1) Complete your zone walkPreview the documentView in a new window

Take a walk to experience and observe different evacuation zones in NYC.

– Draw a map of your route and what you see when you move from one zone to another. Visit at least three zones during your walk.

– Take a photo in each zone (min. 3 photos) and post them on your LP.

between zone 2-4

between zone 5-6

between zone 5-6

zone 6

between zone 2-5

– How does having an awareness of evacuation zones change the way you experience your walk and the area around Parsons?

Being aware of all the different zones while walking around Parsons makes me think that I am one of the few people in that block that might know about it. However, if you really think about it I would not be any different if a hurricane actually hits New York. I guess when you are aware of something like this, you feel partly in danger and partly safe.

– What areas appear to be vulnerable to storm surge, if any?

Zone 1 and 2 seem to be helpless in case of a hurricane. These areas are mostly very close to the river and for that reason would be significantly damaged.

– Do any buildings/infrastructures look more prepared for the next storm — how?

I did not notice anything special in the architecture of the buildings in zones 5-6 comparing to other areas away from the river. However the new building seemed to have heavier doors made out of steel instead of wood which might have been a conscious decision to make them more resilient.

– Are any effects of Hurricane Sandy visible?

Some houses had rusted fences or their garden needed a pit of repair but I am not sure if it was an effect of the storm.

– Choose one zone (1-6) as your focus. What is a design idea you have that would communicate/show people what zone they inhabit? What kind of tool, device or signage would you make? Include a list of 3-5 challenges you would face in implementing this project in NYC (think about resiliency of materials, language issues, access to information, visibility during different times of day or during storms, diversity of public etc.).

We mostly use signs or posters to inform people. However, besides having those it would be interesting to use stickers. Not all people pay attention to stickers, but if it is on an interesting surface, a curious eye would defiantly notice it. The good thing about stickers is that individuals can also make them and spread them from one part of the city to the other. It is also a cheap and easy way of communicating and can be far more interesting than simply looking at an ad or a poster.

2) It’s time to start thinking about your final project idea. Post three final project ideas + sketches on your LP AND bring your sheet with your three ideas and sketches to class next week, ready to share with your classmates and turn in to me.

THREE IDEAS

1) What will you make and why? (an object, clothing, set of tools, skill manual, a design for connecting you to other people, animals or the earth, calms/relieves stress etc.)

Inspiration:

Tehran is not considered a dangerous city. However like every other big city there are a big number of problems people (specially women) face daily. Tehran’s crimes rate has went up significantly in the past three years. Women are mostly the target of burglary and are often insulted, bribed and raped. Most woman in Iran do not spend much time on sports and therefore are not physically ready to protect themselves or escape. Also their loose mantues (Long coats to cover up the body) and their head scarfs limit their ability.

I want to work on designing a leather belt that could be used as a survival kit as well as a fashionable piece for carrying tools that can be used on a  daily base. The belt will have removable pockets that can also be attached as a bracelet or attached to your key chain. This way it can become lighter for during the day and can carry more tools for a specific situation or during the night when its nearly 3 times more dangerous in Tehran.

2) In what ways will this object be useful to you over 50 years of change?

This belt is specifically designed for woman from my hometown, Tehran. However, with a few simple changes it  can be used for all genders and also people from different parts of the world. Therefore no matter where I live or travel at the time, the object can still come in handy. Also by being able to take it apart, even if parts of it weren’t as useful at the time, other parts can be used for the same or for a different purpose. Overall because the tools used in the kit are mostly basic tools needed daily, they won’t be outdated.

3) What specific event(s) of environmental changes will it help you navigate?

It is a multi-purpose product and can be used in different situations. Its capability of shifting from an everyday side beg to a survival kit is what makes it come in handy regardless of the event. The basic tools can also be used in cases of natural disasters.

4) How will it be resilient (use of materials, used in more than one way etc.) and/or encourage social resiliency through its usage ?

Treated leather with an added coating of protectant is resistant to water and it can later on be improved to have a better quality that is also cut and fire resistant. Leather also has always been trendy and would age nicely through time. A good quality leather can be used for a long time and the person is more likely to keep it.

5) Will it be designed for a particular place? (New York, your hometown etc.)

It would be designed for my hometown, Tehran. However, with a few simple tools changed (because of the law,weather and crimes in each state or country) it can be used in almost any city regardless of the situation.

1) Visit the NYC Hurricane evacuation site and locate which zone you live in.

2) Which zone do you live in (1-6)? How close is the next nearest zone?

Zones (1-6) don’t include my area. However, Zone 6 is only a block away.

3) What does it feel like to learn what zone you inhabit?

Knowing that my area is not at risk of hurricanes is reassuring but at the same time its not far from zone 6, which could be in danger.

4) Do you feel prepared for the next hurricane in New York? What designs and information would be useful to you to be more prepared?

Since there were no seas surrounding my hometown, I have never experienced a hurricane personally. Because of this, I never tried informing myself about it or getting prepared for it in any way. Using signs around the city  or even having events on this topic once in a while can be ways of  informing people.  The doors used for entrance of the buildings can also be redesigned so that water doesn’t just easily get inside the buildings.

5) How important do you think it is for designers to consider/encourage resiliency among people in their work? Why? What is an experience you have had, or an object/design that you have, that supports social resiliency in you? (i.e. makes you feel stronger, not alone, connected to the earth, other people, animals, the planet, prepared, capable and able to deal with changes etc.)

It is very important for designers that their work consider/encourages resiliency among people. Especially in cities at risk of hurricanes, floods and etc. It is because of these disasters that “resiliency” has became important in new designs. Being able to embrace changes is the most important factor that being resilience helps you with. knowing that your prepared makes you confident in the future and it also gives you a reason to be more encouraged to educate others.

