G E N E : FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION FOLLOWS FORM

Gene, a fifth year architecture student, takes a more rudimentary approach. His studio apartment is based in functionality, and represents the common college concept of doing the best with what you have. “I was working with a limited amount of stuff. I really just used things I had from home.” That’s not to say that this is how he would prefer his space to look. Gene’s room makes an important point: while college students may want to use their room as a form of expression, a lack of money and resources can create obstacles towards that goal.

While Gene may be doing the best he can, he never saw his room as an expression of the things he likes. “I don’t personally have a lot of posters or anything about myself and the things I like because I already know what I like, I don’t need to remind myself.” To him, interior design is a matter of form follows function, or rather in combination with the notion that function follows form. Gene’s room serves as a series of programs organized where they fit in with the architecture of the space. “At the end of the day I want everything in my space to have a purpose. I’ve never been one to clutter my space. I feel like more of my self expression comes out in my architecture.” Maybe interior design is just a room that serves you, and self expression can be saved for other areas.

Q: When you were designing this room and picking what to put into it, what kind of thoughts went into that process?

A: For me it was, a lot of this stuff is from home. I was working with a limited amount of stuff. I really just used things I had from home. These dividers are from home so I used that to divide the space between my bedroom and living room. I didn’t want to fill it with things, partly because I didn’t want to spend the money. Everything is just kind of temporary. I’d say my room is mainly just me doing the best I can with what I’ve got.

Q: What does interior design mean to you if anything?

A: It means a lot. It’s how you represent yourself to other people, and how you arrange objects that mean something to you. I don’t personally have a lot of posters or anything about myself and the things I like because I already know what I like, I don’t need to remind myself. But having an aesthetically pleasing place filled with natural light and greenery is more important to me. It’s a question of if you want it to be geared towards other people or be more representative of yourself, or a combo of both.

“I like to keep it rudimentary. Having a base form to create a space around. Sometimes function follows form for me. Having a base form and adding functions to the space that that form. But fi t

I want ev- at the end of the day my space to have a purpose. I’ve never been one to clutter my space. I feel like of my self ex- more pression comes out in my architec- ture and designs. terms of

In home, instead of having aesthetically pleasing stuff I prefer to have areas of program. I like to fi ll my space with functional programs that I care about.” my 43 44

Q: In what ways do you think your personality is shown through this room, if at all?

A: There’s not a lot of fluff. I wanted to keep things simple and clean. My personality shows more through my work as an architecture student. In terms of my home, I have a lot of tables and surfaces where I can do my work or lay out floor plans. My space is more functional than anything else. Pretty much everything in this room and every area I carved out in this space has its own purpose.

Q: Would you say as a future architect, your space has been developed around the architectural concept of form follows function?

A: I think so. I like to keep it rudimentary. Having a base form to create a space around. Sometimes function follows form for me. Having a base form and adding functions to the space that fit that form. But at the end of the day I want everything in my space to have a purpose. I’ve never been one to clutter my space. I feel like more of my self expression comes out in my architecture and designs. In terms of my home, instead of having aesthetically pleasing stuff I prefer to have areas of program. I like to fill my space with functional programs that I care about, like ideally having a coffee bar or a garden space.