Linear Gallery| Abstraction, Exploration + Design

Process

 

Plan

 

Model

 

Interior

Exercise 10| Logo/Iteration

In this exploration of logo concepts for the Linear Gallery, most of my attempts focused on using type to generate a logo or iconic image. Many of the logos represent the idea of "line-art" or linear graphics as a driver for the design. The last row references the 3-d volume of the space in an attempt at at logo, but after these resulted in unsatisfactory results, I went back to thinking about the space conceptually and in abstract 2D form, as seen in the second to last row which uses a five bay abstraction as the genesis. 

Digital Fabrication Output

Digital Fabrication

Surface and Light

In this exercise, I explored creating an inverse translation of a perforated texture from a chair and a ceiling space from Knight Hall from a photo to a digital model. The models were explored using two different techniques; one which was inversely abstract, and the other attempted to create a form from a perspective in the oblique. The perforated texture/pattern inspired space model was more fruitful and provided a variety of primary, secondary, and tertiary spaces, using similar components.  The model uses a translation of a curved surface curved in 2-3 directions from lofting 2 segments, and took the inverse role of the "hole" in a perforated pattern, where as the "holes became the solid figures in the space.
After studying the various lighting techniques, a shift in material was initiated to use more reflective properties of light, and less light sources to achieve the attempted goal.

 

Knight Hall

 

Chair Perforation Pattern

B/W Translation

View 1a | natural light studies

 View 2a | natural light studies

View 1b | natural light studies

View 2b | natural light studies

View 3 | artificial light studies

View 4 | artificial light studies

 View 5 | hybrid light studies

View 6 | hybrid light studies

Exercise 7.5 Page, Spread, Layout

Portfolio Layout Sample Template

Exercise 7 | Architectural Bay Study

In this architectural bay study of the Linear Gallery, I analyzed the proportion of the bay unit and its relationship to the placement of the the main gallery.

Mid-Term Poster

This project combines the various processes from the initial analysis, illustrating how the “a” transforms into a diagonal grid pattern by rotating the character about its found radial axis at the baseline of the text to form the circles analyzed within the original typeface. The 2D pattern evolves into a 3D digital model translation highlighting the forms and spaces created in the model by varying the heights and surface styles to create contrast within digital model’s atmosphere.  The final images use various levels of transparency to further illustrate the analytical principles within the text and the model.

Exercise 6 | Analytical Translation Revision

This step takes a new approach to analyzing the translation of the original 2D source to the final 3D digital model.  The model was further developed to showcase the forms and spaces created in the model by varying the heights and surface styles to create contrast within digital model’s atmosphere.  The final images use various levels of transparency to further illustrate the analytical principles within the text and the model. Relating similar principles of exploration from the previous exercises. The lowered perspective view of the model works to illustrate the varying dimensions of depth at a human scale, blending from a line drawing to a rendered drawing.  The model/wireframe synthesis at the top left illustrates the volume of the model itself in relation to its structure.  There is also another level of analysis of how the “a” transforms into a diagonal grid pattern by rotating the character about its found radial axis at the baseline of the text to form the circles analyzed within the original typeface.

Exercise 5 | Representation

In this exercise, I analyzed the layering properties of the grid created by the previous unit, highlighting the further relationship between void to figure.  The perception of layering becomes translated from 2D to 3D from overlapping and varying depth and height of interior figures versus exterior figures.

Exercise 4 |Solid Modeling Translation

In this exercise, I attempted to create a 3-d solid translation of the latest pattern from the previous exercise.  The portion of the pattern that I chose to extrude illustrates the major negative space formed by the characters, and adapts the frames from the rotated “a” crossing of the pattern.  These framed figures overlap and vary in height, while the major translucent void is further recessed from the frame itself. I also further studied the inverse relationship of these principles in the original intension of a figure ground relationship.

Axon - Wireframe

Axon - Rendered

 

Isometric | Top View | Wireframe

Isometric | Plan | Rendered

Isometric | Plan | Inverse

Exercise 3 | Pattern + Layering

Step 1

I began my explorations with analyzing the lower case “a” from the Gothic characters of “Grand Marnier.”  Continuing the study of the curvature and datum shared among proportions of the characters formed the first unit of the pattern. The first step was mirroring the character along its baseline to create another void between two characters, which I presumed would be a complete circle.  Instead, it was not quite a continuous smooth circle; this is because the two end points of the base are not exactly half circle dimensions, but slightly off. So I rotated the newly created coupling which in turn created the continuous circle I was attempting, the additional repeating arcs compensated for all sides of the circle. 

Step 2

Another form was seen from the overlapping after changing the characters from filled text to contour lines. The regularized grid pattern was produced from scaling down the new form and continuously repeating it mirrored across the x and y end axes aligning the angled slope of the top of the “a”.

 

 

Step 3

The next step involved scaling the grid pattern down and repeating the pattern to create a denser pattern and applied as linear vertical strips between the squares created by the larger grid. The vertical pattern of the denser grid repeats every 2 units. Every other remaining vertical band increases in scale.

Step 4

Then I rotated the composition 45 degrees, and began to push and pull the visibility of the pattern through changing stoke weights and adding various gray-scale values.

Final Steps

The next steps allowed me to focus on creating a contrasting figure ground relationship with the original figure produced by rotating and reflecting the “a” with the figure produced from overlapping. The figures generate another pattern from the negative space created by the black figures.  Then color was integrated in attempts to either create a clear hierarchy or create tension between the two main figures. 

Exercise 2

The first poster studies the radial relationships of the serifs and brackets of the text “Grand Marnier.” This gothic style font is very curvy with strong horizontal and vertical relationships between the characters.

The Second study focuses on the kerning and tracking of the “Maryland” font. It also focuses on the angular relationship of the serifs. The font reads as a san serif because of the angular nature of the serifs.