Think Tank at OCAD

Untitled Magazine

2007-12-17T10:52:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone! Hope you're all having a great holiday so far. I just wanted to add on from the first post (can be found here), Untitled Magazine is a student group publishing a magazine that will be featuring students works in order to allow other students to see what else is going on in OCAD. This magazine only started in the beginning of this school year and is fairly new. You can find the facebook link in Brenda's original post.

For those who don't have a facebook account (like me), you can email your questions and (possibly) interests in helping to untitled.magazine.ocad@gmail.com. Or leave a comment, I can try to answer as much as I can on behalf of the magazine group.

To the group who did the publication using an environmentally friendly method, I highly recommend your group to contact them as I believe it will make a great difference in helping to change Ocad's method of publishing from now on.

Happy Holidays everyone! =)
~ Ayumi

GREEN ROOF

2007-12-16T19:14:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few reasons of why I propose OCAD to implement the Green Roof project for out Sharp Center of Design at 100 McCaul Street:

1. GRs (Green Roofs) reduce increase in air temperature:
- they re-radiate most of sun's energy
- they have heat insulation properties
- therefore, less energy is required to cool off the building
- therefore, less hot air needed from mechanical cooling systems
2. GRs improve air quality:
- they reduce out-site air temperature
- less dust in the air
- they serve as natural air filters (photosynthesis)
- they reduce internal temperature fluctuations
- and roof's life span extends
3. GRs provide for the reduction of storm water runoff:
- plus, they reduce incidents such as surcharge, overflow, creek erosion etc.

Ok..... NOT ENOUGH reasons?
4. GR's improve building's aesthetics (wouldn't those pictures in T-Dot magazines look much more attractive?)
5. GRs create more jobs
6. We can contact with nature right on our roof! Why not even have proposed Yoga sessions on our new green roof?
7. Additional green space where we can grow veggies for our new Health Food Booth

Now, MONEY of course matter in the first place, as always... so what are our market prices for GRs?:
- Inaccessible extensive green roof with 150 mm of thick growing medium costs more than $12 per sq. foot than a standard flat roof, which excludes structural upgrades and maintenance
- Accessible intensive green roof costs THREE times more

Now, my question is Would such costs likely reduce as the use of green roofs increases?

Here are some great examples of already existing GR projects around the world...
Above is Library of Delft Technical University in the Netherlands

Above is one of the Chicago's GR projects

Above is my favourite so far is the Fukuoka building in Fukuoka city in Japan, which accommodates offices and retail spaces, 2,000 seat theatre and a museum.

Thank You,

Yana Haiduk

OCAD PUBLICATION!

2007-12-16T17:43:00.000-05:00

HI EVERYONE!

I have some very exciting news! There is a group that independently had the same hopes and ideas for a student publication as My group did that has actually been able to get it off the ground! Hurrah! They are calling the magazine and organization "Untitled". If you would like to know more, or find out how you can submit work to them, check out their facebook page:
http://ocad.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5994288802
Very exciting!
~Brenda

Comfort Zone

2007-12-15T23:46:00.000-05:00

-TRAVELING FAR AND LONG is a major problem with students today. As a student who lives far away from school I am familiar with the troubles regarding long distance travel and I have come up with a solution to ease the pain.
Since there is never enough time in the day to be able to study, and to live a life, I introduce to you "THE COMFORT ZONE".

-We can create this COMFORT ZONE on the 5th(at the back where the sofas and the vending machine are) and 6th floor (main study hall) of the main building and the 4th floor (student lounge) of the other building, which is in 113 McCaul Street.

- Instead of a sofa I decided to go with the lounge chairs, since its only purpose is to either sit and relax or take a nap. Sofas can be used for studying and other purposes which causes the area to be over crowded since people wouldn’t want to leave.

I chose this chair (lounge chair) because the "wave" in this chair mirrors the curves of the body making it extremely comfortable and ergonomic. Also it’s interesting and can be used as a sitting area to calm and give you a piece of mind.
The design of this chair is modern, simple and chic and it does not occupy much space.

-I chose the light blue color for the walls to create a peaceful environment.

OCAD’ RELAXATION RENOVATION

2007-12-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

Judging by the comments of the class, it seems that there is a great need at the Ontario College of Art and Design for some shape or form of relaxation renovation; in other words, outlets within the school in which students can retreat to for social or relaxative purposes, escaping the harsh confinements of the classroom. From my previous travels and experiences at other schools, I have observed that the majority Universities in Ontario both have a main coffee shop, and a main pub; both of which act as landmarks for social interaction or relaxation, and just overall meeting landmarks in general. Some places even have several of these, and feel they are absolutely essential to the University as a whole, and also to one’s own University experience. They fulfill the needs of all different types of students, from the caffeine-crazed mochaholics, to the professional party animals looking for mad fresh ill times, and then of course, everyone in between. Currently, we have one very small sorry excuse for a coffee shop/snack bar located on the 2nd floor that most students probably don’t even know exists, and an on campus pub, which ceases to exist entirely. Therefore, my ONE BIG IDEA for the Ontario College of Art and Design is to bring this institution up to par with the other Universities in Ontario by integrating these essential landmarks into its landscape, so that students no longer feel so incredibly obligated academically, and can escape to a place in which one wants to be, and wants to be seen.

HYPOTHETICAL CONSTRUCT 1

Location: Existing Coffee Shop location on the 2nd Floor. This location is absolutely perfect, because of its proximity to the Great Hall Student Gallery, but also forces you to physically leave the stressful studio settings of the 5th & 6th floors, alleviating your mental ailments already.

Furniture: A very large concern voiced from students, as there are only so many hours you can force yourself to sit in a plastic chair. Therefore, we need some oversized plush loungers with which students can melt into. They’ve already got enough to worry about academically; they don’t need to be worrying about back pain and posture.

Interior Design: Although exterior architecture does not play much of a role in this, interior architecture does immensely! The interior architecture within OCAD is without a doubt, one of the biggest reasons why students feel so obligated and confined, because there is no variety. In order to make this coffee shop a landmark in which to escape to, its interior needs to be drastically different than its surroundings. Modern, trendy architecture and carpeted floors need to be incorporated, but need to be relatively neutral so one does not feel overwhelmed. This is after all an escape, not another dead end. Soft lighting, but mostly natural sourced light coming in from large open windows needs to be doing most of the work. This will also greatly open up a space, rather than confine it.

HYPOTHETICAL CONSTRUCT 2

Location: Courtyard to the South of the building between Aboveground Art Supplies

The location is absolutely pivotal to a pub’s success. Students need to be able to actually know its there, and as I was thinking about its location, I realized there really isn’t a terrible amount of places it could actually go. I feel OCAD in general has done quite a bad job in general of designing its spaces, and a prime example of this is the courtyard between the school and the art store. It’s always sparsely populated, and I think that when they were constructing the tabletop, they probably just had a bunch of unused cement left over that the didn’t feel like hauling out, so instead designed this makeshift “meeting place”, where students were expected to gather between class. This poorly used space is in fact the perfect location for an on-campus pub, as it its perimeter is probably the perfect size for a University of this demographic, and also for visibility purposes.

Exterior Design: As with OCAD’s exterior architecture, the exterior architecture of The Domino Effect also will bring with it great controversy, as everyone will have their own say as to how this thing is supposed to look. However, I feel that if this pub is going to fly, it absolutely cannot incorporate the same motifs used within the tabletop’s design. Most pubs, and bars in general, always have some sort of unique theme, with a unique name to accompany it, making not only fun, but a place that is easily remembered as a landmark. Now I am completely open to theme choice, but if you want to go with something that is tried and true, and that will please everyone, your standard brick Irish pub theme, with hand painted signage would suffice just fine. Another very important aspect of a pub is its patio. I truly feel that during any time of day, a pub is only as good as its patio, as this marriage between the two is definitely essential to its success. If people are actually going to go to this place they need to see its patrons, the social interaction, and the good times being had.

Interior Design: Again, there are not too many ways you can go wrong with a pub’s interior architecture. It does however need to have sufficient walking space between its tables and bar. Bad bar design can truly make or break one’s stay there, and shape whether or not this is a place is which they would like to frequent with their pals in the future. Therefore, again one cannot feel confined, as this is after all a place to escape, not imprison.

Now these are just two hypothetical solutions for the Ontario College of Art and Design to take into consideration. But again, I must stress how important I feel these relaxative renovations would be for this institution. As you all know, OCAD is an accredited Ontario University, but because of its name, there is confusion amongst many as to its actual academic status. There have already been talks of incorporating the word “University” into its name, but I still feel that this will still not do justice, as its atmosphere and landscape still greatly feel like more of a workplace you go to from 9-5, Monday to Friday. As stated at the beginning, it is very obvious that there is a great need at OCAD for some shape or form of relaxation renovation. These improvements would not only bring greater mental being to students, but they will also reap the great social benefits that come with them as well, and overall, OCAD will feel like a more pleasant, exciting, and relevant place to learn!

Distillery District

2007-12-13T18:18:00.000-05:00

At last, I found a chance to visit the Distillery District last weekend. It was my first time being there and the experience was great. I especially like how the galleries and other stores blend together, it doesn't just give you art but also a sense of a lifestyle. The exhibition that caught my eyes included Frank's Madler's postcards pictures at Corkin Gallery, it is very nicely put together works that left me felt like I was in a time tunnel traveling in the places he depicted. Graham Gillmore at Monte Clark Gallery, his use of bold text in paintings is striking. At last, the realistic fish glass sculpture by Hiroshi Yamano is beautiful.
Be sure to go during this time of the year and stay till dark because the holiday lights there are amazing!

A Greenhouse = A Greener City

2007-12-13T14:08:00.000-05:00

Marie-Noelle Taylor
2283133
GDES 2B03
Martha Ladly

Small Idea: University of UN-locked Doors

It is a common opinion among students that we do not have a good space where we can work and meet. During the summer many students gather in Butterfield Park, but this is not the best workplace, and it is not a possible meeting/working area during the winter. This thought led me to wonder why the big room used for yoga and other activities located directly beside Butterfield park is never opened for students to meet, relax and work. It is a very large room, with great lighting and would be a very simple solution to the our problem.
I had a discussion recently with the grounds keeper here at OCAD and he told me all about the inside courtyard with the pond that used to exist here at the school. He described that all the students used to love meeting and working here, in close proximity to nature, while remaining inside the school. While we are privileged to have a bigger space to display artwork now, I wonder what it would be like if students still had such a great space to meet, work and draw inspiration from.
One of my teachers recently joked that OCAD is the “University of locked doors” and that security must always be called to get into any room in the school. This leads me to wonder why we have such a great space that remains unused most of the time. I have so often heard students mention that we do not have a good place to work and meet that is big enough to accommodate many, and this would be a very simple that would require absolutely no renovations or construction, just a few tables and chairs and a key to open the door!

Access to this room would also greatly improve wheelchair accessibility to the school as there is currently only one entrance to the main building through the front doors. Creating another entrance/exit would add much needed convenience.

