jessica howard

“President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act on the South Lawn of the White House on July 26, 1990. "Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down," he said that day.”

ADA | History

There are about 50 million Americans that are considered to be disabled. Only a short 27 years ago did the lives of people who were born with a disability, or became disabled, change for the better. Before 1990, people with disabilities were considered to be useless, threatening, and were considered pitiful. They were placed in institutions/asylums, segregated, and were not accepted by others in society. In the 1960s, when the civil rights act was passed, people with disabilities were not included. A decade later, people with disabilities finally became protected under the law by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 of the act states that, “individuals with disabilities are provided equal opportunity for employment within the federal government and in federally funded programs, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of either physical or mental disability. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act also established the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, mandating equal access to public services (such as public housing and public transportation services) to people with disabilities, and the allocation of money for vocational training. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passes which “ensured the equal treatment and equal access of people with disabilities to employment opportunities and to public accommodations. The ADA intended to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in: employment, services rendered by state and local governments, places of public accommodation, transportation, and telecommunications services.” ADA codes in Architecture became established on September 15, 2010, and were enforced on March 15, 2012.

 https://www.npr.org/2015/07/24/423230927/-a-gift-to-the-non-disabled-at-25-the-ada-improves-access-for-all

https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/disability-rights-movement

Elnathan Hall | Knoxville College | Education

Windsor Court Apartments | Inskip | Entrance

Elevator | Art & Architecture Building | Convenience

Water Fountain | Estabrook | Health

The water fountain in Estabrook is about 3.5’ tall. According to the ADA codes, water fountains must not exceed 36” (3’) tall. The 6” difference can make a huge difference to someone in a wheelchair. Usually there are two water fountains, one taller and one that meets the ADA code. Close attention to details in buildings will avoid the handicapped person from becoming limited, excluded, or injured.

Sidewalks | Downtown Knoxville | Maintenance 

Fire Stairs | Safety

In a fire or an emergency, handicapped people have a huge disadvantage that could potentially be life threatening. There are codes about egress and safety when it comes to getting able-bodied people out of a building, however handicapped people are expected to go to the nearest fire stair and wait for someone to help them. After the 9/11 attacks there was thought of how to provide more safety to handicapped people in emergencies. For example, areas of refuge to wait for assistance, staircases that are 48” minimum wide so that a person in a wheelchair can be carried down, means of egress elevators that would function in a fire, and protected exterior areas outside of the building to wait for assistance. It is not very often that these safety tactics are implemented into buildings. In most cases, the handicapped person is supposed to wait or hope a Good Samaritan will volunteer to help lead them to safety. Arthur Torrey, a Paraplegic, stated that fire stairs are, “one of the larger areas where those of us with handicaps are still treated as third class citizens.” I believe that safety, and establishing requirements for safe evacuation plans, should be one of the highest concerns for ADA codes.  

 https://www.unitedspinal.org/pdf/WheelchairFireSafety.pdf

1. More architecture should be more sustainable to protect natural resources and CO2 levels.

2. More architecture should be unique and playful instead of "cookie cutter" houses and buildings.

3. More architecture should incorporate nature.

4. More architecture should become smarter, for example using technology to make the architecture more practical.

5. More architecture should be more handicapped friendly and accessible.

The building vertically cuts the page symmetrally. The foreground is really dark and in shadow, making the building in yellow feel like it is glowing. All of the lines are very linear.

