Thewrightway11's Account

Juror Comment -

Bravo! You have covered a lot of ground and explored lots of ideas to a very high level of realization. One of the posted comments already recommended that you explore other media such as sketches. I agree, I think staying "looser" earlier might have helped you ensure you tested all the possibilities. You don't want to invest too much time in making very detailed 3-D models and rendering them when you are still brainstorming and developing the idea. Save the time for a great final rendering. I would recommend adding some colour to the final floor plans and the interior views so that they don't look so stark next to your rendered views. This can be done very quickly in PhotoShop or if you don't have that software then just print out the image and colour by hand. Before computers architects used collages to show texture and scale in their drawings and it's still a very useful technique. Hear are a couple of old and new examples.

Mies Collage c1950 http://www.designlinesltd.com/blog/?p=4882
OMA Collage c2010 http://www.dezeen.com/2010/01/15/chu-hai-college-campus-by-oma/

I think you have wonderfully described how your design addresses the problems you see in your current cafeteria. However, as architects, we have drawings to describe our ideas and don't need to write long paragraphs. A simple diagram with colour codes or labels would show us how the new design flows and explain how the different groups of students are separated.

Showing the relationship of the new buildings to the existing school is essential. You describe how the different domes connect to the North Ramp or the Art Wing but it would be better to include those in the drawing. I wonder if your domes will fit? From the aerial photo you include it looks like the courtyard that you are positioning your addition in is quite small.

You should be very proud of the work you have done - it was very thoughtful and completed to a very high level. Good luck with your studies and enjoy exploring more design challenges in the future.

Juror Comment -
You have mentioned how the students feel about the cafeteria but what about the kitchen staff? They are your clients too. There's no point designing an amazing place to sit if the food is not well prepared or the staff hate where they work. Remember to interview everyone that uses a space before you make conclusions.

Juror Comment -
I agree with the comment above but I do think it's exciting that you have a picture of your cafeteria being used for public debate and this is a photo you can keep forever. However, we need to see what the cafeteria looks like during peak lunch hour because you've said it's terribly crowded.

Juror Comment -
This introduction is nice as a welcome page but it doesn't help me as a juror understand the issues or deficiencies of your existing cafeteria. I'm excited to learn how you propose to innovate and make it more beautiful but I'd like to know a little more about the why first.

Juror Comment -
It's hard to get a sense of how these possible additions will work with the existing building and flow of the cafeteria since you did not include an existing floor plan. That's always crucial for additions - your space might be fabulous but if it renders the existing function of the kitchen impossible then it won't be a success.

The angle of this perspective displays well both the windows along the top of the wall and the booth seating. A next step could be to add people into your rendering to give it more life.
Your enthusiasm and hard work are evident by all that you have posted. I hope you have enjoyed working on this project and stay passionate about design and architecture.

The serving area appears spacious, and I appreciate the level of detail and thought that you have put into its design, locating the different equipment and types of lunch lines. Is the stair between the serving dome and dining dome necessary? It could be an undesired tripping hazard especially if people will be usually walking with a tray.

Wow! Great detailed description of how you envision the plan working, the spaces being used, and many included details. I am still curious about the inspiration behind the round/dome spaces. Also I am not sure how effective the separate serving and dining areas will be though I think the inclusion of the bar area in the dining dome will help.

Okay, I now see that you do have some written description with the plans of your first two designs. I understand some of the motivations behind your design decisions in your final design but I am not 100% convinced that completely separating the dining from the serving areas will resolve the congestion problem you initially described, I think bottle-necking might happen at the entry/exits of your circular spaces. What inspired your separate, circular spaces? It seems quite different from your first two layouts.

I can see you have put forth a lot of effort in the rendered model, developing not just the inside but also the outside spaces which is terrific. I am not completely clear how this design is an evolution or combination of your previous two schemes. A more descriptive narrative might help me understand your design process better.