The Power of Prepbooks

Due to my long, complicated history with AP's, subject tests, and SAT's, it is understandable that the mere sight of  a Kaplan or Princeton Review can cause my blood pressure to rise and my body to squirm. On my seventh day at WORKSBUREAU, Mr. Tumminello, my on-site mentor, offered me some good ol' prepbooks: two Kaplan's for the ARE. (Just as the GRE, LSAT, MCAT are the make-it-or-break-it tests for their designated fields, the ARE (Architecture Registration Exam) is the high-stake, pass/fail exam for aspiring architects. There are 7 sections, consisting of a whopping 555 questions.)

Now, had I been prepping a decade in advance to get my architecture license, I would have considered this Kaplan in front of me a daunting enemy that must be conquered to reach success, but since I am a mere intern, this familiar face for an unfamiliar field was a welcoming friend that I was relieved to accept guidance from. As I cracked open Programming, Planning & Practice and Architectural History, I felt a rush of euphoria at the sight of bolded titles and italicized subtitles (I admit this even triggered a tad bit of nostalgia. Don't worry, Enji, you have two APs coming in May. Plenty of prepbook-time...). This structural introduction to architecture was comfortable and most importantly, digestible.

Architectural History will be useful for expanding my general knowledge base and for extracting trends of change in architecture throughout history. I will be studying architecture in a chronological sequence, starting at "Classical Architecture," transitioning to some of my favorite segments such as "Medieval Architecture," and ending with "20th Century and Beyond." Architectural Planning an Programming I plan to use more extensively because it is more in the same vein as my research. The sections that will be most useful are "Programming and Space Needs," "Design Relationship to the Human Body," "Urban Design," "The Human Dimension," and "Environmental Factors." Unfortunately, I cannot sub these texts in as my only sources because my focus is more specific. These texts will primarily be beneficial for pinpointing which section of architecture is best aligned with my thesis and for building my fluency with architectural jargon (yay).

Colorology

Think back to a time when you noticiced the color combination of a room, a building, or even an outfit that irked you for some reason. The colors individually weren't all too horrid, but together, the combination made your eyes beg for relief.

The fact is certain color combinations are harmonious, while others are utterly discordant. Whether its genetically inherent or culturally acquired, there is some intrinsic component in humans that allows us to prefer or detest color combinations.

Some have attempted to discover that intrinsic component and have experimented with various theories, but most have focused on the actual art of forming color harmonies and theories to be utilized for practical usage. Color theories revolve around the color wheel (the commonly accepted color theory consists of twelve colors: primary, secondary, and tertiary). These are some color schemes of basic color theory:

• Complementary: colors opposite to each other on the wheel = vibrant harmonies
• Analogous: colors adjacent to each other on the wheel = comfortable, natural harmonies
• Triadic: colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel = vibrant, one color must dominate
• Split-Complementary: similar to Complementary, but instead of the complement color, it uses the two colors adjacent to the complement matched with the base = vibrant, but less vibrant than Complementary
• Rectangle: two Complementary pairs = rich variation
• Square: four colors spaced evenly around color wheel = rich, balance of warm and cool

Color harmonies, produced by these theories, all give pleasure of some sort to their viewers, but more importantly, the nuanced emotion each triggers is entirely different from that of another. Notice how the palettes shown below are generally agreeable combinations of colors, yet it is likely that you will prefer one or more over the others:

    

These preferences exist because each palette induces a distinctive feeling--each conjures up a different image or memory, specialized to that palette. Thus, in order to properly design a space for a user, the design must be specialized to that user, and that anonymous title, "user" must become "Jim", "Paula", or any other individual who will realistically have a different color preference than anyone else. This is a vital consideration that must not be left out of the architectural process.

And that is the conclusion of the color and color harmonies segment. Until next time!

ROY G BIV

For the next few posts, let's discuss the main factors that create the experiences we derive from our environments. The first factor that will be considered in depth is color. Picking fresh fruit at Safeway, choosing between the silver and black shoes for prom, and even ramming down the brake at the sign of red..all emphasize the importance of color in everyday life. So what is the importance of color on design, and how do the colors of design impact us exactly?

This week, I have been busily compiling research on the psychology of..colors. While doing this, it was important to make sure that all the research I chose to add to my personal archives had an experiment attached to confirm its validity. Even if it didn't have one, though, I didn't rush to scrap it because they were useful for building the final consensus. To begin, I will divulge what I found on the basic colors of our rainbow (note: varying lightness and saturation could change the impact of certain colors..hence the several different effects listed under each color, both positive and negative) Different sources claimed slightly-nuanced things, but the general consensus was:

Red
seems to be the most popularly-researched...Possibly because psychologically, we have been trained to be aware of red which signals danger, or physically, red has the longest wavelength, or logically, it is the first color of our rainbow? The realistic answer is that it is probably an amalgamation of these and more. Red is linked to heightened adrenaline, attentiveness, appetite, and stress. Additionally, it is sometimes linked to passion, love, energy, and aggression. In the architectural context, red rooms also seem to hinder performance. This is probably because red triggers arousal and skilled performance level drops with heightened arousal. 

