Shell Design Progress

I am getting there with Revit. I'll have alot of progress over the weekend.

Week Four - Intensive

While I was away

Look what my family did for me, a new home office :)

Week Three - Vision Goals

Week Three - Vision Goals

AT Week 2 - Environmental Program

My three high priority goals:

1. Design a building that has zero carbon footprint. I think this is a paramount goal. Carbon emissions are essentially poisons to the atmosphere. The global economic and political policies that are affected by the production of many of the fossil fuels can be just as "poisonous" and even more deadly.

2. Design a building that has the least amount of dependency on the electric grid as possible. Our electrical grid is beyond it's lifespan and in need of critical overhaul. The New York blackout a few years ago is a prime example. If we can begin designing for self-sufficiency in power generation we can minimize the economic implication of such a task and perhaps extend the lifespans and be better able to manage the task.

3. Maximize passive energy systems. We need to learn to have a symbiotic relationship with the environment as our forbears were forced to do before the great industrial revolution. (We can thank Galileo for that - right Herb?) We need to take advantage of what nature provides. People need to be able to see beyond their micro-habitat and realize they live in a macro-habitat that needs as much care, if not more, than their own home.

My three low priority goals:

1. Re-use minimum 50% recycled construction components. Tremendous energy can be saved by utilising components that have already been through the energy consumming process of raw material collection, transport, and component fabrication.

2. Utilize new construction components that are produced locally, (within 50-100 miles if possible), by ecologically sensitive methods and resources. This will help minimize the negative impact that the process of construction will have on the local environment.

3. Design for multiple functions by multiple users - expand the program. We need to design to get maximume efficiancy out of our structures as we do for the systems that make them livable. Why should a school sit empty after 4:00 and three months out of the year.

AT Week 2 - Eco-quiz

I am surprised by the results of the quiz in three ways; first, that I am so far above the US national average. I consider myself a fairly typical mid-westerner and to be over six times the national ecological average footprint is startling. Second, it terrible to think that the US population uses 67% of the planets ecological footprint. Third, It is very troubling to learn that I am overusing the environment to the extent of 4.5 planets.

My family and I have become more ecologically considerate over the last year. We have begun recycling from the home, carpooling my son to school and sporting events with three other families, even biking on nice days when we run small errands like going to the library or picking up small things from the store.

I would like to use public transportation, but there is a significant lack of convenient public transportation from my area of the burbs. I have been working on a local AIA design competition to improve public transportation in Columbus that has really reinforced that fact. I would definitely support legislation and become an advocate for the improvement of public transit in my area.

I have two children who are nearing the driving age. I am concerned with the idea of having a car for each person in the household, but with every one's busy and conflicting schedules I could see it happening. I would rather be able to get by with one car for long trips and rely on public transit. I just read in the newspaper that you can rent a car on OSU's campus to use on an as-needed basis. Maybe with such rising energy costs we will see more trends in that direction.

I haven't made the switch to compact florescent light fixtures yet and probably should. I could perform an energy audit on the appliances in my home and see if there are any that could be replaced with more efficient alternatives.

We definetly have more house than we need. There are four rooms in our house that we only use to "store" furniture. It might be a tough sell to the family though to move into a smaller place.

Week Two - Program

Week Two - Program Progress-Updated

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 1 of 7

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 2 of 7

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 3 of 7

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 4 of 7

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 5 of 7

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 6 of 7

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 7 of 7

Week One- Design Narrative

My intent for the design of the structure was to create a series of experiences as the observer moves through space culminating with the intimate Object Trouve gallery. I placed the entry element adjacent to the Object Trouve gallery with a first glimpse of the final destination. The entry element is a funnel directing the observer inward and on axis with the apex of the main gallery. The funnel is terminated with a column centrally located at its apex. The column provides a focal point at the end of the funnel. Once at the column, the observer is now within the main gallery. This gallery is divided into two spaces by use of a collonade; the larger 1a gallery and the smaller 1b gallery. The observer is given another glimpse into the Object Trouve gallery from the 1a space. The observer may now proceed toward the Object Trouve via the shared space at the end of the 1b gallery. Complete access to the Object Trouve is now available to the observer.

Week One - Final Plan View

Week One - Final Perspective View

Week One - Revised Perspective View

Week One - Revised Plan View

Week One - Plan View

Week One - Perpective View

Week 1 - Progress Sketch - Plan View

Ready...Set...

GO :)