I’ve solidified a floor plan which I am happy and confident will be a compatible skeleton for transmitting my Big Idea (sustainably connecting people with the natural world). I worked on showing layers visually by introducing two floating levels within the space. I also looked to the molecule for inspiration in the overall foot print, by mimicking their wide and narrow flat shape. Also using my research from the Middle East and African cultures, I centered the plan around a courtyard which will act as a way to incorporate nature into the structure, but also act as a socializing grounds where people may enter and thong out and chat. Below is my bubble programing floor plan that deduces where everything will go within the structure. After I decided where everything should go, I continued to narrow down what structures and furniture will be in the space. Keep in mind that this is simply the retail space in a larger structure, and also note the directional arrows. The whole building is actually built around the idea of the sun and wind directions. The west side of the building will be mostly covered in beautiful plants and grates to minimize the sun exposure to help the building not retain heat. Also the center courtyard will act as a fan by helping with air flow within the buildings. As such, the programming of the floor plan capitalizes on creating spaces based on light and people-traffic. Below is the floor plan with furniture structures and walls. The next important things to test is how people will move through the space and I wanted to begin thinking about what types of shoppers there are. How many people will actually walk up the ramps to access the third floor? What sorts of knick-knacks should be included in the store? I did a quick human-flow plan to see how accessible the different sections of the building are and how likely customers will be to pass by and see the merchandise. Below is my flow chart of human traffic and how customers might move within the space. I want to continue thinking about how people move within space. Even if I offer spaces which work with the idea of compression and release (like Frank Loyd Wright did), or create an interior which lets the customer feel supported, comfortable with an increased desire to browse, what I really want to focus on, is being able to create spaces which foster conversations. I want employees to be able to walk and educate the customers, as well as start conversations without being like sales people. I want customers to be able to check out where ever they are standing, like Apple, which will allow the employees to be more helpful.
Human interaction is limited these days when it comes to the interplay of technology and talking. I want to create a space that fosters real communication with face to face contact. One way to help that is to surround guests with organic shapes, plant life, neutral colors found in nature and constant steady airflow. Biomimicry as a subject has a vast amount of research on productivity and personal connection, some of which I’ve read. The next step is gathering my material board and really creating a sustainable, inspiring environment that intrigues browsing and supports conversation. For this study I also completed a study model which is documented below. How to get out of a loop Tomorrow’s the big day, and I have been stuck in a loop. Floor plans and elevation plans are due and I have so many ideas but none which seem to be good enough. I yearn to be creative and innovative-two words which encompass the essence of architecture these days-but all of my plans and details seem to be getting lost in each other. My case studies of Moroccan, West African and the Middle East have packed my research with seeds of creation, challenging me to integrate vernacular architecture with western ideals. So, with so many grand ideas, it would be nearly impossible-and a bad idea-to integrate all of them. How do I deduce which one’s to pull out and foster? That’ll be the key to progressing. For this project I’ve been extremely intrigued by Los Angeles’s weather, and how to integrate it into the design, and what better way that to bring the natural foliage and structures inside. (Especially since the jump off point for this project was fine particle air pollution.) Through research I learned that all of the desert climate vernacular architecture focuses on making the middle of the home, the heart of the home, through an open air courtyard. In Morocco, the windows are small and the courtyard adds to the naturally built in chimney air-flow throughout the house. In West Africa, the villages have courtyards which focus on social gatherings and communication. In India, the courtyard is the most important part of the home and is considered sacred and honored by not placing any bulky furniture in the middle of the room. Because of these cross-cultural similarities, I’ve focused on creating a courtyard experience that encourages natural interaction, even through their occasional rainstorms. I’ve added a large courtyard that feeds out to the street feeling both enclosed and personal, but also allows public interaction and movement through the space. My ideations and 3D sketches have focused on creating visual layers, similarly to how molecules have many layers and textured shells. I’ve been working mostly with floor plans, and creating sketches that are literal translations of buildings. To further my research I’ve been binge watching episodes of Extreme Houses on HGTV to better understand how to push the capabilities of material. However, with all of this extraneous research, tangible sketches and drafting, my brain has been turbulent. I’ve been dreaming of floor plan and waking up with images of interiors, but with no real direction or clarity for my project. So yesterday, I learned how to escape this building momentum of a circling idea: In order for me to move on, I have to commit. I have to commit to a plan, I have to step back and inhale and remember what the focus of the project it. Less about what it’s going to look like and more about how it’s going to feel. I have to commit a layout and evolution plan to scale on paper and walk away, feeling satisfied. I’ve done the work. I’ve completed my cultural research. I’ve mulled and marinated in the rich, hearty information, and now it’s time to cook. Some designers might think of this point as having the hardest work behind them. Having the background research completed and the initial design drafted to scale, the fun begins. However, fun is also work. For ever single design decision, I