Early suggestions of site layout and arrangement of key buildings/spaces.Tuesday 27 January 2009
Monday 26 January 2009
Early Design Progression
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Very early (rather uninspired) Section through my site and building proposal.
Tuesday 20 January 2009
Tactile Diagrams 2 - Drafts
Some rough drafts of Tactile Diagrams representing my Site Layout and Sound and Smell mapping.
Monday 19 January 2009
Sunday 18 January 2009
My Site is the disused area at the bottom right of the picture and expands to both sides of the tram viaduct. Thanks to Zoreil's Flickr page for this image.
Script of Experiences (Arrival through other senses)
Route from Bus Station
Stepping from the bus onto the platform is like falling into a different planet. An unknown setting of roaring engines combined with the odour of diesel sitting heavy in the air, a headache begins to stir in your head. Sirens in the distance signal that this place is city based.
Following the footsteps of the crowds from the crumbling pavements and slight smell of urine that only public bus stations manage to get away with, you head to the gleaming brightness of what can only be a shopping centre.
Unbearably bright artificial lights, hordes of bustling people pushing their way to their destination with a fist full of rustling plastic bags in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, you veer to one side following the wall to the right escaping onto a quieter path. The lighting begin to dim as you continue and the space opens out feeling slightly wider with less people. The sound of an automatic door opening and closing followed by a sharp gust of wind brings in the smells of flowers, herbs and plants blending and harshly contrasting with the smells of the traffic and busy city life. Walking through the doors you lose the comfort of mechanically heated space and are hit with the reality of fresh air and know that you are exposed to the elements. Drops of rain can now be heard beating down upon the ground and as you exit you feel them.
Overhead traffic can be heard humming past, splashing through puddles. It is the morning and the smell of coffee from a newly established local cafe is diluted slightly with the scent of damp woodchips from a path leading to the park space. Following the scent along the path it transforms into a sweet fragrance of freshly cut grass that can only be from a garden space that has been created amongst this metropolitan setting. Slowly the petrol fumes and burning rubber departs the senses and are forgotten momentarily. The sound of hard footsteps on concrete disintegrates into the air and becomes a softer crunch and then a soft padded lapping of the feet upon slightly wet grass.
Stretching out a hand the feeling of high feather reed grass blowing in the wind brushes your fingers, it acts as a boundary and you realise not to cross that line. A distant splash of water can be heard echoing inside the building beyond, at this very moment a waft of chlorine hits the nostrils and the memory of childhood swimming lessons immediately jumps to the forefront of your mind. This must be the leisure centre.
Wandering towards the smell and sounds another automatic door opens and blasts a sharp burst of heat onto you as you pass through signalling that you are now within a new building. The smell of chlorine is no longer present and you also realise the apparent sound of pool activity has also gone. It was actually an audio speaker from outside helping aid navigation to the right building. The floor finish changes again to first a blistered vinyl flooring as it slopes up and then continuing to a slightly harder echoing tiled floor. You are welcomed by a member of staff into the building and told that a tactile map and audio description of the building layout is ahead of you on the reception desk and that there is information regarding your location to the left of every door in the facility and basic directional information can be found in braille along the handrails in the corridors.
You feel on the nearest handrail the braille which tells you that the pool changing rooms are to the left of the reception desk past the smell of chocolate and into a space with the sound of the sea. Confused, you wander forward cautiously and from above you feel an air current blowing a small amount of air with the scent of chocolate out into the space. Slowly moving on through a set of automatic sliding doors you notice a speaker to your left playing the audio of waves crashing onto the beach, you are in the changing rooms. Finding a private changing room and then placing your clothes into the locker within was simple enough. Braille writing within the cubicle told you to turn right out of the cubicle and follow the line of rough tiles in the centre of the space to the pre-swim showers. Stepping out of the cubicle you carefully feel the ground with your bare foot and can easily identify the rough row of tiles. You follow them for a few steps, stopping to allow someone else to pass in the opposite direction and then hear flowing water of the showers. After showering you here the poolside is obviously straight ahead. Following the rough tiles again you make your way to the very edge of the pool where initially there is a balustrade and handrail and then the floor slopes down into the water gradually submerging you deeper and deeper until you are waist deep and can swim.......
Stepping from the bus onto the platform is like falling into a different planet. An unknown setting of roaring engines combined with the odour of diesel sitting heavy in the air, a headache begins to stir in your head. Sirens in the distance signal that this place is city based.
Following the footsteps of the crowds from the crumbling pavements and slight smell of urine that only public bus stations manage to get away with, you head to the gleaming brightness of what can only be a shopping centre.
