Awakening - Estrella Yang

AWAKE

AWAKENED

INTD 5002 | CAPSTONE II | ESTRELLA YANG

SPACE

Contents

1

Background

2

Development

3

Details

4

Site and User

5

Experience

Background

The Background

Last semester, the research of this project was focusing on the relationship between the body and

ever-changing materials, and how can that be applied to create a constantly awakened interior space. The

challenge was to explore the definition, the methods and

significance

of

awakening. This

involved

addressing the relationship between the body and the space - the two are opposing in attributes, but

how can the space serve the body while the latter gives meaningful feedback to the former, resulting in a two-way interaction to achieve “awakening”?

Through the design and study over this semester, the project has evolved by creating a private pod

with a cloud-like skin-friendly material and flexible

combinations of features to achieve “awakening” at a personal and spatial scale. The project has also focused on an in-depth exploration of “body

impression” which infuses the core idea of “body shaping space”. The significance of the project is to provide an ever-changing space for the users to create their own experience with unlimited possibilities.

Space How often do you think of “I wish this place could have this/that ...”? How often do you change your

home settings and trying to find the best fit? Interior space can be seen as a container that carries

people’s life, but most of the time it is mean to be

changed by people, especially when the space is not only serving one person. As a public school library, it

contains activities that go beyond reading, browsing, and studying to provide a comfortable space for students and faculties to relax between classes.

Why do we need this space to be constantly

changed? Think about the space where you feel most comfortable and relaxing - most people’s

answer will be their home. A large part of the reason we feel comfortable in our homes is because we

take ownership of it and can change the placement of furniture and objects to suit the needs of the

moment, and partly because our body has already adapted to the shape of our furniture.

The “Cloud Pod” combines flexibility and

adaptability of our body, with the individual’s body shape as the main focus, it allows users to create

their own private space within the public context.

Body

Interact

Imagine

Impress

Transform

Development

Body Shapes Space

Imagination

A space that provides possibilities

+ Interaction Interacting with space through your body and senses

+

Transformation Gradually transform from one environment to another

+

Impression A space records the imprint of user interaction

The Beginning

Space Transform The design process started with a transformable

module to accommodate various of body positions at personal and social scale. The

horizontal panel attached to the frame of the

module is adjustable and changeable by users, and the entire module can also be moved and

connected to create different social spaces as need.

As the core concept being “Body Shapes Space”, the previous module relied too much on functionality while missing the

inhabiting softness. By researching the influence of materials on engraving body impression, the project has developed its own language of using a high-density, soft foam material to mimic the intimate and comfortable touch of the cloud.

Body Impression

Evolution of Pod

The “Cloud Pod” The Cloud Pod is an site-less module which can be placed

anywhere indoor. It consists of a private pod, a workstation, the “clouds” as a backing system, and two integrated seatings which can be pulled out and move around.

The cloud panel is a system which can be made separately

and installed on walls at a specific site to work with the Cloud Pod as need.

private pod

workstation

+

+

extra seating

the “clouds”

=

cloud panel system

Details

The “Cloud”

Consisted of soft rubber foam and clear vinyl coat, the “cloud” reveals a desire to be touched, with the warm, pleasing DAAP pink color.

The inner rubber foam is a high-density material that allows you

to feel the softness while not losing yourself in it, and the soft thin vinyl cover helps with maintenance and sustainability. The

shape of it was inspired by the Looped Pile Seat (left image)

by Evan Runge, which uses an innovative technique to create unique textures while keeps the comfortableness from a simple material.

The “cloud” is focusing on shaping the body as a surface, also representing the two-sided nature of a surface and connecting the interactions between the inside and outside of the “pod“.

The “Cloud”

Top

Front

Side

The “cloud“ when not impressed by the body

When the “cloud” feels the

pressure from the body, it will follow the movement

Plywood panel as structure

which holds the weight of body

Full Scale Prototype

1

clear vinyl sheet

3

5

Making Process

2

4

soft rubber foam

6

The “Pod”

The pod has experienced many variations from the

very beginning to now, yet always revolves around the core concept of user interaction leading to spatial transformation.

The final form of the pod has rounded all the edges, which better blends the seating and table as they are organically grown and belong to the pod, alleviating the piece-by-piece dispersion and making the overall design more holistic. The mildly warm wood color also

supports this wholeness, while bringing a soft intimacy

to the users. There are two types of movable extra seating in the pod - one is a bench seat in the inner seat of the pod that can be pulled out completely and

placed anywhere; the other one is an extra seat in the external bench on the right side of the pod that can be pulled out to a length of about two seats.

A variety of different configurations of space can be

extended from these flexible seats and pods to meet the needs of different users, which constantly awake the space at a spatial scale.

1

skylight opening

metal frame

2 foam backing (the “cloud”)

1

3

4

2

3

4

4

4

plywood table

4

pull-out extra seat (completely out)

plywood frame structure pull-out extra seat

How to perform?

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Imagine

Impress

Transform

Interact

1

3

4

2

5

......

How can it transform?

Site + User

DAAP Library

The DAAP Library is also known as The Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, located on 5000 level of

DAAP, University of Cincinnati. It provides monographs, bound journals, and cutting-edge periodicals to DAAP students and faculties, which are covering various of subjects in Art and Design field.

The study area with the skylight shown in the photo is the specific site for this project. It is a trapezoidal area consists of a row of tables against the wall, with

comfortable nature lighting from above, which evenly lights up the entire space.

As of now, this area is under utilized and limited activities can be performed. Due to the rising demand for libraries with both social and private features among

students and faculties, we need to re-think the definition of a library. The project has awakened this space to be

ever-changing and brought a variety of features to it, enhancing the experience of the users while triggering numerous different possibilities.

The main users of the DAAP Library

are students and faculties from DAAP, as well as occasional visitors and organization tourists.

On the first floor of the library, there

are three entrances/exits - the main entrance the

located

in

the

emergency exit to the

courtyard, and

a

building, outside

faculty entrance

which rarely opens. The second floor of

the library is mainly used to store larger books, and there are two small meeting

rooms on a reservation basis, which are ideal for focused work and study. While

the first floor is relatively open and

pleasant for having open discussions and socializing.

DAAP Library

Experience

1

2

3

1

3

2

cloud pod

cloud panel (fixed)

bookshelf

pull-out bench (attached)

Floor Plan

pull-out bench

cloud panel (adjustable)

flexible side table

whiteboard

pull-out bench

bench-height cloud panel (fixed)

bookshelf

whiteboard

standing-heig (adjustable)

ght cloud panel

Wall Elevation

flexible side table

ground-height cloud panel (adjustable)

whiteboard

bookshelf

embedded track

stopper

carrier

cloud panel

Cloud Panel Details

wall installation diagram

AWAKENED

INTD 5002 | CAPSTONE II | ESTRELLA YANG

SPACE

INTD 5002 | CAPSTONE II | ESTRELLA YANG