Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Transportation and Erection of Portable Classroom.
The erection of our Portable Classroom consists of a 7 step Process:
2. Screw pile foundations are laid on site in preparation.
3. Prefabricated panels are loaded and carefully placed on foundations.
4. Using a rope pulley system the panels are erected by students. Alternatively crane could be used.
5. The panels are made with 2 ridged joints and 2 hinged joints for fold ability of site. Student involvement in the erection process is encouraged.
6. Joints between each of the 10 modules are fastened and waterproofed.
7. Furnishings, guttering, prefabricated baloney and the disabled access ramp are fastened in to place. The portable classroom is now ready to be occupied and used by children.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Flexible Photvoltaic
Hey guys just thought i would share some new technology that could be incorporated into our building. I was unsure of how we could place solar panels on a curved form like our roof. I've found these Flexible Photvoltaic cells that have been used in the Army to give emergency tents power. They wanted to Developing a lightweight prefabricated architectural systems that integrate flexible photovoltaic arrays.
Organic shape with Triangles
As a group we have been trying to make organic shapes using solid linear forms. We've tried making many different shapes from triangles, hexagons and rectangles, with little success. Therefore it's good to see that our initial idea of triangle can work. I really like how such an organic shape has been made using simple triangles. I think i will investigate this concept further, and perhaps experiment with making each triangle it's own modular form.
I found these really useful sites that demonstrate some interesting prefabrication ideas and developments.
http://www.drophouse.fr
GucklHupf : By Hans Peter Wörnd
Worndl designed a space that allowed its occupants to modify, change, and eliminate views and light according to their necessities. This structure is made up of enameled marine wood panels and its movement is realized through a system comprised of automatic devices and retracting panels connected to the structure through dowels, flaps, and stainless steel cables. The two and a half level structure is 48 square meters. It was constructed for a competition and was later dismounted within just days.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Ruldoph Steiner School
Assignment 1: Designing a Portable school classroom
As a group we have decided to design our portable classroom for a Ruldoph Steiner school. The schools incorporate a Waldorf education, based upon the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. Learning integrates practical, artistic, and intellectual elements, and is coordinated with "natural rhythms of everyday life. The Waldorf approach emphasizes the role of the imagination in learning developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component, that creates individuals, that full fill their unique destiny.
This attitude towards nurturing the unique qualities of an individual are reciprocated within the architecture. The architecture within Steiner schools has an organic flow that is reciprocal of the surrounding environment.
Interview with Prep Teacher
What would your ideal classroom be?
Heated and cooled, the potables get really hot.
A sizable entrance, with a place to take of shoes and coats, and put lunches is really important.
A wet area to wash hands (hygiene), art equipment, fill water bottles. Sinks are very important.
Desks that are modules that can be moved around and change shape for different purposes.
It is important to have display areas. The problem with the mod 5 is there is too much glass windows and not enough storage and display space.
Floor spaces with a carpet area for kids to sit, as well as play corners, reading corners and withdrawal Ares.
The teacher needs a place where they can safely store their stuff.
Storage is very important, pull draws out in little bits.
Good quality lino, but with pits of carpet than can be moved around. Different shaped carpets can be uses for at maths games. (Multipurpose.)
Use safety glass.
White boards, which you can put your computer against. Sized to a height that kids can write on. Space is everything so dual purpose is really important.
Velcro coated pin boards for walls.
A differential place for eating from working. eg pick nick benches
Colours green and yellow are thinking colours.
Lighting is important, minimize the glare. Reflections and disability glare can make a space highly impractical and even unusable.
Doors that open to outside allowing the students to work indoors and outdoors.
Watch for the hinges and areas where fingers can get caught.
A separate space which can bee looked into by the teacher to form a separate sound isolated space that allows supervised working.
Doors which bi-fold and open into an outside space.
