Chaya Tea House

by: Kathy Guardado

 Growing up in Orange County and its fast development I have grown up with new upcoming design all around me. In order to keep up with the growing population and the never ending changing of trends many restaurant and local commercial building have been forced to remodel their businesses to accommodate for the heavy flow of traffic and the changing of building codes. A place that I am grateful for and that I feel I have grown with is this tiny, little tea house located in our city of Costa Mesa named Chaya.

Chaya is part tea house, part restaurant, part bar with ample seating for studying, and televisions if you are not. Prices are cheap and the menu is pretty extensive to suit your every eating desire. Throughout the time I started visiting this local Tea house I have seen it been remodeled three times. It has changed its interiors and exteriors in many ways, not only in their selection of furniture but in their selection of materials. 

When I first visited this location back in 2007, I could not help but notice the warm color of their wood floors. Chaya had just been open for no more than a few months so the condition of their floors was of high quality. As they grew as a business and in popularity their flow of traffic increased. Within 2 years that warm colored wood flow was no longer very welcoming. As shown in photo one Chaya now has a dark colored concrete floor. Concrete made to look like tile and in a darker color for over all sustainability and function. Although the look of the floor has a very rustic wear feel when seen up close it does seem to be in great condition and hold up for the amount of foot traffic that this floors sees. 

                      

They have also changed their walls to concrete giving the whole space a more rustic feel. Chaya not only changed the materials used on their building but they also changed their lighting. Now Chaya has rail lights that wall wash their white concrete walls giving them character and making them appealing to the customers’ eye.

            Another feature that the restaurant offers is a bamboo divider which divides the large space in two. One for the customer who would like to come in for a more traditional dinner in a more private restaurant feel vs the customer who comes in with their lap top to study or get some work done in a more casual and public setting. Bamboo is very durable so there is no sign of wear. The look also adds to the overall rustic shabui feel. Photo three shows you the other side of the restaurant.

                 The shades selected on this side of the room offers for optical natural light still allowing some coverage. These shades are also sustainable and complement the floor, walls and bamboo.  Reclaimed wood makes up the bar and tables throughout the restaurant. The durability of the materials chosen in their remodel is strong and the life cycle is high making this a very functional space. Chaya really reinvented themselves in a way that I feel will in the long run be more rewarding for them. Not only are they helping the environment by choosing sustainable materials that are environmental friendly but they also chose materials that are more durable than previous choices. Chaya also offers the community a place to come and study and work in a healthy environment by offering lap top stations and free internet to students.

                Their interiors are also lively and fun and pleasing to all ages making this an ageless design for all. I believe Chaya will not have to remodel their restaurant for many years. I am also glad I got to witness the transformation of such a wonderful space in my community.  I would recommend that if you are in the area to stop by and check out their unique interiors and positioning of personal space. It is very important that we recognize the changing trends in our community in order in incorporate it our own design. I also recommend you try the Teriyaki Chicken. 

 

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Rite Aid

Dayna Boe

         Rite Aid is a store that is known for its day to day small grocery items its pharmacy and photo lab. This particular building was just recently designed and installed, and had a grand opened about 2 months ago. It uses red, blue and white as its marketing colors to advertise for the store. Red is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, passion, desire and love. Red stimulates your mind and increases your metabolism. Blue is often associated with stability, trustworthy, wisdom, confidence, faith and truth. This color of blue also is avoided while advertising for food because it suppresses your appetite.  White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, the color of productions. In advertising white is a clean color with a positive connotation.

   The walk way is paved with a milt-colored brick with a Herringbone Non-Supporting use Horizontal or Supported Vertically. Brick is both an interior and exterior material. It’s known for its density and hardness of its form and great way to make bricks look more unique and creative is to design a creative surface.  The colors match well with the outside theme of tans. The colors of the brick will depend based on composition due to firing environment. I like the pattern they used on the ground it makes the area look nicer. And adds a just a little bit of pattern and texture to the area without overwhelming the classic simple clean tan and white theme that surrounds the exterior of the store.   

The other part of the walk way is made of cement. Cement is a binder a substance that sets and hardens and can bind other materials together, and is crushed rock with burnt lime stone as binder. The volcanic ash and pulverized brick additives are mixed together to create this substance. Cement can be Non-Hydraulic which will not set on wet conditions or underwater, it reacts to carbon dioxide in the air and can be attacked by aggressive chemicals. It can also be Hydraulic Cement that allows setting in wet condition or underwater or constantly in contact with water and protects the hardened material from chemical attack.  