This thought led me to my BIG IDEA:

A Greenhouse =A Greener City

I feel that a big change should occur at OCAD that would not only benefit the students at the school, but help the students contribute in a positive way to a growing problem in the city of Toronto. For many years now, the health of the trees and small forests in the city has been in steady decline. The introductions of such harmful species of insects such as the Asian long-horned into our ecosystem, and the growing pollution in the air due to booming population has contributed to the death of many small forests that are no longer capable of regeneration.
My Big Idea for OCAD would both benefit the students as well as the tree population in the city. My idea is to build a small greenhouse, which can be done for as little as 2000$-5000$ at the very minimum and grow all kinds of trees and plants from seeds, cutting and clones until they are big enough to be planted. This would allow students to offer a personal contribution, as well as help to create a greener city.
A greenhouse at OCAD would not only benefit the tree population, but would also very positive for the atmosphere at the school. A greenhouse attached to the school would radically purify the air that we breathe, offering us all cleaner air. It has been proven that having plants in an environment drastically improves the air quality and this is an important issue, especially for people who spend a lot of time in the heart of downtown.
Not only would a greenhouse improve the air quality in the school, but it would contribute to daily relaxation as well. If it were to be built adjacent to a space where students can work in relax, the simple sight of a greenhouse filled with plants and flowers is a very soothing experience. Walking through a warm greenhouse filled with plants and trees and flowers, and breathing the light, wonderfully scented air is an experience in itself. If there were a Greenhouse at OCAD, I envision that all students would be able to contribute to caring for the growing trees by contributing a little bit of money towards to purchasing of seeds, of signing up to be ‘monitors’ that could water and care for the plants on alternate days, helping plant the trees when they have reached an adequate size, or by simply walking around and having the pleasure to watch things grow. It is thought that plants and trees respond to care and I believe that the plants and trees would greatly benefit from having the care of the students at OCAD and vice versa. The greenhouse would also be a good place to draw inspiration and ideas. In my first year drawing class we went to the botanical garden to sketch all kinds of organic shapes, and a lot of inspiration can come from drawing shapes from nature. Paired with the improved air quality, the plants would offer more than just a green place, but a place for relaxation and inspiration.
I believe that if this project were to ever become a reality, the greenhouse should be located in an area that is easily accessible to students, and where all students could benefit from the sight, smells and improved air quality provided by a greenhouse. While thinking about the possibility of accessing the large room adjacent to Butterfield Park, it occurred to me that this would be a good place to build a small greenhouse. The greenhouse could be located between the two yellow crayons, and an entrance could easily be created where there is already and existing window.
An insulated greenhouse is functional year round and therefore it would be possible to keep growing throughout the winter.
I believe that if every university in the school had a similar greenhouse program, the tree population in the city would greatly improve.

ATIC --- Danbee & Ayumi

2007-12-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

Our Big Idea: Anti-Tobacco: Inhaling Carcinogen ATIC

Features of ATIC

Main body> Transparent, shape of a human head with a wide opened mouth.
Several ATIC structures will be placed randomly around the popular smoking area of OCAD.
Material Used> Automend: Automated Self Repairing Plastic
Funnel Mouth to allow ash and buds to fall and prevent less fumes to leak out.
Notch and small door at the bottom of the structure (emptying out sand and buds)
Light bulb inside (placed at the bottom structure where the inside plate is slanted) which provides heat and light. Example: Lizard light, which heats plastic that allows the plastic to heal itself and provides light for display reason.
Carcinogen filtering system placed in the “head” part of the structure.

1) Our Target audience -- smokers, OCAD students (ages 18-25)
2) Goals of ATIC:
- to encourage students to throw cig. buds into our new ATIC ashtray.
- to visually let the smokers aware of the harm that smoking may cause and try to encourage them to smoke less. (ex: the amount of cigarettes smoked per day displayed through our transparent structure will disgust smokers and allow them to smoke less --Guerilla Approach)
- to convert carcinogen and other toxic chemicals (from cigarettes) into oxygen and clean air.
- to make OCAD into more artsy and innovative place through this sculpture-like installment.
3) The first time installment cost would be expensive but maintenance would be cheap as only sand will be replaced daily and would be the only cost.
4) couple of these structures will be placed randomly in popular public smoking areas nearby OCAD. we will publicly promote this new innovative structure.

The basic function & material of this structure are:
- transparent plastic of self-healing plastic called Automend that will repair itself when heated. This material will last much longer than normal plastic and would produce less waste as instead of throwing out the damaged structure it will just repair itself.
- Funnel opening allows cig. butts to slide and enter the structure but allowing the smoke to stay inside the structure so it doesn't release as much toxin into the air.
- Sand is to diffuse the cigar if it isn't already diffused.
- Hatch to open an empty out the sand and cigar and simply re-pour sand through the mouth.
- light bulb inside bottom that in under a slanting platform and produces heat that allows the plastic to heal. The lights will turn on every night and if there is a crack it will heal and will illuminate the structure.

THANK YOU~

- Danbee and Ayumi

OFELIA & KIM'S BIG IDEA

2007-12-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

We love the design of OCAD’s famous “tabletop” although we feel it is not reaching it’s fullest potential. As we have been doing numerous projects concerning the environment, We feel that the roof is a great opportunity to make a difference and boost OCAD’s Green Grade. We could utilize the tabletop to create what is known as a “Green Roof”. These have become popular is such cities as Chicago as they are a great way to make nature and industrial developments work together to make a difference in our environment. There are many benefits of the Green Roof including reduced city temperatures, reduced air pollution, improved rainfall runoff quality and a 40% increase in absorption of rainfall runoff that could lead to potential flooding. We also feel that OCAD lacks in area’s in which we can hang out and be social with one another. What better place to be than floating above the city on one of Toronto’s most bizarre buildings. We think this would be a great place to relax between classes while it would also bring great opportunity to be social and interact with each other’s creative minds.

Update "Not Just Another Brick In The Wall"

2007-12-13T11:44:00.000-05:00

By: Chris Fischer, Darrel Currington, Ashley D'Amato and Jenny Duong

“OUR BIG IDEA”

Interior Living Plant Wall System
At OCAD

We propose putting a living wall system in the great hall of the

school on the west wall of the elevator shaft.

A living wall is a wall system that essentially provides a vertical

surface where various plants can be grown.

Living walls filter air particulates, improving air quality and help to

reduce the urban heat island effect (UHI).

Interior walls clean the air and add humidity to the air to

compensate for central heating in the winter.

We think an addition of a living wall system would be a great addition to the OCAD environment.

The improved air quality would greatly improve the health of students & faculty.

The increase of greenery would certainly improve the productivity and

mind of anyone who enters the building, and also show OCAD’s sustainability

consciousness .

OCAD One big Idea

2007-12-13T11:04:00.000-05:00

Hello all, this is Jesse, Ivan, and Patrick-

Ivan - Research, presentation layouts, original slideshow sequencing & themeatics
Jesse - Images, research, concept development, survey
Patrick - Initial Concept development, research, project notes, management

The project we have decided to pursue is aptly named ìDropped Ceilings, Raised Moraleî. Our vision began when first discussing the simpler, practical ways one can save energy. While reviewing some potential concepts, we stumbled across a rather unique, and still practical idea, suspended ceilings. At first, this idea seems rather shallow, there are the obvious benefits if done properly - smaller volume of air to heat/cool, hiding pipes, sound dampening ñ but there is additional potential, untapped presentation spaces for studentís work. We believe that students are interested in both showing off and reviewing their individual pieces, but are currently lacking the resources to do so. Offering the opportunity for students to purchase and personalise a tile of their selection gives a fulfilling sense of connection with the schools environment. We propose that a suspended ceiling be installed in hallways and many of the large open rooms, as all classrooms would not be routinely accessed by all students.
We have some photos edited to represent our vision, and from a survey we conducted, many of the students are on-board with the idea. We believe that it should be up to the student how they wish their work to be presented, as a number of medias could be used. Photos, canvases, collages, all could be attached to the pannels, not to mention workin directly on the tiles themselves

Our aim is to allow any student of the university the opportunity to present their work. Screening would need to be taken into account, to ensure the quality of the works remain presentable. For the moment, it seems our main marketing and distribution method would be fairly cheap and mostly student initiated. Word of mouth, flyers etc. Also, there would be advertising on MYOCAD, as well as the main OCAD website (if permitted). But, one would need to realise that once works begin to be installed, the advertisement would be self perpetuating.

All distribution, selection, payments etc. would be handled through both a student and faculty based initiatives, the latter most likely to handle economic factors. Student based groups would handle the screening processes as well as the marketing and distribution.

We would like to thank all of you for considering our proposition, if there are any questions or if you are unclear on any part, please feel free to ask questions. Once again, thank you.

ONE BIG IDEA — Washroom Go Green!

2007-12-13T00:42:00.000-05:00

Because of the growing concerns about the environment and sustainability within our community, we have to set out some energy savings goals. We should be taking care of every aspect around the school. Every effort counts to making a green grade, even the washrooms.

When composting toilets are chosen as a water conservation strategy, the environmentally destructive consequences of conventional waste treatment systems can be completely voided. However, not much work had been done in restraining the use of water in the facility. I want to introduce the water-free urinals; I realized that if they work, they could help us reduce our water usage tremendously.

Although water-free urinals have been around for many years in Europe, the technology is still relatively new in North America. Most common use of the water-free urinals are on airplanes and tour buses.

How They Work:

Water-free urinals are made from a nonstick china or acrylic with a funnel-shaped cartridge installed at the bottom of the urinal, which is connected to a drainpipe. They look just like any other standard urinal except they just don’t use water. The secret to the device is in the cartridge. A biodegradable liquid sealant floats in the top of the cartridge, which allows urine to pass through to the drain line. The sealant assures an airtight barrier between the washroom environment and the sewer line to prevent odors from escaping into the washroom. The best part is that it only requires maintenance for routine cleaning and a change of the cartridge approximately three to four times per year for most facilities.

Going Water-free:

Water-free urinals are cleaned much the same way, as traditional urinals except there is no need to add water.

Successful installation of the water-free urinals would result to:

- Significant save water and reduce disposal
- Cut back on plumbing repair and maintenance costs
- Safe, odor free, and hygienic

The water-free urinal installation is a new ways to cut costs and go green!

Survey for Dropped Ceilings, Upped Morale

2007-12-13T00:38:00.000-05:00

So this is a survey I created to see how well students would take to the idea of lowered ceilings and to be able to have a piece of art work on one as well!

I really wish I was able to have more then nine people participate in this survey, but I guess people are to busy right now with exams and end of semester projects to worry about eight questions. But it does have to be said, that these people are all from different programs and because of this, the answers are not lopsided.

Here are some good answers I received from people in the survey as well:

Wai - Question 3 - "OCAD has no school spirit but does have school morals. The whole idea of an art school is to be individualistic and to develop your own style.
The school morals exist because our methods and design ideas are carried on within our own practices during our leisure time. The professors teach at the school and continue to teach due to similar design ethics."

Ngqabutho - Question 1 - "No I dont. I say this becuase instructors don't stress this at all. Especialy with what they want us to purchase for our projects, like unnecessary paper or tools that damags the inviroment to make."

MJ - Question 4 - "It'd be nice to see more range of talent of the student body. We are potentially all rivals. A rival is a good thing to have in one's growth. Competitiveness, not just ugly jealousy will be motivation to do better, and to grow as an individual and grow in skill."

