Portfolio: Studio Introduction

The task of designing a signature Apple store in Boston was not to be taken lightly. As an internationally renowned , cutting edge business, for it to truly be a "signature" store, it would have to say something about the very nature of Apple, and its core organizational beliefs.

To summarize, Apple prides itself on its dedication to ingenuity and being on the cutting edge of technology. In this day and age, what is more cutting edge than the sense of environmental stewardship and, for lack of a better term, being "green?" My approach was to capitalize on this type of forward thinking attitude by showcasing it in my design. Beyond the attempts to bring the outside in, I felt that it was necessary to depart from the more traditional vernacular found at the site (Copley Square, Boston, MA) in order to exagerate Apple's obvious penchant for deviating from the norm. At the same time, as conflicting as the "glass box" may be with the rest of historic Back Bay Boston, it is clearly identifiable with the Apple brand.

Practice 1 - Construction Administration Checklist

As my practice curriculum will be focused strongly on the CA phase of a church project that is coming up here very shortly, one of my first steps has been putting together a “checklist” of things to consider once the project gets rolling. Below is an informal list of things that I will be thinking about here in the coming months, in no particular order. (while putting this list together, I had the help of experienced co-workers who have acted as Clerks and Owners Reps on recent projects)

1-Pay attention to the type of contract that exists between the owner and GC (ie. lump sum, unit price) and understand how this will affect the GC’s pay requests.
2-Learn to fully read and understand the pay requests.
3-Understand the importance of retainage and why it is in the owner and architects best interest not to release it prematurely. More retainage equals more leverage with the GC.
4-Understand the architects responsibility to look out for the clients best interests.
5-Understand how to verify pay requests.
6-Read and re-read Div. 1 General Requirements in the project manual. This is vital reference information throughout the construction process.
7-Get a construction schedule from the GC, as required in the Specs, and make sure the GC is updating it. Review it monthly and cross check with the pay requests.
8-Get to know the job superintendent and form a solid working relationship with him/her.
9-Get to know the owner and form a solid working relationship with him/her.
10-Understand the importance of monthly construction progress meeting and my role in it.
11-Whoever prepares the agenda and the minutes for the meeting has the power to drive the meeting.
12-Be sure to thoroughly review change proposals.
13-Double check overhead & profit figures and ask for backup for any numbers that are in question.
14-Respond to Requests for Information in a timely manner.
15-Understand lead times on materials.
16-Understand the importance of a submittal schedule from the GC in keeping the project on track as well as planning time for submittal review.
17-Understand what is my responsibility and what isn’t. Don’t be too quick to solve problems that are not mine to solve. I may be assuming undue liability.
18-Understand allowances and the importance of defining them clearly.
-Don’t ever feel rushed to make decisions. There is always time to do your homework and get the answer right.
19-Take full advantage of site visits.
20-Keep the owner happy. As I watch the project come together, put myself in the owners shoes in terms of what is acceptable quality and what is not.
21-Don’t be afraid to speak up, but be sure to pick my battles.

This is obviously a preliminary list. Having never been through this process, I don’t exactly know what I don’t know. However, I think that this a great start and I already feel as if I have a leg up on the process and what to be looking out for.

My comments regarding the First Semester

First and foremost, I have to say that I am pleased with how this semester went. There were a lot of questions going into it and a lot of concern as to how this would all work. I think that it worked out well.

Because this is the first semester I am sure that feedback from the students is desired, and this is my attempt to offer up suggestions to help further refine the progam.

1. The blog is a fantastic way to post/review work and conduct a dialogue. It is flexible, and enables us all to communicate without having dozens of emails to keep track of every week.
2. Instructor’s blogs were very helpful. This is where we could go to find the latest assignment and perhaps comment on issues raised by the instructor.
3. The blackboard was marginally helpful, in particular for sending emails to the class and for accessing posted reading material. There was the potential for things to get confusing there in the beginning with information being posted in so many places. I think that once things smoothed out, the format was pretty simple;
-Maintain your own blog
-Check each instructors blog for assignments for their respective courses
-Access the blackboard to send emails or to download information posted by the instructors.

If there was anyplace else to go to access information it might have gotten quite confusing and frustrating. I would try to simplify it further if possible, but definitely would not let it get any more in depth than the above. The fewer websites we have to worry about checking every day, the better.
The Intensive was great. We were forced to get to know each other so well in that week that it created a fantastic group dynamic. Exhausting, but great!
Affinity groups are a very good idea. Having to maintain dialogues with the entire group at a distance is kind of cumbersome. Breaking it down into more manageable pieces worked out great.

