LOS ANGELES─Deeply influenced by her grandfather, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and an oil painter, Heather Hoeksema, an emerging environmental artist, is constantly forging new neuron passages between her left and right brain, straddling comfort and creativity, stimulation and relaxation, the natural sciences and aesthetics, in constructing sustainable designs.
She is showing her work in L.A. this month at her alumni Southern California Institute of Architecture in an exhibit of work produced by all female architects.
"It's so abstract to access the impact of an architectural space on human psychology," she says. Designing for people first, Hoeksema always considers multiple viewpoints and the human form, to create a feeling of comfort within the space. This show, by the Association for Woman in Architecture, is AWA's group exhibit 2008 presenting 34 designers in the fields of architecture, interior design, landscape and urban design. It will feature plans, renderings, models and photographs.
Hoeksema will be exhibiting a narrative installation including 2 bridge designs, clothing, and photos of a project called 'biokinetic drawing sticks. Each of the elements of her exhibit represents in some way, her passion for creating opportunities for a "personal" and "interactive experience." By showing the work together she's conveying artistically how inter-relating the various mediums of art can tell a more potent story about personal life in the city.
Another example of this concept is a design for a theater that reconfigures into multiple types of stages, offering more flexibility and creativity for venues, for performers, and for audiences which can experience a higher level of engagement.
"I like to design every nut and bolt," says Hoeksema, "make architecture a tactile –design, for how it will feel for somebody".
After receiving a bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1994 from the university of Michigan, Hoeksema worked for several years in various firms, including a position as Project manager for the auditorium space for the theater in the Millennium Park Chicago. Hoeksema completed her Master's thesis in 2002 at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, which has a reputation for producing cutting-edge, innovative architecture.
"I had a pragmatic background in architecture and wanted to return to a more artistic approach, and a master's thesis was a good time to explore my personal methodology," explains Hoeksema, who had been a student of the human sciences, with roots in painting and drawing.
Most recently, she has just completed a design for a sustainable village in North Eastern India. This included use of solar panels, hydro farming for water supply, and passive solar strategies. Hoeksema's next effort is a residential project breaking ground in the Rockies next month.
With 'girl next door charm,' a keen intellect and sensitivity, there is no doubt she would make her granddad proud.
Opening reception May 17; SCIArc Gallery open daily from 10-6; Admission free, May 17 –June 2; 960 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
For more information visit: http://www.sciarc.edu/
Feeds