Temporal Topographies

Architectural Design Studio 3 Socio-economic contexts Mark Taylor

Nicholas Aylward- 101092817

CONTENTS

Design Research and Ideation 4

Design Proposition 10

Prototypical Design 18

The concept of temporary spaces in the city can serve as a basis of research. This section of the journal discusses and further analyses the way in which people interact and socialize over short periods of time, usually between 10-40 minutes. This includes the way in which an individual acts alone, the sizing of a group in relation to the personal space bubble, and finally, the way people naturally communicate inside a social group.

With analyzing temporary spaces within the city it was seen as an opportunity to look into the social structure built around eating and the way in which those individuals act.

Above Santonis Restaurant main space Below: Melbourne Emporium Food Court showing isolated individuals seated

The research within this section looks at how people act inside a social group such as being deep in conversation to more individual doing there own thing. Furthermore the analysis of the way in which an individual uses there time while being in a temporary space and how its possibly seen

as an attempt to adapt or make their space more personal. While finally the concept of how big a persons subconscious space or ‘personal bubble’ can be seen to be and the factors on this such as size of the group, seating style, table layout and more.

At an attempt to reduce variables the same sight(Melbourne emporium) was visited at approximately lunchtime each day for 3 days, this allowed for higher numbers to be analyzed while also giving the chance to focus on similar

Research analysis

Above: Melbourne Emporium shopping plaza Below: Melbourne Emporium Food Court

Scenarios and dining times.

It was noticed that also the construction of man made in-movable furniture such as large tables and bench seating made a noticeable difference such as a increased ‘ personal bubble’ therefore the permanent structures of a space can be seen to make a large effect on the users such is noticed and talked further in depth in the data collection of section 1.

Above: Indication of groups activity blue indicating 1 day dreaming, yellow indicating 1 using technology, red indicating deep conversation and black showing number of groups and people.

Below: 2 men eating outside of Galleria shopping plaza

The analysis of the way in which groups social structure was researched at an attempt to see almost a construction of multiple factors as it includes the ‘personal bubble’, personal interaction and if an introvert of the group could be noticed and the way they acted. As seen in the data to left it was seen as larger social groups would be more focused on deep conversation while a fewer number would be inclusive to doing their own entertainment such as technology, day dreaming or people watching.

was much higher although as noted in blue with the modern day the use of technology such as smart phones were not used as much as expected.

Furthermore an individuals entertainment habits can be seen through different ways as noted to the far right.

Being seen as high levels of individuals liked to relax mostly o their lunch break s a chance to relax and spend the time almost in their own time.

After analyzing groups the mind and body almost In comparison as groups of seemed to choose to sit 2 were graphed (as seen be- within a distance from othlow) shows in red the num- ers that can be seen almost ber being in conversation

FINAL CONCLUSION AND MORE INDEPTH DISCUSSION

as a subconscious comfort zone, creating one’s personal bubble. I analyzed the factors and dimensions of this idea with people almost enforcing this with a space between seats, simply turning their back in more compact scenarios or even using a personal belonging such as a backpack as an indicator of space.

Depending on the size of the group it also almost seemed that this bubble would grow in correlation and the use of inmoveable furniture made this an issue as the space would limit their ac-

tivities.

Upon completion of analyzing these factors it is seen that the high limitations of temporary spaces made it important that a space had many adjustable factors and thee improvements would be seen necessary such as the distance between tables, seating arrangements, and the positioning of furniture.

Further analysis could be made to maximize higher seating efficiency and use of space within the designated area.

Above: Galleria food Court Below: Graph showing the way in which people act while eating alone with purple indicating a technology device, red indicating slow relaxed style of eating, yellow daydreaming/ staring, blue showing people with out devices and black being people.

Building on section 1 by analyzing social situations I look now to use this and develop parameters for experimenting and materializing these findings. A backing for my design is with an intention to create a space for participants to sit and eat, With the opportunity to use data, the proposed site, and digital modeling but while also being still open to change and malleable for any possible transitions to the physical site.

Analysis of past projects such as the wonderwall (pictured left and right) show an almost curtain style of structure building a temporary space within a large mall centre. The interest in this is also that of opening the curtains to find what lies within while also at points the walls only being centimeters wide still create a wall making it feel as someone can be on the other-side and not even be noticed except for the

sound and smells.

