1st June 2015
Dear Design Diary,
With a background in architectural design studies and interest in interaction design this project is an attempt to explore the intersection of architecture and interaction design.
With coming up of new design studio for the mechanical department of IIT Delhi, opportunity for an interacting built environment was sensed. Major aim of the project was to design a space for first and second year students of Mechanical engineering that would encourage them to learn, understand the basics of engineering drawing and create, while sub major was to learn if elements of architecture become interactive, how it affects the environment and its users.
Interactive Architectural Spaces
A case study on Interactive Design Studio for under graduation mechanical students of IIT Delhi.
Project Framing
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an example of how interactive technologies are increasingly integrated into our physical surroundings. Experts around the world have already been talking about how interactive technologies are playing great role in making of Smart city Sense-able city and what not. Currently, on day to day basis; technology is a different entity while building is one different entity. What if interactive technologies become elements in interiors to make our lives easy by enabling us to deal with one less gadget in our daily routines?
This applies even to the classrooms IITs which need to change radically with time. IIT Delhi is one of the finest institutes of the country which really plays an important role in teaching the next generation how to be a value adding engineer to the society therefore care should be taken to make sure that its learning environment helps students grow. A student spends most of his time in classroom or studio. This place is where students learn to experiment the various theories deemed necessary for them to attain the certain level of understanding of the subject. It is where they work on the skills needed to reach their goal. With the classrooms being such an important place, it is important to explore the ways in which the student’s whole experience of the being in that environment could be enhanced in order to ensure maximum benefit to him. If not approached correctly, a space can be something that stifles creativity or hinders a positive learning. There are many factors that can affect this environment.
There are architectural elements such as wall, arrangement of desks, or resources. Also, there are intangible elements such as the energy of the classroom, which can be controlled by the light in the classroom or sound for that matter. Each of these can impact a student’s focus in the class. They can also affect a teacher’s performance in the class. All together they set up emotional environment of the classroom.
Challenge
Moreover with advent of technology, old ways of learning certain things are getting replaced which we are very well adopting, but failing to organise them smartly in a space. For example the drafters used in engineering drawing are now being replaced by CAD method. So in the race of adopting technology; in most cases the spaces turnout to remain traditional in style with lots of computers and use of an electronic whiteboard instead of a chalkboard. This in turn changes a studio like place into a mere computer lab which kills the whole essence of imagining, putting it to paper and drafting.
Research
User Persona
Rahul is an 18-year-old lad who is in second semester of mechanical engineering at IIT Delhi. He is a scholarly student since childhood with extreme interest in automobiles. In his circle he is known as a born prodigy when it comes to repairing or modifying bikes. Rahul also enjoys sharing his knowledge with other enthusiasts, as it makes him feel a valued part of the team since school. This encouraged him to take up mechanical engineering as his stream.
But, he cleared his first semester with much difficulty, which came as a real surprise to him. He scored pretty low in engineering drawing. He gets perplexed when it comes to imagining an object as plan or elevation. He wonders if there is any better way to understand the subject. He escapes the subject but aspires to become an automobile designer in future. He very well knows that it is a skill that he’ll have to learn at any cost, but current method of pedagogy doesn’t fulfill that.
Expert in Mechanics
Observations
Since user interviews, personas and scenarios were being done simultaneously as zoning; a lot of changes were incorporated in zoning. Some of them have been documented as here under:
· Making separate areas for separate tasks is not possible because of huge capacity, limited space and varied tasks.
· Students need to switch to and fro between tasks like sketch and making its CAD model.
· Student fear to ask question in class because they don’t want to look stupid.
Inferences
· Hence, a private space for each individual would be a viable option to both run CAD and sketch, while a common space for all the modeling work.
· Private student teacher discussion cells are required.
· Various seating Arrangement Pattern and appropriate digitisation method for is required to be studied to come a solution for this typical case as well.
Design Solution & its possible application
Linear Arrangement
- Make students lose focus and creates a higher number of disruptions in the classroom.
- This structure does not encourage interaction between students and focuses more on the student as an individual completing their own work.
Group Arrangement
- Allows for students to do individual work if they are required, or they can work with partners on specific assignments.
- If they are creating larger projects they can work as a whole table group to complete it, each with their own specific task.
Star Arrangement
- Work better with smaller class sizes.
- Works well with promoting public speaking and classroom debate.
- It engages students because they all become one member of the same group.
After making these multiple options and obeying the constraint to provide seating for 100 students, finally this layout was ceased. This layout is a combination of circle and group. And since this space has two walls which have screens, special care has been taken to design it under these guidelines. Such a setting can modify classroom proxemics in different ways: if the screens are used to deliver a number of multimedia objects during a lesson, then students need to change the direction of their gaze in with a good view of all screens; in addition, students should preferably be supplied with mobile chairs. Alternatively, if the screens are used for group work, then it is important to leave enough space between them to facilitate a positive working atmosphere with lower noise levels. The technology implemented can vary from situation to situation: it is possible to use multiple electronic whiteboards, projectors or large screen monitors, each of which can be viewed easily by at least four-five students (small group). This kind of setting can be useful in implementing teaching methods based on group work: the students use the large screen initially as a board during their joint work activities and subsequently to share their output with the other groups; simultaneous use of multiple screens and devices allows the groups to alternate flexibly and interact with one another when presenting their work.
Benefit
Major benefit would remain as the fresh perspective to look at a classroom as space. This design was intended to make even the surrounding contribute for innovative learning methodologies. The result is an interactive modular interior, combining flexibility and functionality for total customisation. The users are able to rearrange internal objects in order to create a finished room specific to their needs. Their arrangement determines the function of the space, whether it’s a workshop for four or a lecture for. Different functions can also be combined to accommodate every possible request, for instance a lecture with an exhibition or workshop. The design language is simple, geared towards clarity and function. In addition, care has been taken to focus on interaction between users and their surroundings, and with digital specialists regarding an impending interactive video wall. An unusual classroom interior was envisioned; besides creating suggested layouts, also all individual furniture elements are worked out. There will be an attempt to working close collaboration with the manufacturers, in order to minimise high costs or inefficiency.
The Big Idea
The big idea that emerged through research was that all of built environment could be designed with an interactive approach so as they provide best of experience to the user of that space by fulfilling it’s function cent percent. This also implies that in this particular case of designing a classroom, students can integrate with students of other backgrounds and teachers in order to create interactive solutions to understand a concept and hence taking experiential learning to a next level all together.
The Future Potential
The future potential could be a research on students who used this space for one semester Vs existing classrooms and mint it to derive a statistic of their learning experience. If it goes positive on the graph then probably it can taken up as a study to come up with new bye-laws for designing a classroom in India by taking digital elements into consideration. Or for that matter any space that is bound by IoT (Internet of Things) as soon it will become integration than addition in our surrounding.
