Property Maintenance
Property maintenance relates to the tickling of a property or building and may be a commercial venture through a property maintenance company or a home pastime for example day to day cleaning.
Commercial property maintenance may involve a number of companies and services including a property management company who may look after the entire estate of properties for one particular company. In turn, the management company would employ the services of one or more companies to provide the required property maintenance services.
The services which could be classed as property maintenance are wide ranging and could include many sectors of the maintenance industry such as maintaining wood finishing, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical wiring, roofing, locksmiths, boarding, glazing or refurbishment.
The retail industry, in particular, makes a high usage of property maintenance services, particularly reactive maintenance (also known as response maintenance) since their stores, and in particular flagship stores such as major city centre stores, require the highest standards of maintenance in order that customers continue to purchase goods. If the maintenance of the store is left to lapse then the retail chain often lose trade due to their image being degraded.
Landscaping
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.
Design Context
Sunday 9 December 2012
Thursday 29 November 2012
Escobar Cantina // Mexican Holidays
Below is some contextual research I've done into mexican Holidays and celebrations, so I can compose and design the three plaques me and Sadie have proposed for the restaurant.
Wednesday 28 November 2012
Tuesday 27 November 2012
Wednesday 7 November 2012
The Universes Pupils // Unusual Shapes
I've
been thinking about different Ideas for t-shirt designs, continuing
with some of the illustrations I did in second year for the book fair
brief, I want to experiment with some unusual/impossible shapes &
optical illusions. The Universe correlates in the strangest of ways, for
example the capillaries in our lungs are very similar to the branches
of a tree, the colours in someones pupils look like exploding stars and
on and on. I want to experiment with forms that make our brain
malfunction, after all that's simply what an optical illusion does, its a
malfunction of the brain understanding what your eyes are seeing.
Below is a collection of research into unusual shapes and patterns I've conducted;
Penrose Triangle/square/pentagon
Below is a collection of research into unusual shapes and patterns I've conducted;
Penrose Triangle/square/pentagon
M.C Esher
M.C Esher is an artist I've always had a major liking for, His work baffles me! I like illustrations that make your brain work harder than usual to understand, picking out a starting point in Eshers work usually ends up with me admiring his attention to detail and shape. Below is a collection of my favourite works by Esher;
Monday 5 November 2012
The Universes Pupils // The Universe & The cosmos
When designing and creating ideas for garments, I want my designs to be informed by what 'The Universals pupils' communicates as a sentence/title. The first thing I think about is space, stars and the galaxies. The Universes Pupils, underneath a blanket of stars, I want to use my research below into the Universe to inform my design process.
There are 7 Universal Laws throughout the Universe which keep us in harmony and balance explained below;
2. The Law of Correspondence (Immutable): The second of the seven Universal Laws tells us "As above, so below; as below, so above". This means that there is "harmony, agreement and correspondence" between the physical, mental and spiritual realms. There is no separation since everything in the Universe, including you, originates from the One Source. The same pattern is expressed on all planes of existence from the smallest electron to the largest star and vice versa. All is One. The Ancient Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi was referring to this great Law of Correspondence in the inscription "Know thyself and thou shalt know all the mysteries of the gods and the Universe".
There are 7 Universal Laws throughout the Universe which keep us in harmony and balance explained below;
The Immutable and the Mutable:
Of the seven Universal Laws, the first three are immutable, eternal
Laws, meaning they are Absolute and can never be changed or transcended.
They have always existed and will always exist. The other four laws are
transitory, mutable Laws meaning that they can be transcended or at
least "better used" to create your ideal reality. This is not to say
that you should ignore these four Laws or attempt to defy them for even
if you do they will still govern your existence. Your aim is to master
each of the seven Universal Laws and only then learn to transcend the
mutable ones.
1. The Law of Mentalism (Immutable):
The first of the seven Universal Laws tells us that "The All is Mind -
The Universe is Mental". That everything we see and experience in our
physical world has its origin in the invisible, mental realm. It tells
us that there is a single Universal Consciousness - the Universal Mind
- from which all things manifest. All energy and matter at all levels
is created by and is subordinate to the Omnipresent Universal Mind. Your
mind is part of the Universal Mind - the same in kind with the only
difference being one of degree. Your reality is a manifestation of your
mind. This is true Mind Power.