All of that being said, my biggest suggestion would be finding a way to use “Skype” or a similar program on a regular basis. I just found out about this program within the past few weeks in preparation for this mornings final review. The ability to be conferencing with the instructor as well as other members of the class is amazing. In my opinion, it should be the preferred way to maintain a dialogue. Once per week, the affinity group and the instructor should block out 30 minutes to an hour to go over their posts for that week and talk about the next assignment. They could migrate from blog to blog with everyone having the ability to offer their input and the instructor directing the discussion. Comments and discussions on the individual blogs should continue, but the conference call should be the primary forum. I think that this would make the experience that much better and provide more regular contact with the instructor. It gets difficult to post your work and wait for days before getting the kind of feedback you are looking for, meanwhile you may have been taking your project in the wrong direction. This could almost simulate a formal class meeting atmosphere. I post my work by Monday, and on Tuesday night my affinity group and the instructor meet online to talk about it briefly and get ready for the next weeks assignment. I truly believe that this, in conjunction with the blogs, the blackboard, and the intensive, could be the foundation for an excellent way to deliver this new program!!!

Last but not least, I think that I probably speak for the entire class when I say this, I can’t imagine two better people to have picked to instruct this first semester. Both Herb and Chris have been excellent to work with and I am privileged to have had them as Instructors.

I am proud to be a part of this first class and look forward to next semester!!!

Portfolio: Concept #2

I thought that this was a good image to follow with... The assignment was to start thinking in terms of individual spaces that could achieve our concept... in that respect, these sketches failed, simply because they were not focused on individual spaces but instead more of a "whole" building feel.... so, for the most part these images were not successful.... that being said, when I revisited these images after further developing my design, I saw some considerable relationships from this initial sketch to my final drawings which gave this first attempt some renewed merit.... in particular, elements such as the water feature/seating plaza which bridges the interior and exterior...... the vertical space open to the different floors which later developed into the terraced gardens.... the recessed lower level that anchors the building into the earth... and the thin plane of glazing which serves as a subtle break between inside and out... while this image may not have worked in the context of that initial problem, I am happy that some of its key elements were able to be translated into my later design and reinforce my concept....

Portfolio: Street Level Plan

This is the street level floor plan... with entrances from Boylston and Dartmouth streets.. both entrances are on axes which join at a central cashier/information area which is located partially beneath the 2nd level product floor and partially within the double height main entry space. In terms of concept I am most pleased by the seating plaza/water feature and the way that it exists both within the building and outside of it separated only by a transparent glass curtain wall... this water/seating area was a strong element in my initial sketches in an attempt to provide pedestrians and shoppers with a gathering place with both views of Copley square and/or apple product displays.... I think that it has the potential to be a very desireable destination point...

Portfolio: Section A-A

This building section starts to tell the story of the spaces I have throughout the building. A ground level product floor and seating area, a product level/genius bar mezzanine, the main product level which is open to the Boylston st. entry below, and the media labs/green roof/courtyard areas on the top three levels.... the green roof at the main product level which cantilevers out over the the water feature offers a unique area to experience Copley square from an elevated garden atmosphere...

Portfolio: Exterior View 1

This image starts to bring the building to life..... first, I am pleased with the juxtaposition of the new (apple) and the old (tradional Boston streetscape).... apples claim to fame is not sticking with the norm.... it is modern and minimalist and respected as such..... that being said, I feel that this building form, while it injects a less traditional feel into the local fabric, is not disrespectful to the area and fits comfortably on the site... some other key elements are the cantilever of the main product floor which begins to define a space below it as neither/both interior and/or exterior, as well as the ability for the pedestrians to view the cascading greenroofs from the street level which begins to build interest from afar extending the architectural experience well beyond the exterior walls....

Portfolio: Section Perspective

I think that this section is extremely important because it tells so much about the design intent with one drawing..... I like the play of the blue water and the green roofs with the rather sterile white floors and glass walls.... I think that it says something about my initial "Green Apple" concept which aims to meld the natural elements, such as water and grass, with the man made, such as glass and steel..... I never sought to have one overtake the other, but instead to have them compliment each other..... another point of interest is the brick party wall to match the adjacent building..... it is key in getting this building to pay homage to its traditional neighboring architecture..... furthermore, the brick injects a terra-cotta/earthly feeling to further enforce the the concept......

