Innovative Educational Design

Materials Library & Carpenter Center Visit

Paul Cacciola

The materials library was eye opening in the fact that there are so many materials out there that I might have never heard of. The materials library allows you to not only look at the different materials but touch and feel them to see how their surfaces and textures are different. I thought the way they organized the materials was very different, but great. It gets us as architecture students away from the manufacturers specs and more into the actual properties of an object. It allows us to think on a different basis and gets us out of our comfort zone when thinking about certain materials. Overall I think the materials library helped expand my perception of what materials can be classified as and the variety of materials that are out there for us as architects to use in our projects.

The Center Visit was interesting because I have been there before with past studio teachers, but I was never told about the original use of the theatre space. I never understood what the boxes were in the walls and now everything makes more sense after listening to the explanation. Now knowing what the space use to be and is currently leaves me a little disappointed. I feel that some of the ascetics are lost by this conformation of the space from its original intended use and its current use. On the other hand, the idea of the experiential path connecting the two sides of the building is interesting and I like the idea. I also really enjoyed the conference room space with the skylight above it allowing tons of natural light in.  

GSD Field Trip

Michael Cerbone

Materials play a major role in the message that a building conveys to the user. I feel that in my own personal projects, materials often get overlooked or generalized and the impression of my building is not as clear as it could have been. I think that having a collection of materials like the one in the Loeb Library is the perfect start to learning about and selecting building materials. It is easy to go online and research material properties and uses but you can only learn so much from that type of research. You can get a good feel from an aesthetic standpoint but it really narrows the way we use these materials.  Giving students physical access to the supplies opens up many more possibilities for different uses in the building. I think that there are many more opportunities for unique uses when the materials are physically obtainable. 

 

I thought the Carpenter Center was equally as intriguing as the materials library. The building was reserved in its design in order to more clearly display the art being shown inside. The simple, clean materials really controlled the natural light nicely. The conference room that we sat in was a beautiful display of this natural light. The glass made the building itself transparent so that all of the work can be shown through to the exterior. Although the lecture hall is no longer used as it was designed, I thought that the way Corbusier set it up would have worked quite nicely for a videography exhibit. The building was a great example of a nice display space and I think that a lot of the components used in it could be utilized for the presentation areas in the new NuVu studio. 

Friday's Adventure

Amy Ledoux

I found the materials library at Harvard to be very intriguing. I especially like how the materials are organized into categories based on composition and general properties instead of arranged by how the materials are expected to be used. People can search for materials for any purpose without being restricted to just looking at materials solely used for what they are doing. This allows students to think more creatively about how they are using materials and consider using them for functions that weren’t proposed by the manufacture. I also appreciate that they do their own research on the different materials in the library instead of taking the manufacturer’s word for it, because the company could be representing their product in a way that benefits them from a marketing standpoint. After looking through the samples of materials and thinking about my own studio project, I am considering using pink and green acrylic in some areas. These colors match NuVu’s current theme and the colored acrylic lets light into areas without allowing a view in, which can be beneficial in some of the interior spaces.

 

The tour of the Carpenter Center was also very interesting. I enjoyed seeing the interior spaces and how they are used. I really liked the skylight in the conference room. It provides a lot of natural light and makes a small room with no windows very pleasant to be in. I was disappointed with the current use of the theater room. It was designed for 5 projectors or cameras to run simultaneously from outside the room while people and movable chairs are inside the theater. The space has been transformed into a standard auditorium with fixed rows of seating pointed at one central screen with a fixed projector. I think some really cool projects could be created if they used the space as it was intended to be used all the time. They are probably getting more use out of the room now in its transformed state but there aren’t a lot of spaces set up like that so I think they should be taking advantage of its previous layout. I also like the exterior ramp that weaves through the building. It allows circulation to be performative and compliments the building.

NuVu Analysis 9/16/13

Richard Pignataro

The visit to the Nuvu studios gave a lot of insight that could not have been obtained simply through conversation. A few things stood out to be that I believe need attention.

1. There are bikes lines up along the front door into the space as well as in the back studio. This lets me know that many people are riding their bikes to the space but there is no adequate bike storage.

2. The sound levels in the space are to high from studio to studio. Although there shouldn't be a complete divide between the studios, it is hard to hear during peak studio times due to the noise traveling from one open space to another.

