Outdoor ClassroomExhibition Text:
"The Communication Pavilion" is modernist architecture outdoor classroom concept that adapts a traditional classroom setting to one that is not only not bond to standards form, but acknowledges the importance of soft skills in today's world. This piece was created on photopea and mounted as posters, with inspiration coming from Frank Lloyd Wright's "Form and Function as one" mentality and use of scale, then Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe on modernist qualities. Text: "The Communication Pavilion"
Size: Two 48.26 x 73.66 cm Medium: Modernist Architecture - Posters Completion: April 2023 |
Inspiration
SC Johnson Wax by Frank Lloyd Wright
When it came to picking the backbone for my inspiration, I knew right away that I wanted to incorporate my Architectural background and knowledge into the outdoor classroom design. After many consideration, I decided to pursue the Modernist movement, and no better example would be the SC Johnson Wax headquarters by Frank Lloyd Wright since it not only tackled on innovating a workplace setting, but displays how architects utilize scale in order to all relate to human form. This means that furniture is one of the aspects that Architects can design, which caught me off guard for this building specifically since Wright developed 40 different pieces, with 9 of them being variants of a basic desk in order fit in with different functions. It's noteworthy to mention that many modernist architects use a "Form follows Function" philosophy, but Wright emphasized his "Form and Function as one" perspective instead, which I believe if I also set as my foundation will be very beneficial.
|
The Farnsworth House by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Going towards the actual form of the outdoor classroom and keeping with the modernist architecture movement, I wanted to explore a building that was close to the sort of winter temperatures that would have to be addressed compared to warmer climates where outdoor classrooms tend to be constructed. The Farnsworth House is located in Plano, Illinois and showcases many characteristics of modernism such as horizontal windows, free-form façade/interior designs and columns that create open spaces. It's a great representation of what people generally associate with simplicity as a light structure. One of these elements I really enjoyed was subtle qualities like slight elevations that not only helped with floods that occur in the area, but seamlessly can section of a rather open space. Weather and landscape of a area can have significant effects on how a outdoor space is created, part of the reason here in Wisconsin would have more indoor structures. This leaned me towards exploring human form rather than solely structural form, and I would say that later on in Process it truly expanded the objective and problem a Outdoor Classroom can solve.
|
Planning
OBJECTIVE
This outdoor classroom had originally sparked interest of Ronald Reagan Highschool receiving funding for a expansion on the backside of the school, which was much needed for the previously known middle school. From left to right shows the school as of present day to the expansion that is set for the next two years. Originally with the start of a outdoor classroom, my mind went to idea of "How can we adapt a open environment to best fit the educational condition that student's want?", which is a more generally foundation that I wanted to set before narrowing it down later on. RESEARCH
Looking at the expansion illustrations reminded me of modernist architecture with a mix of the previous building, so I decided to look into it as it coincided with a Arch 101 class I was taking online. Not only was it a fresh concept in my mind for the characteristics of modernism, but I had a few online discussions to refer back to on how a larger audience interpreted the particular movement of architecture. I believe that when it can to connecting with the environment, Modernism was the best option due to aspect such as even daylight across rooms, free-form interiors, and columns to create open spaces. DEVELOPMENT
When it came to architecture, one of the important aspects to consider when concepting is scale that goes beyond what people would normally associate with a building/structure but rather how it relates to human form. This was a process of breaking down the aspects from blueprints of the modernist building's and furniture to what would be the best ones to pertain in the later design. I wanted to acknowledge how classrooms would need to promote interactions in some form, and being able to adapt the form in a way that made communication more natural would be essential. CONCEPT
For the early design, hexagon desks was a concept that tried to encourage this form of interaction naturally by having a unconventional shape. When grouped with other similar shaped desks, it would always leave openings for other work stations to collaborate and developed a larger surface. My concept for the form of the outdoor classroom was heavily inspired by the one of The Farnsworth House, which was a designed that checked nearly all boxes of modernism and I believed could be transferred to a classroom setting with a few adjustments. After looking back to it, this design was mainly grounded by the constrains of Wisconsin having cold climate that made my initial ideas practically require some sort of indoor functionality. I wanted to mention how after looking at other designs from other students, I knew that I could re-engineer my board into a form and function that complimented each other on a deeper level. |
The image below is a Digital Collage that was constructed and presented at MIAD in December 2022 that showcased the my initial thought process for a Outdoor Classroom and with feedback following suit. I decided that I wanted to focus on the form and architecture qualities as I hadn't seen as many students brining a lot of attention to it and it was worth highlighting the knowledge I had gained from a architectural background, with four sections focusing on Objective, Research, Development, and Concept as covered.
