WEEK 1 : THE SENSES AND DESIGN
The 5 Senses:
- Touch - Sight - Hear - Smell - Taste
Regarding the image BELOW. Some people will obsess about the black dot, whereas some will obsess about the white and some will see this in its entirety.
Personally I see this image in its entirety. This image of a white background with a black dot makes me feel isolated and alone, small and insignificant against the large scale white that surrounds it.
The way that I perceive this piece will be different from how another sees it, the perception will be influenced by cultural background, upbringing, perfectionism ect.
Retrospectively, the way that I perceive the world and analyse my surrounding will be different from another.
Design Judgement:
We use design judgement to improve the way we use design elements, it's about creating the 'real' world around us. "Design Judgement and Decision-Making in the 'Real' World" by Harold G. Nelson and Erik Stolterman state that "Judgement is a key dimension in the process of design. The ability to make design judgements is what distinguishes a designer as a designer. The ability to make good design judgement distinguishes good design.
- Observe
- Look
- Sense
- Imagine
Tangible
- Physical
- Form
Intangible
- How humans interact with form
- Patterns of behaviour and usage patterns
- Different levels of interaction
This therefore requires experimentation of form and human behaviour.
Embodied Understanding:
As a DESIGNER we must EXPERIMENT with FORM (OBJECTS) and SPACE to ensure we consider TANGIBLE elements but also CONSIDER the INTANGIBLE elements of how humans react in certain spaces.
You can plan but if you misunderstand the intangible elements through lack of research on your client then major problems may arise.
Capturing the Lived Experience:
How do you capture all of these INTANGIBLE elements and use them in the design process?
- Investigate the embodied sense of SPACE and FORM (OBJECTS)
- How do we know the world - Phenomenology
- We know the world because we think about it
- Merleau Ponty argues that whilst we OBSERVE the world we also have an innate understanding of the world, an object or space
- For example - A mobile phone and a toddler
Lived Experiences come from the 5 human senses:
- SENSES link to MEMORY
- SENSES can alter MOOD
- SENSES trigger MEMORY and ALTER your experience of a new space or and old space
Senses, Spaces and the Social Order : Feeling in or out of place
- Sometimes we feel out of place in a space or absolutely at home in a space
- Example: You feel comfortable in your bedroom
- Example: You feel uncomfortable in a public space such as an airport or hospital
CASE STUDY : Library
Like any other space libraries are sensorial. Prior to 2000, a library was a quiet place that encouraged quiet reading or study. It was designed as a depository of information analogue/book form. As the internet took of and information was transferred to online, the role and nature of the library changed. Subsequently, his has been reflected in the physical design of library spaces.
Notice Design
- High ceilings
- Low light
- Hard surfaces
- Large scale
It is all very imposing to reinforce the importance of the building and KNOWLEDGE it contains over the person using it, it is NOT human-centred in its design
In 1988 the library relocated to a newer and larger space, though the previous principles still apply, however there is a noticeable evolution in design
- Much more light
- Softer furnishings and colours
- More focus on reading as opposed to string books
This is more human-centred.
New libraries
- Open
- Inclusive Design
- Noise is embraced, moderated
- Welcoming, human-centred
- More light
- Open
- Softer materiality
- Organic format
- Information is dispersed, less focus on book stacks
How do we tune spaces to enhance participation and opportunities
- What must we understand about relationships to sensory spaces?
- Ex. Library - the space that produced a sense of risk of exposing a lack of belonging in the place
- But how does the sensory environment succeed in producing this feeling in some more than others? Why're some people comfortable in these spaces and others not?
- What are the mechanisms and relationships that produce exclusion
The role of the senses in feeling in place or out of place:
So what is going on in the evolution of the library as a public space? Why is it some people feel at home in a public space with its unsaid or unwritten rules?
How do we tune spaces to enhance participation and opportunities?
What must we understand about relationships to sensory spaces?
The space that produces a sense of the risk of exposing a lack of belonging in the place. But how does the sensory environment succeed in producing this feeling in some more than others? Why're some people comfortable in these spaces and others not? What are the mechanisms and relationships that produce exclusion?
