Action verbs

Speculate
To speculate is to come up with an idea about something without having evident proof. Often in design and architecture as well as art we speculate about what the designer, architect or artist has done and the reasons for their work. It is human nature to speculate or question how or why people create. In Philip Johnson’s Glass House he creates privacy with a cylinder that houses the fireplace and bathroom. People speculated his theory behind this abstract idea.

Compose-suzannes drawing
"Composition mush be good first, but it must be beautiful as well."(Roth 501)The idea of composing something is that way you put it together. This can have a good or bad effect on the work you are doing given the way you place your information. In Suzanne’s drawing class we have been working on our graphics from either Fallingwater or Monticello. The way we compose our perspectives, elevations and floor plans depends on hierarchy and what we feel is the most import part to convey. Our window project was a major project of the week and the way each person chose to fill their composition was factor to be considered. I chose to fill the whole window so it looked complete and purposeful. When we were working with our fairytales we composed a story board shown below.

Energize-window project
The Oxford American Dictionary defines energize as the action of “giving vitality and enthusiasm to.” Stoel and Suzanne encouraged us as we were working with our window projects to make them 3-D. The purpose of this is so that your work has energy and is aesthetically more interesting to look at versus if the projects were flat. When drawing and using media it is important to add lights and shadows to your work because it energizes your drawing by making them pop off the page and look real. In history architects and designers have given buildings energy by adding details to attract the eye, also by lines in their work

Shape
"How [do] we shape and experience our structured spaces?"(Roth 57)In history we learn how architecture and design can shape the world around it. Design is to be aesthetically pleasing and to enhance a space. Designs are found throughout the world whether it be architecture, interiors, artwork or a number of other things. These make the world beautiful and more interesting.

Stretch
I feel that in our window projects this week we were pushed by our professors to stretch the MDF to fit the window. They wanted to see us utilize all the space we were given. By cutting the material and then creating a good composition I learned that you can successfully stretch a design. Often when designers think we tend to stretch our minds as far as we can to think differently as Paula Carr encouraged in her presentation a while back. In Suzanne’s class we learned to stretch our thinking of a presentation board. With the graphic project we steered away from the normal board presentation to a board where you get the feel of your space. In history buildings were stretched upward for reasons of space and delight, these buildings are called skyscrapers. In history "Brunelleschi 's desire to stretch human limits and to match the building achievements of the ancients was boldly exemplified..."(Roth 357) in his work.

Summary
The idea this week was about reflecting on your own work and what you need to think about as you do. Speculating what you can improve on in design. We compose spaces and buildings that attract people and bring them to a different place. In any piece of work you can energize it by using bolder colors or giving it more depth. Using the idea of shape and stretch you can transform your design into something different.