Keepin’ on Keepin’ on…

 So as we try to push and finish our conceptual design development, I have finally gotten my feet wet with the woodshop aspect of our design build studio. And in doing so, it has really made me excited about getting to the building part of this studio. I found it actually really fun working down in the woodshop and actually building something and making parts so that they fit together. It was harder than I thought because of the amount of precision it requires to actually build something. It definitely got the mathematical side of my brain working! But what my groupmates and I were building was a mock-up of a part of our wall to show how plants will be attached to the wall. The system of “boxes” is meant to be reusable and movable while creating an overall effect that is cohesive with our design concept. Our first box iteration was fairly unsuccessful but helped us get an idea of how the system would work. Then we decided to look at other materials such as mesh wire that is more lightweight and versatile. We made a square template and created a simple box to show the concept, however a variety of shapes can be created using this wire. Another good quality in using the wire is that when we place coconut fabric inside, it creates a fuzzy texture that could create a really neat effect on the wall. We also created another box out of wood that angles forward and allows for water to be channelled through the planter boxes that are below the other in order to help conserve water.
Our first planter desin iteration

 

Our second iteration at our planter design. It is shown witha mock-up the structure in which it will fit.
 
Our beginning template of a simple box. This provided the starting point for our exploration into the shape of our box.
 
The square template can be altered to create an infinite amount of shapes for our boxes. The mesh wire gives the flexibility to put the boxes anywhere in the wall.
 
Wire mesh iteration of our planter design using the box template. 
Using coconut fabric in the inside the wire mesh will give the wall an interesting fuzzy texture

Our next challenge is to take a step back and see how the overall wall fits within the site and alters shape in order to serve its programmatic duties. These programs include compost, rainwater harvesting, storage, an angled sod lounging space, and of course vertical gardening space. Can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

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