Component 2 Nicholas Atanasov
Architectural Presentation
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Parsloes Park is the location I have chosen to place my building because has no future plans for development, as well as having a large residential sector located near my site meaning it is an easily accessible site
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This plot of land is large enough to hold my building, but it is a unusual shape, meaning I can use this within my design to aid me
Location
This building will be located near Becontree Station so it can be reached by more people and thus be more useful to more people
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Research
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To create my final project I would need to first have some ideas on how I want my building to turn out, this is why I chose to look into the themes of organic matter, sustainable building, these themes are the same as use in component 1 as it would be easier for me to understand patterns and structures more easily as well as constructing ideas more clearly
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To begin the process of creating a functional education centre I first needed a starting point that would help me get an idea as well as grasp the possible outcome of my final result
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This is why I looked into organic sculptures with interesting shapes and forms for inspiration, as they would provide a possibility for forms which are unobtainable otherwise by looking at other buildings
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Overall I believe this process was very useful at giving me good launching points for ideas, as it inspired me effectively • •
I noticed how that sculpture looked almost as if it was made of components arranged together to make one larger structures This could be a technique I use to create my design ideas and possibly final concept
This sculpture reminded me of the Burnham Pavilion designed by Zaha Hadid. I could have possibly developed a building from this shape similar to Hadid’s work
Here you can see how I experimented with the shapes and forms to create structures that could possibly inspire me when creating my final model
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Here are some more different variations of more possible design ideas
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However, I do not believe these ideas are worth me pursuing as they seem too competed and aren't very interesting, so there wouldn’t be much room for development
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The most outstanding sculpture to me, that caught my eye and imagination was a sculpture by CY Twombly as I could easily envision its stacked form resembling layers to a building if they were manipulated and stretchded to help create larger area, thus greater room space
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This is a different angle of the building, giving a better understanding of how it utilises its spaces
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After researching sculptures and selecting the stacked form I then looked into already existing research centres with this shape to gather ideas about how I could create a design for my own
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The first building to catch my attention was the Vegalos Education Centre in New York, this is because of the way in which it was constructed, by this I mean the building had to be built vertically rather than horizontally, due to the special limitations of the building, this is rather unusual for a education centre as they tend to be wide spread buildings, like some of the other buildings I will look into
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However, this is not the only reason this building grabbed my attention, it also intrigued me because it had a unique shape and wasn’t a basic cube shape like the other buildings around it, but rather it looked layered as if separate components had been placed on top of one another to create its form
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This is why I will use a similar technique to try and recreate these forms for my own purposes
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It is visible to see how if the stacked sculpture by CY Twombly , when enlarged, easily resembles the Vagelos Education Centre with it even having the characteristic jutting out protrusions that the actual building possesses, making it a perfect candidate for my research starting point
By understanding this building it will make it easier for me to create my own building with similar interesting shapes •
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The interior of this building, and understanding its construction and placements are crucial to its beauty and look as a whole, as well as how it is perceived by the visitors and public in general This is why I will try to gain inspiration from it, with its aggressive lines as well as its elegant curves
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By taking inspiration from both CY Twombly’s stacked sculpture and the Vegalos Education Centre I was able to think of this idea
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This idea uses several similar rectangular forms stacked on top of one another to create this interesting shape, which would make for an exiting education centre if developed further
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This design was a good launching point for future development as it is relatively basic, meaning there is much room for possible improvement , which will lead me to create a successful final product
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This is an example of how this structure would be able to support itself without it collapsing from its own weight or from strong winds
These are the components which I used to create this model, as you can see they are very basic and ordinary forms but when combined can create something very interesting to look at
I believe this would be a good layout for this building as each section would have dedicated areas for certain subjects making it more easy for visitors to navigate my building with out much difficulty This layout would also allow me to use it for future reference if I continue developing along this path
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Relaxation & Cafe
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Creative Media & Literature
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Maths & Sciences
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History & Geography
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General Computer lounge & Reception
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This is possibly how the 4th floor would look like in the corridors and stair cases, with yellow colouring around the area to clearly show what section the visitor is in This gives me a clear understanding of the area I am working on, and gives me an inspiration on how my final concepts interior could also possibly look like
As this building is so tall there will be a requirement for many stair cases, as they are healthier for visitors and are carbon neutral as opposed to elevators, however there will also be an elevator for disability access This is a possibility on how it would look like •
This is a possible look at how the finished design of the building would look like, with balconies and windows
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Overall I believe this model turned out positively as it gave me great inspiration for both exterior and interior of the building and is a good starting point to the project, but this idea needs to be refined and further developed to be ideal for my purpose and location
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The next step into creating my final, finished product was to develop the already existing idea I had just created