(Jesse Graham 2288611)

MugShare Program here at OCAD

2007-12-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

As a student at OCAD, I have made the observation that many of us are consuming food where the packaging is constantly going to waste. I have noticed that many of the students, faculty, and administration members purchase a coffee, tea, or juice at least once daily. My plan is aimed at lowering the paper cup waste at our school.

It is named the MugShare Program where individuals take part in reducing the paper cup usage and replacing them with reusable mugs. To participate, you would bring in your own mug and place it in a cubby hole in the mug display case which would be strategically placed by the second floor cafe. When you wish to purchase a beverage, you would simply grab a mug from the case, present it to the barista at the cash, pay, walk to your workspace, and return it at the end of use washed and ready to be used again.

I understand this is a project based on trust and dedication to the concept, however, the individuals willing to participate will be respectful as they are choosing to participate with the same reasons as yourself.

This is a very cost-efficient project which should be easily adaptable at OCAD. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post. Good luck with all presentations : )

BIG IDEA: The OCAD Annual

2007-12-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

Rebecca Caswell - Ideation, Research, Commercial, Construction of Prototype

Danielle Sebastian - Ideation, Research, Layout Design, Construction of Prototype

Bill Avgerinos - Ideation, Research, Cover Design, Logo Design, Construction of Prototype

Sarah Lavoie - Ideation, Research, Design of Prototype, Construction of Prototype

BIG IDEA: The OCAD Annual

We present to you the OCAD Annual, a yearly publication showcasing a selection of work completed over the past year by students.

Our vision is to start a yearly publication that strengthens the feeling of community within OCAD's student body, that also serves as a vehicle to promote the school and the work it's students have created.

Through research we have discovered that there is a lack of connection and communication, not only between the students of each program, but within the both faculties of Art and Design. The OCAD Annual would create the opportunity for all students to submit a selection of their best works. First year students would be given one quarter of a page, second year students would be given half a page, third year students would be given one full page, and the fourth year students would have a full double page spread.

With the OCAD Annual, students could discover what their peers, in every discipline, have created over the past year. The students submission would include the Student's name and email, creating the possibility for networking.

Our goal is to have this printed by Rolland Enviro 100 Book, a special company that uses an ecologically friendly paper. It contains 100% post-consumer fibre, and we feel that this would be an appropriate choice for OCAD.

The publication would be run by a committee of students, and the school would provide the necessary funds. Each student would be able to upload their work individually, online.

Prototype: Our prototype shows what the OCAD Annual would look like. Its current cover design is sleek, professional, and like a blank canvas, open for students to personalize it.

Our target audience are students in the school , faculty, and various other organizations who would be interested in having one of these books.

Marketing: Students would hear of this publication through creative student email notifications, an open exhibit in the main hallway, and a website, accessed from OCAD's home page.

recycling and Garbage FINAL IDEA

2007-12-12T16:45:00.000-05:00

Our idea is student can bring their extra materials or finish projects to the exchange center and exchange to tickets(money). The tickets that they have on their accont can buy materials in the exchange center. This could control studnts waste material and collects material for recycling. That provides OCAD "green" image to the community. This can also student save money as well.

Alice Leong, Lena Yang.

One Big Idea

2007-12-12T15:33:00.000-05:00

Our group worked on how to deal with garbages we creat in OCAD.
Our group researched about garbages for part 1 and I researched about paints and ligthings used in OCAD for part 1.
We thought that it would be good to combine two and do something about using garbage as paint.
Since paints that are used for walls in OCAD releases some amount of toxin,
why not use scrap pieces of materials that are left from making projects (garbages) to cover walls.
This will save money spent on paint, reduce toxin, add creativity on walls, and save money to take out garbage.
It would be good to start from yellow stair case since there's nothing.
and I thought that it would be good to make a project about this for fine art student.
project about creating piece to cover wall using recycles.

BIG IDEA - Student Publication

2007-12-12T15:12:00.001-05:00

BIG IDEA: Student Publication

This idea was to create a student publication in order to promote a sense of community at OCAD, develop ‘school pride’ and give the student body an outlet for its creative voice.

The Basics:
-Art and Design Magazine

-Layout:
Name: Method
Size: 8” x 10”, 15-20 pages
Material: Recycled Paper
Printed: Semesterly

- All the artwork will be copyrighted to the respective artists.

Staff:
- Editor in Chief
- Junior Editor
- Layout Editor, and Layout Team including Photographer and Editor
- Head of Submissions and Submissions committee including representatives from the six majors in each faculty.

Budget and Funding:
Budget:
1. Printing
2. Advertising
3. Photographer and Editor Salary (if necessary).

Funding Sources:
1. The School
2. Outside Donations: affiliated business or organizations.
3. Advertisements: minimal art related advertising in magazine.

Sales and Distribution:
-No Charge for Submissions
-Small fee for purchase of magazine depending on funding.
- Location to return if owner chooses not to keep their copy.

____________________

We spoke with some people from the school, and it turns out that the school has been invited to and is looking at starting a joint publication with U of T. It is the communications department’s opinion that a joint publication with U of T will be more successful and easier to get off the ground.

Our group also did some research on what OCAD already provides and it turns out that there is a student publication called Slimy Motives, which is an opinion essay and current events magazine that also accepts artwork. Hopefully Slimy Motives will be able to represent the student body here, because I don’t see the school supporting another magazine financially. However, that doesn’t mean we can't help the already existing magazine and start another one affiliated with U of T.

If anyone is interested in working on a joint publication with U of T next year please send an e-mail. (brendamgonzalez@gmail.com) Thanks!

Danica Enns

Ola Kolodziej

Ahmed Kassem

Brenda Gonzalez

OCAD ONE BIG IDEA

2007-12-12T14:52:00.000-05:00

OCAD TIME-SHARE EXHIBITION PROGRAM

CREATORS/COORDINATORS

Mike Cameron, Roberto De Laurentiis, Katie Felton

OVERVIEW

As students in the OCAD community, we feel that there is not sufficient opportunity to get your work exhibited. OCAD is an environment designed for expression and freedom of imagination and there should be more of an emphasis on sharing your work. All our students work very hard to produce works of art and design and there is a lot of unused display space around the campus. We propose a time-share program that allows students to borrow display space for an allotted period of time and create a small exhibition for themselves within the walls of the university.

HOW IT WORKS

The program would be organized and run by the student body for the student body with appointed committee members for the administration process. Students would apply by filling out a short application with a portfolio of the proposed pieces for display.
To be fair to all applicants and depending on the committee’s decisions and availability, a space would be given and possessed for a period of anywhere between two and four weeks maximum.
From that point of exchange, the student or group of artists/ designers would be responsible for the installation of their display with further approval from the program committee. Local advertisement of these independent exhibitions would be encouraged.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

*All work must be complete before submission. Include pictures and dimensions.
*All exhibits are to be organized and displayed in the most professional manner possible. The idea behind the program is to encourage confidence as a professional artist/ designer. It is also important to keep in mind that the work will be representing the OCAD community.
*Not all work displayed must be class or project based work. Students may submit and display any work they have done in and out of school that is relevant to the college mediums.
* All work will be screened for material that could be deemed offensive or not up to the program standard, this is not to say judged necessarily, but the quality of the work will be accessed. Any form of advertisement for the exhibition must be equally appropriate.

SECRETS TO SUCCESS

OCAD can be a highly competitive environment and half the battle for some students is just getting confidence in their work. The program would provide ways to leave comments and criticisms on the displays via a website which would be monitored by the program committee. Archives of the displays would be kept in the form of a student-run gallery on the site.

1 BIG Room of Relaxation

2007-12-12T14:33:00.000-05:00

Our Team.
Piyush – furniture
Kenneth – Multi-screen TV, floor plan
Gordon – Cubicles bed, activities, fundraising
Pat – Healthy vending machine, interior (light, carpeting, wall)

Our Vision.
OCAD students are really stress majority of the time about either, projects, essays or exams. We need a place to relax in between class, or break from projects. Our vision is to renovate the 5th floor work area into a relax place.

Our Concept.
It is an undeniable fact that as OCAD students, we go through a lot of stress and anxiety. The currently OCAD does not provide us with enough areas where students can comfortably work or just to hang out. Our concept is basically a room that will take students’ minds of their stressful and busy life.

Main Features
Furniture: Window bed
Multi-screen TV: allows for Bluetooth headphone connection
Cubicles bed: inspired by Japanese Capsule Hotel
Activities/fundraising: Campus Life, such as yoga class, movie nights, etc.
Healthy vending machine: replacing all the unhealthy junk food with something better

Target Audience.
OCAD students, especially the stress ones.

Method of Marketing.
There is no fee. It is just a common area for all OCAD students to relax. It is already a common area were students “hang out” or a work on homework. We want to market it as renovation of an old boring area into something new that is strictly dedicated to relaxing. It can be a place to catch up on some sleep or just an area to read a book.

Price Point.
Free. Welcome for all students.

Our Budget.
$5000-$1000. Ask OCAD for renovation money, part can be a loan and can be paid back with activities and fundraising held after.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!

Rough

Furniture
http://www.geocities.com/patcylee/furniture_design.pdf
Designs

Multi-Screen Television

Cubicles Bed

Gordon's write up

Healthy Vending Machine
Instead of all the junk food like Lays, M&M, Aero, Coke etc, it will be replaced with healthy versions of our favorite junk food.
Chips: Kettle Chips, Flavoured Rice Cakes, FritoLay Tostitos
Carbonated Drinks: Knudsen Sprizters
Juice: Oasis Juice, V8
Coffee: Green Tea, Water
Cookies: Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels
Candy: Florida’s Natural Nuggets
Snack Bars: Kellogg’s Granola Munch’ems. Nutri-Brain
Many of these products are low in sugar and fat with natural ingredients. They might cost a little more than the usually snack, but it is still affordable.

Interior

Soft wall
This is the wall that divides and blocks disruption from the elevators and the workshop on the fifth floor. It will be a source of privacy and a noise blocker.

Flying Carpet
The Flying Carpet is interesting with a landscape that can be used as sitting areas for the TV area.
Rest of the area will remind the regular carpet to save money and it is not meant to be sat on.
The bright white fluorescent should be replaced by new lights with adjustable brightness to suit the moment.
The wall can be kept white and because of the different lighting, will help soften the harsh white on the walls.

Floor Plan

Make It Green!

2007-12-12T14:15:00.001-05:00

By: Sasha Bueno, Jenn Emon, Angela Leung, Amy Kwan, Vicky Vitasek

OCAD has always had a green mind, so we thought that our school should have a green roof to prove the point. Through research we have come up with a plausable plan of action to make OCAD's green roof possible.

Here's what we've got...

Inter view with Peter Lashko, Director of Facilities Planning Management

Entry Level Green Roof (minimal)
- White tar paper, reflecting back the heat of the sun so no need to air conditioning. Unfortunately in the winter it would be useless because you would want to retain the heat.

Second Level Green Roof

-Garden, trees, shrubs, bushes contained in a plastic (petroleum) or metal base

Green Roof, Sharpe Centre for Design

Estimated cost: $420,000

- Install small sections of “green” roof around the existing mechanical equipment

- It will encompass up to 50% of the total rooftop area

- This project will conform to the Strategic Plan as a step toward enhanced sustainability

- It will reduce energy consumption and green house gas emissions

- It will absorb of rainwater.

