Interior pod details

I have been trying to work out the interior components of my pod, as it is a fairly confined space, the sue of the area is very important. I think the most necessary components for my guests is a Desk to work at, a television and a phone. I have talked previously of my idea to have an illuminous 'silent' alarm clock in the pod, and this got mo to thinking how will all of this be controlled by the user. I have also started modeling a remote to integrate the pods function into one hand held component.

 

Images of the fold down desk and TV.

 Another option is to have the seat built into the door, this allows the user to face down the length of the pod.

Spatial dimensions and storage. I had not previously thought about the need for guest luggage storage, but it is an obvious component for any hotel. The image below is an example of hew this storage can be built into columns located between each pod, this also helps to separate each pod and provide some privacy.  

1:1 scale model

During this tutorial I decided I would model up a few rough elements of my pod design in order to obtain a sense of space for the dimensions I have assigned to the pod structures.

Pod Door

The pod door pivots on a hinge at the top of the front face to save space in front of the pod.

 Closed

 

 Halfway through opening

 

Completely open

Draw

The draw is located in the pod, sitting beneath the bed inside. It acts as a safety deposit box for guests and also stores the pods remote and amenities.

 

Lying position 

These images give a sense of scale for the guest while lying in the pod, the approximate dimensions are 2.5m in length with a 1.2m diameter. These images do not take into consideration the space inside the pod that the draw would take up, so the bed actually sits around 20cm up from where I am lying in these images. 

 

Sitting 

These images show  how the guest will be positioned when sitting in the pod, this will probably be the position that the guest will take when sitting in the pod either using the desk or watching TV.

 

 

Tectonics revised

As previously mentioned, the design I had proposed earlier was not very efficient in terms of functionality and tectonics, which somewhat comes back to modelling in 3DS Max from the get go. This shows just one of the limitations of this software, as it is not strictly for building design. However, it was mostly my fault, jumping into modelling far too quickly. I have since gone back to the trusty old pen and paper to start refine my design. What I have come up with I believe is far my functional, and also considers the tectonics of the design. For future reference, I am going to have to find a balance between hand sketches and 3D modelling that allows for a unique, yet practical design. Anyway, the following sketches show the direction I am heading in for my toilet block and pod design, I may try modelling them in 3Ds to get a better idea of how they work, but I think I will talk to Ruwan and do a bit more exemplar analysis of similar designs before I get to far ahead of myself.

The toilet block is approximately 12m x 6m x 3m split into 4 sections, however I think I should be able to either reduce the size of the block or add another two toilets in, which would make it easier for guests as it is shared between 10 people (on each floor). 

I got the size for the pod by testing it with a desk in the tutorial room at QUT which was 1m x 1m, and seemed to be more than enough room for a comfortable yet functional design.

As the hallways on each floor is a limited width, I am planning to have the doors for each pod pivot on a point parallel with the pod to save space within the hallway.

This is the preliminary deign for my pods,  the main light for the room is provided by a luminous clock that is built into the cylindrical pod wall. The cylindrical interior provides space for a sleeping mattress with a safety storage draw underneath, I may also have lockers beside each pod. The cylindrical interior shell allows for and exterior shell of almost any shape or form without impacting on the functionality of the space.  

   Simple toilet block design.

Tectonics

Over the last couple of weeks I have been doing alot of modelling in 3ds Max to try and understand the form of my building design, however I have realised (so has Ruwan) that it is very difficult to understand the tectonics and functional planning of my design within 3DS. Now that I have some idea of what 3Ds is capable of doing, I think it is time to take a step back and use the knowledge I have acquired so far this semester in order to discover in alot more detail how my design can work. Since I already have the main floors to my building, the other critical components include the toilet block, the sleeping pods and the facade which I plan on looking at in more detail to iron out the wrinkles in terms of design and tectonics. Another important aspects is the spatial layout, as the storey bridge consists of many criss-crossing beams and columns, it may take some time to find a suitable layout so these features can be utilised rather than becoming a burden on the design.

