Week 9. Final Design

A Nature Inspired Space To
Learn | Read | Dine | Play

Bringing the biomimicry inspired design back to the architecture involved implementing the function back into it. The lookout is located at the top and is protected by the canopy. The study spaces exist in the higher level of the building, with small, large, closed and open spaces. A bookshop roofs the cafe and is open to the plants on the cliff face. It is a more intimate public space that links the private study zones with the noisy public cafe. The cafe bellow is accessed from every side of the land. It edges on the cliff with plants growing freely, all furniture is movable and can be lifted to higher ground. The cafe forms the base of the building and seamlessly links the parklands and the architecture.

Week 8. Biomimicry And Architecture

A canopy style membrane is to overlap the entire building. It would protect the inhabitants and allow for an extremely open feeling internals. But what shape would this canopy take.

An experiment of multiple different canopy styles, the bottom middle one was chosen.

This canopy style is modern and sleek, although it is a building inspired by nature. It is important to me to have a modern looking building still function using biomimicry.

An experiment looking at how this structure could actually stand up. I couldn't go past the Amazon Water Lilly inspired efficient structure system.

The four components i will be bringing into my final design.
Efficient Materials | Canopy | Biowave | Efficient Structure

Bringing it all together, a striking building inspired by nature.

Week 8. Introducing Design Inspired By Nature

Biowave - Partly inspired by seaweed.

Canopy Structure - Shelter from the sun, wind, and rain. 
While filtering the light and harvesting rainwater.

Efficient Materials - Amazon Water Lilly | 2% of the material of a solid structure.

Efficient Structure - Birds Skull | Bird Skull Canopy.

Mobius Project - Bringing together Synergistic cycles.

Week 7. Making It Function

These are the components I have identified that could enable the building to actually function. The study spaces are paramount, but without an income or attraction for the everyday person I don't believe it would ever be built. I have introduced a Book Shop and Cafe to bring revenue and the general public to the space. The lookout and detailed site integration would would allow the building to relate to the environment and feature the historic buildings surrounding. The site would also help produce electricity for the buildings function. Because the site is flood prone it has been decided that the building would be raised.

Bringing these components together allowed my building to begin to form. The cafe is a meeting space for the public, a bookshop links the public and private spaces and the lookout ties it all together with a sheer drop of clean glass facade.

Plan view highlights the site integration.

Week 6.5. Initial Drawings

At night, activated spaces glow, the remaining could blend in with the site.

Study spaces that are personalised on arrival for the individual or group.

More organic shaped study spaces, the building glows at night.

These very basic concept sketches are drawn from the idea that everyone needs different sorts of environments to study well. The building could first ask the inhabiter some questions to help them choose an appropriate space and than go further to customise the room to suit the study needs. The rooms might even monitor the people and suggest improvements to the room that could help them from being distracted. Essentially it would be an artificialy intelligent building that helps people find the perfect study environment.

Week 6.5. Inspiration

My inspiration is drawn from a contemporary vision using glass to accentuate the buildings form. Glass is also used to respectfully engage with a historic building, this can ben seen in a lot of the Apple Retail Stores. I also appreciate timber and its relaxing qualities in a space. Basically I'm looking at designing a building that is modern, comfortable and striking.

Week 6. A Space To Learn

Some people suggest studying in bed can be bad.

People sometimes needs quiet places to study like a library, with no distractions.

Studying in your own room can be beneficial for some as you have all your thing near by, but distractions can be found everywhere.

A group environment can be the best form of study for certain people.

I did some extensive research on how people like to learn. I discovered that there are many different forms of study. Each individual will require different surroundings and distractions etc. Some people will require a busy space so they don't get distracted by one individual thing and others will box themselves in with absolutely no distraction possible. Most people don't even realise that they could improve their study sessions by adopting different systems.

Week 6. Off Site Analysis

From home some more analyse was done, this information although not so relevant at the initial concept stage is still very important in understanding the basics of the site. This information will stay in the back of my mind during the design of concept architecture and will become very important in the buildings final stages.