the 2nd years ...

how fabulous !!

( the 2nd years - love them, don't really know them, but soon i will !! )

this semester i'm a teaching assistant to patrick lucas and his 2nd year design studio. i won't lie, at first i was little hesitant to the idea, but know i'm so glad that i stuck with. of course it's great to learn from patrick creative teaching style but it's also so refreshing to walk into this class and see the work that they've created.

i think that sometimes when you move up through the Iarc program, you start forget some of the innocent beauty of design. you get wrapped up in deadlines and presentations, you don't sleep and most of the time forget to eat & worst of all you start throwing out work JUST to get it done and you don't show off something you absolutely die for!

although i'm only a few years older then most of these students, through the hustle and bustle even i forget the simplest of things ...

embrace your individuality betch !!

always consider the light!

i've always been fascinated by light and the effects it has on absolutely everything. light can change the feel of a space - it can open everything up or close everything off. it brings life and without it death comes. light has the ability to change impact each material has within a space. light can change a color completely - what looked like a forest green in the shadows turns into a shade of celery when brought into the light. i heard once that a great designer must always consider the light - without it there's nothing. i try to remember this every time i sit down and design a new space.

how will the light effect this, that, and everything?

time to explore ...

... and discover something new.

today i traveled to Pittsboro, North Carolina for a site visit of the county's courthouse. the building is located in the center of a rather small, but extremely adorable town.

more specifically, it's stationed right in the middle of a traffic circle which makes it somewhat challenging to approach.

the courthouse suffered through a major fire, destroying most of its interior. the exterior was also damaged but not to the same extent. the building has not been in use since, and almost all the windows are boarded up for safety purposes.

though in better condition then its interior, some materials outside are still in bad shape and falling apart in the most inconvenient places.

as you can the exterior remains in good condition. its original structure is historically beautiful and only needs some TLC.

when you're outside the courthouse you think, "okay - it's not that bad. it actually looks pretty good!"

but then you walk in ...

everything in the interior of this building needs to be replaced without question ...

& i'm up for the challenge !!

a new day, a new project ...

hello chatham county !

watch out 'cause here we come !!
today in class we were given our first studio project! to REdesign the Chatham County Courthouse into the Pittsboro City Hall. we will be redesigning the interiors of the space while the exterior must remain true to its original state. the new city hall must must bridge the gap between the young and the elderly residents of Pittsboro. it must a welcome gathering place for all visitors to enjoy!
lets get it started !

... in the sky with diamonds

(photoshop design, 2nd year - 2009)

i can not believe it's here already ...

my 4th and final year in Iarc!

i've moved on up to the fourth floor of the gatewood studio arts building and now i'm in the sky with diamonds! when i think back on everything there have been hundreds, thousands, millions ... countless memories that have helped me become everything that i am today. it's been a long journey yet i feel like only yesterday i 18 years old, steeping off the elevator in studio for the first time ... i never planned to be here and what an unbelievably pleasant surprise!

wish me luck !!

let the games begin ...

"hello and welcome to another day of higher education!" -the duckie (pretty in pink)
today i start my fifth year at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. it is also my fourth year in the Interior Architecture and Design program.
every semester comes with its challenges (especially in this program) but i can't think of anything else i would rather be doing. i have to admit that my anxiety levels rise at a tremendous rate when the first day of classes come around. i begin stressing over problems that haven't even happened yet ... tragic i know!
&&& when all else fails the only thing i know to do is turn on some Beirut and explore the things that put the biggest smile on my face!!
so obviously the best thing to do write now is post my absolute favorite song and show you a few of my favorite things ...

my favorite song "elephant gun"

by Beirut

my favorite tree of life by me favorite artist

by Olaf Hajek

climbing trees with a blazer & tie is a most.

my favorite blog ever! it's filled with fabulous things to discover.

check out Material Girls

i love designing my daydreams !!

i love playing with photoshop as often as i can!

(my gorgeous roommate Stevie in San Fran ... love)

& last but most certainly NOT least

...

design !

 is there anything more fabulous and perfect then creating something 

absolutely wonderful for other people to enjoy?

...

i think not my friends!

so whenever the dog bites or the bee stings, i simply remember my favorite things.

& that's why i do everything that i do, because no matter how anxious-angry-upset i get i would never do anything else.

here's to a GREAT semester ...

XOXO kalani