- Access and structural capacity of the roof would allow for a green roof with environmental benefits but not for a social amenity space

- Because of the height, installing a green roof on the Sharp Centre will not be as visible as 205 Richmond (except from the CN Tower and other tall buildings)

Green Roof, 100 McCaul Main Building

Estimated cost: $125,000

- Install up to 4000 sp. ft of “green” roof on the east and west sides of the main elevator core where there is relatively little mechanical equipment (over the front lobby or over the great hall)

- Shade tolerant plans will be required due to the shadowing effect of the Sharp Centre

- Storm water will have to diverted from the Sharp centre roof to the lower roof for irrigation purposes

- This project will also conform to the Strategic Plan as a step toward sustainability.

- Access and structural capacity of the roof would allow for a green roof with environmental benefits but not for a social amenity space

- Because of the number of existing ventilation units, a green roof on the 100 McCaul will not be as visible as 205 Richmond.

Green Roof, 205 Richmond St.W

Estimated cost: $200,000

- Install a “green” roof to provide environmental benefits and high-profile demonstration of OCAD’s commitment of sustainability

- It will also confirm the Strategic Plan as a setp toward enhances sustainability

Access and structural capacity of the roof will allow for a visible green roof with environment benefits, but not for a social amenity space. (cost for accessibility would be too high, extending elevators and stairs, fire exit)

What’s on a green roof?

Because of the increased droughts in Toronto in the summer we have to think of plants that can stand up to the heat
Also, plants that are low maintenance don’t require gardeners to come and water and prune every week
Some of these low maintenance options are grasses and plants native to central Canada
Grasses, when they grow tall, are huge heat absorbers and can lower the ‘urban heat island’
Examples of hardy plants are peonies, tiger lilies, orange poppies and wild columbines
What about trees?
Green roofs have a shallow layer of soil so trees like ash, willow and apple wouldn’t survive
Conifers like pine, spruce and juniper require little room for their roots and stand up amazingly to heat and drought
Therefore tough plants that can be found in Canadian meadows would have the best chance against the harsh urban sun

Fundraising

Since the budget of acquiring a green roof(s) for OCAD is quite costly, there are several ways that can be done to help promote and fundraise for one:

1) Possibly to have those in ID designing and set a donation “box” promoting the green roof project in the sharp centre. Ideally, the money would be collected every night (if not week) to prevent any theft. Posters would also be made from other students in the art/design faculties, and those posters are to be put up around the school. Also, the project could perhaps be advertised in several student publications.

To widen our scope, we could promote the project on the Alumni newsletter and ask if there are any willing to volunteer.

2) Similar to year one’s principle of interaction design class, holding an annual fair filled with activities that endorse sustainable design for fundraising at Butter field park. Instead of lasting for one day, it could last around one week (possibly one day per year level; ie- day one, year one holds the fair, day two year two, etc).

Garden sales can be held throughout the year in Butter field park, selling various type of plants and flowers.

3) OCAD could hold a special benefit event (be it a small banquet, a show of student work comprised of recycled materials, etc) along with contests. This event could also invite the donors of OCAD and other guests, having tickets sold prior to.

These methods are meant to be taken in steps and are meant to be a process. It may take some time before we can afford one roof, but the effort put into it will not be forgotten.

The amount of input towards this project from our community can vary; this can start off as a student club, or even reach to being a final project in a think tank class, anyone can be involved.

Thank You For Your Time! Make it Green!

2007-12-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

One Big Idea

This is my "big Idea" declaration for a project I think OCAD as well as its student and faculty might benefit from. As part of the "New Ecology of Learning" at ocad I believe that this would be an interesting affordable and efficient project for all members of our design community to take part in.

Adobe Reader:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Declaration:
http://ca.geocities.com/slav1@rogers.com/growinggreen.pdf

A 24 Hour OCAD/Quiet Room

2007-12-12T13:42:00.001-05:00

We want OCAD to be open 24 hours on school nights, so that would be Sunday to Thursday.

Here are the ways we want this plan to operate...
-We would open only a certain number of rooms for students to use, the rest would remain unopened. This would allow us to use our school's energy wisely and it would mean there would be fewer monitors needed.
-The Resources Centre, the the Sculpture & Installation Centre, the Material Arts & Design Centre, the Integrated Media Centre, the Academic Computing Centre, the Print Making Centre, the Imaging and AV Centre, and the Drawing and Painting Centre will each have certain rooms open and available to students and faculty.
-Over time, we would increase or decrease the number of rooms open to students after hours based on demand.
-There would be a "lights off, computers off" (if applicable for the ladder), policy for the rooms that would be open after hours.
-There would be a Quiet Room where students can retreat for a nap or to sit and relax (details will follow).

Here is how a 24 hour open OCAD would benefit the students and faculty...
-It would be open with respect to those who do not have the time to do school work during the day (for example, because of jobs) and to those whose work preferences are cut out for nighttime.
-It would give students access to the facilities that they may not have at home that their school work demands. For example, proper silk screening equipment, the latest imaging software, a photography studio, kilns for ceramic work, etc.
-It would extend opportunities for group meetings.
-It would accommodate the work preferences of those who do not like to work alone and find it easier to work at school. There are a lot of students here like that.
-Students would have full access to the resources at the Library.
-The Library it self would provide a good working environment for studying and writing for liberal studies classes.

We would like to add one more thing!

We need a place for students to crash because if they are at school all night, they will most likely want a place to get some rest and recharge. So we propose that we designate the student lounge by the bistro on the second floor of the main building to allow it to better accommodate students who want to take a little nap break. We do not want to deprive students of one of their student lounges, however, so we would like to curtain off the back half of the room, which would be where students would go to rest. There would be futons available for them and monitors to ensure student well-being. The other half of the room will be a place for students to sit and there will be desks and chairs with desktop lamps to study. The general idea of this would be so students can relax in a quiet, comfortable environment so they can recharge and get back to work. We can use the furniture we have already have, and we would like to add 3 - 6 new chairs for the seating area. An estimated cost for this new seating would be around $300, if we stick with a relatively low budget. An estimated cost for 6 - 10 new table lights would be about $60 - $100.

And here is what we have in mind in terms of a visual aid for the OCAD Quiet Room!

Let's Make Our Learning Institute More 'ACTIVE'

2007-12-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

By saying that, I mean let's get it more involved with us students and definitely with outside world. How many if you feel that our institute isn't much of a fun place to be? What is it lacking? Well it has come to my concern that many of our students like to work in school for hours to get the most work done. I am in EV and our biggest core studio project of all was due yesterday; so more than half of the 2nd year EV students were working in school on the whole day monday. They were deperate, exhausted, frustrated, sleepy and what not. Students were running around from wood shop to working space on 5th floor and with their laptops. In this case, where you stay in school and work ALL day long, don't you feel like taking a 10/15 mind break every two hours or so and do something fun, which would refresh you and you mind and help you concentrate on work more?
So I thought may be OCAD could take an initiative to manage a gym, a yoga place and a place for small sports activities in this building. We should have atleast one transforming space to manage these activities. We are all designers here so I am sure this won't be a problem if we take the initiative. One of the classrooms or may be a gallary, a storage room could be transformed into gym permanently since the equipments could be a problem to move around. Most of other universities have gym where students become a member and can come anytime they want! So why not ours? And may be OCAD could give outsiders an oppurtinity to become a member, and get helped financially.
There's a study room on second floor at the left corner of the cafe. It's usually empty, calm and not many students visit the room, so why not tranforming it into a yoga place and also arrange some fun sports at times? Depending on the time when studetns have more study pressure, we can keep tranforming the space into two of these activities. Well we have study area on 5th and 6th floor, 4th level of Annex building and the library itself, so taking up another area won't be a big deal in my opinion. X-space could be another option to arrange them. I am sure many of us feel the need of these in our community when students from others institues talk about theirs.

And then OCAD could be highly involved with the outside world through us students. HOW? Well as you may have noticed many of the universities, York, UofT, Ryerson has different student associations who get occupied in various community works, volunteering etc wether its in Canada or other part of world. There are also cultural associations who organize different cultural shows and keep it open for anyone and everyone to come and in a way they get financial help to give out to various charity world wide. OCAD could be a part of these activities. I have noticed that almost all of my friends don't have any clue that a school by name even exists. THIS is an oppurtunity to let the outsiders know that we exist. We students have to take the permission and take the initiative to create such associations to help out charities, help out the countries who need our help by organizing shows, concerts, cultural exhibitions etc.
There was a terrible and one of the strongest cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh last month and more than 3,000 people died, and numeruos people became homeless!!! In this case, in my concern, OCAD took no step to gather funds to help Bangladesh, may be because they don't have the right circumstances whereas Ryerson arranged a concert, York and UofT asked everyone around them for help. I had to be a part of them to become a help for my own conntry and I felt really bad about my own OCAD not having such associations. So I realized that we as a student have to take these steps and this might as well help us to be known to others who we are unknown to. It's a benifit for all.

So, let ourselves have fun in our own community and let's help OCAD getting even more active in every other way as much as can; apart from art and designing world.

Thank You
Farah

The Five Minute Pitch

2007-12-11T02:58:00.000-05:00

This week you will be presenting your ONE BIG IDEA in class. You don't have anything to hand in. Make sure that you have created a blog post that sums up and shows a visual of your ONE BIG IDEA at OCAD. From this blog posting you will be making a 5 minute pitch of your idea to the class. Try to convince us of the merits of your idea, and why we should adopt it here at the University.

The 5 Minute Pitch:
Practice and fine tuning the art of the five minute pitch is fundamental to your professional development as a designer. Good ideas can get lost if you don’t know how to present them. Even mediocre ideas (not that I’m advocating mediocrity) can be improved and worked upon in a presentation.

The idea is to get your audience’s attention – and hold it, for 5 minutes. Then you ask for what you came for. Make sure you are clear about this -- you should know what you want to get from the pitching session, and what you are going to ask for.

The Theory of the 5 Minute Pitch:
The beauty of learning to pitch your concept within the 5 minute time frame works on the basis that anyone can concentrate for 5 minutes - so you’re guaranteed to keep your audience’s attention to the end. They will appreciate the fact that you are so quickly able to come to the point, saving their valuable time. There will be times when you will require much longer to show work - when it is complex, or involves a time-based presentation, but more often than not, what you need to say can be said in 5 minutes.

The Method:
When you present, or ‘pitch’ your design ideas and projects, you must try to grab your audience’s attention as soon as you start, and hold it. Plan what you are going to say, and if necessary,take notes in point form so that you don’t miss any of the points you wish to make, or disturb the flow of your presentation.

Practice your presentation - and time it! Make sure that it really is a five minute pitch.

Here are the points you need to hit:

1 Introduce yourself and your team; briefly explain your roles and responsibilities in the team – what you did.

2 Introduce your project, by name (if your project hasn’t got a name, give it one).

3 Tell us about your vision – WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO DO THIS?

4 Briefly describe your concept, back it up with reference to your research.

5 Briefly explain your project and demo or describe a couple of the high points...

6 Identify your target audience.

7 Describe your method of marketing and distribution to your audience ie: how will they find out about it, and how will they get to use it?

You don’t need to do this for class, but the next steps in the real world are....

8 If your project is a product or service, identify your price point.

9 Briefly present your budget. Then ask for the money/support/grant/assistance you need!

10 Always -- Thank the people who have so graciously listened to your pitch.

One Big Idea

2007-12-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

Stop drinking bottled water.