want to relate back to my core principles: 1. Sustainability 2. Connecting people with nature to form individual experiences and 3. Being alive-both plant life and human life. Where to go from here. I've detailed my topic with research in both case study and about the actual element and now is the exciting time were I get to start massaging the worlds of abstract architecture into the world of science! Ever so subtly I'll start pulling pieces, shapes, textures and flow from the world of nature and using those as the foundation for my architectural thinking. Keep in mind, I am not thinking or creating walls yet, just simply beginning to process the ideas. A great way that I did this was to mind map using bubbles, flow charts, and mind mapping. Below was my first retail mind map. The first column is associated with anything I think of when I think of the word "retail." What's retail mean? what sorts of things do I find in a retail environment? You get the idea. The second column is choosing one word from my first column and expanding on that one idea. I choose the words "Branding." The third column I wrote down opposite words from the first column. I then drew comparisons between the three columns in order to find my Big Idea. So what is my Big Idea? "Sustainable Design Focused on Connecting People with Nature and Locally Sourced Materials" Basically, the point of boiling down to find the project's Big Idea is so that every single design decision can lead back to this concept. If I get stuck, I can ask myself, "Is this design sustainable, locally sourced and does it help people connect to nature?" If I answer no, then it will not show up in my plans. Below is the mind map expanding on my Big Idea and how exactly it will look, and what are ideas around it that will aid in this mission. Moving on from thinking about the design as a design, what comes next? Future casting. Well, honestly, many clients are interested in how the building is going to look now. What it's going to do for them in this moment and fail to see how the building might need to be changed if the same proposal was to be presenting in 5, 10, 50 years from now. The chart below depicts what differences might be made in the planning process if this same BioMuseum proposal was presented in the future. From this mind map I am able to pre-determine some major design changes from the future and implementing them now. Throughout all of this brainstorming, mind mapping and future casting I have learned a lot about this project and was able to more clearly state what my purpose is for my design choices as well as how this project can and will be effected by the future. Mind mapping is a vital part of my process and allows me the freedom to add perspective to my projects.
Now that we're all on the same page and share the knowledge of what turmoil has been created in the air we breath, let's talk about some solutions.
This post will focus on questions and answers. Feel free to scroll through until your find a question especially tantalizing. What is biofilic design? Normally we build cities that degrade the environment and alienate us from nature. Biofilic design aims at reconnecting human's to nature. Many biofilic design plans focus on "green architecture"which decreases the environmental impact, reconnects us to the natural world and uses sustainable development. It builds hospitals which heal faster, schools that test higher, offices that are more productive or communities where people know their neighbors. The most important aspect of biophilic design is that it must help to nurture people's love of a place. What are similarities of nature and made space? Biophilic design patters tend to focus on a ways that we engage with nature, the feelings that creates and how we can recreate those feelings on the interiors. The categories are: 1. Prospect: Unimpeded view over a distance 2. Refuge: A place to protect us or withdraw from the environment condition 3. Mystery: The promise of more information 4. Visual Connection: Seeing nature around you 5. Non-visual Connection: Smells, sounds, touch, taste 6. Presence of water 7. Biomorphic forms and patterns 8. Materiality of nature What are case-study examples of green architecture? (Examples from Design Like You Give A Damn 2006) - Building a structure on raised platform to provide natural growth the continue life - Funnel roof for rain water - Compostable toilets as a fertilizer to give back to the vegetation around you - Energy Recovery Ventilator: Recirculates heat to reduce electric load - Low flow water fixtures -Cancer center built like a house in order to provide more of a family and home environment. They also exposed natural textures, focused on nature integration. - In dense populated cities like Venezuela: Built a "Gimnasio Vertical" which provided a safe space for community. It had the foot print of a soccer field, and had 15,000 users every month. This building reduced the crime rate in the city by 30%. - Rainwater HOG: Water collection tank intended for city dwellers. It can be hidden under driveways, or walk ways and each tank stores 50 gallons collected from rainwater. - Sundoiler: Installed on a roof. It takes sunlight and reflects it inside. It can illuminate 8000sp ft and eliminates 40% of energy use. - EcoCreto: Concrete which decreases flooding as it's porous How has Middle Eastern vernacular architecture been designed to work with their environment? India: Features pavilions, courtyards, terraces, as well as thresholds. Climate has a very deterministic role in shaping activity areas by creating indoor, outdoor and in-between spaces. Indian architecture always has these features:
Morocco: Draa Valley Berber tribes
Andalusian Architecture: White walls, green stucco roofs, central courtyards and zellige decorations on walls, floors and ceilings. Andalusian architecture fascinates because its scale can be so great without ever sacrificing an extraordinary attention to detail, as seen in the doors, walls, floors and ceilings 3 Southern Kasbah Architecture Simple materials and techniques to create structures extraordinary in scale, efficiency and harmony. Southern architecture was eco-friendly centuries before the word was coined. Interiors stay surprisingly cool during the day despite the hot sun and relatively warm during the cold nights. The tan color schemes, ranging from deep browns to vibrant oranges, help the structures blend into their environment. Sloping roofs. Africa: Eastern Coast- Zululand
Western Africa:
Forested Africa:
What are sustainable materials near LA?