Cultural Capital:
Cultural capital, for its part, includes exposure to valued ‘knowledge’ such as educational experiences resulting in credentials. Cultural capital is acquired by exposure to what is considered to be ‘cultural’ by a given society or group, such as art, artefacts or music [17]. The link between education and cultural capital obviously derives from students’ intensive exposure to knowledge and values in schools, universities and colleges. According to Bourdieu, however, cultural capital is not only acquired in an educational setting, but also the result of living in the world. Cultural capital, therefore, is seen as a resource—a wealth that can be used as power and used to improve social status. People have less or more amounts of the three aforementioned types of capital, which allows them less or more power in relation to other individuals. Interestingly, according to Bourdieu, cultural capital is considered to be the most influential type of capital.
What guides our sense of not fitting into sensory spaces? - Habitus
- Habitus - ingrained habits, skills, and dispositions
- According to Bourdieu this concept has the likelihood to affect our actions and also the construct the social world, and various external factors can influence it
- Comes from upbringing and the society you are immersed in and is link to social capital
- You generally feel at home in your society/country and understand the norms and behaviour's you see around you and understand the expectations of a building, coial gatherings (weddings) or business dealings
- Globalisation has brought people together from many differing cultures and societies and habitus evolves in individuals as a result
EYES OF THE SKIN
Q: With mainly experiencing the world with our eyes, what type of observer are we becoming?
A: Whilst mainly experiencing the world with our eyes this makes us distant observers. Just by standing back and observing something we create a distance between ourselves and the object. By using one of our other senses, touch, we connect with it.
Q: Pallasmaa discusses at length the sensory deprivation - how does he express this in his text?
A: Whilst mainly experiencing the world with our eyes this makes us distant observers. Just by standing back and observing something we create a distance between ourselves and the object. By using one of our other senses, touch, we connect with it. For example, imagine watching a movie without sound, emotion is left out of the experience compared to having the sound on.
Q: Pallasmaa says that the eye can itself be biased, “nihilistic or narcissistic- explain
A: Pallasmaa explains that the narcissistic eye views architecture only as a means of self-expression, and as an intellectual-artistic game detached from essential mental and societal connections. Whereas, the nihilistic eye deliberately advances sensory and mental detachment and alienation. Instead of reinforcing one's body-centred and integrated experience of the world, nihilistic architecture disengages and isolates the body; and instead of attempting to reconstruct cultural order, it makes a reading of collective signification impossible.
Q: What is your favourite visual example in the book - explain why
A: Image 5 on page 28 "In heightened emotional states and deep thought, vision is usually repressed". This is my favourite visual example because it creatively demonstrates the notion of when we are feeling particularly emotionally vulnerable, we don't see as clearly when in such a vulnerable state.
WEEK 2 : INCLUSIVE DESIGN
- Inclusion occurs when a diversity of people feel valued and respected, have access to opportunities and resources and can contribute their perspectives and talents to improve their organisation (or society).
- Exclusion is the opposite of inclusion, not feeling valued or respected, not having the access to opportunities and resources and feel they can not contribute ideas.
- Separation is where groups are identified but are put into another area.
- Integration - mistaken for inclusion. The groups that are identified are accepted in society however they are being asked, but even within the accepted society, they find it easier to be in their own group.
Aging in Australia:
Considered 65+ as old age in Australia
FACT: by 2050, around one quarter of Australians will be aged 65 years or older
Key Issues for Older Australians:
- Around one in three Australians (35 per cent) aged between 55 and 64 years say they have experienced discrimination because of their age
- One in five Australians aged 55 years or over claim that age is a major barrier to finding a job or getting more hours of paid work. They say that employers consider them “too old”. - Approximately 80 percent of all Australians aged 65 years and over rely, at least in part, on the Age Pension.
- There are currently five people of working age to support each person aged 65 years and over, compared to 7.5 working aged people per aged person in 1970. This is projected to fall further, with only 2.7 people of working age to support each Australian aged 65 years and over by 2050.
- More than one in four older Australians live in poverty. People aged 65 years and over make up seven per cent of the homeless population.
- Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience poorer health and have higher rates disability than other Australians of the same age.