My idea is to stop bottled water from being sold at OCAD. Here are 5 reasons:

1. Bottled water is not good value.
2. Bottled water is no "healthier" than tap water.
3. Bottled water means more waste.
4. Bottled water means less attention to public water systems.
5. Bottled water is a corporate commodity.

Of course there are plenty more reasons, and each deserves an in depth explanation. To summarize: Most universities have exclusivity contracts with big soft drink companies - but there are ways breach these contracts. Perhaps more drinking taps and fountains would have to be installed and an awareness campaign held prior to the ban. Guerrilla tactics are always interesting - stickers, projection media, altering labels on vending machines, etc. Students would receive a water bottle as part of their frosh package with info about the school's policy. In the mean time, get a reusable water bottle (stainless steel is the best) and fill it up instead of supporting the corporatization of a precious resource. Need some more info? Click the title for a link to Inside the Bottle campaign by the Polaris Institute.

Don't drink from the 'mainstream'. Drink from the tap. Simple and sustainable.

Nicole T.

ONE BIG IDEA

2007-12-10T12:45:00.000-05:00

IDEA FOR OCAD:
Cigarette butts receptacles
Vinson and Jay

It has come to our attention that OCAD has a fare number of smokers and as such a problem has arisen. The school has not adequately provided the smoking portion of the student population with proper waste receptacles. With no place to dispose of their butts, they are simply thrown to the ground. This causes litter and harm to the environment, as well as damaging the appearance of the school. The shear number of these butts that has accumulated thus far has already covered much of the ground we walk on.

Our group is proposing that the school place new waste receptacles specifically for cigarettes. Placed strategically at certain locations we believe that this could reduce the amount of butts that become litter. There are certain areas of the school where more people will gather to smoke. An example of some locations would be outside 100 MacCaul or across the street outside the annex building.

The things that we are planning to incorporate thus far are surveys, research in to environmental affects of cigarette waste and the development of a new prototype cigarette receptacle.

One BIG Idea

2007-12-05T16:14:00.000-05:00

One BIG Idea:

Transforming the Fifth Floor work area to a Place of Relaxation

Are your puffy eyes from an all night hurting from the harsh white wall in OCAD? Is your back sore from the hard OCAD chairs? Are you stress about the endless projects, essays and exams and need a place to relax between classes? Our group is. That is why for our One Big Idea for Think Tank, we are going to dedicate an area just for relaxing. We have selected the work area in front of the back elevators on the 5^th floor to transform. We envision this place to be a little bit like heaven, since we are so high up anyways. Some of the ideas we have are nap areas, a television, comfy furniture, and a healthy vending machine. The interior will be redesign into calm and relax place, with different wall colours, carpeting and lighting. Hopefully the place will help with the stressful life of all OCAD students. =)

Patricia, Kenneth, Piyush & Gordan

Visit to distillery

2007-12-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

Visited the distillery at some point its been so long now that I forgot that date. I took a look at some of the exhibits at artcore. Some of the work is interesting others not os much. I found the Thompson gallery to be layed out well and intersesting. Their use of various scultpures and older artifacts made the layout better to walk through. Overall though it was an alright experience.

Organic Food Booth

2007-11-29T23:20:00.000-05:00

Most OCAD students, who wake up early in order to make it on time for morning classes, rush out of their homes without eating breakfast. By mid-afternoon, students are hurrying to Village By The Grange, for a quick hunger fix at the nearest McDonalds, Yummy Yummy Noodles or Art Pizza. Granted these fast food restaurants are cheap on our student budgets, they obviously do not offer the proper nutritious balanced breakfast that our scholarly minds need. So, I propose that OCAD should set up an Organic Food booth that no only offers eco- friendly goodies but in a sufficient price that our lowly financial status can handle. From sandwiches, coffee, to muffins all eco-friendly mixes in biodegradable containers. Eco-friendly food is food grown, gathered, or harvested near the point of use.

Also, some studies have shown higher nutrient levels in organic fruit and vegetables compared with conventionally grown products. Most studies show that organic food is better for you because it lacks harmful dyes and hormones.

Did you know that if you consumed an average apple you would be eating over 30 pesticides, even after you have washed it?

Some more startling facts now. Pesticides in food have been linked to many diseases including:

Cancer
Obesity
Alzheimer’s
Some birth defects

Not a nice list is it? There are probably others but if you think about it, how can it be okay for you to eat chemicals and not expect some form of reaction in your body? Our bodies are delicately balanced wonderful machines. Any form of foreign chemical is bound to cause irritation at the least.

But there are added benefits to serving beyond mere health. By virtue of being fresher, the food looks, tastes, and lasts better than food procured by traditional methods of grow it elsewhere and transport it. By buying eco-friendly food we are supporting the local economy. Small farmers and ranchers are good for your community because their activities keep open space around your community that's good for ecological diversity and creating fresh air. Buy from them to keep them viable and your community diverse and strong.

Another benefit of buying food locally is that OCAD would be saving energy from transporting the food great distances. That lessens our dependence on oil, reduces air pollution, and decreases wear and tear on the roads. That's a subtle benefit, but one that benefits you in many ways.

And finally, locally grown and shipped food has reduced packaging, reducing OCAD’s landfill donations and associated trash fees.

Alexie Johnson

Great Advertising Book

2007-11-29T17:38:00.000-05:00

For those of you that are in advertising and that are passionate about advertising, this is a great book to read to gain some knowledge on advertising. i just recently started reading it and it is excellent. The book is called "Cutting Edge Commercials" by Jim Aitchison. The book is available in the school library. However, there's only one copy and as i have said, i am currently reading it so if you are interested in reading this book, please let me know so i can be motivated to read quickly. :)
tata for now~

Danbee

Ayumi and Danbee's Big Idea --section 15

2007-11-29T16:33:00.000-05:00

Here's Ayumi and my idea for the second part of "Making OCAD Greener" project. We are thinking of building portable ashtrays that can be placed near the smoking pit of our school in order to encourage our smoker students and faculty members to throw the buds away in this ashtray. we often see small buds laying everywhere on the side walk of our school and it is quiet disturbing. In order to prevent the smokers from continuously throwing the buds anywhere, this ashtray that is about 4ft tall will allow smokers to develop a habit of throwing the buds where they belong. This ashtray piece will resemble a human face with its mouth open. Every time someone throws buds into this mouth, the face will cough in order to send the message that smoking is bad and can cause cancer. This way people will be more aware of the negative aspect of smoking, and through this Guerilla tactic, we are hoping to get some positive responses. This piece will also be translucent so people will see how many cigarettes are being smoked every day. we are hoping this design approach will be successful. we will further explain about our concept during the Critique day. Good luck on your exams.

Danbee and Ayumi~

"Not Just Another Brick in the Wall"

2007-11-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

Increasingly, researchers are establishing the correlation between indoor air quality and the productivity of workers as well as the health of individuals. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors. Health Canada estimates that Canadians spend more than 80% of their time indoors. In general, a significant proportion of this indoor time is spent within the home, with the time spent in workplaces coming in a close second.

We propose putting living wall system in the great hall of the school. A living wall is a wall system that essentially provides a vertical surface where various plants can be grown. Living walls filter air particulates, improving air quality and help to reduce the urban heat island effect (UHI). Interior walls clean the air and add humidity to the air to compensate for central heating in the winter.

We think adding a Living wall system would be a great addition to the OCAD environment. The improved air quality would greatly improve the health of students and faculty, and the increase of greenery in the school would certainly improve the mood of anyone who enters the building. All of which would improve the productivity of the students and staff of OCAD.

In our presentation we will detail the benefits of a living wall in our school. Also we will investigate the cost of installing such a system, and if it would be physically possible to incorporate a living wall into the existing architecture of the school.

Group:- Chris Fischer, Darrell Currington, Jenny Duong, Ashley D'Amato

One big idea

2007-11-29T13:53:00.000-05:00

Patrick, Slav, Ivan Jesse

For our one big idea, it begins by modifying the inside of the Sharp center for design. We are proposing to add in suspended ceilings in all applicable areas in order to cut down on heating and cooling costs associated with the massive overhead space, currently only occupied by ducts and pipes. From this original idea, we were able to impliment a second, more personal idea, and a new way for students to share their work and become more intimate with the school. After charting out the layout of all the ceiling tiles and reworking of some of the piping (possibly only adding/removing some fittings) the students would be able to purchase a tile and display some of their work. Instead of just having the plain white ceiling tiles in normal office buildings, purchased tiles would be able to be designed by the students, large photos/paintings etc. (all moderated to make sure appropriate) and will encourage students engagement with the school's environement. We are in the process of working out the financial implications associated with such a project, but are also hoping that after the numbers are worked out, the energy savings and investment of the students would offset that cost, later generating an income if not simply a livelier more creative environment.

The OCAD Annual

2007-11-29T13:08:00.000-05:00

Our Proposal:

We want to make OCAD a better place for students to network and gain valuable student relationships. As second year students, we find there is a serious lack of interaction between our peers, not just within our own programs but within the entire school. The sharing of ideas between artists and designers is truly important, and we are proposing to design an annual publication, highlighting the work of every full time student at OCAD of that year. This publication would be designed and created by the student body, and funded by the school, and possibly if needed an outside sponsor. This publication would be given to every student who contributed, as a resource to showcase, network, and to create a sense of community within the school. The process of creating this publication would be done over the internet, with a web-based template used by student to upload jpegs of their work. The size of the publication would be roughly 9" by 12", and proffesional looking enough that could be used in the students' portfolios. We will be researching the best sustainable way to produce this, as well we will be working out the costs. We are very excited about this idea, and look forward to developing it further, and showing you our results.

Rebecca Caswell, Danielle Sebastian, Bill Avgerinos, Sarah Lavoie

Green-Social Tabletop!!

2007-11-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

I love the design of OCAD’s famous “tabletop” although I feel it is not reaching it’s fullest potential. As we have been doing numerous projects concerning the environment, I feel that the roof is a great opportunity to make a difference and boost OCAD’s Green Grade. We could utilize the tabletop to create what is known as a “Green Roof”. These have become popular is such cities as Chicago as they are a great way to make nature and industrial developments work together to make a difference in our environment. There are many benefits of the Green Roof including reduced city temperatures, reduced air pollution, improved rainfall runoff quality and a 40% increase in absorption of rainfall runoff that could lead to potential flooding. I also feel that OCAD lacks in area’s in which we can hang out and be social with one another. What better place to be than floating above the city on one of Toronto’s most bizarre buildings. I think this would be a great place to relax between classes while it would also bring great opportunity to be social and interact with each other’s creative minds.

ONE BIG IDEA

2007-11-28T16:54:00.000-05:00

Judging by the comments of the class, it seems that there is a great need at the Ontario College of Art and Design for some shape or form of social outlets; that is hotspots in the school in which students can retreat to for social or relaxative purposes, escaping the harsh confinements of the classroom. From my previous travels and experiences at other schools, I have observed that the majority Universities in Ontario both have a main coffee shop, and a main pub; both of which act as landmarks for social interaction or relaxation. Some places even have several of these, and I feel that these are absolutely essential to one’s University experience. They fulfill the needs of all different types of students, from the caffeine-crazed mochaholics, to the professional party animals looking for good times to be had, and then of course, everyone in between. Therefore, I plan on constructing some sort of hypothetical solution to this huge problem here at OCAD, by finding locations for these places, and overseeing all aspects of their design according to research conducted from similar establishments, and also from my own hands-on experiences. More info soon to come!