BIBLIOGRAPHY: "African Architecture." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. Honnor, Julius. Morocco Handbook. 6th ed. Bath: Footprint, 2012. Print. Labelle Prussin. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians Vol. 33, No. 3 (Oct., 1974), pp. 182-205 Lutchman, Chitram, and Douglas Evans. 7 Fundamentals of an Operationally Excellent Management System. Print. Mark Turkle. TEDTalkx:Berlin December 4, 2013. "The Vernacular Architecture Of Rajasthan." The Vernacular Architecture Of Rajasthan. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. *** FOR MORE RELATED CASE STUDIES CHECK OUT MY GENERAL BLOG For this project I was fictitiously hired by LA Museum of History and Science to redesign their retail space and cafe to be more sustainable. I began the project by doing a field study of the surrounding area to determine what factors are most important and affecting the building as a whole currently.
I discovered that fine particle air pollution was a gloating environmental issue in LA and is an element that needs immediate attention for the city to lead a healthy lifestyle. So, my main natural factor for the project is fine particle air pollution. Where to begin for such a vast subject was difficult but with some sleuthing I stumbled upon exactly what particle pollution is, why it's around, what makes it worse, how to contain it, how to clean it, what the main substances are and so on. The more I read the more infuriated I became that a major city like LA wasn't actively trying to avoid creating more pollution. We are literally killing not only our environment, which we rely on for our sustainability, but we are poisoning ourselves and our children and refuse to do anything about it. Cities in Europe are beginning to install pollution sensors in street lamps and stoplights to reroute people when the pollution build up passes an acceptable level. Wearable gadgets are becoming available, one called Tzoa, which tracks the pollution levels you are immersed in. The idea being that by everyone wearing a tracker, before you head out to walk to work, you can avoid high levels of air particles which drastically effect your health. Since fine particle air pollution is so many things, I left like basing a project design on a broad subject was similar to reaching into Mary Poppin's bag where nothing is related. I needed a more concrete subject. Through my intensive research I discovered not only what fine particle air pollution is but what it reacts to. From the dozen elements which are found in particle pollution nitrogen dioxide (NO2 or NOX) and a hydrocarbon (HC), specifically benzene (the most common HC) were the most reactive of the particles. Both of these elements can morph from a gas into a particle simply by coming into contact with heat or moisture. That's terrifying! Benzene especially reeks havoc on your body over time. It causes drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, skin irritation, eye irritation, and if inhaled at high levels can make you pass out. There has been reproductive defects associated with high levels of exposure; increased incidence of leukemia. Needless to stress more, this chemical changes your life, negatively. It's found in solvants for fats, waxes, resins, oils, inks, paints, plastics, and rubber; in the extraction of oils from seeds and nuts; and in photogravure printing. Also used in the manufacture of detergents, explosives, pharmaceuticals, and dyestuffs. It's also found in emissions from burning coal and oil, motor vehicle exhaust, and evaporation from gasoline service stations. So hold your breath next time you fill up your gas tank. As if these side effects of exposure weren't enough... NOX or NO2 is way worst. Family of highly reactive gases. These gases form when fuel is burned at high temperatures, and come principally from motor vehicle exhaust and stationary sources such as electric utilities and industrial boilers. Becomes air pollution with heavy traffic and energy production also known as smog. Also, in-vehicle concentrations can be 2-3 times higher than measured at nearby area-wide monitors. NOx react with ammonia, moisture, and other compounds to form small particles. These small particles penetrate deeply into sensitive parts of the lungs and can cause or worsen respiratory disease, such as emphysema and bronchitis, and can aggravate existing heart disease. Also, NOx increases ozone and particle matter with a chemical reaction. Seems normal enough.... but what if you learned NOX is used in the medical field.... NOX is also known as laughing gas. Surgeries using NOX have more complications NOX eats your body's supply of vitamin B12 It effects DNA production and the experimental and epidemiological evidences that N2O causes undesirable reproductive outcomes. Depletes bone marrow. Many anesthesiologists believe that the potential dangers of N2O are so great that it should no longer be used at all for routine clinical anesthesia. So, do you want to go walk around the city now knowing all of this information? No. You absolutely should not. So how is this new design of the LA Museum of History and Science going to be less bad to the environment? I've always liked a challenge, and for this design I'm not focusing on being "less bad" but rather, how can we be GOOD to nature, and work in conjunction with her to create a new sustainable lifestyle. |
AuthorAs a student at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle WA I entertain a variety of factors while designing space. Archives
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