LEAF::1201709907 - submitted by Theory Shaw - Design Ideas...

LEAF::1201709907 - submitted by Theory Shaw - Design Ideas...

theoryshaw 1201739910|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I thought to help facilitate quick and rapid fire discussion (Twitter style) that I’d break out all the different issues I was thinking about into separate individual posts. So as you can see from the following posts, I’ve limited myself to a few sentences for each issue. In other words, each post contains one unique bullet point about the design submitted.

I feel contributors will be more apt to chime in with their two cents if the discussion is broken down into small manageable tit bits of information. It seems that it would also help those coming in later in the discussion to see which issues are most talked about—allowing them to get up to speed quicker on what the community is prioritizing verses trying to wade through long and meandering posts. Let me know what you think about this. Similar to Twitter, we could in the future, perhaps limit the length of individual posts and replies—forcing people to be terse and concise with their comments.

separating the public and private areas

theoryshaw 1201739977|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

This scheme plays off Otrober’s proposed layout of separating the public and private areas and creating major outdoor courtyard with an informal amphitheatre for informal gatherings outside the main community hall.
diagram of layout…
http://www.studiowikitecture.com/snapshots/plan%20layout%20copy.jpg

last edited on 1201741129|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by theoryshaw + show more

Re: separating the public and private areas

turboz 1202722144|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

the comment is on the image bottom-right corner

more privacy

theoryshaw 1201740048|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I felt that it better to separate out the individual rooms for the clinic staff than bunch them together in a dormitory manner—giving them a little more privacy considering these will be permanent residences for the staff

created these smaller informal patios

theoryshaw 1201740116|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Breaking the residences out into the 3 ‘bar’ buildings and staggering them from each other created these smaller informal patios for the individual quarters as well.

last edited on 1201741293|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by theoryshaw + show more

windows on the north and south

theoryshaw 1201740160|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Breaking them out into individual buildings and having windows on the north and south, allows cool breezes to filter through the rooms at night.

upper clerestory windows

theoryshaw 1201740204|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

These upper clerestory windows allow for the ventilation of hot air during the hot, summer months. The louvers are position in a manner to maintain privacy from the walkways above. The opens above in the roof, bring natural light and ventilation in along these covered corridors.

Limit the amount of regrading

theoryshaw 1201740263|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

In order to limit the amount of regrading that would have to be done, I made an effort to lay out the various buildings to work with the existing topography as much as possible.

last edited on 1201741376|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by theoryshaw + show more

Gabion walls

theoryshaw 1201740308|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

It appears from these photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/nyayahealth/AMDOANCenterPhotosSiteB/photo#5151385966430287954 and http://picasaweb.google.com/nyayahealth/January2008ShaanSTrip/photo#5158064949813220338, that the use of Gabion walls has been done in the region. Not only would it be relatively cheap, but unskilled labored could be used in their construction—which in the end could be a great community building exercise.

Re: Gabion walls

turboz 1202725074|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I think the only gabion walls are more efficient for uses like wineries, sheds or other working building.
Because of the interstices between the rocks, I think we should insulate through a central frame (panel) made by something of natural, such as Kenaf http://www.kenaf-fiber.com/en/isolkenaf.asp or also leaves, straw, or soil and bamboo. So it should be more confortable to stay when the wind comes or happen other atmospheric phenomena.
The image shows an horizzontal "ideal" section of the wall gabions with in the middle an insulating panel.
Maybe it doesn't need because we have not to show such details :P
Anyway I think we could use Gabion better in the outside terraces than for buildings.

last edited on 1202726860|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by turboz + show more

Gabion Walls as one of 'the' proposed innovations for competition

theoryshaw 1201740395|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Although the number of case studies for using gabion walls as an integral part of a building’s structure is limited, there’s enough burgeoning research out there to make me think this is a promising innovation. Perhaps with the help of some engineering research, this building method could be refined to the point that it could be a cheap and standard option for wall construction in developing counties with A LOT of stone, as well as unskilled labor.

Re: Gabion Walls as one of 'the' proposed innovations for competition

turboz 1202726496|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

the problem is about metal.

First of all Metal is an expensive material.

More, it has a lot of bad features:

• It needs a lot of energy to be realized;
• It's a finite resource;
• It has Electrical conductivity;
• it could create electromagnetic fields;
• not good to touch (alwais too cold or too hot);
• it could be radioactive (in Italy one week ago they discovered a radioactive Iron inside a beton structure!).

If we use this idea only for the outside, we should also avoid the metal gabions, in Italy we have a lot of "muri a secco" http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMuro_a_secco&langpair=it%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8 (translated by google) in tuscany and in Liguria. Walls made only with stones and soil, without cement or iron.

last edited on 1202727202|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by turboz + show more

the possibility using Straw Bale construction

theoryshaw 1201740453|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

As an possible alternate to adobe, I’m proposing, to the community, the possibility using Straw Bale construction for these exterior walls. Other than being cheap and quite prevalent in the region, this type of construction is quite malleable in earthquakes as well as providing a high insulation coefficient.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/08/10/straw.bales/
http://www.pasostrawbale.com/
http://radio.weblogs.com/0119080/images/Gallery/straw4.gif
http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/oclc/57557768?page=frame&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chipubweb.org%2Fcgi-bin%2Fcw_cgi%3F10002%2BREDIRX%2BuseDatabase_735_I_1568985142&title=Chicago+Public+Library&linktype=opac&detail=CGP%3AChicago+Public+Library%3APublic

Re: the possibility using Straw Bale construction

turboz 1202726624|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Good idea, and good material.

It could be plastered with soil and it work great for the living quality.

views to the clinic and hospital from the site

theoryshaw 1201740782|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Considering all their talk about views to the clinic and hospital from the site, I feel it important that the final design addresses this. The axis, as illustrated in the following image lines up with the view of the following 2nd image.

the view… http://picasaweb.google.com/nyayahealth/AMDOANCenterPhotosSiteB/photo#5154971344999452082

last edited on 1201742001|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by theoryshaw + show more

Re: views to the clinic and hospital from the site

turboz 1202727574|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

comment inside the picture.
I think we should better shape this space to make it more real.

introducing vines

theoryshaw 1201740872|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

In playing off the contribution from Far Link, I think introducing a native vine type of vegetation to grow along the gabion walls and canopy lattice above is a good idea. Considering the area, I’m sure a native vine could be found.

last edited on 1201742087|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by theoryshaw + show more

First of all...

turboz 1202686589|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Really great work Theory!

I'm just back from Germany, and I checked out the work you did in this 2 weeks.
I think that, in this time, I can only give you some comment, hoping to be usefull.
turboy :)

WOW

arch1k 1214241772|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Very impressive work in this wiki! Is it hard having to import, lets say, a full building model out of SketchUp into SecondLife like that, in order to continue the project there?

Re: WOW

Omei Turnbull 1214701060|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Unfortunately, no. There is a beta quality facility for exporting models from SecondLife in .obj format. But modeling primitives in Second Life are unique to SL, so programmatically converting a general model to SL primitives is tough.