#is panel

Today's installment of the IS Lecture series was actual a panel of our tutors and others, discussing a number of different related issues to Interior and Spatial design.

One of the first things that was done in this time was a viewing of a TED talk by a Texan builder and designer, Dan Phillips, who incorporates recycled materials in his salvaged, affordable homes. This video is interesting in helping to understand how we use waste, mass, perception and continuity in order to understand information and space. In his talk, Phillips addressed the issue of the industrial revolution which shaped how we view organic forms and even waste, with the introduction of standard materials made from organic forms, much waste is manufactured during the production of these standard forms. Phillips also discusses Plato's ideal of perfection and how we struggle to create perfect forms from imperfect, blemished materials.

The second standout from this discussion time was the viewing of a video which looked at the Plaza phenomenon in New York, the video, by William H Whyte, an American sociologist, examined the popularity of the Seagram plaza against the disuse of other plazas in the area. By the permission of the New York City, companies could build higher towers, with more floors on the provision that they also included plazas as public spaces within the limits of their buildings. This video was a study on the use of the Seagram building's plaza; which looked at the construction and design of the area, by Mies van de Rohe. Whyte examined the use of the space through the patterns of sun and social movement.

Overall today's 'lecture' was an interesting insight into the ability of the internet to be a design tool in helping to understand design methodologies and inspiration for future and current projects.

Video Links:

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces;

<http://vimeo.com/5298850>

Creative Houses from Reclaimed Stuff