Category: University

Morning after the day before.

First day of (relative) freedom.

Yesterday afternoon I presented over 4 months worth of solid work to my peers and assessors. As always, i am very self critical, and i am unsure of how it went, but the feedback afterwards was positive, mostly!

If i can, I always try and be the first to present. I feel that there is one less person to compare me too if i do this! But, the issue is you sometimes forget aspects of the design, that you would otherwise be reminded of, if you watched someone else present first!

As mentioned above, i am self critical, but the feedback afterwards left me feeling happy with how my presentation went. My peers and assessors commented on the presentation skills i had used, and how it was all clear, concise and the design was cohesive throughout. One of the few things i’m good at, is talking. Anybody who knows me will vouch for this! Although i always get very nervous before my presentations, they usually turn out okay, and i leave the presentation dreading when the assessors open my folders and see my actual work, as this is definitely the limiting factor! ( Hopefully this doesn’t sound arrogant, it’s definitely not meant to.)

After watching everyone else present, it also struck me quite how much people have up’d their game, and i am starting to see clear pathways and where each peer is likely to go in the future. Some are very much architectural and structural, and others are presenting mood boards and fabric samples!

Over the last few weeks, i had struggled. My housemates are very conservative of their work… they’ve told me before that they think i’m going to copy! And although i used the studio lots in semester 1, i felt i worked better at home for this semester itself. So until the night of the 8th, when i dropped some work off, i hadn’t really seen anyones work to compare mine to, so i was unsure if i was going to be shot out the sky with lack of work, of if i was going to knock it out the park into the sky itself, and I am still unsure about where i stand, even after that presentation! This is because there is such a wide range of styles, but also a vast array of talent going in different directions too!

But, with all that being said, i’m definitely grateful its over with, consequently i think the link below is fitting!

 

Callum M Gillard

Pressure is mounting.

This week has really up’d my work load.

I am setting reoccurring alarms for 0600, and not really getting into bed until 0000!

I am making progress, especially with my photoshop. You have to be anal. You have to be anal about every little thing on that screen, but, after you move lots of the little imperfections, you can sit back and look at what you’ve created. I am grateful to everyone of the course for their help, but Robbie and Georgie H both made a large impact with my actual method of creating the renderings them self. Thank you.

The end is in sight, or maybe i’m just delirious from the lack of sleep…anything is possible at this stage!

Callum M Gillard

Endless stairs.

upon first glance at these stairs, you take in the simple groundbreaking design of it!

It is a type of staircase that i have never seen used before.

You notice how that it is part of a very monochrome building, mainly made and furnished with concrete, as are the stairs! The images show its usability in life, however, it would not pass uk regulations due to no handrail, and unless it was a secondary staircase, you’re not allowed spiral stairs due to fire exit reasons!

 

After looking at these stairs, i’ll try and implement a similar style into my design, although i think i’m limited on space, so can’t fit a spiral staircase, i can keep the aesthetical qualities they provide me with when observing it.

https://divisare.com/projects/330695-kazunori-fujimoto-house-in-akitsu

Sho-sugi-ban

After a conversation with Phil yesterday regarding a certain process of charring wood, i decided to go and do some more research.

The Japanese art of burning wood, called Sho-Sugi-Ban is really interesting!

There are many ways of carrying out the charring, however the method i am trying tomorrow, is the simplest ( safest, university rules!)

I went to robins timber first thing this morning as soon as they opened, and bought some cedar timber, which is what the Japanese originally used with the method of charring.

Once i had the timber, i cut it into strips in the wood working shop, and the enlisted the help from Paul in fabrication to show me how the oxy-acetylene works.

Once he was happy that i was going to be sensible with that, he let me start burning! The process is to set the wood on fire, let it burn for a few seconds, then mop off the soot/ash with a wet paint brush, then repeat. The process can be repeated as many times as nessicary, until you’re left with a style that you like!

The benefits of Sho-Sugi-Ban are that it is completely fireproof too, as it has had all of the flammable substance burnt out of it in the process mentioned above!

Will 100% use in my final design!

Visiting speaker-Vescom

Vescom.

Based in Holland.

Started in 1971, same family run business.

The internals of the factory is contemporary, stylish interiors.

They have a passion for modern art and culture.

Trailblazing and innovating new releases.

Quick release of stock, under 2 days.

On site designers-fashion and architecture

They are designers who love the drama of colour.

They design as we love creating and solving problems

They own their own mills… 2 for fabric, and the other for vinyl coverings.

Sophisticated and fresh colours made from their own labs.

They make wall covers and upholstery curtains, made from vinyl, and textiles (silk, cotton)

Blackout curtains, shears and acoustic shear style curtains. ( acoustic shears absorb 60-70% of sound.)

They look both ways; into tradition and modern innovation.

They also collaborate with a Dutch counterpart magazine FRAME.

Partnered with DESIGNTEX upholstery company from America.

DESIGNTEX are all about creating functional, usable and industrial materials for office blocks.

They work alongside Wallace and Sewell fabric designers.