Transitions between resilient flooring is very important. It is usually thinner than the product to provide an attractive transition between products. It can also be called a transition strip like a “bridge” for one product to the next. Resilient flooring is typically easy for the professional installer’s to assemble in place. Seams can be chemically fastened together and is very unnoticeable. And sometimes you can get this product with adhesive on the back and seams lien up air tight and no transition is needed like most of this floor in the store.

The flooring was made from vinyl. VCT is Vinyl Composition Tile and VAT Vinyl asbestos tile.  They used two different types of vinyl to make a path from the front of the store to the back where the pharmacy is. The wood vinyl is the path to the pharmacy and the grey wood was the rest of the stores floor. I did not really like the grey vinyl it would have looked better if it was all the tan wood, but I think the intent of the two colors was to highlight a path to the pharmacy and to make the store brighter.

Free Form were also used to decorate the store and give a little more of a professional look to the atmosphere and how they labeled and organized the store. They have taken the floor veneer that matches the pharmacy walk way as a ceiling tile. This vinyl wood tile is also a great acoustical aesthetic to the store. This visually pleasing feature can absorb noises from the store, so noises are absorbed thus making the store quieter and more enjoyable. The lit up “Home Care” sign is back lit with LED lights which are longer lasting, does not pollute as much when thrown away and puts out less light pollution into our atmosphere than florescent light bulbs. The orange circle and home sign could possibly be made with a type of Free Form product. It’s easy to create signs with lighting like this large sign. There were 4 signs like this on the ceiling. Free Form Company strives to be as green as possible and is very resourceful in creating its sustainable products. This product can be glass like or a little hazy but you can still see through the material. It easy to light up and create a beautiful lighting feature for any entertainment area or a highlighted feature.  

On the walls they used a wood veneer that matches the floor and ceiling wood tiles to cover empty space between the top of the refrigerator to the ceiling. It complements the store, creates a warm atmosphere and is a less expensive design decision that can help you make your space more detailed. The wood on the walls also made it feel a lot less like a store and more welcoming, I really liked this aspect of the store.  

Work cited:
All photos taken by: OCC Interior design Student
(On foot assignment)
Off Seal Beach Blvd. & St. Cloud Dr.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick
https://www.google.com/search?q=bricks&rlz=1C1CHMO_enUS570US570&espv=2&biw=950&bih=950&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=gg1lVOukDdjnoATY4YHYCQ&ved=0CFEQsAQ
https://resources.oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/rreagan/Filemanager_Public_Files/meaningofcolors.htm
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_lamp
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/20515/
https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/led-light-bulbs/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution
http://www.physics.fau.edu/observatory/lightpol.html
http://www.physics.fau.edu/observatory/lightpol.html
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Vinyl-Flooring-Resilient-Flooring/N-5yc1vZapwr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinyl
http://www.freeformplastics.com/

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Café Calacas

Julie Wyand

On the corner of a quaint street in Santa Ana lies a small shoppe known as Café Calacas. The bistro was once a theater from the 1800s (http://www.santaanahistory.com/articles/richardson.html), but has been renovated into a contemporary Hispanic eatery. Café Calacas has great food and an ambiance that will keep you coming back.

When I walked through the antique doors of Cafe Calacas for the first time, I was so enthused by the décor that I forgot about food for a minute. I began gawking over the ceramic tile flooring before I even made it to the counter (which was made of a smooth white quartzite). Flooring isn’t something one usually notices, but in this case it was impossible to miss. Beautiful 4”x4” Hispanic tiles were dispersed alongside contrasting taupe colored ones, creating a pattern that maintained formality. The taupe tile can be found at Lowes, (http://www.lowes.com/pd_204577-74035-015944HCSP_0__?productId=1163445), while the accent tiling was made by JD Custom Tile & Stone. Each of the accent tiles were unique to on another giving the space more interest. Thick black grouting between the tiles complimented the glossy black tile baseboards and other black accents throughout the café.

