Architecture Fiction: October 2012

Saturday 27 October 2012

First Person Experiences

Hospitality Loft Office

Staff Library

Covered Courtyard

Staff Kitchen

Soft Workshop Office

Construction Workshop Office

Stairs

Lockers

PWD and Change

Farmers Market Storage Room

Amenities

Computer Hub

Resource Centre

Ground Corridor

Second Corridor

Organisers reclaimed the camping grounds dedicated to the 2,000 volunteers who work during the Folk Festival. This land was divided; sown and different types of produce were planted, all calculated and chosen with their own unique harvest periods taken into account. A harvesting calendar was developed and co-ordinated in conjunction with a number of celebratory festivals to attract more visitors and helpers during these different peak harvest periods. These festival also acted as information days promoting the Learning and Development Retreat's teaching facilities and the various educational programs on offer.

Individuals taking part in these programs and festivals will work on site for their board and live within the proposed residential precinct. These facilities will be located upon the site's western hill overlooking the educational precinct, it will be connected to it and the rest of the village via landscaping and pathways. The facilities will be made up of a series of connected dormitories for both the Learning and Development Retreat's teaching staff and patrons, the precinct will also be used by volunteers during both the folk festival and the number of small celebratory festivals held throughout the year. The dormitories are planned to be constructed and design with simular concepts to that of the educational precinct.

Planning Pattern Grid

Possible Floor Plan Set Out

Site Perspective from a north-east orientation

View from a balcony

View from another

Stage 1: Educational Precinct

Woodfordia’s Learning and Development Retreat began by investing into the Educational Precinct's facilities. A location was chosen on the northern end of the site's western hill, it is slightly elevated from, yet close to the existing village. This location allows the building to soak up all environment, visual and northern benefits. The brief consists of large craft and construction workshops, a library and computer facilities, a hall for lectures and exhibitions, a hospitality and cooking school, plus covered outdoor gathering spaces among various amenities, classrooms and offices. The facilities' design is in keeping with the Queensland Folk Federation's stated visions and beliefs as it promotes sustainable living and building concepts.

A combination of wind direction studies, multiple stepped rooves and specifically placed openings allows cross ventilation to be achieved within all rooms. Sun path diagrams and simulated shadow mapping exercises enables shading and building overhangs to be placed accordingly, creating appropriate and naturally lit spaces for teachers and individuals. The Educational Precinct itself is designed to complement the site's contours and includes one continual ramped floor plate as the building follows the road up the hill, reducing its site impact.

The precinct is mostly constructed from locally-sourced and on-site timbers and glazing, the south-west exterior wall is built from block-work, with the ground floor and main structural columns being made of concrete. Individuals can access the building from three different entry points, staircases to the second level are located at both the north-west and south-east ends of the building. The design and orientation of the facilities opens up and out to the village and north-eastern views creating practical and pleasant spaces for all individuals, as the amenities are located south-western side of the building. The building does not contain a lift service, meaning a wheelchair-bound person will not be able to access the offices on the second floor, however ground is completely accessible.

The educational building has a 3 metre wide corridor and follows a grid system, meaning the main structural elements and sized are generic repeated throughout the building. This allows flexible options for any future additions or internal fitout work to be made with ease if so desired.

Roof Plan

Sun Path Diagrams

Wind Directions

First Level

Second Level

Section Locations

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Building Perspective

Friday 26 October 2012

Proposed Outcomes

SCRIPT: strategically communicate an architectural proposal through a creative as well as logically and realistically constructed series of events in the form of a factitious story:

REALITY: Have relevant contexts you can observe today been studied and well incorporated into your Architecture Fiction?

My animation will begin with an overview of the Folk Federations main beliefs and visions, these are mostly factual beliefs that have been spiced up and I wish to abide by them throughout my story and my architecture.

The Queensland Folk Federation is a not-for-profit organisation with a vision of inclusive, creative and inspiring community growth of cultures and traditions. Over the years the organisation has become a symbol of environmental stability, de-urbanisation, diversity and human rights.