- In 2009-2010, average superannuation payouts for women were just over half (57%) those of men. Average retirement payouts in 2009-10 were of the order of $198,000 for men and only $112,600 for women.
Impacts of Aging on Society:
- Physical design of cities change
- Transport change
- Smaller family units
- More single - home elderly residents
- More aged care and hospital spaces required
Types of Aging:
- Healthy aging
- Chronological
- Biological
- Psychology
- Unhealthy aging
- Frailty
- Mental decline
- Loneliness
- Depression
Aging and the Senses
- Eyes - eyes age as you age
- Ears - ears age and decline
- Smell and taste - don’t change but can be more dull
- Touch - skin becomes more skin and frail
- Generally with aging the senses dull or diminish
- Mentally humans can also diminish - dementia become isolated, depression
- Feel powerless
- Dislike changes
- Physically over 80 percent become frail
Current Types of Care:
- Care at home
- Residential care
- Residential high care - dementia , etc
- Flexible care
- Transition care program
- National aboriginal and torres strait islander flexible aged catr
Current Problems in Aged Care:
- Poor funding
- Abuse
- Stressed families and staff
- Unethical providers
- Mental health
Inclusion for Elderly People:
- Social involvement
- Children and grandchildren visits
- Education (of relatives)
- Financial support
Principle of Justice - linking to inclusion:
- Equity - to ensure fair distribution of available resources across society
- Access - ensure all people have access to goods and services regardless of age, gender, ethnicity etc.
- Participation - enable people to participate in decisions which affect their lives
- Rights - To protect individual liberties to information about circumstances and decisions affecting them and to appeal decisions to people feel unfair.
The need to "fit":
- People have capabilities (habitus) that needs to fit into the current design of aged care facilities
- If these needs are not met they fail to flourish – the institutions have little or no flexibility to allow this to occur
Fitting:
- A person must possess ability, resources and practical means to achieve functioning requirements
- Social, economic and physical needs must be such that they can do it
Facilitation - making fitting easier:
- Current models and options for aging have issues
- Aged Care Royal Commission is currently assessing effectiveness
- Examples of spaces that work
Back to the Five Senses:
What guides our senses of not fitting into spaces?
- Bourdieau
– Habitus – Bodily sense of place in settings & spaces
- Merleau-Ponty
– Habituated responses are organised by our body – Senses mediate the way our body understands what to do
The Need for Universal Design:
- Allows anyone regardless of age, disability or culture to use buildings, transport, homes, etc
- Brings programs, services, facilities that remove barriers or 'unfitting'
Universal Design:
- Body fit
- Comfort
- Awareness - aware of the clients needs and abilities which then links in body fit
- Understanding
- Wellness
- Social integration
- Personalization - putting an elderly people in a ward is not personalised
- Cultural appropriateness
Each of these need to be considered for effective human-centred design
OLD PEOPLES HOME FOR 4 YEAR OLDS
WEEK 3 : Inclusivity Applied to Design Process
Fitting and Misfitting:
- Remember the senses
- Occurs when two things come together in harmony or disjuction
- When shape and substance of these two correspond their union works
- A MISFIT then is an incongruent relationship between two things - NON HARMONIUS - for example, a square peg in a round hole
- MISFIT PROBLEM - therefore is not in either of the two items/entities but rather in their juxtaposition - the awkward attempt to fit them together
Misfitting Produces Segregation:
For older people, segregation occurs when their bodies come into conflict with the shape and items of the built world - designed for able people. The primary negative effect of misfitting is EXCLUSION from public sphere - resulting in segregation into their homes or aged-care institutions.
Design Process:
- Pre Design
- Schematic Design
- Design Development
- Construction Documentation
- Construction Administration
Universal Design Principles:
- Equitable use
- The design does not disadvantage or stigmatize any group of users
- Flexibility in use
- The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities
- Simple and intuitive use
- Use of the design is easy to understand. Regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level
- Perceptible information
- The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities
- Tolerance for error
-The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions
- Low physical effort
- The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue
- Size and space for approach and use
- Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility
8 Goals of Universal Design:
- Body fit
- Comfort
- Awareness
- Understanding
- Wellness
- Social Integration
- Personalisation
- Cultural Appropriateness
Universal Design - More than Accessibility:
The built environment can negatively impact older adults by creating barriers to maintain a continued engagement with life. Social bonds and community connections can be served due to an environment that hinders the functioning of this population. There it is crucial for designers to take into consideration changes experienced during the aging process.