When it became time to order, a black wall behind the register caught my eye. It was lined near the top with tiles of sugar skulls while the rest of the wall was painted matte black, creating emphasis. I found this wall very fitting as the café was named Café Calacas; calacas meaning skeleton in Spanish. I would have personally liked to see the café use this simple black wall with sugar skull lining throughout the entire building. Instead, the bistro chose a distressed, wide-planked wood veneer like that found at Armstrong, (http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/hardwood/chesapeake-maple-5-in-engineered-hardwood-wide-plank-EMA61LG/floor-106519.asp), on three walls, and a rustic brick veneer on the other. Wood and brick veneer are extremely trendy right now but the combination of the two with the accent tiling was a bit overwhelming. If they would have used the black accented wall everywhere, the design would have been simplified, and further emphasis would be placed on the custom made tile. 

Although I wasn’t a fan of the wall finishes, I did admire the lighting.  In fact, the star-shaped lanterns were the second thing I noticed after the tile flooring. Like the tile, they were successful in both form and function as they provided light and went perfectly with the cultural theme of the cafe. The lanterns were custom made by a local artist and friend of the owner but similar ones can be found at Lightingdirect.com (http://www.lightingdirect.com/meyda-tiffany-15154-single-light-down-lighting-pendant-from-the-moravian-collection/p877190 intcmp=recs~item_page.rr1~ClickCP~Meyda%20Tiffany~meydatiffany15154). There was also a custom made chandelier located the dining area that I found intriguing. It contained exposed bulbs, metal framing, and a thick rope that appeared to be holding the fixture in place. The rustic chandelier went nicely above the wood-planked table that complimented the walls. The table was enclosed on three sides by windows covered in black drapes that again, went well with other black accenting. The 4” recessed can lighting used above the register also proved to be successful as it cast a subtle, yet inviting glow onto the glass bakery display below.

 I would have liked to have seen another row the same lighting behind the register, illuminating a chalkboard menu. Instead, the café used electronic menus that had false chalkboard displays.

With the exception of the false chalkboard menu, I found the company’s use of technology phenomenal. They substituted their outdated cash register for and iPad; a trend you’ll see more frequently in the future according to this article: http://mashable.com/2014/11/11/revel-systems-raises-100-million/.   Café Calacas also has an iPad station where customers can roam the internet while they wait on their food. They have free wifi and accessible outlets where guests can charge their computers when they come there to work.  This quaint little café on the corner of 4^th and Birch Street is a contradictory of its outward appearance. I find it amazing how such an outdated building can host such a modern interior. Although the café had its quirks, I really admire its design as a whole. The modern Hispanic theme of Café Calacas’ is very original and perfectly captures the essence of Downtown Santa Ana.

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Red O Restaurant

Mexican Inspired Cuisine

Shiri Klipper Raz & Cheila Keuilian

By Rick Bayless - Interiors by Martyn Lawrence Bullard

 Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA

        Red O restaurant is known for its menu of authentic regional Mexican and lighter

California style dishes. It is most definitely a departure from the typical Cali-Mex eateries of Orange County, and offers patrons a very unique experience.

         The dramatic award winning interiors are credited to the international designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard.  He has said, "This modern and luxurious space mingles with old world textures to create a beautiful and inviting space that is perfect to experience Chef Rick Bayless' modern Mexican fare.”With the bold color scheme, distinctive furnishings, artisan accents, mosaic and  European tiles, custom oversized ethnic light fixtures, tequila collection, back lit bar and even a live tree that  ascends to the dining room ceiling, give each room it’s own distinctive vibe.  The composition is absolutely amazing.

         Guests are welcomed through large, rustic wood doors with a weathered patina finish and iron nail heads to the tequila room.  It contains a floor to ceiling series of over 100 moorish arched niches, each individually lit and containing a single bottle of agave spirits. Tile flooring with a traditional Moroccan design, bordered by wood plank simulated ceramic tiles complete the look, in addition to being a durable and low maintenance flooring solution for a high traffic area.

        The tequila room takes you to the extravagant back lit bar with intricate wood panels and handmade oversized chandelier above.   It emphasizes the rich red hue of the painted ceiling and walls.  In addition to paint, a woven textured wall covering is used from approximately four feet down to the floor.  The wall covering conceals any imperfections due to wear and tear.  Acoustic material is used on the ceiling to aid in absorbing the sound.  Alternating arched wooden mashrabia screens and mirrors give the walls interest.

 

        A beautiful planter with airy palms takes center stage in the dining room and is surrounded by cozy booths and slip covered chairs in textiles patterns found in and around the regions of the  Mediterranean.  In contrast, crisp white linens don the dining tables. 

