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JACARANDA - SCHOOL FOR ORPHANS Major Design Project Reflective Report May 2015 Mariam Ahmed
An exciting primary school that is filled with love, laughter and learning.
CONTENTS
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SECTION ONE
SECTION THREE
4 - CONCEPT MODEL 5 - CONCEPT SKETCH : EXTERIOR STRUCTURE 6 - CONCEPT SKETCH : INTERIOR COLLAGE 7 - INTERIOR SKETCH 8 - DESIGN AIMS 9 - DESIGN RATIONALE 10 - MOODBOARD
27 - EXISTING BAMBOO STRUCTURE 28 - WORKING WITH BAMBOO 29 - DRAINAGE 30 - CALCULATIONS 31 - RAIN CHAIN 32 - MODEL MAKING 33 - BAMBOO STRUCTURE 34 - CONCLUSION
SECTION TWO 12 - CANOPY SKETCH 1 13 - SKETCH MODEL 14 - OUTDOOR FLOORING 15 - CHANGE OF CANOPY STRUCTURE 16 - INTERIOR IDEAS 17 - INTERIOR SPACE PLANNING 18 - INDIVIDUAL CANOPIES 19 - SKETCH MODEL 20 - OUTDOOR SPACE PLANNING 21 - IT & LIBRARY SPACE PLANNING 22 - MALAWI VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 23 - MALAWI VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 24 - CEILING HEIGHT 25 - CONCLUSION
SECTION FOUR 36 - VISUAL - AUDITORIUM ROOM 37 - VISUAL - PLAY 38 - VISUAL - DANCE & SING 39 - VISUAL - EAT & LEARN 40 - VISUAL - CLASSROOM 41 - VISUAL - CORRIDOR 42 - VISUAL - ENTRANCE 43 - VISUAL - IT 44 - VISUAL - LEARNING ROOM 45 - VISUAL - MAIZE GARDEN 46 - VISUAL - LIBRARY 47 - VISUAL - OVERVIEW 48 - VISUAL - SITE PLAN 49 - VISUAL - PLAN 50 - VISUAL - ELEVATION 51 - VISUAL - SECTION 52 - VISUAL - REFLECTIVE CEILING AND LIGHTING PLAN 53 - VISUAL - PLUMBING PLAN 54 - VISUAL - ELECTICAL PLAN 55 - VISUAL - TECHNICAL DETAIL ONE 56 - VISUAL - TECHNICL DETAIL TWO 57 - VISUAL - CONCLUSION 58 - BIBLIOGRAPHY
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FEASABILITY STAGE SECTION ONE
CONCEPT MODEL
My concept model included an experiment of twisted wires overlapping each other to create random shapes. Coloured tissue paper was then cut into those shapes and stuck onto the wires. This process was repeated using different coloured tissue to cover up all the gaps that were created by the overlapping wire. The idea of the model is to provide a colourful shelter that would be used in between the blocks to provide protection from the rain and sun, an inspiring learning environment and also a way of connecting the existing blocks together the way they are, instead of rebuilding. The concept model was also intended to be used within the interior space in order to create partitions for different spaces such as classrooms and playrooms. This partition would create a dynamic space within the interior by the colours and reflections that it would create onto the floors and walls. It creates a sense of warmth, excitement and cleanliness. Having this concept integrated within the interior space will allow privacy, however not completely closing areas off. It will allow children to see what is happening inside a classroom and also allow them to see how other children are working. This creates a degree of inquisitiveness amongst the children to find out what they are doing and be part it too. The key element that the design should allow for is interaction, and this concept would allow for this to happen.
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CONCEPT SKETCH : EXTERIOR STRUCTURE
The collage above gives a good idea of how I want the colourful structure to act as a protection from the rain and sun. It also shows how the structure will be attached to the buildings in order to connect them together and making the space feel as though it is not been split up into different blocks. The coloured material used for the structure will be a transclucent material to allow the colours of the material to reflect onto the floor, this will be created by natural sunlight. The empty space between the main building and the current IT block is quite large and therefore I want to create an outdoor learning space within this area. By sheltering the open space with the colourful structure, it will allow for a more pleasant environment for the children to learn in instead of being kept indoors, like traditional ways. Through the questionnaire that was conducted in the early stages of this project, most of the teachers said that the children would benefit from a big open space where they can hold assemblies and gatherings. Therefore this concept could therefore allow for this to happen.
