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The Project
The Project
For this project, we were tasked with designing a bench for one of the local schools in Novato. We made blueprints, a 3D model, and calculated all the costs of the materials it would take to build our bench. We decided to design a bench for Pleasant Valley Elementry.
Our Bench
We wanted our bench to represent the beutifull landscape around Novato. So we put two curves in the back rest of the bench to represent the hills. We also thought of it as a valley, like Pleasant Valley.
Material choice
Material choice
For our bench we decided to build the base structure out of compressed lumber. It was the ideal choice because it is very strong and won't rot. We didn't use it for the whole thing though because it can give you splinters. For the parts of the bench that people would touch, we used redwood. It is a very comfortable wood to sit on because it is smooth and looks nice.
Environmental Factors
Environmental Factors
In front of Pleasant Valley Elementary, where our bench would be placed, it would be on concrete, so it won't rot as quickly as on dirt.
Human use patterns
Human use patterns
The bench would be used primarily in the morning before school and after school. The bench was made for kids to sit on after school while they wait for their parents to pick them up.
Blueprinting
Blueprinting
We wanted our blueprint to be as precise as wee could, so we could actually build the bench. We went through about three different blueprints before we made one that was right. Our list all the measurements of the wood, and shows the different structures and how they would fit together.
3d model
3d model
After we made our blueprints, we shifted over to making a model of our bench. We used popsicle sticks to see how the prices would actually fit together. We
cost
cost
We calculated the cost by counting how many pieces of each kind of wood we would need, and got longer pieces so we could cut to our measurements. Spare woood would also be used in the bench.
Reflection
Over the course of the project, my group and I worked pretty well together to make an interesting yet simple design that we thought PV would love. Two things we did well were coming up with ideas and improving on our product. Each of my groupmates cam eup with one or more bench designs, and we came togethr ot pick the best one. We also tweaked little pieces of the final bench until we got it right.
Two things we need to work on for next time would be having better time management and communication with empathy. We fell behind when it came to pricing the bench, and we had to do it quickly, and we could have been a little nicer to each other's ideas even if they were bad.
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