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SENIOR THESIS American University in Dubai Interior Design Department 2019-2020
Ayah Maklad 1606029059
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“Social interaction needs to be hosted inside a container, inside a space.� Dr. Nabyl Chenaf Dean of School of Architecture Art & Design & Professor of Architecture, American University in Dubai
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Acknowledgements First, I would like to express my deepest regards and appreciation to my Senior Thesis professor and Associate Professor of Interior Design, Chadi El Tabbah, for continiously supporting me on my thesis topic and pushing me forward. It has been an inspiring journey since my first class with hum in my second year, driving me to design with passion and purpose; every line needed a justification. Until this day, the keywords that he constantly says repeat in my head while designing, ”Think outside the box”, “Quality over quantity”, “Options options options”. Thank you to all my professors for their guidance, Dr. Nabyl Chenaf, Professor Kristin Lee, Professor Natalia Albul and Professor Annamaria Lambri. A special thanks to Professor Imad Hanna for encouraging me and pushing my concept forward, training me to use a hollistic design approach, not leaving a single detail behind. Second, I am grateful for my uncle, Hazaa Al Shater, who was the inspiration of this project. Without our conversations and his philosophical background, this book would have never came to life. He taught me life through his own experiences, which allowed me to design through a different perspective. He is originally a religious figure and an arabic writer who traveled to the UAE in 2010 with the aim of earning money in the trucking industry. Today, he narrates life experiences, inspiring many, and living a humble life. Thank you for inspiring me. Foremost, I would like to sincerely thank my mentor, Kevin McLachlan, CCO/Founder of NOMAD|K Design Studio, for taking from his time to guide me through my thesis journey. He has impacted my project positively, showing me the creative and commercial side of design. I appreciate all the effort put into our critiques, the empowering feedback, and the constant push. Kevin is a distinctly creative designer which has been a great value to this project. Next, I would like to greatly thank Mr. Arjun Menon, Managing Director at Smart Box Industries LLC and Group CEO, IAL Group, for listening to my thesis topic and assisting me with building materials. His company specialises in the manufacture of shipping-container based products which allowed me to gain insight on how shipping containers could be used as interior spaces. Mr Arjun stated, “You have a good project in your hand and I trust that you will see it through to make an impact on the lives of these silent contributors to the economy.” I am thankful for our encounter and I will definetly make an impact through design. I would like to thank Mr. Alexander Joseph, Mr. Suraj Philip, and Mr. Anghit for helping with the engineering part of this project and ensuring that my project is buildable as per the UAE rules and regulations. Lastly, I am thankful for my family and friends who listened to me talk endlessly and gave their positive feedback. A special thank you to my mother who was continuously supporting me in my all-nighters and my father for going with me to all the site visits, interviewing the truck drivers and spending time with them to understand their needs better. Thank you to each and every truck driver who participated in interviews and ‘invitied me into their homes’. 7
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Abstract Maklad, Ayah, Senior Thesis, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, May 2020, American University in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The UAE – and perhaps more so Dubai, the most vibrant Emirate – shows evoking images of the tallest building, the biggest mall, luxurious hotels, man-made private islands, and endless shopping festivals. Behind these extravagant images lies the other side of the city, old districts, street life, and life under trucks. According to Dubai Statistics Center, around 95% of the employed population are males, of which who work in transportation, construction, and extractive industries such as construction workers, laborers, taxi and truck drivers. Specifically, truck drivers are the biggest victims. This thesis project aims to shed light on truck drivers who are constantly on the road and cannot afford to live in accommodations. Due to that, they live under their trucks parked in illegal places, with no access to water, food, or basic facilities. The thesis highlights the existing conditions of truck drivers and the areas in the city that they are currently ‘living’ in. Thus, interviews and surveys were conducted on-site at different truck rest areas with drivers. Images of the drivers’ shocking living conditions are taken and analyzed; exposing the truth of their conditions and aiding in the design of the residential section of this project. These interviews and visits were needed to understand the needs of each driver, allowing the design of this project to have a purpose and fulfil the user’s needs. Through the interviews, the idea of an integrated museum grew, where truck drivers are given a space to express suppressed emotions due to the nature of their job. On the other hand, the public is exposed to the truth these emotions hold and are given an emotional experience, underground. The aim is to spread awareness on this matter as the trucking industry is a leading industry in the UAE; therefore, truck drivers need a healthy environment designed for them. Moreover, this thesis project will combine residential and commercial design to create rentable sleeping/living spaces for truck drivers and a self-expressive museum accessed by the public, merged by an underground spiritual complex that unites both users. The project aims to transform the understanding of design as a mere tool to create better interiors, instead of more ordinary spaces. According to Professor Chadi El Tabbah, an Associate Professor of Interior Design at the American University in Dubai, “It is not about quantity, but about quality.” That being said, the objective of this project is to create qualitative spaces that will change the experience of the user, whether it is the truck driver in his temporary sleeping pod, or a visitor curious about the self-expressive museum.
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Table of Contents Acknowledgements - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 Chapter 01.INTRODUCTION 01.01|Inspiration & Concept - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -14 01.02|Scope of Limitations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -15 Chapter 02.THESIS RESEARCH 02.01|Historical Background - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 02.02|Feasability Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 02.03|Examples of Existing or Similar Projects - - - - - - - - - - - - -23 Chapter 03.PRECEDENT STUDIES 03.01|Case Studies - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 03.02|International Case Studies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 03.03|Local Case Studies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 03.04|Vehicle Case Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -38 03.05|Other Case Studies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 03.06|Comparison Chart - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50 03.07|Personal Interviews - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -52 Chapter 04.THESIS PROGRAM 04.01|Functionality - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -61 04.02|Circulation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63 04.03|Program Table - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 64 Chapter 05.THESIS PROJECT SITE ANALYSIS 05.01|Site Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -68 05.02|Building Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 73 Chapter 06.THESIS REQUIREMENTS 06.01|Universal Codes - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 82 06.02|Code Analysis - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 83 Chapter 07.SCHEMATIC PROPOSALS 07.01|Adjacency Matrix - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -86 07.02|Setting the Mood - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 88 07.03|Schematic Proposals - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 89 07.03.01| Proposal 1 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 89 07.03.02|Proposal 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 99 07.03.03|Proposal 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -101 07.04|Hand Sketches - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -108 Sources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 122 Appendices - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -125 Appendix A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 126 Appendix B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 130 Appendix C - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 131 Appendix D - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -133 Appendix E - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 134 Appendix F - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 135 Appendix G - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 136 Appendix H - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 137
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01.01| Inspiration & Concept
Maklad, Ayah “Inspiration”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 5 Oct. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad
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ق The main inspiration of this project was my own uncle, Hazaa Al Shater, who is a truck driver in the UAE. This project pays tribute to his and every other truck driver’s hardships on all aspects. He sets an example for every driver who left their home-countries and families, risking their lives, to work in an industry that involves a great deal of patience and effort. Even though he might be considered fortunate to have access to a dwelling, he narrates countless stories about truck drivers who have no where but their trucks to call home. The idea of ROUTED started with a conversation between my uncle and I, asking him after countless nights on the road, “What does home mean to you?” He states, “Home can mean a lot of things, a warm bed or a healthy cooked meal, it can also mean stability, safety, and comfort. The least human right someone can have after leaving their country and family is to come back to some definition of home after a long and tiring day, but let me tell you what is not home. Home is not the back seat of your truck or the empty area under the truck, it is not eating canned food, and it is definetly not walking many kilometers in extreme weather conditions to use a restroom.” The second question sparked the idea of the thesis, asking Hazaa the feasability of an area designed for truck drivers to call “home” or used temporarily between trips. He replied saying, “If you ask a random person they would be indifferent about it, but realistically, you would solve a large problem on a physical and psychological level, since the UAE’s trucking industry is massive. What does a truck driver need anway, other than a space to sleep, eat, and live temporarily? Think of truck drivers as illiterate nomadic tribes who move from one place to another and create their home wherever they stop, but the difference is that we do not live in that time period anymore. There needs to be some sort of awareness being spread, not many people know about these living conditions.” The concept behind the name of this book, ROUTED, is derived from two different words: Route and Root, Route (n), is defined as a way or course taken in getting from a starting point to a destination. There are certain routes truck drivers are permitted to drive on, called E-Routes and other roads they are prohibited from using are called D-Routes. Root (n) is defined as the part of a plant which attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground. The spaces that will be designed are going to be placed, or “rooted” underground, representing the roots of our nomadic existence, using basic ways to survive, exactly what the truck drivers are currently using to endure. The continious conversations between my uncle and I allowed me to find a purpose while putting together the idea of the thesis. The concept exposes the truth of truck drivers’ lives and their hidden emotions. This project plays on two aspects, a physical and psychological level. The building that gives truck drivers their basic physical neccessities, a space to sleep, eat, and live, is visible over the ground, easily accessed by truck drivers. The other part of the building, a museum that exhibits supressed feelings and hidden meanings, is concealed underground. The drivers self-express on abandoned trucks and shipping containers in their residence area, and their art is exhibited in the museum. The museum becomes a space for anyone to visit and admire self-expressed art, along with navigating and experiencing through the daily emotions of truck drivers. The public never meets the truck drivers; just as you never get to see the artist of the painting in a museum. The meeting point of both buildings, the residence area and the museum, is an underground spiritual complex that unites and breaks boundaries, bringing truck drivers and the public together. The purpose of the overall design is to create a space for truck drivers to live in, exposing the truth, creating an experience of supressed emotions underground, and finally uniting everyone in a spiritual complex despite religious differences.
01.02| Scope of Limitations The biggest limitation to this thesis project is the resources. Truck drivers recieve very low income and cannot afford to live in accomodations, hence, the building materials for this project need to be recycled or lowcost. Thus, the occupied spaces will be made from upcycled shipping containers found in the ports of the UAE and the building’s structure will be made from recycled scaffolding from construction sites. In this case, the cost issue is solved and the rentable living and sleeping spaces will be affordable for drivers.