Portfolio: Perspective 1

This is an image from a media lab looking out into the courtyard, with the cascading grass/ivy from the greenroof above draping down..... this image is valuable in that it generally demonstrates my initial concept of blurring the interior exterior transition.... I feel that the exchange between the computers/technology and the natural elements just beyond the glass is effective...

Portfolio: Perspective 2

The most successful of the interior views, this is a view from the courtyard looking back at the media labs/gardens...... with the sunlight streaming down, and plant life wildly "dripping" over each cascading level, it creates a very pleasant "exterior" experience within the "interior" of the building.... a space like this could have the benefit of becoming a popular destination point, good for apples image and business.....

Portfolio: Signature Element Detail

The most detailed portion of the project involved further developing a signature element to reinforce my concept..... I chose to focus on the "threshold" that exists between the media labs and the green roofs and how those two spaces could interact to enhance the feeling of bringing the outside in..... I finally decided on blending the two together, similar to the "yin-yang" principle..... by angling the glass curtain wall that separates the two, I can bring the interior out over the exterior, and the exterior in under the interior..... I considered using some type of monitor or signage in the angled space to relate to the users of the labs in an attempt to engage them in space that exists out over the garden... I also played with the idea of placing seating areas intermittently within the curtainwall frame to bring users "out" into the gardens with wild plantlife growing beneath their feet... The angle of this wall could be increased to further enhance the "overlap"

Portfolio: Section C-C

Portfolio: Section B-B

Portfolio: Elevations

It was important to me that the building's materials were in keeping with Apple's modern and minimalistic persona. As much of the building is glazed, in an attempt to make the exterior visually accessible from the interior, and vice versa, there are portions which are more opaque, similar to semi-translucent insulated panels which exist at the rear of the building, to keep focus off of the less than desireble alley to the north, and at the main product floor, in an attempt to bring the focus back to the product. As can be seen in the models, this also serves to provide some scale to the building and accentuates the cantilever which reaches out to grasp Copley square.

From Greenroof to Greenwall

These photos are from the latest Architectural Record.....I love this stuff.... these guys are my new heroes.......

Portfolio: Level Five Plan

Portfolio: Site and Roof Plan

Studio-Signature Element Final Detail

Below is my proposed typical detail for the transition between interior and exterior at the roof gardens.... I took an approach where the glazing slopes out and over the garden..... intermittently, I see the opportunity for seating built into the curtainwall "floating" out over the garden... this creates a condition where the garden is beneath the sitter... also, I have placed electronic signage/monitors up in the corner, well over the garden.... a person standing in the room watching the monitor as it floats out over the garden becomes engaged with space that exists out in the interim between the inside and outside....a place where the interior and exterior overlap each other and start to blend.... while continuing to be fully separated.... I also plan to hold the guardrail out from the edge approximately 3 inches to allow the plant life to grow over each level and hang down below..... this fully frames the view with plant life........

Portfolio: Signature Element Sketch

Below is an early sketch detailing where the lab and the garden meet and how I had intended to blur that transition to reinforce my concept....."bringing the outside in"....

Studio-Signature Element Sketch 2

So, how better to bring the outside in, then to have the outside actually inside?? Rather than separating my terraced greenroofs from the adjacent media labs, which was inherently in conflict with my concept, I leaned toward a solution where the interior was a blend of inside and outside by transforming my courtyard into an atrium. A southern facing skylight could flood the space with the necessary light to maintain the outside atmosphere... This way my separation doesn't happen at the balconies, but at the building envelope. I also took advantage of this opportunity to locate a glass elevator tower which bridges the green spaces and the labs to reinforce the connection between the inside and outside..... Even though shoppers are clearly inside of a building, it can maintain the feeling of nature throughout.... The image below shows a rough approximation of the anticipated sunlight in Boston on December 21st at 2pm....

Any input whatsoever is welcome!!!!!

Studio-Signature Element Progress Sketch 1

Chris' posts redirected me to focus less on the "technical" aspects of the greenroof details, and more on how the green roof could be further developed to communicate my concept.... namely, focusing on the transition between the interior and exterior and how the greenroof will transition into the adjacent spaces..... rather than doing something as overt as having grass actually inside, I am leaning toward using some type of transition material between the two.... in this case, I am experimenting with landscaping pavers which can soften the transition between the media labs and greenroof.... You will also notice the addition of a a vertical glass (everything here is glass) tower in the center of the pavers.... This is potentially some type of elevator, perhaps similar to the one used at the new ICA in Boston, which can also help reinforce the transition by bridging the interior and exterior.....I see the potential for an exciting elevator ride when you are simultaneously inside and outside on the way up.... I am definitely looking for input......

