The “Closer to Home” installation in the Gatewood Art Gallery is an installation conceptually celebrating Edward Loewenstein and modern design in Greensboro. Modern design and the work of Loewenstein are showcased through the exhibit in a design reflecting the work of Loewenstein himself.
The materials, color choices, and the play with light assist in manifesting the concept of the exhibit by creating a modern space to exist in. The wood and the different stains chosen express Loewenstein’s idea, as well as modernism’s idea of honesty of the materials. A darker palate of colors would have been better. Creating more of a contrast would make the graphics and text stand out more, they seem to get lost in a sea of natural wood, that also does not really coincide with the gallery. The mix of the natural materials of wood, with the industrial steel rods and meshing is a nice contrast expressing the connection of man made to nature. The way light plays into the space really manifests the concept. When the light shines through the gallery windows just right, the installation comes into a whole new life, which really expresses the whole point of the exhibit.
This image gazing from inside the gallery back to the lobby shows how the exhibit is affected by light and how alive in can become when it shines through just right. Loewenstein’s designs were warm and inviting, embracing life, which is the purpose of Closer to Home; the appreciation of modernism as a mechanism for living and experiencing life.
In support of the concept, all the images, texts, and graphics are all geared toward passing on information about Loewenstein and modern design in Greensboro. This installation is a great way to get the meaning of modernism out to the public of Greensboro, and the most understandable way of doing so is through text and images. Without these, the exhibit would be practically unreadable. The heart of the exhibit is to get the information and the excitement of modernism out to others.
The most successful media in the exhibit is all of the pictures. They are a great window into the past. The collaboration of images of the architecture, as well as images of Loewenstein, his firm, and the pictures from Woman’s College really bring the project “closer to home”, making it more relatable. Anyone can understand the meaning of a picture. The text was interesting and helpful, if you had time to sit and read it. Along the lines of which media was the most successful, the pictures had a much bigger impact in expressing the concept than the textual information did.
This image is the wall with the picture of Loewenstein on it, crossing the barrier of the gallery and the lobby. This is the wall that stood out the most, the bold image expressed Loewenstein’s importance as an architect and individual. There is a huge impact on visitors walking into the installation because the exhibit engulfs you into modernism. It is almost surreal, the gallery is so warm, and the lighting gives the whole area a soft glow. It is a desirable place to exist. This warmth in the expression of modernism will have a great impact on the skeptics of modernism because it proves that modernism can be warm and livable.

Detailed Program and Intent Phase III

Detailed Program:
*Bed
*Crib
*Dresser
*Chair
*Night Stand with lamp
*Pack and Play
*Desk with lamp
*Shelving
*Ceiling fan
*Blinds and curtains
* and Accents in consideration
of the good, bad, ugly materials

Intent:
Through color and the use of the good, bad, and ugly materials, as well as the continuing idea of pushing and pulling, I will create a suite with three private spaces for moms and their infants that mesh together cohesively to be viewed as one. I want each space to feel warm, and to have opportunities for the mothers to add their own to make it feel more personalized. I will supply the base and the girls will be able to create their home.

Technocolor Model

The original one didn't work correctly!

Self-Reflection

1) Design is fundamental practice central to humanity because it adds something more to the living experience. The living experience would be dull and mundane without the different options of design. A good design in space can completely change the way an atmosphere feels; it is an extremely powerful tool. Design can also be a connection among societies. People desire to live in spaces and own things that they like and that tell a story; a timeless design can provide this. A good design unites people, and a great design could change the world.



2)The Robie House was paramount for the design of the suburban home. Wright's design set a new standard and precedent of design never seen before. The Robie house is Wright's ideal of "organic architecture", defining the house as an organism displayed from the inside out. The design theory behind this home that links to today is the classic modern idea of expressing the inside on the outside, reducing decoration to a minimum, as well as the emphasis of the horizontal. Wright also placed great importance on the idea of the hearth and home, all of which are important design qualities looked to today when designing the home, and other buildings of the like.

3)It is important to look back to the precedents in architecture when we begin to design; there is a lot to be learned there. Inspiration should be taken from the classics, but a new spin must be put on them to make a design unique to the current time period. It is imperative to go back, take what worked from the precedents, and display an understanding of the design in the work, then make it your own, incorporating modern materials and ordering ideas. When the past is embraced in design, that in itself shows the innovation of new and modern design by examplifying an appreciation of things before.

4)Along the lines of the "icons in modernism", the military still has a lot to do with designs of the 21st century. Focusing on the idea of "Higher, Faster, Farther", design and the military are moving at a rapid pace. The design ideas of the military are striving to be modern, new, and the best in the world. There is a constant competition among nations to be on the top, and this idea flows down into all aspects of design from technology to clothing. All forms of design are becoming more streamlined and accurate.

Group Statement

Popped Corn's design for My Sister's House is a coherent design based on the precedents of current womens homes focusing on public and private spaces which are breaking out of the box; the main thread of our decade of the 70s.

Best of Intentions Just Won't Cut It

Our design of My Sister's House is distilled in a distinctive, coherent design that compliments all of the charettes, and the project analysis that we have done. Through my project analysis of other teen pregnancy centers and womens shelters I have learned through the narratives of women within the places what they want out of the shelter, and what they do and do not like within the space they are currently. Our design reflects the changes and the pros of the precedent buildings studied. The artists we researched for the 1970s had a large impact on the design. The common thread between everything in the 70s was breaking out of the box. So, within our design, we decided to push the limits of the exterior walls and form a blocky but understandable and functional interior design. With every charette we have done from the light machine, to the exterior model, each has taught a lesson. With each model, as a group we are beginning to understand what works, and what doesn't, and what needs to be changed, scrapped, and improved on.

Popped Corn: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Evening Sun

The evening photos look very similar to the morning shots. Everything is pretty monotone, not too much differention between the top and bottom of the machine. Theoretically their would be a sharp contrast between the two sides of the object with an extreme highlight on one side ane extreme shadow on the other.

Afternoon Sun

I got lucky in the afternoon with a little part in the clouds. The sun hit directly on top of the light machine giving the most contrast between the open V and the underneath of the wings. From each angle the light cast effected it differently.

Morning Sun

The morning was not the most opportune time for photos, it was drizzling and there was hardly any sunlight. However, the intended outcome was to have a shadow underneath the top wing, but little high light within the V facing the sky.

My Design

My Light Machine is designed to maximize the shadows and reflections of the sun in the different areas of the site. I wanted to design something simple, efficient, durable, and easy to move. I chose white foam core and duct tape because both materials will reflect light very well.

-Unfortunately there was heavy cloud cover, so the maximum reflection was not achieved..