Resource for the design of dance studios

While I was downtown today I walked around the Kress, Knox, and Welsh Levy buildings to get a better look at the sizes. Although I couldn't go inside because the buildings are under construction, the facades of all 3 buildings on the ground level are torn off and the interiors are exposed. The Welsh Levy is smaller than I thought, but I'm afraid that if I pair it with the Knox and the part of the Kress that faces Laurel St. I'll have to much space. I'm considering using the part of the Kress that faces Third St. instead. I'll look over the plans again tomorrow in studio.

Project Proposal Part 1

The importance of a sense of community and the promotion of gathering are especially important to me. I think the population shift from suburbs to cities and the development of mixed-use communities are positive changes as they promote these ideals.

My design education has led me to my senior capstone project. My capstone project will allow me to expand on my abilities and introduce a new type of design into my portfolio. This type of project will allow me a good opportunity to expand on the knowledge in lighting I acquired this summer during my internship at a lighting design firm. I want to have a performing-arts-related project in my portfolio because my background and interest in theater and dance make me a good candidate for this type of work.

Design continues to mean more to me as I learn more about life and the world around me. The manipulation of space to inspire, excite, and guide human movement and emotion is a unique ability among designers, architects, and artists. I want to use this ability to promote a sense of community above all. I also strive to design spaces that are efficient and practical.

The most important thing I hope to explore with my capstone project is creativity. I’ve always created design proposals that work well and are efficient and practical. Throughout school, my more creative side has slowly come to the surface, and I want to use this project to really explore my potential before I get out into the working world. Dance and theater have always been very important to me, as I trained in ballet for 14 years and completed several choreography jobs during my first two years of college. I had the same problem in dance: I was very technique oriented, and I had trouble reaching outside of my comfort zone. Now I believe I have the experience and the outlook necessary to overcome this old fear and produce something truly exciting. Aside from that, the project will allow me to use all the knowledge I’ve acquired so far in school in one complete, comprehensive project.

The first focus I’m considering is a mixture of lighting and acoustics. These are vital in a theater-based environment. With acoustics, it is important that people using the space can be easily heard by an audience or others in the same room and that they do not interrupt or distract people in surrounding rooms. Lighting will allow me to expand upon what I learned during my internship and apply it to a theater setting. I also would love to explore the use of daylighting.

Another focus I’m considering is components. If I pursue this focus, I’d like to design a movable partition that can be used to separate practice spaces and serve as a practice set piece for offstage blocking. I also might design a portable ballet barre and possibly a portable floor system. These components would create a very versatile atmosphere that could work with the rapidly changing needs of performing artists.

The third focus I’m considering is LEED. This focus would deal more with gaining knowledge than anything. I think applying LEED principles to a design project would be invaluable in learning what I need to keep pursuing LEED credibility in professional practice. I also think performance artists, being very health conscious, would be especially receptive to this type of design.