Unbearably bright artificial lights, hordes of bustling people pushing their way to their destination with a fist full of rustling plastic bags in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, you veer to one side following the wall to the right escaping onto a quieter path. The lighting begin to dim as you continue and the space opens out feeling slightly wider with less people. The sound of an automatic door opening and closing followed by a sharp gust of wind brings in the smells of flowers, herbs and plants blending and harshly contrasting with the smells of the traffic and busy city life. Walking through the doors you lose the comfort of mechanically heated space and are hit with the reality of fresh air and know that you are exposed to the elements. Drops of rain can now be heard beating down upon the ground and as you exit you feel them.
Overhead traffic can be heard humming past, splashing through puddles. It is the morning and the smell of coffee from a newly established local cafe is diluted slightly with the scent of damp woodchips from a path leading to the park space. Following the scent along the path it transforms into a sweet fragrance of freshly cut grass that can only be from a garden space that has been created amongst this metropolitan setting. Slowly the petrol fumes and burning rubber departs the senses and are forgotten momentarily. The sound of hard footsteps on concrete disintegrates into the air and becomes a softer crunch and then a soft padded lapping of the feet upon slightly wet grass.
Stretching out a hand the feeling of high feather reed grass blowing in the wind brushes your fingers, it acts as a boundary and you realise not to cross that line. A distant splash of water can be heard echoing inside the building beyond, at this very moment a waft of chlorine hits the nostrils and the memory of childhood swimming lessons immediately jumps to the forefront of your mind. This must be the leisure centre.
Wandering towards the smell and sounds another automatic door opens and blasts a sharp burst of heat onto you as you pass through signalling that you are now within a new building. The smell of chlorine is no longer present and you also realise the apparent sound of pool activity has also gone. It was actually an audio speaker from outside helping aid navigation to the right building. The floor finish changes again to first a blistered vinyl flooring as it slopes up and then continuing to a slightly harder echoing tiled floor. You are welcomed by a member of staff into the building and told that a tactile map and audio description of the building layout is ahead of you on the reception desk and that there is information regarding your location to the left of every door in the facility and basic directional information can be found in braille along the handrails in the corridors.
You feel on the nearest handrail the braille which tells you that the pool changing rooms are to the left of the reception desk past the smell of chocolate and into a space with the sound of the sea. Confused, you wander forward cautiously and from above you feel an air current blowing a small amount of air with the scent of chocolate out into the space. Slowly moving on through a set of automatic sliding doors you notice a speaker to your left playing the audio of waves crashing onto the beach, you are in the changing rooms. Finding a private changing room and then placing your clothes into the locker within was simple enough. Braille writing within the cubicle told you to turn right out of the cubicle and follow the line of rough tiles in the centre of the space to the pre-swim showers. Stepping out of the cubicle you carefully feel the ground with your bare foot and can easily identify the rough row of tiles. You follow them for a few steps, stopping to allow someone else to pass in the opposite direction and then hear flowing water of the showers. After showering you here the poolside is obviously straight ahead. Following the rough tiles again you make your way to the very edge of the pool where initially there is a balustrade and handrail and then the floor slopes down into the water gradually submerging you deeper and deeper until you are waist deep and can swim.......
Thursday 15 January 2009
Mapping through all the Senses
Mapping the Senses
I discovered this podcast/radio show about mapping through the various senses. It wasn't as relevant to my project as I had expected (and wanted) but some of the ideas within the show have given me some inspiration.
The idea of breaking down a certain area (in my case, my site) into all the small simplistic elements such as cracks in the paving, overhead wires and then perhaps expanding and mixing it up with less visual elements such as mapping the sounds of cars, sound of birds, smell of food etc. These can relatively easily be plotted visually onto individual maps but I would like to try and create something a little more tactile. A 3D model with removable elements of smells, tastes, sounds that can be used to show anyone sighted or unsighted the possible journeys to my site and through my building. This would be a good idea for my final presentation but first I need to resolve the organisation of spaces.
I discovered this podcast/radio show about mapping through the various senses. It wasn't as relevant to my project as I had expected (and wanted) but some of the ideas within the show have given me some inspiration.
The idea of breaking down a certain area (in my case, my site) into all the small simplistic elements such as cracks in the paving, overhead wires and then perhaps expanding and mixing it up with less visual elements such as mapping the sounds of cars, sound of birds, smell of food etc. These can relatively easily be plotted visually onto individual maps but I would like to try and create something a little more tactile. A 3D model with removable elements of smells, tastes, sounds that can be used to show anyone sighted or unsighted the possible journeys to my site and through my building. This would be a good idea for my final presentation but first I need to resolve the organisation of spaces.
