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Physics Intensive
Physics Intensive
This winter, the Physics 9 Structural Systems in Architecture joined the community working on the concept design for the Outdoor Education Center in Gates Mills. The goal of the project was for students to understand how a building structure works and how this understanding can help guide decision making when designing a building. Their starting point was a 40’ x 30’ pole barn structure, a simple structure with a foundation, columns, beams, and trusses. The students did research and interviewed other members of the Hawken community to ensure that this space will be a functional yet unique learning space. As they created design solutions, students considered how the changes they were making would affect the structure - adding trusses, resizing columns, resizing or relocating windows to avoid structural members. Students also considered various shapes and sizes of structural members, for example, a gambrel scissor truss provides additional volume but complicates the structure. Students questioned if that tradeoff was worth it. Students also considered other building systems like off-grid electricity, composting toilets, and indoor air quality and how the integration of these systems would affect the building structure. Ultimately, each student team presented their design solutions along with the logic behind their decisions. By being a part of the larger barn raising community, students were able to see physics concepts in action and take ownership of their role in this exciting project.
Student Group Presentations (January 2021)
Student Group Presentations (January 2021)
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