Process
Being assigned the opportunity to design outdoor classroom may seem at first the chance for many students to create a environment that appreciated nature and students having a open area to learn rather than one which feels enclosed. I honestly had followed the same path with the idea we should "Expand on the way we interact with our environment", which while can be true did overlook a deeper problem that can be identified with how students learned. It took me some time to narrow down what this problem exactly was on a foundational level, but looking at the previous research into scale and how architecture relates to human form I had realized that with traditional classrooms: NOTHING HAS CHANGE.
I reflected back to experiences I had where I discussed with different industries and professions in which one of the values that is becoming the a contributing factor to what opportunities are available to them are soft skills, such as communication. Hard skills are skills sets that are much more easier to teach to others, part of the reason schools prioritize it, but soft skills are much more difficult as it's hard to make someone encouraged to connect with others. The form of the classroom reflects this as will, with it not changing in the past decade despite the world around us doing quite the opposite. It becomes clear that soft skills that are emerging in today's world should not be overlooked.
|
This leads to objective of "Making INDIVIDUALS ideas and input empowered in a environment that encourages students to socialize and refine essential soft skills". To elaborate, having the opportunity to design a outdoor classroom not only liberates the limitation of a traditional classroom where a rectangular form is presented and teachers must adapt to it, but to gather a concept that takes the form and function to heart. The best example of this is seen with Virtual Learning where it becomes very noticeable that a lost of individuality occurred when pre-prepared information is presented to a screen of letters on a blank screen.
|
While Outdoor Classrooms are seeming like a great direction to take to deal with this problem head-on, we can actually observe existing solutions to see how successful they've been. The only difference is that they aren't in Wisconsin, but in California instead at a variety of elementary schools that have already been structured with the outdoor in mind from their much more warm climate. I've actually had the opportunity to observe one of these outdoor classrooms a few years back where the concept didn't have to be revolutionary, as it mainly was a garden area with a few benches and seats. However, this simple structure change saw students being more engaged and social in this setting while gaining practical skills as they learned how to care for plants to later on cook with.
It's important to recognize that although the difference in climate and education level does have effects on how a outdoor classroom can be implemented in a high school setting, this doesn't mean that outdoor spaces are not desired in a area where they tend to be more seasonal than a year-round structures. In the summer prior to the school year I had taken an architecture internship in which I learned how to use tools and make design changes with a group to design a community pavilion. This experience had reminded me the value that having a dedicated outdoor space that brings you away from the indoors is a valuable asset and motivated our group to socialize more and more as we worked on the structures through several weeks.
|
When going back to the Inspiration that I explored earlier, I wanted to separate the previously explored background for Modernist Architecture Form and now Scaling Human Condition for interpreting individual's senses. Taking the main approach from Frank Lloyd Wright with "Form and function as one", I had identified that I wanted to pursue modernist architecture values and characteristics in order utilize free-form design and open plan that is associated with a outdoor classroom. To further this point, I needed to interpret the function that would work best to coincide with form, as I began thinking about our five sense. I was leaning towards a concept that combined a group/pod section for collaborative work, but going beyond the previous planning phase with a outdoor theater at front for a speaker to take charge. For the speaker I wanted to find ways that would make the individual feel more calmed and relax, leading to ideas such as lavender for senses and smaller group sizes for a less clustered audience. Speaking of groups, going back to the hexagon desks idea didn't seem as practical as I originally imagined as the connections would have to be done manually meaning students could just choose not to. Round couches without a table that obscured vision or awkward seating was the best solution for a existing form that had students that would work in a group already be facing head-on compared to the rows in a traditional classroom.
|
These two main aspects from the Inspiration were the basis when developing ideas in the Ideation. Keeping is the Less is More psychology of modernism, I had narrowed down my design from my planning phase into the previously mentioned two portions for group work and a speaking stage. The speaking stage had dimensions that mimic the average size of a smaller class, and the group work cubicles had their typical round table removed in favor of a coffee table that was situated further but had a roll-out TV.
|
Finally, moving into the final design that strives to balance exceeding the conditions to make student's utilize soft skills for today's world and prioritizing the aspects needed to be put into the concept. It's almost certain that other students that will present at MIAD will present hundreds of ideas they draw from inspiration and their own research. What I wanted to carry over most importantly from my architecture internship for building a community pavilion was not finalize a design that tries to solve every individual want, but instead focusing on the needs that would branch out and lead to a wider impact.
