Outdoor Classroom
Title: Outdoor Classroom Pitch
Size: 36in by 24in Medium: Graphite and digital drawing Completion: April 2023 Exhibition TextOutdoor Classroom Pitch is heavily inspired by Javier Senosiain's organic architectural style and colorful and welcoming interiors. This project allowed me to expand on some of his ideas about comfort and embracing human nature. With colorful stained glass windows, plants, and conversation pits, this outdoor classroom embraces learning and promotes communication and engagement to make for a lively outdoor classroom.
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Inspiration
Artist in Focus: Javier Senosiain
Javier is a Mexican architect who uses organic shapes in most of his buildings' designs. Since I wanted to do something similar to seventies architecture styles, this complimented the idea I had in mind. His style looks dystopian and futuristic but prehistoric at the same time. His houses are timeless and I loved that. He also uses color through stained glass windows to make his buildings have a bright personality, which was one of the main goals I had when I was first introduced to the project. I knew I wanted the place to be memorable and fun while still being comfortable and not overwhelming. Javier's style of architecture was perfect for this.
Most of Javier's buildings are in the shape of things you find in nature, like animals or shells. This makes his buildings memorable and interesting. It defies the way that people typically view most buildings. It makes people stop in their tracks, and it makes them wonder why he made a particular house the animal it is. This helped me come up with the idea of making the building in the shape of a husky, as it is our school's mascot. This would make the building entertaining and eye-grabbing while being relevant to our school. One of the most known houses that he designed was the nautilus house. The nautilus house has greenery under skylights which I liked the idea of. I thought that the greenery features would benefit the Environmental Science and Studies (ESS) class that we have at Reagan. This would allow students to conduct studies on the living plants in addition to giving the space an outdoorsy feeling. Bringing the outside in would allow for students to use the building for all seasons while still enjoying parts of nature that they could preserve. Bringing the outside in also made me think of having a pond there for ESS as well. I wanted to be able to make as much as I could out of this project and try to get things that would be beneficial for classes that aren't recognized as much, but still following my theme of bringing the outside in. |
Experimentation
For a bit of collaboration, my class had taken about an hour to share ideas with each other and we talked about possible ideas for a design that we all had. We did this by drawing sketches and brainstorming maps on some whiteboards. Surprisingly, I noticed that many ideas had been focused around the environmental science and studies class that we had at our school. Many people were talking about using solar panels and possibly having gardens and renewable water sources that collect rainwater. The point of this was to share ideas with each other and to hopefully inspire other classmates to make innovations with others' ideas.
This was also when I made my initial idea for a design. I was inspired by the playgrounds that malls had in the 2010s that usually had a forest theme. Looking back at it now, the users of those structures are vastly different from the intended users of this high school work area. I wanted to make the space feel more mature, but carry some playfulness into it so I went on to design the Husky House later on. |
Another thing I experimented with was drawing orthographically. My class had gotten some drawing tips from a professor at MIAD and techniques that we learned over a couple of weeks. At first we learned how to draw straight lines without rulers and were encouraged to practice this skill daily. We also learned how to draw squares without rulers after we learned how to draw the straight lines. We achieved this by making a short straight line on our papers and we measured the lengths of them with pencils and we made a mark with our hands on our pencils and we'd move the paper 90 degrees and make the next line and so on. After we learned to do that, we had made up a floor plan of our room using multiplication and division of the square process to most accurately and simply portray our rooms. I used the line and square techniques for this.
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One last practice we did was to draw a chair in our room in orthographic views. We had gotten feedback from the professor from MIAD and he told us that we needed to draw our chairs not from perspective but from a way where you see everything as if your eyes were level with the ground and from afar. This would end up being a preparatory drawing skill that we'd end up having to do for our drawings of the structure we wanted to design.
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Planning and Process
In order to even start thinking about what I could do for this project, I decided to ask my sisters who were a bit quiet for qualities that made them hate or love their school environment. They found a few problems but even fewer things they liked. One similar thing that Reagan students and my sisters found that was a problem was the uncomfortable seats. That was noted for later, especially since both parties had the same issues. When I told them about how the possibilities are pretty much endless for this project, they were more than eager to share things they’d like to have in their own school and classrooms.
