Life in Beijing

       Beijing, China and Detroit, Michigan are both on the opposite ends of the map, but are Sister Cities. Meaning that in many ways they are similar but still share differences. People all over the world celebrate different holidays and have different customs and traditions. They have their own way of living, different sports, and spend their free time differently. All the different cultures help make the world diverse. The rest of the blog with focus on their identity, holidays, and fitness.

In the United States of America our proof of identity in the state we live in is called a license. In China there proof of identity is called a hukou which is a residence card. Each family is issued a hukou booklet that has the family members, including the name, birth date, relationship with each other, and marriage status. It shows proof they live in the city on the card or have moved from one place to another. In order to get an apartment, job, or send a child to school one must show their hukou. Chinese people also don’t sign their name they use a chop which is a Chinese stamp with the person’s name carved at one end in Chinese characters. Without a chop one can’t open a bank account, sigh up for college classes. Everyone from the President to a homeless man has a chop. Maybe American should try the chop stamp because half the times people’s hand writing is illegible.

       Have you ever noticed why most Chinese people are so skinny ranging from young children to the elderly people. Chinese people eat about ¼ of what the average American eats. They don’t enjoy eating McDonald's, Wendy’s or even pizza. Those are America's favorite quick meals. Chinese food is delicious but the downfall is that it is high in sodium and saturated in oil. Don’t kid yourself Chinese people don’t even eat half the stuff that is on a Chinese menu. They eat rice or noodles with each meal breakfast, lunch and dinner, stir-fry vegetables, pork, chicken, beef and fish. They also eat half the size of an American portion. They have been staying in shape the same way for the last 2,000 years and that’s walking. If you go to any park in China you will see all different ages of people doing their daily workout of traditional Chinese stretching , strengthening, breathing, self massage and relaxation techniques. Some other activities they participate in are: hiking, ice skating, golf, swimming, tennis and martial arts.

     

Spring Festi

       In Beijing the most popular Holiday is Spring Festival. ln Chinese “Laba” refers to the 1^st day of the 1^th lunar month. The new year usually takes place in late January or February all depending on the Chinese calendar. A traditional entree is the 'Laba Zhou', a thick, sweet porridge of glutinous rice, green beans, candied fruit, peanuts and lotus kernels. In order to prepare for the New Year each family cleans their house. They wipe down the furniture, sweep the cobwebs, and clean the windows. The housecleaning is just a way to let the old out and welcome in a new year. If the family has bad luck in the coming year it’s because the family did not clean their house. Besides just cleaning everyone gets a haircut and takes a bath. Woman clean their faces, men shave and the elderly trim their beards. Decorations for the New Year consist of paper cut outs consisting of plants, fruit pies, peacocks, and animals. As for a gift children receive money in a red envelope. This is the biggest and most anticipated holiday in China. It is a time for family to spend together and to start the New Year right. In American our New Year falls on December 31^st.

       So even though Beijing, China and Detroit Michigan are at the opposite ends they do have plenty of things in common with each other. Their Spring Festival celebration is like America's New Year's Eve and Day celebration. They both celebrate the new year. They enjoy playing golf and doing martial arts where as in American our main sports are football and baseball. Learning different cultures can help persuade us in trying new things. It never hurts.         

Golf Course in China

Herman Miller: Office Solutions

Herman Miller Logo

       Last Wednesday a Herman Miller Rep. came into my Interior Materials and Codes class and spoke about all the different office furniture Herman Miller has to offer. I learned a lot about all the different types of work chairs and office systems they have designed. Herman Miller work chairs are based on ergonomics. The movement in the chair is supposed to conform to the users back, so that they can move in all different directions. For example when the user leans behind the chair to grab paper from the printer the chair needs to accommodate that movement. The Herman Miller chairs allow that opposed to other office chairs that are stiff as a board and cause back pain. When designing a Herman Miller chair the designers pay a close attention to how the back functions and what they can do to protect it from being abused by the user. It's a great idea that they pay attention to the clients need because most company's do not.



Mirra Chair

      My favorite work chair is the Mirra chair because it looks so comfortable without even seating in it. The Mirra chair has a frame less backrest that is pierced with over 500 geometric shapes. The Triflex backrest helps accommodate a individuals size, posture, movement, and also helps keep your back aligned. The FlexFront seat makes sure there is no gap between the seat and the back of the chair. The Mirra chair helps give us flexibility and also helps keep out back in the proper position. The rep also spoke about systems furniture and my favorite was the My Study Environment because each person’s cubicle is enclosed with a translucent glass. The My Study Environment helps give each employee the privacy they deserve.



My Study Environment

       Herman Miller uses the “cradle to cradle” approach which helps their products become more sustainable. Cradle to cradle is when you take materials from a disassembled product and reuse them when designing a new product. This is a great way to not let certain materials go to waste if they are not ready to be thrown in a land fill. Herman Miller adopted the McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry Cradle Design Protocol. Before Herman Miller builds a new product they look at the chemicals used and whether they are safe for us and the environment. Do the materials provide recyclability when they need to be replaced with a new product. These all important characteristics to consider because how is this new product going to benefit us now and in the future. When a product is sustainable is helps protect our environment.

Sayl Chair

       The newest Herman Miller product is the Sayl Chair that just hit the market last week. The design of the chair was inspired by the principles of suspension bridges and in some way it does resemble a bridge. The main feature of the Sayl chair is it has a frame less back which helps a full range of movement be possible. The background mesh helps allow mobility and the Y form on the back of the chair supports all that mobility. The Sayl chair is not only has a lot of character to it, it helps keep your back aligned.

