Modular furniture design..

I would like everything within my spaces to be as flexible as possible and with today's inventions and technologies that is highly possible.. check out this furniture than can be used in multiple ways!

Some modular architecture inspiration!

Prefabricated, modular, flexible, space-saving, eco-capsule pod living – sounds super-futuristic, right? Not quite: Metabolism as an architectural movement has actually been around for decades, and this incredible pair of residential capsule towers in Japan shows how fast the future can become the past.

 Wary of fixed form and function in a fast-evolving world, Metabolists were mostly theorists – this work is a rare built example of a movement that, while now extinct, is enjoying a revival through new eco-friendly and sustainable philosophies of design. These modules were correspondingly designed to detach easily from the core towers for fast and efficient replacement (or upgrades).

Unfortunately, this idealist vision of Japanese residential living has not worked as expected – to the point where the degrading, small-square-footage units were slated for demolition in recent years. Only a push to save the design has preserved it so far – and the modularity of the design, since this will enable them to keep the core structures while replacing the component pods.

Continuing Development

Here are some of the autocad process and model process that I have been doing..

This is one of the forms and shapes for the building of the 'information centre' - I quite like the angular lines that is divding the space up but it feels a bit contrived.

I want the infomation centre to be on a modular system so that it appears as though smaller modules (4x14m)  have been attched to create the larger building - this making the building a flexible entity that can grow...each module would have a simple steel framework and once on site can be cladded in various ways. Using these modular divisions I was able to then divide the space up in an interesting way that will allow me to explore the zoning qualities. I have also dotted in a large rectangle which  I envison as pod that sits on this floor which will house various technologies - a prominent 'technology suite'.

I started to have a play around with shapes and lines for my canopy. I wanted some of the steel supports to reflect the soft curves of capital hill. This will also help to divide the canopy into areas that can either be glass or utilized for solar panelling.

This was an early cross section of and idea for how the canopy might look.. I explored this for a little while but it felt outdated and boring.

 I have started to explore a sectional view of my main 'information centre'.. I want my theatre to be a main area that crosses both floors and can be entered from both floors. I want it to be informal thus I am creating a simple stepped theatre seating that can be filled with cushions and the like. This allows it to be utilized in many ways either as display areas for possible art or various other items that you can walk around, as a more formal discussion or lecture space (perhaps a retractable wall can pull behind it for more privacy for the use) or can also just be used for sitting and reading when its not being used - i have inserted an image below that can be used a precedent. I have also placed the technology suite discussed above into the section.. i think it adds another dimension as people will be able to walk under it which will change the atmosphere in those areas while the people inside it will be able to learn in a contained environment.

an exemplar informal theatre

This is a more resolved view of my canopy plan which has now incorporated strips of solar pannelling into it. I think the soft curves are a good reflection of capital hill and adds an aesthetic interest.

I decided that I wanted the section of the canopy to also reflect capital hill.. here are some of the sections i played around with.. the last one indicateds the static position of the main information centre. The I.T. pods would move either side of this.

This is a more resolved section of my canopy.. I have tried to create further interest within the columns of my canopy.. They have a trunk and branch feel about them because I feel like this is a reflection of the green space that they are found within.

This shoes some of the spatial qualities that I have started to explore

This image and one above sho my canopy in place and how it effects the overall feel of Parliament House. I think that it adds a nice quality and interest without ditracting from the building so I am happy with it!

These images are the progress of my 3-d modelling which has been helping me grasp some of the spatial qualities. The last image shows the main information centre and canopy within the two existing offices that are either side.

Sketching Ides for the new location

This is just some of my scribbles that I have done to help get the design progress moving - I feel like I am a bit behind where I would like to be at this point as it has taken me so long to actually decide on the location.. better late than never!

Diagramming

I decided to do a bit more diagramming because I was still not 100% happy with my chosen location on Parliament House. I really wanted to be more centrally located amongst the offices because this really is imperative to its success. I should have gone back to diagramming long ago because it revealed my new location!

Main office areas

Main lines of movement between offices

This last diagram which indicates the courtyard spaces revealed the long linear line inbetween the offices which I am now going to treat as my site. This space is underuitilized and I have the ability to reactivate it with my proposal. I want it to sit above the greenery however so that the courtyard can still remain.

The most central area of this linear spine will form the static main part of the information centre that will be accessed through the existing walkways that were indicated in my movement diagram. While the rest of the spine will be covered by my canopy which will aid the movement of the I.T. pods which can then service the surrounding offices. This can also mean that in the future the canopy can grow around offices if they are added behind.

Continued Ideas and thoughts...

I have continued to explore the ideas of having one main building with underground storage and pods..

This has the idea that my canopy could have panels beneath the structure that move to allow for light filtration or blockage which will add interest to the spaces underneath.. it will allow for the courtyard spaces to remain a 'green space' while still re-activating their use with the pods.. the pods would almost add an art like dimension as if they could be moving sculptures.

This was a little modelling play that I did to see how the undulating panels might look.

I started to explore different methods of flexibilty.. the idea of being able to manipulate spaces to adapt to various uses was interesting. Perhaps it is somethign as simple as moveable walls? I also began to think about incorporating a theatre.. a lot of the research I have found think that libraries or information centres now need more educative spaces such a theatre because learning in the library is less of a solitary thing than it used to be. It is more about interaction with other people and the sharing of information. How could this theatre be flexible?? It needs to host a variety of uses such as .. lectures, multimedia, perhaps art?, new technolgies, maybe performances??

I found this glass pod like structure and thought it was very interesting the wau it was used and transported. It has a simple layout but is effective.. I could put technologies in there and staff that act as I.T. support to the offices. They would maintain the smooth operation of technologies within the offices so the everything runs efficiently at all times. We all know what it is like when technology crashes on us!! These pods could help alleviate such issues.

I also found this interesting video about some VERY advanced technologies.. could be interesting to keep the pods glass and use these technolgies in the future.. it would almost eleminate the need for desks and furniture for laptops and computers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38