Atrium wall graphic

The Eastern wall in the atrium really presents the perfect opportunity to capture dynamic images of athletes in motion. As this is the first space the athletes and the public enter, Apex needed to be stated boldly with images which emphasize South African colours and inspirational athletes! Check it out*

Test renders:)

Hi there*

So its officially 15 days before portfolio, and 16 days till it is ALL OVER!!!! WOOHOOOOOOO!!! wow i cannot wait!Things are going slowly, just trying to pull everything together now! Busy working on my 3d movies, so 2 out of the 3 are done, still got alot of work on the third one but hey, it will come together...somehow:)!haha

For now, here are some of the test renders of the 2 spaces which are done, please excuse the quality, it was rendered quickly on a low resolution!

Apex walkthru!

So here is an idea of what the walkthru will look like! Still got tons of work on it but its getting

there:) Hope you enjoy it*

Socket:)

hey!

So i think its time that I post a picture of my product which was constructed! Unfortunately, the night of the product hand in, one or two of the elements weren't quite strong enough to hold the weight, and a few things came apart. So these are the old pictures but I am trying to come up with a solution for portfolio, as soon as the new look is ready to be displayed, it will be posted hehe!

Products:)

Morning everyone...yesterday was a classic case of having mild heart failure, Wilandi briefed us on the last deadlines before portfolio...mmmm, 5 weeks guys..5 WEEKS!!!! I remember when I had just arrived at NMMU, (clueless as to what i was getting myself into...)Lene showed us some of the BTech products and i distinctly remember thinking that there is no way I will ever be able to reach that level! Well i'm here and i'm almost done! Woohoo!hehe:)

Seen as though we talking about products, let me explain the 3 products which were designed for Apex. Two of the three are light fixtures and the third one is a chair.

• Product 1: The pulley light- This is based on the concept of push and pull within the body, for example, when ones bicep contracts, the tricep relaxes. This concept is carried throughout the body where everything functions in pairs. The second focus is specifically on the concentric nature of a tree trunk. When looking at the structure of a trunk, it is also evident in the way it relates to an athletes layered performance, where one has to train and repeat actions countless times before achieving the goal.
• Product 2: The 'Arm' chair- This product acts as a feature chair in the restaurant and is based on the bulging nature of a well defined body as well as the structure of muscle fibres. A combination of steel, white plastic and a red upholstered surface has been incorporated to ensure the users comfort.
• Product 3: Socket- This forms the epitome of what Apex stands for and is the product which has been constructed. The gymnasium is one of the spaces which has been designed and this particular space has a volume of 8 meters. Socket has been designed to suspend from the ceiling through the void in the floor down to the ground floor (a total length of 4.9 meters). The concept behind this light is based on the joints in the body (mainly the ball and socket joint) as well as the overall identity of Apex, with reaching towards a peak, hence forming an angular expression. Secondary to the joint idea, it creates forms and shadows which relate to a tree, especially when looking from the ground floor upwards, the individual units create a very nested feel something relating specifically to the tree concept. Lastly, it incorporates the third theory of balance- as the units are able to come apart, the way each piece is joined needs to be balanced in order for Socket to function.

*Here are some images, hope you enjoy*

Hi there everyone, um....well as uve seen its been a really long time since i checked in, but i will catch up on the missed blogging time! Things are slowly but surely coming to an end, our technical set is probably about 3/4 done, our prototypes have been designed and are currently attempting to build one of them in full scale, we are busy with our 3d walk through with the sound track and everything, all nail biting tasks! We are on holiday at the moment...but can you really consider it a holiday when you have 3 projects to complete and 1 test to learn for??are you being serious hehe, but im greatfull I was able to at least go home for a week (small little town- Queenstown...oh how ive missed you hehe) but the projects are coming along! Enough about that, i thought i'd start by posting some images of my thesis templates to give you an idea of the type of 'magazine' feel Apex is all about. I have aimed at incorporating a very simplistic layout which utilizes the NMMU identity strongly, where each chapter has similar templates but with a different colour being incorporated into that specific chapter. I feel the repetitive template with slight changes is what goes hand in hand with the corporate culture of the scheme, a High Performance Centre is one which functions on structure and routine, not a different layout for every page! Well here it is...(the fifth chapter is highlighted in the red colour- this is the main chapter which is done, so i will post images of another chapter at a later stage.)

This one is done on transparency to see the chapter page behind it!

oh how I love this:)

Mix & match:)

Beautiful images by Oh Joy blog!:)

An update!