In conclusion, the Red O delivers stylish comfort as well as stunning drama – a truly unique environment in Orange County.

Resources

Red O Restaurant

http://www.redorestaurant.com/locations/newport-beach/gallery/

Greer’s OC

http://www.greersoc.com/index.php/blogs/daily-dose/lets_go_red_o

Orange County Mexican Food

http://ocmexfood.blogspot.com/search/label/newport%20beach

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Das Stue Hotel: Berlin, Germany

Ashley Pringle

        In 1844 King Wilhelm IV kindly donated wild animals to the Zoologischer Garten in Berlin, Germany. Many years later, in 1940, the Royal Danish Embassy was opened right next door to the zoo. During this time, the Embassy was used as one of Adolf Hitler’s capital-building projects. The Embassy was sold in 1978, soon to become a luxury boutique hotel. It was later named Das Stue which in Danish means “the living room.” Architecture firm Axthelm Rolvien Architeken has recently done a full interior renovation as well as a minor renovation to the exterior face of the structure. With an eclectic use of materials, Axthelm Rolvien along with Studio Urquiola re-imagined this 170 year old building into a FUN-ctional hotel.

             As you walk into the building you find yourself at the front reception room. Your eye is immediately drawn to the unique fabric ceiling mural by Patricia Urquiola. The fabric is made out of 100% cotton, which is a sustainable resource. The flooring is concrete, yet another great material as far as sustainability goes. A large rug by J&T BCN centers the room and draws your eye further into the space. This rug is made out of wool fibers in texture simply named “balls.” Although this is yet another sustainable material, I personally do not think this is an appropriate material to use in this particular space due to high foot traffic. This will have to be replaced every couple of years and it will also be costly to maintain. Overall, this reception area is still smartly done with great use of eco-friendly resources.

            Another space that has been wonderfully renovated is the Das Stue lobby. This space was done entirely by Studio Urquiola, as well as all other public spaces throughout the hotel. The lobby is another long, vertical space. The focal point is a large bronze crocodile sculpture in the center of the room. Beneath this sculpture is the same J&T BCN wool fiber rug in a grey marled color. For this particular space I think the rug is appropriate since it lies underneath the art sculpture, where there will not be high volumes of foot traffic. The main flooring in completely refurbished original granite flooring in light and dark grey tones. This is a great material that is strong enough to last for many, many years. Wall treatments are refurbished original travertine. Travertine is a sedimentary rock that has been used in architecture for hundreds of years. It is also very frequently used in modern architecture as well. Many, if not all, of the materials in the lobby area are strong long lasting materials that will stand the test of time. It is a huge financial plus as well since the designers were able to refurbish the existing materials.

            Last we have the guest rooms at the Das Stue hotel. Sleek and modern, the guest rooms aren’t your typical chain hotel design. The white cerused oak built-in headboard rises from floor to ceiling, even extending onto the ceiling above the bed. Cerused oak has been used since the 16^th century and was popular during the art deco era as well. Today, nontoxic waxes are used to create this effect. The head board is a beautiful custom made piece by Virato. The flooring used is an oak matte natural finish. The dark wood flooring gives the space great contrast and will also hold up to the large amount of foot traffic these rooms will be experiencing. I think this space has a nice variety of materials that will not only be comfortable, but functional as well.

            Overall, Das Stue is a truly unique hotel. Renovations were handled in a very sophisticated manner, creating a visually pleasing environment. Materials ranged from many factors including: sustainability, comfort, and practicality. Minimal décor was used in order to keep the main focus on the incredible views in each room. And still, the design team did a great job as far as trying to keep a lot of the structure and materials that have been in the space for over a hundred years. The Das Stue hotel will continue to impress visitors from all around the world; it will continue to do so for another 170 years!