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CONCEPT SKETCH : INTERIOR COLLLAGE
Small spaces within a larger space will be provided within the interior of the building inorder to enhance excitment, motivation and education. Creating ‘hide out’ spaces such as the one shown in the above collage will ensure that the space provides the children with different settings of a learning environment, and therefore they can make use of the different spaces provided according to their likes and dislikes. It also allows the children to become aware and adapt themselves quickly to the environment that they are in. For example, the hide out in the collage above will be a quiet reading space. The children once inside this space will automatically become aware of how they need to behave and interact with each other.
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INTERIOR SKETCH
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Having natural air venitlation will ensure that the interior space is kept cool during the day when the children are at school. It would also discard the need of adding any AC’s as it is not good to have for the children’s health and most importantly, it keeps electricity costs down especially in a country that has frequent electricity cuts. By having large windows and a skylight, the space will be filled with a lot of natural daylight and this would have a positive effect on the childrens moods and behaviours. It would definitaly allow them to be more active, happy and also increase in concentration and interaction levels. The sketch shows timber seating (sliced tree trunks), The design of the interior space will include materials, finishes and furniture that is available in Malawi which is cheap. This is because the school would benefit more from spending money on educational books rather than on furniture, Therefore all furniture will be made locally.
DESIGN AIMS
To design a primary school environment that is child-friendly, enjoyable and has a positive impact on the children’s education and mood as well as ensuring that each child is felt valued. The design will incorporate shapes and colours, creating a vibrant learning environment. Providing a safe play area for the children. Creating an open space with limited walls to ensure interaction and communication between the children and teachers. All materials and furniture used in the design will be locally sourced. Making the best use of natural daylight and creating a fresh and airy environment within the classrooms and have good natural ventilation. Creating a library space that would encourage the children to want to read more. The design will incorporate the various blocks together ensuring that the space is fully used. To create an adventurous outdoor play space for the children. To introduce interactive screens and technology. To ensure the re-design can allow the locals to be included and to use furniture that is produced by them instead of sourcing them from other places. Adding in solar panels into the design to make the most of the sunlight and to keep other cost such as electricity bills reduced.
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Design Rationale
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The physical learning environment in most public schools in Malawi is dull, boring and cold. Children of Malawi have never been surrounded by a space that is interesting and inspiring which could enhance their learning experience. The schooling standards are extremely basic with limited materials and resources that they provide to students. Jacaranda School is the only free primary and secondary school in the whole of Malawi. They take on orphan students only, who seem dedicated and desperate to gain a better education level compared to the rest of the public schools in the country. The school receives funds from all over the world and therefore, the founder, Marie De Silva is constantly bringing about changes to the school that will provide the students with quality education that can improve their lives. These flaws in the education environment are what the design is based on, in the hope that it may inspire the children in one of the poorest nations in the world. The intention behind this project is to recreate a magical and vibrant learning space that will encourage children to improve and learn new skills. The design will allow them to have a better understanding in order to be able to overcome some of the difficult life challenges that they face. The results from the primary research show that the students go to school even during the weekends despite spending long hours at school throughout the week. One of the notable aspects are that there are no classes during the weekends. The student’s spend their time playing sports such as football on the dusty ground as they don’t have a football pitch and playing other games. This illustrates that the children would definitely benefit from a better-designed physical environment that would give them a positive attitude towards education and hopefully improve their future!
MOODBOARD
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COMPLETE DESIGN STAGE SECTION TWO
CANOPY SKETCH 1
My aim was to create an extraordinary outdoor play/learning area for the children. Something that is so bright and colourful, it would automatically have a positive impact on the children’s mood. It would encourage social interactions amongst other children and provide them with a clean, shaded outdoor environment. The children’s daily life is usually spent outdoors under the blazing sun as their houses only accomodate space for sleeping. Therefore, the children spend most of their days playing outside with their friends and family. I really wanted to bring this aspect of their daily lives into the learning environment instead of being stuck learning in classrooms all day. This would enable the children to learn skills and allow them to be able to use outdoor playing skills when they are not at school. The image of the sketch really helped me visualise and enabled me to understand how lively, exciting and colourful i can make the outdoor space. It also allowed me to see how the geometric shapes also effect the mood and look of the space.
