about me
I am a second year M.Arch. student. My interests are in hand crafting, good design, design in developing countries, and everyday useful items that become beloved objects of the owner.
Hand crafting: a wooden cupboard is well made with dove tailed joints that fit perfectly; a dress is tailored and sewn to fit a single person; a wall is built out of stones that fit together without mortar and with barely a crack. All bring to mind the person who spent time making the item and how much they put into it.
Good design: my ski jacket that has pockets, clips and snaps exactly where I want them; the speed square that has the measurements I need and the lip to hold it in place; my sewing machine that has buttons for just what I want and nothing more to clutter up the control panel. Designs that assist the user with exactly what they need to accomplish and nothing extra that gets in the way.
Design in developing countries: a vaccine bottle that changes color as it spends time outside of the cold chain; the belt made of palm fronds that helps a man climb a palm tree; a flower made of a recycled coke can. I appreciate objects that do not rely on the resources and infrastructure that we take for granted here or that compensate for the lack of such resources, and I like seeing designs for things we don’t even need here - who is climbing palm trees in downtown LA?
Beloved objects: the brightly colored tiffen box that I never use (actually, all tiffen boxes); the mug that holds the right amount of coffee, has heft, and is just slightly decorated; the blanket I bought in Mali that is made of extremely soft cotton and has a simple blue design woven into it. Some objects hold me more than just because they are useful or well designed. I have emotional connections to them, not sentimental attachments because of what they represent (a gift from a particular person, e.g.) but attachments to the objects themselves.
