Image of My Model
Description
The proposed design for my small research station intends to provide a well-lit, cozy, and sustainable workspace for student researchers at a local biological reserve. The floor plan is designed to contain an open-space research area, a meeting area (separated from the open-space in order to keep it soundproof), a storage room, and an ADA-compliant bathroom. The overall design considers several aspects, such as:
- Spatial Constraints: the building size is around 500 SF, as requested.
- Structure simplicity: as the research station will be probably built by students, I aimed to keep the shape and design of the building very simple. The proposed design is a L-shaped building, with the long edge facing south, to meet the lighting requirements explained in the point below. Finally, a single-sloped roof is proposed to keep the design minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing.
- Lighting priority: the workspace is thoughtfully designed to prioritize natural light, with every research station, including three desks and one lab bench, each positioned in front of wide windows. In this way, student researchers can enjoy uninterrupted views of nature both day and night.
- Solar and ventilation strategy plus insulation: to ensure energy efficiency, the design incorporates numerous operable south-facing windows to capture solar heat and promote natural ventilation. The use of active heating and cooling systems was deliberately avoided for this design. Finally, the structure provides R-19 insulation, thanks to the employment of 2x6 stud framing and wood siding on the exterior walls, ensuring excellent thermal performance and energy efficiency.
- Sustainability focus: the design aligns with sustainable principles by using wood for exterior walls and by incorporating arrays of Tesla solar panels on the roof. In this design, wood elements harmoniously blend with renewable energy solutions, enhancing the overall sustainability of my research station.
Note 1: Furniture was carefully selected to satify the assignment requirements (like the length of the lab workbench or the door / windows sizes). Many components were uploaded from online families. Highlights: I placed a nice whiteboard in the meeting area, a beautiful workbench with a handy lab sink by its side, and finally bathroom handlers and mirror (that respected the ADA compliance standards).
Note 2: the bathroom was designed to follow this exact scheme found online (see image below). Within my submission, annotations of bathroom measurements are placed on the floor plan. Furniture and handlers’ elevations from the floor were respected (but not annotated on the side view, as not requested for this assignment).
