Semester Wrap-Up

This semester in aesthetics and design has been a journey of exploration, creativity, and growth, and I’m excited to share the projects that shaped my experience. Throughout the class, I worked on two major pieces: the Hexagonal Bookshelf and the Echoes of Reclamation upcycle project, which challenged me in different ways but ultimately helped me develop both technical and artistic skills.

The Hexagonal Bookshelf became the centerpiece of my semester. Inspired by the bold, geometric aesthetic of 1970s furniture design, I set out to create a modular, functional piece that blended form and utility. The early weeks were filled with sketching, brainstorming, and CAD modeling in SolidWorks, where I explored hexagonal geometries, solved joint angles, and experimented with lid mechanisms. As I moved into fabrication, I practiced mitered cuts and joinery on scrap wood before committing to my pine and plywood materials. Budget constraints, tooling limitations, and time pressures eventually led me to pivot from my initial vision of a rotating base to a more streamlined hinged lid design. This shift taught me the value of adaptability and reminded me that simplicity can often lead to stronger, more elegant outcomes. The finishing process—sanding, staining with Watco Danish Oil, and carefully aligning the hinge and latch—was a deeply satisfying phase, where the raw materials transformed into a cohesive and visually striking piece. Seeing the bookshelf now in my room, holding my sketchbooks and daily reads, gives me a sense of accomplishment and serves as a daily reminder of the hands-on work that brought it to life.

In parallel, my Upcycle project, titled Echoes of Reclamation, allowed me to explore sustainability and environmental storytelling through design. Rooted in the earth-core and solar-punk aesthetics, the project focused on transforming two discarded plastic bottles into a sculptural artifact that evokes the beauty of nature reclaiming human-made waste. Inspired by mini-ecosystem ideas, solar-punk art, and artists working with reclaimed materials, I designed a 3D-printed PLA adapter to join the bottles at a striking angle, mimicking a bark-like texture to blend human and natural elements. I layered dirt, twigs, moss, and even some snow onto the surface, creating a visual dialogue between synthetic materials and organic textures. While assembling the piece, I encountered challenges in getting the natural materials to adhere and in adapting my plan when I couldn’t collect moss due to snowy conditions. Despite these hurdles, I’m proud of how the final artifact sparked conversations around sustainability, waste, and the potential for beauty in discarded materials. It now lives in my home as a centerpiece and conversation starter, and I hope to expand this exploration into a series of similar works in the future.

Reflecting on the semester, I’m most proud of how I pushed myself across different mediums, from CAD modeling and woodworking to 3D printing and mixed-media sculpture. I learned to navigate challenges like precision joinery, material limitations, and shifting project scopes, and I discovered that flexibility can often lead to more meaningful outcomes. Both projects reflect my passion for blending function with artistic expression and my interest in addressing environmental themes through design.

While I am happy with how far I’ve come, I also recognize areas for growth. With the bookshelf, I want to revisit joint precision, experiment with routed flutes, and possibly add veneer or inlay for a richer visual effect. For Echoes of Reclamation, I plan to explore more diverse natural materials and iterate on the integration of 3D-printed components. These projects have laid the groundwork for future work, and I’m eager to keep building on what I’ve learned.

For anyone interested in seeing more, you can explore the full timeline and fabrication details of the Hexagonal Bookshelf as well as the full description and gallery of the Echoes of Reclamation project through the links at the end of this post. I also plan to include a link to this portfolio on my CV, as it represents not just two finished pieces but a semester’s worth of creative problem-solving, technical development, and personal growth. I invite you to explore these projects, and I look forward to where this design journey takes me next.

Thank You!

*Photos from previous posts

*Assisted with Chatgpt