I was really inspired by playing with SketchUp to create visuals of our concept and tried to use it to at least illustrate a small portion of the interior spaces where we would hope to bring the “outside-in”. Adding natural landscaping to the interior spaces obviously has both aesthetic and health benefits. It would take a significant amount of plant life to actually improve oxygen/air quality inside, so I think the mental health element would be the widest behavioral benefit to students and professors. However, with a limitless-google-like budget you could really expand this concept to include interior water features to add the element of ambient sound for relaxation and calm.
I was hoping to be able to use SketchUp to model the modular nodules concept as well but my computer/technical limitations hit a way fairly quickly. It’s an amazing program but the 3D graphics were very intensive. I enjoyed learning a little about Revit in J’s recent tutorial and would love to explore using that software more too.
Front left corner of proposed structure showing angular glass roof with flattened area at mid-point which would include a green roof of the first floor for people to notice both from ground level and observe looking down from higher floors. With this much glass the solar heat will be intense so my other intention was to break up the glass roof with solid covered areas every 50-100 ft to reduce the solar heat impact.
Side profile of main building exterior concept. The third and tallest wall in the back would have a similar pitched glass roof combined with leveled areas for more rooftop gardens and planters to allow the building to stand tall but also blend into the surrounding nature like a tree with moss and other living organisms growing on it.