2. The Law of Correspondence (Immutable): The second of the seven Universal Laws tells us "As above, so below; as below, so above". This means that there is "harmony, agreement and correspondence" between the physical, mental and spiritual realms. There is no separation since everything in the Universe, including you, originates from the One Source. The same pattern is expressed on all planes of existence from the smallest electron to the largest star and vice versa. All is One. The Ancient Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi was referring to this great Law of Correspondence in the inscription "Know thyself and thou shalt know all the mysteries of the gods and the Universe".
3. The Law of Vibration (Immutable):
The third of the seven Universal Laws tells us that "Nothing rests;
everything moves; everything vibrates". The third and last of the
immutable Universal Laws, tells us that "the whole universe is but a
vibration". Science has confirmed that everything in the Universe,
including you, is pure energy vibrating at different frequencies.
The axiom that "like energy attracts
like energy", upon which the Law
of Attraction is based, has it's foundation in this Law. Everything that
we experience with our five physical senses is conveyed through vibrations.
The same applies to the mental realm. Your thoughts are vibrations. All your
emotions are vibrations where "unconditional love" (in
the sense of love for another) is the highest and most subtle of the
emotional vibrations and "hate" is the densest and most base. You can learn
to control your mental vibrations at will. This is true thought
power.
4. The Law of Polarity (Mutable): The
fourth of the seven Universal Laws tells us that "Everything is dual,
everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; opposites
are identical in nature, but different in degree". It is also the first
of the mutable or transcendable Universal Laws. It means that there are
two sides to everything. Things that appear as opposites are in fact
only two extremes of the same thing. For instance, heat and cold may
appear to be opposites at first glance, but in truth they are simply
varying degrees of the same thing. The same applies to love and hate,
peace and war, positive and negative, good and evil, yes and no, light
and darkness, energy and matter. You can transform your thoughts from
hate to love, from fear to courage by consciously raising your
vibrations. This is what in the ancient Hermetic Teachings is called the
Art of Polarization.
Rising Above the Law of Polarity: This
Principle of Duality may appear to be very real in your life but it operates
only in the physical and mental realms, not in the spiritual realm where All
is One. As it says in the Bhagavad-Gita, "God is Above the Opposites".
By always placing the all-powerful, all-knowing Great Spirit of which you are
a part behind your every thought, statement and action, and by always focusing
on the "good", even when things appear to be going "bad",
then in time you will rise above the Law of Polarity.
5. The Law of Rhythm (Mutable): The
fifth of the seven Universal Laws tells us that "Everything flows, out
and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the
pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the
right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates." It
is the second of the mutable or transcendable Universal Laws and means
that the pendulum swings in everything. This principle can be seen in
operation in the waves of the ocean, in the rise and fall of the
greatest empires, in business cycles, in the swaying of your thoughts
from being positive to negative and in your personal successes and
failures. In accordance with this Law, when anything reaches a point of
culmination then the backward swing begins almost unnoticeably until
such time that any forward movement has been totally reversed, then the
forward movement begins again and the process is repeated.
Rising Above the Law of Rhythm: To
transcend the swing of the pendulum, you must become aware of the subtle start
of the backward movement in any of your endeavours whether it be to improve
your health, your finances, your relationships or any goal you may set in motion.
When you feel the Law start to draw you back do not become fearful or discouraged.
Instead, knowing that you are one with the Omnipotent Universal
Mind for which nothing is impossible, keep your thoughts focused on your
outcome and fight to remain positive no matter how far back this transitory
Law pulls you. Even if your efforts meet with failure, find comfort that by
virtue of this very same Law, the upward motion must start again. In time,
your perseverance will be rewarded as the backward movements become less negative
relative to your previous backward swings and you raise yourself higher.
6. The Law of Cause and Effect (Mutable): The
sixth of the seven Universal Laws tells us that "Every cause has its
effect; every effect has its cause." In accordance with this Law, every
effect you see in your outside or physical world has a very specific
cause which has its origin in your inner or mental world. This is the
essence of thought power.
Every one of your thoughts, words or actions sets a specific effect in
motion which will come to materialize over time. To become the master of
your destiny, you must master your mind for everything in your reality
is a mental creation. Know that there is nothing like chance or luck.
They are simply terms used by humanity in ignorance of this Law.
Your Intentions are Instantly Created:
The Law of Cause and Effect applies on all three planes of existence -
the spiritual, the mental and the physical. The difference is that on
the spiritual plane cause and effect are instantaneous such that they
appear inseparable, whereas on the other planes our concept of time and
space creates a time lag between the cause and the eventual effect. Know
that when you focus on your chosen goals with intention using creative visualization,
that which you want to create in the physical world is automatically
manifested in the spiritual world, and with perseverance, practice and
continued concentrated thought, it will also come to materialize in the
physical world.
