Site Design

Summary:

Proposal for starting a design model of the site as a whole.

Site Design

Omei Turnbull 1197413175|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Although the facilities footprint is only 175 m², the total site area is 2 acres, or about 8000 m². The new video at http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/challenge/asia gives a clear picture of the site (but doesn't indicate exactly where the boundaries are.)

In addition to the model of the buildings we are designing, I think we should start a model of the larger site, showing how the new buildings relate to the old, and modeling other aspects of the site. These aspects might include:

• The existing clinic building.
• A plaza for village gatherings too large to hold in the community room.
• Trees, for passive cooling in the summer.
• Areas designed for activities directly related to the health clinic, such as a place where people coming from a long distance could rest or cook a meal.

Ideally, we would have enough land that we could model the site and building together. Given what exists now, though, I suggest we create a separate branch of the Wikitree, joined as close to the trunk as possible, for site designs. The scale of the site design model would be much smaller than the building design. Of course, the site design and building design are not at all independent, so maybe someone else will have a better suggestion.

Re: Site Design

theoryshaw 1197493275|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I'm hoping OAN will provide us a little more detailed information about the site other than just the aerial video. It was nice, however, to finally get a definitive on where the site is.

I agree wholeheartedly on modeling the renovated clinic building that is on the site. We might not have enough room on the SL site to model it all, but i think we can accommodate a large chuck of it none the less.

Unfortunately, as developed so far, the 'wiki-tree' can only support one canopy. So for now, we'll just have to model the site and it's proposed landscaping with the rest of the building as well. In the future, it would be nice to assign a unique canopy to certain portions of the project, such as site and landscaping. In the future, we could even assigning 'canopies' to smaller and smaller aspects of the project… one for doors… or one for roofs, etc. This would help focus more specific discussions around specific aspects of the project.

As for modeling the existing clinic, Keystone Bouchard had mentioned that he might tackle this, but as of now is open to the community to take the initiative. Whoever does it though, please let the community know that you are working on this… so as not to create duplicate work. Thanks.

Re: Site Design

Omei Turnbull 1197508950|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Maybe I am assuming something that isn't so. But can't a leaf in the tree contain any model you want, as long as all the prims have the proper script? A separate canopy would be a nicer way to organize models of different types. But won't a separate branch also work?

Re: Site Design

theoryshaw 1197609372|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Indeed your right, we could just branch off a section for the existing site/landscaping. The only hesitation i have is the canopy only holds 20 designs before it starts pruning itself of the lowest ranked designs. I'm concerned with having a scenario where we having something like 10 leaves for the building and 10 for the site for example, that the canopy might start pruning itself of designs before people have the time to really review them. My feeling is that since the existing conditions, building, etc. will be such a integral part of the design, that we might be better off modeling the existing site with the newly proposed design, but am open to see how it plays out.

Re: Site Design

turboz 1198026823|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

When I saw the Video I just start to think we should give an hope for this population.

Our project should bring hope to this population and should show a way to make architecture.

I remember in Thailand that people build house in concrete, where the climate conditions show clearly that concrete was the worst material to use, but they use concrete and glass. This was very strange to see, but the western culture bring concrete and glas as modern material and they use them also if they bring wrong living condition inside the houses.
In the village where we studied only one house remain like the traditional houses. It was incredibly naturally fresh and confortable while the other houses (with concrete) were using cooling system.

I mean that with this project we have to show how the culture suggest alwais great informations. Because the history of a population that live in a place for century was trying to improve their live conditions and they studied the best way to get them.

This project should be also a pilot project that will lead new project in the site (so I hope).

(if you haven't understand my bad english please ask me and I will try to explain better)

last edited on 1198058903|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by turboz + show more

Re: Site Design

Omei Turnbull 1198028935|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

As a prelude to this Friday's Informal Forum of Form, I would like to start a list of possible site design criteria. If you haven't already seen Theory's cool suggestion, see http://tinyurl.com/yqd8dg.

From Theory's montage, I would extract

• Position the new building(s) in relation to the existing clinic to create positive outdoor space.
• Create a traffic pattern to draw in villages who aren't necessarily there for health care.

A couple more related to position and orientation have occurred to me.

• Minimize the amount of site grading and/or foundation work by extending in the most level direction, which looks to me like west, toward the major river.
• Orient the longest side of the new building(s) to the south, to maximize passive solar heating in the winter.
• Incorporate deciduous trees with large canopies to the south and west of the building(s) for shade in the summer.

Others?

Re: Site Design

turboz 1198058848|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

• protect the north side from cold winter winds.

last edited on 1198058868|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by turboz + show more