Int View, translucent panels to show beyond

Int Class w/ desks, white board, video screens

Ext View of 1 classroom - translucent panels for depth

Class with HVAC ducts, lighting and desks

Detail: Corner where there are no wall panels

Conceptual view of door with railing at elevated platform

Detail: Truss Intersection at Column

Detail: Top Corner

Classroom Connectivity

The kit of parts yields the ability to connect classes for the formation of seemingly enclosed courtyards. In this example, both classes are 1 story, but the kit of parts includes the capacity to stack classes for dense site conditions.

Truss Options

Trusses span 24' and have differing characteristics that are suitable for different climates, causing the interior ceiling form to be conducive to specific air circulation patterns when combined with natural ventilation via operable windows.

Wall Panel Options

Wall panels are standard sizes (4' wide x 12' tall) providing a floor to ceiling interior height of 10'. Panels are: Solid, Door, Maximum Glaze, Medium Glaze and Minimum Glaze.

Wall Panel Assembly Animation

This video may take a minute to load. It shows the structure with 24'x48' overall dimensions. The open classroom space is 24'x32' with a storage (and services area, when needed), adjacent to the class, occupying the majority of one of the 8' bays. The outermost 8' bay on one side is not enclosed and provides space and structure (not shown) for the access ramp. The outermost 8' bay on the other side shows 4 of the 6 wall panels with the full glaze option, because that area looks into a courtyard of trees. Earlier in this blog, a student posted a remark that a connection to nature is important for her morale. A student that has a sense of peace and comfort is more likely to be more involved in the classroom agenda, which is crucial for adequate learning and storage in long-term memory. The wall panels bolt to the members and consist of ply-laminated rigid insulation. For panels that connect to a truss, truss clips are utilized to provide a bolt-like connection. The floor follows a panel format as well. A ply-laminated composite including corrugated metal within then stuffed with foam-hardening insulation, the floor panels are both structurally sound for the live and dead loads, acoustically appropriate and have thermal characteristics as well.

Student-designed Desks of the Future

Bao Tran:


Elijah Decker:

Construction Process II

Another entry....Just working on the elevations to deliver wall space for students' work and teacher space as well as lighting and ventilation.

Then the guts: from highest priority to lowest the guts go:

I: Lighting,

II. Heat, Ventilation

III. Educational items: Storage, Computer Projector

IV. Rainwater collector and grey water distribution system.

Construction Process

Hey Yall, just thought I'd do a little documenting...here's our single module after
having assembled the aluminum columns, secondary aluminum beams, floor trusses, floors which I think should be prefabricated concrete 4X8' concrete panels....After the main structure is in place, we're gonna give it the guts: the electrical and plumbing lines, rain water and recycled roof system, educational computer system with a projector and video conferencing panels, storage units, not to mention fill in the courtyard with some vegitation....Along the way we'll build up vignettes to show...stay tuned!

Mission Bay HS Site Map

The Mission Bay HS Site

Students

In case we superimpose students in a perspective view.

Old idea for truss

New Truss

Reply to Gaston

In effort to move forward, I'll model your truss, which seems effective both structurally and for the rainwater runoff concept. The model you created before and posted to the blog is so eye-catching that the presentation submission should have the same sort of appeal. I will take photographs tomorrow of the area that we are proposing for the two structures, where one is two stories. The size of the areas are on the blog, specifically at the May 7 post:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWUZ-Aqqz0j-l4Yahoge6kCIRqwVJCjBjkgK1sh4AVV-5g4i4aaT0GtOprVtkzs2o-WsqgKXGQ6lBbQCQ5OaFLdbgI9y2rBRoj9MNL5YWzqGdAONfKeJ56kdEp6R9IpR_vHm3t70xvGo/s1600-h/Sustaniable+Classroom.jpg

The area in front of the glass would be good for the single story class, and the area to the left for the double story.
Ideally there's a ramp to the first level, since it's a raised foundation. In the eyes of the jury, the presentation image is what needs to be the hook. An effective image as well would likely be an interior view that shows marker board, video projection screens with the image of a foreign teacher on location on one, and a foreign class on field trip on the other, for example.

