May Need to Stray a Bit

Ok, so even though I don't feel as if I've gotten a whole lot done, I don't feel as if I'm behind. That's something I haven't felt in a long time. While in class today, I did research on current hotel trends that just so happen to coincide nicely with the design theme that I've chosen (although I have one small reservation about that). I found that many hotels are going in a much more contemporary, simplistic/minimalist, yet also incorporating very rich materials. Zen and calming themes really resonate through lobbies and restaurant/bars. Design utilizes bright pops of color. Spaces are very sleek and geometric. Cost-effective seems is a major issue.
I looked through all of the pictures provided to us and kind of got a better idea of what I'm working with. I made notes on my printout of the current floor plan. I had already decided that I would be using a wood veneer to cover up the stern-looking metal raftors that run acrosst he entire width of each large section of space. I think this will really break up the space and also create nice aesthetics. I plan on connecting my restarant/check-in/spa from the current lawn (future hotel room complex) by an enclosed glass Italian landscaped garden, which I have found are very lavishly designed in themselves. This will create more visual interest for hotel guests. I definitely want my hotel rooms to have balconies so the guests can see the courtyard and other landscaping from their rooms while getting fresh air. Balconies are also very popular in Italian design. I kind of planned out where I want my restaurant and spa to be located and the rooms that need to be incorporated into those areas.
My one reservation about using a Modern Italian design approach is that the walls needs to be white (or as close to white as possible), but the original tile on the outside is also very prevalent on the inside of most of existing building. It is a pale-ish yellow color (not my personal favorite). Since this project is being completed for our "client," the Downtown Redevelopment Association and we are also trying to update and preserve the building, I'm not sure I should do anything to it. Should I stray a little bit from my Italian theme because of the tile or just let it slide and possibly paint or replace it with something else???

End of Day 1 Update!

As of right now, there is about half an hour left in this first studio class of the semester. As for the 3 goals I made for myself in my first blog, I have gained a little progress on each of them: I have narrowed my design style down to that of Modern Italian. I have a couple of name options for my hotel/restaurant/spa. I have researched a little bit about some hotels and the direction in which many hotels are going in, although just barely.

My design style of Modern Italian uses clean white colors and modern elements, while still allowing use of some antique items and pops of color on furnishings and accessories. I will more than likely be using wood flooring and also some sort of tile between the rooms and persian rugs in the guest rooms and along the corridors to cut down on accoustical problems. The two names I have come up with are both Italian words that will be used as a regular English word, with a real meaning behind the name (I'll probably slip 'The' in front of my one word name because of the fact that it IS Bowling Green, KY and many people probably won't know the true pronunciation or meaning of the words and will probably think they are just made up anyhow). These two words are 'Agio' meaning comfort and ease, & 'Rifugio' meaning haven.

What's in a name? & New Beginnings to the End

This is my first ever blog post. To begin with, I want to share the reasoning behind the name of my new blog. I got the idea for the name "Striving for No Fear" because today I am starting the first day of my last semester as a college student. Recently, I have found myself feeling an almost overwhelming sense of fear that I will fail after graduation. Failure is my biggest fear. Everytime someone has asked me what my plans are after graduation, I try to shrug it off because I know that I should know the answer (for the most part) to that question, and to be honest I still have no idea what I REALLY want to do with my degree in Interior Design. For the last semster or so, I have also found myself not really putting my best foot forward in my schoolwork and then feeling so far behind that I just haven't been able to keep up. I want to change that and do my ultimate best in my last semester of school. It's my last chance! I want to do more that the bare essentials just to get by. That being said, I will be STRIVING, working my hardest, to accomplish this. Hopefully my intentions will not get lost along the way. This act of striving to do my best in my schoolwork will surely also help me to drive away my fear. I want to feel confident that I will succeed, find what I'm truly passionate about, and exceed in that area.

Moving on to why this blog has been created: For my Studio VII class, my last studio ever, I am working on only one project, a Senior Thesis Project, for the entire semester. This blog is a part of that project. I am to record my ideas and progress along the way (EVERYTHING) twice a week. The project is to preserve and redesign Galloway Place on the corner of Circus Square Park in the downtown Bowling Green, KY area. The building was built in 1949 and originally used as a car dealership. We are to design a hotel, restaurant, and spa using the existing structure and an addition where there is a large lawn space. The actual hotel/restaurant/spa will be the length of the entire city block. Right now, my first few goals for the project are to 1) come up with names for the hotel, the restaurant, and the spa 2) decide on a design theme & 3) conduct and compile all research into a research statement.

For now, that is all I have.