DOMUS (finally)

A team of girls and as it happens we are not all straight out of school – I a little life experience between us!! We get along well, get as distracted as each other (that is wander off our studio topic) and have worked well together so far!!

My job was looking at the services: water, power, sewerage, etc.. Found I spend a while doing everyone else's job too(need to know!!) and found much actual relevant info and presented to the team. They’re happy to go with the self composting loos – waterless; solar is the way to go, due to minimal winds; large tanks with as much collection as possible. I’ll work out the exact size once we have nutted out our design. But have info on a loo system and grey water available in NT – duly loaded. NT are also very specific on water catchment - I’ve loaded up a technical page from them also..

I've just realised that all my documents I want to load are not in the appropriate format - I'll have to go and play with them elsewhere and come back - so be prepared for a big load next time. Anyway, in the mean time, I've found the above images of bamboo construction - fantastic product!!!

And so environmentally friendly!!!

But back to the team.....

At our initial meeting we worked on who does what for our 1^st week task and we all did as requested. We must have been a germ factory though – cos we all got sick after!! We also found that we had similar ideas with our thumbnails. Looking at precedents and environmental sustainability, our design went from there. Anyway we presented our findings to our “clients” and got the job!

Following is info on a range of topics:

– material - bamboo; environmentally sustainable, a renewable source, strong, lightweight, low thermal mass, termite proof, aesthetic – building views and products.

– I found “flyash’ or ‘flashag’ which seems like a fantastic product – however can find no reference material on r values, embodied energy (which I think will be high), etc. So we will not use it.

– some info from Warm House Cool House (one of our reference books)

– some articles I have found that relate to sustainable building practices that should occur with particular reference to the tropics from a variety of sources – these I have listed with the documents

– precedents – another cool book – Ecological Hotels – sorry left the book at home – but will give details next time but some really interesting ideas – I’ve loaded images from an Australian resort and an Indian one.

Till my next encounter with the internet!

ABOUT TIME

It’s been a while, but only because my internet connection at home is crap – I’ve been doing it on the laptop and so have finally had a chance to get onto the internet at my local library.

MINIIMA review has been and gone – can’t say I’m disappointed (well I can and am!!), especially with the amount of work put in. But in hindsight – I did miss 2 tutes so my own fault I suppose. I answered the questions and produced the documentation as required (and spent far too much money on getting it done!!). But desperately need help in model building – will look into finding out about a class!! And then my architectural design – which really is the subject huh – was failing. I concentrated too much on the process (which I’ve realised is where I’m coming from) rather than on the actual design part of the process and hence it shows. Too much time in the library looking at books and concentrating on the interior aspects (and of course spending too much time in the library!).

My mind has been influenced by my own experiences and is not the fantastical/whimsical/creative designer of those students younger than me. I’ve also been involved in an industry where facts and figures are what make everything tick – not an ounce of design in sight within superannuation!! So lesson to learn!! Time will allow my creative juices to flow!!

A start ....

So finally after spending many hours on the net I working out what "blogging" is all about - I found that I was unable to load a new screen template - but I'm now pretty good at the code!!

Still can't get it to work properly - doesn't help when I don't read spanish! that seems to be what nationality most of the design authors I like! Anyway - I'll remain with the stock standard and display my individuality by my photo of choice. Which happens to be of my 10year old daughter, who is fascinated by the ads on telly - i think they're 'chin faces' for raising money for cancer - anyway on my phone - obviously done after swimming one night and I've probably spent too long in the supermarket on the way home.

So enough of that - my topic - architecture.... second year, second trimester, design.....

I started the 'trimester' with much enthusiasium - got many books out of the library (Monash Caulfield is up the road from me and there is always a run out at Deakin) and devoured them.

Some of the texts I got - firstly were to do with ergomonitcs and anthroprometrics - anthroprometric methods; bodyspace (pheasant); human factors design handbook; the measure of man (dreyfuss 2002) - some are on our reading list - fascinating!!!! (I'll add more re the books in my next update - left the info at home!)

love this one from 'antroprometric methods' - (probably 'cos I could never draw faces)



















I copied some pages to include in my final submission - but found it interesting re planes and space travel. that the ergonomics of a plane can determine the task of each individual - ie a sitting position with your legs at varying angles can determine how much you can achieve (ie your stretch)

Back to the task at hand....

I think i'd like to make a life size drafting model - but then that would just be more stuff in the house!!!

These I think I found the most appropriate as it has the most to do with our task - MINIMA -
(from the 'human factors design book')













Having lived in my own car for 5 months whilst traveling up the east coast - it think has given me a fair insight into my own requirements in minimal living - admittedly the weather is not as favourable in Geelong as it is further north, but I know that you can always find a warm pub somewhere on this planet!!

So minimal it shall be ....

I also found a number of books on minimal spaces; small spaces and of course many books on Japanese architecture - they really are masters on small!

Many of the books on small spaces, especially those in Europe remind me of my own flats in Paris and London - if only I knew then what i know now!!

Anyway - had better finish this blogg - I've left the details on my next list of books at home - so will be in the next update. My drawings too!!

wanna look at some others first!!!!

Rather virginal at this!

account created!!

more later!!!