Studio - Signature Element Scope

In developing the terraced greenroof to a further level of detail, I will be primarily concerned with three typical conditions;

1.) The typical roof edge/curb condition
2.) The typical transition between the greenroof and the Media Labs
3.) The typical drainage condition, in particular where the drainage empties out into the collector below at the plaza level.

Studio- Develop Signature Element Part 1

((1) identifying the element and describing their reasoning for the
selection)

The signature element that I will be focusing on for further detailed study
will be the greenroof/terraced rooftop gardens. This element is of
particular interest to me as it is a major part of my concept; The Green
Apple...

First, a little background on the value of a greenroof. In addition to being
aesthetically pleasing;

1.) They are comparable to other roof types when considering life cycle cost

2.) They are energy efficient, providing extra insulation in cold weather
and helping keep out heat in the warm weather

3.) They provide sound insulation

4.) They help preserve the roofing membrane

5.) They help retain and cleanse stormwater

6.) They provide usable space where there traditionally was none

(These benefits are from "Design Guidelines for Green Roofs" by Steven Peck
and Monica Kuhn)

The greenroof is an excellent step towards making better use of our
buildings where sustainability is concerned. Traditional roof construction
provides a horizontal plane to store rooftop equipment and hide "stink
pipes." It is a missed opportunity that can, and should, be taken advantage
of.

Studio Intensive-Comment Recap

The majority of the comments made concerning my project at the Saturday Crit
were rather detailed and space specific. For example, I had a few comments
regarding the size of the ceiling at the main product floor (second level)
and what could be done so that it didn't seem so cumbersome. There were also
comments regarding certain vertical planes and how they could be made more
visually appealing. These were all valuable comments and will be crucial in
my further development of the design.

The most significant of the comments were a bit broader in scope and will
require deeper investigation to begin solving. They were, in no particular
order;

1.) The building presently feels as if it is two structures, one stacked
on top of the other. My main product floor, whose roof also serves as the
bottom level of the terraced garden, provides a visual break between the
lower two levels and the upper 3 as presently designed. This could be
validated, considering that the uses of the top 3 are significantly
different than the bottom 2, but I don't know if I want that break to be so
drastic. I originally foresaw the bottom levels (main floor, mezzanine
level, and level 2) as product and gathering spaces, whereas the top 3 were
to be destination points for field trips, computer labs, cyber café, and
teleconferencing type spaces. Some type of visual separation was intended
and acceptable, but I do not want it to be so overpowering that it
undermines the unity of the building. This will require additional
investigation.

2.) The placement of this building on Copley Square is an excellent
opportunity to engage the square that is not being fully realized by the
present design. There is the beginning of a relationship between the two,
but they are not nearly as connected as they could be. How can this be
rectified?

3.) A driving force behind the concept and the design is the "Green-ness"
of the building. The blurring of the transition between the interior and
exterior is a start, but there is so much more to being a green building
than just having plants and water inside. I will definitely need to further
study the arrangement of the spaces and anticipate the daylighting
characteristics of the building. Am I getting the right kind of sun where I
want it when I need it? Conversely, am I getting the wrong kind of sun where
I don't want it, when I don't need it? It isn't enough just to have it
looking green, it has to BE green for this concept to be realized.

Additionally, there was discussion as to where the break should take place
between the interior and exterior. Should the water feature/seating plaza,
which now spans both the interior and exterior, be fully enclosed in some
type of glass "nana-wall" which can be opened when the weather permits? This
would allow for year round use of the space.

It was also suggested that I may want to look at the buildings relationship
with the alley to its rear. The design presently is completely closed off to
the alley and, at this point, I can't really see any reason to change that.
The alley is not very desirable and I don't choose to engage it. Rather, I
am interested in encouraging the relationship with Copley square to the
front of the building. The alley serves as a decent opportunity to handle
services, i.e. shipping, receiving, waste disposal, etc. without making it a
focal point.

In closing, the comments were all very helpful, from the minute details that
some addressed to the more big picture issues. I will undoubtedly be doing
my best to address them as I move forward with the design.

Portfolio: Concept #1 and early mass modeling

The design problem was a Flagship Apple Store in Boston located the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth across from Copley Square. My concept was summarized graphically by the "Green Apple"; A store whose commitment to the environment becomes evident by its ability to "blur" the transition between the interior and the exterior. As seen below, there is also an element of global interconnectivity between the different stores worldwide. This demonstrates the scale of this issue. It is not enough to have just one "Green Apple" store.....

