” (Herman Miller.com). During the presentation, the rep mentioned that the Resolve system is a huge contributor to provide a more open-friendly, and welcoming work station.

For our future project that is in “the works” I learned that many of the office systems will be able to provide various combinations to experiment with; the possibilities are honestly endless! I love the fact that all of the systems are very versatile and are seen as a “top of the line product” This will defiantly play the role of professionalism in the office, yet working in a more sustainable environment as well.

For more information go visit the Herman Miller Website and take look!!!

Plus, check out this clip of the 3-part video series "The Full Spectrum" presented by Dwell; very interesting indeed. It talks about what really goes into designing the Herman Miller line and what aspects to consider when designing in a such a competitive field. Enjoy.

Site Analysis: Geneva, Switzerland-Landor's Headquarters

A little background information:

• Canton(state): Geneva
• Area: 158.60 km2 (61.24 square miles)
• Population (city): 178,722 (2005)
• Population (agglomeration): 470,000 (census 2000)
• Height above sea level: 375 m (1230 ft)
• Language: French

Ever see the labels for Fed Ex, the red patch on a pair of Levi’ Jeans, or the small sticker on a pineapple that says Doyle? Curious, why are those brands burned into our memories for further reference and purchase? Without the help of Landor, none of these companies would be as well known and popular today.  Landor is a inventive company well known for “creating brands that transform businesses”.  For a further look into Landor, its’ other locations all around the world considerably would be a large influence for the array of products that would need branding. Specifically, the Landor headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland will serve as a basis for exploring. 

Aw the land of Swiss army knives, Swiss chocolates, yodeling, and of course, Swiss cheese! Centrally located in Western Europe, Switzerland is surrounded by France located to the west, Italy to the south, Germany in the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein in the east. The fact that the three major languages of Switzerland are of French, German, and Italian influences, this shows that the country is an extremely diverse nation. The country is a melting pot of different cultures and traditions varying from unique countries that surround Switzerland and so forth. In particular, Geneva, Switzerland is a neighborhood of excitement, beauty and grace, but most effectively the region is described as the “capital of peace”. As having Europe’s seat of the UNO, Geneva is known as the country’s most international area. Interestingly, the majority of Geneva throughout is mostly Swiss-French, however, there are small areas of Swiss- German and Swiss- Italian.

When researching a given sight, such as the Landor’s head quarters in Geneva, its’ surrounding traffic, neighborhood patterns, services, climate, and views from the site location must be taken into consideration. The location of Landor’s headquarters, in Geneva, is truly placed in a fabulous spot. Just paces away from the southern-most tip of Lake Geneva and the convenience of stores and eateries within in walking distance conclude that this area is a great work location. Landor’s is literally in the “heart” of Geneva and just a stone throw from the business and shopping districts located downtown.

Surprisingly, Geneva is very similar to the northeast when comparing their climates. To be exact, if you took Southern California’s lovely summer’s and Southern New England’s winters, then boom, the climate of Geneva through the seasons.  Geneva, overall, has a very temperate climate with less than 113 rainy days annually. Which in fact, is grand because an umbrella is literally only required during half the year.

When considering renovating a building in Geneva, the suns angle’s through the winter and summer months must be taken into account as well. With a little math, the sun’s angle during the summer months is 6733 while the winter months’ is angled at 27˚43. On a scale the summer sun angle is relatively high then is quite low in the winter months, which can relate to some problems when constructing. To solve some of the conflicts, positioning of windows and the roof angles can be directed and placed in a variety of ways to obstruct sunlight during the summer months, yet be able to catch the sun’s warmth during the winter.

Street View

View of "Landor Building" from Street

 Location and Street Views

To the right and far right are pictures of street views from and around the building. As you can see it is located on a considerably busy street. So acoustics and privacy may be issues and must be taken into account as well.

A lot of aspects will be taken into account during the process of designing an appropriate workforce for Landor. Knowledge and facts will be learned and obtained through this transformation and the thought of adventure and thrill to come into work every day will be the biggest inspiration of all.

 Some Fun Little Tid-Bits to Include:

- Geneva is ranked number 3 out of 20 of the best places to live in the world(in 2010 by Forbes.com and Mercer).

- Located right where the River Rhône flows out of into Lake Geneva.

- Squeezed between the Jura ridges and the Savoy Alps.

