HOLABIRD and ROOT

In a group of 3 we came up with different templates for our poster. We ended up combining ideas from all templates to make a contextual investigation poster of architects (one each) of our choice during the time period 1890-1930. The architect firm I chose was Holabird and Root, a firm located in Chicago, Illinois. The original firm started out as Holabird and Roche, but a new partner was brought in in the 1920's and it became Holabird and Root. This firm is still practicing today. Designers are one part of a visual culture that includes art, architecture, and design, and it is very important to have an understanding of what has happened in the past to influence designers. This will not only help you understand styles, but will also aid as inspiration for projects.

Habitat for Humanity

The team of designer's I was paired up with on the Habitat for Humanity project was June Cai and Erica Buehlmeir. We were tasked with designing a Habitat for Humanity home. Habitat houses are simple, decent and affordable. The habitat houses are modestly-sized. The design of a habitat home is to reflect the local climate and culture. The labor of volunteers and partner families, efficient building methods, modest house sizes and no-profit loans make it affordable for low-income families to purchase Habitat houses. The needs for this Habitat home included a maximum 1,280 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a single car garage. A couple challenges we faced was the narrow lot size and to include the garage within the square footage of the plan. We were able to fit three bedrooms, one on the main floor and two more upstairs, as well as a decent size family room upstairs. We also obtained a very open design on the main floor with the kitchen, dining room and living room sharing a common space. Not only did we come very close to meeting Habitat for Humanities square footage but the front facade of the house blends nicely with the existing neighborhood. The house does have some limitations with minimal hall space throughout due to utilizing every square inch for living areas. Overall the design is very inviting from the front porch flowing into the inviting living, dining and kitchen area while still leaving enough room for three bedrooms and two baths.