2/28/2015
As a 5th year Graduate Student with a summer’s worth of professional experience and an excitement for the future, I am fascinated to find out how to design for the modern world. I am going to talk about two articles that our instructor, David, had sent us over Christmas Break to ponder. They both get at the relationship between architect’s and their impact on the built environment.
The first article calls for architects to stop ignoring public perception of our work and no longer dismiss it with such astounding... (more)
2/18/2015
An interesting dynamic has become prevalent in the studios as we have progressed from first year architecture students to fifth year graduate students; and it’s not necessarily a good thing. Somehow, we have been hardwired to design in the absence of “idea-sharing”. Idea-sharing is basically collaboration, where creative thinking gets shared within a group. This allows a broader range of ideas and more flushed out solutions. I have seen from experience that when designers refuse to share ideas, careless flaws are over-looked and the end product seems incomplete... (more)
2/15/2015
Understanding the most fitting solution to Alma Kansas’ lack of shade for their city pool meant stepping back and taking an in depth look at Alma as a community. We spent time researching the history and development of Alma as well as contextual influences such as climate, community values, and connectivity. Collectively this process of understanding has led to the studio moving forward with the implementation of a shade structure that aims to serve more than one role for the park as a whole. When completed the structure will be multi-functional and will activate an underutilized portion of the park for year round community engagement... (more)
2/9/2015
What!? No red boxes? What is studio without red boxes?
As architecture students at Kansas State University APDesign we are accustomed to these items that house our computers and our belongings for an entire year. When we were told that there would be none of those in this studio due to a college wide shortage, we were shocked. In desperate need of a functional work area, our first project in the Design+Make Studio, was to design our desks…..but wait…..for only $700. Desks were the “make” focus but the desk was just a... (more)
1/29/2015
Previous Posts
With every passing summer a new academic year begins at Kansas State University, and with it a return of students to Seaton Hall. Last fall a new group of graduate students moved into the Design+Make studio at AP Design, continuing a tradition of design build at Kansas State University. Making ourselves at home, we immediately began the task of resuming the work of our predecessors. This year our clients include the City of Alma, Kansas, Washington University in Saint Louis, reStart Housing Services, Johnson County Facilities Management, and the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. With a diverse range of design opportunities offered... (more)