CIRCADIAN LIVING UNITS

This project consists in designing and modelling at 1:20 a modular plywood living unit suitable for entraining the circadian rhythms of the users. These living units aim to benefi night shift workers re-adapting to the day shift; travellers readjusting to UK time zones; and those with ultra-late circadian clocks (owls) looking to adjust to the earlier time-scales expected by society. Users would stay for between two and seven nights in the circadian living units, using a booking system similar to AirBnB.

The site is the portion of shore in front of the Spring Garden Care Home in Portobello Promenade in Edinburgh. This residential area is very quiet, close enough from cafés and parks and from the swimming centre.

Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disruption (SCRD), most found in night shift workers and those with jet-lag, is linked to profound short and long-term health issues.

In short, ‘resetting’ the master clock using light exposure is of profound importance, and the project aims to create a series of environments which promote this ‘resetting’ and therefore the health and of your users.

For my first manipulation, completely cut the middle piece of the box, turning a box into a 3 piece modular box.

For the second manipulation, I cut a section of two sides that turned out that worked really well as a balcony area.

For the third manipulation, created a double fold-able section that looks like a window/ceiling window.

For the fourth manipulation, cut a fold-able section that can work as a terrace shelter from the sunlight or as an entryway.

For the fifth and last manipulation, I cut a corner off of the smaller module so that could fit the middle module inside it creating more corners and fun shapes in along the process.

concept 1: breaking the ‘flat’

This concept tries to break with the usual thought of flat roof/ box that comes to our minds when we think of a tiny house, inspired by the steps at the end of Portobello Beach.

concept 2: curved architecture

This concept is a development from the previous concept, this one being more bold and out of the box with the use of curved walls.

final concept: site’s curves

This concept ties the curves from the architecture of my site with the curves of my design. A study of the site’s curves’ radius was carried through Digimaps.

Site Studies Sketch