Studio / Re-examining
This project re-examining a space that is familiar to me, the studio space that I have worked in the past 2 years. Through this project, we will question whether the current layout of the studio is the best environment we can provide for the students.
Existing Layout
The studio design is a great example of how people share a space.
The open concept of a studio helps breaks down personal barrier, encouraging discussion and interaction, motivating the students to have a huge creative pool where they can freely share ideas and influence creativity.
With the furniture mainly tables and chairs, this also encourages students to re-arrange and use these spaces to their own purposes, e.g. 2 tables form a temporary table tennis court.
And the layouts can differ to accommodate different groups of people for various purposes.
Sound Pollution?
However, with the studio original design being very open, there is a compromise of sound pollution and possible distraction. Students have different types of activites that reuire different layers of privacy such as eassy writing. Thus, questioning whether the open-ness helps provide the best environment for the students?
Drapes
Draping fabric with acoustic qualities can help soften sounds and form a semi-private space for people who requires personal space. As the fabric are translucent and hung from the ceiling, this leads to no disruption on the floor and the whole visual of the studio will not be affected.
Levels Of Privacy
The organic curve of a circle is seen as a shape of gathering, thus the radiating form of this design stimulates student to come together and study on this structure.
Tiered layers are implemented to provide semi-privacy and people who wishes to have more privacy can be seated on levels much higher.
Tessellating the circles, a more privated-solo pod is created. In each pod, the placement of the table and seats are in a manner that everyone will have a brief moment of personal space as there is no distraction visually. As the table is shiftable, students can adopt any kind of seating habits in a comfortable way.
Upon standing up, students can easily connect back to the studio space as the pod is not fully enclosed.
Reflection
Through this project, I tried to question the idea of privacy in a supposingly open space, whether do we need to be open in order to interact in the best way.
By using a site that is relevant to me, the experiences and encounters I had helped shape my thinking and concept towards this space. Rather than having an outcome, I have placed in ideations that I believe would help make the space better.