This displays the work produced during a six week online workshop with CAUKIN to design a community hall in a Urata village in Fiji focusing on cyclone resistance, local material use and the involvement of the community. The concept for the design is taking architectural features that are used for cyclone resistance and making them prominent and useable elements that enhance ordinary usage of the space on a daily basis .This project promotes this simple but powerful concept and is explored and displayed through physical model making. It developed from the understanding that cyclone resistance is imperative for a community hall in Urata and is something that Fijians in other villages really look forward to in their new community halls. However, cyclones are present only a small percentage of the time, so designing for them shouldn’t undermine the everyday use of the space. Therefore this concept aims to create a space that is fully appropriate for cyclones and the every day by exploiting cyclone resistant features.
Wooden Stick, Balsa Wood and Greyboard Model Construction Process
Using these simple materials, and knowing that it would be mostly volunteers and members of the community constructing this building it seemed important to document the process of making the model in order to acknowledge potential difficulties when constructing the real thing. The first noted difficulty is in securing the pine poles to the ground so that they are cyclone proof. In the model holes were made in the greyboard and foamboard so that they were stable and this simulates cutting through the concrete slab and digging into the ground to create new foundations, which will be a challenge in reality with tools access. The alternative option is using steel footings to connect the poles to the existing slab. The other difficulty was the irregularities in the sticks which should be less in the larger scale pine poles. And the other main thought is that in reality work could start on the roof frames whilst the floor is being laid down to decrease construction time.
Everyday Condition: Model and Photoshop Visualisation
Storm Condition
Community Gathering
Nursing Station
Women's Craft Session