The Architecture program at the University of Tennessee is an amazing thing.  So far in this program I have had the opportunity to enrich my learning experience and further my knowledge of architecture and design. First semester I had David Matthews as my studio professor.  I think he was a great professor to start out with.  I learned a lot about design, design thinking, and the essence of space.  I immediately joined AIAS and was excited to be apart of a program that was fun to be in and help me grow as an architect.  I learned about different programs, practiced interviewing with people from firms, and went to South Quad in Savannah, GA.  The trip to Savannah was a ton of fun and I learned a lot. I learned about the historic city on a scavenger hunt, learned how to build a resume and interview adequate, ADA codes, and I was able to build friendships with some amazing people. As a class we also took trips to Nashville and Atlanta.  Even though I live in Nashville and have been to Atlanta, it was amazing to see the cities through an architect’s eyes for the first time. We were also given the opportunity to visit a few firms.  I think all architecture students should be exposed to many firms to get an idea of how different each one is and their goals, because one day we might work in a firm. This semester I have Bob French as my studio professor.  I not going to lie, he is tough and assigns a lot of work, but I’m enjoying all of it.  He is teaching us a variety of different things and holding us to a high standard. We have learned diagrams, plans, sections, elevations, furniture and joints, model making, how to design from reading a prompt, and regulating lines. Recently I joined an Architecture fraternity, Alpha Rho Chi. This is an amazing opportunity to make connections with students in other years and the allied arts. Through all these opportunities and amazing professors, I hope to graduate with a plethora of skills, connections, and opportunities.

Our second lecture was based around the idea of incorporating writing into design.  We read a few poems from two different books, one being Billy the Kid.  The lecturer described that in writing it is important to have structure and collage. I perceived this to be that when writing it is important to have organization, correct grammar, and a nice flow. However, it is also important to have many ideas come together to form a collage of ideas and thoughts.  This ties into what this semester has focused on in putting art into words and connecting many ideas through writing.  We have been learning to take art, information, readings, lectures, and our ideas to collage them into writing.  Just like there is a design process to architecture and design, writing is also a design process.  All the elements are woven together and strategically placed to emerge the reader into the design.  Architecture is more than the physical structure that you see. It is also the ideas of the designer.  In a piece of architecture, we are able to see into the creative mind of the architect. The lecturer also talked about how Architecture is building, idea, emotion and art.  When most people think of architecture, they think of buildings or houses, but to a designer it is much more than that.  It is as beautiful as poetry. The way space flows, the beautiful details that make the structure unique and the essence of the building are important aspects of the piece of architecture. Audre Lorde said, “Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives.  It lays the foundations for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before.”  Design is a process of many different elements coming together and what makes art great is how the designer can put it all together.

The monochromatic gray creates a tense, sad mood. There is a woman falling from the sky and a bird is watching her. The three objects create a triangle path- the woman's head points to the bird the birds beak points at the column and the column points back up to the woman's feet.

This mural has lots of variation in color and shapes.  There are many different patterns and overall its a little chaotic, but the use of only primary colors brings the piece together. 

The longer something is observed the more we discover.  At the first glace of this piece, I noticed the movement.  The viewers eye is drawn from the bottom of the page up towards the left, and wraps around to the right towards the falling objects. The longer I studied the artwork I saw that the falling objects appeared to make a face. So often we get caught up in our busy lives that we don’t take the time to look for the hidden secrets.  A famous quote by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe says, “God is in the details.” Meaning that the small details are an important part that gives the whole a meaning.  Within the details is where the beauty can be found.  An important part of Ambroziak’s 102 class are the warm-up observations. These have taught me to look at art for what is was designed to be rather than just glancing at it and moving on. The purpose behind most anything, especially art, it to be appreciated by others.  On Tuesday, we had a class activity that helped us with paying attention to details.  We were assigned a painting to observe then we quickly painted what we interpreted from our piece. Later, we we did the same task, but this time the rest of the class had to determine what was being diagramed.  In order to find out what was being painted, it was important to find the details that made each painting unique.  In The Anaesthetics of Architecture, by Neil Leach, it is stated that, “We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” Art is everywhere we look, and more often then not we don’t appreciate it for what it is.  We don’t take the time to find the meaning behind it, or create one for ourselves. Let’s try to pause more often to appreciate the details of art and life.

Photo: Madeline Stillwell – “Untitled Drawing Collage II” (2011)

This painting is a Japanese landscape from a mountains point of view. The colors are fading to a washed tone. The viewer’s eye is drawn to the bridge on the left hand side.  We can't see where the bridge starts, which leaves a mystery to what is around the corner.