Orange
is commonly linked to warmth, comfort, and fun. However, orange is also linked to many negative connotations and was often reputed as the least favorite color for women (Amen!). Some of the negative associations are tacky, frivolous, inexpensive, irritating, and immature. 

Yellow
often has happy connotations. Positively, it stimulates the brain and makes people feel warmth, cheerfulness, optimism, friendliness, and creativity. Negatively, however, it may induce emotional fragility, irrationality, and fear (more likely in the case of a dull yellow). 

Green
is the color of nature and money. It conveys health, nature, calm, and restoration. On the other hand, it connotes boredom, stagnation, envy, and weakness. 

Blue
is not too often found in nature, besides the sea and a certain kind of berry. This may be why it is an appetite-suppressant. It connotes happy, calm, relaxed, and logical thinking. Negatively, it also connotes sadness, passiveness, and coldness. 

Purple
is a fickle color and has dynamic effects on its users. It conveys luxury, quality, truth and spiritual contentment, but used in the wrong way, it conveys suppression, introversion, or artificiality.

Obviously, appealing color has a subjective component, but understanding the innate psychological response of most people to certain colors provides at least some kind of foundation for understanding color in the designing process. In the studies I used, the researchers were careful to preserve the distinction between color preference that was culturally acquired and color preference that was innately present.

With colors, I can infinitely research every different shade and tint of color, but I believe it is more efficient to explore relationships between color and the method for creating harmonious color combinations. Who knows, some colors that are unpleasant alone (I hate orange) could be very beautiful, paired with a complementary color and design (a grey room with a pop of orange is acceptable). I will thus explore this science of mixing and matching colors in my next post! See you then!

Chicken or the Egg

Form and function are the two major components of architecture. Which one came first?

Thursday
Sitting in a concept meeting allowed by the gracious principals of my firm, I contemplated the relation between form and function. Architects must work in the confines of the form that is provided of the venue or the landscape on which they are building the venue. On the other hand, they must also shape the form of the interior and exterior to fit the intended function.

As an extern, I had expected to sit in on this meeting as a quiet fly on the wall or even an undetected part of the furnishing. To my surprise, I sat at the conference table facing the three principals of the firm and three other architects working on the project. This instantly dissipated my worry that I would not be exposed to the central work done at the firm.

It turns out, I had been pulled to sit through the meeting, not only to observe as an intern, but to also provide my insight as a teenager--the project dealt with teenagers. Unfortunately, beyond that, I may not disclose more information, but general observations I made--I can disclose:

1) Architectural planning is NOT easy.

• Architects have to consider an extraordinary number of variables. 
• lighting
• plumbing
• legal restrictions
• electricity
• aesthetic appeal 
• budget
• activity of users
• business appeal
• spacing of venue
• and the list goes on....
• Would it be practical to add psychology into this potpourri of factors to consider when designing? The option of having a psychology consultant rather than all architects being trained in psychology is looking more practical...

2) Form and function can come in any order.

• As the project architects put their heads together and created a whirlpool of innovative ideas, whether form followed function or function followed form became hazy. I decided either way worked as long as the idea was logical and feasible. 
• With the introduction of psychology, form following function would be analogous to manipulating design to fit the psychological needs of the users. Function following form would be analogous to manipulating the activity in a space because the design or environment is the most suitable for that activity and psychological state. 

If you haven't already, check out the firm's website! They have awesome past and working projects that will get you to think about their intended functions (;

Roll your cursor next to this arrow to see the firm's link--> WORKSBUREAU

Chipping Away at the Ice

Monday
The ice-cubes in my emptied Starbucks cup melt as I stand perplexed in the lanes of Barnes and Noble. I am in search of relevant architecture literature, particularly something on the process of architectural creation or something that links design to psychology. Unfortunately, B&N apparently stands for Broad and Narrow...the literature is either too broad, discussing the entire history of building design, or too narrow, discussing the ideals of "blobitecture." Thus, I deem my trip to Broad and Narrow:

FRUITLESS. 

[I remain hopeful, though, because I can always resort to surfing Amazon!]

Tuesday
I took my third visit to WORKSBUREAU! I can feel the ice breaking as I acclimate to the firm environment and the firm gets used to my presence. For the majority of the day, I took the opportunity of an independent station to conduct further internet research. I built a JStor account and searched its reliable archives to find an article Servicescapes: The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees from the Journal of Marketing by Mary Jo Bitner.  This article details a study on the  influence of design on consumers and employees. It states that the environmental dimensions or ambient conditions, temperature, air quality, noise, music, odor, and other miscellaneous factors, are all factors that influence consumers and employees.  Following the recommendation of my guidance counselor, Ms. McConaghy, I also ventured onto the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) website which showcases current talks, all around the world, given by renowned speakers with innovative ideas. I browsed through this vast archive and gleaned several resources aligned with the direction of my research, such as a talk delivered by Edi Rama, the mayor of Tiranna, who painted the city in bright colors to lessen crime rates. These studies imply that color, environment, and design do impact humans, which is  a great start in validating my question. Internet research is heading in a positive direction!