7. The Law of Gender:
The last of the seven Universal Laws tells us that "Gender is in
everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles". This
mutable Universal Law is evident throughout creation in the so-called
opposite sexes found not only in human beings but also in plants,
minerals, electrons and magnetic poles to name but a few. Everything
and everyone contains both masculine and feminine elements. Among the
outward expressions of feminine qualities are love, patience, intuition
and gentleness and of masculine qualities are energy, self reliance,
logic and intellect. Know that within every woman lie all the latent
qualities of a man, and within every man those of a woman. When you know
this you will know what it means to be complete.
The Law of Attraction as Part
of the Equation: You will notice that the Law
of Attraction is not specifically mentioned as one of the seven Universal
Laws. This is not to diminish its importance but rather to highlight it
because the Law of Attraction is the basic Law of the Universe which runs
through all the seven Universal Laws discussed here. It holds everything
together. It is through the knowledge of the Law of Attraction that one
can rise above the mutable Laws of Polarity and Rhythm and gain a better
understanding of each of the seven Universal Laws.
Credit to The Science of Being and The Kybalion:
This article draws largely on two sources of incomparable wisdom on the
seven Universal Laws. First, on the Baron Eugene Fersen's 1923
masterpiece, The Science of Being,
which is one of most comprehensive books ever written on the innate
power of humanity, the subject of metaphysics and self-mastery; and
second, on the 1908 seminal work on the Universal Principles, namely The Kybalion,
which is a study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and
Greece, itself based on the mystical teachings of Hermes Trismegistus
and written by the so-called Three Initiates.
"The Principles of the
Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the
Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open" - The
Kybalion
There are seven major Universal Laws
by which the entire Universe is governed - three are immutable, eternal Laws
and four are transitory, mutable Laws. As stated in the Kybalion "the Universe
exists by virtue of these Laws, which form its framework and which hold it
together." Knowing these Universal Laws and the basic Law of Attraction, and
learning how to transcend the mutable Laws, is fundamental to changing the
circumstances of your life so that you can consciously create your intended
reality and achieve true mastery.
String Theory
A mathematical theory for describing the properties of fundamental particles, which represents the particles as one-dimensional string-like objects, which exist in the normal four dimensions of space-time plus additional dimensions, the total dimensions being ten, eleven, or twenty-six depending on the version of the theory. The properties of fundamental particles in string theory and their manner of interaction with each other depend upon the modes of vibration of the strings{17}. The attractiveness of this theory rests in part on its ability to provide a unified treatment of gravity as well as the three other basic forces of nature, in a manner consistent with quantum mechanics. The great difficulty of doing the calculations required by the theory, however, has thus far (1999) made it impossible to calculate the observable properties, such as the mass, of known particles, such as the electron, proton, mesons, quarks, and neutron; thus there is as yet no experimental verification for the theory. The most popular version of the theory depends on a mathematical property called supersymmetry, and the theory derived form this principle is properly called super string theory, a term which is often used interchangeably with string theory.
Below is a collection of photographs I thought would help to inspire my design process, They're mostly taken from the main Hubble Telescope website which has an archive of images of space, all derived into different sections.
Nebula
A cloud of gas and dust in outer space, visible in the night sky either as an indistinct bright patch or as a dark silhouette against other luminous matter
Planets
A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.
The Universe
A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.
A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.
The Universe
A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.
The Universes Pupils // Brand Etiquette & Neil De Grasse Tyson
The Universes Pupils was a name I spent a lot of time thinking of over summer and brainstorming. I wanted a name that becomes less of a brand and more of a cult, 'The Universes Pupils' as a sentence can be read/interpreted in a variety of ways. By using no apostrophes there is no determination between whether the universe belongs to the pupils, or the pupils belong to the universe. This is deliberate, because from a philosophical point of view rather than just a guide to punctuation, these are the sort of questions we need to be asking ourselves in the hunt for mankind's purpose.
Do we belong to the Universe or does the Universe belong to us?
Universe- All matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole.
Do we belong to the Universe or does the Universe belong to us?
Universe- All matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole.
Pupils - A student under the direct supervision of a teacher or professor.