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Chapter 02| THESIS RESEARCH 02.01| Historical Background 02.01| The Trucking Industry The Silk Road was the most durable trade route in history, being used for about 1,500 years. Its name is derived from the prized Chinese textile that streamed from Asia to the Middle East and Europe, although many other supplies were traded along the route (Rodrigue 3). Along the Silk Road, the Middle East region was able to advance rapidly due to the amount of resources available on the routes. In addition, the trade of these resources was able to boost the economy of the Middle East. Today, the trucking industry in the Middle East is thriving. It is a global melting pot of vastly different truck manufacturers, creating competition for Western and Chinese brands (Mathyssek and Rüger 9). Looking closely, Dubai’s road freight has registered a growth rate of 4.2% in 2016 in the Transport & Storage Industry (Dubai Future Economy Strategy 9). 02.01| Truck Stops Established in 1928 at the intersection of U.S. Route 66 and Route 136 in McLean, Illinois, Dixie Truckers Home is the oldest truck stop in America, founded by a partnership between J.P. Walters and John Geske. The business first started as a mechanic’s garage and a cafe that had a single counter and six stools where truckers could get sandwiches. The business started to grow because truck drivers needed a place to eat, rest, and refuel. Cabins were added for truck drivers to sleep, along with exercise pens for cattle. People would park in the lot between the cabins and the Dixie, spread out blankets and watch live music performances or movies.
“Truckers” http://theoldmotor.com/?p=102271. U.S.A. 18
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02.02| Feasability Study To create a district for truck drivers who own trucks, a feasibility study must be conducted to emphasize the importance of road transport in the UAE. Dubai and the UAE rank first globally for the quality of transport infrastructure, outperforming most countries of the world, including many in the developed world. The Transportation and Storage industry in Dubai (T&S) is one of the world’s largest. It contributed 9% to the global GDP in 2008 (Dubai SME 4) and contributed 11.8% in 2017 (Dubai Economy 118). 01| Transport and Storage Sector in Dubai as a Significant Growth According to Dubai Economy, the transport and storage sector in the emirate has seen significant growth in recent years according to a number of sectoral indicators. The following statistics are collected from Dubai Statistics Center. The number of workers employed in the sector increased from about 232,000 in 2011 to about 241,000 in 2013, then 262,000 in 2015 and to 273,000 in 2016. The average annual growth rate in the number of workers was 4.7 per cent during the period of 2007 to 2016. The year 2016 witnessed a growth of 4.3% (see Figure 01). Road freight in Dubai mainly caters to domestic economic activities and plays a greater role compared to the other Emirates mainly due to the diversification of the economy (Dubai Future Economy Strategy 9). Figure 01 / Growth rates of transport and storage workforce, 20072016 7.9 7 6.4
6.4
4.9 4.3 3.7
3.1
2.1
0.8
Source: Dubai Statistics Center
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
02| Truck Categories Private / Public There are different categories of trucking companies in the UAE. They include specialized trucking companies like Al Mashaweer Transport, Allied Transport, and Oman Transport who own 100-150 or more trucks each, specialized companies like Royal Transport and Nashwan Transport who own 10-100 trucks each, individual truck owners who own 1-2 trucks each, ‘Backlog’ trucks who come into the UAE and carry goods on their way back, and trucks operated by manufacturers (Dubai SME 90). Individual truck owners are a highly fragmented segment in the UAE. They operate by using number plates rented from specialized trucking companies but are not granted with the same benefits that trucking companies provide for their workers, such as accommodation and insurance. 19
ق Statistics According to these statistics, there is an estimation of 160,722 local/imported goods purchased and loaded locally, and 46,542 goods were imported by trucks owned by individuals (Industrial Survey 48).On the other hand, 707,787 local/imported goods were transported locally, and 40,052 goods were exported by trucks owned by individuals (Industrial Survey 49).
Trucks New (Registered For The First Time) And Renewed 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Heavy Private Trucks (Renewed)
2006
2007
2008
7,800
9,183
11,357
Heavy Private Trucks (New)
2,755
3,682
4,516
Light Private Trucks (Renewed)
37,982
44,107
51,821
Light Private Trucks (New)
15,693
18,088
19,710
Heavy Public Trucks (Renewed)
13,276
16,305
21,648
Heavy Public Trucks (New)
5,532
8,035
9,737
Light Public Trucks (Renewed)
4,080
4,205
5,216
611
1,626
2,846
Light Public Trucks (New)
Table 01 | Source: Road & Transport Authority, World Bank Database, ILO, Dubai Statistics Center
According to RTA, there are 87,404 private trucks (light & heavy) registered in License Department by Type as of 2008. 63,178 private trucks renewed their registration and 24,226 new private trucks registered their vehicles (Land Transport). We could conclude from these statistics that new trucks are being registered, increasing the amount of trucks and drivers over the years, in the same way the numbers increased from 2006 to 2008 (See Table 01). The data provided shows how many truck drivers transport goods into and out of the country, of which are individual truck owners. These individuals make up a big portion of the Transport & Storage industry, emphasizing how important it is to provide basic living standards to the truck drivers live in their trucks. We could infer from these statistics that due to the increasing number in the transport and storage workforce sector, more private trucks are being registered, signifying that more (in thousands) individual truck owners are without homes. 03| Traffic Accidents According the Dubai Police’s general department of traffic in 2018, 141 deaths, 193 serious injuries, 635 medium injuries, and 843 slight injuries due to Traffic accidents. Of which, heavy and light truck vehicles were responsible for 25 deaths, 192 injuries and 119 accidents (Traffic Accident Report 2018: Type of Vehicle Causing the Accident ). This shows that truck drivers are accountable for major traffic accidents due to many factors. The main factors are fatigue and lack of attention while driving (See Table 03). Since they are not provided with basic living standards or a place to sleep, eat, and shower, the result is shown through the statistics of traffic accidents. There are existing Truck Rest Areas for trucks drivers to pull over and rest, however, they only include parking spaces and are obliged to leave when they feel less drowsy to continue their journey, since they drive for more than 16 hours a day. Cause and effect: If truck drivers are not given the basic fundamentals of living like other citizens, they are not able to perform in the same way of another healthy, alert, satisfied driver. 20
ق Accident Reasons
Number of Accident Cases Total
Injurie s
NonInjurie s
Degree of Injuries
Fat al
Serio us
Mediu m
Fatigue/ 4 1 3 1 0 0 Sleepiness Sudden 575 296 279 28 71 178 Swerve Lack of 74 53 21 10 7 24 Attention Entering 143 79 64 6 7 38 Street without Attention Table 02| Source: Dubai Police (Traffic Accident Report 2018: Accident Reasons )
No. of Vehicl es Slig ht
No. of Injuri es
1
13
2
216
1025
493
30
128
71
65
291
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04| The Need for a Truck Stop Based on Local News and Interviews with Truck Drivers According to Gulf News, many truck drivers sometimes fall asleep while driving or lose concentration, causing fatal accidents over the years. “However, truckers said there aren’t enough designated truck rest stops on the highways, while they get fined for parking on the hard shoulder” (Masudi 2016). A Pakistani truck driver reported to Gulf News, “Our only other option is to find a deserted area off-road where the truck can reach, which means no more money to earn that day. But we are under pressure from the company to keep driving; to keep picking up and dropping off cargo.” Gulf News reported that authorities are building more truck rest stops as part of measures “to prevent deadly accidents caused by tired and stressed truck drivers, days after a truck rammed into a car, killing three young siblings on the spot.” (Aghaddir and Masudi 2016). Authorities have stated that there are more rest stops to be built, and the rest areas are increasing year by year, but the problem is still not solved. Truck drivers do not need a rest stop with parking spaces, in fact, they need a bathroom, a bed to sleep in or a restaurant to eat in. They need facilities. Another truck driver dozed off at the wheel in December 2018, according to Khaleej Times. During the interrogation, the driver told the police the cause was “drowsiness and fatigue”. A senior official at the traffic department told Khaleej Times that drowsy driving had caused a number of accidents and claimed many lives during 2018. “Such an accident usually happens when a driver has not slept enough.” (Abdullah 2018). 05| The Current Conditions of Truck Drivers Based on Own Observations of Truck Rest Area Visits To design a district for the individual truck owners from scratch, since there has not been an area designed for them solely, a visit to where they are currently living is vital. The purpose of the visit is important because seeing and interviewing each driver answers many questions like, if they do not have a place to live in, how do they eat, sleep, and shower? How do they stay in extreme weather for so long? How do they adapt to this living state if they keep moving from one place to another? All questions are answered through a conducted interview of the drivers. A detailed study has been conducted in one of the truck rest areas in Dubai, in chapter two.