Furthermore as seen above with Nike Savvas ‘Papillion’ and Patrick Shearns ‘liquid shard’ show just how the nature and colourful arrangement create another opportunity for beauty and aesthetic which can be seen as a vital issue with the FESTA event taking place in Christchurch windy conditions are seen regularly.

Precedents

created the idea of looking into structures made of materials such as streamers.

At an attempt to create a space Allowing for highly adjustable that can be highly adjustable al- lightweight structures was seen most malleable with the ability to as a strong point, while the matend for different scenarios while terial can be arranged to create also being aesthetically pleasing oddly enough a wall like struc-

Moving forward and further developing the interest of using streamers as a median it brings forward many advantages including easily constructed from many materials such as bedsheets, material offcuts and clothing all easily accessible and recyclable. Additionally the materials light weight can be prioritized as a reduction in needed supporting systems to suspend also being easy to work with.

ture from a paper like material. It can also be seen as highly temporary and almost fluid with their interaction and influence by the elements and human touch.

Realistic Materials Further developing on the indication of using streamers as a base for materials additional components will be necessary to show a possible realistic ideation.

Keeping with the attempt of hanging the streamers from above in a vertical fashion the use of reo bar was seen as an efficient material, originally the idea of plywood was intended although with reo bars low cost and ease to re-use it was seen as a better option

while also being very strong and structurally sound.

With the issue of suspending the streamers from above the ideation of using scaffold seemed as best suited allowing easy installation and easy maneuverability. Although with this it must be ensured the ground is suitable and a local cheap source for the scaffolding is manageable.

Material Sourcing At an attempt of early preparation local Christchurch companies were contacted in regards to sourcing materials. This includes furnishing and material shops in the search of low cost/ donated sheets of material, local hardware stores for an in-

dication of reo-bar pricing and attachment hardware. While finally contacting FESTA officials in relation to possible scaffolding rental and erection.

Spatial Analysis Looking back to section 1 and the data collected by analyzing individuals, this information was now transfered over to help identify the necessary size needed for dining arrangements. Using this and previous standards set out from other research such as that of Henry Dreyfus’s Anthropometric data was seen more of a reference to look at in the design process.

ent size groups of people throughout different times while using streamers as a material reduced the wall thickness seeing as an extra benefit as less space was wasted with out any sacrifices.

Using this all combined to create a space now that was adequate for differ-

Engineering Discussion of the design was addressed with Swinburne local engineers to go over possible issues, with this some issues included hardware and materials strengths, support and attachment methods, final finish and reduction of safety dangers of materials, these issues were addressed to the highest standard in the short period of time and if the design were to be taken further more in-depth research into this area would take place.

Above: Concrete Reinforcement bar Below: Henry Dreyfus’s Human Anthropometric data

Final Design The final design is intended to allow a combination of personal comfort and adaptation while also serving as a public enjoyable art piece. With the idea being one that gives the user the opportunity to raise and lower streamers suspended above from concrete reinforcement bars to create a pod/ capsule like feeling, this allows for the chance to have a more intimate dining experience within their pod enclosed slightly from the outside world. Furthermore having the opportunity to have it fully risen where they can look at their surrounds or allow the wind to blow the streamers above almost like that of leaves hanging from a tree for the aesthetic pleasure. For the realization of this design concept to be developed further more research would be necessary to be taken at a 1:1 scale to allow for accurate testing of materials and the necessary strength and engineering measures needed to be put in place to ensure a reliable safe structure.

The design is an attempt to best encompass different styles of dining as first noted in section 1. To accommodate for this different size groups between 1 & 4 people can choose size appropriate pods while also different styles of conversations from intimate, social or relaxed and observant can be included with the raising and lower of the pod.

As a final stage th FESTA Design and Architecture event allows the semesters work to come to a physical realization. Allowing individual work to come together in small groups as a collaboration creating a component of the project, while also finding methods to extend the design further to better suit the desired space and task.

FESTA Event Preparation Material Sourcing and With materials mostly including wooden paland Night lets, milk crates, clothe offcuts and attachment hardware the preparation prior to construction was mostly taken care off-site prior to departing Australia it allowed for a more efficient timeline of events as we found the first 60 pallets already being on site and another 90 arriving in the following day. This allowed construction to begin immediately once hardware such as screws and electrical components were purchased from local hardwares. One issue was the uncertain use of milk crates became do-able after a visit to the meadow-fresh plant site where 120 crates were organized to be delivered the next day.

