Week 1 In Review

This past week provided me with some interesting perspective on the world around me.  In the past, most of the people I have designed for and worked for have been wealthy clients or suburban school children.  I've never designed a space for someone who can fit all of their possessions into a single 100 square foot room.  It is a very humbling experience and puts our own struggles into perspective.  It made me really think about not only how we design for different people, but also the priority we put on space and material things.  What can we learn from those who have little to no possessions?  If we design for less, can we create more?  Do these people expect less from us as designers?  The answer to us, as designers, is obviously no.  Every client deserves the same standard of care and level of commitment.  However, due to cost and programmatic requirements, we cannot provide extravagant layouts or extreme home makeovers for every client.  Thus the challenge is to maximize space and develop living quarters that meet the needs of our clients.  Our attention to detail and the manner in which ojects and forms interact to create space becomes crucial at this point.  I am excited to see how this project develops and what opportunites we have as designers.  I feel I will learn more through this projects than any commercial project or school project.