Bucket List Peer Review

I thought Tiziri's post was very informative. She gave a lot of great information on Dubai and it's background, which really enhanced what she said about the buildings. She also included a lot of great images.


I also liked Holli's post, which was also on Dubai. She included lots of great background info on the Burj Al Arab building, which just highlighted how impressive of a structure it is.

Bucket List

The presentations this week highlighted architectural structures around the world and the various styles they displayed. It was very interesting to learn about different countries and their accomplishments in design. One of the most interesting buildings was Burj Al Arab in Dubai. This building was constructed in 1999 and is the only 7 star hotel in the world. Dubai's recent expansion and total reconstruction of the city has resulted in some astonishing buildings and Burj Al Arab is a prime example.

The Copenhagen Opera House in Denmark was another impressive building. It was built in 2004 in Copenhagen and features a 24 carat gold leaf ceiling, as well as materials like limestone and marble.

I was also impressed by the buildings in Mexico, particularly the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City. This building was completed in 1994 and really showcases the unique designs seen in that city.

Mid-Century Modernism Peer Review

Riann's post included a lot of great examples of the furniture that came from this period. I also liked the video on Eero Saarinen, which had a lot of interesting photos of his work.

Scott also included a great video on the Eames Lounge Chair that shows its complex manufacturing process. I also thought he did a great job explaining the key characteristics of the Mid-Century Modernism style.

Mid-Century Modernism

Mid-Century Modernism became prevalent from 1950-1960, particularly on the West Coast. It featured warm, earthy tones mixed with trendy colors like turquoise. The use of materials like plastic, resin, metal composites, laminates, and fiberglass allowed unique and creative designs to be created.

One famous designer from this period was Joseph Eichler, a real estate developer from California. He was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and developed tract housing subdivisions for average American families. His designs featured post and beam construction, open floor plans, glass walls, concrete floors, and low slope, no slope, or A-frame roofs.

The furniture of this time was developed by designers like Eero Saarinen, Charles & Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi. Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer who worked with Knoll to create pieces like the Tulip Chair. He also worked with Charles & Ray Eames, a married couple responsible for many of the most iconic furniture of this time.

Current Examples

Also, check out this video on the development of the Mid-Century Modernism style:

Herman Miller Peer Review

Paige did a really good job on her post of including some key events in Herman Miller's history. I also liked that she included the bee story as this was fun and showed the company's commitment to sustainability and finding natural solutions to deal with problems.

I enjoyed Rachael's post as well. I liked that she included the description of Herman Miller's current offices and their commitment to their employees rather than just focusing on the history of the company.

Herman Miller

Herman Miller was founded in 1906 under its original name, the Michigan Star Furniture Company, working in residential furniture. They hired DJ De Pree, who eventually became president and bought the company. He renamed it Herman Miller in honor of his father-in-law who gave him the money to buy the company. The company remained in residential design until the Great Depression when it began to struggle.

They contacted modernist Gilbert Rhode to helped reform the look of the company. They unveiled their first line of modern furniture in 1933 at the Century of Progress Exhibit. The company later hired George Nelson who created many pieces as well as their famous logo. Two of the most famous designers who worked with Herman Miller were Ray and Charles Eames, an eccentric couple who created avant garde work. Charles Eames even worked with the military to create a portable, lightweight, strong leg splint using bent wood technology.

Other designers that have worked with Herman Miller include Alexander Girard, a fabric designer, Robert Propst, the researcher who developed the action office system, and Bill Stumpf, who is responsible for the famous Aeron chair. Herman Miller continues to grow and develop innovative pieces in the world of design and currently owns companies like Geicer, Nemschoff, Maharem, and Design Within Reach.

Current Examples:

Also, check out this video about Herman Miller:

Art Deco Peer Review

I though Holli did a great job explaining some of the major characteristics of the Art Deco period. She also included an interesting video that showed a lot of great pictures of Art Deco spaces.


Katie also included a great video on Art Deco buildings and art. She also used some great images for her own examples of original and current Art Deco furniture.