New Arrival: Flexible Composite Materials

In our flurry of interior design-centric posts these past few weeks, we lost sight of one of the coolest features of  the Architecture & Planning Library: the NEW BOOKS TABLE! As someone who frequently makes impulse purchases of books over fashion (seriously – my roommate was totally confused by the three boxes of books that arrived in one week, and equally confused by my uncontrollable excitement), few things make me happier than a table full of new opportunities for discovery.

In one of my courses, we’ve spent a number of weeks documenting campus buildings and figuring out exactly how their components work together to form a both a functional and beautiful architectural system. This has rekindled my awareness of one of the reasons architecture fascinates me so much: how in the world does it work?

In a new book called Flexible Composite Materials in Architecture, Construction and Interiors, the behind-the-scenes is revealed for built projects around the globe that employ complex textile membranes as major design features. The book is divided into three sections: textile materials and their properties; materials and their uses in architecture, interior design, solar protection, and facade treatments; and various examples of applications with a series of select projects in countries ranging from Switzerland to Saudi Arabia.

This book starts by addressing exactly how textile membranes are engineered, delving into fiber recycling and the principles of load analysis, cable tension, curvature, and more. The steps involved in realizing intended forms are explained with a high degree of clarity, boiling down the processes of solving complex equations and making underlying concepts accessible by anyone. (I sent a few snippets of text to a friend who works as a structural engineer, and even he said that the descriptions were more clear than some of his former textbooks; I’ll take his word on that!). I especially appreciate this insight into manufacturing details, as many texts that highlight architecture projects tend to pass the early phases up in favor of more impressive photographs of the end result. In my opinion, the design process is just as interesting as the final product.

Featured applications include bicycle shelters, major athletic stadiums, pop-up exhibition and performance spaces, building cladding, external branding, solar protection through translucent panels, and much more. The text mentions that textile research closely observes our natural environment, and has the opportunity to evolve from being our second skin to “our building’s second skin”, all while being protective AND visually inspiring. This concept lines up with architecturally-related sustainability ventures that are consistently being pursued around the world today.

If you’re like me and easily fascinated by feats of architecture and construction, or interested in the research of new materials that contribute to breakthroughs in the fields of sustainability or structural engineering, I highly recommend immersing yourself in the processes and results outlined in this book. If anything, it will really make you want to attend a major European soccer game – those stadiums are out of control!

Call Number: NA 4160 F59 2013

Check out more new available books on our Recent Arrivals Feed.

Interior Design Research Tools: Research Design Connections Archive

For part three of our installment of interior design research tools, we’re highlighting the incredible ease of use of the Research Design Connections Archive (RDC), one of the many paid subscriptions that UT Libraries maintains on behalf of University of Texas students, faculty and staff. Containing over 1,800 archived articles and blog posts, RDC offers a wide array of search tools that you can utilize to craft even the most specific results possible.

Unique to this database is its attention to these combination options. A special emphasis is put on behavior and special populations, two factors that are seminal to the design experience, but are sometimes overlooked in favor of trends or stylistic features. A specific setting is also offered as an option to narrow your search, which presents monumental ease if you’re zooming into a specific category of design.

Perhaps my favorite trait about this database are the links under the search bar. Instead of simply stating the titles of articles as their headline, they pose the question they explored in order to facilitate a design conversation. I am continuously thinking in questions: what is the most suitable material for a bar countertop in a high-traffic restaurant? How much energy goes into maintaining a temperature-controlled art gallery? How much pattern is too much pattern? I truly appreciate RDC’s database organization, which grasps exactly how designers are thinking whilst performing research.

Though there are hundreds of electronic research tools available for designers, we hope that our assessment of three that we find especially helpful: IIDA Knowledge Center, InformeDesign, and Research Design Connections Archive – helps you in navigating the endless foray of knowledge that can sometimes complicate or hinder the research process.

Why Digital Research Matters: An Insight into Open Access

When I arrived at work on Monday, I performed tasks as usual, including monitoring our Twitter feed to promote any articles that were pertinent to the clientele that we serve here at the Architecture & Planning Library. However, with the commencement of Open Access Week 2013, I was particularly searching for commentary that reflected the importance of open access in research. That’s why when my eyes skimmed over the following 140-character headline, I couldn’t click the associated link fast enough:

Hours of research went into this one — UT is naming more buildings after donors, less after faculty than ever before: http://bit.ly/1azwbsh

The above is a feature by The Daily Texan‘s Bobby Blanchard, and one that was immediately captivating, largely because of its relevance to architecture as a viable tool for marketing and promotion.

