Palouse Bathroom Design

For this design, as with my kitchen design, I was driven by the juxtaposition of both curves and more rigid forms that were drawn from my concept model. Both organic forms were the foundation for my selection of materials as well as colors because I wanted the space to evoke a more natural and simplistic aesthetic.

First and foremost, with this particular space, accessibility played a large part in the overall design. Due to the above-counter sink that I chose, I already needed to lower the counter, and made sure that the overall height of the sink met the ADA requirements. As with the toilet, enough space was allowed for side or even front access along with a grab bar placed the south most wall of the bathroom. To ensure that door clearance did not interfere with the 60" wheelchair turn radius, I also opted for a pocket door into the bathroom. Though another solution could have been to have the door open into the hallway, I found that storage areas and another entryway into an adjacent bedroom would make that impermissible.

Storage is an important inclusion in any bathroom and was no exception in this case. A large cabinet was designed into the room as well as additional storage placed underneath the counter. Ample lighting was also provided not only for tasks completed in the bathroom, but also to compliment and allow for such a dark wall color. In addition to wall sconces on each side of the vanity mirror, cove lighting was also incorporated into the space. Though I like the look of all white bathrooms, I chose to warm up the room and make it cozier by darkening the walls. All other materials, however, were selected to follow the clean and simple aesthetic that white bathrooms provide.

When completing my original drawings, I had not originally planned on incorporating any free-standing furniture into the space. I did, however have a free corner of space near the bathtub and instead of adding more storage, chose to add a chair in the event that maybe a parent and child could inhabit this apartment. Bathing for young children often requires accompaniment and extra seating accommodates that need and provides comfortability in a space filled with otherwise hard materials. Overall, I am very satisfied with the design, but might opt for a more creative approach when designing another bathroom.

Concept Development: Palouse Kitchen Design

As a starting point for this concept, I selected the song "Back Home" by Eric Clapton and proceeded to sketch ideas that surrounded the idea of these two great loves discussed in the song. As the lyrics say, the singer is saying how much he misses his home and the comfort he finds there, but is torn between his need to return home and his love for his life on the road. To illustrate these two competing ideals, I constructed a concept model that is composed of a curved central figure flanked by two linear "tracks", which represent the pull and push of conflict. From these developments in my concept, I then went on to start designing small elements that I wanted to incorporate into my spaces such as linear patterns, rectangular shapes that are overlapped, and small areas with curves to mimick the curvature of that central figure. Overall, I am satisfied with my concept, however am considering making small changes so that it is applicable to the various spaces I will design to ensure cohesion.

Palouse Kitchen Design



My revised concept statement goes as follows:

"Mimicking the staggered series of lines from the concept, materials and patterns were selected to provide stability and a sense of being grounded. The overall feeling is of comfort and solidarity, leaving the user at ease and at home."

With this design, I strived to incorporate both the rigidity and repetition of line found in my concept model as well as small areas with curvilinear lines. The juxtaposition in my concept was such an accurate portrayal of my song to me, that I found the integration of both forms very integral to my design. I kept the overall colors very neutral partly due to my own interpretation of how a home should feel. Neutrality and calmness are important characteristics that I associate with home and I opted for these when choosing my materials. I also considered the client, Seth's, request for more natural materials and used that idea as the foundation for my design decisions. The incorporation of small amounts of color, in this case a nice marigold yellow, was taken from my concept model color scheme.

An important goal with the space orientation, for me was to create small areas of interest within a large space. In the entryway I was able to create a desk/nook where bills can be paid or homework can be done. A bookcase on the opposite side of the entryway was included to estabilish a separation of space, entry from living. It also helps to break up the long wall and distinguish the main entrance door from one of the bedroom doors. I placed them close to avoid any conflicts with wall space in case a tv was placed on the east living room wall and then chose to add the open-sided book case.

