CPUT 2011: Interim Submission 2Community Hub

Design Idea• Meeting – communal and/or private meetings / gathering.• A space where people can meet and socialize / communicate in.• Homework: although listed in the podcast, homework is not one of my selected hub

functions. Simply put, homework can be done anywhere, hence if a person wished so they could do their homework within this community hub.

• Blur the boundary between inside / outside space and integrate them.• Levels to differentiate spaces.• A stage / platform from where communication can be broadcast.• Roof planes to define spaces.• Roof to be ‘separate’ or independent from the plan.

• Landmark – the structure in its own should be unique and outstanding.• Shelter – the structure provides temporary shelter (not full protection)• Joinery – intricate joinery becomes simple when one understands the materials and

their properties and methods of joining.• Over strengthen – built stronger than required, safer, simpler, and long lasting.

“knowledge is power”

With any design, it is difficult to come up with an original design which is unique and does not hold similarities of things you have seen or experienced in the past. Things that inform design often lead to a structure which simply makes the structure very efficient and satisfies needs.

To come up with a unique design, one needs inspiration.

I struggled to find inspiration and realized that my new passion, my new paintball marker would serve to empower me.I got a 9V battery and installed it to my marker, after programming the board I pressed the power button and it glowed. Power.

The community hub with its Wi-Fi service core will be a means to accessing knowledge for the community, it will empower them with knowledge.

After this train of thought I looked at my paintball marker’s power button again and began sketching.

seating

seating

service coreentrance

Floor Plan outdoor seating

outdoor seating

outdoor seating

outdoor seating

grass & trees

grass & trees

Floor Plan: Rough Sketch 1

The plan form has both a linear and circular flow and uses linear elements to create a circular form.

The entrance is a filter which moves people to where they want to be and on the other end of the plan the space opens up to outdoors.

Cross Section

gumpole latte

150mm thick gumpole

defined meeting space

roof opening up, linking inside & outside

serv

ice

core

Marine ply floor surface

flow / circulation to outside

mass concrete footings

Awesome ‘independent’ roof structure

gumpole subframe

grassraised floor

latte

Cross section: Rough Sketch 1

Materials used are mainly gumpoles solidly planted into the ground with framework built up from that base.The floor is raised and latte are used to create planes which define spaces.The shape of the roof is independent and resembles the hopper of my paintball marker.Using gumpoles as beams and latte as infills, intricate shadows are cast on the ground below.

Concept Model 1