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SKETCH MODEL
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The two images above are model experiments that was carried out to give a rough indication of how the structure would look by connecting the various blocks together. After completing this model i found that this might not be the best solution of including a canopy within my scheeme by somehow having them attached to the actual buildings. It probably would not work as the canopy structure would be really heavy and the actual buildings are not as strong, and therefore it might not be able to support the structure up. Apart from that, i did also realise that the colour reflection was a lot more apparent compared to the last model that i did. This is becuase the base of this model was painted white and the base of the previous model was cardboard. I therefore avoid having coloured flooring in my design so that the coloured reflections are the colour of the floor does not take away the coloured reflections given off by the beautiful structure.
OUTDOOR FLOORING
I wanted to design the flooring of the outdoor space to provide some sort of a journey or path that the children could take and explore. I wanted to create it using curvy shapes to allow for a more friendly feel and approach to the outdoor learning/ playing area. The curvy shaped would then be the opposite of the geometric shapes from the canopy. I also wanted to add more drama to the outdoor space, so instead of having a flat ground, I wanted to add in shallow steps and raised levels to give the space more depth and create an inspiring journey with nature (grass and water).
This sketch allowed me to realise that I should not just focus on the canopy but the experience that would take place under the canopy is really important.
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CHANGE OF CANOPY STRUCURE
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My initial idea of how the canopy structure would somehow join onto the building structure to provide shelter between the buildings would not be ideal. It would also be really expensive to create something like this and therefore I decided that the structure will cover the whole area as one complete canopy. This way the canopy structure would be possible to make and it would still be servings its purpose as a shelter. The whole idea of the interior and exterior design was to use natural materials that are available in Malawi. Therefore I decided to have the structure made of natural materials and steel to ensure that it could be built and is stable enough for the wind and rain. The top half of the sturcture could be made using bamboo and fabric whilst the bottom hald would be made of steel. The sketch shows that canopy structure covering the whole area including the buildings and this, instantly made it look as though the whole area was tied together as one and that the buildings are safely protected by this pretty structure. This would make the orphan children feel safe within the learning environment and also allow them to open up to their teachers and friends and forget about other difficulties.
INTERIOR IDEAS
I really wanted the interior to be simple with accent colours only in specific areas. I wanted colour to be used in such a way that they can help the children distinguish what area they are in by colour only. A simple, clean interior would be a complete different atmosphere for the children as they are normally used to seeing uneven, rough walls made of mud. Therefore just by providing a simple interior with smooth clean walls will have a great impact on interior environment of the school. It will also have a great impact on how the children behave in the space. From the feasability stage, I aimed for the interior space to have an open plan setting. The idea was to have seperate spaces, however, not with full length walls. This idea was again not ideal to implement within the design as full length walls would be needed in order to support the roof structure. Therefore, I designed the interior with full height walls but instead didn’t have doors to close the spaces off. The doorways would include a fluid cutout and the cut out is what would have the accent colours. This created a fun, inspiring yet simple interior.
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During my primary visit to the school, I realised that alot of the times children don’t need to be sat around a table. I therefore wanted to include classrooms that were set out to be different yet effective. A design that would encourage more interaction, understanding, confidence and generally improve skills such as listening and speaking. The sketch above is set out like an auditorium space for lessons such as story telling, show and tell etc. The child or teacher would stand/sit in the middle and the children would sit around on different levels and focus on the person in the centre. This really improves concentration since they can’t fiddle around with anything around them and also all the children are the same distance from the person in the middle, unlike having a teacher stand in the front of the class when they some children closer to the front and some further away. This ensures that all the children are given the same attention.
