2658QCA IDE2 - Courtney Melville and Chanelle Gandhi

Assessment #1, Trimester 2, 2019 - The Pixel Hotel, Research Poster

WEEK 1 NOTES AND RESEARCH 

Lecture Notes:

As seen through my notes I have selected my own site for the pair of Pixel Hotels and begun research for the site analysis. I have started with this piece of the assessment as I believe it has the most elements to combine. 

Site Location: Remains of "Drift Restaurant," 330 Coronation Dr, Milton, QLD, 4064. 

Lat. Long.: -27.474698, 153.003901

Below are images found via Google Maps to grasp locality - The surrounding area including local alfresco dining precincts.

Notes for the beginning of my research

Above are photos taken from the site from our initial site visit. Photos taken from all angles to get a grasp of the structure and its condition. It allows for return analysis when compiling research.

WEEK 2 NOTES AND RESEARCH

Lecture Notes:

The images with the yellow area are the sun location throughout the day (lunar is without). Light orange lines indicate the rise of the sun or moon. Dark orange lines indicate the setting of the sun or moon.

Data included. 

Information found on suncalc.org and mooncalc.org

Above are the images gathered from Google Maps, Brisbane City Council and a Brisbane history site to look at site square meterage. This gives info on the local area in the literal sense - Man Made Factors etc.

Further research:

Further aerial images for context. 

WEEK 3 NOTES AND RESEARCH

Lecture Notes:

Research Notes: 

Most research was undertaken via images and noting references.

The local area was researched. Looking at the flood levels for the area (as this site was declared a natural disaster in 2011 after its destruction), the crime rate and topography. 

The population of the area was researched as well, this gave insight to who is in the suburb most and to gain knowledge of the culture experienced within the suburb.

Notes for the Case Study - Oakwood Hotel & Apartments. 
I was employed by this hotel to work in reception within the last year so I chose this site due to my knowledge of the area as well as the workings of the hotel.

Internal images were found on the Oakwood Asia website, exterior were my own photos. At the base of the hill you can see the Howard Smith Wharves precinct.

I also completed a rough SWOT analysis of the site in the different contexts required. Though this section is now due for Assessment 2, I have the opportunity to refine it.

WEEK 4 NOTES AND IDEATION

Lecture Notes:

I completed some ideation of the site during this week as the poster for submission was compiled and finalised.

Ideas for the exterior, taking from the surroundings of Milton. Which, is covered in stone walls as well as a 19th Century feel with the cast iron lacework on the verandah. 

Interior ideas floated between a wharf within the floor space (as the accommodation will be placed upstairs) as well as an old style bar with saloon doors for the kitchen. A sketch of the lobby design was also considered. 

Floor plans for the rooms were played with as well, but these will need more work. 

Ideas for the logo were sketched up as well with the largest of the sketches becoming the actual logo (Pictured below).

These photos were taken by me whilst on the bus on the way to uni. They show the local area along Coronation Drive. You can see that the buildings (some) still hold the 'old world' look. Many have stone facades as well. 

Below is my bibliography for this assignment.

The Following is from Week 6 - Preparation of Assessment 2

Ideation for the space was already looked into during the progress of Assessment 1.

Week 6 Lecture Notes

This week I began with focusing on Zoning. I started with separating private and public areas to help gain an understanding of the space that I was dealing with, before I could move onto bubble diagrams. I used a scale of 1:250 only so I could fit both of my levels on the one A3 page.

The first series of photos are showing the chaos and layers of the process of using yellow trace.

Above are various versions of Private and Public zones. As you can see I had a pretty good idea as to how the space should be laid out. 

Next was bubble diagrams

Many options were explored and through this process I was able to create a layout that worked well within the space. The week 6 lecture informed me of spatial compositions and spatial strategies which gave me the needed information and inspiration to create my layout. The design I finished with is the image on the far right, complete with notes as the ideas came through.

Circulation was next

Above are the circulation digrams I explored. You can see the diagrams listed within the space and layered with potential seating plans as well as the sheets on their own for clarity.

Below are the seating plans explored as well as room layouts for the hotel rooms.

Week 7 Lecture Notes

This week consisted of sourcing and creating my materials board (as I have to submit assessment 2 early due to a family commitment overseas).

Below are the various images of my materials board, followed by it finally put together.

The two photos above are of the finished materials board (Different exposures).

Week 8 Lecture Notes

This week's lecture was about branding. As seen further up in this blog my team mate and I have already developed the ideas surrounding the branding of our hotels. From this lecture we had a further discussion about the names of our individual hotels. As mine is located next to the river it has been called - RiverTowers - On The River and my team mate's is called RiverTowers - In The Tower.

During our tutorial we did a branding exercise, looking at what brands we use daily, weekly even yearly. Below you can see the results of this activity.

This week I had focused on the 3D Model for submission (along with the perspectives needed for the design solution). Below are images of the process for my model starting with ideation.

You can see that I have used a real tealight candle and within the creating process I found that it has reflected the candlelight across the PVC (waves of the river) as I hoped!

I made the lantern myself as I wasn't able to locate a lantern of the appropriate size. 

I have created a conceptual model instead of a scale model as my location is of a large scale and I would lose too much detail. Another reason I went for a conceptual model was because I am really trying to create a mood within this hotel. It is a transporation to another world, one that is set in the mid-1800's so that patrons can learn and experience about the first settlement in Brisbane. 

This is shown through the use of lanternlight/candlelight and the 'stonewall.' A nod to times past. I have used PVC in the shape of waves so it can portray the views of the river and capture the candlelight on the water. 

Week 9 Lecture Notes

This week we were informed of materiality and finishes (regarding the FF&E Schedule needed for submission). Understanding how important the decisions are for this part of a project was imperitive to submitting a complete and finalised project. 

Below I have included the many sources that I used for my ideation process throughout this assignment. These images helped inform the decisions listed above and gave clarity to the form and function of the space I was creating.

These images have been posted previously in the section regarding Assessment 1 but I have posted them again as they very much helped inform my design process during the second assignment.

Week 10 

I unfortunately was away on family business for the week 10 class, this class was our presentation day for Assessment 2. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to submit a video presentation to portray my work on time. 

I felt that this was going to be an easy task as there was no audience there to "scare" me. I could just present my 5min presentation to the camera and be done with it. Little did I know that it was going to take 2hrs to film and compile a 5min video. The reason for this was that I became stunned as soon as the camera started rolling and became conscious of myself and what I was saying, causing me to loose all momentum and not be able tell the story of my hotel as the words left me.

I was fortunate enough to "create an audience" to tell my story to as my father entered the room and held the camera, allowing me to relax (eventually) and get over my stage/camera fright. 

I have uploaded a blooper to show the "freeze" that I was going through as soon as I started talking. (I have also received permission to upload this as my father is featured in this blooper).

(And if I can be completely honest - I look like a stunned mullet!) 

Here is my video presentation as well. I found that instead of having the camera directly at me and rolling for the whole time, small snippet videos were recorded to overcome my camera fright.

Week 11

This week was just an information session regarding our last assessment item. Itemising the elements needed and ensuring we understand what is required. Technical Drafting of the Pixel Hotel is required as well as an FF&E Schedule.

Below are images of both of these elements starting with the Technical Drafting.

Below are the references for this assignment.