DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Sean Lorenz

Claudia Romero

Capstone

09/14/2017

Senior Reflection

 

To reflect on one’s self is to understand not only the positive attributes but to also to understand and become self-aware of one’s faults. Capstone is an analytical process in which the past affects the present and future is a series of educated guesses derived from the past. How does what we learned and experienced at OTIS effect our ability to understand and incorporate this understanding into our prospected fields. For me, architecture has started to play a significant role in my life, and I am starting to see that this skill based knowledge I have absorbed is beginning to metastasize into my personal life. That everywhere I go, I view things differently. Analyze buildings and their context, how they interact with the surrounding environment, how people react to the build its self, what kind of emotion or use does this building create. I have become aware of both the social and environmental impacts that architecture can have on society and how we experience our built environment. I have become accustomed in the tasks to create a successful creative team collaboration and become a critical team member in how we as a cohesive union interpret and

implement communication and reasoning.

 

After analyzing my e-Portfolio and all my works from the past. I can see that regardless of what course was taken or the objective that was required, I have always tried to connect the work to my major in a prominent way. I believe that is a fundamental trait that should be emphasized throughout my career both inside and outside of school. The ability to connect architecture with every aspect of my life will create a sense of meaning. It will allow me to take something literal and logical, and create an abstract sense to derive a creative or conceptual design from it. The ability to view some natural like a tree or a stream, or even a piece of art and create a conceptually abstract base then comprehend this idea and create a literate and logical explanation is a priceless skill that a designer should strive for.

 

Though I don’t have much work to review since I am a transfer junior, creating a complicated process in trying to self-reflect and making my educational career at OTIS extremely short. I have learned much and grown both personally and professionally. I can’t quite give OTIS credit for creating my enthusiastic attitude and relentless work ethic. So when someone asks me, “Why spend so much time and so much money on a college education?” writing this reflection with definitely not be the answer. I will say that my professionalism and public speaking have increased exponentially. My ability to understand the process required to create a successful design and the connections I have made have become extremely important. My first-semester attending OTIS, I have received job offers from professors and colleagues, I participated in design contests and scholarship foundations. While excelling in many of design competitions within the architecture department and receiving multiple academic awards, I have gained attributes that are directly correlated to my major.

 

I am able to create spatial designs that are visualized three-dimensional while addressing culture, social, and utilitarian characteristics of humanity. I have gained the knowledge and ability to understand and apply architectural design theory and history in order to efficiently and creatively reinforce my designs. Producing concepts that incorporate principles of health, welfare, safety, and sociological systems. I have achieved outcomes by creating and composing both physical and digital design presentations accompanied by diagrams, plans, renders, sketches, and models to efficiently and coherently portray the creative process and final design. In addition to the creative aspects of my field. I have also absorbed the knowledge of basic structural fundaments and systems that allow all my designs to be realistically visualized. Implementing structural considerations, materials, finishes, functionality, and emotional experience.

 

For example, one of the more influential LAS courses that I took was the “Eames House.” It specifically studied and interpreted the influence that Charles and Ray Eames had on both the art and architecture culture. During the semester we were asked to join small groups and collaborate, creating a project that infused each major of the person involved with the panel. This was one the most creative and exciting design projects that I contributed to during my entire time here at OTIS. My group was made up of three fashion student and myself, an architecture student. We decided to studies the design concepts that the Eames used to drive the concept behind the forms and material used in their house located in the Santa Monica Hills. Then allows those spatial concepts to drive a line of clothing the fashion student created. My part was deconstructing what we viewed as important to the house and reverse conceptualize its characteristics into something abstract for the fashion line to have a basis for design. After the fashion line portion of the project was materialized, I then took key concepts driving the fashion line and creating an art piece acting as a buffer and a way to read the relationship between the fashion line and the Eames House.

 

In conclusion, my abilities to understand a program and create both a three-dimensional and two-dimensional conceptual diagrams have grown exponentially. In addition, the skills needed to then create something logical, structurally sound, and realistically viable have also been refined to a professional standard. The aspects required to work within a team environment and cooperate in a creative collaboration have also been refined. I am able to speak clearly and logically in front of people allowing me to have a professional attitude when working in teams, which is extremely important in a professional environment. OTIS College of Art and Design has fulfilled my expectations for a college education. Even in the considerable short two years of attendance, I have grown as a person and designer which will help me pursue a career in architecture and create a foundation if I pursue an alternative field in the creative industries.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.