I was surprised when I heard all of their ideas. They thought if things that most people wouldn’t have thought of and I liked their ideas so I took all of them and put them on Ibis Paint X, a mobile drawing app. |
Also on Ibis Paint X, I drew a model of what I knew would be a staple to the building. This was the conversation pits that students and teachers would use instead of desks. My sisters and I concluded that school environments should be community based, no matter the class type. These conversation pits allow for students to feel a part of a group, no matter how small. I took into account that students will have to put materials that they’re not using at the moment somewhere and so I thought it’d be convenient for their seats to have drawers underneath them. This allows for a mess free table and organized spaces for each individual student. This would let everyone have freedom with their spaces.
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Then I came up with the layout of the floor plan and what the general shape of the building was going to be. Staying true to Javier Senosiain, I kept an organic shape for the husky because I kept in mind that huskies aren’t one fluid shape and that there’s curves. That’s where the blob shaped floor plan comes from, the body of the husky and it’s neck connecting to the head. This is also when I added the initial ideas for where the entrances would be.
Then I added an accumulation of conversation pits, enough to fit 2 35 student classrooms plus a teacher’s pit for each class’s side of the building. I did two classrooms opposed to just one because I know the feeling of not being able to go to the courtyard (that our school has) because another class took that spot for the period. I wanted to let more classes have a chance to be in this environment so I added two. After that, I thought about how big the pond would be in relation to a conversation pit. I thought that roughly 4 times that of the size of conversation pits would be sufficient for the ESS class to get around and collect data. Also relating to ESS, I thought about adding planters so they can grow plants and study those as well while providing the general student and staff population a more lively and inviting classroom. |
Then, I added some more things for the community aspect of the classrooms. Whiteboards so that students can collaborate and talk amongst themselves to share ideas for their classes, which is especially useful for the art classes as that’s one of the more artistically free classes where people can collaborate. The whiteboards are for temporary or brainstorming ideas and I think that this will make students feel more open to participating in class if they don’t want to talk, they can still write down or sketch and draw their ideas.
Then for the last of the first floor, with the extra space that ended up being conveniently placed, was the culture wall. The culture wall makes sense to be just around the corner for when you first walk into the building as it could be one of the first things you see. This idea was my own and would allow for people to show off their cultures through visual art, which I think is important because our school is culturally diverse. I think that there’s a lack of representation of different cultures and this would make people feel included in a community that they can relate to. This would also let people of other cultures appreciate the cultures that aren’t as prominent in the school. This would open people’s eyes and make them aware of groups and communities of peoples that aren’t their own.
For the upstairs, there would be little reading nooks that would be private and allow only one person in each spot so that this space would be more quiet compared to the downstairs area. There would be natural sunlight comping through “the mouth” of the husky. There would also be bookshelves so that even the people who didn’t initially plan on coming upstairs have something to do. I understand that there’s times where people feel overwhelmed and need a safe space to calm down. This area of the building would provide that for some people.
Lastly I came up with the actual shape of the husky and I pulled up a reference of a husky in order to do this. Again, I drew this on Ibis Paint X. I knew that I wanted there to be stained glass windows so I put those in an organic shape around where the entrance would be. I also wanted there to be skylights that would allow more natural light in.
For the upstairs, I knew that I wanted there to be an aspect of Senosiain’s. That was the windows interacting with the animal that the house was. That would just be a regular crystal window that you could look out of from some of the reading nooks.
Finally, I added the door to the building and a person for a rough reference for the building since I didn’t know what those dimensions would even be. I decided to call the building the Husky House.
For the upstairs, I knew that I wanted there to be an aspect of Senosiain’s. That was the windows interacting with the animal that the house was. That would just be a regular crystal window that you could look out of from some of the reading nooks.
Finally, I added the door to the building and a person for a rough reference for the building since I didn’t know what those dimensions would even be. I decided to call the building the Husky House.