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ق 06| Facilities Built by the Government Truck Rest Areas In 2016, an Indian trucker Parminder Singh, 30, said that he had been on the road for 24 hours. “I left home on Sunday afternoon and haven’t been back. All my time has been spent on the road, expect for when I was waiting for my turn to offload my cargo in Dubai. I caught a few hours of sleep while waiting in line,” Singh added. “There are some truck rest stops on some highways, but we need more. We can’t pull over on the side of the road if we’re tired because that is dangerous as well. Plus, we get fined if we do that.” (Gulf News 2016). Truck Rest Areas are distributed across MBZ and Emirates Roads every few kilometers. Truck rest areas are not designed to be lived in, but a space to park your truck and rest in case of natural disasters, tiredness, or in peak hours. Truck drivers are not allowed to stay in a rest area for more than twenty-four hours because it defeats the purpose of a temporary rest area. If the police catch a truck driver in a rest area for more than the allowed time limit, they fine them. Therefore, drivers unscrew their plate numbers and hide inside their trucks to not get caught, putting their life at risk and going against the UAE law. Trucks are obliged to stop over at a truck rest area in case of rain, intense fog, or any bad weather condition. They are also obliged to park in these areas in peak hours, when the light vehicles go to work or come back home. According to Dubai SME, current regulations prevent these trucks from using major urban thoroughfares, such as Sheikh Zayed Road, during specific times of the day (6:30 AM to 8:30 AM; 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and 5:30 to 8:30 PM). This is a major problem for trucks because all trucks around the emirate cram into rest areas, creating traffic within the area and cannot rest properly. The reaction to this results in frustration and tiredness, often leading to accidents on the road. Generally, the living conditions of these drivers are dreadful. Upon visiting, the truck rest area was a massive parking lot, filled with numerous parked trucks. Each truck driver was either sitting near his truck, showering under it, repairing a tyre, unscrewing plate numbers, or sleeping under his truck. Petrol Stations Petrol stations include diesel, supermarkets, and sometimes bathrooms, which may seem like a great option for individual truck owners, but it is the complete opposite. Trucks are not allowed to stay in a petrol station for more than fifteen minutes to avoid creating traffic. Supermarkets in petrol stations are very expensive in relation to what an average truck driver may spend on food. In 2018, an interview with truck drivers was conducted in a rest stop at Ghantoot on the edges of Sheikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi (analyzed further in Chapter 2 as a case study). Jaan Mohammad, 55, a Pakistani living in the UAE for 40 years said, “I stop here for lunch and Dhuhur prayer. I can’t afford meals at Adnoc stations and there are parking problems. Here, I spend only Dh15 for lunch, including bread” (Ahmad 17). 07| Sustainability The main reason for using containers to create mobile units for truck drivers are, sustainability, cost effectivity, and ease of transportation and construction. Material: A standard ISO Marine Container is made from Corten™ Weathering* Steel. *Corten steel or weathering steel is a corrosion-resistant material. When left uncoated, it forms a protective layer (platina) on the outer surface that protects this steel material from acidic environments and corrosion (Bruno et al 1978). Recycling: The recycling of these steel frames will decrease the need to mine more materials. Hence, construction using used containers is a green choice for the environment, since steel is the most recycled material in the world. The term “upcycling” is used more when speaking about shipping containers. By repurposing used containers to living spaces, there is no need to throw out containers or use other building materials. Modularity: Shipping containers fall under modular construction since they are manufactures off-site and transported to the site and assembled. This allows for mobility of the district and ease of assembly. These containers could move from one district to another or could be replicated with no difficulty. Transportable: Since they have been designed to withstand sea transportation, shipping containers are extremely durable. According to many shipping container construction companies, a container can easily surpass 10+ years after being used for 10-12 years in the shipping service (Islam et al. 2016). They are transported through seas and on trucks, hence, transporting mobile living units on trucks throughout the UAE is not difficult. 22
ق 08| Technology Solar Panels Since the weith of a shipping container is distributed on the four corners, the Corten steel sheets could be removed and replaced with different materials or assemblies. Solar panels will be installed with every container to generate electricity. A solar tracking platform is essential to track the sun during the day. According to the U.S. Patent [0022], it is possible to provide a solar tracking platform to which Solar panels are mounted. The Solar tracking platform tracks the trajectory of the Sun during the day, maximizing the solar ray collection and the efficiency of the system. Roof Gardening Technology The roofs of the containers will not go to waste. Living roof gardens are a sustainable way to insulate a building and reduce heating and cooling costs. A roof top garden also cleans and purifies the air to help affect positive climate change within the city environment. The use of green roof technology will allow land to remain untouched, since the district is mobile/ transportable. Before green roof technology can be incorporated over shipping containers, roof weight limitations should be assessed, and appropriate management practices should be developed which will ensure that the benefits of green roofs, such as energy savings and water management (Whittinghill and Rowe 2012). Sedum - also often known as stonecrop - is a genus of the Crassulaceae family of succulent plants (Merriam-Webster definition). The natural properties of Sedum make this succulent plant extremely suitable for roof greening.
02.03| Examples of Existing or Similar Projects This section includes examples that will be further discussed in detail in Chapter three.
01| Globally IOWA 80, U.S.A Located on the eastern edge of Iowa, not far from the Mississippi River, adjacent to the small town of Walcott, the Iowa 80 Truckstop, now the World’s Largest Truckstop, established in 1964. It is considered a home away from home to countless drivers and a destination for travelers as well. (ABOUT IOWA 80 1).
“05_Truckstop” iowa80truckstop.com. IOWA, U.S.A. 23
ق Un-named Area, UAE This un-named area was a truck stop with facilities in Dubai. However, it was demolished to create an area for businesses to load/unload fruits and vegetables. This case study will aid in analyzing the site and the facilities it included, at the same time, proving the need for a truck stop with basic facilities for truck drivers in the UAE.
“SOMBRERO TOWER”. https://www.sobpedro.com/
Maklad, Ayah “Border”. Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 3, UAE. 5 Oct. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad Truck Rest Area, UAE Al Awir Truck Rest Area is a rest area is located on Mohammad Bin Zayed Road on the way to Sharjah. It is a place to rest in case of tiredness, during peak hours or harsh weather conditions. However, it only includes parking spaces and no facilities. This area is a good case study because it shows that rest areas are available in this region, but do not include facilities as in other countries.
Maklad, Ayah “Sign_01”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 5 Oct. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad 24
ق Jingle Trucks, Southern Asia Jingle trucks are flat-bed vehicles about the size of a U-Haul truck, painted with intricate patterns and bright colors. They get their name from the thousands of chimes that dangle and ring from base of the vehicle whenever it moves (Moore 2006). This example will aid in understanding self-expression and personalization on trucks, and the culture of Jingle trucks, since there is a massive population of Southern Asian truck drivers.
“Decorated Pakistani truck”. December 2009. https://www.flickr.com/photos/39967291@N04/4210519851/ South of the Border, U.S.A South of the Border Truck Stop has been a landmark of the southeast for nearly 70 years. The truck stop looks like another fun amusement park, attract travelers of all types to stop by and keeping truck drivers alert on their trips. The rest area contains restaurants, gas stations, a video arcade, and a motel, and truck stop as well as a small amusement park, a mini golf course, shopping and fireworks stores (Who We Are).
“SOMBRERO TOWER”. https://www.sobpedro.com/ 25
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Chapter 03| PRECEDENT STUDIES 03.01| Case Studies This chapter analyses case studies that will be used as a source of direction and inspiration for my thesis question. Since there is not a designated district solely for truck drivers, the case studies will be varied in facilities and amenities. The first case study focusses on the world’s largest truck stop. This truck stop will serve as an ex ample to the thesis as it fulfils the definition of a rest area and the facilities that it includes. The second case study focuses on the existing truck stops in Dubai that will provide a base for the thesis, however, do not fulfil the requirements of truck drivers or truck stops. The third case study focuses on the Jewish museum in Berlin, that will be the inspiration for the museum that will be built alongside the district. The fourth case study is on spaces that allow people to release their anger using art, music, literature, and physical activities.
03.02| International Case Studies 03.02.01| IOWA 80 Truck Stop|USA ~See Apendix B for more images. World’s biggest truck stop, IOWA 80, is located on the eastern edge of Iowa, near Walcott, a small town near the Mississippi river. Completed in 1965, this truck stop is a destination for travelers and a home to countless drivers (ABOUT IOWA 80 1). The entire area has high standards of cleanliness, appearance, safety and fast, friendly and competent service. “Iowa 80 provides unique places to refuel, refresh and relax – where customers will receive more than they expect with enthusiasm from the Iowa 80 team” (Case Study 1).
“01_Truckstop” iowa80truckstop.com. IOWA, U.S.A. 28
ق Overview Iowa 80 Truckstop features many facilities that you might not find in a standard truck stop. It includes: the Iowa 80 Kitchen, a 300-seat restaurant, a gift store, the Super Truck Showroom, a dentist, barber shop, chiropractor, workout room, laundry facilities, a 60-seat movie theatre, a trucker’s TV lounge, a Verizon store kiosk, 24 private showers, a library and a Food Court. It also boasts a convenience store, a custom embroidery and vinyl shop, 10 gas islands, 16 diesel lanes, a fuel center, a 7-bay truck service center, a 3-bay Truckomat truck wash, a CAT Scale, a Dogomat Pet Wash, and the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum (Case Study 3). There are a few things that make IOWA 80 the largest truck stop unique to other truck stops. Acreage: Iowa 80 sits on 910,543 square meters. Retail building square footage: nearly 9,290 square meters. Number of customers: 5,000 customers per day. Number of truck parking spaces: 900. Size of super truck showroom: 2,787 square meters (Case Study). Analysis This case study has a great value in my research and project because it is a great example of a truck stop. Since the UAE does not have any equipped truck stops, IOWA 80 sets the bar high to what a truck stop includes in terms of facilities and innovative spaces. It contains all the basic facilities that should be present in a truck stop from bathrooms to diesel stations to cafeterias. However, interestingly, it includes crazy entertainment spaces you would usually find in malls, from a theatre to a TV lounge to a convenience store. Analyzing projects on a huge scale like IOWA 80 allows my project to include crazy spaces alongside basic facilities.
03.02.02| IOWA 80 Truck Stop|Diagrams
Bubble Diagram: IOWA 80 29
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Bubble Diagram: IOWA 80
03.03.01| Al Awir Truck Rest Area|UAE ~See Apendix C for more images. Al Awir Truck Rest Area is a rest area is located on Mohammad Bin Zayed Road on the way to Sharjah. The size of the area is approximately 4,000 square meters and consists of 60 parking spaces. Even though it is just a place to rest and go back on the road, it is a central hub for many truck drivers. Drivers spend days and sometimes weeks, though illegally. The site was visited in person twice (see Apendix A for the full photographic survey of the rest area). In both times, I was welcomed into their small community. Drivers would be sitting together making conversation, fixing their trucks together, and supporting each other in this unfortunate state. After interviewing them and observing their current living conditions, the need to design a district for them increased (See 03.07|Interviews).