We haven't thought about what student interaction should be like... and therefore the desks. I will discuss this idea with my students tomorrow to see if they have insight regarding desk/interactive-station design. We can model such furnishings on our software and perhaps superimpose them from an eye-level vantage point into your interior views.

In my opinion, you should take note of the dimensions of the spaces in the two areas from the image link above of the existing conditions of our site, and begin adapting your previous models to it. Hopefully they are easily editable.
Ed

Component to Consider

I would imagine that in the future (if not already) video conferencing would be possible to allow students in other parts of the world to take on group projects with each other. The concept of two teenagers in different countries communicating with each other in a streamlined classroom environment is one that education authorities should already be concentrating on. This, therefore, allows the idea of virtual guest educators to afford the students with a more well-rounded learning experience.

20x40 Sample Configuration

Bolted Truss

Column Assembly

Foundation

Beams to Column

Showing half of the central-bolt truss (which minimizes member size during assembly/construction).

Adjustable Foundation

For a site that has a slight slope, the foundation columns are adjustable.

From Competition Headquarters:

Dear Challenge Entrants,

Thank you so much for participating in the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom of the future. Your participation has been instrumental in making this challenge a success so far. This being our last update before the submission deadline on June 1st, 2009 (12.00 AM PST), we thought we could list out all the awards that we are giving (as we announced so many during the course of the challenge), a small incentive for taking on the challenge of changing the learning environment in schools around the world, from the rural areas of Uganda to the suburbs in Colorado and to the urban areas in India.

Before we list out all the awards, here are a few pointers for the submission. Please test out your project entry page by uploading files before the submission deadline, doing this does not mean that your project has been submitted. So please test out some uploads. Do keep in mind the Internet connection quality that you are using, it may take longer to upload files depending on the speed of the connection. In case you have any problems do email challenge@architectureforhumanity and we will guide you. Please do so before May 30th, 2009. Do note that after the submission deadline you will not be able to upload any files. And there are no alternative ways to submit your entries.

A reminder for those of you who have not updated your profile page and emailed Maria Toner with your school location details (if you are choosing the 'Partner with a school of your choice' category), please do so as soon as possible. We are asking you to do this because there are chances that more classroom designs may be funded. To give you a better sense of this opportunity, currently we have a possible funder who is interested in design entries from Vancouver, Canada. We are unable to take this forward as we cannot identify the design entries from Vancouver and we know that there are a few entries from there. So the Canadian entrants, who still have not responded, please do so and for those of you, who are not from Canada, please update your profile page, chances are your classroom design may be built even if it is not the winning entry.

Chapter members entering the challenge, write to challenge@architectureforhumanity with your chapter name and entrant id to be considered for the Chapter Award. Please put in ‘Chapter Award' as the email subject.

Finally here is the list of awards,

Design Prizes and Awards

Award: Winner for Best Classroom Design
Prize: Selected school is awarded $50,000 and design team $5,000

Award: Runner-ups for Best Classroom Design
Prize: Selected school is awarded $10,000 and design team $1,000
Note: Number of runners-up based on jury process

Design prize funding furnished by Orient Global

Technical Prizes and Awards

Award: Best design on the Open Architecture Network Freewheel Workspace
Prize: AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2009 (worth $6,720)

Award: Best Three Dimensional (3D) Sketch Model
Prize: Google SketchUp Pro 7. (worth $495)

Award: Best Three Dimensional (3D) Animation
Prize: AutoDesk 3DS Max 9 (worth $3,495)
Embed your animation using youtube. Prize-winner must send hi-res version to collect prize

Award: Best Photo-Realistic Rendering
Prize: Autodesk Maya Complete 10th Anniversary Edition (worth $2,590)

Award: Most Ecologically Designed Classroom
Prize: AutoCAD Revit 2009 with Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 (worth $6,190)

Technical prizes furnished by AutoDesk and Google SketchUp

More awards

Best adaptation of design curriculum, Curriki
Prize: Two $500 awards

Ten copies of the Third Teacher to finalists

Best chapter entry: $1000 grant

Total Prizes = over $100,000 in funding and software.
Please note that design winners may also be winners of technical awards.

We know that many of you are interested in finding out who is on the jury for the challenge. For a comprehensive list of jury members and their bio, go to the jury page

As you prepare for the submissions, do to contact us (challenge@architectureforhumanity.org) with any questions that you may have. The challenge team is more than happy to help in making this process as smooth as possible.

