Blog #11

BLOG #11 PSC

            In our Materials course with Dr. Gaines we received the privilege to tour PSC Architectural Firm. (Parkhill, Smith, & Cooper). The firm was established in Lubbock, Texas in 1945 and has now expanded in several places in the South Western Region of the United States. The company holds true to their goal of sustainability. The firm itself employs over 200 people that are all divided into categories: architectural, interiors, engineering, and landscape design. The Building in Lubbock, Texas is LEED certified. The company is proud to say they are one of the first LEED certified buildings in the West Texas area.

            The field trip started off in the conference room. We had a great discussion on what architecture and interior design is really like in the real world. I felt extremely educated after leaving the conference room alone. I learned about the different factors of what being LEED certified truly is. The one word that will forever be stuck in my mind is sustainability. I did not quite understand what that meant before the field trip. I now know that there are many factors that create a sustainable product or building.

            After the conference room, we got the privilege of touring the firm itself. Two different buildings divide the company. The first building is where everyone met in the conference room. We were told that typically this is about as far as anyone will get into the building unless you are an employee or under certain circumstances. I felt honored! After leaving the conference room we toured through the main areas where the architects, engineers, and interior designers do all of their work. It was a great experience to see what the actual working environment for a designer could potentially be for me in the near future.

            I really enjoyed this field trip. I learned an incredible amount of information and am so happy that I got to tour a LEED certified building for the first time. I know that this field trip is going to be beneficial for the rest of my career. My favorite part of the field trip was seeing the break down of how a green roof is set up. I never thought about the reality of what would be a better insulator then natural earth and greenery itself. This field trip was an eye-opener that will forever be a memory. 

Blog #10- Jeff Seal Homes of Distinction

Jeff Seal Homes of Distinction

            Last week our class went on a field trip to tour a few under construction homes built by Jeff Seal. This was an excellent learning opportunity for our class to visually see all of the elements that go forth during the construction of an architectural space.  Jeff Seal builds custom homes that if wanted could match European design.  

            Jeff Seal had a lot of excellent advice for student designers but one thing that really stuck was describing his idea of a finished home. His goal is to consider a house complete when it feels and looks like a beautiful completed home without the elements of furniture and accessories. In the first home, everything was customized. The clients described exactly what type of rooms they wanted in each space as well as the style of home they wanted to live in. They chose a European design that entailed similar brickwork and vaults. The lighting was perfect for the European design that they were trying to achieve.

            Jeff Seal had one interior designer named Abby, who was credible for creating all of the drawings for the details and finishes of the house. The door was custom made and Abby hand drew the door and then got it approved by Jeff and the Clients and the door was created. She also drew all of the cabinetry and picked out all of the lighting. It was really cool to see how much work interior designers actually put into the design and construction of an architectural structure.

            The second house was extremely large. Jeff and Abby described it as a castle. The entry door had to be the biggest door I have ever seen on a home. It went all the way to the top of the house. (two stories). In each of the houses that we toured he had integrated great use of different types of vaults and domes. Especially in the second house, it had combinations of domes, groin vaults, and tunnel vaults.

            I really enjoyed this field trip because it was fun to see the raw elements of a house under construction. Jeff Seal is a very talented architectural designer and I am so happy I got to see some of his work and learn about Jeff Seal Homes of Distinction. 

Blog #9 - Leftwich Chapman Designer Floors

Leftwich Chapman Designer Floors

            Last week our Materials class went on a field trip to Leftwich Chapman Designer Flooring Company office and showroom. Larry Leftwich personally spoke to the class about the company, what they do, and what different types of products they carry.  I really enjoyed Larry Leftwich’s presentation of the showroom. He gave the impression of representing a very friendly and professional business. The showroom was very impressive and was designed in the perfect setting to market and sell products. The customer can walk around the store and easily see each and every sample of the products on display. The store displays a variety of different products including: rugs, carpet, stone, glass tile, ceramic, wood, laminate and vinyl flooring; shutters; and blinds.

