In an Earthworm brainstorming session we came up with an idea to have transportation within our building because of it's size. We agreed that a bike lane may be the best way to achieve this idea. We are planning to have a bike lane that stretches horizontally from one end of the building to the other. We hope to have two entrances into the bike lane. One will enter into the first floor on the west side of the building. The other will enter/exit on the east side of the building onto one of the green roof terraces. We are still developing this idea and doing research on different types of bike lanes, and bicycle storage.
The Earthworms have been hard at work on our building form over the past few days. We have come to a consensus on quite a few aspects of our design. The building will now be three levels at the most. The first level most likely will be underground. We have also added two building forms to the rear of the building to provide more space. Below are some sketches of the general form and our ideas.
This is the front view of the building as if you were standing on Lee Street , looking north.
This is the rear view of our building as if you were looking south, towards Lee Street.
This a side section cut of the building looking east. This would be a potential space to put an outdoor classroom in the center.
The Earthworm group worked hard on making a detailed schedule for the rest of the semester. We collaborated and came up with many dates to get together and work on our project. We have also set a goal of when we would like to be done, so we have enough time to put all the finishing touches on our project and put our presentation together. As a group we chose to separate ourselves into areas we are interested in. For example, I am focusing on Interiors, environmental psychology, 2D hand drawings, and other areas that need attention. These subjects I will focus on heavily, while contributing ideas to other area of our building/project. Below are our final documents for this assignment.
I began to take from our gestural concept and think about what kind of environment this will create within our building. Based off the book The Ice Palace That Melted Away, I began to formulate ideas. I chose to think about places of civility + grace that are created within our space. This can be seen as a place that creates a moment. Also, I considered places where the campus and community can be connected. As you can see, I have diagrammed the living wall, penetrating wall, and atrium as places that create a moment within the space. The auditorium and community work spaces within the studios are places where people will come together.
After thinking about our space conceptually, I chose to focus on what some of those areas may look like. This wall resembles a living wall that is penetrating from the outside, into our building. Connecting the outer world with the interior community.
Another area which I feel could be a main focal point within our space is the vertical core, which penetrates through all levels of our building. I feel this would be a prime space to create a sculptural living wall, with flourishing green life. This is also a space where everyone in the building can come and be united by this form of art and architecture.
I selected this translucent material because I feel it could be beneficial in the project we are designing. Mainly because we hope to keep the space very open . This could be a solution to dividing a space without putting up drywall. The material is considered sustainable and comes from many different manufacturers.
Rubber Floor Sample
This material was made while considering the environment. The rubber that makes up this flooring is made from recycled pieces. This flooring comes in several different colors and is manufactured by a company called Reztec.
Living Wall in Portland, OR
I feel that our building would benefit from having a living wall, green wall, or green screen within it. This wall pictured not only replenishes the environment around it, but it is somewhat sculptural. With the combination of different plants, tile, and metal this wall is aesthetically pleasing. I believe that having something of this nature within our space would create a place for the community to unite. As well as, a place of civility and grace.
For spring break my mom and I traveled to Oregon for the first time. We left from Charlotte on March 7th 2009. We had a connecting flight in Dallas, TX then to Portland, OR. We spent our first night in Portland and explored the city. It didn't take long for us to realize it is an amazing place. Portland, OR strives to consider the environment by providing a trolley called the 'Max', street cars, buses, and bike lanes throughout the city. During our stay we traveled from Portland, down through Corvallis (a small college town). We drove through the snowy mountains to get to the west coast. We cruised the ocean highway spotting several exciting things. 2 lighthouses, a beached whale, and sea lion caves 200 feet below ground. We cut over from Florence, OR leaving the coast for Eugene, OR. In Eugene, we toured the University of Oregon and immersed ourselves in the culture. We tried restaurants and coffee shops recommended by locals. We did as much site seeing as possible. From what I can see Oregonians are striving to help the environment. Majority of students at the U of O ride their bikes or take the bus instead of driving. There are recycling bins located all over campus. As well as, a LEED Certified- Silver building housing the business department. We traveled to Washugal, WA to see where Pendleton originated. Then, finished our trip in Portland. Overall our trip was very rewarding. I was able to visit somewhere I had never been before, admire different types of architecture, and see the green revolution at work. I would highly recommend visiting Oregon if you haven't yet!!!
On March 2nd and 3rd as part of the fourth year students of Interior Architecture, I participated in traveling to Atlanta, GA. I was very excited about this opportunity because I hadn't been to this part of the United States yet. As a group we were given the opportunity to visit many different places. Furniture showrooms, architecture firms, and design firms.
Furniture Showrooms: Herman Miller Knoll
Design Firms: HOK Lord - Aeck - Sargent Perkins + Will TVS Design