Applying Universal Design to Design Process:
- Include
- Goals and principles in each stage where appropriate, particularly
- Client Engagement
- Creativity
- Research
- Budget
- Specifications and standards
- Align
- With human-centered design
- Remember
- The senses and how they change as people age
So how do we do this?
- By enabling rather than disabling
- We are mindful of human-centred design
- We consider universal design at each design process stage
- Rather than a sterile hospital-like environment filled with grab bars and wheelchair ramps, or a 'peter pan house' that assumes its residents will never grow old, a universally designed home is convenient for an age-diverse population without overtly suggesting old age-or any other age, for that matter.
WEEK 4 : ASSESSMENT 1
LINK TO PRESENTATION:
WEEK 5 : RETURN BRIEF AND SITE ANALYSIS
A Design Proposal includes:
- A cover letter thanking the client for the opportunity to put forward a proposal
- Your details and professional credentials
- Client information and stakeholder details
- The project description
- Site analysis including any existing structures
- Any heritage consideration for existing buildings (N/A)
- Any zoning considerations including "not for demolition zoning"
- The client brief
- The proposed scope of works
- Timeframes
- Limitation and an outline of the main elements of you design concepy
- Graphic representation including sketches, plans, perspective and diagrams
- Photographs and imagery
- Fee proposal that will be reviewed and signed off with the client before commencing design work
Client Brief:
- Initial idea or concept as communicated by the client for the project.
- Written but often verbal communication of the clients expectations of the project
Includes:
- Type of occupancy of the space
- Number of occupants
- Specific needs
- Usage
- Facility requirements
- Number of rooms
- Etc.
Client will often have a pre-conceived idea of how they believe the space should not only function, but also the look, feel or style of design they would like to emulate
Return Brief:
- Written by the designer as a formal document
- The document will intercept the information provided by the client and determine what is possible with the given space allocation, existing building frame, budget, time frames and so on
- What the client has asked for may not always be possible to achieve
- Whilst being sensitive to the needs of the client, it is the designers job to ascertain whether the clients requests are reasonable and achievable
- It is also the designers job to introduce new possibilities that the client may not have considered. The return brief will predetermine the stages of a project with a time guideline of what is achievable
- It will outline the role of the designer in the project and the scope of the works to be undertaken
- The return brief forms part of an overall design proposal that will be reviewed and signed off with the client before commencing design work
- The return brief will act as a mission statement that outlines the design scheme. It enables the designer to formulate ideas into a strategy to tackle and solve design problems and to explain what they wish to achieve in the project by defining how it will maximise the qualities of an interior space
- The return brief defines the aims and objectives of a design scheme and boundaries and limitation and illustrates the designers intent for the project
Site Analysis Defined and Why We Do Them:
- Site - an area or building to be redesigned
- Site or context analysis
- It is an information gathering exercise
- Existing conditions of site
- Study issues at site
- Be thorough - poor research yields poor design solutions
Key Information Elements:
- Location - where the site is situated
- Neighbourhood context - immediate surrounding of the site including data on zoning and buildings and other impacts on our project
- Zoning and size - dimensional considerations such as boundaries, easements, height restrictions, site area, access along with any further plans
- Legal information - ownership, restrictions or covenants, council related information, future urban developments plans
- Natural physical features - actual features of the site such as trees, rocks, topography, drainage patterns
- Man-made features - existing buildings, walls, setbacks, materials, landscaping, scale
- Circulation - vehicle and pedestrian movements in, through and around the site. Consider the timing of these movements, and duration of heavier patterns
- Utilities - electricity, gas, water, sewer and telephone services that are situated in or near the site, along with distances, depths and materials
- Climate - rainfall, wind directions, temperatures, sun path, all considered during the different times of the year
