Each skill a person acquires as they go through life builds on the one before. It is a slow journey of trial and error. Sometimes taking 4 steps forward may result in two steps backward, a revaluation of the scenario and then the continuation of this learning process. The rationale behind this hospital is somewhat based on the trial and error process, with the long term goal to be able to complete navigation through the building and acquire a series of skills along the way. By the end a sense of accomplishment results in a collection of confidence and character building life skills.
OCCUPANT/USER of the BUILDING
The intended clients are young people between the ages of 3 and 25 who are in need of occupational therapy due to physical or emotional disability. As the user climbs to the top of the building, each level is designed to be interactive and adaptable. Spaces are able to be manipulated by the user and each area has a different therapy driven function to target gross motor and fine motor skill development, some more obvious than others.
ARRIVAL – Gradual introduction to the experience ahead
The arrival into the building is a key part of the journey. Every person (excluding staff) that arrives on site will enter via car and hence the journey starts as one drives in off the very chaotic South Dowling St. Upon entry and parking in the car park, one walks through a transparent tunnel that peers onto the public spaces in the facility.
ENTRY – Viewing but not interacting
The entry onto the site is gradual process that tempts the user with a view of the semi-public areas from the transparent tunnel and pathway connecting the car park to the entry lift which takes the user to the ground level foyer/reception area. This area faces the back laneway of the site to remove the user from the bustling street frontage of South Dowling and Flinders.
WALLS – dealing with instability
The foyer walls can be manipulated as shown in the video, changing the size of the entry space and allowing the users to personalise the space. The only furniture present is mobile and creates a space of “instability” that is recognisable but not totally identical.
RAMPS and LIFTS – Decisions making
The first decision to be made by the user is whether to take the ramp of lift to level one. Depending on the purpose, the lifts either open onto a games platform or one of many pods.
PODS and PLATFORMS – specific skill acquisition
The pods and platforms serve different skill learning purposes. Each POD is a purpose built space for skill development. The platforms are areas that provide different interacted games.
SEMI-PUBLIC WAVES and AMPHITHEATRE
The “waves” and amphitheatre which are viewed upon entry include a gymnasium, a foam pit and a library. These spaces are used for interaction between users to encourage community based skill development. The amphitheatre is located above the foyer and can be used for a more public forum. It is on the laneway side, so as to allow a barrier from South Dowling St.
The completion of the gradual incline and skill acquisition is marked simply by the arrival at the car park (on the other side of the transparent tunnel), is it the gateway to the city and hence the beginning of the application of the learnt skills.
2 comments:
Your scheme is easily identified with children through the forms you have created, from the curved waves to the pods. I appreciate you are thinking of how the building is actually used as evident in your circulation of a single user but for a building with such an interactive program it is important to develop ideas for multiple users and the flexibility and changes that are required and that will result. The circulation of the single user and how you have framed the text suggest that there is quite a structured linear path to follow, when a more flexible approach might be needed.
The arrival and departure being marked by carparks seems a little crude. It may be suitable for the site due to the proximity to the stack and all the busy roads but its explaination in the text could go further to link these ideas.
Overall a scheme with some good ideas and a recognisable identity. I think encorporating more interaction between users and more linking of spaces will help to increase the depth and complexity of the project and help to avoid creating a 'theme park' style response to young people.
As a side note, your broad scope of clients could create problems in finding a workable solution as a 25 year old would react to spaces quite differently to a 3 year old. I imagine you have resolved this by narrowing the range of "physical or emotional disabilities." Narrowing either of these parameters would also help bring the spaces together more coherently i would think
:)
If anything i've said doesn't make sense let me know and i'll elaborate
thank you anon...very constructive crit/advice!!!
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