As happy as I am to be finished with my final shelter|bus project, and no matter how fed up with it I got, it was one of the most interesting learning experiences I've had in IARC so far.
Process is always something that is so exciting to look back on. Endless sheets of trace paper and sketches; all the work leading up to the final product. This project in particular took quite a lot of process.. it wasn't an easy idea for me.
In the beginning, I was drawn to ideas of light and the actions of light depending on different situations. Through my research, I found
refraction; the bending of light when it encounters something new. Refraction of light, and the way it adapts to its surroundings was a strong idea I felt I could really work with as the concept for shelter|bus.
Light is something we often take for granted, much like having a home. In the situation of a natural disaster, the victims are thrown into change, something that is frightening and inevitable all the same. It is in this way that the victims of the disaster are forced to bend; refract their normal lives in new ways. On another level, the relief workers also act in the same was as the refraction of light by changing the direction of their own lives to help others, and they are literally the light in the darkness- illuminating the better possibilities for the future. The community as a whole must also bend and adapt as light does when refracted. All of these ideas come together in the physical form of my shelter bus as well.
I first began with a programmatic bubble map of all the different spaces the workers would need on the bus, which ultimately aided in spacial organization of my final design.
Through my scale model, I was able to display these spacial relationships, as well as visually explain the bus's transformation. The two halves slide open and closed for reasons of mobility, accessibility, and privacy. 4 specific workers were defined as the inhabitant of the bus, and as one of them was on crutches, an elevator was necessary for easy circulation for all. When the two halves are open, the elevator openings are aligned, allowing movement between the two "floors" as well as opening up the entire bus for use. When closed, the bus is sectioned off for more privacy, and easy transportation.
My final presentation boards included long and cross sections, as well as a detail of the elevator, and a perspective of the entire bus, as my model and renderings only displayed the transforming section.
Overall, the biggest lesson of this project for me was developing and connecting conceptual ideas to design, and how a solid concept impacts every aspect of good design. I struggled with the project at many different times, but it has been a very beneficial experience overall.
All that remains is our bus shelter build- still in the works. Now that almost everything else is complete, all of my efforts will be going into the build, and I can't wait to see the outcome. Will be posting lots of pictures and build updates soon!
