By Scott M B Gustafson
Design is a process of analyzing facts, mentally processing concepts and working through solutions by hand. Well, this tends to be my process. Design ideas are always further refined with the benefit of the computer and the precision it brings, but a hybrid analog / digital approach seems to work best. I try to imagine how a space will feel when I see it in my head, but I often don’t feel like I fully know it until I draw it on paper. Unfortunately, it is easy to get enthralled by a seductive sketch that might not actually work because of the inherent inaccuracy of freehand drawing. Maintaining the energy of the sketch while refining the idea is always a balancing act. On the other hand, I try not to judge my sketches when they seem dry or boring at first, because I know that through successive iterations the good ideas will rise to the top. It is actually a really valuable step to review bad ideas, options that do not work or are just not optimal, if for no other reason that to know that you explored every possibility you could think of.
These drawings were made yesterday for a new art classroom building for the Cloud Horse Art Institute near Kyle, SD on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. A digital model is currently in process and energy studies will be performed when the initial model is complete. Information gained from the energy studies will be used to refine or modify the design.