INTERIOR SPACE PLANNING
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When i started my space planning, I was had a clear indication of the different spaces that I wanted within the interior. Since the primary school consisted of eight standards, I dint want to provide eight normal classroom setting spaces. Therefore I have provided four typical classroom settings and two reading/learning settings such as an auditorium. The remaining two classes would be using the outdoor learning space, and this way the classes could rotate when they are getting taught something different. One of my main influences of the scheme is to have a space that is different to what the children are used to seeing such as straight walls. I wanted to create an exciting interior environment by having curvy walls. Since i had decided at a very early stage what spaces I wanted to have, i was able to play around with different layouts between the two blocks. I also spent a lot of time figuring out how the open cutout door ways gave a view of other classrooms and other activity areas. This was worth the time as it improved my visuals when i was at the rendering stages. In the renders you could clearly see the view from one classroom into another and what the children were doing in other spaces. I also spent a long time working out table and chair layouts to ensure there was ample space between the desks and in the classrooms. I found it more difficult to do this since the spaces were curvy. I also found that space was wasted due to the curvy walls however, I managed to arrange the tables to fit within the spaces with plenty of walking space.
INDIVIDUAL CANOPIES
This was the main turning point in the 18 designing stage for the outdoor learning environment. Don Monroe was really helpfull. He made me look at the project from a different angle. When i told him about the different spaces I wanted to have in the outdoor learning area, he said there would be too much happening within one large space and therefore I should think of a way of seperating the spaces without closing the space off. He also pointed out to me that building one whole canopy structure would be really expensive and would require specialist that would have to construct the structure. This is something i wanted to avoid. The idea behind the re-design was to have a structure that could be put together by the local builders and villagers. This is so that they could have this feeling of appreciation and feel as though they are part of the school and have personal connection with it. I thought of having individual umbrella like structures and therefore each umbrella can be one area of activity. Therefore it would create a more interesting outdoor space. Due to heavy rainwater in Malawi, The canopy can serve as a rainwater collector and the structure can then become an environmental friendly structure. This would really benefit the school as they can then use the rainwater to water the gardens and the crops that the children plant. Having individual canopies would really help me when it comes to the space planning stage for outside as then i can group the different activities to each canopy. I could then place each of the activities close to other similar activites, such as the eating area closer towards the kitchen and the planting area could be located where there was most direct sunlight.
SKETCH MODEL
19 I found it really helpful to create this model simply by using wire to create the structure and then using coloured tissue paper to act as the fabric. I was then able to understand and workout how the rainwater harvesting system would be possible. The different heights of the canopies were unintentional, however i really liked how it gave a good sense of depth. I did a small test using water and experimented how the water would gather in the centre of the canopy. I found this successful, however there was some water that was falling off the edge of the petals. By having different height canopies, it would create a solution to this problem as the water would then fall onto the lower canopy and so on. The model was also really helpful to see how the shadows and reflections has a great effect. Coloured shadows overlapping others to create different colours, this would definetly create an inspiring and interesting outdoor learning area.
This collage gave me a good sense of the height and number of canopies. Having the high canopies alllow for good airflow within the space under it. It also makes the space feel bigger and more spacious. I was also really unsure how many individual canopies i should have in the space, but after completing this collage I could then decide on the number of canopies to have. Having about 8-10 canopies would be just right.
OUTDOOR SPACE PLANNING
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For space planning the outside area, it really helped me by knowing what activities I wanted outdoor. And i also decided on key design decisions such as the eating area, when its not lunch time then that space would be used for teaching. By placing the table and chair cut outs, it allowed me to plan how big the eating area had to be. I feel as though i was really stuck to the circle concept. If i went away from the circles and created something similar however having it flow into other spaced by using more fluid shapes would have made a difference.
IT & LIBRARY SPACE PLANNING
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This was the space plannning that I did for the IT and library block. I wanted to create small spaces like the sketches shown in the image below. This would allow for smaller groups or individual reading and increase concentration levels. I wanted to create space in the library area that would allow children to experience some sort of a magical journey by having a small hide out spcae covered by books. However, when it came to actually designing the Library and IT space, I did not spend enough time on this block. I was more focused on designing blocks 1 and 2 and the outdoor learning area. I had left the IT and Library block to do last and when i came round to doing it, I was running out of time and had many other things to complete and therefore without spending much time, i quickly space planned a simple layout for this area without much consideration. When I completed my renders for the IT and Library block, it wasn’t exactly how i had initially space planned it like in the image on the bottom left. I had adapted it slightly.
