Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

I always told myself that I'd start a business sometime in my life whether it be event planning, interior design or some sort of hobby. Well I might be making my goal a reality.
I student teach a sophomore interior design studio at Auburn and found a need for education outside of the classroom. As you walk on campus the bulletin boards are littered with tutoring flyers for physics, calculus, and chemistry but what about design? Is it possible? Most people would say you can't tutor people in design, you either have it or you don't. Those are the same people who think an interior designer rearranges furniture. Design is an intricate thing with many facets contributing to its success. Technology can a crutch or a nuisance, but a necessity. Auburn's interior design program is one of the best in the country and the time devoted to teaching Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, CAD, Sketchup and Revit is minimal. We can't blame the program though. There isn't enough time in the studio to go into great detail the capabilities of these programs. We're taught the basics and the expected to self teach the rest on our own. If we have to learn by trial and error we waste hours even days that could be going to project concentration.
Why can't someone offer a service to teach newbies in design programs these valuable computer skills?
Well I am. I decided to start a tutoring business for design. Will it be successful? I hope. If it's not well I try a gander at something else. Nothing ventured, nothing lost.

Beyond the Classroom

Site View of Springfield Neighborhood School
Jacksonville, Florida

At the beginning of this semester I was approached to design a Charter School in Jacksonville, Florida. I took the offer immediately. Did I know a single thing about Institutional Design? ...Well, I go to school at an institution and I've been a kindergartener, 1st, and 2nd grader a few years ago. But the real answer to that question was no. I didn't know anything about appropriate FF&E for a project like this or what psychological aspects of interior design had to be implemented to make the space successful. ADA, fire, and building codes had to be used of course but that was all I knew.

Letterhead Design
Signifying community, diversity
and children. 

As a designer, I was taught you never say no to a job unless you know you aren't capable of the work. I got a team together to start researching the odds and ends of anything and everything having to do with designing for children and a teaching environment. Appropriate materials, furnishings, codes, etc. were looked at, types of teaching behaviors, children, and other institution were researched. A conceptual design of classrooms K-2 were in the process of being created in our minds and on paper.
Beyond interior design, I love to design exteriors and graphics as well. For a kick off party I was asked to do an exterior rendering of the potential building. The Springfield Neighborhood School would be utilizing 24 1000sq. ft. houses in the Jacksonville, Florida area. Each building would house a single classroom for grades K-2 and additional grades once the charter school expands, administration, cafeteria, library and gymnasium.

Exterior School House: Style1

Exterior School House: Style 2

Unfortunately, the committee didn't receive city approval for the building of the school because of insufficient funding. They are in the process of appearing before the city again, but till then the school is on hold. I enjoyed learning about institutional design and provided my team and I valuable information we wouldn't have received in our schooling. I'd like to thank the members of the school board for giving me the opportunity to design their school and hopefully in the future my team can finish what we started.

-Jamie Krywicki

Almost Finished

           I promised myself when I returned from Italy that I'd start a design blog...well, here it is! I'm about to end another Interior Design semester at Auburn University and come January I'll begin my last. It's bitter sweet, leaving friends and a school I love to enter the real world. I'd lie if I said I wasn't nervous but I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't ready. Life is a book filled with many chapters and college is one that will have to end eventually. I believe my professors have given me the skills I'll need to be the best Interior Designer that I can offer a future firm. I have gotten through semesters, projects, and studios that may have put me on the edge of a breakdown, but I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't learn to calm down and work through the stress a project can put on you. It continues in the real-world, it gets worse, and we all have to realize to work through obstacles to succeed.

The Hotel at Auburn University Pin-Up
ff&e and furniture plans

         The project I'm currently working on in my Hospitality studio is for The Hotel at Auburn University. We have to design a think-tank, employee dining room, fitness room, hotel room, and a hotel suite. Someone's design will be implemented in the future to better these spaces. In the next few weeks final ff&e, perspectives, and concept boards will be presented to the hotel manager and a jury board. I think my favorite part of the design process is the pin-up presentation. It allows you to envision the space with materials, finishes, and architectural details without having the reality of it in front of you. I also feel that a pin-up is less intimating to a client if you were to present it to them. It's more personal, collaborative, and flexible. Change a fabric, a finish, or detail without having to redo the entire design. It's extremely important in design to listen to what your client's needs and wants are....it's EXTREMELY important in design to LISTEN to what your client's needs and wants are.