Project 1-DDI

After an intensive planning process co-ordinating, configuring and amending, the master plan started to take shape and began to look like it could possibly work. Within our group we produced a series of layered floor plans, moulding our key responsibilities - to provide a space for two schools, School of Sustainable Built environment and the school for Industrial Design, and to provide a Conference Centre. It was an enjoyable process having to combine thoughts of 5 people to come up with a proposal as we learnt from one another, each one stimulating another idea and so on. It then became challenging once our group were then allocated individual spaces for refinement. I was allocated the ground floor of all the buildings and then each other person was allocated each segment of the floors above. This proved to be very difficult but interesting. It was a learning experience I shall never forget. Trying to co-ordinate each of the four other group members individual design to relate to the ground floor plan and mine to theirs. The reason this became a task was because as each person continued to refine their design to the lead up of the submission, I would need to amend my design so that it will also support the design intentions from above. To make things even more difficult, it was essential that we did not forget about "the bender" - the spine of the four schools, and of course ensure that the schools surrounding our site were in harmony rather than conflicting with each other. The finished product was a success, knowing that the spaces were working with one another re-iterrated the importance of co-ordination with projects.

The above image is an inspirational concept of diferent materials, objects for the public spaces. With my design, the key objective was to activate the edges of the building and also to engage the public. Through research, if found a commom trait in affective public spaces which .Ii wanted to incorporate in my design. The use of water, whether in fountains or ponds, art, lighting and the like proved to be affective means of activating spaces for public use. The idea was also to use patterns and textures through paving to direct the public to certain spaces without the means of signage.

The internal space for the ground floor of the both schools was mainly common public spaces with restaurants, bars, cafe's, shops etc. The idea was to provide tenancy's such as a small express supermarket, coffee shops, book stores, newsagency, medical and food tenancy's as these we be of great use to the students as well as the public, keeping in mind that student accomodation was also near by and that this precinct need to facilitate the needs of those living their as well as those studing at the design schools.