Hey there, So... this last week has been unbelievably hectic, 4 hand in's don't exactly guarentee much sleep. This is just a post about what we've been up to...We've been busy doing our technical drawing set, there is still alot to be done, but the end is in sight...3 months and BTech is over! Details are the current obstacle, both design and technical and we are about to start the product range designs. I will post some conceptual images of the product process as I go along. I have revised the theories of Apex...I'm concentrating on the theory behind the science of movement, the structure of a tree and the triangle theory (establishing a balance as a key component to an athlete) it has been quite challenging applying these theories as it is so important that they all work harmoniuosly as one integrated system (reference to the functioning of the body- everything works together!!!) Hopefully you will be able to see the application of these new theories in the 3d images which will follow!
*Until then, ill keep you posted* :)

Vacation in the woods...The Tree hotel :)

Hellooo everyone, this doesn't exactly relate to Apex design, but I came across this really interesting hotel called the Tree hotel. Its located in Harads, Sweden and is about 60 km south of the artic circle. There are six different rooms,namely the Cabin, the Blue cone, the birds nest, the mirrorcube, tree sauna and the nest. Each room has size ranging between 15 to 30 square meters and is positioned between pine trees four to six meters above the ground.

assortment of images :)

and... we are back!!!

Hi to all those million followers who pretend they looking at my blog...hehe! We have all returned after a 5 week holiday...how amazing it was to clock in a minimum of 10 hours sleep a day...lets just say I'm refreshed and ready to tackle what the semester has in store for us (hold me to this when we nearing portfolio k?hehe..)

After portfolio I had to readjust a few aspects of the design of Apex, things were a bit shaky for a while but it seems to have come together (touch wood) :o)! Ive been feeling a bit uninspired the last couple of days...hectic designers block...so I gathered a couple of random images which always seem to remind me of the passion I have for design! These don't necessarily relate to Apex as such but rather to my design expression. I hope you are also able to appreciate the images in one way or another.

Origami chair for Triad!

A choice to be calm!

Hello everyone! So our dry run is officially over...can you believe it!Time has gone soooo quickly! It was no where near as stressful as what it is made out to be! Ive come to the realization that your day is filled with a different group of activities and it is entirely up to you how you handle those activities/ deadlines- it is up to you how you enter your portfolio, you can either choose to be unbelievably stressed and not achieve anything by it, or you can choose to go in with a calm and collected attitude and learn from what the moderators have to say! I dont know about everyone else but i am done stressing, i choose to be calm, i think making this decision is a good first step!:)hehe...

I am busy with my block model for computer portfolio tomorrow...its looking ok so far, i must say its great to finally see everything coming together in 3d! I will post my new animation when it is completed!!! Keep your fingers crossed:)

Restaurant logo!

Allegro by Atelier Oi

Foscarini

After having a really rough week of being sick and feeling uninspired, I found the most amazing videos done by an Italian contemporary lighting company called Foscarini! The way they communicated the concept of the design through means of light and motion was done beautifully! The transformation from one shape/ form into another has been emphasized through colour and movement- i love the way that something so simple can be transformed into such a successful concept, one which is unbelievably inspiring to me!Check out the videos at www.foscarini.com/video

I have been looking for products to use in my space, and at this stage i have decided on using the Allegro luminare in Triad (the restaurant) which is designed by Atelier Oi. I think the concept of this design, which is based on gravity and movement relates with the theories in Apex- specifically the elements!

Lamberts:)

I died and went to heaven!:)

Hellooo!

I was doing some research last night and I came across this company called Lamberts...for those glass lovers out there, do yourself a favour and check out www.lamberts.de! I'm considering adding the theory of the northern lights to bring a bit more life and vibrancy into my space. At the moment, the streamline design language in combination with a heavenly concept is turning out to feel really cold and uninviting!

Lamberts really challenges the standard use of glass into a more sculptural expression, I absolutely love it when a space is simplistic and a simple coloured glass finish can change the entire interior expression! Ok...I know im completely obsessed, hehe:) but its so amazing!

Exhibition in motion:)

Helloooo:)!Well here is my first attempt with an animation movie!It came out quite nicely, there are a few things which should be fixed up before portfolio hand in though!

FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Hi there!

TODAY IS OFFICIALLY THE ONE MONTH MARK!One month until portfolio!wow... There is still alot to be done, currently busy with conceptual design...but i'm battling to express the identity in 3d! So things are taking a while! Ive decided to focus on certain areas of the building, as it is so large (6000 squares) I have designed the lobby area, the restaurant, the high performance gym and the goal is to design one wing of offices as well as the landscaping!

Hold thumbs I get everything done!!!

Express yourself...