Continuum
Fall 02009 Architectural Competition
In collaboration with: Steven Saenz, Kevin Vandersall.
Duties Included: Initial design, design development, articulation and modeling of acoustic panels, drawing production, graphic design.
Continuum/College Station, Texas
Acoustic Panels Design: a300 Continuum
introduction/Interdisciplinary design competition within the Texas A&M University College of Architecture. Teams were called on to enclose a temporary classroom within an open studio with permanent partitions, and to re-think the use of the space.
temporary/Existing conditions of the temporary classroom is enclosed by movable partitions reminiscent of cubicles in a stuffy office and utilized by the adjacent studios for on-screen lectures and presentations. The space is cut off from the light-filled atrium space by a non-structural wall, and the space is noisy from adjacent studios and atrium sounds. A plasma screen and computer are a permanent establishment in the temporary classroom and is expected to be incorporated into the new design.
permanent/In order to bring this space proper lighting and sound levels, the room is enclosed by walls, and the ceiling is lifted up two feet, to relieve the cramped feeling of the small space. Continuum becomes visually connected to the atrium space by removing the solid wall that separates it and replacing it with glass. The classroom distinguishes itself from the surrounding studio spaces by using illuminated partitions. These “light walls” serve to give the interior a subtle glow during on-screen presentations, provide presentation space for hand drawings, and be utilized by the studios when tracing drawings from trace paper.
sound/Continuum takes the typical perforated wooden acoustic treatment and exaggerates it to give subtle cues to the user(s). The perforated wood becomes both ornament and organizer, bulging and retracting in order to accommodate the plasma screen, computer equipment, and light fixtures.
continuum/This space becomes more than just a room for on-screen lectures, it becomes useful to students in and outside of class time. This space becomes a lecture hall, presentation space, workstation, and lounge. This space becomes a continuum of activity, completely changing the nature of the studios and atrium it sits within.
