SKETCH PROBLEM 7: Synthesis
Assigned: May 15, 2023
Due: May 26, 2023, Pinup (Location TBA)
Notes from Mid-review, Individual Discussions, 5.17.23
Targeted Desk Crits: 5.19.23,  5.22.23,  5.24.23

SOME DATES AND REQUIREMENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING THE MID-REVIEW

 View South At Shore Acres State Park, E. Mark Photo, April 8, 2023.

OVERVIEW

Following the mid-review there are three choices available: 1. continue with the current household shelter that you are developing with modifications and more detail, 2. substantially alter the shelter, or 3. gain what insights you can from earlier work and develop a relatively new shelter. The square footage for each unit is now more discretionary. Aggregates of the household units or sub-units may be considered. The current exercise is a precursor and first draft for the final review.

You also have one additional choice to make. The design program can now continue at 1 community of 16 household units or expand to 2 communities for a combine total of 32 household units.

Reflecting back on the last several exercises, beginning with exercise 4 the studio began to more deliberately incorporate the surrounding site and total environment with respect to the design of the community layout of 16 households units for approximately 80 people. It began to narrow down the type of community it serves. A specific square footage for each household unit was targeted.  For the mid-review, the square footage for each household was allowed to have a flexible range, 450 sq. ft. +/- 250 sq. ft.. This current exercise now takes on a more complete and detailed exploration of site. It provides you with more discretion with respect to the size and number of household units. It takes into account a more distinct response for the specific community served. And, at a more schematic level, it explores some more community structures.

In summary, you are asked determine what size individual household unit is appropriate, how many household units you wish to incorporate, the kind of community structures you think appropriate to include, and to more completely determine the site circulation plan and programmed uses that relate to the community your design is meant to serve.

DISCRETIONARY SIZE UNITS

The 4 to 6 person  “family” unit (UNHCR term) unit should include accommodation for non-traditional households. The design of each unit can be based upon an aggregate of smaller sub-units. In turn,  aggregates of family units can be in also be placed together or joined in larger clusters throughout the site.

The square footage specification may include built structures as small as 50 square feet that aggregate into a large single family unit. The family unit size itself should probably not exceed 600 square feet, but you are invited to make an argument for larger square footage. That is, in an ideal world, each household could have a more generous allocation of space. However, given the need to streamline transportation, reduce setup time, limit the weight of materials and trim costs, what do you propose as an appropriate size?

TYPE FABRIC STRUCTURE

In the first few exercises the studio examined a “soft” architectural type shelter that relied upon fabric tensioning and tensegrity methods as part of the structural solution.  The studio then integrated the option to include a “hard”  rigid frame folding type shelter where fabric was used as skin but not as a part of the primary structural method. For the mid-review sketch problem the choice of type fabric structure was discretionary and could be a hybrid of earlier types.

Moreover, the earlier sketch problems concentrated predominantly on physical scaled study models, but were less developed with respect to the use of architectural drawing and computer modeling. The mid-review increased the requirements more detailed computer modeling and drawing.   Going forward,  this current exercise will balance the use of all media. It will also now more fully address the site, circulation, public to private space, surrounding environment, therapeutic healing land use and oceanfront site features. This pre-final sketch takes on the objective of setting the stage for a longer term stay of an uncertain time length, one that may in a later phase give way to more semi-permanent facilities.

SITE

The field trip to OIMB established two potential sites for the UNHCR community of initially 16 residential units, Sunset Bay State Park, and Shore Acres State Park.  One of the sites should continue to be developed and the layout of the 16 or 32 family units remains the primary objective.  A few secondary facilities (e.g., dining, infirmary, meditation space, picnic areas, gardens) should now be incorporated into the site plan according to the community narrative that you will determine.

1. For individual discussion on Wednesday, 5.17.23, bring your notes and reflections on the mid-review. What direction did it provide? Did it change any of your goals for the design program? Where should you invest more time? Note that we will meet at noon on 5.17.23 for a talk by Stephen Duff in LA 206.
2. For the desk crit on Friday, 5.19.23: As a quick thought experiment and tracing paper type exercise, imagine the site devoid of buildings. Where are the best views?  Where would you go to find a quiet reflective space?   What are some places for non-building land uses, especially healing from trauma, such as gardening, recreation, quiet calming,  or social gathering? At the periphery of the site, are there now opportunities to be reconsidered for some kind of amenity (e.g, a bench or mini-lookout shelter) that may offer a place for private reflection or more intimate contact with the natural environment? How does the sunrise cast light and shadow on the site? In general, reconsider the site’s assets and potential uses before finalizing building footprints. For example, where are the best places to establish semi-private spaces for clusters of household sized units for residents that may have a more distinct social relationship to one another (e.g, first-responders, counselors, humanitarian-aid workers, nurses, etc.) than they may do to the the larger community of household units as a whole? Develop a schematic site study diagram that identifies these types of spaces.
3. For the desk crit on Monday, 5.22.23: Write up a short one page narrative description of the forcibly displaced people that you have established for your community.  Describe 1. What event led up to their forcible displacement, 2. the type of displacement they’ve experienced, and 3. how their circumstances are related to the site plan and design proposition you are developing. In short, what is your understanding of the community’s needs and how do you intend to address them

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR 5.26

The first final draft should include photographic references and, if feasible, the inclusion of physical study models from the earlier exercises as they reflect the primary method of investigation through the first half of the term.

