Abstract:
Like all projects, an effective and successful building takes time to develop and detail so it may benefit the client and the public. A building should also add to the context that surrounds it and improve the quality of life of those who come in contact with it. To accomplish this, architects work through multiple stages of the design process. These stages include programming, schematic design, design development, and construction drawings. Each stage builds from the previous and as a student, we focus on the early stages of a design. The design process is the culmination of ideas, philosophies, and practices that are studied, changed, and altered in each stage of development. As a student, we work to improve our design throughout the course of study, but we must also make compromises with our peers and instructors to produce a better design. In order to further explain this, I give an explanation of the competition project and the stages of design that I followed to reach the final product of my design. Each stage is explained in relation to the studio section I was a part of and to the competition. These include programming" schematic design, and design development. The phase of construction drawings is not discussed because the competition did not require that amount of detail and finalization in the design. The research conducted and the changes made in the design are also included to further understand what informs an architecture student's design.