-Home to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International de la Croix Rouge Museum. 

-Geneva has the shortest commuting time of any major city in the world. 

Resources and References:

Google Earth. Landor-Geneva.  Geneva Tourism.Yahoo! Travel

Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag!

Olioboard Experimentation

This really cool website lets you find products from chairs to beds to paint chip to couches and you are able to construct your own page. I was able to mesh a variety of items that were similar and comprehended with Andy Davis' work, Sway. The tile and paint chips reflect the colors of the water and main pigments throughout the piece. Then the chairs along with the other accessories bring in the earth and natural tones as well.

If you have a free moment, definitely check it out and experiment your creativeness!!!

www.olioboard.com

Concept Models

To really break down this piece by, Andy Davis, various amounts of aspects came into play. With the breakdown of design elements, through emphasis, line, contrast, and geometric shapes, I was able to construct some concept models from my design analysis. In total, all of the concepts were based off of the schematic designs that were from the Design Analysis Blog (below).  

All materials that were mostly used were from some black crescent board or illustration board, in creating the final model (the 4^th one below), and a great sum of corrugated cardboard was also used as well (actually, the cardboard was from left over thermal sleeves for coffee cups from various coffee shops). To add, a small amount of old blue wall covering was used to make the triangle model (the first one underneath) and small accents on the 3^rd model below.  The material I fancied using the most was the corrugated cardboard, I personally enjoy the fact that the substance comprehends with a wave so well, but in a totally different form.

I wanted to take parts of the drawings to create a three dimensional form, particularly my 4^th schematic design (you can see the picture below, under Design Analysis; in easiest terms, it is the one that appears to be like a whole bunch of curved and straight lines crammed together. As you can see, I took the main features out of the drawing, obviously, it being “line”, which is reflected through an explosion of lines in the model. 

 

Art Analysis and Diagramming

Design Analysis

Andy Davis’s piece, Sway is an overall brilliance of color and spruce of fun on a sheet of plain white paper. The emotions that we get out of it as a whole can be related back to the title as well “Sway.” Expressions of mellowness, calm, and peace are drawn out; the fact that the title represents the picture so well illustrates the same kind of feeling when riding a wave, relaxed moods of tranquility surround everywhere. A few of the ideas that it provokes are questions such as, what does that person want to accomplish today? What are they thinking about right now at this moment in time?  Knowingly the angst of the thought if the rider will finish his ride or not is mind-boggling as well; the entirety of the representation with the slow movements of curves screams out “Relax, let the wave take you on an adventure.”

To go further into depth, the elements and principles that make up this awesome doodle depicts the motions and yet, stillness of the work, Sway as a work of art. Some of the information was limited when analyzing Andy Davis’s work Sway, specifically the medium used. By appearance, the medium utilized would most likely be marker or even possibly watercolor. For some info, great deals of Andy’s works compose, of oil, acrylic, watercolor, and to just ordinary pen and ink.  In particular, watercolor or marker or whatever was used, creates that a work of art can be used with anything to achieve its aspect of something meaningful. The bamboozlement of the fact that we cannot tell either the piece is used with marker or water color makes it that more interesting to the viewer.

There is this blue line, throughout the whole piece, that intertwines the trees and rolling hills in the distance to the surfer in the barrel of the majestic wave that is overhead. The fact that the curved lines create the illusion of infinity is a touch of wonder as well. As for the use of color, remarkably, only 5 colors were used and that was all that was needed to accomplish something so mellow. The use of blues gets the sensation of a cooling rush, and then with a pop of mustard yellow, warm things up. To add as well, contrast is mostly seen in the massive wave; from details of the ocean blue compared to the tinting of white, the generation of the simplicity of nature is created.

As all of the elements are put together and broken down into their areas of thought, different views of the piece can be seen and brought out. When observing, as viewers, of this piece, we are all drawn to its’ main emphasis, the surfer in the center of the paper. The position of his hands and body soaks in, and the pose suggests sway with the flow of the wave and water. Along with that, the message most likely pertains to the world as well; this drawing is able to speak out not through words, but through its’ image. A message being, basically, let the bad things go and “sway” your way through life. 

Schematic Designs

Overlays of the elements of the drawing; a further breakdown through line, shape, emphasis, and contrast. 

Line

Emphasis

Geometric Shapes

Contrast with value and color