I propose that:

The Queensland Folk Federation is aware of earth's ever-growing issues and believes that sustainability is more than improving the environmental quality of an area, it’s about community development, decision-making processes, awareness, involvement and engagement. It’s about reaching a common goal and maintaining a balance between economic development and environmental protection. The federation's past history, committed volunteers, sustainable beliefs and future goals will and has aided in creating a benchmark for communities and cities elsewhere.

CREATIVITY: Have background contexts extracted from your team's scenario developed in Project One, have you developed a unique story.

Project One was focused on the principal of sharing focusing on resources and de-urbanisation, my proposal shall specify that:

The Folk Federation organisers have decided it was time to fully utilise and expand on Woodfordia’s facilities to cater for an array of festivals and educational programs held throughout the year in addition to the folk festival. The dream was simple; provide the facilities to promote sustainable sharing and environmental education.

My architectural proposal will provide the facilities to create a Learning and Development Retreat to give those who live in built-up cities a chance to escape. So these individuals can experience, learn, work, celebrate and build up an appreciation and understanding of the importance of rural living, community development, resource sharing and environmental protection and stability.

STAGE: Ability to design an architectural entity that works and fits in well with your story:

PURPOSE: Has the purpose of your proposed architectural entity been defined in response to needs and desires of future citizens? Is the design response appropriate. Why should your proposal be realised? How does it offer meaningful spaces and services for future citizens if realised? It is imperative that your proposed architectural entity provides effective solutions and opportunities for future citizens in your scenario.

In the future, Woodfordia is to maintain a year round presence. I propose that this is achieved by offering and developing teaching programs and sharing implementation strategies that involve patrons to dedicate themselves to Woodfordia’s new Learning and Development Retreat, to leave the city behind for a desired period of time. Patrons will learn to live in collaboration with a number of sustainable economic, social and environmental requirements and services. Individuals will work on site for their board.

NAVIGATION: Has specific uses and access to the entity been studied and demonstrated? Is it evident in the design. How do people arrive at a space? How do they find the space? How do they move between spaces? Your proposal needs to address issues concerning how your design offers appropriate and meaningful access to and from your architectural entity and circulation within and between each space. It is very important that you constantly evaluate and re-evaluate your access and circulation strategies.

User access will be demonstrated with a series of animated fly throughs and diagrams within the final animation explaining where the building is located in terms of its surroundings, the views and spaces it offers.

INTEGRITY: Is a good level of structural and/or operational integrity and unity clearly visible in your design proposal? Are appropriate structures, details, materials and/or technologies used to construct your proposed spaces? How will it be maintained?

Within my model I've try to emphasis the timber beams etc. as finished features within the building interior, I shall also provide a series of sections illustrating how the building works and how it would be erected.

SCENES: ability to communicate the value and relevance of your architectural proposal. They can be best described as specific scenes in your Architecture Fiction:

PRESENCE & IDENTITY: Has the presence and relevance of the proposed architectural entity and its identity in its location (site) been considered with strong understanding of what it should provide and be known for? It is important that the physical and/or psychological presence of your proposed architecture is appropriate for the area/context and also signifies the reason and purpose of its existence.

The educational facilities associated with the Learning and Development Retreat will be located close to the existing village on the northern end of western hill. From this location the building will soak up the benefits of a northern orientation, it will be able to look over the existing village and will be seen from various vantage points.

The educational facilities was design to complement the contours on which it sits, the building's main corridor is one continual ramp as the building fits into and extrudes out of the ground.

FIRST-PERSON EXPERIENCE: Has the experience of users been considered and effectively presented from the perspectives of users? It is imperative that you made your design decisions based on the requirements of people who experience and use the proposed spaces. You need to demonstrate not only generic appearances of spaces with people, but also construct scenarios to depict how specific people in specific needs and circumstances experience and utilise spaces you proposed.

Majority of the model fly-thoughts will be of human scale, viewed from the user perspective to gain further 'first-person' experience of what my proposal shall offer the site.