Project 1 - Digital Poster

https://www.dropbox.com/s/54k9g3z1r8xe7qb/Assignment1ARCH1202ByronAlexiou.f2.pdf%28interactive%29.pdf

(Please note: For correct display, download and view through Adobe Reader)

Project 1 - Link to 3D Warehouse (Model)

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=ub16017e3-3048-4deb-a0ac-a0fd83df4d93

Project 1 - 2D Drawings (Plan & Sections)

Plan View

Short Section

Long Section

Project 1 - Additional Images

Studio Exercise Week 2

1) Identify how the understanding of “home” has changed over time:

 Over the period from 1976 to 2004 the concept of home has changed along with the revolution in communications technology. From being a place of escape and calm from society's pressures and demands homes have become more connected to society through television, internet, mobile telephones, and social media. More people now work from home than ever before blurring the line between private home life and work life.

2) Description of the concept of home:

My design proposal for displaced dwellers is to give them a sense of normality and continuity by providing basic security and comfort while avoiding social and environmental isolation.The design gives priority to the social custom of sitting outside and interacting socially through dinning, drinking and snacking.

3) Conduct research on your clients:

a) Most of the victims of the wildfires of 2007 were rural people living in villages and small towns. Many lost their houses, livestock and orchards and crops. Their urgent needs are secure housing, food, water, and alternate income. Their vulnerabilities are their material and economic loss and displacement and their psychological trauma.

b) They are in a rural location mainly in the Peloponnese and Southern Evia.

c) Most of the previous housing was old single or double storey stone houses, mostly in a compact village settings, with people sharing immediate spaces, courtyards, alleys etc. Many houses were originally built to combine animal shelter, storage of grain and feed and family dwelling which included extended family and shared sleeping spaces. In terms of climate control houses were mainly built to keep winter wind, rain and cold out.

d) Southern Greece has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cold wet winters, but only occasional heavy snow fall.

e) Day to day customs are influenced by rural life and farming activities and social interaction in coffee houses and public squares.

4) Discuss how your current design proposal addresses your clients

- Outdoor living and dining

- Cross Ventilation

- Abundant natural lighting

- Open living

- Orientation of living space to the south for winter sun

- Large windows and openings

- Views onto surrounding landscape

5) Principles of universal design 

My design follows the principle of "flexibility in use" by reusing and modifying a container that can be quickly transported to any area affected by disaster.

Independent Study - Week 1

"Home is place but it is also a space inhabited by family, people, things and belongings - a familiar, if not comfortable space where particular activities and relationships are lived." Referenced - Page 63 Understanding home: a critical review of the literature

1) Home is a space where families grow through time.
2) A home is also a place where the material belongings needed for every day life are contained so that the occupants can meet their needs.
3) A place where relationships and special life events are played out and remembered.

"Home is often described in the literature as a haven or refuge." Referenced - Page 70 Understanding home: a critical review of the literature

1) Home is somewhere where a person can feel safe.
2) A home is where people rest and have some respite or relief from the demands of working life.
3) A home is a psychological space of identity.

"Few persons have more than one home at any given time"  - Referenced - Page 385 Home: The Territorial Core

1) A home is more than just a house.
2) A home is more than just a physical space but a psychological anchor.
3) A home is not valued by how fancy or expensive it is.

Comparitive Precedent Study

http://weburbanist.com/2009/12/07/20-shipping-container-cities-apartments-and-emergency-shelters/

Container architecture 1. Description: Single container designed by student Joshua Friedman as temporary housing for disaster victims. Elevated off the ground on footings. Awnings over conventional sized windows and skylights provide extra light. Hotel-like modern interior, with metal interior of container lined with timber or gyprock.

http://been-seen.com/travel-blog/traveler-traveling/how-to-live-in-a-shipping-container

Container architecture 2. Description: The "Ecopod" is a single container with one long side folding down to create a deck. Behind this fold down deck, is a glass curtain wall with sliding doors, allowing abundant natural light into the living area. It is placed on a footing with timber deck. The short end of the container has its original swinging doors providing ample access and ventilation.