WORKS CITED

http://www.interiordesign.net/projects/detail/1662-please-dont-feed-the-animals-das-stue-hotel/

http://www.interiordesign.net/articles/detail/35537-please-dont-feed-the-animals-resources/

http://www.jordi-mas.com/

http://www.what-is-travertine.com/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2009/07/object-lesson-limed-oak-cerused-oak-shelter-furniture-.html

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The Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa

 Breyanna Brisbine

            The Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa was created with you in mind. This hotel offers some of the best services around yet most of what they do is green! Even being a member of the Green Hotels Association, they made sure to do their research and pick sustainable, eco-friendly products to use in their space. Although not all products were “green”, they are still playing a huge roll in helping our environment as well as setting expectations for future hotels being built and/or restored. With this hotel being one of which was restored, they made a lot of changes to modernize the look as well as the technology. They could have gone the easier route and used random, varies products that may not do their best in helping the earth, but they did. Taking their time to go through the necessary steps to a greener facility, Casa Madrona is worth visiting!

            Many of the products they used such as the Toto dual-flush toilets use less water as they flush, the sensory lights aren’t ever left on, and you can’t forget that heir paint contains low VOC as well as the carpet. They are making sure that we are wasting less, and staying healthy! Concerned for their guests, they also are concerned for the environment. They want to make sure your stay is as comfortable as they can make it as well as clean and efficient.

            A few other renovation changes they made in order to become more eco-friendly were the use of natural quartz counter tops and some granite that can be reused when the hotel is no longer in service. These products will last a long lifetime, rarely stain and are the most durable out of many stones they could have chosen.  No matter when this hotel calls it quits, many of their products will be used for other buildings or they too will be restored with the next renovation.

            Along with durable products and ones that use less energy, this hotel also used recycled glass for their shelving and tried to refurbish all that they could, such as the original bamboo flooring that they removed and renewed. They use reusable bottles in their spa and always recycle.  They don’t ever use any products that aren’t biodegradable, recyclable or give back to the community. They even used local artist’s art to hang up in the hallways rather than buying paintings or photos from any other vendors. Giving back to the community as well as the earth.

        Although this hotel does a lot to help with sustainability, renewability, and the ability to reuse products, the most interesting aspects of their contributions to the environment are their public transport and laundry systems. Regarding the transport system, the company employees use commutercheck.com/Home.aspx to carpool to work rather than each individually take a car. Also as a guest you are offered online packages that include ferry tickets and bicycle rentals so you don’t have to drive around when exploring the beautiful city! This means a lot less fumes from the cars people aren’t using!

            Lastly, what I believe to be the best aspect of how this hotel is contributing to a healthier earth is the use of their ozone friendly laundry system which kills germs without bleach and instead of chemicals leaving residue, this biodegradable, germ killing product that turns right into oxygen! Using only a third of the water they originally used and not using harsh products such as detergents or bleach. Plus, drying time is nearly cut in half, which in fact uses a lot less energy! And the best part is you gain back all the money spent on the system, in just 6 months!

 

            Casa Madrona is one of the most beautiful hotels in Northern California and has gone through some of the best eco-friendly renovations to help with our environment. Thinking of all aspects including renewable, reusable and recyclable materials I believe they did a great job. It is incredible to me that one hotel can make that much of an impact. Just think, how can our world possibly change its fate with the intelligence and awareness that we are now equipped with. If every commercial building went through the steps and procedures that Casa Madrona has, the difference would be astonishing. Help save the earth and give back as well as reuse, renew and recycle!

  

Member Hotels. (1995, January 1). Retrieved November 13, 2014, from http://www.greenhotels.com/members.php

 Terra, M. (2014, January 1). Sustainability. Retrieved November 13, 2014, from http://casamadrona.com/explore-hotel/hotel/sustainability/

 Greening Newsletter. (2012, September 1). Retrieved November 13, 2014.

http://greenhotels.com/images_2/pdf/news1205lh.pdf

 Call Toll Free (855) 249-1926 (Ozone Laundry Support Systems, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL)

http://www.nutekinternational.com/

Gallery - Casa Madrona (Casa Madrona)

http://casamadrona.com/gallery/

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Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Interior Renovation

Elise Kunihiro

 photo #1: photo credit: www.hotels.com

        Located on one of the most premiere white sand beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Hapuna Prince Hotel began their interior renovation project in phases, starting in 2011 and finishing in the fall of 2013.  While the open-air architecture of the hotel remained untouched, a local Oahu-based interior design firm Philpotts and Associates was hired to update the lobby, guest rooms, pool area, and restaurants.  The colors, artwork, fabrics, and furnishings were inspired by the natural setting and history of the hotel’s location on the Kohala Coast.
   