            There was an incredible display of different types of wood flooring and products that appear similarly to the hard wood floor look. There was bamboo, cork, and leather flooring. These were very interesting to me because I had never seen this before. I wish I could see the products applied in an actual room and not a 3x5 foot rectangle spot on the floor of the showroom. My class has multiple questions about the durability and quality of the bamboo, cork, and leather floors. Larry Leftwich was very honest in his opinions and known facts about the products. The most impressive of these three floor types is the leather. Originally I thought that the leather would scratch, crack, or tear easily but, Larry Leftwich pulled a coin out of his pocket and began to scratch the leather floor vigorously, the class soon realized that this floor may be durable and have sustainability after all.

            My favorite section of the showroom was the Kitchen Showroom area. He had a very aesthetic arrangement of different tile sample boards set up all over the area. I felt like I was in a jewelry making store looking all over the place at the many assortments of different beads, only in different types of glass, ceramic, metallic and stone backsplash and flooring. They had so many beautiful assortments and arrangements of tiles for the backsplash. I left Leftwich Chapman Designer Floors with exciting new design ideas. At the time in Dr. Gaines materials class we were working on a bathroom design project. I wanted to incorporate a mosaic tile arrangement on several of the walls in the bathroom but I was not having any luck finding samples in the resource room at school or Home Depot and Lowes. I decided to call Leftwich Chapman to see if they possibly had any product samples that they a no longer needed. I was so nervous to ask but, the employee that I talked to was so friendly and helpful she told me I could come in at 9:00am the next morning and she would have some stuff set out just for me and this particular project. I was honored and felt very lucky to have this designer product company allow me to come in and sort through there samples and find things for my project. I had lots of success and found many great glass tile and stone floor samples that matched perfectly for the design that me and my partner in the project were going for.  This field trip was a wonderful experience and I hope after I graduate, I will be able to do business with Leftwich Chapman Designer Flooring.

Blog #8- Collins Tile and Stone

Blog #8- Collins Tile and Stone

            This week our class was privileged to go on a field trip to Collins Tile and Stone.  Collins offers the finest stone fabrication and installation in Lubbock and the surrounding area. They work with all kinds of projects from commercial jobs to simple residential jobs. The company had a major fabrication facility for polishing and cutting stone into the shape, size, and extra features that a client needs. They are considered to me one of the most advanced facilities in the Greater South Plains.

            When the field trip and tour began we all gathered around a small showcase kitchen that was ornamented in a variety of different glass and stone tile designs. The employee talked about the wide variety of stones that he carries in the store. It was interesting to see how there was a group of about six granites that he buys in bulk and are considered to be the most popular and standard granites being used in the area for the time being. Looking at the different types of granite I instantly could name a place that I have seen that same granite in the Lubbock area and all around Texas for the most part.

            He was very informative on how many different types of stone surfaces are available as resources in the design world. I found it very interesting how the same type of stone found in different regions of the world have completely different appearances or have very similar appearances that is also considered evidence in world history and geography of the theory of continental drift.  I really enjoyed learning about how different stones are better in certain areas. Some are more durable such as granite. Granite is better for a kitchen countertop then marble would be because marble stains very easily. The good thing is we can still use the beautiful stone marble in places such as a bathroom. He had many interesting and informative facts that will be helpful for the rest of my life in the design world. It was a great learning experience.

            After meeting in the kitchen showroom we were escorted to the outside of the building where the slabs of stone are housed. This was an awesome experience to see the different cuts of granite, marble, and several other stones.  Seeing the slabs up close is a great experience to really see and feel the texture and pattern of the stone. Collins Tile and Stone had a variety of slabs that ranged in many different prices. The most important thing I learned about the slabs is that you cant buy half of a slab you have to buy the whole thing. For example, if you need two and a half slabs of granite to cover your kitchen you have to buy three. After touring the area that holds the huge slabs of stone the employee took us through the back warehouse part of the building where the advanced fabrication and polishing facility is located. There were a lot of employees back there each running there own section of the machinery. The machines were enormous and very fascinating to watch in action. When the tour was over the employee was so nice and let us go through and get pieces of scrap stone to take home with us. This was so wonderful because I got a piece of marble that was perfect for the flooring I put in my Bathroom Design project this week.  I really enjoyed this field trip and was extremely impressed by the company’s excellent hospitality to the class.