I want my brand to communicate modern and philosophical Ideas, relating to issues that are going on within the world that need changing. Some of the main points I want to make have been derived from the Astro-Physicist Neil De Grasse Tyson. He is a scientist and public speaker who explains science with an educational adaptation with the language he uses so that its easy for people who aren't involved with the scientific community to understand. I love his point of view, because of the way he explains things, hes almost a comedian as well as a scientist.
In one of his Videos, he talks about an asteroid set to hit earth in 2029. This is a topic that I feel not enough people know about, and something I want to incorporate into one of my designs.
99942 Apophis
A near-Earth asteroid that caused a brief period of concern in December
2004 because initial observations indicated a small probability (up to
2.7%) that it would strike the Earth in 2029. Additional observations
provided improved predictions that eliminated the possibility of an
impact on Earth or the Moon in 2029. However, a possibility remained
that during the 2029 close encounter with Earth, Apophis would pass
through a gravitational keyhole, a precise region in space no more than
about a half-mile wide, that would set up a future impact on April 13,
2036. This possibility kept the asteroid at Level 1 on the Torino impact
hazard scale until August 2006, when the probability that Apophis will
pass through the keyhole was determined to be very small. Apophis broke
the record for the highest level on the Torino Scale, being, for only a
short time, a level 4, before it was lowered. Its diameter is
approximately 270 meters (885 ft).As of October 7, 2009, the probability
of an April 13, 2036 impact is considered to be 1 in 250,000. Of
objects not recently observed, there are 7 asteroids with a more notable
Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale than Apophis.
Friday the 13th is supposed to be an unlucky day, the sort of day you trip on your shoe laces or lose your wallet or get bad news.
But maybe it's not so bad. Consider this: On April 13th--Friday the 13th--2029, millions of people are going to go outside, look up and marvel at their good luck. A point of light will be gliding across the sky, faster than many satellites, brighter than most stars.
What's so lucky about that? It's asteroid 2004 MN4 ... not hitting Earth.
For a while astronomers thought it might. On Christmas Eve 2004, Paul Chodas, Steve Chesley and Don Yeomans at NASA's Near Earth Object Program office calculated a 1-in-60 chance that 2004 MN4 would collide with Earth. Impact date: April 13, 2029.
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Collaboration // Retail Graphics : Sugar Skulls
You can purchase blank sugar skulls from the site below, molding our own
sugar skulls to work with could be a really interesting method of
production. Creating 100/200 of them to be arranged on top of each other
inside a frame, they themselves could become the pigment, making a huge
skull out of lots of tiny little ones.
http://www.mexicansugarskull.com
http://www.mexicansugarskull.com
As the restaurant wants their original wall painting/graphics re-doing, Me and Sadie have decided to stick with their original theme of a mexican map. Below is some research I've done into Mexico, and styles of map we could look into.
Mexican Maps
Collaboration // Retail Graphics : Mexico
As me and Sadie have changed our brief, from working with shop interiors to restaurant interiors, we have made a significant jump with our contextual research. The restaurant we are proposing work for is a Mexican restaurant and wants us to look at sugar skulls and the Mexican day of the dead, this means that we can link in our previous research into anatomy with a theme that is coincidentally based around the same subject matter. The back of the restaurant has a Mexican map stretch out across the wall that the manager wants re-doing, below is some research I've started to conduct at gathering research into Mexico.
Brief information about Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States , is a country in North America, lying between the United States of America to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. Its extensive coastlines include the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Mexico has nice and warm weather, unique food, art and archeology, pyramids, museums, Haciendas, 6,000 miles of shoreline, superb architecture and 21st century cities, weather from snow mountains in the Sierras, to rainy jungles in the Southeast and desert in the Northwest, lots of golf courses throughout the country, excellent fishing, world top destinations like Acapulco, Cancun, Cozumel, Los Cabos, and Patzcuaro. Mexico is ranked 7th major destination for foreigner visitors, according to WTO.
Cities
Mexico City - Capital of the Republic, one of the three largest cities in the world, and a sophisticated urban hub with a 700-year history. In Mexico City, you will find everything from parks, Aztec ruins, colonial architecture, museums, to nightlife and shopping.
Acapulco - A sophisticated urban beach setting known for its top-notch nightlife, elegant dining, and nightmarish traffic. Many of the older (pre-1990s) concrete structures have suffered tropical decay.
Cancun - One of the worlds most popular and famous beaches, known for its clear Caribbean waters, its lively party atmosphere, and its wealth of recreational facilities. During Spring Break it is noted for drinking, sunburns, and debauchery.