Then, I brought my ideas over to Photopea so that I could make a poster with all my sketches and I added a couple sentences to explain my process briefly. I also included some things that I think would be a problem in the future with the Husky House.
Once I was happy with my design, I downloaded it to a USB drive and I printed off my poster (dimensions are 2ftx3ft). |
Final Design
After some reflection, I realized that this project would be difficult to get orthographic drawings of due to the nature of the curves of the building and I thought of ways that I could get aspects of my inspiration, like organic shapes and stained glass to work with a new design that still promotes and encourages communication between students. Then, I did research about materials that would work in a cohesive and collaborative way so that there wouldn't be many challenges with materials and construction. Then, I'd start making ideation drawings and start putting together a design and put it onto posters that were similar to the ones I had designed before for the Husky House using Photopea. Some differences were apparent though. For my final design posters, I had used an outline that the professor from MIAD gave us during one of the class' sessions and used it to my advantage to have a sleek, more organized look to the posters. One of the things I wanted to keep similar from the last posters was the design for the conversation pits. It was something that I emphasized in the last posters and it was still part of my final design, so I decided to make orthographic drawings of not only the classroom but also the conversation pits. I would use references for the designs of the conversation pits and it helped me put them together in the end. I wanted to use references other than Senosiain because I had wanted a design that was less organic for the pits themselves.
Before I could upload pictures of the rendered drawings onto Photopea so that I could make the posters, I drew the drawings of the conversation pits and the orthographic drawings of the structure. At first, I had drawn the drawings with graphite in my sketchbook since it's what I was most personally comfortable with for drawing, and then made revisions digitally. At this point I started to make a collage of the pictures I wanted to talk about for my presentation. Lastly, I added text to the posters and printed them off. I glued them onto foam core boards to present them.
Compare and Contrast
Comparisons:
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Contrasts:
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Reflection
This project made me rethink a lot more of my decisions than any other project has as this project is something that is meant to be used by other people. I had to consider a lot of aspects of the classrooms that would impact people and I had to think hard about what I would want to put onto paper because I thought that it'd lead me to bigger ideas. I didn't want to have an idea that I liked but wouldn't benefit others. This is also the first project where I had to interview people due to the nature of the project. It helped me be representative of my peers and my sisters and allowed me to explore something that I'm very interested in, architecture and other design aspects. This project let me have a glimpse of what this topic is like and it wasn't surprising to me that I really enjoyed the process of this project. I felt very excited to do something like this which gave me an idea of what I will be doing for my architecture internship with MIAD that I'd complete later this month.
The one thing I didn't like was how often I changed up my ideas for this project but I do realize how expected something like this can be, especially when you have so many people that can change your mind and give you new ideas from collaborating on this project. Although I didn't like how often I changed my mind on this project, I now think that this is something that was a benefit in the end as it was something that propelled me into being creative and to be a more open minded person. This project allowed me to be more aware of people's wants and needs and it also let me know of things that people value, and I realized that I hadn't given a place that I spend so much time in, school, any thought. Days can be repetitive due to schedules and times where we don't have breaks and I hadn't realized that I didn't think about the things I wanted or even needed at school in order for me and others to be a successful student.
The one thing I didn't like was how often I changed up my ideas for this project but I do realize how expected something like this can be, especially when you have so many people that can change your mind and give you new ideas from collaborating on this project. Although I didn't like how often I changed my mind on this project, I now think that this is something that was a benefit in the end as it was something that propelled me into being creative and to be a more open minded person. This project allowed me to be more aware of people's wants and needs and it also let me know of things that people value, and I realized that I hadn't given a place that I spend so much time in, school, any thought. Days can be repetitive due to schedules and times where we don't have breaks and I hadn't realized that I didn't think about the things I wanted or even needed at school in order for me and others to be a successful student.
Connection to the ACT
1. Clearly explain how you can identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your work.
Aspects Javier Senosiain's organic architectural style was implemented into my pitch. I took ideas of his and expanded upon them in order to take his style and put it into the context of an outdoor classroom.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Since Senosiain focuses on the human body, the topic of my inspiration was the focus on being comfortable yet productive and it's not too far from what he focuses on due to human nature.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I made the conclusion that there is a rise of people that are starting to care about the environment when they design structures. I knew that there had to be people who designed organic structures that involve the environment around the place where they'd design their structure.
