A pavilion in Thailand, an activist hub and... what is a program?
The featured project this week
As you can imagine, there are so many projects to write about with updates populating my email on a daily basis that sometimes it is difficult to whittle it down to one. This week though, as soon as I saw a drawing of this project, I was hooked.
This pavilion in Thailand called the Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion off the coast of a fishing village in Angsila Bay, is not only visually striking but also reflects examples of how architects and designers incorporate sustainability into their designs.
The bamboo used is a local building material and the structure looks similar to what is used for oyster cultivation in Thailand. In fact, this pavilion was constructed by local oyster farmers.
The bamboo is tied together with rejected seat belts from a local factory due to it’s non-conforming coloration, giving the structural joints an interesting look and a use for a material that would otherwise be discarded.
The pavilion is used to provide insight into the importance of oyster fishing which is part of the local economy and offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy what is brought up from the bay as part of a special meal.
When it is not in use to teach others about the area, people who live locally have a platform for fishing and relaxing.
Architects, designers and engineers today are exploring ways to live and work on the water due to the challenges of rising sea levels.
For other projects that are responding to our changing environment and experimenting with new ideas, see BIG Architects floating city, the “Floating Island” in Belgium, and ArchDaily’s article on houses proposed or constructed on the water.
The design Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion was created by CHAT Architects who are based in Bangkok and the photographs were taken by W-Workspace located in Thailand.
For more on how the pavilion was constructed and other technical information go to issuu.
A student project
For this week, an example of an interesting student project was done by Nikola Asojana at the College of Arts, Technology and Environment at UWE Bristol where they offer an undergraduate and a graduate program in architecture.
Per Ms. Asojana’s statement:
"The activist hub 'Ground for Change' has found its place in Bristol, a city known for its rebellious history and people ready to stand up for their beliefs.
"This project aims to bring together activists and residents, providing spaces for every voice to be heard.
"The building embodies honesty and transparency through its raw materials, visible structure and open spaces overlooking each other.
"The ideas expressed in constructivism and high-tech architecture define the project through functionality, progress and ambition to evolve.
"The main forum space overlooks a new square, inviting a diverse community to shape the city together.”
I have great faith in the young people of today.
And the word for the week is “Program”
When teaching students how the design process begins, I use my own experience as an example.
As an architect, I worked on different project types from hotels to restaurants, golf developments and pro shops, office buildings and office spaces. Each time, I began the process sitting down with the client and developing an exhaustive list of what the client wanted and what was needed. That was the program and for each project, the program is different.
I would then take the list back to the office and with a team, work out the square footage needed for each space and task, ensure the client had adequate area for the desired program then begin the schematic phase of the project.
The program was our checklist, a list we always referred to ensuring we had covered all of the bases.
This is an example of a program for a museum expansion.
The example of a program below is part of a chapter on Amusement Parks in my upcoming book Architecture 101 for Kids and Teens: The Book, where I take the student step-by-step through the design process.
Let’s say the program is for an amusement park at a beach.
I prompt the student to come up with a list of activities that will happen in their park and what will be needed.
This is my list:
2 snack bars
1 restaurant
3 sets of restrooms
1 locker and shower facility
1 play area for younger children
A separate quiet park-like setting for picnics and play
An entertainment stage
A lagoon
A main boardwalk for shops, snacks and casual seating Sports activities on the beach
A maintenance area
A receiving area for trucks to deliver food and other goods Staff locker room and break room
Cold storage for food
Dry storage for food
Ticket office
Picnic areas
Parking and drop-off
Then the student draws a bubble diagram including all the items on their list. In the classes we do not calculate actual area but give relative sizes.
This is an example of a diagram but usually they are hand drawn and rather messy but the information is clear:
From here, after the student has drawn their diagram to the point that it suits them, the student begins to sketch their designs on paper and from there they complete a site plan, then focus on structures or areas the student wants to develop doing detailed drawings or a model.
As you can see, the process of design for architects is methodical with design challenges that bring out our creativity (and for me, this is a lot of fun).
-Dora Taylor
For more about my classes, you can go to Architecture 101 for Kids and Teens.