week six & seven - storyboard and communicating design narrative

Storyboard:

This sequence of an imagined journey through my proposed Women's Fitness Centre shows details of the beaded string details that I intend to situate around the site to create a visual appeal and establish a welcoming and safe atmosphere.

Floorplans:

I drafted some floor plan sketches and this set was my favourite. It shows the first two floors of the Imperial Lane site.

Beads Update:

I covered the remaining 30~ beads in the copper carbonate and teadust glaze and fired them in the kiln.

I am very pleased with the unique patterns and details that the reactive glazes created. These have the potential to form visually exciting design features throughout my design and they will highlight the beauty of imperfection. I also feel that these natural colours created a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the intensity of using metal chainmail.

I also updated my abstract:

Inspired by the safe and escapist feelings that cinema provides, my project aims to recreate this atmosphere to confront and contrast Fort Lane’s dangerous atmosphere, with it’s associated lively night-life and high instance of assault. I am designing a women’s fitness centre within Imperial Lane with the intention to create a safe and vibrant space that helps change the area’s reputation by making it a well-known area where women, in particular, can feel safe to gather, work-out, build a safe, strong and supportive community, and to gain knowledge that will ensure their ongoing wellness and safety. Facilities include a reception area, private lounge, fitness studios, main gym area, changing rooms and bathrooms. Classes, such as spin, self-defence and yoga will be organized within the studios. The studios contain large digital screens that create an immersive and exciting moving image experience relating to the activity taking place. A reception area on the main floor welcomes visitors and acts as a concierge, of sorts, to help women source whatever support they need to be well and feel safe. The tranquil private lounge will serve as a space where women can go to escape any immediate threats or dangers as they enjoy the regions nightlife. Strings of glazed ceramic beads are situated throughout the site creating wall and ceiling details and partitions which emulate chainmail with the intent to emphasise a theme of protection and strength.

Lastly, I have been working on developing a digital base model, to scale, of Imperial Lane so that I can integrate and fit my design into it and make efficient design alterations if desired. It will really help me better understand the relationship of my designed floorplan to the site and if it appropriately addresses the scale and proportions of the site. I always need other ways to visualise the space other than a floorplan in order to better understand if the design needs improved or not, and a 3D model is my favourite method of doing so.