Final Presentations

Viable [organic] Mode

Program of hipster haven

Functions of spaces in Hipster Haven

· Sleeping
· Eating
· Relaxing
· Socializing
· Bathing
· Working

Requirements for each room in Hipster Haven

Bedroom (sleeping/relaxing/eating)-
o Bed, wood flooring, closet, desk, artwork, lighting, windows, blinds, and chair

Kitchen (eating/socializing/relaxing/working)-
o Cabinetry, stainless steel appliances (oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, faucet), French sink, table, 4 chairs, artwork, wood flooring, lighting, windows and blinds.

Living Area (sleeping/relaxing/eating/socializing/working)-
o Couch, rug, coffee table, side table, fireplace, lighting, artwork, wood flooring, windows, blinds, and electronics (television, sound system)

Bathroom (bathing/relaxing)-
o Sink, shower, bathtub, mirror, storage, tile flooring, window, artwork, and blinds

Loft (working/relaxing/eating)-
o Stairs, wood flooring, desk, chair, storage, lounge chair, lighting, and artwork

Urban Loft

" one learns people through the heart; not the eyes or the intellect"

- mark twain

our objective is to turn the UNCG storage warehouse into an condo complex complied of loft living quarters. the idea is to take old unused industrial warehouses into affordable dwellings for first time home owners.

the overall concept of our space design is based on the community center within the space. we wanted it to be the life force of our space.   it is the heart.  each unit is like an organ that only thrives off the social aspects of life. we saw these new home owners to be young citizens venturing into the workforce for the first time, people who thrive on community.

plan

our plan is centralized around the community center [heart], and moves outward from there the pathways connect all the units together.  each unit contains a patio space which opens up to neighbors for an added push towards community. i guess you could say we created utopia in a box.

the below image is an aerial view of the space.

the overall idea is to create a vineyard type space keeping the overhead beams and punching through the middle of them to expose the outside. the units however would keep the ceiling except where the loft punches through.  since the space is sustainable we wanted to take the remaining concrete that is replaced by grass to be broken down and reused to fabricate the walls of the units, in some since we are giving back to the earth and reusing what we take away from the building and not just throwing it away.

a place to bathe: exempt of confinement

The concept behind my place to bathe is "exempt of confinement"; relating to the wants of clients who may be confined to a wheelchair permanently or temporarily. The entire space of the spa is relatively open, with no walls that are completely connected that give the space a feeling of openess and freedom. The spa is aimed at providing a place for the cleansing of mind and body, which is truly the only way to gain complete relaxtion and completeness. Spirituality, nutrition, exercise, herbalism, and hydrotherapy will all be offered as a way to achieve the level of relaxtion that the spa was designed to provide.

reception area of spa

view of pool from inside spa

one of the four private areas of the spa for nutrition, spirituality, exercise, hydrotherapy, and herbalism

close up view of pool with ramps that partly divide space

floor plan and dimensions of spa

wall elevation

wall elevation

wall section

a place to bathe: design research

Phase 1 in our project of designing "a place to bathe" is design research. The culture that I chose to research in their bathing techniques is that of Sebastian Kneipp: German. Germany has a long history of spas and wellness. The Romans appreciated the hot mineral springs at Baden-Baden, and beginning in the 18th and 19th centuries, Europe’s royalty and other aristocrats would meet at the great German spa resort towns. Today, there are over 900 "Spa Resorts" found in Germany, and most for a fraction of the cost found in the United States. Sebastian Kneipp's was a founding father of Naturopathic Medicine, and his "Kneipp Cure" lives on today. This "Cure" is a form of hydrotherapy, a system of healing involving the application of water through various methods, temperatures and pressures. Along with the Naturopathic movement, Kneipp believed that healing must be achieved in five steps: Hydrotherapy, Herbalism, Exercise, Nutrition, and Spirtuality. To some extent, I agree that all five are important for a more sound body and mind achievement, which is what I think spa/water treatments should be able to provide to clients. Today in Germany, the "Spa Scene" is far more relaxed than other destinations in the world concerning nudity/privacy which are both aspects of the culture that I may not incorporate in my design of a place to bathe.

Design Manifesto

I drew inspiration from the abstract expressionism movement and from artists such as Jackson Pollock when creating my design manifesto. I believe that design comes from one's expression of self, and is therefore reflective on how we feel. My painting expresses my frustration with the idea of comformity and is a testament itself of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". For me, painting abstractly brings great joy and is truly a way of expressing myself.

"codes +" essay

Our experience with the various requirements to support human activities and needs concerning our shelter:bus was challenging. Although we, as a group, thought that we had designed our buses thoughtfully, the “codes +” charrette proved differently.

What we would recommend to other designers when creating a space in which humans will interact with, is to pay close attention to every detail, large and small, to ensure that the experience one will have with the space will not only be enjoyable, but equally accessible for all. For example, when considering a space for an individual who may be in a wheelchair, you need not only think about the space it will take to enter the room, but also the dimensions for turning around, turning around an object, backing up, and approaching the space horizontally and vertically. These considerations, unfortunately, were not thought of when designing our prototype shelter:bus. The codes that need be applied to most every space are very helpful in further considering your design and its impact on those we will interact with it. For example, when sitting at a desk you must think of how much clearance an average person would need and also how much someone who is not average would need and combine the two. The codes really helped us, as a group, to look at every inch of our space differently.

The overall experience with the “codes +” charrette was difficult at first but was very helpful in the end. The regulations and requirements to support human activities is something that will enhance our designing capabilities because they really taught us to not only look at our space in our shelter:bus completely different, but also that we must always consider who we are designing for in order to have a successful and welcoming design.

shelter:bus:water

For our shelter:bus, we decided that one of the most important and basic needs is water. Therefore, our relief bus is dedicated solely to need. The bus will have a retractable, slanted "rain-roof" that will channel rainwater into collapsible barrels. From there, basic water refinement treatments will be done, such as the addition of iodine to the water, in order to ensure the safety of the water. The bus will also have a "water bladder" on the second floor that will store pre-treated water and can be siphoned into the barrels. Large, re-usable plastic bottles will be given to the victims in need so that they can take water as they please and have it stored safely. If for some reason water is not easily accessible for the shelter:bus, the hose from the bladder can attach to any working fire hydrant.

shelter:bus:medical

For our second shelter:bus, we decided that medical supplies would also be in demand in the case of a natural disaster. This medical bus will have six sleeping quarters on the second floor, a cellular communication center on the first, handicap access, MRE's, and of course, medical supplies. The bus will also be ran off of solar power, to ensure that no additional environmental impact is placed during the, already disastrous, location. Heavy-duty tires will also be utilized to ensure that debris will not interfere with the mission of the shelter:bus.