Comparison of features:
Similarities

• Both use single containers.
• Both are elevated off the ground.
• Both have modern interior lining of walls and ceiling.
• Both have original exterior of container.

Differences

• No. 1 has conventional openings while No. 2 has converted one side into a curtain wall.
• No. 1 uses skylights for additional light, while No. 2 uses a curtain wall and swinging container doors.
• No. 1 has minimal openings while No. 2 has two whole walls that open.
• No. 1 has awnings while No. 2 has no shading.
• No. 1 has no deck, while No. 2 has a generous deck.

Comparison of design approaches:
Similarities

• Both designs are based on a single elevated container.
• Both designs are easy to transport and put in place.
• Both have modern interiors.

Differences

• No. 1 is designed for indoor living, while No. 2 is designed for open living, combining indoor and outdoor spaces.
• No. 2 has more flexible access than No. 1.
• No. 1 has greater privacy.
• No. 2 is designed for recreational use and contact with the natural environment while No. 1 is more for basic accommodation requirements.
• No. 1 appears to be more suited to a colder climate, while No. 2 to a milder climate.

Set of features and design approaches which are relevant to relief disaster in Southern Greece.

• Single container for ease of transportation and placement in terms of aspect.
• Container must be elevated off ground to prevent water inundation and insects and reptiles gaining easy entry.
• Open living design to take advantage of mild to temperate mediterranean climate.
• Shading devices to protect from summer sun and rain.
• Maximum cross-ventilation for hot summer.
• Retain swinging container doors for access and ventilation.
• Generous windows for sufficient natural light and ventilation.
• Fold down wall to serve as deck.
• Access to roof from outside to extend living space.
• Space saving furniture and fittings.

2007 Greek Forest Fires

The location of the natural disaster that I have chosen is Southern Greece (The Peloponnese) and Southern Evia (second largest island in Greece). These wild fires occurred in August, September, 2007, destroying 2,700 square kilometres of forest, olive groves and farmland, with the loss of 84 lives. The fire destroyed over 2000 buildings, 1000 of which were homes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Greek_forest_fires

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/greek-police-charge-seven-over-fires/2007/08/28/1188067073578.html

 http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/greece-begs-for-help-to-fight-killer-forest-fires/2007/08/25/1187462593594.html

Recent Earthquakes in Greece - University of Athens Seismological Laboratory

http://www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/maps/recent.html

Colorado Wildfires 2013

In the summer of 2013, during the months of June and July, 14 wild fires burnt throughout the state of Colorado in the USA. Record high temperatures and extreme dry conditions helped fuel these fires. By July 24th, 570 structures and 180 square miles of forest were destroyed, 2 human lives lost and thousands of citizens displaced from there homes.

 http://nation.time.com/2013/06/12/major-wildfires-scorch-colorados-black-forest/

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/us/colorado-wildfire-destroys-hundreds-of-homes.html

http://abcnews.go.com/meta/search/imageDetail?format=plain&source=http://abcnews.go.com/images/US/rt_colorado_fires_jef_ss_130617

Bushfire/Wildfire Research

Bushfires / Wildfire

Bushfires and grassfires are common throughout Australia. Grassfires are fast moving, passing in five to ten seconds and smouldering for minutes. They have a low to medium intensity and primarily damage crops, livestock and farming infrastructure, such as fences. Bushfires are generally slower moving, but have a higher heat output. This means they pass in two to five minutes, but they can smoulder for days.
Source: Geoscience Australia

Bushfires occur more frequently during the hotter months of the year (summer) due to hot and dry climate. Global warming is causing an increase in frequency and severity. Vegetation, infrastructure and buildings are destroyed as well as human and animal life. 
Source: Wiki