Tiny home community

Student Rendering - elevation of a tiny homes community

Compass House proposal

Student rendering - Exterior view of a colorful building

Compass House village

Student rendering - Street view of colored tiny houses

Compass House village

Andrew Abbey & Sarah Langille
ARC605 | Fall 2020

Objectives:

  • Create spaces focused on social wellbeing and health for the individual

  • Create spaces for Compass House to expand its programs in the community

  • Encourage community involvement with community buildings and food co-op

  • Reduce the environmental impact of the micro village with the implementation of environmentally sustainable designs and features like heavy timber framing, terra cotta panels, permeable walkways, green roofs, solar shading and solar panels

  • This also allows Compass House to apply for sustainability grants as additional funding for the project

  • Design for inclusivity for all levels of physical and cognitive abilities

Children with autism spectrum disorder

Diagrams of design implementation

Children with autism spectrum disorder

Richa Shukla
ARC623 | Fall 2020

Body fit- Use of sliding doors for entering the classroom, door lever handles, and adjustable kitchen counter accommodates a wide range of body abilities and sizes.

Comfort- A range of seating options is included to fit an individual student’s social and spatial needs. Students can sit and read or study on softer, more lounge-like furniture, small group tables, or large group tables.

Awareness- Each area and function is physically and visually separated from the remainder of the classroom by low partitions, ceiling heights, or different flooring materials and colors.

Understanding- The classroom is designed to be a modular element that can is repeated throughout the school. The use of distinctive floor patterns, colors, and materials helps guide students and visitors through space by clearly defining circulation paths.

Wellness- The soft floor surfaces and toxic-free materials can reduce injuries and allergies.

Social Integration- Central courtyard and external garden space nurtures a sense of community and encouraging social interaction.

Personalization- Lightweight modular furniture can be moved and stacked in different ways that can be adapted to the individual needs of the teacher or student.

Cultural Appropriateness- Classroom is designed for people of all cultures and backgrounds.

Brushing hair and stretching

Diagrams and renderings of a space for brushing hair and stretching

Brushing hair and stretching

Sarah Langille & Morgan Smykowski
ARC620 | Fall 2020

Spaces for brushing hair and stretching were combined in such a way to maintain the monumentality of each individual spaces, but in doing so an entirely different and almost playful space was created. Similar elements to both spaces were kept while also bringing in softer materials and color. Since both actions are fairly personal, an element of privacy was added by the addition of hanging fabric dividers that can be adjusted to meet individual’s needs. A soft carpet was added to reduce ambient sound and provide soft cushion to sit and brush hair or do stretching. Ample daylighting was brought from the glazing that surronds three sides of the space and the skylight element that had added the monumentality of the individual spaces.

The built environment for refugees from the middle east

Student rendering - Housing unit with mural painting

The built environment for refugees from the middle east

Mira Shami
ARC623 | Fall 2020

● Around 79.5 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes. Twenty-six million are refugees, around half of whom are under the age of 18 and 4.5% are older adults.

● According to the UNHCR, more than two-thirds of all refugees came from Middle Eastern countries.

● Over 6.7 million people have fled Syria since 2011, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq and Egypt.

● The World Bank projects that 143 million people will be forcibly displaced by 2050.

Design Issues Identified (Zaatari Camp, Jordan):

+ Built environment’s design does not account for the rapid increase in population in the camp. Resulting the camp’s individuals to have limited access to resources, inadequate infrastructure, and shelter

+ The shelter’s thermal performance and design are often overlooked, and the design lacks sustainability, which significantly affects the health and wellness of the users

+ The camps are designed in a way that creates a barrier between the refugee and the community. Consequently, creating hardship for the individuals to adapt to a new environment

+ The street scape design lacks integrated green spaces, and walkable paths which negatively impacted users’ mental health in the camp

Singing and swimming

Student renderings - Interior view of a space for swimming and singing

Singing and swimming

Christian Colella & Mira Shami
ARC620 | Fall 2020

In relating two programs: swimming and singing,  two moments in each of the activities were catergorized; practicing (semi-private) and performing (public). To reinforce this, the space is divided into two smaller spaces, a large swimming and performance hall, and a smaller warm-up and practice room. The large hall is designed to tune, direct and focus the acoustics from the singing performance to act as an aid for lap swimming. The vaulted ceiling directs the sound to a large acoustic reflector wall at the opposite end of the stage. At the stage side, the singing will be louder, as will the far end, where the sound is carried along the ceiling. This is intended to act as a signal to the swimmer that they are approaching the end of the pool and that they should prepare for a turn. the practice provides a semi-private space with reduced vidual and acoustic connections, so that the sound of singing practice can reach the swimmer and act as a guide for their swimming drills. This space is intended not to isolate, but instead mediate sounds. The rotating wall between the two spaces acts as an acoustic reflector, as well as modifying the program of both spaces by engaging them with a piece of the other program.