some references that are fun to look at with regard to diagrams.

Of course the ones you’ll find on firms’ websites and in publications have all been refined and polished for dissemination… but they were initiated because they were valuable tools for process – both analysis and communication.

Landscape Firms with diagrams central to site analysis work:
(the following links will take you to a specific project by each firm)

• Lateral Office
• Guy Nordenson and Associates
• MVVA (Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates)
• Rios Clementi Hale

Architecture Firms with diagrams central to practice: 

• MAde Studio
• REX Architecture (http://www.rex-ny.com/)
• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Archietcture)
• Morphosis
• Field Operations
• Aires Mateus
• 

Art and Diagrams intersect:

• stamen
• Terreform ONE
• Constant Variable

the funny and irreverent brought to my attention by my friend Ned Baxter:

• Diagram of bodily excretions found in San Francisco
• the ideal living environment for a chicken

Nancy and I are talking about what would make a great Activity Study

• Chart about the relationship between place, activities, people
• Dimensions and Relationship to the Body
• Adjacency Diagram
• Sectional relationships
• Inspiring images

Pre-design booklets document how architects set up a successful project by translating client aspiraations into visuals and succinct messages.  They often include strong examples of state of the art design:

• >Bruce Mau Design’s Vision for the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts. Feb 2011 Design Strategies and Mar 2011 Vision Presentation are filled with strong diagrams and visual examples.

3XN’s design for the London School of Economics Union (from BMD AAA Design Strategies)

• Allan Price Science Commons & Research Library Expansion at UO:  Browse the Vision Statement and Conceptual Design Study by Pivot to understand how gathering data can be a key part of a design process. Both contain colorful mini-case studies and measured sample rooms housing activities.
• Corvallis Coho Ecovillage’s Site Program booklet summarizes community aspirations, site limitations and desired design patterns.
• 
  Fielding Nair’s DesignShare site illustrates well-designed activity spaces in the Design Patterns from The Language of School Design (AAA LB3218.A1 N35 2007)  It also has good examples of consistent plan diagrams in its Award Program listings before 2007.
  

The first week will orient students to themes that will be revisited throughout the term.  Students will examine baskets and interior spaces to think about shaping with materials and to develop vocabulary about space and form.

A field trip on Friday will allow students to get first hand experience with the Portland site at SE 10th and SE Division St.

• 7:45am assemble at the back door of Lawrence Hall (Onyx and Franklin parking lot)
• 8:00am depart for Portland, inspect site on arrival
• 10:30am meet Ady Leverette, UO M.Arch. grad of Fat Pencil Studio, 3rd floor of the Ford Building, 2505 SE 11th St. more pix.
• Site reconnaisance activities followed by lunch on your own in the neighborhood.
• 1:30pm gather at cars, drive to Oregon College of Arts and Crafts (OCAC) 8245 Barnes Road
• 2:00 Meet David Gabriel of CoLab Architecture at the Vollum Drawing, Painting and Photography Building
• 3:15: gather at cars to go to the Portland Japanese Garden.  Parking can be difficult.
• 3:30 Enter the Garden. Everyone needs to go through the entrance gate at the same time to get a discount.
  Observe and sketch in the garden.
• ~5:15 Optional dinner to avoid rush hour traffic. Location to be announced.