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This model does just that by taking the same component s from the previous model but rearranges and tweaks the design to create a more interesting and innovative shape
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This model will continue to be developed as it is very rough and unrefined, but after some issues are smoothed out it could turn into a functional education centre, fit for my intended purpose
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The idea of turning the wooden blocks into different angles was based off of this gazebo umbrella, which I took a picture beforehand of as I thought it had an interesting shape
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The idea of turning the wooden blocks into different angles was based off of this gazebo umbrella, which I took a picture beforehand of as I thought it had an interesting shape
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Relaxation & Cafe
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Creative Media & Literature
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Maths & Sciences
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History & Geography
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General Computer lounge & Reception
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This Is a possible layout of my final design, however it could be further developed to fit my building •
Due to the shape of this building it would be difficult to have stairs so instead a large central column housing an elevator large enough to fit 30 people at a time
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This is a possible final look for this idea, with windows and balconies
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I noticed that the most prominent feature of the building was the protruding slab which was so eye catching as it was orientated so uniquely compared to the other ones
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This is why I decided to focus on this models extremity and take a closer look into this jutting out slab and make it a focus point of my building and possibly making it even more exaggerated than before
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I also experimented with texture for this model to help me get an idea of how it could be further developed, also the texture would further extenuate the protrusion of the slab
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This point of protrusion was my main focus therefore I made sure this part of the model was wrapped nicely, however I was unsuccessful in making this an aesthetically pleasing model •
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Overall, I believe this model did not turn out as I had envisioned possibly because of the material I used, or maybe even because wrapping was not the correct technique to execute what I had planned I will not further develop this idea but rather focus on something else
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I wanted to experiment with the idea of more horizontally oriented buildings rather than vertical ones.
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This is because the area I plan on using has a plot of land large enough to accommodate such a project
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This gave me the opportunity to look into other buildings that have this wide spread plan for a structure to aid me in the creation of my own such building
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A perfect candidate for this was the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre as it was designed for the purpose of education, meaning I could use its layout possibly, but also it is a wide spread building, with shapes and forms similar to leaves and other organic floral shapes, making it very similar to the themes and ideas I aim to achieve myself
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The only problem with this building Is the climate of its location, as it is located in an arid climate there is less need for windows but rather a greater need for shade, which is not transferable to my own location
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I saw how the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre resembled, what looked like to me, overlapping fallen leaves This is why I decided to develop this further and create a model based off of this idea
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Overall I believe this idea was an interesting point of experimentation and could possibly help me create a final concept
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I decided to look at the floor plan of this building as it is different from the Vagelos Education Centre, which was vertically orientated, meaning it will provide me with knew ways to lay out my building, with it being more wide spread rather than tall
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This new floor plan could will also be very useful not only for the next model I make but will also be possibly used to influence my final model as well
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My own layout is created from random shapes, that I then added purpose to it shaping my design around this given space
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While looking into the floor plan of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC) I thought of the idea of having moveable walls incorporated into my design as they would allow for spaces to be more versatile and adaptable to certain needs, for example if too many people want to study in one area the walls could be moved down to create a larger space for those trying to use it This idea I believe will be very useful in aiding me in creating a successful education centre that is functional as well as aesthetically pleasing
Some examples of real life adjustable walls that inspired my own version of these walls
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The adjustable walls will be placed on rails holding the wall from collapsing, on both the top and bottom of the wall, and will run the whole length of the room so that the walls can be adjusted to create any size of room
The walls will also be able to swivel based around a central point on the wall so that the walls can be rotated and allow people to pass without the walls blocking their way These walls will then lock into place through electromagnets that will turn off when the wall needs to be moved again
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This is a side elevation of how these sliding walls’ rails would look like in a room
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By understanding the layout of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC) I could see how for my location a widespread design approach would be more viable and practical than trying to build horizontal, this being accompanied by the exhaustion of creative ideas for vertical buildings, led me to create this model
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This model uses the same blocks and slabs used within the previous model but arranged in a much different way, but by doing this, it allowed my design to be opened up to new possibilities previously unobtainable with the previous designs
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Overall I believe that this model was successful in what I was attempting to do, which was to create a more horizontally oriented building rather than a vertical one
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However I do believe that this building is relatively basic and doesn't possess enough intrigue to attract possible attendees
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This model has a large slanted composite piece which must be made use of, otherwise a large portion of the buildings space would be wasted.