Maklad, Ayah “Align”. Truck Rest Area, Al Awir, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. 30
ق Overview and Analysis of Area Based on Own Observations of Site Truck rest areas are not designed to be lived in, but a space to park your truck and rest in case of natural disasters, tiredness, or in peak hours. Truck drivers are not allowed to stay in a rest area for more than twenty-four hours because it defeats the purpose of a temporary rest area. If the police catch a truck driver in a rest area for more than the permitted time limit, they fine them. Therefore, drivers unscrew their plate numbers and hide inside their trucks to not get caught, putting their life at risk and going against the UAE law. Trucks are obliged to stop over at a truck rest area in case of rain, intense fog, or any bad weather condition. They are also obliged to park in these areas in peak hours, when the light vehicles go to work or come back home. According to Dubai SME, current regulations prevent these trucks from using major urban thoroughfares, such as Sheikh Zayed Road, during specific times of the day (6:30 AM to 8:30 AM; 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and 5:30 to 8:30 PM). This is a major problem for trucks because all trucks around the emirate cram into rest areas, creating traffic within the area and cannot rest properly. The reaction to this results in frustration and tiredness, often leading to accidents on the road (See Chapter 02|Table 02 for causes of accidents). Generally, the living conditions of these drivers are dreadful. Upon visiting, the truck rest area was a massive parking lot, filled with numerous parked trucks (See Apendix A for the full photographic survey of the rest area). Each truck driver was either sitting near his truck, showering under his truck, repairing a bad tyre, unscrewing their plate numbers, or sleeping inside his truck.
Maklad, Ayah “Home”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad 31
ق Sleeping Areas Truck drivers never get enough time to sleep because of traveling long distances and the tight time limit they have to deliver goods. The only sleep time they could get is when they d the passenger’s seat, however, they cannot afford to leave the air conditioning on while sleeping. Other drivers, the majority, have used the pull-down container at the bottom of their trucks to create a bed-like experience (Interviewee #4; See 03.07|Interviews). Kitchen and Eating Areas Drivers have transformed the pull-down container under their trucks into a “kitchen”, “eating table” and “storage area”. Since they do not have time to cook or cannot afford to buy petrol station food, they store canned food and un-healthy ready made food in their container. They used the surface of the container as a table and even gather around it as a big group to eat altogether. Some drivers have a portable gas that they cook on from time to time, but the lack of a cooking area with facilities stops them from cooking (Interviewee #6; See 03.07|Interviews). Bathrooms and Shower Areas Truck rest areas do not have bathrooms, so drivers are forced to use the sand area as a toilet, which is extremely unhygenic. They are not allowed to park in petrol stations to use the bathrooms there, so they end up parking in a rest area and walking to the station, however, they end up just using the sand area because it is closer. They use the area under their trucks to shower, pouring water from filled up water gallons bought from water trucks. Also, the UAE lacks public bathrooms on public streets, so drivers sometimes go to public beaches at night to illegaly use the bathrooms/showers (Interviewee #8; See 03.07|Interviews).
Maklad, Ayah “Kitchen”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. Maklad, Ayah “Bathroom”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 32
ق Maklad, Ayah “Repair Garage”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 5 Oct. Maklad, Ayah “Bedroom”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad ayahmaklad
Shortage of Facilities The rest area only includes parking spaces. There are no facilities of any kind, however there is a petrol station before entering the truck rest area. Truck drivers are not allowed to stay in a station for more than 15 minutes and cannot afford to purchase from there, so it is as if it has no use. Instead, in a truck rest area, you will find diesel trucks, ice trucks, repair trucks, and drinkable water trucks. These trucks take advantage of facility shortages and provide drivers with these services and products, however at higher prices than the market. Truck drivers are forced to repair their own trucks because they cannot afford to pay repair trucks and cannot afford to go to the nearest repair garage and are not allowed to park anywhere outside the rest area. Even though this rest area is not built for truck drivers to stay for more than 24 hours, drivers have no other place to go. They cannot leave their truck and take a taxi because it is unaffordable. Some drivers own a small car or even share an apartment with 20+ drivers, however they are not allowed to park their truck in the residential area and are also not allowed to park their small car in a truck rest area, they are lost in between. If they want to sleep in their shared apartment, they have to park their truck in a legal rest area for no more than 24 hours, and if
Maklad, Ayah “Sign_02”. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad 33
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Bubble Diagrams: Truck Rest Area
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ق 03.03.02| Ras Al Khor Industrial “Unnamed” Area|UAE ~See Apendix D for more images. This case study focuses on an area that was once a legal housing complex with facilities for truck drivers, which is now transformed into a massive business. After interviewing the drivers that are “living” in truck rest areas and asking them if there are any residential spaces that are affordable, all of them replied with the same answer: “There was an area built by the government in Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 3 a few years ago. They demolished it when they needed an area for more businesses. Now, that area is only used by trucking businesses that load/ unload trucks, but we are not allowed inside as individual truck owners” – Abdallah (interviewee #12; See 03.07|Interviews). Overview This unnamed area is a massive site for loading/unloading trucks into different fruit and vegetable businesses. The area includes parking spaces, loading/unloading areas, fruit & vegetable businesses, Dubai Municipality offices, housing units, petrol station, mosque, restaurants, barber shops, retail shops , and other basic facilities. Only trucks loaded with goods from other countries are allowed inside. They unload their goods inside the area of the designated fruit & vegetable business and are required to leave the area. The only way they could stay longer and use the housing units is if they are waiting to unload their goods, otherwise they are required to leave and are not allowed to use the facilities after unloading. However, businesses that employ truck drivers and own trucks allow their employees to use the facilities and sleep in the housing units. They are given a maximum 5 days in a housing unit, and then they are required to pay 50-100 AED a week. Individual truck owners are given a transit permit to stay in the country for usually 3 days, but since they are obliged to leave the area after unloading, where could they go? They park their trucks on the sides of roads and wait until they either backlog on their way back to their countries or a trucking company asks them to load goods and export them on their way back. They park illegally and are afraid the police catch them and fines them; however, they have no choice. They are not allowed to stay inside the unnamed area where they unloaded their goods, and it is too expensive to pay for diesel and leave the area to park in a legal truck rest area.
Maklad, Ayah “Sign_03”. Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 3, UAE. 5 Oct. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad 35
ق Maklad, Ayah “Eating Area”. Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 3, UAE. 5 Oct. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad
From the streets The result of not permitted individual truck owners is truck drivers stranded on the sides of roads. Muhammad and his two friends were parked outside the unnamed area, eating on the side of the road. After asking him why they were parked here, he said, “We are coming all the way from Jordan, we unloaded our goods inside the area and were obliged to leave the place. Our trucks are empty right now, we cannot afford to pay 20 AED going and 20 AED coming back to go to the nearest legal truck rest area. We cannot afford to leave our trucks here and get fined to go a restaurant or a bathroom, so we park and sit inside our trucks and wait until God sends us livelihood or sustenance.”
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Bubble Diagrams: Unnamed Area, Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 3
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03.04| Vehicle Case Study 03.04.01| Jingle Trucks|South Asia ~See Apendix E for more images. Even though this case study does not focus on a space, but rather a study of a truck, it still adds value to the thesis research. Jingle trucks are not ordinary trucks, in fact, they are heavy ornamented trucks with cultural heritage and a home, literally, to South Asian truck drivers. These drivers live inside Jingle Trucks and use the truck as home away from home. This case study will focus on the origin of jingle trucks and the components and facilities they include. This study will aid in looking at truck stops in a different perspective, showing how these drivers have created a “truck stop” in their own truck. Morover, the decorations on the trucks mean more than just designs, so this study will aid in understanding the psychology behind why they decorate their trucks in the first place. Overview The word, jingle truck, originates from United States military slang. U.S servicemen in Afghanistan associated this term with the “jingle” of chains dangling from the bumpers that clink together on the road. Trucks in Pakistan color the country with its colorful splashes and ornamental designs. They are depictions of politics and popular culture, actresses and presidents. They are also the basis of the truck decoration competitions in the country, an informal war over who decorate their trucks the most. Trucks in Pakistan and Afganistan are beautiful on the outside, even if they are not the same inside. Sheikh Basharat, a Pakistani truck driver said that they [truck drivers] feel good about driving a pretty truck, and that even if “there is no air-conditioning in most trucks, no power steering, and often only one cushioned seat and a wooden plank for any passenger”, that did not matter. Its exterior image is the most important part (Barker 2007).
“Typical Pakistani truck”. Pakistan.15 Dec. 2009. flickr.com. Edited by me, Ayah Maklad. 38
ق Psychology: More than just a “pretty” truck The basis to decorate the trucks is distance. Truck drivers are always away from their families for months and years, so all they have are their trucks. This is how they established a close acquaintance to their trucks. Truck art has a deeper meaning than just aesthetics, the decorations reflect “deep-rooted religious sentiments and cultural viewpoints truckers and people related to the transport industry” (Tracing Truck Art beyond ‘Horn OK Please’ 2016). “Horn Ok Please” is a phrase written on the back of a truck, warning drivers on the road to horn while overtaking on a busy route. This turned into a continuing custom on Indian highways. Anjum Rana, a promoter for the preservation truck art stated that, “Earlier, embellishing trucks was the pastime of the cleaners and drivers, keeping themselves busy on those long arduous journeys. They used to draw their favourite images reflecting their dreams, of rivers along winding roads lined with fir trees and cottages. They also painted birds, flowers and nationalist heroes on the trucks.” This proves that there is more to the art than just drawings, they have hidden meanings reflecting religion, daily lives, and cultural beliefs. They also express through art, showing struggles and depict their hard journeys (D’Cunha 2016). Jingle Trucks: The Interior The interior is very different that the exterior of Jingle trucks. Every inch of the truck is taken advantage of, to decorate, except the main areas such as the doors, the open air “bed” above the truck in which the assistant and the driver sleep, the sides of the main body, and the interior (Kazi 8). The area that covers the open bed on top of the truck is the taj, or crown, which is a metallic decoration. The interior includes coloured lights and mirror work. Trucks light up at night for other drivers to see on unlit highways. The truck could be seen as a king’s throne room. The seats are “rich silk and brocade textiles associated with kings, the ceiling is adorned with interpretations of the sheesh mahal or the palace of mirrors, a favourite architectural device of Mughal kings. The Palace became accessible to the new ‘Kings of the Road’ as they often write on their vehicles” (Kazi 26).