One Big Idea: The EX-Space!!

2007-11-28T14:28:00.000-05:00

Welcome to The Ex pace

We desire more excitement in our OCAD campus life!

We need some in-school activities that require physical participation, so that students or faculty staffs can enjoy in their spare time, and achieve the balance between physical and psychological exercises; and to form a more “humane” OCAD community. There should be no limitation to participants’ school years, faculties, genders, or nations; in that case, EVERYONE is welcomed!

Our group thought of using OCAD’s X-space as the OCAD EX-pace (Exercise-space) when it’s available, we’ll by setting up a few ping-pong tables or badminton nets. From our research, it shows that OCAD used to have one ping-pong table, but now it’s been taken away. These equipments will be easy to set up and store, so it won’t affect the events at the X-space.

We can either schedule 2-3 days in a week, to allow the access to the equipments, or we can schedule different activities on different days. For example: Monday 2:00- 8:00p.m. Badminton Club; Tue 2:00-7:00 Ping-pong club; Thursday 4:00-8:00 Dutch ball, etc.; and in-door soccer on Fridays.

The activities can also be placed in form of a mini-competitions or challenges. For example: video game champions; DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) dance king/queen; Best voice (Karaoke); The favorite dancer: hip-pop, breaking, ballet, jazz, cultural dance, etc.; or the Spring-bed jumper.

We also strongly encourage students to share self-invented games, such as the human-foosball that was set up in the Butterfield Park for last year’s interactive design class project.

Some other mini-games can involve Chess, Chinese Chess, Backgammon, and etc. These games train the problem-solving skills of our brain; allows the body to be peaceful; and would be a great opportunity to meet new friends.

In conclusion, In order to organize the equipments and schedules of the EX-pace, we’ve come up with the idea of forming OCAD Activity Council. The OCAD Activity Council will take responsibility of booking the available equipments, space and time; and most importantly, gathering OCAD’s favorite activities and games, and make them possible. Let’s bring our university campus to life!

Group: Winny Shen 2272763

Jenna Lee 2267805

A Sad Story....

2007-11-28T01:10:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

Just a little tidbit of useless information that I thought I would share. It's actually close to my heart because it's taking place in the city I call home. When my family was in Mexico City, we lived in an area called Zona Esmeralda, in a 'neighbrhood' called Club de Golf Chiluca. It is a very affluent area because it is where all the expatriates who are in Mexico City because their company sent them there live, because it is close to the city but high enough in the mounts to avoid most earthquakes and pollution. All of the neighborhoods were built around these wealthy golf clubs, for people who could afford to build a home there.
Contracting and construction in Mexico is very different than it is here in Canada or the US. It is mostly done independently, so all of the houses were original designs, no two alike. And because people were building into the mountainsides and using the stone and form of the mountains as part of their architecture I mean really really different, not just different materials, and each a different color. People in Mexico paint there houses bright pink if they feel like it. Very colorful :) Bellow is the view from my old neighborhood, just so you have an idea of what the area was like.

I say 'was' because some new developments have moved in across the hills from where I lived. A picture is worth a thousand words:

These are part of a low income housing plan. Yay. I'm all for affordable housing, considering how many people live in cardboard boxes in Mexico. Unfortunately, these houses actually aren't all that affordable, and still only cater to the middle class in price. They are also ripping into the hills you saw in the first picture, to level out the space for these structures. I probably don't even have to point out that they are painfully ugly.

So thats my sad story for the day. I weep bitterly. But hopefully this will get you thinking about ways to prevent things like this from happening, or ways to improve on the idea for the future.

~Brenda

IDEA

2007-11-26T16:14:00.000-05:00

I think it would be great if there is a place for listening to a good music and get relaxation in the school. Each student needs to be relaxed and get rid of his or her stress. So, listening to music and dancing for a short time might help us to back to our work, fresh and healthy, revitalized.

Music has the potential of stimulating or relaxing people, it can reduce pain, help us to organize our skills and thoughts, release our emotions, entertain us or just pass the time. It can reduce stress, balance our brain waves, deepen our breathing, lower our heart beat or organize our emotions. Do you know of any prescription that can do all of that – I don’t. But it can be addictive.You might get to the point where just listening to a particular type of music makes you feel at peace or happy. We know now that even the unborn child responds to music, so we play music while we are pregnant to assure a peaceful and healthy environment and existence in the womb. Healthy people desire a harmonic environment and the ill require one. Music helps the body return to a state of balance and harmony when everything else around us is out of order.

Composters! says Jenny Duong

2007-11-24T02:12:00.000-05:00

My one big idea is that OCAD should start promoting the idea of having composters available on the streets. A lot of our waste consists of packaging and food. Why not take out the food component and make fresh soil for the planet instead? Also with biodegradable products becoing more popular, composters surely will come in handy.
If this was a possiblity I invision the idea of having colorful composting boxes to fit our school architecture.

ONE BIG IDEA

2007-11-21T21:58:00.001-05:00

Making OCAD’s roof GREEN

The age of sustainable design has arrived. Professors at OCAD teach sustainability and the importance of such practice. Although the research from PART I of this assignment has shown that the facility itself and primarily its design does not 100% support the GREEN design.

The construction of the Sharp Center of Design allowed for a vast area of the rooftop of the structure. Although the space is underused and is not utilized to its fullest potential. The Green Roofing practices have become increasingly popular in Europe and some places in North America. Currently, there are even the whole cities where the Green roof practice is the primary issue when designing and constructing a new building.

So my main question and proposal of how can we make OCAD a greener and better place would be to propose the idea of Green Roof that will only benefit the OCAD’s community.

ONE BIG IDEA

2007-11-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

My idea has to do with the solar energy. Solar energy is energy from the sun, in the lighting sufficient area, the solar energy supply continuously; the production process will not have any environmental pollution, it will not use any other earth resource or causes the global warming. Also the solar energy is a good energy similar to the water power or the wind power. If we have it on top of OCAD's roof, it will support the energy we use. However, it will be a big problem to afford so we have to do some fun raising or we can have everyone to recycle their useless stuff and exchange for money to help OCAD raise the money.

Green Roof - One Big Idea

2007-11-20T19:14:00.000-05:00

For my groups project "Did OCAD Make the Green Grade" we did the OCAD building and I was incharge of the roof of OCAD. An issue that came up in our discussions with Peter Lashko, Director of Facilities Planning and Management was the Green Roof. He said that it would cost way to much and that OCAD cannot afford such a thing. I think that it would be a great asset to our community seeing as how we are an environmentaly friendly school. If we could think of a way to raise the money or something to make a step forward to getting a green roof that would be quite the accomplishment. I know that a few people in the class are interested in this project and we can gather all our information in class and find out what we need to do to make this work.

Vicky

One Big Idea

2007-11-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

Hey guys

So basically my group Mike , Katie, and I ( Rob) have had many ideas on what we can focus on and improve for OCAD and its community, for example everywhere from having prizes in the yellow stair case so that we can encourage people to use it more and to also have a little bit of excercises, to ideas where the front doors can be replaced by revolving ones so that they can provide a sense of energy creation by having them turn constantly because of the in and out 's that students do. But our main idea we are focusing on now is using the display case around the school to be used to displaystudents work that has been rented out by them for a small fee so that they can have others enjoy it. Thats all for now , we'll have more in depth detail once the presentation comes rolling around.

thanks guys

Later
Rob De Laurentiis 2264760

Readings and issues for this week's Quiz

2007-11-20T02:09:00.000-05:00

These are some of the readings and issues you should review for this week's open-book quiz, which will consist of some multiple choice, short answer questions, and one longer opinion piece:

Vultures Vanishing & Farewell to the Yangtze dolphin
Research Methodologies
Making the Green Grade
The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream

Bring your notes and handouts. The quiz will be based on the readings we have discussed in class, the guest lecture by Toby Heaps, and the film 'The End of Suburbia' that we viewed in class.

The quiz is worth 10%

Agriculture in ocad

2007-11-18T13:14:00.001-05:00

The addition of an OCAD run agriculture program would be an excellent use of resources considering the already constricting market for organic foods.

In simple OCAD should institute an official program allowing students to take a credit for free to grow various plants and vegetables of nutritious value. These vegetables would than be outsourced to the student population or markets around the school allowing for both fresh and expensive supply. Students would learn traditional growing methods including greenhousing techniques and agriculture. The overall benifits are limitless especially when looking into the future, and the expenditures unlike most ideas is relatively cheap. The only real investment being time.

My partner is Josh Derksen and Stephen Shoettler

For Those of You who are stressed!!

2007-11-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,
I have provided something that is quiet important for 2nd year students like us who are overwhelmed and stressed by non-stoppable school workload.

Stress: The Silent Killer

Stress is a state of tension that is created when a person responds to the demands and pressures that come from work, family and other external sources, as well as those that are internally generated from self imposed demands, obligations and self-criticism.

Stress is both additive and cumulative. It adds up over time until a state of crisis is reached and symptoms appear. These symptoms may manifest themselves psychologically as irritability, anxiety, impaired concentration, mental confusion, poor judgment, frustration and anger. They may appear as physical symptoms. Common physical symptoms of stress include: muscle tension, headaches, low back pain, insomnia and high blood pressure. Untreated, these symptoms may lead to physical illness and sometimes death.

http://www.stressfree.com/stress.html

Like what it says in the article, stress can lead to death so lets try to enjoy our life and hopefully we will survive through our second year!!! haha

see you all at the distillery!!!

Danbee

ONE BIG IDEA (actually I have a few here)

2007-11-15T00:18:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, I have a few ideas that came to my mind:

First Idea: OCAD is moving into having entire school communication network mainly through internet. Our website is constantly growing, now we have MyCourse with all our course materials online, Student and faculty email is an essential tool to communicate between classmates and faculty members. Even this Think Tank Blog becomes this class' major place to exchange ideas.

My idea is to give the OCAD website a page that devote to green awareness, every student and faculty member can submit articles related to green design and art, people can also express personal thoughts towards any issues relate to green. This platform will act as a tool to inspire us as designers in practice to become more aware in green thinking. AND the best part is that by creating a green page we will continue to generate many more OCAD green projects/ideas, in the long run we will and can improve OCAD's environment drastically by having more people contributing their opinions!

Second Idea: Have OCAD's environment fills with things that made out of recycled materials, this can include chairs, benches, tables, garbage bins, light fixtures, wall treatments, space dividers, art works, etc. Every disciplines from the community can submit proposals, in that way, we can raise awareness of school green environment by infusing many different green possiblities in every corner of the school. A sign will be put beside each product/art work to give user some facts that relate to the materials used and other environmental issues. This will be present in a form of a permanent installation or exhibition in OCAD. "Everywhere I go in OCAD, I see Green"

Third Idea: Have art sale host once or twice a year for everyone from OCAD to sell arts that made from recycled materials to raise awareness in the community about thinking green, and also at the same time, raise money for any green projects that OCAD is working on.

If anyone interest in any of my idea, please join me to make this project happen!
leave me any comments you have. :)

ONE BIG IDEA

2007-11-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

Brainstorming/researching for this project I've come up with a few ideas OCAD could use to improve their environmental standards.

