surveys, Models, Sketches, and Iterations
surveys, Models, Sketches, and Iterations
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It is in these moments where, truly, the biggest design decisions are found and made. Capturing the shape of the lake, surveying children for their perspectives, sketching like a collegiate child, using wooden block forms to develop compositions, capturing colors of Lake Michigan’s sunrise, carving lake stone, and processing the lake’s clay to sculpt were methods I used to imagine the new building.
Surveys were given to parents and children at a daycare center with ages ranging from 4 to 13 years old. Their answers and input have been beneficial in crafting characteristics of this project regarding to program and elements. Children were surprisingly conscious of reducing, reusing, and recycling, and nature seemed to be of upmost importance. Parents want their kids to be exposed to subjects and experiences that aren't offered elsewhere, for kids to be introduced to the community, and for exhibits to require active participation.
I began my experimental design process by identifying problems with existing structure.
Next, began to explore (sketch over aerial images), based on conclusive research, where the children's museum will be best suited.
At the proposed new site, I took a pic and planned to use these colors to compose my thesis color scheme.
I began to collect clay along our lakefront to sculpt; I then developed a language and style with our backyard.
I was beginning to find myself as an artist. Listening to the medium instead of forcing the form.
I would let paper sit in the water, come back in a few minutes, and see what Lake Michigan wrote on the page.
I found this array of sand left by our Lake's tide. I thought this could work for the buildings fenestration.
In my search for affordable ways to make non-toxic, and complex forms, I found newspaper and wood glue.
I continued to sculpt in an attempt to discover whimsy. I was thinking of sculpture for kids to play on.
The microscopic world is intriguing; this sculpture of a diatom, pollen, and blood cells uses it as inspiration.
I continued to carve stone and develop models of possible playscapes.
I experimented carving the largest stone I have before at around 6" x 10" x 30" ; This was it after about 2 hours of work.
The finish was this winding limestone tower; can this be the building? Can it move?
A wave carved into this limestone cube to present how an outdoor space of the museum could look.
I continue to develop my mold-making skills, casting my models out of metal.
This oil clay model inspired by the shape of the lake.
Experimental castings were made using non-euclidean forms to create spaces
A wooden model was made and painted with colors of Lake Michigan's sunrise.
I then cast it out of bronze. Bronze is a natural anti-bacterial metal, making it perfect for assembly spaces.
I then began to develop the interior to a specific scale using CAD programs.
Sketching over more aerial views to develop reason and identify problems and solutions with the new, proposed, site. I found Milwaukee's Shoreline Vision Plan 2017 and this building coincides with all core values of that vision plan, and would work well with those discussed plans. I learned that MAM and Discovery World use the lake to heat and cool the building: It is in best interest for this building to do so as well.
A massing model for an exhibit in the new building to feature microscopic life on a large scale.
The last model was static; I wanted something more dynamic like this.
Lake Michigan organisms growing in trophic level and the anatomy of a fish.
I began to develop simple diagrams, to communicate how the exhibit would work.
The green hatch is the anatomy of a fish and the red ellipses are other Lake Michigan organisms.
I developed a path so kids can experience the exhibit up-close.
Algae, Zooplankton, Macro-Invertebrates, Forage Fish, and Predators; it is exhibits like this that I, Dylan, am able to design and fabricate.
My illustration in this style are my first digital drawings ever. Thanks to our stay-at-home order I learned and mastered an entire new program. (Procreate)
A captivating space that engages its community in a positive way.
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