Though the topic is certainly contentious, Bobby’s article highlights just how much information can be extracted from sources that are openly accessible to the public. I briefly messaged Bobby to see where he obtained most of his information, and he referred to the Texas Exes website and subsets of the University of Texas at Austin site. He also checked out a book from PCL – Brick by Golden Brick by Margaret C. Berry (also available in our Reference Collection here at the Architecture & Planning Library) – to piece each building together into a cohesive collection. It’s incredible that the digital connectivity in our world – a connectivity that is almost passive because of its prolific nature – can give us the ability to gather a conclusive set of information and, in turn, create a new set of data that becomes readily accessible as well.

A screen grab from Bobby’s article shows how his research was translated into a visual form of communication.

Though most of Bobby’s digital resources were not scholarly publications on an open access platform, his findings give insight into how digitally accessible information has the potential to be monumentally influential in the field of research. Bobby’s article could easily serve as an excellent base for an intensive research venture focused on how philanthropy affects college campuses across the nation, and lead into comparative studies between public and private institutions. The ability for this information to be presented in an online article that can be accessed with the click of a mouse across the world is a staggering thought, a modern-day ability that would have only existed in a dream world no more than a few decades ago.

I firmly believe that the library in its most historic form will never become obsolete. And I fully recognize the inherent credibility issues with open-access platforms, which are displayed and discussed in another article by The Daily Texan. However, the overarching goal of open access research – “the practice of providing unrestricted access via the Internet to peer-reviewed scholarly research” (via Wikipedia) – is one that keeps up with our fast-paced, time-restrictive, and increasingly digital world. With Bobby’s article as a student example, information that’s a click away has the potential to spur research that affects myriad disciplines across the world.

You can access Bobby’s original article here.
If you’re a Twitter-a-holic like the rest of us, you can follow Bobby at @bobbycblanchard and The Daily Texan at @thedailytexan. 

The University of Texas Libraries are only halfway through their week-long celebration of Open Access! Find out which campus events you can still attend here.

Interested in learning more about the history of the UT campus? Titles with content similar to Brick by Golden Brick include The Texas Book, The Texas Book Two, and The University of Texas at Austin: An Architectural Tour.

Journal Feature: Interiors & Sources

In honor of Open Access Week, this week’s journal feature ties in our October-long celebration of interior design with the aspect of community. Our past journal features have largely focused on periodicals that highlight the holistic finished product of a design, including project summaries and architectural drawings. This week’s feature, however, zooms into the pieces that make a cohesive design happen: its materials.

Interiors & Sources, a monthly American publication, puts the spotlight on manufacturers and how their products are applied to interior projects. In the September 2013 issue, Interiors & Sources highlights pro-bono work around the country, nonprofit companies that are creating real change, and designs that have the ability to pull people away from their smartphone-ridden lives.

One of the September features is on Connie Duckworth’s Azru Studio Hope, a textile company that employs women in rural Afghanistan. Azru Studio Hope provides women with looms in their homes to create hand-woven rugs for both residential and commercial use, designed by notable figures such as Frank Gehry and Michael Graves. In a tumultuous country that struggles with gender equality, these women are now viewed as viable economic units to their families, and are reviving native craft techniques in the process. In addition to a stabilizing income, Azru Studio Hope’s social contract with its employees helps educate their children, gives pregnant mothers-to-be access to medical assistance, and, above all, creates a stable, centric community.

In addition to incredible nonprofit ventures in the design sector, Interiors & Sources highlights materials and their creative application to interiors. Flooring, unique ceramic tiles, wall coverings, technology, and more are explored, giving insight into new styles, trends, and case studies, including Harlem’s Hamilton Grange Teen Center. Each section finds unique ways to tie product and design goals back to the overarching theme: community.

Interiors & Sources journals are typically less than 100 pages and give a great month-by-month assessment of what’s happening in the world of design materials today. Though each spread was incredibly informative and full of sage advice for designers, perhaps our favorite quote came directly from the editor herself, Erika Templeton:

“…designers spend most of their time working through the chaos of day-to-day life, affecting real change and facing challenges that ultimately lead to a better way of living.”

And we couldn’t agree more! From one community to the next, designers – functioning as a tight-knit community themselves – are making real change in ways that resonate beyond material selection and a set of drawings.

What an incredible industry to be a part of!

Explore our selection of the most recent issues of Interiors & Sources in Battle Hall’s Reading Room.
Call Number: NK 1700 I64 September 2013 v. 29 no. 9

Interior Design Research Tools: InformeDesign

The 101 Years of Interior Design celebration at UTSOA is only a week away! To keep up with our October interior design focus here on our blog, we’ve selected InformeDesign as another research tool to showcase the importance of research in the design world.