Firouz, Caren “‘TRUCK ART’ TRADITION TRUNDLES ALONG IN PAKISTAN”. 23 Jun. 2017. independent.co.uk Edited by me, Ayah Maklad. 39
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Vertical Bubble Diagram: Jingle Trucks
De Souza, Carl “Hand-painted”. rferl.org 40
“The tricked out ‘Jingle Trucks’ of Pakistan”. 15 May 2015. dangerousminds.net
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03.05| Other Case Studies The following case studies are not directly related to truck stops, however, the studies will increase the scope of this thesis project. The previous case studies were intended to enhance the understanding of the best and worst example of truck stops. On the otherhand, the upcoming case studies shine light in a different perspective, showing elements that could be combined and transformed, to create a district for truck drivers like no other. 03.05.01| Berlin Jewish Museum|Germany ~See Apendix F for more images. This case study will aid in understanding the how to tell a story through the architecture of the museum, and more importantly, explains the interior circulation and the complicated way the user must take in order to gain the full experience. Overview The Jewish Museum, Berlin, which opened to the public in 1999, exhibits the social, political and cultural history of the Jews in Germany from the 4th century to the present. The museum portrays and includes the repercussions of the Holocaust (Andenmatten, Walsh, and Wisniewski 11).
Esakov, Denis “Jewish Museum, Berlin ”. Germany. 25 Nov. 2010. archdaily.com. Edited by me, Ayah Maklad 41
ق Libeskind, Daniel “MICROMEGAS”. 1979. libeskind.com
Deconstructivism Micromegas: The Architecture of Endspace, 1979 Daniel Libeskind’s “Micromegas,” were a series of twelve prints. His linework is not translated as a graphic device, however, through the concept of time. In his linework, Libeskind associates his drawings to signage. He shows this by claiming that these signanges are a form of language that unfolds the future and that “a drawing is more than the shadow of an object, more than a pile of lines, more than a resignation to the interim of convection.” He expresses signs as forms that act as horizons of time that an “exploration of the ‘marginal’ allow for an overlap between concepts and premonitions.” (Andenmatten, Walsh, and Wisniewski 41). Libeskind states that his drawings “develop in an area of architectural thinking that is neither physical nor of a poetics of space.” (Andenmatten, Walsh, and Wisniewski 41).
Esakov, Denis “Jewish Museum, Berlin ”. Germany. 25 Nov. 2010. archdaily.com. Edited by me, Ayah Maklad 42
ق Construction The Jewish Museum, Berlin, is cladded in Zinc. The material choice of the exterior reflects the idea of time. Libeskind wanted his building to age with time, to recede in its figure. The choice of using a non-oxidized zinc coating “allows the façade to age, change color, and eventually accent the sliced windows that are cut through the building’s structure.” (Andenmatten, Walsh, and Wisniewski 66). You will not find one column inside the building. Walls of the museum are used as the base structure of the whole building, allowing it to stand alone without any columns or interior load bearing walls. The structure was created using steel reinforced concrete.
Bubble Diagrams: Berlin Jewish Museum 43
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Bubble Diagram: Berlin Jewish Museum
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ق 03.05.02| LinGang New City Community Shopping Center|China ~See Apendix G for more images. This case study will aid in understanding an outdoor market and, in general, the facilties a community contains. Since the truck district will be located outdoors, this study will enhance the comprehension of which spaces to include, in a very colorful way. This study also focuses on the aesthetics of the buildings, showing how colorful they are and how color could be used to create a fun interactive atmosphere. Overview This city community shopping center, located in Lingang New City, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, serves as seven residential neighborhoods. It is divided into three blocks, community commercial center, commercial street and serviced apartment. The concept of the community is derived from the idea of a “Market”, a sequence of space close to human scale. It attracts and gathers traffic to both banks of the river, providing a unique shopping experience close to nature (Lu, Jiang, and Mateo 2019).
Zhang, Yong. “Birdview”. 5 May 2019 archdaily.com. Edited by me, Ayah Maklad Market The market is split on both sides of the river bank, allowing the river to connect both markets together using a bridge. From the two-bank-waterfront public life center, the large commercial center is arranged on the northwest side, with high and low staggered stairs, green leisure plaza and river landscape, creating a friendly scale transition between the river and commercial center. On the northeast side, eight stand-alone 1-3 storey shops are scattered. The L-shaped 12-storey serviced apartment encloses “two winding commercial streets, three plazas and corners with freely arranged small commercial buildings, creating a free, changeable and friendly space experience” (Lu, Jiang, and Mateo 2019). 45
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Zhang, Yong. “Inner street” (Left image). “Commercial street entrance” (Right image). 5 May 2019. archdaily.com. Edited by me, Ayah Maklad Diversity & Color The entire market is a collection of small houses with vibrant colors. Every house is different, in height, shape, color and slope of the houses. These primitive houses are arbitrarily grouped by the riverside to create rich interior spaces. They form a variety of free streets, corners and small squares inside the market. The exterior design features of these houses show modern sloping roofs. They highlight individual small buildings to create a small-scale, natural and spontaneous feeling. The color of the wall is based on warm tones, and various materials have been chosen for the façade, like paint, brick and aluminum board. They are chosen to form a variety of material and texture differentiation, creating “a sense of architectural combination from different ages for natural growth” (Lu, Jiang, and Mateo 2019).
Zhang, Yong. “Tiny plaza” 5 May 2019. archdaily.com. Edited by me, Ayah Maklad 46
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Bubble Diagrams: LinGang New City Community Shopping Center 47
ق 03.05.03| DOKK1 Automated Car Park|Denmark ~See Apendix H for more images. This case study focuses on an automated car park that uses technology and robotics systems. This study will aid in understaning the mechanism of an automated car park and will be used as a base to design an automated truck parking in the truck district. Overview Located in Denmark, the automated car park is located under Dokk1 library, Denmark. The entire car park can hold up to 1,000 cars stacked over each other on three subterranean storeys. This car park is similar to a valet system, picking up cars from their drivers and transporting them to a selected parking space. The system can hold up to 235 vehicles per hour and park a car in one minute and retrieve it. Philippe De Backer, Lödige Industries chief executive, stated that “from the moment the driver parks his car, everything is automatic. Coxmpact construction is the key, especially in city centres. Parking systems must fit into a limited space, which is why automated solutions are so attractive.” (Mairs 2015). Aside from its space- and time-saving benefits, the Lödige Shifter system prevents the knocks and scrapes cars tolerate in standard car parks.
Werlemann, Hans. “State of the art and fully automated”. 8 May 2018. lodige.com. Edited by me, Ayah Maklad
Mechanism According to Maris, drivers first park their car in one of 20 ground-level booths and receive a ticket. Once the car has been evacuated, it is taken the ground below and lifted onto one of 24 robots, which is then transfered into a parking space. Lödige Industries states that “the real innovation is not simply the size of the car park – automated car parks rarely exceed 300 parking spaces – it’s the absence of pallets that are traditionally used as carrier units,” They also claim that this system makes the entire system much quicker and more structured. Once the driver wants his/her car back, they use a touchscreen to leave the car park (Maris 2015). 48
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Bubble Diagrams: DOKK1 Automated Car Parking 49
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03.06| Comparison Chart
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03.07| Personal Interviews ~See Apendix B for the full list of questions asked.
Maklad, Ayah. “Faces”. 5 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad. 52
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Maklad, Ayah. “Faces”. 5 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad. 53
ق 03.07.01| Interviews with the Users| Data Collection & Results In order to understand the need for the thesis project, an interview with truck drivers was conducted (See Apendix B for the full list of questions asked during the interviews). The drivers were questioned during the interview about their current living conditions and how could designing a truck district could help them physically and mentally. 03.07.01 shows an outline of the drivers interviews with their basic information. The interviews were taken on site in two different Truck Rest Areas, both located in Al Aweer, the most congested area of truck drivers. Most of the 12 interviewed truck drivers, who live in their trucks, were old and married, supporting their families in their home countries. Interview Questions| Demographic Questions Interview Questions Interview Answers Ethnicity Arab Asian Nationality Syrian Jordanian Palestinian Afghan Pakistani Indian Age 18-25 26-34 35-44 45-54 Over 55 Education Never went to school Started school, but left halfway High school diploma Marital Status Single Married Never Married Children 0 3 3+ Years in Dubai 0-1 3-10 10-19 20-30 30+ Do you own your truck? Yes It is the property of a trucking company, but it stays with me What is your role as a truck? Local transport GCC transport Middle eastern transport Monthly salary AED 500-800 AED 1,500-3,000 Sleep Less than 6 6-8 54
Results 50% 50% 25% 16.7% 8.3% 8.3% 25% 16.7% 8.3% 41.7% 33.3% 8.3% 8.3% 16.7% 66.7% 16.7% 41.7% 50% 8.3% 50% 33.3% 16.7% 8.3% 25% 41.7% 16.7% 8.3% 66.7% 33.3% 50% 33.3% 16.7% 25% 75% 83.3% 16.67%
ق Hours per day Days per week Local Transport GCC &Middle Eastern Transport
8-16 16+
58.3% 41.7%
3-5 6-7 3-5 Depends on how many days I take on the borders
25% 33.3% 8.3% 41.7%
Interview Questions| Current Living Conditions Where do you live? I share a bed space with other drivers 8.3% I do not live anywhere 91.7% Where do you stay? Why do you live in your truck?
I live in my truck, moving from one 100% place to another Accomodation is too expensive; it is 100% too far from a legal truck parking
Truck Rest Area facilities None of the above 100% Truck District facilities All of the above 100% How long are you allowed to stay During peak hours and less than 24 100% in a legal truck rest area? hours Are you allowed to stay anywhere No, I cannot park anywhere because 100% other than truck rest areas? I will get fined Interview Questions| Psychology Questions Do you miss home?
