design a common space in the university
Context
Open Elective | Group Project
Timeframe
4 weeks
Tools
CAD, Adobe Lightroom
Role
Design, Making a life-size model
Objective
The idea was to utilize the college space which wasn't getting used at all since there was direct sunlight. Space, where everyone could relax and ponder their thoughts or just socialize and interact, was the idea behind this. We decided to use bamboo since it's extremely sturdy, is a great natural material and there are various ways to use this strong bamboo as per our convince and requirement. Using a holistic approach to create a sustainable design with organic products to create healthy, productive, and interactive environments.
learning
Thinking in terms of a huge space was a challenge initially. Using only one natural material in its various forms was a very interesting and distinctive methodology we stuck to through the whole project.
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An open elective consisting of 20 students with different expertise brainstormed some concepts and showed effective team management, dedication and skills to come up with a massive life-size structure. It was a great learning and challenging experience to work with people from different areas of expertise.
process
We started making small scale prototypes as our initial tryouts to get an idea for the design of the structure. We got an expert in bamboo to help us understand the material and its properties better. With whom we learned and were able to apply various techniques in its multiple forms using bamboo exclusively.
A 2D model was made to get an idea of the whole structure and its space. This model was best in terms of the objective and an unexpected outcome of the project was an interactive space by creating various patterns through the shadow of the entire structure as the sun moves throughout the day.
A 20 ft long bamboo was raised which was holding the entire structure.
Various types of bamboos were used as per the requirement of the structure. For weaving, wet bamboo was cut into thin strips since it was easy to cut and mend it as per our need whereas for the main pillar bamboo an old dried one was used which gave us the necessary strength to hold the entire structure together. Medium-sized and semi-wet bamboos were used for various support structures. Different types of joiners were used as per the type of bamboo used.
The structure coming together!
Photo Credits: Chirag Shah
The structure was tested in rain and storm. It still stands successfully on the university campus.