Monday, October 25, 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Occupancy (Inhabit 2)


4 x A3 Presentation sheets; Showing cross sections, plans and persectives

Laser cut model of final design


Eye level view of model


Continuing on my idea that there is no freedom in the Owen Glen Building for students to spend time, but their spaces are always confined to the extent that they is not even any natural ventilation, but is provided by the air conditioning system....

While also spending time in the building I found that the building was well connected to the surrounding buildings and roads around except the part facing the motorway. Being the top university in New Zealand I saw this as an opportunity to connect to the public and the domain.

In my intervention I have created open spaces for students to use, which includes an open lecture theatre, outdoor study spaces and eating spaces which are currently not available in the building. The open lecture theatre connects with surrounding, as it is a permeable opening skin towards the study and eating spaces so ideas can be freely shared. The theatre is also connected to the public as the projector screen is a fostered so that the image projected on the screen can be seen by those in the lecture theatre and also can be seen by those outside, so that they can appreciate some of what is going on in the lecture theatre. It could also be used as an advertising board when there are no lectures going on.

Monday, September 27, 2010

INHABIT project (Second Life)



Philosophy - Freedom

While walking through the Owen Glen Building, I gained a sense that it feels like you are completely closed into the building. Most of a student’s activity is jammed into the basement of the building underground. This feeling is even consistent in the open space of the atrium as there is a limit to the usable space, as these upper floors are allocated to staff as post-graduate students, and the fast moving space does not allow for the space of the views to be appreciated. This closure goes even to the extent that there is no natural ventilation, but ventilation is only provided by the air-conditioning.

It also does not allow for the students freedom for change and expression, but is under constant security.

My Intervention deals with the freedom in both space and expression. I have developed a critique that the only way in which to escape from the building is to teleport out of it.

The spot that students are teleported to, is a remote retreat which allows for students to congregate and express themselves through the intervention of a set of forum screens which are free for student s to post up notices, questions and the like.

Going down to the lower platform students are confronted with a piece of architecture that is invokes the students to participate and freely adjust, according to the level of freedom (openness or private) space  they require, allowing for another place students can freely stop to sit and have lunch.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Trash-Hold [sic]

External Platform access to studios.

 

Page 1: Plan and section

page 2:Perspective view

A1 sheet (object)

As part of the drawing and 3d scan group, I was inspired by the outcome of my 3d scan of one of my models from the last project. To me I saw two plans which where pulled together by lines which also seemed to create stairs. This led me to the idea of a stair platform structure, that would link the studio and courtyard together (visualized as the two plans in the scan). I then began to look at the importance of architecture within our society, and linked this idea with the idea that all the platforms had some significance to the themes and ideas that make up architecture. Showing that the students coming out of these studios have been fully exposed to all of these aspects. The aspects considered here where History, Business, Technology, Environment, City Heritage and Culture of Learning, these were linked to icons in Auckland The Museum, Sky tower, MOTAT, Tiri Tiri Matangi Island, Old Government House and Clock Tower respectively. This shows the fact that Auckland is the perfect spot to study architecture.


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Final touches

Just taking one last look at how things are shaping up in the office design.

With a collaborative effort with fellow sim residents Kathrine Bayard and Laura Rhys, we brought our designs down, and removed the floating effect as the building looked out of balance with a large top. We decided to create a floor at ground level as a meeting space, to help link our projects together.
We have also created a fire place on this ground floor with chimney penetrating right through our design emitting smoke as particles at the top.
A look from the other corner showing how my design has been lowered to interact more closely with the land and projects around it.

Here is a media wall that residents can read the journals on this large digital screen.

My favorite view that I have framed in my design is the mountain in the distance. When I Lowered my whole office this view was slightly blocked by other projects, therefore I made a semi transparent alpha channel texture which concentrated on the view of the mountain only.
Here there are a few changes in my information media center with a addition of a direct link to my blog on the large interactive panel on the wall which allows observers to scroll through the blog without exciting Second life. I have also retained the link to the web address on the marked sign below.