- Dimensions - Measurements based on the height and reaching points of people.
- Accessible Routes - Stairs/ramps/elevator/walkway
- Maneuvering areas - circulation space
- Hand Rails
- Lighting - to highlight hazards, pathways and objects. Note: should not shine into a person's eye
- Audio devices
- Seating
- Colours - colour contrasting and signage.
- Details about Architecture
- Visuals
- Materials
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Architecture Office
These are the main points that I will focus on for the design of my Architecture Office. They will all need to be taken into careful consideration while taking note of the 100 prim limit.
Combining "DETAIL" and "METROPOLIS"
For the images I am planning on using, they have to really portray the essence of Architecture to be educational and in an indepth way that I can effectively communicate visually. For this reaosn I created the above bubble diagram so that I could understand what I personally believe Architecture to be. This has created a series of topics and ideas that I plan on going into through the use of visuals. I will concentrate on the History and development of Architecture, as well as modern architecture and sustainability. I will look for images of the way architects have conveyed these ideas through the use of drawings and visuals. Plus I will focus on the works of world-famous architects, that have contributed much to society and created famous works of art.
For this I went to the Architectural Library and found the following books which I plan as using as references.
1. Architectura: elements of architectural style, by Miles Lewis (call number 72.03 A673ml)
2. New Architecture:an international atlas, by Francisco Asensio (call number 72.036.6 A816n)
3. Twenty Buildings every architect should understand, by Simon Unwin (call number 72.036.6 U62)
4. Top Architects of the World, by Mary Cambert (call number 72.036.6 C174)
These four books contain excellent resources and visual that I plan on using to help with the design of my architectural office as well as for my Alpha Channel
Independent Living Institute
While researching important aspects of what I should consider when designing my office in consideration of disable people, I came across a "Report of the CIB Expert Seminar on Building Non-Handicapping Environments, Budapest 1991" which can be seen at the following website:
www.independentliving.org/cib/cibbudapest10.html
While the report is old, it raised some interesting points about designing public spaces for people with disabilities. It commented that in 1991, according to the World Health Organization, 10 percent of the total global population are physically disabled. This is a significant number, which does not even take into account those who are mentally disabled.
It went to emphasising how "Architectural and urban barriers prevent persons with disabilities to participate in social activities" and how because of these barriers, not only is the individual who holds potential prevented from participating adequetly in society, society too is "deprived of their abilities and talents". Therefore when I come to designing my office space I need to take into consideration access measurements and reach dimensions where people who might be using technical aids like wheelchairs, crutches, canes will not have to face as many barriers which will also eliminae the barriers of other disabled persons. The report goes in to say that "Negligence of the design criteria can result in inaccessibility, isolating many groups of people and holding them back from participation in social and enonomic activites".
I want my architecture office to be accessible for all kinds of people from all walks of life. Therefore I will have to take into account the dimensions that determine the spaces within the office and also possibily add further elements. Not that I could fully understand the emotions of the people who suffer from disabilities, I want to create a space where they would feel free; not hindered nor stopped from the physical elements surrounding them. This space should educate its users about all aspects of architecture, and motivate them to similar success or inspire their own creations and designs.
www.independentliving.org/cib/cibbudapest10.html
While the report is old, it raised some interesting points about designing public spaces for people with disabilities. It commented that in 1991, according to the World Health Organization, 10 percent of the total global population are physically disabled. This is a significant number, which does not even take into account those who are mentally disabled.
It went to emphasising how "Architectural and urban barriers prevent persons with disabilities to participate in social activities" and how because of these barriers, not only is the individual who holds potential prevented from participating adequetly in society, society too is "deprived of their abilities and talents". Therefore when I come to designing my office space I need to take into consideration access measurements and reach dimensions where people who might be using technical aids like wheelchairs, crutches, canes will not have to face as many barriers which will also eliminae the barriers of other disabled persons. The report goes in to say that "Negligence of the design criteria can result in inaccessibility, isolating many groups of people and holding them back from participation in social and enonomic activites".
I want my architecture office to be accessible for all kinds of people from all walks of life. Therefore I will have to take into account the dimensions that determine the spaces within the office and also possibily add further elements. Not that I could fully understand the emotions of the people who suffer from disabilities, I want to create a space where they would feel free; not hindered nor stopped from the physical elements surrounding them. This space should educate its users about all aspects of architecture, and motivate them to similar success or inspire their own creations and designs.
Architecture Now! 6
To educate visoters from my office on the journal "DETAIL", I was going to educate them on the main components of an architectural office and how it functions. To fullfill one part of this, to at show the components of an ARCHITECTURAL office, I thought that the office should contain images of Architecture through the history, to show almost its journey.
When looking through "Architecture Now! 6", I got the inspiration of using examples of amazing designs as a way to influence and motivate the people who would enter my office space. I could morphe photos together could create collages or photo montages of these works, that detail the history of Architecture. All photos would have to come from legitimate published works that I will be able to find in the architectural library.
"Architecture Now! 6" can be seen through the following link.
www.tashen.com/pages/en/catalogue/architecture/all/04429/facts.architecture_now_6.htm
When looking through "Architecture Now! 6", I got the inspiration of using examples of amazing designs as a way to influence and motivate the people who would enter my office space. I could morphe photos together could create collages or photo montages of these works, that detail the history of Architecture. All photos would have to come from legitimate published works that I will be able to find in the architectural library.
"Architecture Now! 6" can be seen through the following link.
www.tashen.com/pages/en/catalogue/architecture/all/04429/facts.architecture_now_6.htm
Sculpty Paint 93
So I was researching ways on how to create sculpted prims and I managed to find this program called "Sculpty Paint 93" which allows users to download the product and use it for free. It works hand in hand with second life and is a really simple program for beginners to use. I have also managed to find various tutorials on youtube that are very helpful. I'm planning on using this in my design for more intricately shaped prims.
Inspiration from the Safe Trestle's Competition
So recently I went to the following website (which I would recomend to anyone creating virtual designs, http://studiowikitecture.wordpress.com/) and noticed how this design had an element of connectivity and the idea of bringing people together with the multiple walkways and seating areas that traversed the landscape.
I then considered the landscape of Putahi and how people who may be visiting my office, travel across the landscape. This made me realize that the general hilly landscape, combined with some sever drops into lakes of water, would not be the most ideal place for a person with disabilities, like for example a person in a wheelchair, to travel from office space to office space.
Therefore, taking not of my one journal "Access by design" I am considering building a few walkways that leave from my architecture office, that would allow access to my visoters to nearby offices, making my office a central hub for those whose mobility may be limited. I will have to talk to my fellow neighbours first, but I believe this feature could be a vital aspect of my design.
I then considered the landscape of Putahi and how people who may be visiting my office, travel across the landscape. This made me realize that the general hilly landscape, combined with some sever drops into lakes of water, would not be the most ideal place for a person with disabilities, like for example a person in a wheelchair, to travel from office space to office space.
Therefore, taking not of my one journal "Access by design" I am considering building a few walkways that leave from my architecture office, that would allow access to my visoters to nearby offices, making my office a central hub for those whose mobility may be limited. I will have to talk to my fellow neighbours first, but I believe this feature could be a vital aspect of my design.