3. Desks and floors are cluttered with backpacks and supplies making it hard for students to spread out and do work.

4. Extension chords extend from the walls to tables and are a hazard to trip over.

5. Many students stand while doing work, but the tables are low causing them to hunch over to reach.

 

Techno Cafe, Durham University

Richard Pignataro

Techno Cafe

Successful

   - Dynamic collaboration spaces

   - Technology integrated without overpowering the space

   - "Pods" encorporate adjustable HVAC and lighting to personalize the space

Unsuccessful

   - Collaboration spaces are fixed and leave no room for adaptation

   - No space for individual work

   - Fixed number of seats within each pod

The Learning Grid

David Girardi

This renovation of an existing project enables students of various needs to inhabit the same space.  The Learning Grid provides various sitting arrangements to suit both the individual and study groups.  The renovations itself in nothing exciting really, the only major addition to the space is a staircase that is on an angle to the rest of the building to break up to grid.  Other then the staircase the floor plan is open.  In the project, I like how every is able to be arranged to the persons needs, and the space can account to a lot of needs and wants.  The only real criticism of the space is its lack of uniqueness or originality, this space holds no real architectural significance. 

The Learning Grid

Christopher McEwen

The Learning Grid

 

            The University of Warwick’s study space, titled The Learning Grid, is an attempt at a new age learning environment. It was a 2 story renovation in an existing campus building and provided the students with a place to work outside of their dorms. The space itself wasn’t anything special, they really just emptied out 2 stories and made it all open concept. The thing that works well about The Learning Grid is that it allows students to rearrange and shift things to how they would like to work. They can move everything; walls included and make the study space their own. The one thing that I did not like about it was that there was no noise control and it seems like it could get pretty loud without having any real separation.

The Saltire Center, Glasgow Caledonian University

Lauren Chirco

The Saltire Center, located in Glasgow, United Kingdom at Glasgow Caledonian University introduces 3 scales of learning; public, temporary and intimate. Conceptually the library presents the idea that learning begins with conversation by providing a space to learn and interact. One of the most successful temporary spaces offered are the inflatable pods. These pods are great additions to spaces that allow for private and public opportunities of communication. This enclosure works in a prosperous adding and subtracting fashion that will allow different measures of light to pass within the space. These inflatable pods can be arguably unsuccessful with the dispute that they take up too much space and they can become distracts to the space they inhabit. This distraction can cause disconnection of conversations and interactions of learning. In conclusion, this temporary space can be a successful addition but can hinder the overall spacious quality of the center.  

Telford College Precedent Study

Michael Cerbone

Telford College – Edinburgh, Scotland

 

            In our study of Telford College, I thought of the building as a unique, innovative, sustainable piece that could easily cater to the needs of the students that enroll in the school system. The layout absolutely offers flexibility in the learning environment through the integration of technology and open plan design. The learning streets utilize the great flexibility that the open floor plan has to offer. However, I agree that by eliminating the railings on the ramps and paths that run the length of the room, there could have been a more cohesive blend of diverse educational spaces. The streets offer a great spread of collaborative learning spaces but lack the ability to offer individual spaces to those who prefer or require a solitary learning atmosphere. I could see it becoming quite distracting for someone trying to perform any sort of critical thinking in these spaces. The learning streets absolutely provide great collaborative study locations but are lacking the ability to offer singular study areas.

            Technology plays a huge role in the flexibility of the space. The ease of retrofitting new technology into the building will promote a huge cost savings in the future. Equipment is constantly evolving and it is important that our buildings are designed to adapt to these changes. Passive and active, sustainable equipment saves the school money by lowering operational expenses. This savings can help the school function as a business as well as it can go towards new technologies that the building was designed to adapt to. The fact that technology is embedded into the building itself is important to the efficiency of the learning process. Having a wireless campus and interactive white boards in each room makes for less time setting up equipment and more time for studies. The building was built for maximum learning efficiency and accomplishes this through innovative floor plan layouts and the integration of modern technology.

NuVu Studio Design

Richard Pignataro

The design focuses around a cental exterior atrium space that runs through the center of the building and act as a path between parking and street scape. Within this space, "pods" break through the facade and act as privacy cubes for the students (see above images). The gradient facade between solid and transparent shows how the building works its down from private individual studios to public gallery spaces and a cafe.