MALAWI VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
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Bamboo is a strong material that will be used to construct the canopies. Malawians use it to build their own homes and other structures such as animal sheds, and partitions for their crops. By using bamboo material for the canopies, it will really make the outdoor environment feel and look very natural. Simple and traditional constructing methods could be used to construct the structure. Complex bamboo structures can be made possible by using simple tradition techniques and since the Malawian villigers already know of these techniques therefore, it would not be so difficult to put the canopies up.
MALAYSIAN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
For the interior, I did not want to incorporate any AC’s becuase the children do not have such facilities at home which means they are used to the heat and can deal without having ACs. ACs are also known to be bad for the health as well as the environment, it would also have a big impact on electricity bills. To continue to design a environmentally sustainable environment, I looked at ways I could naturally ventilate the interior space. I had first thought of adding in skylights, however i was making the process very complicated for myself as i had other things that I wanted to have and did not want to compromise on, such as keeping the structural beams exposed, not having my walls all the way to the ceiling and including photovoltaic solar panels onto the roof. Through my tutorails i was told to look at Malaysian vernacular architecture. This was a much simpler way of achieving natural air ventilation and made it possible for me to understand how the whole structure would work and come together. It also allowed me to keep all the other design ideas I wanted to incorporate.
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CEILING HEIGHT I wanted to add a design element into the classroom that would allow the children to somehow focus more. This would also create a more serious atmosphere when the children are in the classrooms compared to how they feel when they are in the outdoor play/learning area. Through research i found that having lowered ceilings, it enables a person to focus more and this is the reason why offices usually contain suspended ceilings. However, if i added a suspended ceiling it would block off the ventilation and also hide the view of the structural beams. I therefore decided to have ceiling panels at different heights so that the space could still be naturally ventilated and stil provides the children with a view of the structural beams. I wanted to break away the classroom spaces from the rest of the interior to differeniate the spaces and so the children would automatically become aware of the space they are in and behave accordingly. I was not too sure on how i would do this, therefore i looked at my outside space where I used different levels to break the space up, and therefore used the same concept within the classrooms. I was not too sure how the ceiling panels would look within the space so I did a quick model using paper, card, and straw and this helped me visualise how it would look within the space. It made me aware of a few things that i dint really think about such as the strong shadows that it would create and also the by having it at different heights, it adds more depth to the space.
CONCLUSION
Whilst developing a cost effective and efficient design, I made sure that all furniture and materials could be localy sourced and made by the talented local villigers and craftsmen. I always believe that when one puts their hard work and effort in making something possible, there always remains an emotional connection, therefore I think its really important that the locals share such an attachement especially it being the only school in the area in order for them to be proud of having such a school. A lot of the design decisions were made solely for sustainability reasons and also taking into consideration providing a healthy space for the children. Sustainable design was also achieved by the rainwater harvesting system and also by incorporating the malaysian vernacular archiecture within the scheme. I feel as though the sustainable elements along with the chosen materials is what really made the scheme work. I was also really pleased with the outcome of the interior space however, I really should have given myself a bit of time to focus on designing the library space. From the feasability stage i had intended to create really cool hide out spaces within the library area to make reading become more exciting for the children and to allow them to feel as though the space was theirs and they were not being watched so that it was just them and the characters from the book. When it came time to actually design this space, I did not really do anything of the sort i ran out of time. Due to this, I could only produce one visual of the space.
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TECHNICAL DETAIL STAGE SECTION THREE
EXISTING BAMBOO STRUCTURES Fig. 1 Igloo Structures 2014 igloostructures.co.uk
Fig. 2 Robert Henrickson 201- 2010 bamboocompetition.com
Fig. 3 Arthitectural 2015 arthitectural.com
27 After looking at fig.2, I found the bottom section really easy to understand. At the time I was working on my presentation for exhibition board and thought of incorporating a diagram like that to instantly allow the viewer to understand oe of the purposes of the canopy structure.
At first I thought I was not going to be able to make this structure made out of bamboo possible as they are really tall structures and wide too. However after looking at at many other bamboo constrctution in detail, I realised that it would be possible to make the canopy structure with bamboo using manual technicques purely. I did spend a lot tof time looking into existing bamboo structures and it helped me a lot as i found many similar umbrella type structures.
