Eliza Ehlen

remote r e f r e s h

Capstone by Eliza Ehlen

how might we use the built environment to better engage students in remote learning?

ABSTRACT When higher education students were unable to safely return to classes in the spring of 2020 due to the Covid-19 outbreak, they were thrust into learning 100% from home with no preparation. While many have now returned to in-person instruction, this mode of learning has emerged as a convenient and economic way to pursue an education from anywhere with a wi-fi connection.

Although the degree to which a student is considered a “remote learner” will continue to vary with the state of the pandemic, online instruction will continue to be a popular mode of learning just as it was before, with the potential to become more of a “norm” for students who desire freedom in travel or for those who choose to live at home while attending an out-of-state institution.

As much as remote learning is convenient, it is a generally mundane and flat experience that requires an excess and unhealthy amount of screen time. Because of this, a student’s living environment and where they choose to work within that can greatly impact the effectiveness of learning and retaining information.

When looking toward a spacial solution to this problem, the following became vital considerations: how we pay attention, what isn’t working, and what we’re currently lacking in the remote learning space.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL REMOTE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

1. HOW DO WE PAY ATTENTION?

Niklas Herrmann / Unsplash

Cameron Venti / Unsplash

The Creative Exchange / Unsplash

Alexander Black / Unsplash

what attracts our attention?

This could be a bright light in the dark, beauty found in nature like leaves beginning to change color in the fall or a rainbow after a storm, the smell of freshly baked cookies when you walk through your front door, or a public art installation like Cloud Gate that juxtaposes its surroundings and could initially feel out of place.

Image courtesy of masterclass..ted.com

Image courtesy of medium.com

Coline Haslé / Unsplash

Katya Austin / Unsplash

what holds our attention?

It seems impossible to pay attention to a 1 hour lecture but easy, in comparison, to watch a 15 minute Ted Talk or thirty 1 minute Tik Toks in a row. Media like movies, TV shows, and books can hold our attention because they’re constantly changing and telling a story.

Lastly, experiences like immersive art installations hold attention simply by being user-driven, changing based on how a user interacts with it and for however long they wish.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL REMOTE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

2. WHAT IS CURRENTLY LACKING / NOT WORKING?

Anna Shvets / Pexels

zoom fatigue Long days spent interacting virtually with classmates and professors, overemoting to make up for the lack of body language, and then staring at the same screen to complete homework is very taxing on the human brain.

Maxim Ilyahov / Unsplash

external distractions It can become very easy to get distracted by your phone during virtual instruction, as well as varying, unpredictable levels of noise a roommate, parent, or neighbor can make.

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physical activity Being glued to a screen for so long, typically in a seated posture, might make adding physical activity to a student’s schedule more difficult.

Vanessa Bucceri / Unsplash

sensory stimulation As we get older, learning transforms from exciting, colorful, and engaging sensory experiences into more sterile and 2D activities, like the memorization of facts and figures on a study guide.

promote activity through a variety of postures

generate excitement about learning

project goals

connect peers of all higher ed paths

provide dynamic & customizable experiences

DESIGN SOLUTION THE STUDENT TREEHOUSE In response to the static and flat nature of remote learning, my solution is to create a dynamic and exciting learning hub for higher ed students that offers an escape from their day-to-day living environment to interact with classes and get work done through immersive, engaging, and customizable experiences.

Thinking of the treehouse as the go-to place to escape to for work, play, expressing yourself and being creative outside of your daily living space, this hub will live in a central, accessible location for students to commute to. This will allow remote students the opportunity to not only get out of the house, but to add variety to their school days and form an in-person community of peers.

USER ANALYSIS

CONNECTING ALL HIGHER ED PATHS

Our American society often values a university education over any other higher ed path a young adult can take, but it’s not necessarily the right place for everyone to pursue their postsecondary education. By opening the Student Treehouse to students on every path, it allows exposure to and understanding of various career interests and ways of achieving success - breaking the stereotype that the university path is the path to take.

Leon / Unsplash

Cotton Bro / Pexels

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university

commuter / community college

trade school student

intern / apprentice

SITE ANALYSIS

Image courtesy of 720consulting.net

1400 VINE ST CINCINNATI, OH

1400 Vine is located in the heart of the Cincinnati neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine and currently provides space for retail and office tenants. OTR is a very walkable area, attracting young adults to come and explore it’s shopping, dining, and park destinations, as well as being easily accessible by car, bike, and public transit. There are also two professional co-working spaces located on the same street, providing a potential networking connection between the young adults occupying the treehouse and local, young professionals.

University of Cincinnati

I-71

I-75 Downtown Cincinnati

1400 Vine St

• parking

• street car stops

professional co-working space

• bus stops

• red bike stations

Miguel Chevalier exhibit courtesy of Olivia Mahieu / Pinterest

Buse Doga Ay / Unsplash

Anna Roguszczak / Pexels

VHS Art Print by aertime / Society6

Image courtesy of designinspiration.com

Airam Dato-on / Unsplash

[ON & OFF] THE GRID A design concept exploring the juxtaposition between immersion in screens & technology and space to completely disconnect & relax, providing various postures for both experiences.