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This is why I will further develop this model so that it can become more aesthetically pleasing
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One way of successfully using this space would be to create flat platforms offset from each other at different heights, this would create something resembling a giant stair case, with each platform being able to hold a sustainable number of people without issues
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These giant steps would be completely flat meaning there would be no problem for anyone trying to read or relax
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These giant steps would be reached by a stair case running along the side of the steps
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I used the idea of taking a sculpture to create a building that I previously used with the stacked sculpture to get the leaf idea from these intricate wall structures
In the end I decided to use this round shape of leaf for my building as it was the simplest shape and would thus not take away from the building by being too complex, but would rather add to it
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Although I knew I wanted to use leaf shapes within my structure, I did not know what type of shape I wanted to use, so I experimented with possible designs
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The next step of development for this idea was the addition of the leaf like structures to create a sense of intimacy as well as adding more protection from the elements like wind, rain and sunshine, which is very important when creating a building that will be durable
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The idea for the leaf like shapes was inspired by this wall structure that I took a photo of, the reason for using this shape is the same as when I used the stacked sculpture to create the first iteration of this design, to inspire me with a shape or form I previously I would not have thought of by myself
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Overall, I believe that this model turned out very positively and is a large improvement on the previous model as it is more intricate and eye catching with its large leaf structures providing structure and shelter I believe the addition of the leaf structures made this building so successful, therefore I will try develop the leaf idea further, without the wooden blocks
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From this picture it is very easily visible to see how the added structures look like overlapped leaves, this idea of overlapped leaves is interesting and I may develop further
With the addition of these structures it is clearly visible how they affect both the exterior and interior of the building, protecting and shielding it as well as adding shape and structure
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For my next set of developments made I decided to remove the wooden blocks all together and instead focus just on the leaf shape
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By doing this I would be allowed to create new more curved shapes which wouldn’t be possible with the wooden blocks
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This new shape will also help me to create a new layout for a building with a possibility for maybe even new spaces that could be used
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I experimented with the idea of peacock feathers, as this model reminded me of them, to see if they could provide me with inspiration for a possible design idea, however I think this idea works better with the theme of leaves rather than feathers
I believe this model was successful as it sparked many fresh ideas that wouldn’t have been achieved had I stuck with the wooden blocks, thus I will look into building on from this model
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The next step of development for me was to stagger these identical leaf shaped modules, to allow me to create levels and layers which are more aesthetically appealing and interesting to look at, as well as being amore interesting shape to work with, to help me be inspired further •
This staggered model reminded me greatly of the Giants Causeway, with its many levels, this could possibly be a point of experimentation •
General Computer Lounge & Other
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Creative Media & Literature
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Maths & Sciences
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History & Geography
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Reception, Café & Relaxation
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Idea inspired by giants causeway, this idea is not very interesting so I will not continue developing it
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For this next development it was rather simple as I only added one single large canopy over the whole staggered structure to create something that resembled something closer to a building rather than a sculpture
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Overall, however I do think this idea came out positively, with it being suitable for my purposes however I think that this idea has reached completion and I do not believe it can be further developed
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This is why I will try different ideas out to see which will match my desired and envisioned outcome the closest
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My next piece of development was taking the components used in the previous model and rather than arranging them in height order I decided to align them next to one another to create a new shape
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This shape I believe was very successful as it created a very interesting shape with the many intersecting layers help create the
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I experimented later with different shapes of layered leaves to create a possible new design, however tis was unsuccessful and I believe I will stick to the shapes I have already used
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To make this model appear more like a building rather than a sculpture it would need to become more enclosed, as right now it is too skeletal, this means that I would have to add a roof, however as I was unsatisfied with the last roof that I had added to a model I thought I would try different styles These styles could possibly eventually influence my final model, helping me create the optimum space for education and students
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I next experimented with the idea of adding more modules to this design idea This model turned out successfully, however I don’t think it is fit for its intended purpose as it takes up too much area due to the extra modules, meaning I will not be developing it further.