With that being said, starting with the speaking stage retains a shape similar to a traditional classroom besides a curved back and an open front for the audience. At first this may seem contradictory to trying to move away from a form that prioritizes hard skills, but the main concern for the speaker is to make them feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Generally the reason why you won't see buildings shaped as a sphere or a hexagon is ignoring the fact that they will cause awkward spaces and corridors to fill, people feel more comfortable in a rectangular space they're familiar with. A transparent podium is placed at front to give a relative scale of the stage compared to a person and allows the audience to view the use of body language. Glass and plants are able to cover the structure from the sides, with lavender plants to help calm senses placed only by the speaker and ones that pertain to alertness like rosemary and basil herbs being placed by the group work cubicles.
Speaking of the cubicles, the group work consists of four areas that sit about four people that face the speaker stage. The round tables allow classmates to be in a position where it's much more encouraged to collaborate as they face each other in a manner that allows everyone to share ideas and the choice of removing the round table exposes body language that would normally be covered or restricted. The area in the middle also allows room for students to stand up and overall is meant to help the idea of round tables that you would be at diners to not be enclosed. Keeping with the implementation of technology in our classrooms, at the front of the cubicle is a coffee table that (illustrated on the bottom left of the image on the right) is able to roll up for students to screen share their ideas and work to their group members, but also can be rolled back down to allow visibility to the speaker and to protect from climate.
|
Once all the components of my Outdoor Classroom were finalized, I posted each section onto two posters and had them presented at MIAD in April 2023.
Experimentation
Developing the design process and visualization was taught by Thornton Lothrop, a professor at MIAD. It started with fundamentals such as drawing straight lines without lining it up consistently and basic shapes. This simple start at first glance began a expansion of a skill sets that allowed us as designers to visually display structures and designs accurately to a viewer in which I hadn't had built up on at this point. From there we were able to multiply and divide existing dimensions that allowed smaller details that were part of outlining our bedroom for a practice.
We were introduced soon after to understand how to capture the front, top, and side angles of a object with a square paper box as our reference. Taking out understanding to the next level was drawing the sketch you see on the right where we published our skills to replicate one of the tables in the room with accurate dimensions. This allowed a better recognition of how to convert measurements into a conversion that was easier to translate onto the page.
Going back to the angled views, we learned how to do this process with a mug and transitioned into getting a feel of drawing curved surfaces with the general sense of direction that placing the object into a square and breaking it down provided. The final sketch and departure from the in-class lectures was drawing the office chair in my room, which was made out of leather and was much more of a challenge considering that it wasn't geometric shaped. I didn't quite have a vision of how I would be able to sketch the chair let alone three angles, but breaking down the box into smaller sections allowed me to translate it with relative ease and accuracy shown on the right.
|
Critique
Similarities
- Modernist Architecture: A outdoor classroom that is associated with making a space feel open is complimented by minimal orientation in modernism that emphasize volume.
- Less is More: Following modernism, the concept and inspiration structures had utilize the belief that a design can be best executed when making each component discrete rather than over decorating a building.
- Scale and Elevation: Acknowledging the characteristics that are associated with modernism, the use of elevation separate spaces subtlety in The Farnsworth House and the use of scale for furniture SC Johnson Wax Headquarters was deployed in my concept.
Differences
- Limitations on Form: Being able to break away from the traditional form of a classroom that a rectangular modernist building would provide allowed the exploration of a space that wasn't confined but was a open layout.
- Setting Choice: Designing a outdoor classroom present new challenges that would otherwise be ignored in a indoor setting, such as having to be much more concerned at the climate that the structure is located in.
- Purpose: Building for a educational setting was a specific component that was the foundation of the "Form and function as one" perspective that wanted to ensure that creating a space that promote communication and use of soft skills was at the forefront for the design.
- Modernist Architecture: A outdoor classroom that is associated with making a space feel open is complimented by minimal orientation in modernism that emphasize volume.
- Less is More: Following modernism, the concept and inspiration structures had utilize the belief that a design can be best executed when making each component discrete rather than over decorating a building.
- Scale and Elevation: Acknowledging the characteristics that are associated with modernism, the use of elevation separate spaces subtlety in The Farnsworth House and the use of scale for furniture SC Johnson Wax Headquarters was deployed in my concept.
Differences
- Limitations on Form: Being able to break away from the traditional form of a classroom that a rectangular modernist building would provide allowed the exploration of a space that wasn't confined but was a open layout.
- Setting Choice: Designing a outdoor classroom present new challenges that would otherwise be ignored in a indoor setting, such as having to be much more concerned at the climate that the structure is located in.