ON THE GRID

abstracting the zoom grid

privacy level

immersive environment

share screen

Christoffer Engström / Unsplash

Sean Sinclair / Unsplash

highlight activity

materiality

My%Desktop / JODI (via Vimeo)

applying zoom functions to space

OFF THE GRID

breaking the grid

signifying pockets of off-grid space Adam Smigielski / Getty Images

analog activities

games / puzzles

listen to music

painting / crafts

reading

KIT OF PARTS An integral element of the treehouse design was making sure that students could choose from a variety of postures whether they’re on or off the grid. This kit of parts combines typical workplace postures with elements of interactive art installations that caters to the wide variety of studies and individual preferences of the treehouse users. huddle: a screen share station for two

people to collaborate & share ideas with the capability of drawing on / marking up the screen

café: a hospitality element giving a

familiar space to students who enjoy working at coffee shops

huddle

stage: a larger immersive screen for an

individual to give a presentation in a more private setting

cave: a study spot where the user is

completely surrounded by screens showing a moving graphic of their choice paired with a sound (ex. visual of ocean waves crashing associated with sound of waves)

theatre: the place to gather in multiple small groups or in a large group for guest presentations

OFF THE GRID

community table: floating table with integrated screens to drop in and take notes on that then populate on a large screen behind it for the rest of the day

nook: the cozy space to curl up with a

light booth: individual booth to drop

studio: a soundproof room for 1-2

chat room: log into zoom with an

game room: an interactive space with a

in and get work done where the shelf above offers storage and a light below with customizable color settings

immersive screen & a soundproof booth with integrated speakers & microphones that also offers sit/stand mechanisms

good book

people to unwind by putting a record on and painting the interchangeable paint-bynumber mural on the wall

magnetic and wipeable wall allowing for the interchangeable application of games and puzzles

light booth

café

theatre

community table

chat room

stage

cave

nook

studio

game room

CREATING A NETWORK THROUGH WIREFRAME The central design element of the Student Treehouse is wireframe. This allows the vertical circulation, levels, and kit of parts to be interconnected, forming a physical network that also represents the networking and coming together of the students occupying the space.

To begin, a grid was formed based on the existing column grid and built up based on existing floor heights.

The vertical circulation was then placed in the center of the grid, loosely representing the climb up the trunk of a tree, with the various levels branching out around it. The higher you travel in the treehouse, the privacy level increases while the noise level decreases. Since the fourth level’s geometry visibly shifts, it’s known to users that this floor is for complete disconnection from technology.

level 1: collaborate

leve

el 2: drop in

level 3: focus

level 4: disconnect

PROGRAM When plugging the kit of parts into each level, the main considerations became the privacy and noise level. While the wireframe is the primary element that interconnects everything, the vertical circulation becomes the secondary connector between each level. Greenery has been added around this vertical circulation that increases in density as users travel up, not only evoking the feeling of climbing a tree but representing the levels becoming more private and quiet the higher they are.

The only other programmatic element added outside of the kit of parts was a help desk on the first level. This allows the café to act as a welcoming hospitality element instead of a traditional reception desk, while still offering a designated space to get assistance with any technology issues that arise.

4

the library

3

the den

(6) nooks (1) studio

(5) caves (1) stage

2

the gallery

1

the town hall

(1) community table (4) chat rooms (3) light booths

(1) café (1) help desk (1) theatre (4) huddles (1) game room

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1 1/32” Scale Floorplans

N

MATERIALITY DEEP DIVE

DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN BEING ON & OFF THE GRID

When considering materials, it was vital that the screens had the ability to stand out. To execute this, white brick was chosen as the base interior wall material, echoing the brick exterior, with a white powder-coated metal as the wireframe. These white elements, while still visible, then fade into the background to bring emphasis elsewhere. Light wood tones were added to not only pay homage to the tree, but to give a warm canvas to the screens with a translucent white glass acting as a divider without losing too much visibility.

To create the pockets off the grid, the wood tones were brought in as a connection to the rest of the space, but tone-on-tone elements were introduced to add color where screens were no longer the main focus. These materials became layered upholstery fabrics and wallcoverings or a mix of colored flooring, glass, and matching upholstery. The color palette and chosen patterns are intentionally exciting yet sophisticated which speaks to how young adults / higher education students would like to be perceived.

My%Desktop / JODI (via Vimeo)

USER VIEW: ON THE GRID This view shows the community table, chat rooms, and light booths on the second level of the treehouse.

Screens standing out as a material is so vital to the design so that while the base materials don’t change, students can feel like they have a new experience each visit while also being able to learn and understand more about their peers with their school work on display.

Extra elements shown in this view include acoustic baffles in a grid format with integrated LED lights as well as green cove lights underneath the chat rooms. These act as a nod to the green box on Zoom that highlights the person speaking, only on when the space is in use.

My%Desktop / JODI (via Vimeo)

USER VIEW: OFF THE GRID This view shows two reading nooks with the studio in the background.

The reading nooks are surrounded by bookshelves or shelves of records that students can choose from before heading back to the studio. These records and books that fill the space represent activities that don’t require technology and act as an additional texture signifying a student has entered a space intended to be “off the grid.”

NETWORK AT WORK This image shows the entire network of the Student Treehouse working together from the most collaborative and social spaces at the entry to the most private and quiet spaces at the top level. The wireframe that connects every physical element of the treehouse also connects this new community of peers while celebrating the individuality between them.

thank you!

Eliza Ehlen | Spring 2021