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Overall I believe that this model turned out extremely successfully and will definetly be used in the creation of my final mode This is because of it’s a-symmetrical shape and how the nature of a-symmetry is more intriguing than symmetry as there is more to figure out than at first glance as well as the the way each module is layered to help create again a-symmetry except vertically rather than horizontally. This model was extremely useful for me to help me generate ideas for a final concept •
General Computer Room & Other
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Creative Media & Literature
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Maths & Sciences
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History & Geography
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Reception, Café & Relaxation
This is possibly how this model could be split up to create the interior of the building, with each module being once again designated for a certain purpose This system would lead to easy navigation for visitors and students
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Checklist:
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Organic Theme Fluidity Theme Sustainability Spaces for separate Subjects Relaxation Spaces
Final Concept
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For my final concept I wanted to use as many features from as many possible of my design ideas and developments to achieve the optimum design, this would also allow me to make the most well rounded design taking the most interesting shapes and most inspired ideas to help create the most effective final model These are some of the ideas and design features that I would like to include into my final design Overall, I believe that these features, all provide a unique aspect to my building that would not have been possible if I had not gone through the stages of development that I went through
I used the leaf shape as the starting point of my final mode, as it was versatile and could be used in many different ways . •
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I then developed this idea by adding layering as a technique to get a more interesting shape, this layered leaf was very useful for the next stage
I then used the idea of layered leaves to lead me onto this model which I had previously made, this will be the main section of my building
I will then use this possible layout of the stacked layers to create rooms and useable spaces within my final model
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Finally I will try and incorporate different materials which provide interesting textures to my building so that it is more aesthetically pleasing, but they could also have a feature of adding shade and weather protection
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General Computer Room & Other
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Science & Maths
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Creative Media & Literature
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History & Geography
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Reception & Small Lounge
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One alteration I would make to this design would be that I would change the material for the structure wrapping around the main module
I wanted to create a small version of my final model before creating my final full sized project, This would also allow me to think about the layout of my building This prototype was successful in its purpose as it showed me how the building would look on the site
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I used CAD to help me get a cleaner more refined vision of how my building will look like when it is fully complete.
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Possible design for the interior spaces, such as computer lounges or individual spaced rooms, such as science or maths rooms Overall I like this design of interior and will use it for my building
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This is a look at my final model, without anything added to it so that the viewer isn’t distracted by anything, and fully focuses on the building and all of its little details
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This building has both strong, aggressive, straight lines which are accompanied by elegant curved ones which I think work really well together in this building and really accentuate some of the buildings features
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The building has a wooden roof, which to keep with my theme of sustainability, will be made from salvaged wood, also many other building materials will be recycled like the metal netting on the rooves Also as you may have noticed, this model doesn’t have any parking spaces, this is to encourage walking or public transport, as the building is located near a station
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This is my final model placed onto a template of the area on which the building will be built onto so that the viewer can get a better understand on how this building fit in my location
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One of the most exiting features of this final concept is the special exterior wall with the wooden feature running along the main module In my prototype I used a different type of material on the main module, but I changed my mind as I thought this would be more appropriate and interesting This is because the new material creates a sense of intimacy as well as it being eye catching for anyone in the public if they were to see this
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The best angles for this building are all low, this is because of the overhanging rooves there is a real difficulty capturing any interesting and striking angles However, when this building is viewed from a lower angle it becomes completely different and much more striking
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In conclusion, my final model has been very successful as I managed to successfully incorporate all of the themes and ideas I had planned to while also being able to extract pieces from many of my models which I had developed, in an effort to create this final model, this model, I think, has also successfully accomplished the task of not looking like a school, which should attract more visitors, as it is aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching
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This model fits my perfectly into the are I had chosen for it making it
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However most importantly, it managed to have enough space to incorporate all of the required learning spaces for individual subjects as well as having an area special dedicated to relaxation, a café and lounge,
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Also, although it isn’t visible within my model, I have incorporated moving wall structures to allow rooms to change size, meaning they could possibly be rented out
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The only unsuccessful part of my design was that I did not have enough area o add sports courts, but to make up for this there are football pitches located in the park at a close distance, meaning people can still exercise and relax, within the park
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Overall I am satisfied with my final outcome for this model