WSU Information Technology Building | Atrium

At Washington State University we once had a lovely atrium space in the middle of the Information Technology Building, it brought in natural daylight and created a space of enjoyment for workers to go and enjoy lunch or get fresh air. Our recent build of the new Cougar Football Stadium caused for the atrium space to be completely closed up and it created a black abyss for workers to not be able to have any lighting coming through into their office windows anymore. Which is where the title of Embezzled Opportunities comes in, any previous chance of changing the space were stolen and now that it is filled with mold and mildew those opportunities are presented once again. The concept behind the design was Informal vs Formal, with a way of connecting the two as a workplace but also making their main purpose to be different. On the formal side of the workplace there is a conference space, this was a big part of the design as there currently is not a large enough space for meetings to take place. This conference area can be enlarged by remotely opening the partitions called Skyfolds which fold up into the ceiling so they ultimately take up no floor space and have acoustic properties. There are also pods for smaller meetings that also have acoustic properties to them for a little more privacy and single seating for those that want privacy while working alone. The informal side of the workplace contains a coffee / deli cart as well as a more social seating for people to be. Theres comfort single seating, cozy love seats and booths for a little more private conversing. The lighting within these spaces are mixed to create different moods and different fixtures to create these moods by turning some on and some off. The use of Reflection is a main lighting feature I placed on both the informal and formal sides, they are LED lamps that reflect off of a shade and down into a specific area, they can be seen on the architectural columns around the workplace. The other main lighting concept was Color Mixing, the use of green, blue and red LED lamps put together and their rays produce central white light, these are found along the perimeter of the workplace to add extra illuminance to perimeter as most of the fixtures are central to not disturb those working in their offices. There will be more privacy for offices since many currently do not have blinds or shades in them, this can be seen in the window film placed along the bottom portion of their windows. This project was one I truly enjoyed, it was great to collaborate with our cougar peers and get their input in what they are looking for in this space. In the future I will spend more time on correcting the placement of the lighting to illuminate all portions of the space.

Workplace Design Case Study

This was a case study to research on Workplace and how to design one that is not only functioning, but has an interest in light and color. This business was particularly interesting in that it was very colorful and had a multitude of spaces that were for different purposes. From taking a simple phone call in a special booth, to meeting rooms that have different styles of seating and tables depending on the purpose of that space. The space is completely well illuminated for every work task that one may need to complete.

Boundary County Library | Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Bonners Ferry, Idaho is a small town that was once used for mining, which then turned it turned into a lumber and farming based community. One thing that has not changed, is the Boundary County Library, it has been the same structure since 1974. Although it is the same building, the library has done nothing but grow in its collections and types of collections as they are starting to get more into the digital side of the library. It is now the time that they begin to expand their functions, by bringing in other networks to join the library itself. Those joining are Northern Idaho College (NIC), University of Idaho Extension and BEDC an economic development council, they are also creating a fab lab for projects and digital lab that would contain a 3-D printer. The concept behind this building is Connection, Involvement and Preservation. Connection between old and new, which is the atrium, connecting the existing building with the new building as well as the connection between outdoors and indoors. Involvement within the community, being inviting for all who pass through and adhere to functions that are wanted, such as a farmers market where covered parking will be located. Preservation refers too the existing environment, the library is very close to the Kootenai River which is where the mining all started with a Ferry that Edwin Bonner had constructed to cross the river. There is also a small park right near and it is an important element that the people of the town want to keep. By creating a more open space and one that is multi-functional, I was still able to fit most of what was asked for by all networks. Those that were not factored into the design were apart of NIC and Extension, but they actually share spaces as they asked for multiple common functions for room space. The entire new building will be accessible, it has an ADA ramp to the entrance, an ADA elevator that reaches each floor including the parking garage and basement of the atrium. The atrium space as a main focal point to the flow through and to each space is meant to be a third place. A place away from work, home or even school, a place to spend time comfortable and enjoyably. It will contain a coffee stand to give an aroma to the space and to help bring in more teens and workers while also keeping a presence with the outside by inserting large windows all around the space. This was a very involved project where I learned to be patient and also how to be better with collaborating between team members. My studio had the opportunity to visit the library and talk with the board of the library and city and get their opinion on the library, what they wanted to do next, and what they did and did not like about the current space and what would be in the new space. They were very helpful in better understanding what was necessary for a small community as it would be the largest building in the town when built, so that was a big thing to keep in mind while design the exterior structure and interior as the word modern was thrown out the door almost immediately when interviewing with the patrons. Next time I would spend more time on the layout of plans, I think I will create more blocking diagrams next time to scale to really understand what I have left for floor space and what I still need to add.