         The Hapuna Prince has been a favorite family destination since I was young, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit again this week for a friend’s wedding and share firsthand the transformation of the hotel interior by updating the furnishings and materials.  The building itself sits on the bluffs above the white sand crescent beach, and the massive structure features enormous columns, open-air lobby, curved staircases, and skylights.  All of the rooms are ocean-facing, capitalizing on the beautiful ocean views and breezes.  The melding of indoor-outdoor space in the public areas is connected even more with the surrounding environment in the selection of natural dark slate flagstone floors, glass railings to optimize unobstructed views, stained wood paneling, lava rock walls, and a selection of native plants.     

 photo #2: photo credit: www.hotels.com

  In need of the most attention were the guest rooms, which had not been majorly updated since the hotel was built in 1994 and were certainly outdated.  The previous decor resembled more of a kitschy beach cottage vibe as opposed to a modern tropical luxury destination that the hotel was aiming to achieve in their renovation project.  Philpotts and Associates incorporated more elements of Hawaiian culture in the design by including traditional motifs.  The new floor treatment included replacing the older carpet with a custom woven beige boucle decorated with an olive colored palm print, bringing a more graphic element to the room.  The Polynesian theme continues with the addition of a neutral, but vibrantly patterned wallpaper on the wall behind the beds, giving that particular wall an animated pop.  The wallpaper is a kapa print, a traditional Hawaiian paper made from bast fibers and printed with geometrical shapes that are bold and direct.  The other walls remain painted in a calming off white to balance the combination of patterns on the floor, fabric, and walls. 
 

( photo #3)
photos clockwise: new materials including the carpet, lamps, wallpaper, light wood furniture, fabrics, and bedding.

         Previously white washed furniture has been replaced with more contemporary light hardwood.  The bed frames and one of the side tables both have bamboo incorporated into their design, playing on the tropical theme.  The rooms used to have wicker sitting chairs, but have since been replaced with dark rattan chairs with seating cushions and pillows upholstered in a canvas fabric decorated with a colorful tropical plant design.  Traditional colonial style floor and table lamps have been replaced with more contemporary pieces that are just as beautiful as they are functional.  Wide drum off-white linen lampshades sit on artisan clear glass bases as well as tall Japanese inspired ceramic lamp bases, adding a more visually striking and exotic element to the room than the previous traditional colonial style fixtures.  The old pale watercolor printed quilts have been replaced with plush new bedding in simple white and the beds now tailored with linen bedskirts.  To give the room a pop of color, bright orange blankets are folded at the base of the bed adding a dimension of modern style, matching the orange flowers found in the seating cushion fabric.  Sliding glass doors open to a wide lanai with updated modern patio furniture.  One of the nicest features of the room renovations include the addition of white wooden shutters that slide on a track parallel to the sliding glass doors so they can not only be adjusted to filter light, but also slide completely out of the way to each side to reveal an unobstructed ocean view.  The easiest change to give the room a modern, updated feel was one of the most obvious solutions — replacing the old boxy televisions with a 55” high-definition television.  

(Photo #4)

        This renovation project also included enhancements to Hapuna’s pool area by adding a new stone pool deck and updating the lanai furniture. The lobby and three restaurants, Ocean Terrace, Reef Lounge and Beach Bar, have been refreshed and updated with posh gathering areas and modern furnishings.  Having seen the hotel before and after, the materials the hotel and Philpotts and Associates have chosen have made the resort feel more modernized and sophisticated and work really well in the architectural space.  The updated design has given consideration to the surrounding tropical location and incorporated elements of culture and history.  The redesign has successfully accomplished creating a place of relaxation where I could relax and enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian beach, living up to it's award winning status. 

Resources:
1.  http://www.hotels.com/ho108652/hapuna-beach-prince-hotel-kamuela-united-states/
2.  http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/hawaii/big-island/review-55238.html
3.  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hbph-room-refresh.php
4.  http://www.mcneilwilson.com/client-news/201303/3401
5.  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hapuna-beach-prince-hotel/press/mauna-kea-beach-hotel-and-hapuna-beach-prince-hotel-complete-multi-million-dollar-refresh
6.  http://www.scientificsymposiums.com/store/store_files/HBP_Renovation-12.pdf