Before my shift was over, I also got my first Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign introductory course. After it was over, I realized how I had been living in such primitive confines with comfortable, yet lacking Microsoft Word! I am excited to be accruing new skills so I will be able to better prepare for the final product in May! Until next time~

Onward!

Hello all! I will continue onward to discuss my research, as promised! First, I would like to explain the catalyst that pushed me towards my topic... One dark and bored night, through some profound internet surfing, I came across a detailed article on Bill Gates' home and all its high-tech glory. Besides its colossal size, there was a plethora of other installments that made this mansion impressive. For instance, there were pressure-sensitive floors that used the person's weight and temperature to detect the identity of the guest, sensors that detected people's moods and played music accordingly, and more sensors that detected body temperatures and adjusted room temperature accordingly. I was thoroughly intrigued by this find and even obsessed enough to watch a 10-minute Youtube tour of Mr. Gates' home. Now, the deeper meaning to justify that tangent...  What lasted with me from this article was the idea of manipulating design and technology of a building to better accommodate humans. What are the exact dynamics between humans and buildings? Design of buildings influence humans somehow...Does it particularly impact human behavior? Thus, I arrived on my new statement of purpose for this project:

I would like to study the new field, Environment-Behavior Studies, and link this to architecture. Incorporating  the study into architecture would enhance the architectural process. As I mentioned before, architects must already implicitly consider the influence of design on the inhabitants and users, but I would like to show what happens when other aspects beyond aesthetic appeal and practicality are explicitly introduced such as EBS and the psychology of design and its impact on people. 

"The common stereotype of architects--sheltered, isolated, geniuses--is not necessarily upheld in the modern world where many heads are needed to assess the plethora of variables presented in designing practical yet innovative architecture."

SCRAPPED. 

 Source of inspiration for my project (thank you Bill!)

WORKSBUREAU: The Start of Something Beautiful

Hello again! Thank you for your commitment in reading not only my first, but second entry! I'd like to continue right where I left off from my last post and share with you the exciting start of my internship. Quickly before I begin, I will clarify the actual nature of my sessions at the firm. My "internship" is actually somewhat of a fusion of an internship and an "externship." An externship is supervised shadowing of a professional in a field for a relatively short period of time. Since I unfortunately do not possess the highly-specialized qualifications of architects (degree in architecture, dexterity with AutoCAD, photoshopping skills-eh..debatable), I will indeed be doing more shadowing, and in the process, will be earning valuable empirical knowledge. The duration of my study will last a little over three months, which is slightly longer than the usual externship, giving my study the additional essence of an internship. Now that I've bored you with semantics, I will recount my intriguing Day 1 and Day 2 at WORKSBUREAU:

Day 1

WORKSBUREAU is the definition of "modern."

As I frantically circle the sleek, angular, wooden building, I ask myself my first research question, "Where is the door?" After I solve this mystery and finally enter the building, I am in a studio that pulsates with a warm ambiance. The soft hues of the wooden building complement the splashes of color in the decor, giving the entire studio a very modern, chic feel. There is a sacred zen in the silent, yet charged atmosphere. The architects work independently and silently, but for a collective purpose, creating an efficient, unified space. If I had been asked to picture my ideal architectural studio, this is probably what I would have described.

The majority of the day was filled with formalities: introductions, tours, and so on--yet I thoroughly enjoyed everything, from the beautiful firm to the wonderful characters. I discovered that each architect was both brilliant and charismatic with a hilarious wit and kind nature. From the first day, I felt integrated into the firm, and I left excited to return for the next round.

Day 2

Architects are intellectual Olympians. 

As I sat in my second day of intern/extern smoothie-ing, I was able to sense more of what an architect's job entailed. Some members of the firm made business calls, while some diagrammed on AutoCAD or collaborated with partners on project details. Architects are masters of both breadth and depth. They must simultaneously be designers, engineers, businessmen, leaders, and intuitively psychologists. For my SRP, I would like to focus on the psychological aspect of design, and divulge explicitly what architects consider implicitly when they create: the impact of design on human behavior and well-being. My final product will hopefully be my own design, and sitting in a beautiful firm that produces beautiful buildings, I feel the beginning of something beautiful coming into creation.

Current project at WORKSBUREAU: KAFD Portal Spas 2014, Saudi Arabia





Disclaimer: Since this is the very beginning, I have heavily detailed my experiences at WORKSBUREAU to allow the readers to see through my eyes my setting for the next three months. Do not fret though--I will be intensely focusing on research, research, research for the majority of the blog. Staaaayyyy tuned~