SONIKA FOURIE | Student Design Work: NOLA "Green" Materials - Construction of Materials & Finishes

From all our knowledge attained in our Construction of Materials & Finishes class, our final project was to put together a compilation of interior finishes and materials for a space. The space that I was assigned was a coffee shop in New Orleans, Louisiana. Of prime importance was that all our selections be as "green" or sustainable as possible. The recycled glass materials were the less difficult ones to find, with the upholstery and drapery fabrics requiring a lot more research.

I absolutely love love how my boards came out, they're probably my favorite I've designed thus far. I like how they turned out to be a more abstract interpretation of the project's concept. What I learned from this project: If I'm not feeling motivated to work on a project, which was very much the case, start off by designing the boards and layout. I learned very early on that by the end of a project you're just so burned out with no creativity left to put together decent boards, so that's what I make myself start off with.

CONCEPT:

The concept for my coffee shop is the New Orleans Mississippi Cityscape. New Orleans is one of over a hundred cities that straddle the Mississippi River, the second largest river in the United States. To New Orleans, the waters of the Mississippi have historic significance dating back to 1763 and plenty of cultural lore connecting it to the river. The focus of the concept is on the city lights of New Orleans reflected in the Mississippi's dark waters. The elements used throughout the design are line and color and the principles represented are repetition and contrast.