Last week we featured IIDA’s Knowledge Center, a phenomenal tool to quickly access case studies, conference papers, theses, and more. InformeDesign is a similar format, and is also FREE!

InformeDesign, developed by the College of Design at the University of Minnesota, has a clear-stated mission statement to facilitate the integration of research and design practice through an easy-to-access, easy-to-read website. Here at the library, we think that’s an essentiality, which is why we’re so thrilled about this database!

Although the website is currently idle and unable to add new content, a wealth of previously uploaded scholarly journals are accessible. The search box is simple, and accommodates various terms and of levels of complexity. I started with a generic search in ‘sustainability’ and moved to ‘sustainable lighting’ – both with results that were both broad and specific, but all within relevancy.

When you click on a link of interest, InformeDesign offers a clear, organized, and concise page highlighting the essential elements of an article. Perhaps the most useful are the Design Criteria and Key Concepts categories, which outline the purpose of the study and the factual results. Though the results do not link you directly to an article, they give you all of the bibliographic information at the bottom if you choose to access the research in its entirety. For those that are seeking quick results with actual data and conclusive summaries, InformeDesign is perfect for you!

You can also create a free InformeDesign account to save articles and add commentary. All things considered, InformeDesign is a wonderful research tool for quick access to a staggering amount of useful design studies.

Happy researching, designers!

Journal Feature: Frame

This week’s journal feature highlights Frame, a European bi-monthly design periodical. The most recent September/October 2013 issue offers two-page quick-spreads of noteworthy designs from around the world, ranging from an illuminated night club in Portugal, a historic hotel in Malaysia, and the transformation of a power station to a cultural center in the Netherlands. In addition, Frame’s pages are studded with competitions and installations, often documenting the creative process behind unveiled designs with pictures, sketches, and models.

In the Features section, selected projects of specific architects and design firms are explored in depth, delving into the design process and project goals through interviews with the designers themselves, including two separate teams of brothers located in New York City. A portion of this issue’s Features section is dedicated to design in Brooklyn, showcasing projects that adhere to local roots and pay special attention to where their materials are sourced from. This spread brings forth the reclaim and reuse trend that has taken hold in recent years, and gives spectacular depth into the ethos of designers who value quality in modern craft.

Frame also showcases pioneers of eclectic design in their Portrait section, or those that don’t fit easily into one broad category of creative ingenuity. Paying tribute to the London-based designer Faye Toogood, the inspiration behind the “Get Raw” cover of this issue, Frame explores the diverse skill set and dynamic design ideas behind those who practice in a cross-discpline environment. Once again, through interviews, stunning photography, and vital artist quotes, Frame offers invaluable insight into the minds of those who have made design their livelihood.

The Reports section offers the same depth and insight as the designer interviews, but with product manufacturers and craftsmen that are so key to the realization of designs. Cotton, handcrafted wood, acoustic panelling, and more are brought to focus, their innovative design applications exposed. For designers, keeping up to speed with the most cutting-edge products available is essential, and Frame offers a behind-the-scenes insight into what drives the creativity of those in the manufacturing realm.

The 224-page issue of Frame is full of captivating curiosities and a wealth of design inspiration. Each page is inviting and educational; even the advertisements take you on a miniature design journey that often left me subconsciously envisioning the perfect space for a product to shine. Frame‘s unusual depth into the diverse world of design practitioners, transcending the realms of interior design and architecture into industrial design and installation art, is showcase of the beauty behind myriad creative individuals working towards a common goal: great design.

The September/October issue of Frame, along with four more of the most recent bi-monthly issues, are available for use in our Reading Room. There’s a good chance you might find me sitting at a nearby table, still flipping through each page… if that’s the case, just ask me to share – I promise I will!

Call Number: NK 1700 F73 no. 94

For more of everything Frame, keep up with them on Facebook or Twitter.

An awe-inspiring oculus: James Turrell’s Skyspace Installation

We are thrilled about “The Color Inside”, a new Skyspace installation by renowned artist James Turrell. Commissioned by Landmarks, the university’s public art program, Turrell’s piece is located on the roof of the Student Activity Center (SAC) and was designed specifically for the University of Texas at Austin.

“The Color Inside” is one of twelve Skyspace pieces open to the public in the United States and the eighty-fourth created by Turrell. The Skyspace itself is a naked-eye observatory where visitors look up through an oculus, an opening in the ceiling, towards the sky. The installation is best witnessed at sunrise and sunset, when the observatory is flooded with a vivid sequence of LED lights that contrast dramatically with the natural sky above. Throughout the experience, the viewer’s perception of depth, color, and light is challenged. In the words of our friends at the Harry Ransom Center, visitors often leave “more attuned to the surrounding environment — as if the mind, used to believing that the sky is blue without ever taking notice of its true color, has been recalibrated”.