Yes
100%
How does time pass for you during I listen to music in my truck your long journeys? I sing in my truck I speak with my loved ones I create poems and write them later Do you feel angry when you drive Yes for long hours? No What do you consider yourself Art talented in? Music Literature and poetry Dancing Sports
16.7% 25% 16.7% 41.7% 91.7% 8.3% 16.7% 16.7% 41.7% 8.3% 16.7%
Do you feel the need to let out your Yes emotions after long drives? Doesn’t matter to me
91.7% 8.3%
How do you self-express when you I listen to music feel down or angry? I sing I speak with my loved ones I write poems I do not do anything
16.7% 25% 8.3% 41.7% 8.3%
Truck District facilities
100%
All of the above
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ق 03.07.02| Interview with a Professional Name: Arjun Menon Occupation: Engineer Role: Managing Director, Smart Box Interview Date: 10 October, 2019
Mr. Arjun Menon 01| What is Smart Box? Smart Box, which stands for S (Steel) M (Modular) A (Architecturally Engineered) R (Recyclable) T (Transportable), specializes in the manufacture of ISO marine containers. We construct shipping containers into single and complex offices, hotels, villas, and other industrial solutions. They call us the “Container Conversion Specialists.” You give us the idea, and we execute it. 02| Why shipping containers? Shipping containers are like building blocks, they could be used as the structure of a building. They are like lego pieces, stacked over eachother, creating different spaces. With containers, you do not need to add interior columns or other building materials. You could stack up to 35 containers vertically, allowing for different configurations, slice them up, creating different sizes, or transform them completely. 03| What do you think about the topic of my thesis project? I think it is great how you are thinking of using shipping containers, usually constructed as hotels and restaurants, for truck drivers. Usually, businesses design luxurious and impressive buildings, but you are designing for people who do not have access to basic facilities, solving a huge problem. You are thinking in a different direction and that is what Smart Box is all about, creative ideas. In fact, our company was thinking of adding a few shipping containers on the road to Saudi borders, since truck drivers stay days waiting in their trucks. However, we never executed it or really thought of how it was designed. You have a clear idea right here in your project. I think there is a need for your project in the UAE. 04| How can shipping containers help me with my project? Shipping containers are great for your project because they are cost-effective and are easy to construct. You could construct an entire house made from shipping containers in a few hours. They are easily transported and very durable. You could keep a container out in the sun for years and it will not get effected.
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Site Visit| Smart Box Industries LLC, Al Quoz, Dubai,
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Maklad, Ayah. Shipping Containers Manufacturing in Process. 8 Sep. 2019.
Maklad, Ayah. Hydroponics inside a shipping container, Smart Box. 8 Sep. 2019.
Maklad, Ayah. Reviewing plans with the engineering department, Smart Box. 5 Dec. 2019. 57
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Chapter 04| THESIS PROGRAM
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04.01| Functionality 04.01.01| The Project
This project works on both levels of interior and exterior spaces. Starting with the interior, there are residential units with storage and bathrooms, accommodating 80 users at once. The aim is to increase social interaction by designing sleeping pods in a room that can accomodate more than one person, whilst giving the user his privacy. The reason it is temporary and not personalized to each truck driver is due to the reality of the workforce of trucking. Since truck drivers do not have a set time to when they transport goods in and out of the country, they might stay days on the road. This district will give them a home-like place to rest and release emotions to go back on the road with a different consciousness. The trucking industry is not aware that truck drivers get sleepy, tired, and fed up waiting in lines for days, losing concentration and releasing the suppressed anger in negative ways. This results in a decline in optimism and an increase in impulsiveness, often leading to accidents on the road (See Chapter 02.02.03 “Traffic Accidents”). Apart from sleeping spaces, communal and individual living spaces are provided. 80% of the living space is communal and the remaining 20% is individual spaces (See Diagram 03), increasing social interaction between drivers since they do not interact with anyone while traveling on their journeys. On the other hand, 8 individual spaces are provided to give a variety of spaces and allow them to be in control of changing their environments. The shared kitchen and dining area are 22% of the entire residential unit because it is an important space. Since truck drivers eat from cans and buy ready-made food because of the insufficient space and facilities to cook in their trucks, giving them a space that allows them to cook food and share their cultural dishes together will enhance communication and social interaction. 04.01.02| Suppressed Emotions Giving truck drivers a space to sleep, eat, and talk to others is not enough. These drivers have a great deal of suppression of emotions that are translated negatively. The aim of the self-expressive museum is to give them a space to express themselves through hidden talents. After interviewing the drivers on site (See 03.07 “Personal Interviews”), each one of them had a talent that was hidden due to the insufficiency of time and space. While stopping at the district to get some rest, the self-expressive museum allows them to release all their negative emotions through some type of art, music, or sports. This museum is not an ordinary museum, it exhibits a story of self-expression through bottled-up emotions. Every wall in the space tells a story: words, emotions, and feelings imprinted to tell the story of suppressed emotions. Since it is a temporary dwelling for drivers, the museum hosts artworks of various emotions, each driver telling a story through his own way. The result is a creative mixture of different emotions, narrating a story on a bigger scale, leaving a print, only to come back and see the emotions projected, evolve into different forms.
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ق 04.01.03| Analogies There is a striking analogy here that needs to be addressed in the conceptual design of this project. It begins with the reality of the trucking industry. In the UAE, trucks are permitted to travel across highways, called E-Routes, some of which are, E11: Sheikh Zayed Road (Only specific trucks that transport non-hazardous material are permitted), E44: Al Khail Road, E311: Sheikh Mohd Bin Zayed Road, and E611: Emirates Road. Since they transport locally and internationally on highway, they do not drive on arterial roads, called D-Routes in the UAE, some of which include, D54: Academic City, D57: Yalayis Street, D59: First Al Khail, D61: Hessa Street, D62: Nadd Al Hammar Road, D63: Umm Suqeim Street, D67: Manama Street, D69: Muscat Street, D72: Al Asayel Street, D83: Umm Ramool Road, D85: Baniyas Road, D89: Airport Road, D91: Abu Hail Road, and D94: Jumeirah Road. The D-Routes are roads that trucks do not interfere with, only in rare cases with a legislative permit. According to Dubai SME, current regulations prevent these trucks from using major urban thoroughfares, such as Sheikh Zayed Road, during specific times of the day (6:30 AM to 8:30 AM; 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and 5:30 to 8:30 PM). The analogy here is the relation between both routes and how truck drivers are allowed on some roads and are not allowed on other roads. In the same way, you will not find truck drivers walking in the same streets as the general public, it is just the reality of our society, different social classes designated into different areas and do not intersect, similar to which routes trucks take. In the self-expressive museum, visitors will circulate and follow a route in the museum (D-Route), going through a set of different experiences to observe self-expressed art. On the other hand, the drivers have their own route (E-Route) in their residence area that visitors are not allowed to visit, allowing them to self-express on abandoned trucks and shipping containers. Perception of space is used to translate the barrier between the general public and truck drivers, both knowing they exist but do not interact at first. By the end of the journey, the E-Routes and D-Routes intersect through tunnels that lead to a spiritual complex, breaking all barriers and uniting people. The experience of both the users and the routes tell a deeper story as a whole, transcending design onto a different level. Moreover, the entire design of the museum will prove that design is not only about furnishing the space, but filling the user’s experience with different emotions, levels of surprise, and interaction with the space around.
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ق 04.01.04| The Exterior The exterior, which is 86% of the entire district’s area, is the entertaining, crazy part of this project. First, it includes basic facilities that need to be present such as, parking spaces security rooms, fueling stations, service centers (repair stations, weighing scales, and truck washes), government offices and RTA Registration services, , public bathrooms and ablution spaces. Second, the space accommodates 300 parking spaces that allow drivers to stop, park, and use public bathrooms and other facilities to go back on their journey. Finally, the exterior also includes an outdoor market that transforms the market experience, joining truck drivers and the general public. The market uses shipping containers in a different way, some are sliced up to create seating areas, some are expandable to create more space, some are foldable, and all of them are transformed to create a new version of a standard Marine ISO container. The fun market experience contrasts with the self-expressive museum which explodes suppressed emotions. The market has an exciting vibe that allows drivers and the public to enjoy their time and step away from the long journeys on the road, increasing social interaction and creating a crazy experience for the users.
04.02|Circulation|Users Primary Users: Trucks Drivers who temporary use the facilities between trips. The aim is to allow them feel at home away from home and to give them a space to always come back to, since they are far away from their loved ones. Secondary Users: Since the project is located in Dubai South, an area that will thrive in 2020, the general public is welcomed to the self-expressive museum, underground, and outdoor facilities. In terms of circulations, there is enough space for the users to circulate since the area size of the project is large. The area of the residential units is 2,600 sq. m. and the museum is 1000 sq. m. The users circulate in the residential unit using a radial circulation, which has linear paths extending from or terminating at a central point. In this way, the users are guided through the space involuntarily to reach a central point, which is the shared kitchen and dinning area. This will allow the temporary residents to circulate in their own units and meet in the center, where everyone meets to cook together, eat, a nd share cultural experiences and food. In the self-expressive museum, the circulation is a little more complicated. It is a combination of clustered and axial circulation for both primary and secondary users. A clustered organization depends on the physical proximity from on space to one another. It allows compostitions of spaces that are “dissimilar in size, form, and function, but related to one another by proximity or a visual ordering device such as symmetry or an axis.” (Ching 234). Using an axial condition in the museum, the importance of the journey increases, strengthening the clustered spaces as well. According to Özgür Dinçer, the easiest way to reflect power and authority is by using axiality in a space. Since the museum is going to be a monumental building on its own, showing power on the exterior and interior, this type of circulation will need for a powerful connectivity through the space is inevitable (Dinçer 49). Finally, in the outdoor spaces, the circulation will be a combination of linear and clustered. The needed facilities as previously mentioned will have a fluid circulation from one station to another since trucks need a direct, linear route to move around easily. On the other hand, the outdoor market will have a clustered circulation, where the entertaining shops and crazy cafes will be clustered together in a weird way, grouped as a clustered pattern, using different sizes and configurations of shipping containers.
