Regional Planning
CHALLENGE
This design challenge asks learners to design a space for people to think and reflect on life. For centuries
humankind has sought to answer ultimate questions such as the nature and purpose of life and humankind’s place within the universe. In trying to address these questions people have often expressed their ideas by creating spaces – buildings, landscapes, objects – to allow an individual to enter into a reflective state of mind and body.
Develop a plan for one area on your school grounds that can become an environment for silent self-reflection, uses local materials (natural and human-made), and can be implemented through hand tools and simple machinery. The site must be safe, accessible and open for students and community throughout the day and year. The space will allow individuals to reflect and have a moment of silence in what is otherwise a hectic, and often noisy, world. You should consider when and why people may enter and use these spaces.
RESEARCH
IDEATION
PRODUCT - 3D MODEL & INFORMATIONDevelop a model of the self-reflection site using 3/8” foam core board, and/or corrugated cardboard. Base board 20” x 30”. Simulate landform elevation changes through layers of the board. Use materials that simulate structures, objects, etc. You are not making a “model” as in “train model” or “dollhouse” making … you are trying to communicate the environment, not realism of every object. Color is not important unless it is a significant feature; form and space are the most important elements to manipulate for a successful design presentation. Convey ideas about the space: interior/exterior, personal/public, movement/static; scale of the space and objects in relationship to one another, to people, to surroundings. Add people to the model to show scale.In addition to the model, create an information panel (8.5” x 11”) to summarize the purpose of your design: a) space and design elements for reflection; b) how it relates to surrounding environments; and c) how it applies ideas of sustainability.
WEBSITES WORTH VISITING
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/marksonthelandscape/designchallenges/spaceforreflection/index.asp
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/magazine/1708/by_personal_spacehttp://dcgreenum.blogspot.com/2009/04/williammcdonoughs-bill-of-rights-for.html
http://jimescalante.net/charrette/
http://www.iseis.cuhk.edu.hk/img/about/chi/chi1.jpghttp://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/2117624.jpg
JUDGING CRITERIA
Research and Ideation 50%
Product & Information Board 50%
PROFESSIONAL:
Doug Marschalek, Art Education/Art Department, UW-Madison, [email protected]
This design challenge asks learners to design a space for people to think and reflect on life. For centuries
humankind has sought to answer ultimate questions such as the nature and purpose of life and humankind’s place within the universe. In trying to address these questions people have often expressed their ideas by creating spaces – buildings, landscapes, objects – to allow an individual to enter into a reflective state of mind and body.
Develop a plan for one area on your school grounds that can become an environment for silent self-reflection, uses local materials (natural and human-made), and can be implemented through hand tools and simple machinery. The site must be safe, accessible and open for students and community throughout the day and year. The space will allow individuals to reflect and have a moment of silence in what is otherwise a hectic, and often noisy, world. You should consider when and why people may enter and use these spaces.
RESEARCH
- Google your school and its surrounding environment; print it out.
- Determine a site on your school grounds for the selfreflecting environment. Identify the site on the Google printout; go to the site and mark it off with light-weight string; photograph it from different vantage points and times of the day.
- Create an inventory of natural and human-made features of the site.
- Study the surrounding land and built environment; create inventories of features, users, etc.
- Research natural and built environments that are for contemplation, reflection, and the like. Produce a collection of different environments as a visual resource that will help inform and guide your work. Consider how different cultures around the world, and across time have interpreted spaces for reflection.
- Research ideas central to sustainable practices. You may wish to use the Bill of Rights for the Planet as a guide for your work
IDEATION
- Develop one site drawing (map view) that shows the a) surrounding area, b) school grounds, and c) site for reflection. Since you are dealing with large spaces, you can estimate the size and proportions from the Google printout, but you can more accurately do so using an engineering ruler. (Use for example, Alvin Professional Plastic Triangular Scales - Professional quality scales made from high-impact white with Engineering scales of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 parts per inch. Your tech-ed teacher may have these rulers.)
- Create sketches of proposed environments that have different characteristics, e.g., more architectural, more naturalistic, more sculptured, more simplified, or mostly human-made materials; mostly natural materials; low and horizontal; vertical; undulating; patterns; scale of space for one, two people; small group; etc. Explore ideas….
- Take the best of different sketches and develop a set of drawings that convey more refined ideas
PRODUCT - 3D MODEL & INFORMATIONDevelop a model of the self-reflection site using 3/8” foam core board, and/or corrugated cardboard. Base board 20” x 30”. Simulate landform elevation changes through layers of the board. Use materials that simulate structures, objects, etc. You are not making a “model” as in “train model” or “dollhouse” making … you are trying to communicate the environment, not realism of every object. Color is not important unless it is a significant feature; form and space are the most important elements to manipulate for a successful design presentation. Convey ideas about the space: interior/exterior, personal/public, movement/static; scale of the space and objects in relationship to one another, to people, to surroundings. Add people to the model to show scale.In addition to the model, create an information panel (8.5” x 11”) to summarize the purpose of your design: a) space and design elements for reflection; b) how it relates to surrounding environments; and c) how it applies ideas of sustainability.
WEBSITES WORTH VISITING
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/marksonthelandscape/designchallenges/spaceforreflection/index.asp
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/magazine/1708/by_personal_spacehttp://dcgreenum.blogspot.com/2009/04/williammcdonoughs-bill-of-rights-for.html
http://jimescalante.net/charrette/
http://www.iseis.cuhk.edu.hk/img/about/chi/chi1.jpghttp://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/2117624.jpg
JUDGING CRITERIA
Research and Ideation 50%
Product & Information Board 50%
PROFESSIONAL:
Doug Marschalek, Art Education/Art Department, UW-Madison, [email protected]