- Purpose: Building for a educational setting was a specific component that was the foundation of the "Form and function as one" perspective that wanted to ensure that creating a space that promote communication and use of soft skills was at the forefront for the design.
Reflection
At surface value, when people imagine implementing a outdoor classroom the first thoughts tend to be regarding the new open space and the implementation of greenery that students are now exposed to as they're connected to a new environment. I believe that looking beyond the architectural form of structures was to understand that they is a deeper rooted problem that can be tackled when given this opportunity to design a space not only restricted by a rectangular form, but allows a entirely new structure and approach to make individuals empowered and tackle soft skills. Of course having modernist building like The Farnsworth House and SC Johnson Wax Headquarters was a great basis to pull characteristics from like scale and elevation that coincided with the feeling of a open space. The biggest challenge I had for this project was the struggle of whether or not the building should be seasonal or a year-round structure, as it had impacts on what the design could be in a location like Wisconsin. I would later decide that actually a design that is seasonal or limited allows teachers and students to be more inclined to take advantage of it in the start of the school year when you're generally in a new class with people you haven't talked to yet.
I've been pursuing architecture since the start of 2022 with school opportunities being available to me, such as developing a community pavilion with other students in the summer, then following afterwards a better background knowledge of architecture movements with Arch 101. The two main concepts I implemented from those experiences was to pinpoint the areas/aspects that would have the greatest effect instead of trying to solve them all, and utilizing the characteristics of particular architecture movements to my advantage. My favorite part was being able to brainstorm ideas for a project that was much more connected with design then the previous that once I had a strong base with a problem and objective was able to connect each component seamlessly. My least favorite part tended to be the process of learning how to make detailed and accurate sketches as seen in experimentation that was very tiresome, but definitely worth it at the end. In the end, I hope that other students are able to observe the process that I went with my work and how the end product with the two posters is a great solution for how we can reinvent classrooms to meet the expectations of today's world rather than the one from the past.
Connecting to ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
The modernist structures of the SC Johnson Wax Headquarters and The Farnsworth House had presented themselves as wonderful examples of the aspects from their architectural movement that translated smoothly to the form of my concept.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach Frank Lloyd Wright has was a ideology that expanded on the ones from modernist that was "Form and Function as one" that would be the basis of his designs through use of scale. For Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, his buildings were a local example that mimic the climate challenges that a outdoor classroom in Wisconsin would most certainly have to face.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While I research my inspiration, I had noticed the characteristics of the modernist architecture movements that would coincide with the open feeling that a outdoor classroom provides with it's minimal orientation and emphasis on volume.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme of my inspirational research was to identify a deep-rooted problem that affected kids in a educational setting from utilizing soft skills that are much needed in today's world with form and function being kept in mind through the process of researching.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The opportunity to design a outdoor classroom not only breaks away from the traditional form of a classroom setting, but allows us to re-invent the structure that we teach students to better align with the values of today.
The modernist structures of the SC Johnson Wax Headquarters and The Farnsworth House had presented themselves as wonderful examples of the aspects from their architectural movement that translated smoothly to the form of my concept.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach Frank Lloyd Wright has was a ideology that expanded on the ones from modernist that was "Form and Function as one" that would be the basis of his designs through use of scale. For Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, his buildings were a local example that mimic the climate challenges that a outdoor classroom in Wisconsin would most certainly have to face.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While I research my inspiration, I had noticed the characteristics of the modernist architecture movements that would coincide with the open feeling that a outdoor classroom provides with it's minimal orientation and emphasis on volume.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme of my inspirational research was to identify a deep-rooted problem that affected kids in a educational setting from utilizing soft skills that are much needed in today's world with form and function being kept in mind through the process of researching.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The opportunity to design a outdoor classroom not only breaks away from the traditional form of a classroom setting, but allows us to re-invent the structure that we teach students to better align with the values of today.
Citations
Perez, Adelyn. “Ad Classics: The Farnsworth House / Mies Van Der Rohe.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, May 13, 2010. https://www.archdaily.com/59719/ad-classics-the-farnsworth-house-mies-van-der-rohe.
Gareth Barber. “8 Proven Benefits of Outdoor Learning for School Children: TSC.” The Stable Company. Gareth Barber, April 9, 2019. https://www.thestablecompany.com/blog/8-proven-benefits-of-outdoor-learning-for-school-children.
Gareth Barber. “8 Proven Benefits of Outdoor Learning for School Children: TSC.” The Stable Company. Gareth Barber, April 9, 2019. https://www.thestablecompany.com/blog/8-proven-benefits-of-outdoor-learning-for-school-children.