I began this week with a new twist to my concept. As well as
representing the filtration of the mangrove through people and screening as I mentioned
last week, I also want to represent the contrast the views of the site in
relation to the original folie which has set viewpoints. These points indicated
the Brisbane River, the Story Bridge, the cliffs and the Mangroves. In the
diagram below, I have shown how I am planning to link the ideas of the river,
the city and the mangroves.
By layering the elements on top of each other, I can begin
to create interesting contrasting shapes that can be used in the physical
structure or the internal spaces. If I tried to represent every one of the
concepts in the physical form, it could begin to look very messy, so for this
reason, I have decided to have the Story Bridge and the Cliffs as the main
viewpoints from the building.
I began designing the building by drawing the elements that I
would like in each section before then adding them to a rough building
footprint. In terms of what elements would go into each rooms, some I came up
with on my own, but others I found through researching children’s libraries and
spaces. Two of my favourite features have been found through research. One of
which was the idea of having the grass areas outside as an extension of the
library. for the older kids, this means creating an extension of the social and
relaxing area, and for the younger children, giving them a space to burn off
some energy whilst also learning through interaction. I found these images of mounds of grass been
used to create play and relaxation areas, and I hope to incorporate something similar
in my design.
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Grass Loungers (New Ideas Homepage 2009).
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Grass Chairs (Trend Hunter n.d)
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I also like the idea of creating fun and interesting spaces
for the younger children just like in the picture below which uses books to
create an igloo, created by Miler Lagos.
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Recycled Book Igloo (InHabitat. 2012).
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The diagram below is a rough sketch where I began to layout
the spaces within the library. Further information about the spaces can be seen
below.
The building is entered through a foyer which contains an
information desk and small exhibition space. The area for the younger children
is situated on the right hand side and contains elements such as a bookcase in
the shape of the Brisbane River, interactive igloo space, play area and a raised
stage for performances and activities. The area is surrounded by booths and
tables for parents to sit at whilst watching and interacting with their
children and also enjoying the benefits of the café. The wall behind the stage
will be a green wall, to soften the area, teach about nature and also block the
heat from the Western sun. The outside area will contain a mixture of concrete
areas for group activities and more seating and a large grass area with rolling
mounds for children to run up and roll down. The area will be fenced in to
ensure safety from the public and also the Brisbane River, using a structure
similar to that of our folie.
The left hand side accommodates for the older teens and is a
large open space that accommodates booths and seating for social interaction
and relaxation. There will be three large wooden poles that puncture through
the space, which was diagrammed at the end of last week’s blog. These will also
create a centre points for seating to wrap around. The space will also have a
green wall which will run alongside the stairs and become the beginning of a
water feature which runs allow the edge of the wall. At a certain point, the
water feature will continue outside to give the illusion that the water is
flowing through the glass window. Upstairs (which is not shown in this drawing)
will house a computer room and room for quieter individual study. The
downstairs area also has access to the café, but through a different serving
area to the younger children’s area. There is also outdoor seating as well as
the grass mounds and chairs to relax against.
When beginning to draw the floor plan to a scale, I found
that the building was quite large, so the large open spaces were reduced in
size and the exhibition space in the foyer was removed. This can be seen below.
References:
InHabitat. 2012. “Miler Lago Recycled Book Igloo” Accessed
April 23rd, 2012. http://inhabitat.com/miler-lagos-awesome-igloo-is-stacked-high-with-hundreds-of-recycled-books/
Trend Hunter.n.d. “DIY Grass Chairs” Accessed April 30,
2012. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grass-chairs-eco-friendly-organic-lawn-furniture#!/photos/41022/1
New Idea Homepage. 2009. “Public Lawn Lounge Chairs”
Accessed April 25, 2012. http://www.inewidea.com/2009/07/17/8297.html