Fig.4 Iwan Baan 2015 archdaily.com
WORKING WITH BAMBOO
Fig. 6 Bamboo Import 2013-2015 bambooimport.com
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Fig. 5 Bamboo Import 2013-2015 bambooimport.com
You can create a bamboo to bend very easily. This can be done in two ways. One is by applying heat and the other can be done by creating a narrow v-shaped cut just below the node. The depth of the cut depends on how much you want the bamboo to bend. STEPHANE SCHRODER (2015)
For the construction of the canopies the method of cutting narrow cuts below the node will be used. This ensures ease making it possible for the local people without much expertise in constructution be able to fulfil the job. This also ensures that the job can be done using everyday and ordinary equipement and techniques.
Fig. 7 Bamboo Import 2013-2015 bambooimport.com
In construction, using bamboo nodes is very important. Bamboo columns or beams need to have a node at both ends (or as close as possible towards the ends), if not the pressure of a structure on the joint may crush the bamboo. Often it isn’t possible to find bamboo of the required length with both end nodes in place. When this occurs you should insert a wooden cylinder of the appropriate diameter or a fitting piece of bamboo with a node. STEPHANE SCHRODER (2015)
Using all this information and diagram, it allowed me understand the basics of constructing with bamboo. It is a fairly easy technique however, it needs to be done carefuly making sure cuts joints are made the right space, otherwise the structure will not be possible to make or it will end up being a very weak structure. I have also read that using nails etc into the bamboo weakens the structure, therefore i will avoid drilling holes into the bamboo for the use of nails and bolts and construct the structure purely using traditional techniques of working with bamboo.
DRAINAGE
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By looking at examples of underground water storage systems an tanks it made it really easy and simple for me to understand the concept and how it works. It is nothing complicated about it and fig 8 explains it all. So the rainwater will fall onto the canopy and because there is a gradient on the canopy, the water will naturally flow towards the center of the structure. It will then travel down into the pvc downpipe in a normal way before passing through a filter that will catch any debris or leaves in the water. The filtered water will then be stored into an underground water storage tank from which it is pumped through a manual hand pump abover ground.
Fig. 8 Kingspan Water (2015) kingspanwater.com
CALCULATIONS
30 For the underground water storage, I had to work out the gradient of the drainage pipe. I used the formula FALL = GRADIENT X DISTANCE. This was a really straight forward to do.
I had to work out rounghly how much rain water the canopy i chose to detail would collect. I did this by using the formula πr2. The average rainfall per m3 in Malawi is 75cm - 1m (Malawi Meterological Services 2006). With the formula and average rainfall, I could work out the minimum and maximum amount of rainfall throughout the year. Using this calculation and then taking into consideration water retention percentage, I was able to roughly work out the amount of rainwater the the canopy will collect and also I was able to work out the size of the underground water storage tank. I found it difficult to work this out and did take me some time. To work out something like this, it would require someone like a plumber, therefore on my detail i will state “water storage tank - to be specified by plumber.’
RAIN CHAIN
Fig. 9 JT Gutter Cleaning 2015 jtguttercleaning.com
Initially I was really unsure of how i was going to attach the fabric to the bamboo structure and especially how centre of the fabric will connect to the pvc downpipe so that the rainwater can smoothly and easily flow straight down into the pipe and how it would be possible to ratain as much of the rainwater as possible to make the maximum use of the rainwater harvesting system. I looked into downpipes and its alternative and came across rain chain. I have never seen something like this however, I instantly thought it was a perfect solution to my problem.
Benefits of using a rain chain for my structure:
Fig. 10 & 11 Flickr 2015 flickr.com
1. The rainwater that falls onto the canopy must be managed so that it falls off the canopy in a controlled manner. 2. It ensures that all the water travels down and stops water from falling over the PVC pipe. 3. If the chain is attached to the fabric, it adds weight to it and therefore pull the fabric into the required space perfectly. 4. It is an easy way of making sure the water enters thE space. 5. It is not expensive and could be found or made locally. 6. Could be attached to the fabric in many ways without the need of speciailist knowledge.