Also working alongside Charlie harper, a modernist artist with a taste for wildlife.

They also collaborate with an American company called Carnegie Xorel. They’re sustainable and have a low carbon footprint.

Natural materials;

Fur – Wool consists of fibres from a sheep fleece. (good thermal ability, sustainable, flexible etc.)

Mohair- A silk-like fibre from the angora goat, has a high lustre and sheen, highly water repellent and fantastic acoustic properties.

Cocoon- The silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae from the silk worm.

Linen (Flax)- Made from the fibres of the flax plant

Pulp (wood)-Wood fibre reduced to pulp to manufacture paper.

 

Manmade

Nylon (polyamide)-

Polyester ( Trevira CS)- A synthetic fibre made from using raw materials from the petrochemical industries.

Testing fabric and wear and tear.

Martindale test – industry minimum is 50,000, tests grit in floor with pendulum.

Figure of 8 set to do 5,000 motions, if no issues, test is repeated until failure.

 

Sectors of use

All applies with CRIB 5 regulations. Also complies to BS 7176 regulations.

healthcare sector.

Digital print is all a vinyl wall covering ( used for way finding)

Office sector.

Digital print…

Educations sector.

Student housing, vinyl upholstery

Leisure sector

Airport, theatres, all acoustic properties. Also theatre curtains.

Marine sector.

All have to be IMO rating in yacht industry.

Retail

Full on customer experience.

Residential

Pure luxury.

Carbon footprint- where is the product from/manufactured, what’s it made from, is it recyclable.

They use a backing in some instances called Nano sphere, which is a waterproof membrane on the rear.

Draw on wall product. Could be useful for my studio when recording/ writing down riffs

Charles Prior Lecture VIII

Sanitation.

Recently the bathrooms have become sanctuaries of expression.

Toilet types.

In wall cysterns are placed between the studwork (89MM) of the wall.

Back to wall- see above

Toilet sweet- Generic toilet

Wall mounted- canter levered over the floor with steel frame built into wall.

Mains flush- no cistern, the flush comes from a holding tank and is pumped round when needed. Only cost effective once there are 5 toilets in the building.

 

Showers

Always think ahead so you don’t have to get in the shower and turn it on, hence standing in the cold steam of water, position further back

Sinks.

Taps flush mounted into counter top. Lots of for thought for this!

 

Tiles

Can be left until last minute.

Considering the grout lines.

Coloured Grout (White tile, black grouting)

English bond pattern for grouting.

Stone

Slip matching and book matching marble sheets, way they line up.

1200X2400mm sheets

Composite stones are made of ground up natural stone that’s formed into a slab.

Caesar stone is a brand of composite stone.

Pink marble is grey.

Caroma website (Bathroom Design) Pick a bathroom range and design for my design!

Rodger seller makes really nice bathrooms! All auto cad drawings and tec specs.

Huf Haus

Huf Haus is a German company based in Hamburg.

In 1912, Johann Huf founded a carpentry workshop in the small village of Krümmel in the Westerwald. A year later, the enterprise moved to Hartenfels. In 1948 his son Franz Huf took over management of the enterprise, and enlarged it to a supra-regional provider of carpenter’s works, e. g. churches in the Rhineland, the large post administration office in Bonn (1950) as well as the German and Arabic pavilions at Expo 58. The so-called “Huf Fachwerkhaus 2000” was designed in 1972 together with the architect Manfred Adams.[The principles of this construction are still the standard in all Huf houses. Since 1996, grandsons Georg and Thomas Huf have led the company and brought the products to the world market. They also established “The Huf Haus Village”, a collection of Huf family houses, which represent the possibilities of building Huf houses.

On 20 September 2011, Thomas Huf died aged 51.

New design

Near the end of 2009, Huf Haus started new designed houses which the company calls “evolutionary” in its post-and-beam architecture but “revolutionary” in energy efficiency.

Because the expressive symbiosis of wood and glass finds recognition at major international architecture and design competitions, and among Huf Haus clients, who also acknowledge that it can be individually designed, the main stylistic elements have not changed.

Despite the generous use of glass the Huf Haus houses require only a heating rate of 34 W/m2 (at Hartenfels, Germany). The main reasons are:

  • All constructional wood elements are fitted with a heat-insulation layer put together at the factory – this reduces thermal bridges.
  • The already well-insulated walls have been redesigned. The walls are thicker now and their depth can be varied depending on the climatic region. The material used is tailored to the location, so that an adequate heat insulation is achieved.
  • The glass walls have 51 mm triple glazing with a heat transfer coefficient (U-value) of 0.6 W/m2K.
  • Home technology is based on a heat pump, electronically regulated heating systems, under floor heating pipes laid very closely together, a highly efficient ventilation system and independent domestic hot water pumps, so that the independent heating system can be switched off during the summer months.
  • A large photovoltaic system across nearly the whole roof.

 

http://www.huf-haus.com/en.html

 

Charles Prior LectureVII

Sustainability.

What is sustainability?!

The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources.

The sustainable design approach.

Environmental.