The following sketches show the functionality and tectonics of my current design, and as you can see, some of the designs are simply not adequate for their use. For example the shape of the toilet blocks makes it very difficult to fit the requires facilities inside, and lots of space is wasted, which does not represent the concept of my design which requires functionality. The next weeks will be spent re-designing these components, trying to find a solution that fits the required functions and still maintains the aesthetic values at hand.     

Modelling

I ran into a few issues at the end of last week, however, Ruwan came into help a few of us out tonight and defiantly got me out of a few problems. Firstly the issue I was having with omni lights, below is a before and after render of my reception desk, you can obviously see how a few tweaks of material and light can dramatically help an image. The next thing I am going to start working on is my facade which will eventually hold my pods, Ruwan showed me how to apply and edit topography to start getting the shape I want for my facade openings. This should be a big week in terms of modeling process.

   

Modelling Continued

The next thing I started modeling was the central column that acts as the structure for the toilet pods and also the reception area. this was done in 3DS using soft select and control points. I am not sure how to hollow out the pods yet, but I think i will end up doing it in Google sketchup.

 

 (Colours just to show distinction in objects)

Modeling in 3DS MAX

After the presentation last week I believe I had a very solid concept, however my progress in building modeling was not as progressed. I have spent this week working in 3DS to catch up on my design. I started by modeling the stairs that run behind the stairs and also railings around the levels. As you can see from my presentation panels I had previously started modeling the facade walls and sleeping pods, but was yet to finish the entire facade. I am having some trouble modeling the more detailed aspects of my building in 3DS so at some point I may take the model over to sketchup, which I am far more familiar with.

 

Presentation

Structural concepts

Concept Parameters

+ The Parasitic hotel must have a host, in this case the storey bridge, and in some way must draw form it (Structure).
+The parasitic hotel must be in a symbiotic relationship with the host.
+The Human parasite may also be a secondary parasite that draws from the symbiotic relationship between the Hotel and the bridge
+The Original concept must be met, in this case drawing the parasitic human to the site to enjoy its aesthetics.
+ The parasitic human and the community (Immune system) must appreciate the symbiotic relationship or it will face rejection.
+ The Human parasite is complex and must have more than simply sleeping facilities to be wholly fullfilled. 

The Typology of  my building, a micro hotel molds perfectly with the theme of the Parasite and is also ideal for the concept parameters I have created for myself. The idea is unique enough to attract the human parasite to the area in order to sustain its life, and still depend on the storey bridge as a host. We have also created a plan to have a community at the peak of the host with a restaurant, Shopping complex and a nightclub created by my peers which will help accommodate the human parasite at my hotel. The micro hotel only provides features that are vital for the human parasite, the fundamentals of there existence, for example the hotel provides facilities to sleep and shower, however there is no overly luxurious features, these are the only things the  human parasite needs to maintain life without destroying the symbiosis parasite.


I have been looking at the zooxanthellae parasite for design inspiration (top), and its organic design works well with my theme, the concept of  pod like membranes living off its host is very reminiscent of the exemplar studies ‘nine hours’ micro hotel.   

 

The following image shows how I have taken the form of the above parasite and started to form the basic aesthetic for my design over the next couple of weeks.

I wanted the pod to be close enough to the parasitic design aesthetic but also functional and close enough the human parasites liking so it will feel comfortable in the space.

Functional analysis showing the spacial parameters of the pod. The bed sits in the middle of the space with the hatch door behind them and a viewing window to the other end. The bright clock in the wall acts as the light for the room.

Function

The micro hotel creates the ideal form of parasitic architecture, not only does the building itself become a symbiosis parasite on the host, there is also the introduction of the human parasite. The three literally live of each other as a parasite would in nature. The pure nature of the architectural parasite defines the need for a pragmatic and purely functional design. The hotel provides on the necessities to the human parasite so it itself does not expire. The human parasites are assigned pods to rest in and showering facilities to maintain hygiene, and then are moved on to adjacent parasites for further nourishment.

 

Central core- Reception on bottom, toilet blocks above.

Outer Core- Elevators on interior, stairs exterior.

 Red displays facade structure

Level Plan

Access elevator

Plan view

The Site