For one, motion sensored lighting in the Sharp Center. I have lived in the highrise in Grange Park for two years and noticed that often times the lights are left on all night in forgotten rooms. I think a lighting systme that is highly sensitive to motion would be a good energy saver for this problem.

Secondly, in the summer when the air condioners are blasting, we could think about installing a deep water cooling system which draws cold water from the depths of lake Ontario into a piping system that naturally cools the building.....it would be like dunking the building in cold water the same way your dog might cool off by jumping in a lake.....since the building is already standing, I don't know much about retrofitting a system like this but these are ideas are preliminary-ish.

Thirdly, solar panelled roofing....it can't hurt to make use of the natural energy that comes our way everyday and I think OCAD should definately get on that.

That's all for now....see you in class tonight.
I'm working with Mike and Rob and they have some awesome ideas too but I'll let them speak for themselves:)
Cheers,

Katie Felton

Exchange what we need !!! (Assignment 3 part 2)

2007-11-14T09:40:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone.

We have a lot of "recycle projects (use recycle material to make a sculptrue, jewelry, model and so on)" in OCAD every year. My idea is find a room in OCAD to storage the recycle material we collected (been clean & packed). OCAD student can exchange anything they needed for their project. For example: 10 plastic bottle exchange 2 magazine/10 cans ... We can put anything that is recycle in order and students take turns to be the "storage room" assistant and organize this event.

I always find not enough material for my "recycle projects", such as i wan to use cans as my materials and i only drink ice-tea, that limits my materil color (if i want somthing red as coke cans). OCAD is an ART SCHOOL, most of the materials that we use are paper, we can also collected our used paper to make recycle paper and print our school advertisment on. This would helps people view us as "green school/ green artist" .

Starts form everyone of us !!! That's my idea for "OCAD GREEN" !!!

Thank you .

Planting Trees

2007-11-12T18:17:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

My idea has to do with making the interior of Ocad green. For example I think it would be a great idea to have a place were we can actually sit under the trees, thus I think we need to have trees planted inside of Ocad. This idea has been inspired by Sheridan College. If anyone has ever been to Sheridan College (Oakville Campus), one would specifically see a place next to the library were a huge tree is planted and the ceiling is made from glass, therefore it creates a great sitting place. This is my informal proposal.

Thankyou!

Assignment 3 part 2 - 1 big idea

2007-11-12T18:15:00.000-05:00

one thing that instantly came into my mind when thinking about how our school could be improved was basically an idea of having a part of the school solely devoted to relaxation and getting away from the school's harsh interior. whenever i come to school i always see so many students constantly on their computers at the tables for hours and hours and they basically never get up to stretch or even rest, even though they are sat in front of a computer. also, the lighting and the interior design of ocad is quite harsh, and doesn't really create a relaxing or easygoing mood for students. additionally, all the various wires and plugs and things, especially in the ED and ID areas, add to the sterility of the building - i somtimes see students sleeping in such places which is very unhealthy as its not good for the body to rest amongst electricity and electrical outlets/products for a long period of time.

my design process teacher last year vaguely told us about how ocad needs a room where students could just rest, sleep and get away from the harsh reality of ocad. i think a small, enclosed area of the school, such as one of the presentation rooms that no one ever seems to use, could be redone into such a space, with cushions and muted colours and such, so students could go there just to catch up on some rest since school is so stressful. also, i recently found out that the scant physical activities/classes that ocad offer, such as dance class or yoga, are basically held in any random room that's available. this space could also be used for such purposes which i think would definitely promote student health and wellbeing at ocad. if students see that there's a room just to relax in and where people do such fun things as latin dancing and yoga, they would definitely take more of an interest in such an underlooked area of ocad life.

Field Trip - The Distillery Historic District

2007-11-09T17:04:00.000-05:00

North America’s best preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture is located in this historic enclave in downtown Toronto. Formerly the Gooderham & Worts Distillery (founded in 1832), The Distillery has been developed as a centre for arts, culture and entertainment. It is filled with galleries, artist studios and workshops, boutiques, retail stores, restaurants, bars and cafés.

Distillery Historic District is located at Trinity and Mill Street in the Parliament and Front St. vicinity. See the map for directions from OCAD or go to the website for further information: http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/

Wednesday afternoon class:
Meet at Balzac’s café in Building 60 Trinity Lane at 3:00 on Wednesday November 14th.

Thursday morning class:
Meet at Balzac’s café in Building 60 Trinity Lane at 12:00 on Thursday November 15th.

We will be visiting various galleries, including: Jane Corkin Photography, Artcore, and Monte Clark, as well as the Deaf Culture Centre, and Lileo shop and gallery.

tech award!

2007-11-09T12:28:00.000-05:00

heres some interesting stuff...
Id personnally like to know more about the water purification solution... and what P&G are going to do with it.

http://www.news.com/2300-11746_3-6217626-1.html?tag=ne.gall.pg

JUICE2: Making the invisible visible

2007-11-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

So , I don't know if anyone did but i went to the Juice2 Lecture on Friday.
I went to
PETER JONES, Ph.D. Principal, Redesign Research Managing Partner, Dialogic Design lecture and here's what i got from it.

The first question that was asked to us was: what is Participatory Design or PD? Well PD is basically when you involve the 'user' in the design process. Creating this more effective dialog and design process. Process often used in creating a product.
So why not use Participatory Design to social issues? Dr. Jones goes into explaining how to conduct a PD for CCPs? (complex continuing problems. These problem are known to persist during the years and there is 49 CCPs in the world and they are mostly social issues) he suggest that we reunite all the element of a CCP in a room and by using a software that he works on, find solutions to these social issues. But the big challenge is not to bring the society leaders but the 'real' stakeholders in a CCP; the victims. In a situation where we are talking about poverty as a one of the biggest CCP, it is hard to bring all the poor people in one room.

My Footprint

2007-11-07T23:12:00.000-05:00


	CATEGORY	GLOBAL HECTARES

	FOOD	1.8

	MOBILITY	0.1

	SHELTER	0.6

	GOODS/SERVICES	0.5

	TOTAL FOOTPRINT	3

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.7 PLANETS.

I think I did this right :S

Aquafina Tap Water

2007-11-07T22:37:00.000-05:00

To follow up with my presentation on bottled water, here is a link to an article outlining PepsiCo Inc. changing the label of Aquafina to state "Public Water Source". Click title.

Yes, tap water.

More on this later...

Student Publications

2007-11-07T17:15:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

If you were in class on Wed. then you might remember my idea. I think that the communication between the student body and the administration, as well as the entire OCAD community in general is in need of improvement. With a proper voice, the student body will be able to take more of a leading role in running THEIR school. I propose we start a proper student publication to showcase the voice of the student body, both through writing, art, and journalism.

If you are at all interested send me an e-mail at bg06ss@student.ocad.ca
~Brenda

appliance wattage for green project

2007-11-07T00:44:00.000-05:00

http://www.flatheadelectric.com/energy/appliancewattage.htm

so thats the link for the appliances everyone, sorry bout the lateness :P see you all in class tomorrow! the Raptors lost.. terribly..

link!

2007-11-06T19:26:00.000-05:00

hey guys heres the link to the video about advertisements/ billboards relating to my presentation on sao paolo

http://www.scenic.org/slideshow.mov

-angela

If everyone consume like I do, we would need 2.4 planet...?!

2007-11-06T15:31:00.000-05:00

I consider myself as a very "green" person - always recycle any recyclable materials, reduce waste like paper or unnecessary purchase, eat unprocessed food, walk instead of drive if i can... But it turns out that if everyone consume like i do, we would need 2.4 planet... this is sad.. :( I guess I have to try much harder.

long overdue eco footprint results

2007-11-06T14:57:00.000-05:00

food: 3.5
mobility: 0.4
shelter 1.2
goods/services: 1.6
total footprint: 6.7
.....
if everyone lived like me, we'd need 3.7 planets

Eco Footprint

2007-11-06T08:29:00.001-05:00

Hey Everyone!

CATEGORY
FOOD 1
MOBILITY 0.7
SHELTER 1.6
GOODS/SERVICES 1.8
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 5.1

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.8 PLANETS.

Josh's Eco Footprint

2007-11-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

Food: 3.1
Mobility: 0.1
Shelter: 1.0
Goods: 1.1
Total: 5.3

"If everyone lived like you, we would need 2.9 planets"

As consumerism grows, the earth suffers:

2007-10-31T16:59:00.000-04:00

As consumerism grows, the earth suffers:
"Approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide now belong to the "consumer class"—the group of people characterized by diets of highly processed food, desire for bigger houses, more and bigger cars, higher levels of debt, and lifestyles devoted to the accumulation of non-essential goods."

Click on the title to read the full article from National Geographic, for next week.

Ecological Footprint Results

2007-10-31T16:36:00.000-04:00

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES

FOOD 3.1

MOBILITY 0.8

SHELTER 7.6

GOODS/SERVICES 6.5

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 18

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 10 PLANETS.

My carbon and ecological footprint

2007-10-28T17:41:00.001-04:00

EARTH DAY QUIZ
Catergory Global Hectares
Food 2.8
Mobility 0.3
Shelter 0.3
Goods/Shelter 0.5
Total Footprint 3.9

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.8 PLANETS.

Ecological Footprint

Supporting your lifestyle requires 4.6 earths. Your daily decisions require the support of 2.5 earths.

Supporting the average person's life in Canada requires 4.2 earths.
The daily decisions of the average person in Canada require 2.1 earths.

I can't figure out how to do the carbon footprint. =s

My response from the National Geographic article.

2007-10-25T15:32:00.000-04:00

I totally agree when the article mentions that increase in prosperity is not making humans happier or healthier. I had a conversation with a friend once regarding heaven and hell. i told my friend that me being able to breath in this world, existing on this planet, working, having friends or people that care about me by my side is a true definition of heaven. My friend disagreed. he said our existence on this planet is a portrayal of hell. he said humans suffer so much working and constantly putting themselves in agony to fulfill their lifestyle and the article seems to support his opinion. Are we really living in hell?

My ecological Footprint

2007-10-25T15:28:00.001-04:00

Here's another result from my ecological footprint quiz that i have taken.
Danbee's ecological footprint: 18.67 global hectares

my score is lower than the global average footprint of 21 global hectares.

My Eco Footprint

2007-10-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES
FOOD 3.5
MOBILITY 0.7
SHELTER 1.9
GOODS/SERVICES 2
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 8.1

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 4.5 PLANETS.

Thats not good!

Eco Footprint

2007-10-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

Food = 1.6
Mobility = 0.7
Shelter = 1.3
Goods/Services = 1.5
TOTAL = 5.1

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.8 PLANETS.

WOAH.

EcoFootprint

2007-10-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, here are my results. I took this quiz last year in my Design Process class, as we had a very similar assignment. I have noticed that they haven't changed a whole lot.

FOOD 1.8
MOBILITY 0
SHELTER 1
GOODS/SERVICES 1

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 3.8

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.1 PLANETS.

I thought that my results were really good, seeing as I had relatively low scores in most categories. I guess I really need to work on my food consumption, which is my highest score of 1.8.

