Innovation Station

What's happening?

The traditional model of education fails to address the needs of individual students and recognize their unique desires and talents. Instead of being given the freedom to explore their own ambitions, students are all held to the same standards and are taught that success is based on test scores and GPAs. School is a linear process through which one must survive through to become educated and to be deemed capable in surviving in the “real world”. But this formwork of education deters the natural curiosity and desire to learn that exists within every student. The architecture in place in traditional institutions only serves to further reinforce these notions.

A new approach to learning is needed in order to embody the ideas and values of a new generation.

"What does the future of education look like? "

How can you provide students with the resources they need to become well rounded citizens?

What if...

Project based learning serves as a formwork for a new approach to education. The act of doing allows for the opportunity of experience and application of ideas and processes.

1. Process as space

The basic phases of working through a project are now translated into space. These spaces provide the resources one may need at any given time through a project. Progression through a project equates to a procession through space. 

2. Challenge the flow

The process of creating is not always linear, and the path that it follows should not be either. Creating a more circular flow encourages back and forth travel between different areas.

3. Arrange communities

Microcommunities are placed along the pathway. Making spaces become the central hub of the building and are accessible by all other microcommunities as the process of making represents the most integral phase in the flow of a project.

4. Introduce other elements

The remaining elements of the building are woven in between microcommunities. These secondary elements benefit from the microcommunity environment but also contribute themselves to the building whole as secondary resources.

"How can spaces be designed to encourage collaboration and interaction?"

Keeping this question in mind helped inform my design process when zooming in on spaces within the building.

Scales of Community

As a resource hub, the building acts to serve multiple communities.

Building Scale

The building houses 3 distinct communal bodies: students, incubators, and the public. They all have set aside areas designated to them, but all have access and can make use of the tools and resources that exist within the building.

Small Community Scale

While there are 6 established microcommunities, they are defined by the activities occuring in the space as opposed to a group of people. Each microcommunity is formulated to support the process of working on a project and provide an array of resources.

  • Thinking – areas like a library and computer lab for students to do research on topics of their interest.
  • Making (General) – wood shop, metal shop, large scale dFAB (CNC, plasma, water-jet)
  • Making (Design) – fine arts (drawing and painting), ceramic, and fashion design studios
  • Making (Technology) – small scale dfab (laser cutter, 3D printers), computer/film labs
  • Testing – outdoor spaces, robotics labs, science (chemistry/physics) labs
  • Presenting – radio station, film/animation, lecture hall, conference rooms

As people shift through based on their projects, these spaces gain a new energy. While these microcommunities of space are essentially fixed, microcommunities of people are ever-changing as occupants are constantly shifting through these spaces.

Personal Scale

Fixed learning spaces act to provide students with individual work space by allowing them to claim their own desk space. Because students are not sorted into any one microcommunity, they may travel about the building and settle where they so desire.

What does a microcommunity look like?

While each microcommunity offers different resources, they all follow a similar template. The diagram to the left begins to explain the different typologies of space that can occur within a microcommunity.

So what is this place?

THIS BUILDING…

Is a starting point. The function of the building as a resource center allows it to be used by anyone, at any time, for a long time. Longevity of the building can be achieved through flexibility of use.

Brings communities together. The use of the building allows it to cater to a variety of people. People will always flow in and out to make use of the tools stored inside. The building is stationary but never static.

Represents and supports implementation of 21st century skills. Collaboration. Communication. Critical Thinking. Use of Technology.

Is a center for resources and innovation. Members of the community are provided with the tools necessary to explore and express their thoughts and ideas in a variety of different media.

Is a gallery. One can experience the building not only as a user but as a passerby. Display of work and interactions is available to all.

Is a statement. “F*ck you traditional school system! Let’s try something new.”

Moving Forward

It seems like a majority of my quarter was spent trying to answer all of these questions about what this building could/should become, and now that I have begun to answer those questions, I have found myself faced with a bunch of new ones. My spring quarter will now be dedicated to trying to answer these…

  1. Relationship to the site – how can the building form address the site condition and not just sit on top of it?
  2. Circulation – how can circulation serve as a vantage point? (inspiration path vs. main circulation?) what does a pathway for the public look like? how can you invite people in and let them see what’s going on inside without impeding into those spaces? how will this inform arrangement of space?
  3. Mechanical systems – where are these going to go?
  4. Spatial relationships – how do you allow for ease of access and visual connections throughout the building?

The building I ended up with after final review captures some ideas of my general concept, but it feels like I have only scratched the surface at this point. Next quarter I will definitely focus my efforts to try and have the architecture exude my ideas and capture the qualities of space I have worked to conceptualize thus far.

This post has 1 Comment

  1. cabrinharch on March 25, 2017 at 2:42 pm Reply

    Your project and portfolio do a great job of getting into the issues. Best of all is thinking through the process of creation and the kinds of spaces needed for this, but then not falling in the trap of making this a linear process. So, the key idea of thinking through the quality of spaces – not simply a spatial progression – and how one might move in a non-linear fashion from space to space. Remember: space does not mean room. As you move forward, you need to better define the quality of the spaces – the atmosphere – that best support these different phases in design process (think make test present). I would expect each micro community to have these, but their character may be different based on the medium each community is working through – say film/media versus robotics. I would caution you on then assigning a micro community a phase in this process, as all should be encompassing all phases in design process, but I do think your descriptions of the different media they work in are good.
    As you move forward, focus on what you are for, not what you are against. The intro is ok to set up your new model, but it takes a while to get to your good question. Your first question: “what does the future of education look like?” is ok – but it doesn’t prompt a specific design response. Your question: “How can spaces be designed to encourage collaboration and interaction?” Now that is the question! And it needs to be tested out in much detail. Your micro community diagram is a good start, but need to go much much deeper to test out your question. Your central space ( atrium?) is really important in your opening diagrams, but it is not yet clear what really activates this space, and how it connects to the micro communities.
    All in all, a very good understanding of the project, now in spring we can really get into it! I hope you initial process diagrams live on!

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