sac





elee 2004

DESIGN THINKING

"Design Thinking refers to the methods and processes for investigating ill-defined problems, acquiring information, analyzing knowledge, and positing solutions in the design and planning fields. As a style of thinking, it is generally considered the ability to combine empathy for the context of a problem, creativity in the generation of insights and solutions, and rationality to analyze and fit solutions to the context. While design thinking has become part of the popular lexicon in contemporary design and engineering practice, as well as business and management, its broader use in describing a particular style of creative thinking-in-action is having an increasing influence on twenty-first century education across disciplines. In this respect, it is similar to systems thinking in naming a particular approach to understanding and solving problems."

Five years at OCAD University guided my understanding on the meaning of thinking. The final core project to graduate represents the beginning of my design career. Inspired by Autism, the thesis spoke about a perception on today's human behaviors in the urban context. Isolation vs. socialization came to be the primary focus on the architectural exploration of design thinking.

Concept model / Thesis Core Project
OCAD University
2004

BOXES & BOXES



BOOKSHELF - Furniture Design - ROOM DIVIDER
elee 2011

The project consists in a series of boxes of different sizes, all organized rhythmically and contained within a solid frame. It creates possibilities of storage for books, tableware or other things around the household, it adapts to your needs.

The idea of showing only what you want to show, and keeping hidden those items you want to keep behind doors. It continues a dialogue on "revealing and concealing" as a concept.

The case study makes for a great storage unit for small spaces.
Make your own configuration by placing boxes as you desire.

For inquires please contact: el@eleedesign.com
© 2008

AFTER TWO YEARS, there are many stories to tell.

two years of absence from the blog, and i am back.
i was away working on the foundation of my career;
arepa café, a forty seats restaurant dedicated to sale arepas in the city of Toronto.
its mandate is to promote Venezuelan food and culture in Canada.



grilled arepas

arepa is a grilled corn meal bread, nutrional and gluten free.
it is the bread of northern South America.

the restaurant project has been a platform for the design/entrepreneurship objectives.
the process started by working a concept and creating the business plan, developing construction drawings for the interior design of arepa café. we execute the design and open for business.

we have been on Queen Street West for almost two years and had sold about forty thousand arepas, thanks to a supportive and curious community.

MESA TABLE DESK LINEA 1
elee

dimensions cm 180L 79W 75H

entry console walnut

desk lacquered wood

dining

small spaces

A Japanese House

Set aside a room or a certain hour of the day

Where you do not even know what is in the morning papers

And bring forth what you are, and what you might be

This is a place of creation and incubation

A sacred place that you use every day

At first you might think nothing is happening

But something will happen

And you will eventually find yourself again and again

                                                                  Joseph Campbell

A home is, above all, an opportunity for deepening our living experience. This function of the house is as relevant today as it was a thousand years ago. However, the house also serves as a stage for various other functions, which have evolved over time in response to social, economic, and technological changes. Before the Industrial Revolution, the home was a place where family produced, processed, and stored essentials like food and clothing. During the 20th century, such task started to shift into the factory and office, which replace the home as the locus of trade and business. During the current Information Age, however, the trend is partially reversing itself with the rise of telecommunications. As our lifestyles change, the way we think about our houses and the way we use them will continue to change too.

NE Aparments

Japanese architects Akiyoshi Takagi, Yuji Nakae and Hirofumi Ohno have collaborated on NE Apartments, a block of eight apartments for motorcycle enthusiasts in Tokyo.

The c-shaped design was a practical decision to allow the residents to access their apartments through a common alley that leads right to the center of the complex.

This 8-unit rental apartment house complex was designed to house motorcycle enthusiasts, with a built-in garage included in every unit.

The building is located on a flag-shaped plot near the apex of a triangular block, with a certain degree of open space toward the main road to the south.

On the entrance side, each floor is fitted with a continuous strip of curved windows, with a comparatively wider opening on the second level. The orientation of each room was set to avoid a direct view of the opposite apartment. Combined with a double-paned window, this setting provides a peculiar feeling of privacy.

The walls separating each apartment unit were disposed in a radial pattern, each with a gentle curve that leads them to meet the external wall at a right angle. By connecting the angles of each room, the curved walls contribute to give the impression of a more spacious environment.

client: CUSTOMMOBILIA

www.custommobilia.com

MODELING

APARTAMENTO 82

Caracas, Venezuela

The most recent visit to APARTAMENTO 82 reaffirmed my own principles of classic aesthetics, which are part of a way of thinking when it comes to space design.

The use of materials evokes modern times. Shiny polished stone floors, wooden floors, paneled walls, white walls, glass, and indirect lighting make the interiors.

Harmonious architectural balance combined with modern furniture results in contextual consonance offering sophistication, elegance, tranquility, and playfulness.

The collection:

• Bertoia Diamond Lounge Chair. KNOLL

• Chair by Maurice Burket for Arakana Ltd1960
• Vico Magistretti, Selene Chair, 1969

• Le Corbusier LC2 Sofa. CASSINA

• Piero de Martini, La Barca Table. CASSINA, 1975

• Leather Daybed. CAPUY

• Jonathan Adler, Accessories

LOFT RENO

materials:  American Walnut; Honed Statuary Marble; ABET Laminati. faucet: Arne Jacobsen, Vola Collection

...a loft renovation in the city of Toronto, Canada.

DIVIDER / STORAGE

...a series of boxes to store books and more.

books in boxes, to conceal and to reveal

configurable

IT allows to create various compositions with stackable boxes within its frame

finishes: lacquered; laminates; wood.

LA COCINA RESTAURANT / CONCEPT

The process of Interior Design starts with that first conversation, all information spoken helps trigger ideas for an initial “design response”.

...while ideas incubate to develop the detail later-on in the process,

the space is explore in a 3D model. These are conceptual drawings.

At this point the an initial budget is presented,

Contractors provide rough estimates on how much the project will cost.

The design is adapted to the actual budget.

LINEA 1

LINEA 1 is a series of custom-made modular furniture for the modern space. Its architectural design is built by Custom Mobilia with impecable finishes (www.custommobilia.com) brings beauty, comfort and organization to the house.



Storage sculpting the interior space, walnut boxes, and white lacquered credenza base.
LINEA 01 is adaptable, sturdy and neutral.









The final result:

noOne



BECO retail store, Caracas.
Graphics Image Victor Pastore at Red-Visual.
Fashion Design by Juan Carlos Vivas at noone.

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