With this project was confronted with several challenges surrounding the orientation of various elements of the space and how they communicate with each other. With each design decision, a result is created that had a direct effect on some other decision. Design is, in other words, a large puzzle. By spending copious hours researching the different options and solutions used by other designers, I was able to solve my own problems within this space as well as obtain knowledge that wiould easily benefit other designs. Though the design was difficult, it was all-in-all, a necessary learning opportunity that will improve my approach to design next time I am confronted with the chance to design a kitchen.

Ride, Don't Walk Accessibility

As an opportunity to understand the difficulties of manuevering in a wheelchair, I was able to visit some places that I see everyday and view them from another perspective. What I found in most cases, was that although for the most part, the designs might have met ADA codes, they were still unrealistic and hard to operate in for a person in a wheelchair.

 In this instance, the door clearance was enough for passage, however the space between the door and the back wall of the bathroom stall made accessibility beyond difficult due to lack of turn radius for a wheelchair.

 While in the wheelchair, I tried to reach into the bottom of the refrigerator and pull out a drawer. Although this might normally be considered and easy task, I was unable to pull out the drawer with ease because my chair was in the way. The only way to be able to reach the drawer would be to position myslef right next to the fridge, which put in directly in the way of the drawer. I would suggest higher drawers that are along the top portion of the refrigerator, making them more easy to reach.

While ordering my drink at the coffee bar that I usually visit everyday, I noticed that I was unable to reach the counter and was so low that I couldn't even see the baristas forehead. It was difficult ordering when unable to see her and because the counter was blocking my line of sight, it was also making so that she had a hard time hearing my order. Afterwards, I went to grab a napkin and had to have someone help me because I was unalbe to reach. The counter that the napkins were on was too deep and they were on a rack that was too tall. As an alternative, I would suggest lowering the condiments and napkins or even having them accessible in bins from the front so that they are not only reachable from the top.

In another bathroom stall, I expereinced the same problems as before, along with the difficulty that came with exiting the stall. The door was placed in an awkward spot in relation to the wall, which posed a problem for turning in the wheelchair. After much frustration, I was eventually able to exit the stall and the bathroom.
Another situation that I found very difficult was turning around in elevators. One elevator allowed enough room for me to turn around, however there was another in a seperate building that I could not fit in unless I turned the wheelchair. If there was, however, other people on the elevator, this would be nearly impossibly or at the very least, time-consuming.
Overall the experience taught me that in addition to simple ADA codes required for a space, practical clearances for wheelchair users need to be considered to allow them as much accessibility as possible. Having to use a wheelchair or any other walking aid is time-consuming enough, and poor design decisions only exacerbate that problem. We, as designers, have a duty to design for everyone and to make proper decisions that make live easier no matter a person's method of mobility.

Client Brief: Seth & St. Elmo's Apartments

St. Elmo's hotel has always been a staple in the small town of Palouse, Washington. In the past few years, however, it has been poorly taken care of and was in need of a facelift. This in turn led to Seth Anawalt, a local businessman, to take on the task who then looked for advice from our design students. From the client interview between both Seth and our design students, we were able to understand the key elements of the desidn that Seth was looking for. He is very interested in sustainable design as well as re-using as many materials from the original interiors as possible. He is also integrating spas and common areas into the design, which were important aspects for us to consider when designing. Among other various details such as materials, colors, and layouts, I was able to get from the interview that everything discussed in a meeting with a client has a meaning. By that I mean that a simple request from a client can easily be applied to multiple aspects of a design to ensure that we are meeting the clients needs. I also found that rigorous notes are very beneficial for referencing and that correspondence with a client throughout the process is very crucial. Although the correspondence hasn't played a large part in our designing of the space, I was still able to take from this interview all the important aspects that need to be considered in the process of designing for a client.

Context Poster: Sustainable Kitchen Remodel

With this case study, I had the chance to overview a remodel with the intent of creating a new space that reflected sustainable and functional values. Green materials were carefully chosen and helped to make the new space less wasteful and longer-lasting over time with low-maintenance. From this case study, I was able to better understand the different components that go into a kitchen remodel as well as become more cognizant of various sustainable materials available today. This also provided to be a great opportunity to see the various problems and solutions considered in a remodel in terms of functionality.