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Chapter 05|THESIS PROJECT SITE & BUILDING ANALYSIS 0.5.01| SITE ANALYSIS 0.5.01.01| Site Selection| Relevance, Description, and Historical Context To progress with the thesis topic, a site analysis is needed. As previously mentioned, the location of the project will be in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There are a few reasons for the location. First, the targeted audience are truck drivers who transport goods across the gulf, taking the E-Routes of the UAE, E311 (Mohd Bin Zayed Road) or E611 (Emirates Road). The location of the site has to be near one of these routes. Second, truck drivers usually take these E-Routes to reach to our neighbouring gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, or other arab countries like Jordan, Syria, Egypt, etc. All these routes lead to one common point, the saudi borders, called Al Batha. The only two routes that lead to Al Batha boders from Dubai, and more specifically, the areas where loading/unloading occurs, Ras Al Khor and Al Awir, are the E-Routes E311 and E611. If any of these routes are taken, they both meet at one route, E75, Saih Sheib Al Faya Truck Road. Since trucks drivers are prohibitted to use D-Routes and other local roads, routes like E75 are designed for trucks that transport externally. Moreover, trucks are obliged to switch routes to E30 AbuDhabi-Al Ain Truck Road, then merge to E11 Nahyan International Road-AbuDhabi, to finally reach to Al Batha Saudi borders. The minimum time it takes a truck driver to drive from Dubia, place of loading, to the borders is 5 hours, without waiting in line on the borders for hours and sometimes days.
Figure 01| UAE- Saudi Borders
Figure 02| UAE-Kuwait Borders
Figure 03| E611- Emirates Road
Figure 04| E311- Mohammed Bin Zayed Road
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ق Because trucks use a specific off-road route to reach to their destination, they do not interact with other cars or people, it is the nature of their job. To plot this project strategically, the location of the site must be close to both routes trucks are allowed to take, E311 and E611, and must lead to E75. The site also has to be located away from the urban areas of the city, to give truck drivers a city-like experience of their own, and at the same time, be near residential and commercial areas. The best location to place this project is in Dubai South, Jebel Ali (See Figure 05). The reason for choosing this area of Dubai is because first, as we are emerging into Expo 2020, 25,000,000 visitors are expected to visit the site, which will allow the self-expressive museum to be noticed (Expo 2020). Second, Dubai South is gradually growing and attracting attention from urban areas of Dubai and neighbouring Emirates. The aim of this project is to bridge the gap between both Emirates, Dubai and AbuDhabi, using a land that is accessible by both Emirates, and more importantly, to trucks traveling from Dubai to AbuDhabi to the borders. The site also neighbours Dubai Investment Park, a residential and commercial area. Fourth, and most importantly, the site is in the middle of both routes, E311 and E611, allowing external transport trucks (targetted audience), and local transport trucks from Mina Port Jebel Ali to easily merge on E77 Expo Road (See Figure 06).
Figure 05| Site Location 69
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Figure 06| Easy Access to Site Location
Dubai South a thriving 145,000,000 sq. m. master-planned city located exactly in the south of Dubai, near Jebel Ali and the border of AbuDhabi. The site area does not go far back in time, it has been an area of development, waiting to be used for Expo 2020 Dubai. The entire area is still under construction and is slowly building up to accomodate approximately one million visitors and residents. Launched in 2006 as a flagship urban project, it is “centered on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai” (Factsheet), reflecting the themes of Dubai Plan 2021:
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- To become a city of happy, creative and empowered people - To create an inclusive and cohesive society - To build a smart and sustainable city - Become a pivotal hub in the global economy
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Figure 07| Transportation Routes Source: Dubai South
In terms of transportation, Dubai South is a fully integrated city, connected to the rest of the UAE using three arterial roads, E11, E311, and E611 (See Figure 07). In this way, it is accessible by truck drivers driving along E311 and E611, and the general public driving along these routes. RTA buses reach daily to Dubai South, and in the future, the entire area will be served by public transportation, Dubai Metro and Etihad Rail. Dubai Investment Park is the closest complex to Dubai South. It is a mixed-use industrial, commercial and residential complex operated by Dubai Investments Park Development Company LLC, allowing the pedestriran flow from DIP to Dubai South to increase.
0.5.01.02| Site Selection| Characteristics, Enviornment, and Social/Economic
Impact
The site location is divided into districts that will be the center attraction of Dubai’s future. These include, the Expo 2020 exhibition center, residential district, Al Maktoum International Airport (will become the biggest airport in the world), a business park, logistics district, aviation district, commercial district, and a golf district (See Figure 08). Building Location
Figure 08| Site Characteristics Source: Dubai South
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Figure 09| Site Under Construction Maklad, Ayah. 09 Nov. 2019
The Site is surrounded by a lot of sand, private industrial buildings and un-developed land. The aim of Dubai South is to create a flourishing city within the city, accessed by the public. This entire area will be targetted by investors and visitors, which allow further development of the deserted areas around it. The economy will thrive after the completion of the site, attracting people from all sectors, including truck drivers. It will be an economic zone to host logistics, aviation, commercial, exhibition, humanitarian, residential and other related businesses. At the moment, it is still under construction (See Figure 09), so it is difficult to state ,at this point, the volumes of these districts and how natural light affects the area. Since it is surrounded by sand and it is not covered by any massive volumes, we could infer that there will be a lot of natural light from all areas. However, the natural and man-made circulation paths are already developed. Accessing the site from E11, E311, and E611 is easy, the only area which is still restricted is the Expo 2020 site, to be completed in October 2020.
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0.5.02| BUILDING ANALYSIS 0.5.02.02| Building Analysis| Description, Circulation, and Significance After choosing the site, a building analysis should be conducted to understand the circulation and significance of the chosen plan. The land has been designed to host approx. 5,000 square meters (museum, spiritual complex, and residential units) and 6,000 sq. m. for the outdoor facilities such as fueling stations, market, parking, etc.), however only 2,500 square meters of the important areas will be designed and discussed in details as per the thesis project requirement. The floor plan of the district will be modified from the chosen building to allow flexibility while designing and zoning different spaces. This building will be edited to suit the needs of the museum, acting as a structure that envelopes the shipping containers, specifically the part of the museum that is overground. The area of the museum is approx. 1,000 square meters, however only 721 square meters (the overground area) will be modified using scaffolding, just like the selected building. The selected building is located on a military base in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, designed by the Brazilian architect Carla Juaçaba and art director Bia Lessa. Humanity pavillion, or Pavilion humanidade 2012, is a temporal exhibition building, built to exhibit the UN conference on sustainability in Rio De Janeiro. The building is constructed completely out of steel scaffolding and is fully recyclable. The building is translucent and exposed, reminding users of their weakness when facing nature. The rooms are made from metal and wood, acting as a heavy sheathing device, bracing the pavilion in critical moments. These five structural walls create a “suspended walkway over rio’s landscape, interjected with spaces for the exhibition program as well as reflection and thought, keeping with visions of a sustainable future posited in the showcase and conference” (Menocal 2013).
“13”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www.archdaily.com/463532/humanidadepavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa 73
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“02”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www.archdaily. com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa
“16”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www.archdaily. com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa 74
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“21”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www.archdaily. com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa
“14”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www.archdaily. com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa 75
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“23” (left), “24” (right), Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https:// www.archdaily.com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa
“21”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www.archdaily. com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa 76
0.5.02.04| Existing Floor Plans
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“Master Plan”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www. archdaily.com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa
“Ground Floor Plan”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https:// www.archdaily.com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa
“First Floor Plan”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www. archdaily.com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa
“Second Floor Plan”, Humanidade Temporal Exhibition Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Jan. 2014. https://www. archdaily.com/463532/humanidade-pavillion-2012-carla-juacaba-bia-lessa 77
0.5.02.04| Proposed Changes PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
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Apart from the modified building, the rest of the overground and underground plans are created from scratch (approved by engineers of Smart Box Industries LLC). The shipping containers are oriented in a specific manner and stacked over eachother to create interior spaces, suiting the needs of the truck drivers and the public. More details are shown in Chapter 07|Schematic Proposals. PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
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Chapter 06| THESIS REQUIREMENTS 06.01| Universal Codes| IBC, DUDC, LEED This chapter addresses the codes required and shows how the building follows the international building standards. Starting with the International Building Code (IBC), it is a model building code developed by the International Code Council (ICC). This code has been adopted and used by most jurisdictions in the United States. It is also used in Abu Dhabi, the Caribbean Community, Colombia, Georgia, Honduras, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. (Overview). The IBC is based on the performance of certain health and safety concerns for buildings, addressing design and installation of innovative materials. The code protects public health and safety, at the same time, avoids both uneeded expenses and construction material treatments. The code is an important tool to provide safeguards from hazards associated with the built environment. Since the location of the building will be in Dubai, the Dubai Universal Design Code should be taken into consideration while designing. The code defines how certain systems shall be designed, constructed and managed, including the environment and transportation. This code goes hand in hand with the Universal Design concept, covering a wide range of human abilities and embracing all aspects of life. The requirements are “to be applied during the design, construction, renovations, and alteration of sites, facilities, buildings, and elements of the built environment and transportation systems, to the extent required by regulations issued by the Emirate of Dubai under Law No. 2” (Dubai Universal Design Code). Another code addressed in this project is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Enviornmental Design). LEED has become the most internationally used green building rating system in the world. LEED certification verifies “a building’s green features, allowing the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings” (THIS is LEED). Obtaining the LEED plaque on a building marks the quality in green building. The thesis project aims to fulfill all the requirements of the code and be LEED certified. Below is an example from the Dubai Universal Design Code, showing the minimum clearances for a ramp. Since my entire building uses a ramp for vertical circulation, instead of stairs, the right codes and clearances should be addressed (See Figure 01).