Guadalajara - A traditional city, capital of Jalisco state, and the home of mariachi music and tequila. Guadalajara is blessed with perpetual spring weather and its colonial downtown is graceful and sophisticated.
Mazatlan - Lively Pacific coast town, Mazatlan is a shipping port, a transportation hub with ferries to Baja California, and a beach resort destination with miles of sandy shore. It is a popular Spring Break destination due to its variety of affordable lodging options.
Monterrey - A large modern city that is the commercial and industrial hub of Northern Mexico. Monterrey enjoys a dry, mountainous setting and is known for its high-quality educational and transportation infrastructure.
San Luis Potosi - Located in central Mexico, a colonial city that was once an important silver producer, but today, relies on manufacturing for its economic base.
Taxco - In central Mexico west of Cuernavaca, this nice steep mountain town was once a major silver producer, and now has a strong place in the trade of decorative silver, from cheap fittings to the most elegant jewelry and elaborate castings.
Tijuana - Mexico's busiest border crossing for pedestrians and private vehicles, and a long-time bargain Mecca for southern Californians due to its proximity with San Diego.
http://www.dayofthedead.com/
Day of the Dead : is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place on November 1, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.
Day of the Dead : is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place on November 1, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.
Sugar Skulls
How are Sugar Skulls used during Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) today?
Sugar Skulls are often used to decorate the ofrendas on Dia de los Muertos which is November 1st and 2nd. Smaller skulls are placed on the ofrenda on November 1st to represent the children who have deceased. On November 2nd they are replaced by larger, more ornate skulls which represent the adults. These decorative skulls have the name of the deceased on the forehead and are decorated with stripes, dots and swirls of icing to enhance the features of the skulls. These designs are usually whimsical and brightly colored, not morbid or scary. Feathers, beads or colored foils are "glued" on with the icing to create highly ornate skulls. Some companies manufacturer small, edible skulls to be eaten during the holiday and many artists sculpt, paint or create beautiful and ornate skulls to be used as decorations, jewelry and cloth design.
What are Sugar Skulls?
Sugar skulls are exactly that- skull-shaped sugar. Traditional Sugar Skulls are made from a granulated white sugar mixture that is pressed into special skull molds. The sugar mixture is allowed to dry and then the sugar skull is decorated with icing, feathers, colored foil and more. While the ingredients of Sugar Skulls are edible (with the exception of the non-edible decorations you may add) the skulls are generally used for decorative purposes. However some small sugar skulls that are made with basic icing are intended to be consumed.
Where were the first Sugar Skulls made?
Sugar skulls are exactly that- skull-shaped sugar. Traditional Sugar Skulls are made from a granulated white sugar mixture that is pressed into special skull molds. The sugar mixture is allowed to dry and then the sugar skull is decorated with icing, feathers, colored foil and more. While the ingredients of Sugar Skulls are edible (with the exception of the non-edible decorations you may add) the skulls are generally used for decorative purposes. However some small sugar skulls that are made with basic icing are intended to be consumed.
Where were the first Sugar Skulls made?
Dia de los Muertos was an Aztec ritual that celebrated the lives of those who have deceased. The Spaniards who invaded Mexico tried to eliminate this seemingly offensive month-long holiday with no success. Dia de los Muertos was eventually merged with the Catholic All-Saints day and All-Souls day on November 1st and 2nd in an effort to make the holiday more Christian.
According to Angela Villalba from the Reign Trading Co. sugar art dates back to the 17th century when Italian missionaries visited the New World. Mexicans during that time period had very little money and learned from the Catholic friars how to make decorations out of an ingredient they had plenty of- sugar. Molds were made of clay and the sugar decorations were used to adorn the church as well as ofrendas and gravestones. For the Dia de los Muertos celebrations the sugar was pressed into Sugar Skulls and each sugar skull represented an individual and their name was often inscribed on the forehead of the skull.
I found these prints below, this is exactly up mine and sades street in terms of composition and media, they've used intricate layers of colour to build up a detailed series of Mexican sugar skulls. I want to stray away from the self explanatory obvious subject matter and produce something more abstract but this is a really good example of the work I'd like to produce.
Celebrate the Day of the Dead a little earlier this year, with this great set of prints from London-based studio, Telegramme...
The graphic design and illustration studio kindly sent CR a set of their latest printed beauties, the Calavera Summer Series.