The team at Architecture for Humanity (www.architectureforhumanity.org) is having a great time organizing the Classroom Challenge. We hope you all are having fun participating. It has been a fantastic journey so far and the challenge team thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all of you. Thank you for being wonderful participants. We look forward to fabulous design entries.

Good luck!
Sandhya + Challenge Team

Design Development

We can do this, our process looks good! We need to work fast though!

Concept: Adaptability honoring diversity: our process would show how from a library of parts, we created an accessorized model suitable to MBHS.

Structural System: After some deliberation and research, I understand our structural system to be a light gauge metal, kit of parts because of its light weight, ease of manual assembly, recycleability and therefor sustainability, non-combustbility, and on-site fabrication which supports the idea of making it shippable. Though, in order to make it work, again, we'd need to finish the library very soon, so it is true that those of you drafting the parts need to work fast and hustle thanks. Ed, we need to set a timeline to structure our schedule this week.

Image Preparation

Forrest, Nick, Bao:

Use the images here as guides for some assemblies to make. The corner structure shown must be made, and also make one with similar components but where the column is not in the corner, for an axial configuration (middle of the wall plane).

The other image shows the wall panels that you guys must make.

Important: If not already, remember to put bolt holes in the top and bottom flanges of the trusses, on both sides of the web (diagonals) so that both the clerestory glazing attachments that Bao made and the wall panels may be secured to them.

Finally, on a previous post in which you see my sketches, you'll find a design for the louvre attachment for the half-glazed panel. Model it, and make one for the full-glazed panel as well.

Step to it... not much time left. This week is the last week of productivity we have!

Rainwater

Presentation imagery should include planters adjacent to buildings that are fed from the rainwater runoff... plants should be indigenous so no extra care is needed, which translates to water savings over time but still addresses enhancing student mood through natural surroundings. Perspective images showing this type of environment would be very beneficial.

Adapting Structure to 3D Model

Gaston,

It would be best if we implemented your modeling skills for the main board imagery. Attached are some images so you see what my students have been working on. They will create a library of parts for assembly, but creating an assembly of both building configurations we're considering (1 story and 2 story) will not be possible, as we've already encountered a few complications when assembling the trusses to columns. Instead, they will develop partial assemblies that show how specific areas are put together. Your main 3D model can have bubble references that point to the close-up assemblies.

Click on the images below if they are not clear to make them bigger.

Massing

The concepts brought forth in the previous post look great. Nice work, Gaston. The structure will certainly coincide. Once we have similar layouts formed using the trusses and columns, it would be great if you regenerated your forms again based on the proportions to be provided... which are similar to yours.

The water collection system is great. We'll need to provide a collector for the water, since not all circumstances will be such that landscaping will be adjacent to the buildings. Perhaps we can show some potted plants.

Like true to the architectural academic world, we're coming down to the wire and still have a bunch to do.

Let's sprint to the finish.

rain water collection system

The rain water collection system is based off the

form of the roof which is sloped making a small

gutter.

Rain water or precipitation is collected by adding a pipe underneath the gutter, thus collecting water.

The image shows only the pipe extruding from the wall. Now, the water is ready to be distributed to a tank or perhaps plants living in or around the building (which is the idea I'm partial to). How do you think the collected water should be used?

Schematic Design

These are the massings I came up with based on responses to relocatable classroom problems, that were researched.

I chose to imbue the schematic design with virtues of a shipping container. As such, it can be stackable like we wanted using structural steel system though we still might consider how it could be made out of light guage steel. I added a staircase and left room for a mechanical A.D.A. elevator and restrooms if we choose to add them.

The foundation is composed of two 10'X40" trailer foundations. I researched California "wide load" regulations and found that a 10'X40' would be suitable. I then put two together to make a 20'X40' module. For the purpose of the project the wheels have been either tucked away or we can engineer them to come off and the adaptable foundation stabilizers added that were designed by the team members at Mission Bay H.S.

The schematic classroom itself I designed to be 20' wide X 25' long and 9' in height. Small enough? I think it's just right!