James Turrell’s work is of special interest here at the Architecture & Planning Library due to the architectural nature of his Skyspace installations. By pairing a built space with the striking effects of light, Turrell is able to manipulate viewers’ preconceived perceptions of the world in which they live. The result is sublime: an almost sensationalist effect on emotion and sensory experience.

“The Color Inside” officially opens to the public this Saturday, October 19. In honor of the opening, the Harry Ransom Center has pulled a selection of artwork and books associated with James Turrell for display on their third-floor Director’s Gallery. This collection is a fantastic complement to the installation itself, and offers insight into Turrell’s artistic progress throughout his famed career.

In addition, a conversation with James Turrell will be held with Lynn Herbert, former senior curator of Houston’s Contemporary Arts Museum, on Friday, October 18. No reservation is necessary and it’s free to the public, but limited seating is available. Swing by the Student Activity Center Ballroom (SAC 2.410) at noon to hear this great segway to the opening event.

Please visit the installation’s official website for more information. We encourage you to make a free reservation as soon as possible to witness this stunning commission first-hand!

Upcoming Event: Open Access Week

From October 21-25, The UT Libraries are participating in the national celebration of Open Access (OA) Week. “Open Access” refers to the free, immediate, and online access to scholarly research, as well as the right to use the information as needed. OA Week was initially created to “promote Open Access as a new norm in scholarship and research”, and is now in its sixth year.

The Libraries will sponsor an event each day of OA Week that reaches out to different campus communities. This is your chance to learn about Open Access and how it may affect any research you pursue!

Here’s a brief look at the daily schedule:

Monday, October 21: Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Tuesday, October 22: Open Access Panel Discussion
Wednesday, October 23: Open Educational Resources: Past, Present, Future?
Thursday, October 24: RIP: A Remix Manifesto Movie Screening
Friday, October 25: Open Access Scholarly Publishing with Texas Digital Library

Follow UT Libraries’ blog for the most up-to-date information on this special week! A full lineup of events can be found here. All events are free, open to the public, and food and drink will be available to attendees while they last.

As OA Week approaches, we encourage you to refer to a recent editorial by The Daily Texan for more information on Open Access.

We hope to see you all at these phenomenal events next week!

Interior Design Research Tools: IIDA Knowledge Center

When sifting through the myriad resources available to designers, it’s easy to experience a legitimate information overload. Periodicals, drawings, essays, reports – encompassing style, technology, safety, products – there’s so much to uncover! However, we’ve accumulated some exceptional electronic research tools to help, and the IIDA Knowledge Center is one of them.

The International Interior Design Association‘s database does a fantastic job of concentrating a wealth of resources into one succinct and easy-to-use interface. A typical search results in access to relevant research papers, master’s theses, conference reports, specification guides, and more. Just getting started in your research? No problem – the Knowledge Center lets you filter your search by resource type, client type, or topic, which can put you on a fast track to finding the information that’s most relevant to you.

A test topic search for ‘hospitality’ results in a staggering amount of diverse resources, presented in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re falling into the electronic abyss of irrelevant hyperlinks. My favorite part about this database: the option to organize your search results by either relevance or topic. Choosing ‘topic’ creates clusters of links based on subcategories such as branding, space planning, color, and more – it’s so simple and time saving!

Regardless of how deep you are into your research for a design project, we hope the IIDA Knowledge Center can be an indispensable addition to your toolbox. Did we mention that it’s FREE?

Keep a look out – we’ll touch on some more electronic resources for designers in the upcoming weeks in honor of the 101 Years of Interior Design celebration!

Journal Feature: Architectural Record

To continue our interior design focus throughout October, we’ve selected Architectural Record as this week’s journal feature. Though likely more widely recognized in the American design world versus those we highlighted in last week’s post, we felt Architectural Record was a great periodical to feature this week because of their most recent issue: Record Interiors 2013.

This issue embraces all things interior, ranging from studies on 2013 restaurants, offices, and residences to product briefs on kitchen and bath tiles. Regardless of the issue, Architectural Record always does a fantastic job of integrating drawings, costs, product specifications, and exceptional photography into the summary of each space they feature.

We highly recommend looking through September’s issue, as well as keeping up with the subscription we receive in the Reading Room for detailed articles on beautiful spaces, design trends, and building technology. We’re always happy to continuously offer our journal subscriptions to our students as resources – free of cost!

Call Number: NA 1 A6 v.201 No.9

Happy reading!