Part One - Architectural Plans

Senior Project with Mr. Stillwell (Mentor) & Dr. Carter (AP Literature)

The plan for each model basically depicts the design work I put into each model and is a good summary of the model itself. For each model a “C” size architectural plan was created, which contained multiple views of the model and if there was room listed some of the design aspects. Creating the actual plans was a very simply process, including orientation and dimensioning. The skill and real challenge came before this I the designing of each model and the researching involved for each. Years ago, the creation of architectural plans and blueprints was an arduous task that required much focus and a steady hand, but with the invention of CAD and BIM software the process is now much simpler—allowing that time to be spent in the design and forethought of the construction.

To see the complete designs for each model click on one of the links below or see the links under Pages to the left:

TASCOH Model

TABS Model

SCHEMA Model

What I Know Now… and What I’ll Know Then

Through my years in high school, I have taken many engineering courses and have found that my passion lies within this field; but as engineering encompasses a myriad of categories, I have not even begun to scratch the surface.  I have completed courses in general engineering, engineering drafting, math, and physics, which has given me a good base in engineering, but those have only given me the technical side of engineering. Lately, I have become quite interested in Civil Engineering; therefore I decided to take my endeavor in architecture. I will learn the design principles and concepts behind structures, and integrate my prior knowledge of material testing, 3D analysis, and fundamental engineering principles, to create a project that builds and expanse my horizon of knowledge.

The architecture work and design are a learning stretch for me as I have never done architecture before.  Not only will I be learning to design in different software, Autodesk Revit, but I will be finding a way to get Revit and Inventor to communicate, increasing workflow.  I will also have to do extensive research before the designing is even started.  I will need to learn about insulation and the insulating of homes, and then apply the knowledge to insulating the container, as space requirements do not permit the use of standard housing insulation.  I will also need to learn about housing foundations and come up with one that is suitable for the purpose at hand—considering the landscape being built on, stability, and move-ability   This is just the beginning of what I will need to research, and these are only some of the topics I know that I need to research--who knows what I will find I will learn once I get started!

The Container Housing Project

Many shipping containers are retired to landfills each year to rust, a waste of materials and space.  A growing trend in Europe is re-purposing these old shipping containers as homes, both economical and green use, and I plan to bring this idea to the U.S. 

For my Senior Project, I plan to research and design container housing for military purposes to reach the most efficient use of materials, both economically and environmentally.  Container housing is beneficial to the military as it is efficient to transport with limited assembly and can either be used as storage or lived in on the way to the destination.  The project is a collaboration of three class projects in which each will bring a different element to produce a larger project, with three distinct products: floor plans, a site plan, and a physical model.  To pull off a proficient and useful model will require close attention to detail in the design, organization of space, and introspection of concepts such as insulation and foundation.

Designing container housing for the military not only coincides with my academic studies and career goals, but is an environmentally and economically better way to house troops overseas.  I plan to study Civil Engineering in college and this project will help give me a holistic prospective of this field and the architecture behind it.

The Product Breakdown

Architectural Plans: For my senior project product, I am designing the floor plan of a staff officer’s quarters and the general housing for a squad inside of shipping containers, to maximize function space and minimize cost.  The final design will be created/drawn in Autodesk Revit 2013.

3D Site Plan: In my Technical Manufacturing class with Mr. Reece I am designing a 3D representation of the layout of the military base housing built from the shipping containers in the Revit software.

Physical Model: In my Research Design class with Professor Williams I will build a model of the Site Plan I have created in the previous class.

I am very excited about this project and am looking forward to getting started.  This blog will be a way that not only my teachers, but I, myself, can track my progress throughout this semester and project.