Submission 1- equus

12pictures

General Information
Client: Classroom monitor
Name: Steven
Location: Brisbane
Age: 32
Family: wife and 3 children
It can be assumed that my client may suffer from several physical and psychological symptoms (Refer to the previous posts). As a result of such a harmful conditions, he is depressing everyday. He wants to have relaxation and stability in his life, so I avoided having funky enterior views for design. It helps him to get himself together when he comes home. In order to heal his symptoms, I have decided to concentrate on how “house” can be the main element to comfort and relax my client. In another word, how architecture is able to create occupant comfort to their client. I used Japanese Traditional Strategies of relaxation and western traditional dwelling.


Plan1-Arrangement1
The good dwelling has to include sufficient ventilation system, breeze paths and sunlight to have occupant comfort. Who can relax with unclean air? For the first design, I have designed a house with VENTILATION TOWER (Exploration from traditional dwellings).That helps unclean air to exit from the top. Alternatively, when weather is cold, we can shut the tower’s door. Therefore, the house can keep warmth whenever it needs (Refer to Diagram 2).

This is the external view of the first model. I tended to use Japanese traditional strategies of dwelling since the weather in Brisbane is similar to Japan.

This is a picture of living room and dinning room (refer to the previous posts of floor plans and diagram of zoning). I have used 3 strategies to improve occupant comfort, including ventilation system, natural lighting system and connection with family.



Natural light is the one of most important source to have better occupant comfort. Although I calculated external eaves and vertical/ horizontal louvers, it could not be managed to bring maximum natural light to living area and private area. Especially it was hard to have light into bedrooms due to the preferable arrangement of zoning. Consequently, I have used mirror reflection to bring natural light to the entire house(Refer to diagram2). It could be very expensive to remote-control the mirrors systematically, so I have placed a lot of distinctive shapes of mirrors in the living room next to the bedroom (First floor). It looks like many stars (Mirrors) in the sky (Ceiling) at night.

The second attempt is a connection with family (refer to diagram3). It is psychologically comfortable that we can feel someone is just next to and where you can talk easily. It produces a sense of security to all family members that is one of the main source to have a comfortable space and time in the house. I have designed a connection between living areas (ground floor) to all private bedrooms (1st floor) including children’s rooms.
Furthermore, many kinds of family problems are occurred by a lack of communication these days. What if there is a space to have a connection with family since young? The space and time are the most important to have family and a nice mood in the house.
This is a view from the separated bathroom. As I mentioned in a previous post, the bathroom is not only a purpose to clean body. It is also for relaxing and a place for relieving tiredness. I have produced a connection between external garden and bathroom. It produces a sense of opening and enjoyable views. I also have used one of Japanese traditional material, calls Hinoki. Hikoki has very nice smell especially when it has been wet. It is said that there is an effect of an aroma (aromatherapy).


Plan1-Arrangement2

This is my 2nd model. I have re-arranged internal spaces (zoning).Please refer to the previous post for floor plans. The 3 strategies which I have introduced above are effectively applied in this model as well. I also gave an essence of art for this model.

For this model, I have produced another relaxation space. I have research about Japanese traditional culture again here. The external corridor is used as the main relaxation area in Japanese tradition. They enjoy tea, external views, smells, winds, and birds’ song and so on… That is always a question that what makes people comfort. In fact, I have external corridors in my house in Japan. I believe that the nature is the one which only can comfort/ relax human beings. In the process of planning, I placed a special emphasis on my instinctive answer. Therefore, I attempted to design a continuous external corridor as a main zone in this model. It also brings well circulation system in this house. Additionally, as houses in Brisbane require having eaves to avoid having sunshine in summer, the corridor space also works as an eave. The gap between living space to garden helps to design without ugly eaves around the house.

How it can be functioned is thhe client can sit there to relax with nature. Children also can play around. Therefore it also produces a connection with family.

ARRANGEMENT1

This is a picture of my 3rd model. Please refer to the previous post for floor plans.

The strategy, ‘connection with family’, bathroom and external corridor for relaxation spaces which I have introduced above are effectively applied in this model as well. However, I have applied the connection with family in the other way (refer to Diagram3). I concentrated on the typical characteristics of Australian. They often open home parties. The house has to be able to proud of something. I have deigned kitchen as the main unit in this model. The kitchen is located in the central between living and dinning room. I have attempted to have maximum communication in the living areas. The lack of communication tends to be occurred in the kitchen. To place kitchen at the central of house, everyone can see mother is cooking. Then children are easy to come to help. Everyone loves to come to kitchen to have a conversation or activity. I also produced an internal garden around kitchen. It brings natural light to entire house.