Wednesday 7 January 2009
The Rain in Minnesota amongst other things
I have been collecting my own sounds for a while now but here are a few links to some others that I am going to use in my research surveys (listen with headphones and close your eyes for best effect):
Storm a brewing
Guess Where
Guess what animal
By the Sea
Monkey Business
Metal Roof
Brick chipping
Freaky Door
Storm a brewing
Guess Where
Guess what animal
By the Sea
Monkey Business
Metal Roof
Brick chipping
Freaky Door
Tuesday 6 January 2009
SMELL - SOUND - FEEL
After being stuck for so long on how to progress my design and take it into new areas I have come to the conclusion that my next step must be to analyse existing environments without the visual. I have done this to some extent but not in great detail and not recorded accurately.
I will visit as many different settings/environments/buildings that i can over the next week or so and breakdown the buildings into the individual sensual stimulations. i will take smells (good, bad, indifferent, distinct, unknown, prolonged, momentary etc) and list them as they occur from a route through the environment. The same will be done with sounds that I hear and finally textures, temperature, air movement and other things we feel. I am not sure if I can do this blindfolded or wearing Sim Specs (to simulate visually impairments) but if I can I will.
The reason for this study is to try to build a world beyond the visual. To start with absolutely nothing, a blank canvas. No ground, no walls, no architecture or landscape. I want to approach my site from a fresh perspective, one without preconceived ideas of walls and doors and cantilevered glass boxes. Once i have done my research the design will be built around me as i travel through my chosen site. Materials can be chosen based upon there smell or sound or the way they feel to the hand or foot. There will also have to be visual elements to the building as the idea is to promote Paralympic sport and also the world of the visually impaired to sighted people too and colour and contrast are also very important in the world of the visually impaired. As i have found out previously only 4% of Visually impaired people have no sight at all so the visual will play its part. However, i want to try and stray away from preconceptions at this stage so the visual will be used to bring everything together in a later stage.
I will visit as many different settings/environments/buildings that i can over the next week or so and breakdown the buildings into the individual sensual stimulations. i will take smells (good, bad, indifferent, distinct, unknown, prolonged, momentary etc) and list them as they occur from a route through the environment. The same will be done with sounds that I hear and finally textures, temperature, air movement and other things we feel. I am not sure if I can do this blindfolded or wearing Sim Specs (to simulate visually impairments) but if I can I will.
The reason for this study is to try to build a world beyond the visual. To start with absolutely nothing, a blank canvas. No ground, no walls, no architecture or landscape. I want to approach my site from a fresh perspective, one without preconceived ideas of walls and doors and cantilevered glass boxes. Once i have done my research the design will be built around me as i travel through my chosen site. Materials can be chosen based upon there smell or sound or the way they feel to the hand or foot. There will also have to be visual elements to the building as the idea is to promote Paralympic sport and also the world of the visually impaired to sighted people too and colour and contrast are also very important in the world of the visually impaired. As i have found out previously only 4% of Visually impaired people have no sight at all so the visual will play its part. However, i want to try and stray away from preconceptions at this stage so the visual will be used to bring everything together in a later stage.
Monday 5 January 2009
Sunday 4 January 2009
Thesis Project
I would like to thank Tom Potter for giving me the idea of setting up a Thesis project blog. After reading his blog (http://aireabbey.blogspot.com) i decided it would help me progress my project and aid me in organising myself a little better.
Ok, so this isn't really supposed to be read by anyone other than myself and possibly my tutor Mark if I actually manage to keep this up for more than this initial post.
In the first few months of my project I have done alot of research and gathering of information (both relevant and... well not-so-relevant) but I won't bore you with that right now. To keep things nice and brief here is my Thesis idea in 6 bite-size chunks:
Right, so i'm designing a leisure centre. Well not exactly. The idea is to get away from the general vision (excuse the pun) of a leisure facility and return to first principles. Architecture is never completely successful for every single person in the world, there are always conflicting design issues for various groups (even if it is a minority group) but I want to try and establish a set of principles for visually impaired people and the blind that considers from scratch how they can interact with the immediate environment in a much more sensual way.
I want to start by analysing the possible users of the building in turn and establish there individual needs and how exactly they would want to connect with the architecture.
By looking at the senses available to people and the possible architectural experiences that can link to them I will begin to get an idea of the organisation and layout of spaces and what type of building this would be.
I want to build up layers of sensual stimuli that can be triggered throughout the spaces but I need to work out what is too much stimulation. I have heard that the olfactory sense (smells for those of us that prefer simple words) can handle up to 5 different smells before it begins to become over stimulated and people get headaches and things. This as based upon smelling fragrances and perfumes so it may be slightly different for more natural smells.
I have been giving people a smell test with 23 different smells ranging from Freshly Cut Grass to Lemon Meringue Pie. The primary purpose of the test was to see if people could identify different smells whilst blindfolded but I was also looking to see at what point people began to need to take a break and/or got headaches etc. It seemed that under the test conditions people could handle alot of different stimulations in a short space of time. It wasnt until around the 12th or 13th smell that people began to really notice the overstimulation.
I shall continue these tests with both sighted and unsighted people to see what else i can gather from them.
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