Bike Ramp Proj (The Boring Stuff)

So before I jump into all of the fun stuff (cough!) I wanted to address some exciting logistics:

I've got a shutterfly site, because I know how tedious words can be sometimes (especially mine) I've added all of my pictures from my trips and such, and put them on a convenient site for you all to go comment, view and follow! 

The link is now permanently posted over to the right -----> 

Directly under the Entries catagory. It's entitled "Photographic Documentation" in keeping with the blog theme. So check it out- sign up to be a member and get weekly updates through email!

So the Program for our first project was to redesign a bike ramp used in the time trials of road cycling. The old ones are generally a flimsy ramp, some stairs, and a tailgating tent. Our redesign is centered around the world road cycling championships that are being held in Mendrisio, Switzerland (which happens to be the next town over). 

I'm not going to talk to much about the ideas behind the design or the mechanics of making it- I'll throw a couple of pictures up and move on with the blog!

This was my life for the last couple weeks:

Above is the view of the bike ramp from the side (elevation style). This is a picture of the model, which is not as photogenic as I would like it to be, but alas.

So as you approach the ramp, it wraps around you, creating space within the floor surface, and opening space in the roof as well. There are view points as the rider transitions through the ramp. 

There were a couple different iterations of the ramp, and the one shown in these couple pictures is actually an alternate iteration than the final one, which is pictured below (it's the one in black).

So to the left here

<--------- You can see the alternating roof that I was fooling with. This is only in the alternate model, the one that I presented has a more serious ramp surface and a more regular roof plane. You can check it out below.

It was a fun project to get back into the feeling of designing something, though because we're traveling around so often, my design work sometimes feels a little stinted. 

Our next project should go more in depth, so we shall see how I deal with Zero time in between traveling and studio. 

So the project is basically over, except for a final pin-up of models, drawings, animations and pictures. We're setting it up in the lobby tomorrow, and it should be interesting to see everyone's reactions to our work. 

Surprisingly enough, I learned a lot from this little exercise, and it feels good to get back into it.  A lot of what I learned was actually photoshop stuff.  

I did an animation too, but it's .gif file, and I have no clue how to get it on here, so until I figure it out (any tips?) you'll just have to imagine it!

Next up, I'm going to post about my free weekend! Some great shots, and all the craziness from Motte, Campodolcio, and Bellagio.