Shipping container dwelling

Here's an idea i've seen in the project submission, and would provide an efficient way of transporting and storing a classroom/home. These factors would prove a great selling point, but as an actual learning environment, i question whether it would be a too 'industrial' environment for the kids, and more towards the old mod-5. thats just my opinion however!

'Strandbeest', Theo Jansen

This is one of Theo Jansen's 'strandbeest', and specifically the Animaris Rhinoceros, a mobile structure that weighs two tonnes, and can be set in motion by a single person. Animaris comes from the latin, beach animal, and each sculpture moves on wheels, so it can navigate over sand. i found his work intruiging when i first saw it, and in reflection it reminds me of our group's carboard montage at the end of our video.

Floor Plan

This is the proposed layout for our Steiner School. The centre module acts as the teachers area, and the rotating black/whiteboards act as doors. Four modules sit either side of this, one area for the younger children, one for the older students. These are then separated again into academic area and performance/arts area by means of thick curtains. This allows the space to be adaptable, to create larger and smaller spaces when necessary, and permits activities to occur simultaneously, as the curtains act as a sound barrier.

Tennant Creek Climate Analysis

Our proposed site for the mod-5 classroom is Tennant Creek, as we wanted to have an emphasis on indigenous studies, whilst the classroom being amongst a large enough population to sustain a Steiner School.

Tennant Creek ( pop 4,000)

Geography and climate
Climate

Tennant Creek is located in the middle of the Northern Territory, 376.5 metres above sea level. Day temperatures range from 24 degrees to 38 degrees, with an average of 22 days per year exceeding 40 degrees. Day time minimum temperatures range from 12 degrees in winter to 25 degrees in the hotter months.

Most of the rain falls during the summer months, but occasional storms occur at other times of the year. Average annual rainfall is 426mm. Winter (May to October) in Tennant Creek is dry with cool nights and mornings. Summer November to April) is hot and dry with occasional rainfall.^[2]

Climate Table
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)	36.7	35.7	34.3	31.6	27.6	24.6	24.5	27.5	31.5	34.7	36.5	37.3	31.9
Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)	25.0	24.5	23.2	20.4	16.3	13.0	12.2	14.4	18.3	21.7	23.8	24.9	19.8
Mean total rainfall (mm)	106.6	126.2	55.5	16.6	7.9	4.7	4.7	1.8	7.8	21.3	38.2	69.7	448.9
Mean number of rain days	7.0	7.7	4.5	1.5	1.0	0.5	0.4	0.4	1.1	3.0	4.1	5.5	36.7
Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Topography and climate

Tennant Creek has a warm continental climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. Most rain falls during the period from December to March, when temperatures are also at their highest. Temperatures fall during the dry months with sunny days and mild nights. There is 9.1 to 10.4 hours of sunshine per day with an average of 155 clear days per year. Prevailing winds are from the east to south-east.

Site information

• Site name: TENNANT CREEK AIRPORT
• Site number: 015135
• Latitude: 19.64 °S Longitude: 134.18 °E
• Elevation: 376 m
• Commenced: 1969 Status: Open
• Latest available data: 07 Aug 2008

Solar Movement, http://www.ga.gov.au/geodesy/astro/smpos.jsp

Tennant Creek, 19.64 °S Lat, 134.18 °E Long

(Taken at midday)

Summer Solstice (December 22^nd)

Azimuth     Altitude

118°45'53"   81°45'23"

Winter Solstice (June 22nd)

Azimuth     Altitude

11°41'60"   46°04'39"

Mobile Classroom

Designed by Future systems, i found this example of the mobile classroom.
The classroom is designed as such the majority is prefabricated, and integrates the latest teaching methods (much like the project we have been set!). The classroom can function autonomously to the rest of the school, and its structural skin is created of fibreglass and balsa wood(?!)

Gregory Burgess

Apart from being a noted architect, Gregory Burgess is also director and teacher of Sophia Mundi Steiner School in Abbottsford. As well as teaching, he also designed three other Steiner Schools based on its core philosophies.

In the jury’s speech for Burgess’ RAIA gold medal in 2004, they described his work as having core community values with deep regard for the environment. His buildings were described as innovative, and they commended him on his architectural sensitivity towards the indigenous cultures of Australia.

http://www.gregoryburgessarchitects.com.au/office/gold_medal.htm

Uluru-Kata Tjuta Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Pic accessed from _http://www.specifier.com.au/architects/5675/Greg-Burgess.html

Samford Valley Steiner School
Pic accessed from _http://www.archmedia.com.au/aa/aaissue

Steiner School Philosophy

While brainstorming the mod-5 design project, we decided that instead of doing a set of portables for your generic school, we would do one for a school with specific ideals, and chose the Steiner school. Here are a few core values we researched a would like to see integrated into the project.

-A balance between academic, artistic and social aspects.
-Using art as a practice, and language to develop feelings
-creating a cultural atmosphere
-nurturing the child's imagination in a school environment
-encouraging creativity and free-thinking
-recognising the individuality of a child
-using art, craft, music and language in conjunction with academics

These are just a few.
The steiner school, established by Rudolf Steiner, works on the philosophies of Anthroposophy.
Anthroposophy is about human beings understanding themselves, and their relationship to the earth, both in a physical and spiritual sense.
I believe that this relates well to the task we have been set, to design a learning space which also needs to understand and integrate itself into the environment it will be placed into.

Steiner Schools also have a particular preference in their architecture, that is nature in building, organic architecture. Rudolf Steiner himself had strong ideas in architecture, and i will soon post some pictures of his work in Dornach.

(Information from_ Blaser, Werner, Nature in Building, Birkhauser, 2002, Basel)