Depot Adaptive Re-Use

This was my final project for my sophomore spring studio class. We were to adaptively re-use an old train depot and turn it into a gallery, residence, and studio for a Pacific Northwest artist. I chose the artist Dawn Emerson because I felt that her work meshed well with the historic nature of the building. My inspiration for the design was a cast-iron lamp that hangs in the depot. I loved the contrast between dark iron and the textured glass. When thinking about the lamp, the words contrast, unique, simple, and rhythm came to mind. My favorite part of this project was designing the gallery space. I had so much fun playing with the design of the art displays. To improve this project, I would definitely spend more time developing the residence. Over all, I am very satisfied with how this project turned out.

Artist Inspiration for Depot Adaptive ReUse

One of my projects for my sophomore spring semester is designing an adaptive reuse of a down town Pullman train depot. The design will include a residence, studio, and gallery for a Pacific Northwest artist. I chose the pastel artist Dawn Emerson. I love the softness of her work and how she captures the natural essence of her subjects. After seeing some of Dawn Emerson's works, I felt that she was a perfect fit for this project.

Images courtesy of www.dawnemerson.com/Portfolio

Habitat for Humanity Home

This semester, I had the privilege of designing a whole house for the Palouse Habitat for Humanity with one of my fellow classmates. I learned so much from this experience. It was very different having to not only create the interior walls, but also the exterior shape of the home. We also had to create a roof for the house, which was a very different experience. You not only have to figure out what will look good, but also keep in mind how the water will flow off the roof. I really enjoyed working with Palouse Habitat for Humanity. This project was the first time we were able to speak with an actual client and design a structure based on their requests, needs, and requirements. The house my teammate and I ended up designing was very open, but also allowed for private space. The color scheme reflects the surrounding natural area with warm and neutral colors. The materials are environmentally friendly yet affordable.

Art Deco

For one of our current projects, we are doing an adaptive re-use of a 1920s-30s Train Depot in down town Pullman. For this poster, I was to research a popular design style during this time. I chose Art Deco, which is one of my favorite design styles of the 1920s and 30s. I love how with the different design elements, you get a sense of greatness, accomplishment, and exploration. I will definitely be using this design style in some of my future designs; however, after doing the research, I found that I will not incorporate this into my Depot design.

La Primavera Bathroom

I really enjoyed designing this bathroom. I actually submitted this design to the Daltile student competition. My inspiration piece was the painting "La Primavera" by Sandro Botticelli. This is personally one of my favorite paintings, so I had a lot of fun ideas. I tried to use very earthy or earth inspired colors like green, brown, and yellow to reflect the concept of being in a garden. I enjoyed playing with different tile combinations. This is actually part of a larger project I am working on, so the bathroom needed to be wheelchair accessible. To make it accessible, I added features like a roll-in shower, a separate water closet with grab-bars, and a sink that can be rolled up to. This was definitely a learning experience, but I enjoyed every part of it.

Gregory Kitchen Design

Designing this kitchen was a very different experience for me. I did not realize just how many details go into designing a kitchen. My inspiration piece was a few lines from the song "Arms" by Christina Perri. In the client brief, the family wanted a Palouse inspired color scheme (basically natural colors). I used different greens, yellows, and lighter browns to create a nature look. I also used granite counter tops. All of the appliances chosen are energy star. The counter height is lowered and certain appliance styles were chosen so that the entire kitchen is wheelchair accessible.

Seattle Trip

 I absolutely enjoyed our field trip to Seattle. We visited several product showrooms including Daltile, Sherwin Williams, Robert Allen, and Chown Hardware just to name a few. One of our days we had the privilege of job shadowing at different firms. I was placed at Collins Woerman. This firm does a lot of medical designs like hospitals and clinics; however, they also do other projects like convention centers and college dormitories. I was first given a little tour of the office, then I sat down with some of the different employees ranging from interior designers to architects who told me about their background and how they got to Collins Woerman. Later in the day I was taken through the design process of a current project. It was so interesting to see that some of the steps they take there are things I do in my studio class. One of the last things I did was talk to a former WSU student who worked for the firm. I learned so much and she gave me great advice. On the last day of our field trip, we visited St. Ignatius Chapel in Seattle. This Chapel was very unique with organic shapes and features. Overall this field trip opened my eyes to the variety of possibilities you can do with an interior design degree.
Here are some sketches from the Chapel: