Sytems

Rest Stop:

My system for the rest stop design was driven by the idea of modules or pods that could be arranged in numerous ways to capture the desired views of the site. To add flexibility and option there are two standard pods, on parallelogram shaped and the other trapezoidal. The smallest piece or part of the system is dimensional lumber. From here, full walls or even full pods would be built off site and then transported to the site to be installed. The dimensions of the parts would be standardized for easy installation. For example, each pod (whether the parallelogram or the trapezoid) all use the same back and side walls, and the walk way and roof are also assembled with the same parts.

The original idea behind the design was to have full pods completely assembled off site and slipped inside each other to minimize space during transportation. However, for this compact nature to be achieved, the floor would probably have to be attached later on site. The other downfall would be that each wood pod would be of considerable weight and would likely need more than a few people for installation. Therefore the delivery of the pod broken down into smaller parts of wall, roof, and floor stems might make for an easier installation process.

Staib Reading:

Richard Dietrich's design of the Metastadt or the meta-city was based on the idea of creating and actual city environment with modular components that could be altered slightly for their use, depending on whether it was meant to be a living or social space. It was also designed with the idea that it could grow and change over time. The primary structure was based on a steel rigging system that formed a vertical and horizontal grid. The problems began however when the desire for options and variance led to construction failure. What I find interesting with this case is that it bring up the question of when is the breaking or tipping point where a module or system can no longer be repeated? How large is too large? How dense is too dense?