Figure 01|Source: Dubai Universal Design Code Maximum rise and length for ramps with details of handrails required and different alternatives for handrail ends 82
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Chapter 07| SCHEMATIC PROPOSALS 07.01| AdjacencyPRODUCED Matrix BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
SELF-EXPRESSIVE MUSEUM RECEPTION / TICKETING PRIMARY RESTROOM
SECONDARY ADJACENCY NON-DESIRABLE
SMALL EXHIBITION SPACE UNDERGROUND TUNNEL INTERACTIVE ZONE SECONDARY RESTROOMS 1/ EXHIBIT "ANTICIPATION" 2/ EXHIBIT "FEAR" 3/ EXHIBIT "SURPRISE" 4/ EXHIBIT "OPTIMISM" MERCHANDISE/GIFT SHOP OBSERVATORY DECK
SPIRITUAL COMPLEX CAFE COMMUNAL SPACE RESTROOMS/ABLUTION AREAS COMBINED PRAYER HALL ADMINISTRATION/OFFICES KITCHEN STORAGE
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WAITING AREA
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COMMUNAL SPACE INDIVIDUAL LIVING SPACE SHARED PRIMARY LIVING SPACE LIVING SPACE RESTROOM
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CHECK IN/RECEPTION
PRIMARY ADJACENCY
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07.03.01|Schematic Proposals | Proposal 1 Master Plan
Master Plan|Bubble Diagram
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Residence Complex|Axonometric View
Residence Complex- Ground Floor|Bubble Diagram
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Residence Complex- Ground Floor|Circulation Diagram
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Residence Complex- First Floor|Block Diagram
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Residence Complex- Second Floor|Bubble, Block, & Circulation Diagrams
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Self-Expressive Museum- Platforms| Axonometric View
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Self-Expressive Museum- First Floor|Bubble, Block, & Circulation Diagrams
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Self-Expressive Museum- Second, Third, & Fourth Underground Floor| Bubble, Block, & Circulation Diagrams
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07.03.03.01|Analysis Statement This proposal is the best option out of 3 schematic diagram trials. The plans are made from scratch, allowing the concept to shape the spaces and ensure that the user’s experience throughout the museum hits all elements of anticipation, fear, surprise, and optimism (the basic human emotions). The fact that part of the building is underground allows more creativity and broader options when it comes to the interior spaces. The concept is shown better in this proposal, the weather is better underground, and the use of natural elements increases the success rate of this building’s structure. All three buildings are oriented in a specific matter to suit the needs of the experience and the hot weather (a wind tower is incorporated into the design). Even though the three buildings might look scattered from the ground floor, they are all connected underground, emphasizing the concept of tolerance and hidden experiences. Overall, this configuration works best at the time being, but it could always be improved. One area that might need a second look at is the museum. The whole experience of the museum revolves around a ramp that takes you deeper down, reaching into the core of the earth and ourselves. That being said, the space is not fully developed in terms of interior spaces. The museum could include more spaces with different funcitons, rather than just one linear experience downwards.
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07.03.02|Schematic Proposals | Proposal 2 Residence Complex- First Floor|Circulation Diagram
Bubble, Block, & Circulation Diagrams
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07.03.03.02|Analysis Statement This proposal might not be the best option for this thesis since the spaces are tightly connected to one another, decreasing the privacy of the residence complex. Also, the building itself did not seem like a challenge, the pathways are easy to access and everything is exposed, demining the concept of ambiguity and hidden meanings. The building should be more hidden and allow users to explore the space more creatively. Lastly, since the structure is made from scaffolding, users are directed outside of the containers to go to other spaces, which is not very practical since the UAE’s weather is extremely hot. On the other hand, the use of scaffolding and containers remain, however, are utilized in a better manner to ensure that the user’s experience and the residents are happy to be in the space. 100
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07.03.03|Schematic Proposals | Proposal 3 Concept| Process
Figure 1| E-Routes
Figure 2| D-Routes 101
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Figure 4| Intersection of E-Routes & D-Routes as part of interior circulation paths/exterior walls.
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07.03.03.03|Analysis Statement This proposal revolved around optimizing the depiction of current truck driving routes into the various spaces through angular lines. Moreover, the proposal focused on architectural features rather than the implementation of these elements within the interior space. There was little consideration of the synchronization of concepts found within the museum, and residence halls. However, the intersection of both residence halls and the museum worked well in uniting the spaces architecturally as it highlighted the connection between public routes, and trucking driving routes. The angular forms of the interior and exterior walls would have been difficult to achieve with shipping containers resulting in many negative spaces.
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07.04|Hand Sketches|Thought Process: These sketches show the assending process of lines and boxes, shaping the building from outside and spaces from inside. Look out for keywords. They will be used in the design process as significant elements.
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LEVELS.
VOID.
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RE-CONFIGURED CONTAINER.
VERTICAL DRAWINGS.
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CONCEPT, ERUPTING.
INTERSECTIONS.
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MEETING POINT.
UNDERGROUND. 112
JOINED.
CONTRAST. 113
DIFFERENT ANGLES.
DAY LIGHT.
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CHANGEABLE.
INTERIOR EXPERIENCES.
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VOLUMES.
TRANSPARENCY.
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STAIRCASES.
ORIENTATION.
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AMBIGUITY.
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CONTAINED.
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Sources “ABOUT IOWA 80.” World’s Largest Truck Stop IOWA 80, iowa80truckstop.com/about-iowa-80/. “ABOUT IOWA 80.” World’s Largest Truck Stop IOWA 80, iowa80truckstop.com/about-iowa-80/. “About Us.” Dubai South, www.dubaisouth.ae/. “Abu Dhabi Mosque Development Regulations.” Mosque Development Committee, vol. 1, 2014. “Annual Economic Report 2018.” Ministry of Economy, 2018, pp. 50+, bit.ly/2neDg4x. “A Small and Medium Enterprises Development Perspective of Transportation & Storage Industry.” Dubai SME,
pp. 90-100, www.dubaided.ae/StudiesandResearchDocumentsinArabic/DUBAI_SME_TnS_Report.pdf.
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Appendices Appendix A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 126 Appendix B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 130 Appendix C - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 131 Appendix D - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -133 Appendix E - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 134 Appendix F - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 135 Appendix G - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 136 Appendix H - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 137
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Appendix A
Personal interviews conducted on site with 12 different male truck drivers. Interview Questions|Demographic Questions 01| What is your ethnicity? Caucasian Hispanic Arab African American Asian Other: ____________ 02| What is your nationality? Syrian Jordanian Egyptian Indian Pakistani Afghan Filipino Other: ____________ 03| What is your age? 18-25 26-34 35-44 45-54 Over 55 04| What is the highest level of education you have completed? Never went to school Started school, but left halfway High school diploma Institute diploma Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree Other: ____________ 05| What is your marital status? Single Engaged Married Divorced Separated Widowed Never Married 06| How many children do you have? 0 1 2 126
07| How many years have you been in Dubai? 0-2 3-10 10-19 20-30 30+ 08| Do you own your truck? Yes No It is the property of a trucking company, but it stays with me 09| What is your role as a truck driver? Local transport (in the UAE) GCC transport Middle eastern transport (Other Arab countries) 10| What is your monthly salary? Less than AED 500 AED 500-800 AED 800-1,200 AED 1,200-1,500 AED 1,500-3,000 More than AED 3,000 Interview Questions| Current Living Conditions 01| How many hours of sleep do you get per day? Less than 6 6-8 8-12 12+ 02| How many hours do you work per day? Less than 8 8-16 16+ 03| How many days do you work per week? Local transport Less than 3 days 3-5 6-7 GCC & Middle Eastern transport Less than 3 days 3-5 6-7 Depends on how many days I take on the borders
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04| Where do you live? I have my own house I live with my family I live with my friends I share a bed space with other drivers I do not live anywhere 05| If you do not live anywhere, where do you stay? I go to a hotel I live in my truck, moving from one place to another 06| Why do you live in your own truck? I like it more Accomodation is too expensive; it is too far from a legal truck parking 07| In a legal truck parking where you spend most of your time, like a truck rest area, what facilities does it offer? Accomodation/Motel Public bathrooms and showers Restaurants/Cafetrias Laundry facilities Mosques Diesel stations Repair areas None of the above 08| What would you like to have in a legal truck district? Accomodation/Motel Public bathrooms and showers Restaurants/Cafetrias Laundry facilities Mosques Diesel stations Repair areas All of the above 09| How long are you allowed to stay in a legal truck rest area? During peak hours only During peak hours and less than 24 hours During peak hours and more than 24 hours 10| Are you allowed to stay anywhere other than truck rest areas? Yes, I can park anywhere No, I cannot park anywhere because I will get fined
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Interview Questions|Psychology Questions 01| Do you miss home? Yes No 02| How does time pass for you during your long journeys? I listen to music in my truck I sing in my truck I speak with my loved ones I create poems and write them later I do not do anything 03| Do you feel angry when you drive for long hours? Yes No 04| What do you consider yourself talented in? Art Music Literature and poetry Dancing Sports 05| Do you feel the need to let out your emotions after long drives? Yes No Does not matter to me 06| How do you self-express when you feel down or angry? I listen to music I sing I speak with my loved ones I write poems I do not do anything 07| Apart from the basic facilities, what are spaces you would like to have if there was a truck district in the UAE? Painting/drawing space Music space Dancing space Sports facilities Poetry and Public speaking spaces Social spaces All of the above
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Appendix B| IOWA 80 Truck Stop
“IOWA 80 Truckstop” iowa80truckstop.com. IOWA, U.S.A.
“IOWA 80 Trucking Museum” iowa80truckstop.com. IOWA, U.S.A. 130
“2019 Walcott Truckers Jamboree” iowa80truckstop. com. IOWA, U.S.A.
Appendix C| Truck Rest Area
Maklad, Ayah. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad
Maklad, Ayah. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad 131
Maklad, Ayah. Truck Rest Area, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad
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Appendix D| Ras Al Khor
Maklad, Ayah. Unnamed Area, Ras Al Khor Industrial Area, Dubai, UAE. 9 Sep. 2019. behance.net/ayahmaklad
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Appendix E| Jingle Trucks
De Souza, Carl “Pakistan’s Dazzling ‘Jingle Trucks’”. rferl.org 134
Appendix F| Berlin Jewish Museum
Esakov, Denis “Jewish Museum, Berlin ”. Germany. 25 Nov. 2010. archdaily.com. 135
Appendix G| LinGang New City Community Shopping Center
Zhang, Yong. “LinGang New City Community Shopping Center� 5 May 2019. archdaily.com.
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Appendix H| Dokk1 Automated Car Parking
Mairs, Jessica. “Europe’s Biggest Robotic Car park”. 20 Nov. 2015. dezeen.com
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