4. What is the central theme around your inspirational research?
The theme around my research was organic structures that feel welcoming, and also buildings that promote productivity.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I thought that Senosiain's main focus was on nature and the environment around his buildings, but I found that he is most focused on the ideas behind human nature.
Aspects Javier Senosiain's organic architectural style was implemented into my pitch. I took ideas of his and expanded upon them in order to take his style and put it into the context of an outdoor classroom.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Since Senosiain focuses on the human body, the topic of my inspiration was the focus on being comfortable yet productive and it's not too far from what he focuses on due to human nature.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I made the conclusion that there is a rise of people that are starting to care about the environment when they design structures. I knew that there had to be people who designed organic structures that involve the environment around the place where they'd design their structure.
4. What is the central theme around your inspirational research?
The theme around my research was organic structures that feel welcoming, and also buildings that promote productivity.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I thought that Senosiain's main focus was on nature and the environment around his buildings, but I found that he is most focused on the ideas behind human nature.
MLA Citations
DesignRulz. “Nautilus House: Unique Shell Shaped House by Arquitectura Organica.” DesignRulz, 13 Nov. 2012, www.designrulz.com/architecture/2012/10/nautilus-house-unique-shell-shaped-design-by-arquitectura-organica.
Design Milk. “Casa Organica: A Free-Form, Cave-Like House Built Into the Earth.” Design Milk, Jan. 2022, design-milk.com/casa-organica-a-free-form-cave-like-house-built-into-the-earth.
Future, Rethinking. “Javier Senosiain- 15 Iconic Projects.” RTF | Rethinking the Future, Nov. 2022, www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/2020/11/24/a2142-javier-senosiain-15-iconic-projects.
Ibrahim, Naser Nader. “Nautilus House in Naucalpan, Mexico by Javier Senosiain.” AmazingArchitecture, 19 Apr. 2023, amazingarchitecture.com/organic-house/nautilus-house-in-naucalpan-mexico-by-javier-senosiain.
Next Generation Learning Challenges. “Transform Classroom Structures, Increase Student Engagement.” NGLC, 27 May 2022, www.nextgenlearning.org/articles/transforming-classroom-structures-increase-student-engagement.
Flowers, Matthew. “The Psychology of Color: How Do Colors Facilitate Classroom Learning.” Grant Larson Productions, Jan. 2021, www.grantlarsonproductions.com/blog/the-psychology-of-color-how-do-colors-facilitate-classroom-learning#:~:text=Color%20can%20make%20a%20significant,can%20help%20with%20maintaining%20focus.
Design Milk. “Casa Organica: A Free-Form, Cave-Like House Built Into the Earth.” Design Milk, Jan. 2022, design-milk.com/casa-organica-a-free-form-cave-like-house-built-into-the-earth.
Future, Rethinking. “Javier Senosiain- 15 Iconic Projects.” RTF | Rethinking the Future, Nov. 2022, www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/2020/11/24/a2142-javier-senosiain-15-iconic-projects.
Ibrahim, Naser Nader. “Nautilus House in Naucalpan, Mexico by Javier Senosiain.” AmazingArchitecture, 19 Apr. 2023, amazingarchitecture.com/organic-house/nautilus-house-in-naucalpan-mexico-by-javier-senosiain.
Next Generation Learning Challenges. “Transform Classroom Structures, Increase Student Engagement.” NGLC, 27 May 2022, www.nextgenlearning.org/articles/transforming-classroom-structures-increase-student-engagement.
Flowers, Matthew. “The Psychology of Color: How Do Colors Facilitate Classroom Learning.” Grant Larson Productions, Jan. 2021, www.grantlarsonproductions.com/blog/the-psychology-of-color-how-do-colors-facilitate-classroom-learning#:~:text=Color%20can%20make%20a%20significant,can%20help%20with%20maintaining%20focus.