Over the course of my UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, I have developed a growing interest in Sustainability, Biophilia, and Interior Design. At the outset of the Unit 4 project, I discovered that global warming is increasing rapidly with household emissions being at a rate of 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per annum. This led me to start thinking about designing a sustainable building with low environmental impact at which point I decided to call my project ‘Building for the Future.’ I think I had a clear vision of what I was trying to achieve and that my title sums this up and communicates this well.
My starting point was to make a plan of the steps I needed to take to achieve my final outcome. I created a timetable to make sure I could complete each stage and so I could ensure that I stayed on track to hit my hand-in date. This was really helpful, especially when I had unexpected things happen, like becoming ill with Covid-19 which meant I lost nearly three weeks in the middle of the project. I think I had put together a good plan and responded well to this delay, using the time to take my project in a new direction. To improve, I could have had a contingency plan ready in advance so that I could work more proactively when things happened unexpectedly.
The first step I took was to conduct thorough primary and secondary research. I knew there were already some architects and designers working in this field so wanted to look at existing projects and understand how they had been achieved. This included looking at designers such as Michael Reynolds (renowned for his 'Earthship' designs) however I planned to take a more modern approach aesthetically and create a somewhat ‘normal-looking’ house that would appeal to a larger audience. Reflecting on my final outcome, I think I have achieved a modern-looking and aesthetically pleasing design. At this stage, I may not have produced a design that would be available to a large audience, however, given more time I would seek a way to lower the costs, without compromising on the aesthetics or sustainability, to make it more affordable and accessible to the mass population.
I researched materials that might be suitable for my building, this included some that were recycled or reclaimed. I considered what may be most suitable including thinking about availability and what could be locally sourced to lower the carbon footprint and environmental impact. I also thought about durability as I wanted my building to be long-lasting and with minimal need for repair and maintenance.
As I completed my research, I made drawings to record my findings, I found this helped me to visualise my ideas and stimulated my creativity. My decision to use biomimicry as an approach to design led me to study both plant and animal life, and it was from this that I drew my inspiration for my final design. I had planned to follow up on what I had found out from Buckminster Fuller’s work on domes, and take a research trip to the Eden Project which would combine looking at their domes and the plant life. Unfortunately, due to my illness, I had to leave this part of the research. Instead, I decided to follow another line of research, following up on a documentary I had seen about seahorses. I was interested in the structure of their skin and how it would translate to my building design. I feel I made the right decision to change course and that if I had also tried to fit in the Eden Project trip it would have meant I would not have had sufficient time to complete my final outcome to the standard I wanted.
Having concluded my research, I decided to focus on developing the design of the roof for my building. I went about this by making a series of sketches, then prototypes to sample ways to model my roof. Making the prototypes was time-consuming and delicate work. I experimented with different materials including papier mache, fabric, wire, different papers, and wood. I had also hoped to use 3D printing however due to the time constraints caused by my illness I was unable to do this. It was a shame as I would have liked to see whether this would have given the sleek, modern look I was trying to achieve for my final piece. Having completed several prototypes, I decided to use matchsticks and tracing paper which gave a crisp finish and could be cut accurately. I joined them using a hot glue gun as this would give a secure bond while allowing me to take it apart easily if I made a mistake with the angle. Due to the design of my roof, each angle had to be exact with very little tolerance for error, I had to work meticulously, using a protractor to measure my angles.
Reflecting on my prototype development I think I was successful in exploring lots of different approaches. What I discovered through this process was that my design could evolve; initially, I had more curves within my design, but through experimenting with different materials my design changed to become more angular and geometric in appearance. I found this 3-dimensional approach really helped my design development.
Through doing this project I have developed a stronger interest in architecture and now have a better knowledge of the leading architects in the field of sustainable building design. My research has given me a better understanding of sustainable and renewable materials, their advantages, and their constraints. I have developed as a designer and now better understand how to draw on my research and use this as a starting point for designing. My time management and planning skills have improved, and I now understand how important it is to plan ahead and work proactively.
Overall, I am pleased with my final design, I feel that I have met my objective in terms of sustainable design as I have chosen materials that will be able to generate energy from rainfall and a structure that will promote heat absorption so lower the heating costs for the building. In my final piece, I focussed on the roof, if I had more time, I would like to take the same approach to the construction of the building as a whole and later look at applying the same principles to the interior, where I would also introduce the concept of Biophilia. I would also want to look at the cost of constructing the building to look at how it could become more affordable so that it could be scaled up, making sustainability the ‘building for the future.’
Final Images
Commenti