From Eye Sore to Eye Catching: Improving Function and Appeal of Campus Spaces

Author(s)

Katherine E. GorhamFollow

Major

Communication Studies

Minor(s)

Art History; Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design

Advisor

McCarthy, Patricia

Advisor Department

Textile, Fashion Merchandising and Design

Date

2-2019

Keywords

Design; Interior Design; Furniture Design; Interpersonal Communication; Interior Architecture

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Abstract

An interior space has a lot of power over an individual. It can dictate one’s mood, efficiency, confidence, and more. Most people can recall a time when a room had a negative effect on their mindset and productivity level due to its lack of color, light, or comfort. A functional, well lit, warm space makes for an uplifting and motivating work environment. Throughout my college career, I have encountered several spaces across the University of Rhode Island campus that aren’t the most visually appealing, comfortable, or inspiring, yet they still have plenty of potential. The goal of my project was to redesign and conceptualize these spaces in such a way that they fulfilled their potential as useful spaces for students. In order to do so, I first determined which spaces across campus were most in need of a redesign. Using my own experiences and suggestions from fellow students, I settled on a dorm room, a classroom, and a common area. I conducted interviews with students who utilize each space to learn their thoughts on their surroundings, determine exactly what needs improvement, and then used this information to guide my redesigns. I developed floor plans for each space using three methods: a hand drawn sketch, SmartDraw, and Room Planner. SmartDraw is a computer software program used to make diagrams, charts, and a multitude of other visuals. I used this program to develop a 2D floor plan of each space. Room Planner is a program by Chief Architect, a home design software for builders and interior designers, which I used to build 3D renderings of each campus space. The result of the redesigns are functional and welcoming spaces that students will want to occupy.