If you haven’t heard of it before, read an introduction to the Sixth Extinction (Links to an external site.) and then visit artist Maya Lin’s project What’s Missing (Links to an external site.)

After exploring Lin’s site,

6) What is one species that you learned about on this site that has gone extinct?

Asiatic Lions that went Extinct in Iran —  last pride of five Persian lions was hunted in the Dasht-i Arzhan of Fars Province.

7) What is one species that has recovered “from the brink”?

Arabian Oryx is one of many species recovered “from the brink.”

8) What did you learn on the “what you can do” page?

“what you can do” page provides a list of ways you can protect species and prevent habitat loss and also points at systems that should be re-thinked. Buying environmental friendly products, eating less meat and supporting sustainable forestry are just some of them. What I found out really interesting was the huge amount of money spent on different daily activities and products in comparison to how little is spent on necessary needs such as education or health. The fact that the money spent for cosmetics , ice creams or perfumes is more than whats used for basic education for all is just sad and worrying. Looking at all the charts together next to how much delaying action will cost yearly makes it clear how important it is to start acting now.

9) What do you think of this site — as an artist’s project?

It is definitely an effective way of informing others. The interesting graphics of the site makes you want to explore and browse from one page to the other. The information is summarized and well organized which makes it easy to understand. It also gives you a better picture of how many different species were lost all around the world.

10) Post a sketch of a design idea that you think would help a person sense a systems connection between their life and that of the animal facing an environmental threat. How does your design idea not just raise awareness or make a person feel guilty/sad, but inspire them? What materials would you chose to use to make this design?

The design must not only be informative but it should also start to give ideas on how change is possible for the person to get inspired and think that their action can actually be effective.

The whole country was once one wast buffalo range inhabited by millions of buffalos which a big number of them are now facing a treat by widespread human hunting. If we stop buying the products that are made from these animals, then eventually most hunters will stop.

1. List the two personal cultural objects that inspired the design of your hybrid artifact. Identify the layer(s) of your culture that each object represents (gender, age, hobby, food, ethnicity, class, religion, etc) and briefly discuss the significance of each to your identity.

1.This object is used by some tribes in Iran for holding the hair. This one in particular belongs to Turkmens, living mainly in Northern and Northeastern of Iran. The object is considered a more feminine object and belongs to a lower class women because of its material. The amount of craft and detail put into creating an object with such a simple function is what draws me to it. 

2.This shape of an arch framed with two doors opening in the middle is usually used in Persian architecture. Instead, it is used both as a frame and a mirror in this object. The paintings on it are also a strong symbol of my culture and are abstracted from old poems. This object belong to Isfahan, located on the main north-south and east-west routes crossing Iran. Isfahan is well known or its hand crafted objects and also its architecture.

2. Explain how you chose the materials to make your sculpture, and what information they give the viewer about your culture.

I used mirror for the base which was also used inside my second object. The rest of the sculpture was made out from sheet metal which was very similar to the metrical used in my first object. The separate part of sheet metal were hand-stitched by metal wire to bring a bit of the details on both objects.

3. How does your piece use line and plane to effectively engage space, incorporate negative space in its design, and make a free-standing sculpture meant to be viewed in the round. What formal features of your cultural objects inspired your structure?

Using three thin sheets of metal which are connected all the way to the top, my goal was to divide the space and create a more inclosed space while it still seems open. The arch shaped cute out from each piece has created a negative space. The sculpture is symmetrical from each side and is viewed the same way from all three sides.

The arch shape is borrowed from the second object  and repeated to build the basic structure of the form. The material and the pattern on the sculpture are extracted from object number one

4. What kinds of joints and connections did you use. How did you find a solution better than glue and tape to create meaningful/appropriate/well-crafted joints and connections?

Each separate sheet has tabs on its sides and is connected to the other one with metal wire. Using wire to stitch the metal sheets made it look like a handmade sculpture and was more aesthetically interesting than simply glueing the pieces together.

5. What skills did you learn or improve while making your project (materials, tools, techniques).

It was my first time learning how to use a metal cutter hand shear, flat jaw sheet metal bender or even a drill. Working with the hand shear I realized that by stopping after each small cut, the metal bended a bit and so I had to try cutting the metal continuously which took me time the get used to it. Also working with the drill needed a bit of practice to understand how much pressure is needed by the other hand for it to make a quick hole. Overall sheet metal was a tricky material to work with and if you weren’t focused on it for a bit you ended up cutting yourself because of the sharp edges.

6. How did you use principles of design (from your reading, such as: economy, balance, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, variety, unity) to both reference and abstract the forms of your cultural objects that inspired your piece? (How is it a hybrid?)

The piece was symmetrical which made it balance. I used Orthographic projection to figure out the angles and dimensions of each plane. By bending the flat sheets and attaching them together I tried to give it volume and make a free standing sculpture.

7. Based on feedback you received in critique and your own reflection on your completed project, discuss the following: How does your piece materialize knowledge about your culture(s)? If someone in a thousand years found your artifact, what would they be able to figure out about you? About the way people lived in your time?

The arch shape used on each plate and the way they are attached is inspired by Islamic architecture. Also the use of the mirror could symbolize the presence of water in religious buildings.

Born in a country under the Islamic regime and having to practice a religion without a choice, has distanced some Iranians from Islam. For me, the dress code, architecture and symbols represent Iranian culture however they are influenced by Islamic art. Given that the sculpture has a more simplistic and contemporary approach to a old common pattern using an industrial and modern material, it definitely symbolizes the Iranian culture and the young generations way of thinking.