PLAN2-ARRANGEMENT2

For the 4th model, I have gathered all concepts.

• Connection with family
  Bathroom and external corridor as relaxation spaces
  Ventilation tower
  Lighting system

Submission 1- equus

EXTRA INFORMATION

DIAGRAMS

DIAGRAM1DIAGRAM2DIAGRAM3

DIAGRAM4: DECONSTRUCTION-Site Analysis

PLAN1-ARRANGEMENT1

DIAGRAM 5
PLAN2-ARRANGEMENT1

Inspiration of his work + Reflection to the shapes of design

• PC:square frame, transparent screen
  
• Mouse: round shape
• Body shape: Fat
  

I inspired my client is not active person who is working on computer in the dark. But his face would be illuminated by light of the screen.... The shape of PC, mouse (something around him) reflected to form my first model. I applied transperant materials with least frames. As he wants to have stability and relaxation, the shape of house have to be ordinary shapes to reflect his will.

I also designed both active and inactive zones to express his personality and work.

Inactivective: his attitude toward job, his work

Active: his desire, attitude toward family, and his future

This picture gave me an inspiration of lighting system to use mirror reflection. It looks like stars are twinkling in the sky when PCs are turned on....

Hopefully He will have an enjoyable life with his new house^_^

Studies from SketchUp

++++++STUDIES++++++
VENTILATION (on PLAN1-ARRANGEMENT1)
<-SECTION_CUT in SketchUp
The good dwelling has to include well ventilation system to have occupant comfort. Who can relax with unfresh air? Who can sleep? Especially the place where i am investigating is Brisbane (Hot wether), the house has to have some kinds of ventilation system...As you know, warm unfresh air tend to go up and stay there without exit. As there are always numberous wisdoms of the life which was adapted to distinctive climate and traditions, I have looked up many traditional dwellings. There is a similarity between western dwelling (hot weather) and Asian dwelling (hot/ warm weather). The dwelling ( for hot temparate) has to have a vent and gaps between ground to house. Well, I have designed a house with VENTILATION TOWER (above). This is only for experiment...hehe


++++Psychological attempt++++
Connection between family members


It is comfortable that we can feel someone is just next to...where you can talk easily. Having a sense of security is one of main source to have a comfortable space.















SUN-STUDY (PLAN1-ARRANGEMENT1)



Red: able to have sun from 7am-5pm

Green: able to have sun from 12pm-5pm

Orange: only able to have sun in the afternoon

Yellow: only able to have sun in the morning


Well, The relaxation areas (Bathroom, living room, external corridor) are able to have maximum 70% of natural sunlight everyday in winter.





1) The mirror reflection to split natural sunlight to entire house.

It is like Genzyme Headquaters in Cambridge....which I have studied in multistorey...

This is Genzyme Headquaters designed by Behnisch and Partners..



-78% of workers in this building are able to receive at least 2% of natural light everyday in every seasons.
-58% of employees are being more productive in their work.
-Reduced 5% of sickness, and improve sense of well being in the office.

OCCUPANT COMFORT

I have research about Japanese traditional culture again here. The external corridor is used as the main relaxation area in Japanese tradition. They enjoy tea, external views, smells, winds, and birds’ song and so on… That is always a question that what makes people comfort. In fact, I have external corridors in my house in Japan. I believe that the nature is the one which only can comfort/ relax human beings. The picture below shows how people used to use external corridors traditionally.

Engawa House by Tezuka Architects

This is designed by one of Japanese archtect, called "Engawa house."

++Research2++Reflection of characteristic++

Research 2

Effects of the work

As classroom monitor is basecally sitting in front of computers whole day, the client may suffer following physical symptoms;

1. Eye strain (caused by a prolonged computer work)
2. Stiff shoulders (caused by desk work, and dehydration)
3. Joint pain
4. have a lack of exercise...
   
   

The client may also have psychological symptoms due to the high responsibility of his job.

Reflections on Designing

1. Introducing nature to improve eye strain.
2. Extension of garden to the internal spaces, such as connection between living room and garden
3. Placing an internal greenary
4. Enlarging the area of each room (gives a sense of opening)
5. Using warm colours rather than tint colour
6. Using natural meterial
7. Placing a relaxation area (enlarged bathroom)
8. gives a sense of separation from his work
   

This bathroom is attempting to extend the bathroom to external view, it gives a sense of opening, and enjoyable view. The bathroom is not only a purpose to clean the body. It is also for relaxing and a placing for relieving tiredness, and relaxing.