The roof system allows for stacking other modules. The features include A) oriented for solar gain and photovoltaics, B) Sloped for precipitation collection, C) designed to eliminate unwanted interior heat gain with vents at the top of the windows and D) designed for interior daylighting through floor to ceiling windows and a south clerestory that allows daylight to penetrate deep into the classroom supplemented by a south interior clerestory which can either bounce light off the ceiling with a light shelf or simply act by itself.

For the roof systems structural adaptability, passive heating, lighting, and ventilation functions, this is definately a strong option for us if we choose to employ it.

foundation support pictures in sheet view

all 3 parts are with demensions and the last assembly without....i did not constraint them all together because it shows that it is ajustable and can move up and down.

This is the support columns for the building.

Conceptualization Sketches

With two sets of wheels attached to the foundation, highway stability is made possible ,and shipping and handling accounted for. With extra engineering, these wheels could tuck under the foundation manually like an airplane in flight for positioning and repositioning, repair, or remodel of the classroom.

This design response means when parts or the whole needs repair it can be actually relocated via the bldg’s mobile foundation and easy assembly and reassembly design features .

Domestic production design and manufacturing could mean American jobs generated, in an array of industries including engineering, construction and the building professions, shipping, marketing, public relations, customer service and ____________________.

Clean, eco-intelligent, and elegant, our 'packaging should be at the forefront of human expression delivering a sense of celebration, delight and fun to the purchasing districts' (William McDonough). Hypothetically, orders could be made via catalogues or regional department show rooms where the prefabricted parts are constantlybeing improved imbued with the virtues of sustainability: i.e: safe human use, non-toxic material, accessory-adaptable location, user, and subject specific.

Manufacturer showrooms might even be technology hubs attracting green building companies, educational product vendors and might even host trade conventions where wholesale prices offered by “green companies”,make the districts ' purchasing experience a winning one for bringing home state of the art learning spaces that honor diversity. In the long run, with such a wide variety of industries involved, our struggling local and national economies could get to work producing these classrooms and thus making a critical stand for education.

thinking small may help

Think Small
Small can be beautiful and cozy. The trend lately has been toward big classrooms. Large classrooms generally use a tremendous amount of energy to heat and cool. This energy usually comes from the combustion of fossil fuels, depleting these resources and emitting greenhouse gases and pollutants into the air. Also, the larger the classroom, the more materials go into its construction; materials which may have their own environmental consequences. A classrooms should be just the right size for its occupants and their activities

Recycled Units - letter to Gaston

Gaston, since you did great research with the stackable idea, please research if there are any components (like the shipping containers) that can be reused for this project. We're shooting for a standard classroom module of approx 20'x20', so perhaps several need to be used to create one space. But then we have to consider the professional expertise required for customizing the units so the reach the minimum size. What is the cost of such a unit? We'd also need to consider shipping of such units to the job site, and related costs. It seems possible that in the long run shipping of materials for construction cost would be minimized if each component is not too big. I will have the students model on inventor some standard columns, metal open web joists, wall panels and floor/ceiling panels. I wonder if you know where to look to find costs of these materials, so we can see how they compare to the recycled units referred to earlier.

Stackable modules: our process.

What do stackable shipping crates have to do with our process? they have the capacity to stack, and thereby create a second floor, which is what we have expressed interest in. Third and fourth floors are possible if the building codes allow...more on this later. their adaptable nature and overall block-like abilities make them ideal for creating a logical arrangement of interconnecting modules.

If we adopted a similar structural system, we could stack modules efficiently. The inherent challenge of stacking however, is A) how to do it economically and B) how to accomodate A.D.A (building codes that regulate how handicap persons will enter the building).

Accordingly, we'd have to attach a single mechanical chair lift to get person to the second floor. Those things cost tens of thousands. Its not cost effective to serve only 1 upper classroom. but what if it served multiple? What if accounted for structural adaptations and made a lift serve multiple 2nd story modules. It would make CONCEPTUAL SENSE that we account for more modules, say two more---stacked next to the originals. I think only THENan inexpensive elevator/ chair lift would make sense. Shipping crates are a useful modular structures that we should learn from and allow to influence our process because they are cost-effective in that they are mass produced, utilize space efficiently and they interconnect and can be arranged. If we consider a structural system similar to that of a shipping crate, we could stack efficiently.