- Sensory - visual, audible and tactile aspects of the site, such as views, noise and so on, considered at different times of day
- Human and cultural - cultural, psychological, behavioural and sociological aspects surrounding the neighbourhood. Activities and patterns, density, population ethnic patterns, employment, income, values and so on
Diagramming:
- Important as easy to understand
- Either as one large drawing OR multiple smaller drawings
- If the end diagram(s) looks confusing then try again - this explains how the site works/does not work
Evaluation of Results:
- The Building
- Massing
- Structure
- Circulation
- Axis
- Symmetry
- Scale and Proportion
- Balance
- Regulating lines
- Light quality
- Rhythm and repetition
- Views
- Geometry
- Hierarchy
- Enclosure
- Space/void relationship
TIMELINE
WEEK 6 : THE CREATIVE PROCESS + DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND ELEMENTS
DESIGN PROCESS :
- Analyse
- Research
- Brainstorm
- Select
- Build
- Test
- Report
REPEAT
- Brainstorming
WEEK 7 : THE INTERIOR DESIGNER AND THE DESIGN PROCESS
- 3-5 projects going at any one time
- Ideation
- Research
- Documentation
Client Engagement:
- Engage with client to discuss project
- Client Brief - often verbal
- Discuss Scope
- Determine Goals
- Establish Timeline
- Budget Guide
Conceptual Schematic Design
- Research - history, site, case studies, SWOT
- Prepare return brief
- mission statement of project
- outlines stages
- outlines role of designer in project
- outlines possibilities and limitations
- preliminary budget
- preliminary layouts and images
- present design brief (THE PITCH)
- Sign off preferred design by client
Design Development
- develop detailed design
- create detailed final concept incl.
- plans
- sections/elevations
- details
- revised budget
- Present detailed design to client (THE SELL)
- presentations/documents
- materials board
- Obtain Client sign off of final design and budget
Construction Document
- Create detailed technical drawings and specifications to australian standards
- Coordinate special consultants
- Create FFE schedule
- Coordinate Tender Process
- Considers Permits requirements
- Prepare contractor documents when needed
Tendering
- Send completed Construction Drawings to at least 3 companies for pricing
- Re-selection of materials may be required $
- Redesign of floorplan may be required $
- All document changes must be noted
- reissue drawings for further pricing
Construction Phase
- Regular site visits
- Ensure all materials and products are supplied to specs
- Designers must be flexible
- Substitutions may be required
- All changes must be documented
Post Construction - Occupancy Phase
- Prepare defects list
- Coordinate builder/contractor to repair defects
- review defects list again
- client, designer and builder sign-off at end of projects
- conduct post-occupancy evaluation
- records must be retained and archived by designer in case of any future ideas
• EXPECTED • Research - Planning – Designing – Creating – Evaluating – Deciding – Implementing
WEEK 8 : SCHEMATIC DESIGN
What is Schematic Design?
■ Schematic – “of a diagram or other process”
■ It's an exploration ■ Part of Design Process
■ Elements include -
– Client interview
– Research – site, history, etc
– Ideation
– Sketches
– Space planning
– Space Zoning
– SWOTs : Design to User Experience, Existing Floor Plan, Proposed Floor Plan, Heritage, Guests, Other
Other elements to consider:
- The senses
- Human centred design
- Design principles
- Design elements
- Interactive Design
WEEK 9 : STATUTORY APPROVALS
Why do we have Building/Development Regulations?
• Community expectations want consistency and certainty
• Building usability, livability and life span;
• Cost effectiveness;
• To ensure a consistent minimum safe level of design and construction
• To regulate and control development in Queensland
Legislation In Queensland Development and Building is controlled by two pieces of Legislation: • The Sustainable Planning Act 2009 • The Building Act 1975
Regulation Each Acts has Subordinate Legislation in the form of Regulations: • The Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 • The Building Regulation 2006
BCA Building Code of Australia BCA contains the technical requirements for buildings in relation to: • Structural Sufficiency • Safety and Health and Amenity
Development is
• carrying out building work; (Exempt development; • Self assessable development; • Code assessable development;)
• carrying out plumbing or drainage work;
• carrying out operational work;
• reconfiguring a lot;
• making a material change of use of premises.
• REF : SPA Section 7 Meaning of “Development”
ASSESSMENT 2 : DESIGN RESPONSE
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