Cross-Crit: Development, Feedback, and Reflections
(Week 8: Cross-Crit with Xuan Mcarthur’s group — Development Feedback and Reflections)
During the cross crit with Xuan Mcarthur’s group, we presented the idea of choice and variation of our design. In our building, students can observe different views as they go into different study pods. The landscape is different at every point in the building, and the pods have different size and arrangement of windows. The space inside the building is organised using the grid and the idea of the gradient. The building is busier on the south, and quieter and more private towards the north, which is further away from our General Library and where people usually gather.
Study Pod Taxonomy — Study Pod Development
From our last study pod taxonomy, we selected the pods that are suitable for our design and identify each of them by four aspects, including:
- Light: the amount of natural light inside the pod
- Distraction: how much the windows allow you to see surroundings
- Flexibility: the arrangement of furniture within the pod according to the window placements and shapes
- Visual privacy: how exposed you are to the surroundings according to the sizes and material of openings
Feedback:
We were advised to list the type of users and consider their requirements, then match them with the taxonomy. This will help us in seeing what we are missing in our design and developing our design further. Additionally, to create more variations, we could consider how the study pods can be customised based on the time. For example, during the exam period, the group study pods will turn into individual pods to provide more spaces for students to study individually.
We were also suggested to add atriums to control light and privacy within the study pods. The atrium can function as an opening to bring in natural light during the day as well as control the view people can see from each study pods. This reminds me of the design of Helsinki University Library by Anttinen Oiva Architects, which is one of our precedents from the mid-semester critique. The library has atriums with study spaces surrounding it, and the desks extend out from the balustrade to stop people from higher levels from looking down at people studying below them.
Reflections:
All the feedback received from the cross crit are very helpful. I think it will be very interesting to look into how we can transform the group study spaces into individual study spaces. This will make our study space become more flexible as well as create more variations within the design. The atrium idea is also interesting as it will help us to provide both light and privacy for our users.
