Mr. Codio, Senior CTE Instructor, said this about the project: “[WHSAD] was presented with a Black History Month project from the Department of Buildings. Over the past four years, they’ve been coming to WHSAD to do design projects, and for Black History Month, this year, they’re emphasizing jazz clubs in the New York City area. Rather than looking from an architectural standpoint, the Department of Buildings is looking at the culture and the buildings that helped foster jazz culture.
Lisa Lewis, Director at New York City Department of Buildings and one of the coordinators of this project, proposed that we design pieces for some of the historic New York City jazz clubs, such as Esther and Carol, Birdland, Smoke Jazz, and various others. For the project, students will create various designs such as 3D models or architectural grilles. They’re bringing their expertise into the design presentation. At the end we will showcase our designs to a few of the clubs such as Esther & Carol, Smoke Jazz, Birdland, and, hopefully, a few others. Additionally, these presentations will help showcase what jazz represents to us architecture and design-wise.”
Student correspondent, Antonio Perez, transcribed Mr. Codio’s interview.
The following are narratives from student participating in the project.
The original inspiration for my design was to use the logo of the bar I was given, Smoke Jazz and Supper Club, and do a spin on it. I wanted it to represent New York City while also representing black history. The process was not long, but it took a lot of thought. For me, I had to make sure that the logo I chose represented something known for representing black history by putting my own spin on it. Once I found the logo, I decided to extrude the letters to be different heights resembling skyscrapers in New York City. I also chose to add a microphone to show instruments and materials used for jazz music.
This project pays homage to jazz innovators of the past by implementing the culture and the community of the jazz and black history and using various jazz clubs throughout the city as models. One challenge involved in making this project was really just trying to make everything perfect. We are designing a project based on a time when we weren’t alive or able to see things for ourselves, so making sure we make the people for that time and our time proud is a challenge.
This project has improved my design skills in AutoCAD in various ways. Switching to 3D Modeling and being introduced to so many new commands has made me a better student in class and has made me think of better ideas on how to improve my design for this project. This project has made me want to continue improving and learning more about designing and has made me strive to be the best architect or designer that I can be.
-Senior, Melina Jorge
The main objective of project is to create a unique piece about a jazz club for black history month. Jazz was chosen because of its creation in New Orleans by the African-American community. The jazz club I chose was the Blue Note because of its impact around the world, not only does it express the culture out of New Orleans but the whole world. But my real inspiration was the Blue Note Jazz club in New York City and their building’s facade because of the big piano on the front of the building and how it creates an awning for the building. I didn’t want to create simple piano so I made the inside hollow to place lights in the inside of it and allow the light to shine through the small hollow music note I create around the piano. As in the front of the piano, there is the Blue Note sign, which is also in the front of the New York City Blue Note.
The biggest issue I had with this project was the editing of the small details. The digital copy had to be perfectly made to fit the conditions so the object would 3D print perfectly without any mistakes. As I was as editing the program, AutoCAD would freeze because it couldn’t handle how much detail was in the design. This made the process of editing these small details harder and longer than it had to be. Not only would it affect editing of the small detail but also disrupt the placement on the main object and having these details line up perfectly.
-Senior, Dariel Paulino
When I was approached with this Black History Month project, I was excited. Excited because I would be using 3D modeling to show my appreciation for jazz clubs during Black History Month. Starting off, I chose a Jazz club “Esther & Carol” from a PowerPoint, and I began to do research for some ideas. I turned to their website and found images on the internet that would help me capture the jazz “vibe” while also keep it modern. In one design, I started with the logo and moved on from there, adding other amenities like a record player and headphones.
This project has had its fair share of points where I wasn’t sure what I should include. I wanted to have something that paid homage to the jazz innovators of the past and to those who are still keeping it alive. Although I’m not advanced in 3D modeling, I still wanted to create something worthwhile while also being original.
As I said before, I was excited to start this project to show my appreciation, but I was also excited to revisit and learn new commands in 3D modeling. Even after taking a break from AutoCAD for a year, I was able to get back into the swing of things and pass the AutoCAD Certification Exam. That being said, I was ready for a new challenge. I wanted to increase my skills and this was a perfect opportunity. It was pretty straightforward but I was able to learn new techniques and commands from my teacher, Mr. Alain Codio. He let us be creative on our own while also giving us feedback and inspiring our designs.
Senior, Jared Jackson