1. Develop a house unit collapsible fabric architecture structure as a single unit or as an aggregate of sub-units.
2. Develop the physical connection to the ground or foundation system.
3. Deploy the structure on one of the two sites studied on the field trip: Sunset Bay State Park or Shore Acres State Park
4. Depict in plan the deployment of 16 household unit shelters as well as additional structures (e.g., dining, infirmary, etc.) appropriate to the type community or type communities that you establish in your program narrative. At your discretion, you can extend this to 2 communities of 16 household unit shelters each
5. Develop a 3D view (axonometric or perspective renderings) of varying clusters of family units and their spatial, social and physical connections during the day and at night.
6. Based upon your own review of the literature in the bibliography or from other sources continue to develop  a narrative of a particular group of forcibly displaced people that would form the community.
7. Establish roughly five discussion points and one key proposition that you are testing in your design, and that may help to shape the discussion for the final review.
8. The choice of materials, including hardware, fabric and rigid structural elements, should be identified.  Take into account, cost, weight, portability and collapsibility.
9. The armature itself should fully flatten and collapse to the degree possible.

Constraints:

• At least two entrances/exits for each family unit.
• Operable openings for fresh air, natural light and views.
• 4 + places for sleeping.
• 4 + writing surfaces and/or one common surface for dining.
• Daylighting.
• Minimal artificial lighting.
• Simplified building transformation / assembly process.
• Passive solar design principles.
• Consideration of wind, rain and snow.
• Consideration of environmental impact on habitats and marine conditions.

Include In Less Detail: 

• Washing or WC facilities.
• Kitchen.

See WASH guidelines created by the Container Based Sanitation Alliance (Kory Russel, et. al.).

Approach

Continue to investigate the structure concurrently in physical model form and through drawing and computer modeling. The joints in the structure may be studied by abstract means with off-the-shelf hardware (e.g., Michael’s, Lowes, etc.) and/or 3D printed components. More specifically, consider fabric connection devices that help with retraction and unfurling of the structure. Consider the degrees of freedom in the movement of the joints. Optionally design interchangeable parts that can be assembled and disassembled for more than one purpose.

Note that computer renderings or drawings may be used to supplant the physical modeling of joints if you are short of time. However, at least one physically prepared joint should be developed, either very rough or having a close likeness to the real joint to be used.

For this exercise, use a smaller scale representation and layout for the final plot on tabloid paper as a first mockup for the final review itself. We will discuss the options in studio Wednesday, 5.17. For the final review, we will discuss and come to an agreement on plot sizes as well.

For 5.24, you will compile and place a PDF file mockup  of your presentation under your name “LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_SKETCH7.PDF” in the course server for the class and under the sub-folder “Student_Data/yourEmailID/SKETCH7/. For this pre-final review bring whatever physical models to the pinup that you think are needed to have a meaningful discussion dating back to the beginning for the term. The date of the final review is  June 8 from 2 to 6 in the afternoon and will be held in LA 278 and LA 279.

Media Requirements (The Checklist of Deliverables):

• • An operable and detailed joint minimally at ½” scale (i.e., ½” = 1 foot).
  • At least one modified and physical prototype of the shelter at discretionary model scale, optionally with the integration of CNC fabricated components or off the shelf hardware store components. Re-use or modification of an existing prototype is OK although may be less optimal for design exploration.
  • Computer based detailed axonometric or perspective renderings of exterior and of the interior  of a single unit, showing light, shadow, interior elements and people during both daytime and nighttime conditions.
  • Two sections, one elevation, and plan, of the family structure at 1/4” or 1/8” scale.
  • Axonometric or perspective rendering of 3 to 4 units having a “communicating” or physically adjacent relationship to each other, ideally in both daytime and nighttime conditions.
  • Overview perspective rendering of the full scope of your scheme.
  • Site plan depicting the community of 16 units (or 32 units), additional built structures, outdoor amenities, pathways, significant features and spaces.
  • One wall type section showing material connections to the ground and also to the roof structure at 1/4″ to 1/2″ scale.
  • One larger area site section showing the full scope of your park site including the waters edge and adjacent areas of land or forrest. The representation of family units may be abstract. The sections may be drawn at discretionary scale; however, it is recommended you work with as large a scale as practical.
• Extracurricular:
  • Two larger area site sections for more complete context.
  • Create a thumbnail scale image series to depict an assembly of your structure.
  • Create a thumbnail scale image series to depict a  transformation of your structure from an initial temporary deployment in the first 24 hours to a semi-permanent condition when more resources arrive.
  • Create a thumbnail scale image series to depict the initial delivery of the all the structures and setup.
  • Create a thumbnail scale image series of how a structure or it’s parts are packed for shipping.

Scenarios:

• Eating/sleeping/meeting.
• Warm day ventilation/cold day or night insulation.
• Daytime/nighttime conditions.
• Light power supply for reading/laptop recharging/nighttime activity.

NOTES/MISCELLANY OF ADDITIONAL PRESENTATION OPTIONS AT YOUR DISCRETION

1. Show variable site conditions in renderings (e.g., wind, sunshine, rain, runoff etc).
2. Help each other with respect to sewing, 3D modeling, and, if it is available, 3D printing.
3. Incorporate precedents and earlier investigations into your study.
4. Incorporate on site sketches, field notes and photos into your study that capture key site features and conditions.

ADDITIONAL EXTRACURRICULAR DESIGN OPTIONS

1. Develop a method of full retraction into a box that can be transported as flattened cargo.
2. Develop an option to incorporate or perhaps add thermal mass weeks or months after the initial setup of the shelters, such as with small concrete pavers for flooring or other options.
3. A full physical site model is not expected; however, you may want to consider a partial site model that incorporates one or more clusters of units.