Problem Description:

This exercise is based on a problem that was developed by Rowena Reed Kostellow, who taught industrial design at Pratt Institute in New York for more than fifty years. The students begin the problem by creating proportionally contrasting rectilinear volumes out of clay. They then put them together in ways to establish a series of relationships between sets of three volumes. In so doing, they must consider the following:

Contrasting Proportions
Inherent Proportions
Comparative Proportions
Overall Proportions
Dominant, Subdominant and Subordinate Relationships
Each volume’s position in space, XYZ Axis
Connections:  Piercing, Wedging, Cradling

The objective of the problem is to achieve a familiarity with simple volumes in a unified statement. The design should read three-dimensionally from every angle. All joints should appear structural and a balance of directional forces must be established. The design should achieve a unity in which every part relates to every part, and every relationship contributes to the whole. The final model is crafted out of plaster.