Medium: Wood, Model Grass, Cardboard, and Paper
This was my first architecture project. It was a great challenge as I had no previous experience and was placed in a class full of talented designers. I was so glad that everyone help me and we became some of the closest friends. We as a class entered our project to the renown DX Canadian national high school competition. I had no expectation of receiving anything and doubted my project compared to others. to my surprise my work was selected as the honorable mention of the architecture category. It was a huge motivation for me and sparked the beginning of my architecture design adventure.
It is less expensive to buy a new container than to ship empty ones back to their country of origin for reuse, thus countless empty shipping containers are taking up space. The challenge is to design a structure for community use using reclaimed standard steel shipping containers. Other building materials may be used in the design, but the main building block must be the container. The building must be accessible to all individuals and the environment design should be considered.
This project will be located on 22nd Ave and Balaclava Street on West Vancouver. The theme made me think about what is lacking in our neighborhood. I settled upon a concept that connects not only with myself but my peers as well. Due to the rising number of students in Vancouver, I decided to base my project on the modern needs of teenagers. In my opinion, the modern student has limited opportunity to socialize and enjoy time with new friends. Based on these principles, I then thought of three things we as young adults enjoy which are: socializing, eating, and exercising. Based on all these factors, I figured that I want to build an open public space where all students are able to go and enjoy at any time. Other uses for this building include counselling, academic assistance programs, recreational gaming, etc. The location is based on population, surrounding community and walkability within the range of West Vancouver. Moving on to the look and design of the building, the undulating open floor plan provides a dynamic flexible interior, which reflect its intended inhabitants. The modern student is an organic and ever changing person much like the environment around them; which never quite settles. This is mirrored in the inspiration for the building that is meant to echo the ever-shifting natural world particularly the rolling hills and grassy knolls so seldom seen in cities. I decided to integrate the organic look created by conceptualizing a solid and structured shape from my previous model. The floor of the main building is slanted and skylights were added to give the building more living atmosphere by allowing more light to pass through. In continuation of this theme, the underground floor will also reflect this organic aesthetic throughout its structure.
It is less expensive to buy a new container than to ship empty ones back to their country of origin for reuse, thus countless empty shipping containers are taking up space. The challenge is to design a structure for community use using reclaimed standard steel shipping containers. Other building materials may be used in the design, but the main building block must be the container. The building must be accessible to all individuals and the environment design should be considered.
This project will be located on 22nd Ave and Balaclava Street on West Vancouver. The theme made me think about what is lacking in our neighborhood. I settled upon a concept that connects not only with myself but my peers as well. Due to the rising number of students in Vancouver, I decided to base my project on the modern needs of teenagers. In my opinion, the modern student has limited opportunity to socialize and enjoy time with new friends. Based on these principles, I then thought of three things we as young adults enjoy which are: socializing, eating, and exercising. Based on all these factors, I figured that I want to build an open public space where all students are able to go and enjoy at any time. Other uses for this building include counselling, academic assistance programs, recreational gaming, etc. The location is based on population, surrounding community and walkability within the range of West Vancouver. Moving on to the look and design of the building, the undulating open floor plan provides a dynamic flexible interior, which reflect its intended inhabitants. The modern student is an organic and ever changing person much like the environment around them; which never quite settles. This is mirrored in the inspiration for the building that is meant to echo the ever-shifting natural world particularly the rolling hills and grassy knolls so seldom seen in cities. I decided to integrate the organic look created by conceptualizing a solid and structured shape from my previous model. The floor of the main building is slanted and skylights were added to give the building more living atmosphere by allowing more light to pass through. In continuation of this theme, the underground floor will also reflect this organic aesthetic throughout its structure.