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Getty Center

Chieh-Ling Yang

            Getty Center is perhaps the most important architecture in the Santa Monica Mountains. It is a unique attraction; the Getty Center incorporates the elegant design by architecture Richard Meier. It has beautiful gardens, open spaces, and spectacular views of Los Angeles. There are six building in the museum. They all built with marble. When people enter to the Museum, they can see the museum displays with curvilinear design element that made with travertine squares. The stone-travertine is one of the most remarkable materials. This beige-colored, rift, textured, travertine can best reflect the bright Southern California light, the stone reflecting sharply during morning, and emitting a warmth in the afternoon. According to the architecture Meier said why he choose the travertine for this project because it is often associated with public architecture and expresses qualities the Getty Center celebrates: permanence, solidity, simplicity, warmth, and craftsmanship. This choice of travertine is successful in the Getty Museum; light color marble magnifies the temperament of the museum. Travertine can often see on many commercial architecture due to itself natural design and color.         

The lobby of the museum is a glass-encased rotunda with deep-brown honed travertine floors and a circular travertine-clad stairway. Getty center used crude marble for the stairway because crude marble can have slip resistant. It can prevent children slip on the floor.

           

         Inside the Getty Center there are a lot of unique flooring. One of flooring is “mosaic floor with Medusa”, According to the Getty Museum website, Mosaic floors executed in only black and white were favored in Italy in the 100s A.D. This floor combines this Italian black and white style used for the shield with the polychrome mosaic style of other parts of the Roman Empire used here for Medusa. The Mosaic glass tile flooring has many advantages. It can imbue the interior with a sense of lavish luxury, and these tiles can elevate the style of any space. The biggest benefit is using mosaic flooring is you can arranged the complex pattern and multicolored tiles. Mosaic is a durable and resistant material; however, they can be a costly material and difficult to maintenance. 

     

Mosaic Floor with Medus

            Getty center also use travertine for the flooring; they install holes in the travertine floor, fixture on top and bottom of marble column. According to a Journal: Anew installation of 18^th-Century Terracottas and marbles” They mentioned the two elegant marble columns on which Minerva and Hope Nourishes Love stand look like they were created on purpose to support these exquisite marble statuettes. The purpose of deep-color travertine flooring is to make contract with white statuettes. However, travertine tile floorings have disadvantages of not resistant to damage. If people have young child and pets in the museum, the flooring could very easily become scratched or stained.                                     

Glass Wall

Natural light is one of the Getty Center's most important architectural elements. The exterior wall of Getty Center are made of glass, the walls of glass allow sunshine to illumine the interiors. They use louvers to adjust the light inside; the paintings galleries on the Museum's upper level are all naturally lit. Lighting is really important for how to choose the interior material, natural light can make the inside of the building look more clear and serene. 

Travertine building

                                

            Getty center use the hard Italian limestone for the wall and the bases of all the building. The director of the operations of Getty Center think the stone gives a sense of permanence and beauty. That's why they spend 14 years of design and construction. Travertine used a lot in the construction of the Getty center. According to the “The Getty Center’s stone seduces” Travertine also serves as paving for the exterior arrival plaza and museum courtyard and is used on interior walls and floors, such as the transitional spaces between galleries.

            There are some exhibition hall in Getty have wood floor. They are usually install where shows the paintings with bright color, it can make contrast with the wood floor, so the paintings can present clearly. It is a successful choice of wood floor because hardwood floor is very easy to maintain and clean, stains and dirt does not stick to it. Moreover, the color in the hardwood floor will remain the same for a long time. It also good for people with allergies, hardwood floors do not hold stuff that can aggravate their allergies like carpet.

  Wood floor

                      

           The furniture in the Getty Museum is fancy and classical, there is an old cabinet that named “ Furiture Fit for a King” made by French artist Andre-Charles Boulle in about 1675-1680. This cabinet is made of ivory, brass, bronze, wood and pewter. According to the article on the Getty website, this cabinet was made more than 300 years ago in France. These materials such as wood and ivory, and of the cabinet have advantages of persistent and durable, so this artwork can be appreciate by everyone after 300 years later.

                    

  Cabinet

        There is a elegant table that made with Rosso di Verona marble, this marble is a beautiful reddish-colored marble. This table is inspire on a classical roman design and use in refectories. This marble was carved that it can also be a decoration material in the house.

In a conclusion, the use of materials and product in Getty Center is successful because they are durable and beautiful. From visiting the Getty Center I learned that every material in a building is important, interior designers have to understand the chrematistics of different materials so that they can create a sustainable design.

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