If using timber, is it being re-planted to counter its use?

Buildings use at least half of the energy consumed in the UK, and consequently, produced half of our man made carbon monoxide ( the major greenhouse gas.)

Social

The gap between Rich and poor:

The rich: 20% of the world’s population- receive 80% of the worlds income

The poor: 20% of the world’s population, receive 1.5% of the worlds income.

In the UK our use for energy has increased by more than 70% in the last 39 years. The questions is have we become 70% happier or healthier in this period.

The process of industrialisation in the western world has been based on an economic various.

Economic

Sustainable design sits between environmental, social and economic boundaries.

History

Vernacular

Vernacular architecture is a category of architecture based on local needs and construction materials, and reflecting local traditions.

Japanese sustainable architecture, very first time it has ever been concidered.

Tatami matt—set dimensions—build the rooms around a set size mat.

Looking at using local materials and skills

Responding to the climate

Creating a link to nature

Exploiting new technology

Avoiding excess and waste.

Building to last.

Architecture and the city.

Dongtan will be a zero pollution largely car free, renewable-energy powered, sewage recycling, green fringed utopia.

Commercial interiors

Living sustainability.

Sustainable commercial interiors.

Materials

Hardwood VS softwood.

Café bar interiors

Reclaimed timber.

Reclaimed aluminium

Timber

Natural composites and recycled acrylics.

Student examples.

The issue of sustainable development is the single most important challenge facing the design industry today.

Selecting materials- Appropriate!

Substitution: Choosing flooring made of bamboo, over one made of endangered hardwood.

Sustainability of natural resources.

Energy consumed during purchasing process, transport etc.

Durability

Impact on human health.

Embodied energy

The sum of energy required at all stages of precaution

Extraction of raw materials

Transport

Energy used in processing

Energy used during construction/application.

Highly process materials such as metal and plastic have high embodied energy.

Locally sourced materials that do not tend to travel between origin and have a lower embodied energy.

Questions to ask myself.

How is the material going to be used?

Improves durability

Improves structural performance

High thermal mass?!

Recycle and reuse

Direct recycling- using materials salvaged from other buildings/interior. REUSE.

Recycling consumer industrial waste.

Recycling process consumes energy; the material product can be lower grade.

Where did it come from?

What went into it?

Can it be used safely to make something else?

Does it nurture the health and well-being of its occupants?

Will it be comfortable without requiring a lot of energy for heating?

What chemicals might this product emit during its lifetime.

What is the future of sustainability?

 

 

Visiting Speaker- Altro

Family run since 1919.

Top 100 companies to work for in the world.

Head office Based in Letchworth.

Maiden newton- Resin factory.

London-Design centre.

Lowestoft- whiterock base.

Global Offices in USA ,Spain, Sweden, Germany, France, China, Australia and Dubai.

What is safety flooring;

Altro invented safety flooring.

10,000 injuries per anum.

One accident every 3 minutes.

95% are broken bones

90% are on a smooth surface.

Altro has Sustained slip resistance because silicon carbide and aluminium oxide inside. Does not wear down.

NO such thing as a ‘NON-SLIP’

Only ‘slip-resistance”

Slip resistance for 16 years has been proven..

Specifying what and why?!

 

Hygiene

PVC hygienic wall sheet.

Most slips happen because they’re not maintained correctly.

Has to be rinsed with water after been cleaned with detergent.

Sustainability

Altro claim they wouldn’t fill up a domestic skip in a year with all their waste.

Altro created a scheme called recofloor.

Ethical thing to do re

Gave away products used at London 2012 Olympics to be used in schools.

 

Flooring types.

Heavy Duty;

Reliance 25 — the product is 2.5mm thick.

The above is used during high traffic areas where lots of people walk through.

The classic 25 is still 2.5mm thick.

Widely used throughout laboratories.

One of altro’s first installation.

Installed 65 years ago and still the same slip resistance.

The suprema.

More of a 3D/colourful flooring.

Not so sparkly because top layer has an epoxy clear coat, that dulls own the flooring.

Versatile Soloutins.

Walkway has 44 colours, the most in industry for a entry level.

Looselay/expresslay  is the future!

Can be laid down directly onto of semi-cured concrete. Taped down on double sided tape. Has membrane on back which allows air circulation.

Special application

Aquarius goes in the bathroom

Stronghold 30 is the only one they would recommend in kitchen and commercial space.

3mm thick, rates 55 on the slip factor.

Atlas 40

4mm thick, stud resistance and good for sports grounds.

Making a new smooth product.

Rubber Flooring

High slip resistance

Good for airports.

High resistance to trolleys.

White rock

A fully bonded, hygienic alternative to tiles that’s impact resistance grout free and easy to clean.

Made from high quality PVCU polymer that can handle temperatures up to 60 degrees.

Smooth, Impervious, Non-absorbent, you can wipe it clean for low maintenance surfaces.

Can be used as splashback behind sinks and kitchen walls ect.

Also have wall protections.

Market sectors

Healthcare education

Social housing.

Retail

Food/drink/pharmaceutical