Fig.11 Flickr 2015 flickr.com
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MODEL MAKING
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Creating a model before starting to draw up my technica detail really helped me understand the structure and how it would be possible to construct the canopy. What I had initially thought was completely wrong and only realised this when i started model making. It became apparent that I could not make such a large structure using one bamboo stick as the base as well as sprouting out to create the umbrella like structure. I would have to them as seperate bamboo sticks joint to each other. using rattan. I did the same thing for my model but instead of using bamboo sticks i used metal rods to make the model process easier adn joined them together using string.
To tie the plastic sheets to the metal rods, I punched small holes into the plastic and then used string to tie it to the metal structure. After doing this, it allowed me to use the same process when it came to drawing up my technical detail drawing package. This is when I thought of having eyelets to create the holes and then using the rattan again to attach the fabric to the structure. I become aware of a few things I din’t really think about. One of them was that on a windy day, by having gaps between the fabric and the bamboo sticks, it allows the wind to flow between the sapces. If i was to completely seal off the fabric and have no gaps inbetween, the wind would not have naywhere to pass flow freely between the bamboo sticks and therefore would add force and pressure to the structure. I felt as though if I did not do this model, I would have struggled to stick to the simple tradition method of construction that I was aiming to have.
BAMBOO STUCTURE
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For the detail element of the scheme, I needed to clearly communicate how the structure could be constructed in a simple way using traditional techniques without the need of any specialist person or equipment. I feel as though I was successful at showing the simplicity behind constrctuting the structure. The sample principle follows for the rest of the canoy structures however, the only thing that would be different would be the height of each canopy and the overall diameter of each canopy.
I initialy was going to have steel re-inforcement rods put through each of the vertical bamboo sticks to ensure the structure is strong enough. However this changed becuase I thought by doing this, It is making the construction more complicated and difficult, therefore, to prevent this from happeneding, I decided to have a steel pipe as the reinforcement in the centre and a PVC pipe in the middle of it for the rain water to flow through. The bamboo’s around the steel frame would act as a cladding.
CONCLUSION
Exploring the technical aspect of the scheme through model making allowed me to realise that some of the design decidison that were made in earlier stages needed to be changed in order for the structure to be made possible. On reflection I felt as though I successfully created a simple construction detail showing simple methods that can be carried out by the local people without any need ot experts in the field. I feel as though if I din’t do the model before drawing up my detail then the detail would not be following a simple method as it did. However, even after adapting the deign to make it possible to construct, it was not such a big change, It still looked similar to my visuals I had created for the complete design stage. However, I was more pleased with the decision I made of using rattan to joint bamboo pieces together and avoided much drilling, nuts and bolts as by doing this, it creates a more natural and tradition feel to the canopy design.
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FULL DESIGN SCHEME SECTION FOUR
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CONCLUSION In conclusion to the whole project I feel that I had a set mind of creating some sort of a colourful structure to create shelter for the exterior parts of the space so that the children can use all spaces comfortably. However, I feel as though at this point I was not too sure about what I was going to do with the interior space. Alll I had in mind about the interior space was that I wanted it to be really free flowing without many closed off spaces so that the children can see what others are doing and be a cause of inspiration to each other. One of the problems within public schools in Malawi is that students lack interaction with each other because they are not put in the right environment that can provide the sort of interaction they should be getting. They do not have the facilities and spaces to allow various activities to take place such as singing and music. In my feasability stage I feel as though I did not explore enough my ideas and concept ideas as I did not manage my time really well during this stage and therefore was rushing to get the work finished as quickly as I could to hand in on time. I really did regret not being able to manage my time properly as I felt I really could have developed my inital cncept ideas much further as I had a solid