This is one of Japanese traditional bathroom. The bath is made by hinoki (Japanese wood). Hikoki has very nice smell especially when it has been wet. It is said that there is an effect of an aroma (aromatherapy).

Research: Classroom monitor-classroom

Research



This is a picture of classroom monitor system.

The client, ‘classroom monitor’ is basically someone who maintains the school environment systematically. Main duties are policing/ reporting technological problems and watching over any sudden accidents in school. It includes controlling power, lamp hours used, temperature and alarming sounds when critical incident occurs in the classrooms. Hence, classroom monitor is a highly responsible job to keep students’ safety and health during school hours.

Classroom monitor is also strongly corresponding to the student’s general behaviours and characteristics. In order to react to the sudden accidents quickly, it is important to monitor students' behaviours as same as general duties of the classroom monitor. The classroom monitor have the high responsibility of students' safety in the school.

First possibility

This school is for students who have physical or intellectual (mental) handicaps to attend to the general education in school, ages from 6 to 18. Therefore, the each classroom needs different requirements and equipments depend on students’ age and health levels.

One day, school principle was decided to have an evacuation test when students are in their classrooms. He informed to the classroom monitor, Steven (Age:32) to organise for the evacuation test. He said "no problem, sir. I have always trained myself, and it is all right with me. I have been managing the whole system of this school everyday." He also asked, " So what do you exactly want to be happened in the evacuation test, sir?" Principle requested to Steven, " I am going to make a fake smoke. Could you please ring the fire alarm systematically? And then turn off the light and lift gradually? Let's make a realistic situation. Otherwise students will not be serious about it. Please keep an eye on the screen monitor in order to avoid any accidents." Steven said, " but, is it too dangerous? Students may get injuries. And parents will be a moster to come to complain." Principle said," Well, I can handle that^^"

Around 10 o'clock, students still have been not notified any information about the evacuation.. when it happens, and where they suppose to go... Steven was still hesitating whether he should attempt a risky evacuation. But he finally decided to do it... Students are lecturing usually until fire alarm were started to ring. The sudden fire alarm threw all students into a panic. Teachers asked all students "Evacuate immediately!!!! help injury people!!!" but, a student noticed "Sir, if fire accident seriously has been occurred, we should calm down and get out of here TOGETHER. Otherwise, we may miss someone." Teacher said " That is true.... Please follow me." So, now students started to be escorted by teacher. When they went out of door, they saw a hell. Wheelchair students were stacking. intellectural handicapped children were screaming. A teacher said to everyone," SILECT!!!!! We are going to take a lift as some of them got injury.And...please help someone nearby you " A student shouted, "Are you joking!!!???? Althought the lift is still working, what happen when it's stopped by the effect of smoke or fire???!!! Use your brain!!!" Unfortunately, this teacher was still in a panic. The other teacher, call Jenny came. She said " Please use stairs to get out now! we are going to help injury students. Wheelchair students!!!! Please use slope to move out!!!! MOVEEEE!!!" Finally, students started to run to stairs.

........

........

........

10 minutes later....

Everyone finally escaped. Jenny announced loudly," Please move to oval silently." And students started to move to oval. After everyone moved, teachers started to count students. When they finished to count, the school principle appeared to speech. Principle said," Well, Good morning, my students. This evacuation was a fake one." Students started to whispering. " Well, it was extremely successful evacuation. I appreciate that everyone gave a hand to someone who need a help. That is why everyone is now in oval. Imagine that, this evacuation was a real. In this time, the lift was working, and fire alarm was ringing. But it may be worse than this fake evacuation. What if a strong earthquake struck like Shichueng, China? What if the fire alarm dose not work properly? What if lift stopped when you are inside? Now you know what you have to do and what you must not do in the middle of evacuation." After principle's speech, all students were going back to their class. The classroom monitor, Steven was extremely busy to restore the power, lift and so on....He secretely thought in his mind that, " Oh my god, I feel tired to have HIGHEST responsibility of all students' life......sign...."

Various thoughts flitted through his mind....

He was started to talk in his mind, "I have scarey but nice wife and lovely daughters. I have no choice....I CANNOT QUIT JOB!!!! I DONT!!!!!......I Can.........no........t......." He has been started to depress himself...."but I have a plenty of savings in the back....Lets ask......my..................honey...."

++++END OF STORY++++