Construction As construction began the pallet table process was efficiently completed within the majority of one day allowing the arrangement and dressing of tables to be completed gradually to ensure a good quality. The materials used as table clothes wereeasily prepared and cut to size, while the use of mil crates for seating were cable tied together to increase size also as added reinforcement. Final touches include table lighting and going over for any loose piec- Upon the night of the event ades of pallet wood and uncovered sharp ditional checks were adressed to ensure safety of all particedges. ipants as crowds developed and filling the space.

snapped cable ties or broken seating. Upon completion no issues were found and the night went without any issues and the space being continually used as intended working These checks included: as- great as an audience got to sessing any possible table witness the local artists pertop attachment, loose or torn form on the stage in the cenmaterials on pallets, electrical tre of the site. or cable tie issues with centre table dressings and any

The adjoining site Spinning plates for cottage collection by the UTS interiors attempts to flood the user with memories with the opportunity to visually see maps on each plate while on the opposite side have a personal quote from local artisans who had also kindly donated food goods.

Personally witnessing the project it was great to see how children of all ages and parents would insist on spinning the plates almost in a playful manner while also reading the messages left on the back of the plates brought back many memories as you would continually see people discussing and talking about their own experiences there.

An interesting installation and one that was seen as my favourite was that of the ‘sounds of the kitchen’. Designed with overhead speaker systems that once the user placed th pipes against them they could hear the many sounds including anything from sizzling pans to cutting on chopping boards. With this the externals of the structure was designed to flow with the wind creating amazing visuals. Witnessing this installation was a great opportunity to see how the senses can be interacted with.

FESTA Event and Other Installations With the FESTA event taking place it allowed for a chance to now sit back and look at other universities installations while also furthering the research into temporary spaces and eating arrangements.

Spread out across multiple vacant blocks of land in Christchurch’s CBD it was interesting to see large numbers of people come to witness the work and all the time and effort taken by students, organizers and sponsors contributed. As it was my first time being a part of a real scale event participation it came with great rewards as the public could now also enjoy it almost bringing a sense of completion and seeing family’s sit laugh, smile and socialize on our classes work made this even greater.

Some other works included the demonstration station by the Ara Institute of Technology was a great show of public involvement as they continually did cooking and lifestyle demonstrations with a comedic twist brought a fun and welcoming feeling to the event. Also the University of Technology of Syd-

ney’s seating area shows a great example of how a material such as bamboo allows for extreme geometries and highly structurally sound. With also low environmental contamination it shows a great message of green architecture as was attempted by the event.

Sources & Links

Images 12, papillion, https://www.uapcompany.com/studio/nikesavvas 12, liquid shard, http://www.poetickinetics.com/2016/08/06/liquid-shard-la-times/ 12, wonder wall, https://www.archdaily.com/598330/wonderwall-likearchitects 13, wonder wall, https://www.archdaily.com/598330/wonderwall-likearchitects 13, Fun House, https://www.google.com.au/search?q=43426380962_836980ecd1_b&rlz=1C1CHBF_ en-GBAU758AU758&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=oTf2BvcFbxbOIM%253A%252CHbfYrObEZZtHRM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kSLwdig_aSwFrADRy6seXkVDfbYkA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi3ga3W9b_eAhUOfCsKHf4_ABkQ9QEwAHoECAAQBA#imgrc=oTf2BvcFbxbOIM: 14, scaffolding, https://www.scaffoldexpress.com/10-Rolling-Scaffold-Tower-p/psv-rt-10.htm 14, rags, https://www.ercwipe.com/c/1446/Bulk-T-Shirt-Rags---Rags-wholesale.html 14, Dining room table size, http://moneycents.me/dining-table-size/dining-table-size-dining-table-dining-table-size-height/ 15, Reo Mesh, https://redbacklandscaping.com.au/products/f52-half-sheet-mesch-2-4m-x-3-0m 21, FESTA poster, https://www.christchurchnz.com/media/newsroom/festa-2018-a-public-festival-of-architecture-design-and-food/