Wednesday, February 20, 2013

NBM - City Vision Program Wk 2


30 Yr 7 students from Stuart-Hobson Middle School in DC arrived at the NBM for their second week of the City Vision Program. 
The first week involved dividing the students into 4 groups followed by a building design challenge making structures using spaghetti and marshmallows. 
At the end of the session students were given homework sheets to complete before returning the next week. All worksheets provide background and research relevant to the next project and are organized in students' sketchbooks.
Homework this week involved researching different careers in the area of design and architecture and researching information on the Amazon rainforests.

Design Challenge 2 - Welcome to the Jungle
Each group were asked to come up with designs for a planned facility for scientists in the Amazon rainforest.
They needed to:
  • Provide a safe place to live and work for 5 scientists
  • Provide access to food and drinking water
  • Not damage the rainforest ecosystem
students take on different roles; drawing plans, elevations and working on their pitch to the client.

They had 45 minutes to pool their research, gathered as homework, and just over an hour to make their plans and prepare their presentation. If time permits students could attempt a model of their design. Each group then pitched their design to a guest judge who determined the best solution.
a multi level structure disguised as a tree and divided into living quarters and laboratories
the winning design incorporated rope swings, the use of indigenous and sustainable materials and making use of previously cleared land
explaining the small laboratory on a boat moored close to the base camp.