Studio Update...

Oh my GOODNESS...... a lot of work this weekend.  I am ridiculously excited to return to Phoenix to not only see my family but to also visit my site since the City of Tempe finally opened the area to the public the other month.  I really hope to get some great pictures, answer some questions and hopefully get inside... wonder if the possibility of getting arrested for breaking and entering will affect my resume.. hahaha kidding... I need one of those remote control camera small car things to send in!  I am also anxious to walk around the Mill Avenue area and remind myself of the type of people that go there to hang out and to see how people react around the mill.  Im hoping people will be attracted to the site now that the fence is down and I can see the type of people who are interested in it.

Flying...

While trying to keep a steady access to the internet to get work done, I have realized how much I take it for granted...  It naturally feels like something that I should have at all times due to my phone, home connection, school connection, Starbucks connection....etc.  funny how spending more time than you trying make something work makes you realize how many things we have that we take for granted... even something as dumb and time consuming as the internet...

I have to say flying is not something I enjoy.  I always have the worst of luck.... have a bag stolen, camera blows up, flight is canceled because plane mechanics are not functioning, getting stuck in a place I hardly know..etc.. But I have to say one benefit is that I am forced to sit and take time for myself... think... I can listen to inspiring music, work on my studies, and catch up on a simple pleasure of watching a favorite movie.  That is what I like best and the only other thing I need is a foot rest and a comfier seat... tastier flight meal service would not be bad either...

Inspirational Furniture

Sutherland- Marian Chair

Illusion Coffee Table by Essey

Artemide Lighting

Hydrology Chicago

Caesar Stone Sink

Limestone Gallery of London

Janus et Cie

Plans

I am so excited to get my plans when I go to Phoenix this weekend.  I feel as though I am ready to start blocking out my space, figuring out square footage's, and creating my floor plan. Im also anxious to seeing the complications of my space and the issue I am going to run into.

This picture makes the building look so creepy like its haunted! Wonder if it is?!

A Few Good Men

This movie is one of my favorites and it was on amc tonight.  It makes me want to ask one of the marines I know if there really is such thing as a code red.  It also made me question why there is such tension between the different sections of the military like the marines and army.  I find it funny considering in the end they all need each other to stay alive.

More Inspiration

For my hotel, I am influenced by a few main things.  One is combining the industrial background of the flour mill with a modern design.  Another is about the history of Tempe from the Hohokam Indians to the first settlers.  And finally I am influenced by the nature of the land and how it was the grain from the surrounding area that supported the community, began the mill, and therefore created jobs and a way of living.

Here are some pictures that I have found that follows under these categories:

Frank Lloyd Wright- I admire how he incorporated architecture into the landscape and used indigenous materials in his design.  He also worked well with adapting buildings to take advantage of the natural amenities that the environment provided.

Adobe Brick- People used natural resources from the land to create a material for their homes that worked well with keeping temperature and etc.

The Penstemon parryi plant and Agave plant.  I like the color of the Penstemon parryi and the spiral geometric shape of the agave plant.

AZ camelback Mountain and AZ Slot Canyons

Antique Flour Grinder

Hohokam Weaving

Hohokam Blanket

Metropolitan Museum of Art

I was a little kid in a candy store in the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I went to NYC in January!  Here were some of my favorite works out of a million pictures:

Georgia O'Keefe

Inspirational Artists

As I have been looking for inspiration for my hotel design, I have come across some interesting modern artists:

Art made from trash:
Derek Gores- uses magazine clippings to make these collages

Heather Jansch- creates horse sculptures from tree branches

Andrew Chase- creates sculptures out of recycled machinery parts

Abstract Art:

Mark Francis- creates artwork by painting layers of resin and stacking them

Dorthea Rockburne- 

The Proof of Desire is Found in the Habit of Response

Folded waterleaf paper and watercolor on museum board

Overwhelmed

Since I am designing a boutique luxury LEED Platinum Hotel in Tempe, Arizona, I have been doing a lot of research about the planning, marketing, business, and designing of a hotel.  Today it hit me that there is ALOT that goes into it!!  I had a minor anxiety attack as I was writing post its of what I need to add to my program and I learned about things that I would not think of!  There is so much that goes into creating the front of house and the back of house and at the same time, both are very separate and a lot of the work that goes behind running a hotel must be completely hidden from guests so they keep a sense of ease and relaxation.  Looking at my site, this will definitely be difficult.  There are attractions surrounding every part of the building that need and should be accessible to guests...If you are ever thinking about doing a hotel for a capstone let me tell you this... you will not only b designing a hotel but an office, restaurant, event venue, and in my case residential, retail, museum, club and bar!  Its going to difficult but I LOVE it and I'm very excited!  I just hope I don't run out of time...

"Don’t give up. I believe in you all. A person’s a person no matter how small.” - Dr. Suess

Hotel Sezz St. Tropez

I absolutely love the design of Hotel Sezz by designer Christopher Pillet.  What I love about the design is the neutral color palette with pops of color and clean lines.  I also like the choice of natural and modern materials and the openness of the design.