part of precedent studies and a really good understanding of the site. For the second part of the project, I made sure I started working on developing my ideas fairly quickly as I was really dissapointed with myself for not being able to do this in the feasability stage. I was constantly looking for images on pinterest for inspiration and to allow me really develop my ideas and to then be able to apply them within my design. I feel as though by looking for inspiration it really did help me turn my concept model into something very much more successfull and exciting. However, I do feel as though I really got myself stuck to the circle theme within the interior ad exterior of my space. I feel as though maybe if I did break away from this it would have created a more exciting space overall using different shapes, not only circles. I was really happy to have met Don Monroe, as he gave me really key design ideas on sustainability and made me realise how much the project could benefit from including things such as a rainwater harvesting system. I did feel dissapointed with myself as I really should have thought about the rainater harvesting system idea myself as I know very well how much it rains in Malawi during the rainy season and also how much the local people are really in need of clean water to carry out various daily activities such as showering, cooking, and cleaning. However, I was really pleased that Don Monroe allowed me to go down the sustainability route even further. I feel, due to the size of the scheme, design the inside and outside and time constraints, I could not really design spaces such as the Library and staff room. I really wanted to create an amazing space for the library area as this a reading is the key to improving many many skills. I feel I had really good ideas for this space but just did not get round to bringing them out as I was too focused on creating a wonderful and fun outdoor spaces and a really open, fresh and simple indoor environment to allow the children a better learning experience within the classrooms. After completing the full design scheme, I feel maybe I should have looked into ways I could integrate the inside to the outside space, since my concept was having things open without too many doors and closed off spaces. It would have added more excitment to the journey. However, even though this could have really added to the scheme, it might not have been a good thing to do as security is a major issue in Malawi and have something open spaces would not really be practical. Overall, Im happy to say i am quite proud of the success of this project. It took many long hours and alot of thought and effort has been put into it to get it where it is now. I was also really happy with the drawing package I produced and the quality of my visuals as it gives a really good sense of the design from these. From the first hand in I did not have much to change apart from just adding figures in my section to give a sense of height. I am glad I chose to use Cinema 4D to create my renders and by doing this it has allowed me to grow my level of confidence using such softwares. Overall, I really enjoyed working on this project.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY MALAWI - METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES (2006) Climate of Malawi [WWW] Available from: http://www.metmalawi.com/climate/climate.php STEPHANE SCHRODER (2015) How to Bend Bamboo [WWW] Bamboo Import. Avaialble from: http://www.bambooimport.com/diy/how-to-bend-bamboo. Image Reference Fig 1. IGLOO STURTCURES (2014) Ark of Bamboo [OnlineImage]. Available from: http://igloostructures.co.uk/temporary-event-structures/ark-of-bamboo/ [14/05/2015] Fig 2. ROBERT HENRICKSON (2006-2010) Pavilion [Online Imae]. Available from: http://www.bamboocompetition.com/spages/1374-10.html [14/05/2015] Fig 3. ARTHITECTURAL (2015) [Online Image] Available from: http://www.arthitectural.com/wood-architecture-now-philip-jodidio/001-005_an-wood_04450_int_cs3-indd-3/ [14/05/2015] Fig 4. IWAN BAAN (2015) Forest Pavilion [Online Image]. Available from: http://www.arthitectural.com/wood-architecture-now-philip-jodidio/001-005_an-wood_04450_ int_cs3-indd-3/ [14/05/2015] Fg 5. BAMBOO IMPORTS (2013-2015) How to Bend Bamboo [Online Image]. Available from: http://www.bambooimport.com/diy/how-to-bend-bamboo. [14/05/2018] Fg 6. BAMBOO IMPORTS (2013-2015) Bamboo Joinery Techniques [Online Image]. Available from: http://www.bambooimport.com/diy/bamboo-joinery [14/05/2018] Fig 7. BAMBOO IMPORTS (2013-2015) Bamboo Joinery Techniques [Online Image]. Available from: http://www.bambooimport.com/diy/bamboo-joinery [14/05/2018] Fig 8 KINGSPAN WATER (2015) Garden Raintrap [Online Image] Available from: http://www.kingspanwater.com/home-and-garden/garden-raintrap.htm [14/05/2015] Fig9 9. JT GUTTER CLEANING (2015) Rain Chians Anyone? [Online Image]. Available from: http://www.jtguttercleaning.com/rain-chains-anyone/ [14/05/2018] Fig. 10 & 11 FLICKR (2015) Rain Chains [Online Image]. Available form: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99727987@N00/galleries/72157623289273924/#photo_2840378081 [14/05/2015]
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