A gathering/seating plaza with water feature that extends from the interior to the exterior, and vice versa, as well as a terraced rooftop garden visible from throughout the square, were instrumental in bringing the interior and exterior together......

Portfolio: 3-D Model and Perspectives

Select Exterior Views

Select Interior Views

Theory 01.23-Thursday afternoon writing

Rural, Environmental, Green, 2030, Difference, are some random words to describe my thoughts on a potential writing topic… Specifically the “2030 Challenge”…. Set forth by Architect Ed Mazria, this is a challenge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by buildings to zero by the year 2030…

Some questions I have;

1.) I need to understand the challenge fully
2.) As an Architect, what will I be able to do to move toward it?
3.) What will I be able to do to move my profession toward it?
4.) What about my community?? My family??

Focusing specifically on the Bangor/Northern central Maine area, I will need to map out a strategy for meeting the challenge.

1.) Phase 1-Research
a. Understanding the problem
b. Understanding my role in it
c. Understanding my firms role in it
d. Understanding my industries role in it
e. Understanding my families role in it
f. Understanding my communities role in it

2.) Phase 2-Strategy
a. Formulate the necessary steps to make a change
b. What will I need to do?
c. Who can help me?
d. Who can I help?
e. What resources will I need?
f. What is the timeline
g. What will my milestones be?

3.) Phase 3-Implementation
a. Set the plan into motion
b. Evaluate the results
c. Re-evaluate the plan
d. Am I making the change?
i. If not, why?
ii. If so, can I do better?


(Affinity Group member 1 comments)

Will you change or improve upon the past as you move into the future or will it be all new from here on out? Take the case of the automobile; today (in Ohio for example) you don’t have car inspections where the older 1970s and 1980s cars are polluting the air. The same can be said w/older buildings. Poor HVAC, overused HVAC, which uses more fossil fuels and electricity, thus polluting the air and environment. Newer facilities by current construction standards are more efficient. They could be better though. So, one point of contention would be how to bring older facilities up to current standards with education, advocacy and implementation the rest should follow.



(Affinity Group member 2 comments)

I have limited exposure to sustainable design other than the information presented at seminars. I am familiar with it, but have never implemented it. It seems some building typologies are embracing it, specifically government and educational and health care industries. How do we promote this involvement on a smaller scale? The masses don’t use schools, hospitals, and such on a daily basis. Homes, retail spaces, and smaller building typologies like churches and such are the pre-dominant built fabric of our environment. Without changing these typologies, the green building movement will have a weaker impact. Is legislation the answer in a capitalist society? Force the masses to comply by code requirements?

Theory.02 . great quote

"putting a sign that requires twelve seconds to read in a place where customers spend four seconds is just slightly more effective than putting it in your garage." paco underhill

Message? understand how the space is used or youre wasting everybodys time.. Brilliant...

Studio.02 - "Filling in the Blanks"

After producing the associated Plans and Sections, the question came up as to the process in creating an entire 3-d space from a simple perspective view. The question could be rephrased to ask, "can a perspective view communicate more about the space than just whats in the shot?" I would guess, yes, to an extent. You can gather things like architectural style and materials. You might also be able to speculate on size and placement due to things like elements in the foreground, or access to natural lighting.... for these drawings, I had an idea as to the layout of the room because I was inundated with other views of the same room while picking my screen shots. For this excercise, I mostly handled the variable elements "outside" of the shot as flexible and completely up to me... That being said, thinking about it in these terms, if I were to approach a similar problem with the goal of recreating the room with a certain degree of accuracy, I would start by looking at any reflective surfaces in the view.... but thats kind of cheating.... then there is furniture layout... I can be pretty certain that the head of a bed, for example, is against a wall... likewise for counters and dressers in the foreground which tell me something about the extents of the space. Circulation area may very well lead to doors or openings... details like wainscoting that exist on both walls in the view, probably continue throughout the room... shadows, preferably cast by objects outside of the shot, can fill in all kinds of missing information also..... so, I would argue that logic can be applied to help fill in the missing pieces

Studio Assignment 2- Instructions

(Taken from Instructor's Blog)

Activity: The assignment for week 2 will focus on the translation of 3D imagery to 2D line drawings. You are to use conventional 2D line drawings (plan and section) to create a space/environment that will allow for the screen shot perspectives to “occur” within that space. You should focus on a single area/perspective.