My footprint

2007-10-24T19:56:00.000-04:00

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES

FOOD 3.4

MOBILITY 0.1

SHELTER 1.3

GOODS/SERVICES 1.4

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 6.2

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 3.4 PLANETS.

Shigeo Eco Footprint

2007-10-24T17:32:00.000-04:00

Food 3.1
Mobility 0.8
SHelter 0.6
Goods/Services 1.1

5.6 Hectares

earthday footprint

2007-10-24T16:34:00.000-04:00

Food: 2.2
Mobility: .4
Shelter: 1.1
Goods/Services: 1.2

Total Footprint: 4.9

If everyone lived like me, we would need 2.7 earths!

my footprint

2007-10-24T16:31:00.000-04:00

food - 3.3
mobility - 0.5
shelter - 1.2
goods/services - 1.7

total footprint - 6.7

if everyone lived like me, we would need 3.7 earths.

Ecological Footprint

2007-10-24T16:18:00.001-04:00

Vicky's Footprint:

Earthday Footprint

Category Hectares

Food: 3.1
Mobility: 1.3
Shelter: 1.6
Goods/Services: 3

Total Footprint: 9

It would take 5 earths if everyone lived like Vicky.

Ecological Footprint

Vickys Footprint: 21.11 hectares

Global Average Footprint: 21 global hectares

Sustainable Footprint: 15 global hectares

FOOTPRINT

2007-10-24T16:13:00.000-04:00

Hey guys,
I did the footprint quiz and im not proud of my results !!!

FOOT 3.1
MOBILITY 1.9
SHELTER 1.6
GOODS/SERVICES 3.6
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 10.2

if everyone lived like me, we would need 5.7 planets.

My Foot Print

2007-10-24T16:11:00.001-04:00

My Foot Print

Overall: 4.1

Food 1.8
Mobility 0.2
Shelter 1.1
Goods 1

We would need 2.3 Earths to live like I do...
~Brenda

;_;!!!!

2007-10-24T15:56:00.000-04:00

Food: 2.8

Mobility: 0.7

Shelter: 1

Goods/Services: 1.7

Everyone would need 3.4 planets to live like me. =[

And for the Global Ecological foot print quiz...

Global Average Footprint: 21 global hectares.

Sustainable Footprint: 15 global hectares.

My eco foot

2007-10-24T15:55:00.000-04:00

HERE ARE YOUR FOOTPRINT RESULTS:
CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES
FOOD 3.3
MOBILITY 1.1
SHELTER 1
GOODS/SERVICES 2.2
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 7.6
IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL
HECTARES PER PERSON.
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXISTS 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 4.2 PLANETS.

Kenneth Kwan

As consumerism grows, the earth suffers

2007-10-24T14:17:00.000-04:00

"Approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide now belong to the "consumer class"—the group of people characterized by diets of highly processed food, desire for bigger houses, more and bigger cars, higher levels of debt, and lifestyles devoted to the accumulation of non-essential goods."

Click on the title to read the full article from National Geographic, as background to your 24 hour consumption diary, due next week.

My Other Results

2007-10-24T14:12:00.000-04:00

Oops....I forgot to mention my other results in my first post!

Food = 3.1
Mobility = 0.4
Shelter = 0.9
Goods/Services = 1.3

TOTAL = 5.7

If everyone lived like me, we would need 3.2 earths!!!

My Ecological Foot Print

2007-10-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

This really made me feel horrible.
My Ecological Foot Print is 19.14 Global Hectares...the average being 21 Global Hectares.
I should be striving to make less of an impact on the planet. I have emailed this quiz to me family members, so I can get an idea of how we rate as a family. I know there is much more we can be doing as a family to conserve energy and resourses.
:(

green grade for OCAD

2007-10-23T23:54:00.000-04:00

I worked on interior environment - lighting and paints.
This is the summary of my research.
OCAD uses low VOC (Volatile Organic Compunds) latex supplied by Benjamin Moore. low VOC paint has many benefits to environment.
90% of the lighting in OCAD is fluorescent. T8 fluorescent with electronic ballasts are mainly used in the building, some T12 are still used. A typical conversion of T12 with magnetic ballast to T8 with electronic ballasts costs about $20/lamp including parts and labor. Energy saving from the conversion can pay back the initial investment in 2 to 4 yrs in an industrial application and 5 to 7 yrs in a commercial application. Incandesent bulbs in OCAD are swithing with compact fluorescent lamps. Due to global warming, the ban the bulb movement is gaining strenght. 5% of the electricity it uses gose to light the bulb, 95% is heat. Currently, Canada is ha ving FLICK OFF movement. It is about to fight climate change by getting Canadians to use less energy by flick off our lighting. They say that we only have 10 yrs to dramatically reduce our emission or we're screwed.
I also worke on the computer power in OCAD. The primary source of energy comsumption for OCAD IT is through the data center. The electrical power, system cooling and ventilation and uninterrupted power supplies are the bigget draw on energy.
New appreaches are maintain existing physical size and address expanded capacity requirements of the facility while saving up to 40 - 50 % in related energy costs. and IT services has configured all computer studios and information commons (all stuent desktpos on campus) with an automated shutdowns at close so that energy is not consumed when OCAD is closed.
Overall, I give B+, since OCAD cosiders about environment and making changes to save the environment.

footprints

2007-10-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

With the Ecological footprint.org,
my ecological footprint is 14.80 global hectares
global average footprint is 21 global hectares
sustainable footprint is 15 global hectares

With the earthday.net,
food 2.6
mobility 1.5
shelter 1
goods/services 2.6
----------------
total footprint 7.7
average ecological footprint in your country is 8.8 global hectares per person
would need 4.3 planets

Footprints

2007-10-23T21:26:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, on zerofootprint my carbon footbprint is 15.3 and my ecological footprint is 4.6. Both scores are above the given average individual but the amounts I filled in were from my household energy bills, not my personal. Either way, we can all stand to improve our habits, no?
See you all in class! cheers,
Katie

Ecological footprint

2007-10-23T19:01:00.000-04:00

Hey guys just posting about the ecological footprint score that I got and it was
24.99 0ff the global ecological foot print calculator. I then did another calculation off the Earthday footprint calculator and it was
Category global hectres
Food 3.3
mobility 2.2
shelter 1.4
good/services 3.7
and the total 10.6

basically the calculator said that it would take 5.7 planets to support me and everyone that has the same rating as me like this to support the global population. I might consider changing my way of lifestyle now that I have a clear view. Anyways till next time guys

Later

Roberto De Laurentiis 2264760

2007-10-23T15:51:00.000-04:00

Here are my Footprint Details:

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES

FOOD 2.4

MOBILITY 0.2

SHELTER 0.4

GOODS/SERVICES 0.5

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 3.5

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE ME, WE WOULD NEED 1.9 PLANETS.

Shameful me!!

2007-10-22T11:21:00.000-04:00

WOW WEE!!!

I really hope i made some mistakes taking this zero footprint quiz because i am not very proud of my score!!!
As much as i do not want to expose my score to the public (so embarassed) i guess i have to post it up for my participation mark... sigh~

Category
Answers
tons CO2
Goals
less tons CO2
Travel
Vehicle by distance
1000.0 per year
SUV/Truck
0.4
Air travel
1.0 extended haul one way flight(s) (> 5 hours)
2.7
Streetcar, LRT, subway
61.0
2.6
Public bus
5.0
0.4
Walking
45.0
Food
My diet is...
Heavy meat eater
4.7
Organic food
34.0
-1.6
Local produce
31.0
-0.4
Food packaging
50.0
0.3
Fast food
6.0
0.1
Home
Household size
2.0
Paper use
25.0
0.2
0.0

My foot print is 9.3 when an average person's foot print is 9.1. Am I on the safe side or am I in trouble? lol

10 Things a good ad does...

2007-10-21T08:56:00.000-04:00

This is quiet interesting!!

If you want a good ad these are the simple 10 rules to follow:
I hope this helps guys!!!

10 things a good ad does....

1) a good ad must stop the reader from turning the page.

2) sells a product's benefits rather than its features.

3) promotes the name of the store.

4) speaks to a specific group of people.

5) provides all the facts.

6) conveys its message simply.

7) IS NEWS

8) sells answers to consumers' current needs.

9) a good ad uses white space ***************(i guess Peter Oliver won't agree with this..lol)

10) a good ad has sense of urgency.

for more detailed info on this 10 tips i have written go to the pdf. link that i have provided!!!
ciao kids!!

Ola!!!!

2007-10-21T08:55:00.001-04:00

Can someone post up the link of the site where we take the footprint quiz, please?
i am kinda lost here and need help@!! haha

thanks everyone!!
:)
Danbee~

my footprint

2007-10-19T18:06:00.000-04:00

	FOOD	2.8

	MOBILITY	1

	SHELTER	0.6

	GOODS/SERVICES	1.6

	TOTAL FOOTPRINT	6

This is a lot better than the last time I did it. I think my footprint was 9-ish before, I am happy that it has reduce now. But it is still a long way from the ideal (1.8)

Foot Print

2007-10-18T02:56:00.000-04:00

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES
FOOD 1.5
MOBILITY 0.2
SHELTER 1.1
GOODS/SERVICES 1
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 3.8

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.1 PLANETS.

Ways the world could end very suddenly.

2007-10-18T00:41:00.000-04:00

i know this might be a bit morbid but the ideas and concepts brought up are very interesting.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/167

if you would like check it out.

--


	CATEGORY	GLOBAL HECTARES

	FOOD	4.2

	MOBILITY	0.8

	SHELTER	2

	GOODS/SERVICES	2.9

	TOTAL FOOTPRINT	9.9

My Global Footprint =)

2007-10-18T00:09:00.000-04:00


	CATEGORY	GLOBAL HECTARES

	FOOD	1

	MOBILITY	0.1

	SHELTER	0.4

	GOODS/SERVICES	0.5

	TOTAL FOOTPRINT	2

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.1 PLANETS.

-----------

footprint

2007-10-17T23:35:00.000-04:00

Hello... I did the footprint quiz and this is what I got..

CATEGORY / GLOBAL HECTARES

Food 3.7
Mobility 1.3
Shelter 1.6
Goods & Services 2.2
Total footprint 8.8

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 4.9 PLANETS.

green grade for ocad- ttc

2007-10-17T18:25:00.000-04:00

Heya everyone, so I did the TTC and here are the main points of what I talked about.

-subways- extensions of current lines into mississauga and north into vaughan
-streetcars- extend current lines outside of city core, cars that can also run on scarborough rt tracks
-busses- hybrid busses increasing, diesel busses now burn a biodiesel/ethanol mix
-employee cars- chevy tahoe hybrids are used (not the best option but it was the corperate sponsors choice)
-employees- available resources and courses to help employeesminimize impact on the environment

OCAD
-no discount plan for student metropasses
-u-pass developed for $60 per month but will be included on all students tuition without an opt out clause
-station near enough to facilitate easy commIn the end I gave OCAD a C because the only thing they personally can do to affect TTC policy is to institute a discount program. With enough energy put into it this could already be a reality.

See you all in class.. :P

Ecological Footprint

2007-10-17T16:47:00.000-04:00

CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES

FOOD 3.5

MOBILITY 0.8

SHELTER 0.9

GOODS/SERVICES 1.3

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 6.5

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 3.6 PLANETS.

I'm embarassed....

Sarah Lavoie