       The Resolve furnishing system is a great idea for an open office design because it is centered around the human body. It’s a very inviting and efficient work area where people can feel comfortable and connected with everyone. It makes you feel like you have your own space. The cool feature or Resolve is that the only thing holding it up is poles with screens attached to them. There are tons of screen images to choose from.  Some Quick Facts about Resolve is:

*weighs 1/3 less than a traditional workstation

*86% recyclable and contain 27% of recycled materials

*greenguard certified reduces chemical exposure and helps air quality

       All the information the Rep. share was very helpful and gave me an idea of what kind of office furniture Herman Miller has to offer. The information will help me when I have to select furniture for my project. The chair ergonomics is very interesting because their main goal to make the customer happy. It's true when selecting an office chair you want it to be comfortable and mobile and the Herman Miller office chairs definitely accommodate both functions.

  



Site Analysis: Beijing, China

   

      Beijing is the capital of China and the second largest city with a population of 15 million. Beijing covers about 7,000 square kilometers spanning 38 kilometers from ShiJingShan in the west to TongXian in the east. Beijing is a transportation hub with hundreds of people coming and going. They have largest international airport in the country, twelve national highways, nine speedways, and dozens of railways. Beijing is recognized as the political, educational, and culture center of china. Beijing was the host for the 2008 summer Olympics. The newest and very intricate sports arena called the Birds Nest was built to hold the opening and closing ceremonies. Today is is a big tourist attraction.

       There are many other famous landmarks besides the Birds Nest. The Forbidden City is the largest and well preserved imperial palace complex in the world. It has 9,999 rooms and surrounded by a moat 19 feet deep and a wall of 32 feet high. The Great Wall of China is also a big attraction. It is one of the Eight Wonders of the world and was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain the inhabitants. The Tiananmen Square is the largest central city square in the world which is not only Beijing’s symbol but also China's. The courtyard is the site of historical events. Below is a picture of the Great Wall of China.



Great Wall of China

        Beijing’s seasons are very distinctive due to their change in weather. Beijing’s average temperature is 53°F. Summers and winters are considered to be the longest because of the bearing hot and cold weather. The hottest month is July 88°F and January being the coldest 14°F. Spring and autumn are considered shorter and the best time to visit. Spring is known as the rainy season  and December is the driest month with 0.1in of rain. There are 2,707 hours of sunlight per year which is about 7.4 hours of sunlight each day.  

Beautiful Summer Day in Beijing





Wangfujing Steet, Beijing China


      Dongcheng District is the heart of Beijing and known as the cultural, political and commercial center of the city. Dongcheng is located east of Beijing with a population of 612,000. Wangfujing Street is located in the Dongcheng District and is one of the most popular shopping streets in China. It’s been around for over seven hundred years and is a trendsetter in culture and has become China's most attractive and modern boulevard. It is located in a commercial area with plenty of department stores, souvenir shops, and tons of restaurants. The largest McDonalds in China is located on this street, but a must have dish at all the restaurants is the Beijing Roast Duck. Most of the road is blocked off from cars and other motor vehicles which makes walking your only transportation. To walk the entire street it takes thirty minutes and that’s without looking at the store windows. Wangfujing street is a smaller version of Time Square in NYC and is a huge tourist attraction. Another important street ten minutes away from Wangfujing street is JinBao street.

       JinBao street is important because the graphic design company that designed labels for Coca Cola, Tide, FedEx and many more is located here. That company is called Landor. Landor does branding for top banks, retail stores, Haier, PepsiCo, BP, and P&G in China. Landor is conveniently located in the heart of Beijing and a ten minute walk from Wangfujing street. Wangfuijing street is lively and filled with bright colors, and many billboards that can help inspire Landor’s designers. The bright colors and atmosphere of Wangfuijing street should be incorporated in Landor’s office environment because it helps transform the office space into something inspirational. Graphic designers are always looking for inspiration and being secluded in a cubical is not helpful. The office should be an open office space where workers can collaborate and share ideas with each other. Workers can walk to Wangfuijing street and get lunch and enjoy some roast duck or just walk around and get inspired. Landor is definitely located in a great space for a graphic design firm because it truly is in a motivating setting.     

JinBao Street

Landor Office on JinBao Street

 





Olioboard: Lighthouse

 
      The olioboard above resembles the painting The Lighthouse. I used the same colors, and elements that were in the painting.

Concept Models

Model #1

Model #1



Model #2

Model #2





Model #3



   

         All 3 Models



      

  Model analysis
       All of my concept models were influenced by all the lines used in my painting. I didn’t really draw any concept sketches. I just envisioned the models and started cutting and gluing. I am very visual and hands on, so I usually visualize what I want and just start. I find it harder to sit there and try to think of what to draw. There is no right or wrong when making concept models. The materials I used were bristol paper, cardstock, newspaper, styrofoam, and glue. My first attempt at the models came out more 2D than 3D. So after evaluating them I was able to alter them into 3D models. My favorite is model #1 because not only does it define the lines in the picture the styrofoam adds texture. I used styrofoam because I thought it would be a good material to carve way the image I envisioned. I like how in model 2 I created two different images on both sides. When you look through the front and back you see something different. In the beginning I had trouble making them completely 3D, but I was able to fix that.