Purpose: This exercise gets you to focus on dissecting perspectives and deriving the spatial construct required to allow the perspectives to “occur”.

Product: You are to prepare 2 distinct sets of drawings (plan and section) that propose two alternative strategies for achieving the space depicted in ONE of the screen shots you selected for assignment 1.

Studio Assignment 2- Scheme A

Studio Assignment 2- Scheme B

Theory-"Obvious isn't always apparent" P.Underhill

I am about one fifth of the way through "The Science of Shopping" by Paco Underhill. Likening it to a Tom Clancy read, versus Bickford's "poetry," is a decent analogy. It moves quickly, doesn't require a lot of digging, and keeps my interest.

At this stage, I am most impressed with one of his simple observations; "There are certain physical and anatomical abilities, tendencies, limitations and needs common to all people, and the retail environment must be tailored to these characteristics." If you could change just one word in that quote, and have it be an architectural mantra, I would suggest that you change "retail" to "Built." Much like Herb's latest post concerning the ill designed toilet, how often do designer's lose sight of who they are designing for? The human animal...... And if we learn nothing else from Underhill's writing, we should at least take away that, the better a designer understands those which he/she designs for, the better his/her designs should be....

So, this is the problem...What is the solution?? Pay attention!! Study, research, read, listen.... Test, and re-test our pre-conceptions to verify the accuracy of our beliefs.... If the CEO of a multi-billion dollar retail chain can not know the actual conversion rate within his store, we all are most likely missing pieces of the puzzle here and there which could help us better understand the human condition..... and in turn make us better at what we do...

Studio Assignment 1-More questions than answers

It fascinates me, as I look through each of the posted diagrams thus far, how different the approaches are....some are focusing on a specific element common to many of the shots.. others, such as my own, energy within the views, and still others, the underlying geometry and patterns....now that we have each found our own way to approach the problem, I would be interested in finding out if we can find any types of themes?? does certain geometry illicit certain responses?? do certain furniture layouts, or furniture types for that matter make the view more or less relatable?? This feels like one of those projects that will leave us with more questions than answers once it it is done... as some of the best projects do of course....

Studio Assignment 1-Perspective analysis

A perspective is an attempt to communicate 3-d information on a 2-d surface in the most realistic means possible. Characteristics of the perspective play a vital role in the tone we set in our communication, and in turn will play a role in how affective that perspective is..

Studio Assignment 1-Artistic perspective

Artistic

In an Artistic perspective, the view is static and devoid of energy……an Artistic perspective does not concern itself with the viewers participation in it, but instead appeals to a viewers sense of aesthetics…It seeks to convey a scene as pleasurable through things like composition and color…The viewer is able to appreciate the view without becoming invested in it.

An Artistic perspective can be achieved by:

1. Not including animate objects…scale is achieved through other readily identifiable objects.
2. Traditional artistic principles such as balanced composition, color, pattern, texture, etc….the viewers eyes are pulled from point to point throughout the view, not limited to any one portion….
3. Primary and secondary focal points, i.e. tub vs. urinal, give the viewer something to study in depth, without providing a “visual vacuum”…..multiple focal points can play off of one another……

Studio Assignment 1-Voyeuristic perspective

Voyeuristic

In a Voyeuristic perspective, not only is the viewer not invited to participate, but the other participants aren’t even aware of their presence…they observe from a hidden vantage point in secret….this results in a sense of guilt on the part of the viewer as if they have some unfair advantage over the participants…

A Voyeuristic perspective can be achieved by:

1. Setting up the view from some “unnatural” vantage point. In this case from high above.
2. The view is slightly distorted….it is unlike a “natural” viewing experience.
3. The energy within the view is completely inaccessible to viewer and shielded by the participants, who sit with their backs toward the viewer….almost vulnerable…..

Studio Assignment 1-Exclusive perspective

Exclusive


In an Exclusive perspective, the viewer is not invited to participate in the view, but instead, observes from the outside looking in….this results in a feeling of detachment and an inability to relate to the participants……


An Exclusive view can be achieved by:

1.Physical boundaries, in this case elements of the stair, as well as the difference in elevation between the viewer and the other participants, separate the viewer from the “event” (energy). It is inaccessible.
2. Inability of the view to capture the complete picture. Only portions of the participants are in the view….there is just enough information, i.e. the sliver of a door in the top right hand corner, to make the viewer feel like they are not getting the entire picture…they aren’t privy to everything that is going on…
3. The other participants are standing, and almost confronting each other….there is an aggressive/confrontational feel to the view, and it is not welcoming……