Johnson, Louis
Bertus
Design 118
Sustainable Design
Sustainable design has always just made sense to me in terms of what we need to do as a global community to sustain life on this planet. Sustainable design can provide us with more than just a healthy community to live in, it can also reshape the way we think about the world in terms of use, re-use, energy, economics, environment, community, etc. There is more to sustainable design than purely just a green movement, it is a change in thinking and how we think about design. For too many decades we have given little thought to idea of limited supply, limited space, and limited resources. It is this carelessness that has created the need for more ethically responsible thinking about our environment and how are interactions impact it. The backbone of sustainable design is ethical, responsible, and progressive. It requires a completely different shift in thinking than we are accustomed to, but overall tends to implicit the solutions that make sense and appear to be socially responsible. The economics of sustainable design are there but require the notion that sustainability can be profitable by lowering the overall bottom line of traditional projects; public infrastructure for example.
Going back to what I said earlier, “ sustainable design just makes sense.” It seems that we must realize the wealth associated with a cleaner design. And it is a wealth that everybody can share since it belongs to no one but is shared by everyone. This will also train us as individuals to think less selfishly and more on a community level and a global level. Sustainable design can end the destruction of the natural world, and instead inspire the minds of its residents to prolong their own legacy as one of growth and prosperity, that doesn’t require the exploitation of the environment or its people.
Living in Portland, Oregon has always made me proud of the opportunities Portland has taken to be a model for a sustainable city, or a city that is making strives to better serve its residents by encouraging and investing into sustainable design. Metro’s Urban Growth boundary is particularly impressive as a way to encourage smart planning, better land use choices, and vertical growth within our city centers. Portland also has several landmark buildings that are LEED certified. And while LEED certification is not the measuring stick, or the cornerstone in sustainable design, it is notable from a local planners perspective as a step in the right direction. Eco-roofs are an attractive atheistic for urban rooftops but also valuable to diminishing the urban heat island theory. Wastewater recycling is a great initiative by the Water Bureau as well as parks designed with the water cycle in mind. Tanner Springs is a fine example of a park within a dense urban neighborhood that promotes these ideas.
I appreciate everything that designers are doing to promote sustainable futures for us. I respect the change in thinking that is necessary to develop designs that are both beneficial for the community and the environment. It is designs that are progressive and yet just make sense in terms of dealing with limited supply in a closed system. Sustainable design means making smarter choices in the present that will impact our future.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Charity Water: Finished Product
Several photos of the finished product. Blue lights kinda make it feel holiday or seasonal...but is supposed to represent water !
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Charity Water Project: Water Bottle Chandeleir
Photos of the construction and final product for Charity Water Project. We wanted to do something positive for this organization and constructing water bottle chandeleirs for sale to Portland State University administration seemed like a nice idea.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Russian Constructivism
Johnson, Louis
Communication Design
Bertus
Russian Constructivism
The art movement that I choose to discuss is Russian Constructivism, also known as Construction Art. Constructivism is coined around 1918 and widely described as a post World War I off shoot of Russian Futurism. Futurism being a movement that is often linked to the end of World War I and concluding towards the end of World War II. The Institute of Artistic Culture in Moscow helped define constructivism in 1920-22. Proclaimed as the combination of particular material properties of the object, and its spatial relationship to environment. Constructivists were inspired by revolution and the idea that a young Russia could shape their own futures.
Constructivism, particularly coming out of Russia (Former Soviet Union), represents an art that is strongly connected to a place in time that does not last very long. Elements, considering Futurism, are found throughout much of the iconic works of Soviet leaders and art representative of Communism. Aspects of this are also seen in Constructivism, which I find very appealing. Not heavily relying on a large color palette constructivism stays in tones of red with black and white. Geometry is heavily used and embodies the means of production with what could be hints towards modernism. Constructivism reminds us of the history of the Soviet Union and is very connected to its color palette of red, white, and black. Red signifies one of the most heavily used hues in Communism, if not what we sometimes think of when we see the color, or that which it represents. Furthermore, the simplicity of some of the compositions makes them more powerful and direct to the audience. Figures are not restricted from constructivism and the images of the human figure used are often in action, marching, building, athletics, etc.
Constructivism inspired a revolution in architecture attempting to apply a three dimensional cubist vision to wholly abstract non-objective constructions with a kinetic element. The architecture is just as interesting to look at as the art from this movement. Their relationship to one another is very apparent and draws from futurism heavily. Simplicity in shapes and minimalism is very interesting. The ideas definitely transcend from art to architecture and back again. It is the relationship between art and architecture that is especially interesting, and I find myself moving from one to the other.
Furthermore, I find constructivism as a movement that has still been an inspiration to today. Something that is particularly powerful about art is that it can transcend time and almost always finds a place for somebody somewhere. What is history to time and place for one culture is represented celebrated years later, regardless of the change in cultural values, or social priorities, we find the most fascinating compositions challenge our basic emotions or urges. Constructivism reminds us of a past that is familiar but misunderstood by a majority of western culture. Does the western culture find it more interesting because of our disinformation? Does it hold a special significance for the generations directly involved in WWI and WWII? It is questions like these that further my interest in this art movement.
Communication Design
Bertus
Russian Constructivism
The art movement that I choose to discuss is Russian Constructivism, also known as Construction Art. Constructivism is coined around 1918 and widely described as a post World War I off shoot of Russian Futurism. Futurism being a movement that is often linked to the end of World War I and concluding towards the end of World War II. The Institute of Artistic Culture in Moscow helped define constructivism in 1920-22. Proclaimed as the combination of particular material properties of the object, and its spatial relationship to environment. Constructivists were inspired by revolution and the idea that a young Russia could shape their own futures.
Constructivism, particularly coming out of Russia (Former Soviet Union), represents an art that is strongly connected to a place in time that does not last very long. Elements, considering Futurism, are found throughout much of the iconic works of Soviet leaders and art representative of Communism. Aspects of this are also seen in Constructivism, which I find very appealing. Not heavily relying on a large color palette constructivism stays in tones of red with black and white. Geometry is heavily used and embodies the means of production with what could be hints towards modernism. Constructivism reminds us of the history of the Soviet Union and is very connected to its color palette of red, white, and black. Red signifies one of the most heavily used hues in Communism, if not what we sometimes think of when we see the color, or that which it represents. Furthermore, the simplicity of some of the compositions makes them more powerful and direct to the audience. Figures are not restricted from constructivism and the images of the human figure used are often in action, marching, building, athletics, etc.
Constructivism inspired a revolution in architecture attempting to apply a three dimensional cubist vision to wholly abstract non-objective constructions with a kinetic element. The architecture is just as interesting to look at as the art from this movement. Their relationship to one another is very apparent and draws from futurism heavily. Simplicity in shapes and minimalism is very interesting. The ideas definitely transcend from art to architecture and back again. It is the relationship between art and architecture that is especially interesting, and I find myself moving from one to the other.
Furthermore, I find constructivism as a movement that has still been an inspiration to today. Something that is particularly powerful about art is that it can transcend time and almost always finds a place for somebody somewhere. What is history to time and place for one culture is represented celebrated years later, regardless of the change in cultural values, or social priorities, we find the most fascinating compositions challenge our basic emotions or urges. Constructivism reminds us of a past that is familiar but misunderstood by a majority of western culture. Does the western culture find it more interesting because of our disinformation? Does it hold a special significance for the generations directly involved in WWI and WWII? It is questions like these that further my interest in this art movement.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
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