Good Morning all, this is the first in what will be a series of posts, showing off some of the projects I've worked on in a little bit more detail than just the photos you may have seen scattered about the website and facebook page.
To start it off I've picked out the major assessment from our accessibility unit, the brief was to retrofit one of the campuses existing buildings into a training facility for people with varying disabilities (Both mental and physical), aimed at specifically office scenarios, to help get them back into the workforce. We only had use of the ground floor of the building, currently a visual art studio to work with, while maintaining some of the character of the old building.
The main issue with this building, being a single large step into the threshold. For obvious reasons,this wouldn't do for our use case and needed to be fixed. As a result, a step ramp was allowed for, being that the change in height was under 190mm, a slightly higher gradient could be used, (1:10 as apposed to 1:14). With the main issue accounted for and blocked out, I could begin planning the remainder of the floor plan.
Now came how to divide up the space, there were a few options, it could either be more traditional classrooms, with a few practical facilities spread throughout or set up more like an office space. I opted for the second option, the thinking was that more practical training would better prepare students for potential jobs. With this in mind, most of the floor space is taken up by the main office with six desk sand printer/copier facilities located inside as-well. Coming off this space, is the lunchroom, with a built-in kitchenette and a seating area.
Aside from just the office space itself, there are several other spaces made to mimic other roles within any office, built to maximize what students can get out of the classes. The mock reception is set up to do exactly that, allow them to get behind the desk and to role-play scenarios from welcoming people in, to administrative tasks. The mock boardroom can function as both a classroom and a meeting room, where students can practice working in a group environment on tasks, using large whiteboard at the head of the table, made easier to see by using a heavily contrasting blue-grey paint on the wall. The brief also required a separate office space for the lecturers allowing for 2 computers and a storage space for any props or other material that could be used during lessons.
Taking a closer look at the exterior of the building, I have retained the original windows for the building, while adding a faux brick overlay on the outside to give the building a more modern look. The addition of the wooden awning over the sidewalk provides shelter during the rain and shades the ground floor windows. Along the left side of the building, I opted for a plant wall to bring a bit of vibrancy to that side.
That about wraps it up for this installment, if you have any questions or points you might like to clarify about this project, feel free to leave a comment on the post, below. Thanks for reading!
