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In designing a booth for the purposes of an architecture studio, it is imperative that the building be expressive and honest about what it is: a booth. Instead of designing a prototypical house, or a miniature or partial one, the booth should be thought of as a pavilion to highlight a few of the strongest ideas developed in the studio. The form should also distinguish itself from its surrounding context by reading as a sculptural object. For this response, I developed an economical construction method that lends itself to formal manipulation while remaining easy to build. The structure is elevated on a platform of palettes set on 4x4 posts. By altering the height of the posts in response to the slope of the site, a level surface can be easily achieved. The main structural members are made of plywood cut from 4x8 sheets. Double or triple thickness would be used to achieve proper strength, and the ends could be joined easily with two 1/4" bolts. A “keel” runs across the top of the ribs to maintain member spacing and prevent racking. Additional stability is achieved by incorporating programmatic elements into the structure, such as benches and shelves. The cladding is intended to merely divert rain and moisture down to the ground. By overlapping rigid plastic sheets or single pane glass, a sufficient level of moisture diversion would be achieved and the form would gain interest through surface differentiation. The front facade would be activated by projecting images that change dynamically in response to local sound stimuli onto a scrim-louver system . Further opportunities for poetic expression would be possible through an “active” layer built into the façade that would respond to environmental conditions. The construction method allows for an easy manipulation of form to accommodate additional design ideas posed by the studio. As many materials as possible should be salvaged to reduce cost, including lumber for the palettes and panes of glass. Assuming the best-case availability of resources, the design shown could be built in two weeks for under $2000.
last updated 2.17.2005 by home