Urban Loft

" one learns people through the heart; not the eyes or the intellect"

- mark twain

our objective is to turn the UNCG storage warehouse into an condo complex complied of loft living quarters. the idea is to take old unused industrial warehouses into affordable dwellings for first time home owners.

the overall concept of our space design is based on the community center within the space. we wanted it to be the life force of our space.   it is the heart.  each unit is like an organ that only thrives off the social aspects of life. we saw these new home owners to be young citizens venturing into the workforce for the first time, people who thrive on community.

plan

our plan is centralized around the community center [heart], and moves outward from there the pathways connect all the units together.  each unit contains a patio space which opens up to neighbors for an added push towards community. i guess you could say we created utopia in a box.

the view below is an area view of the interior of the space.

the overall idea is to create a vineyard type space keeping the overhead beams and punching through the middle of them to expose the outside. the units however would keep the ceiling except where the loft punches through.  since the space is sustainable we wanted to take the remaining concrete that is replaced by grass to be broken down and reused to fabricate the walls of the units, in some since we are giving back to the earth and reusing what we take away from the building and not just throwing it away.

From the earth [a place to dine]

concept

my concept for this project derives from the garden vegetables that are grown for the meals that are served. so the idea is from the earth, and in my design this concept is shown through natural light organic furniture, terra-cotta tiles and stone, and wood.   i chose mostly natural materials and formed a 21st century farm style dining space.

The inspiration for my place to dine came from a personal approach.  for me i couldn't help but think of grandma, so my table design formed from this idea of a farm table, mostly due to the fact we eat garden produced foods at most family dinners.  i wanted the wood to be weathered and have a very rustic appearance.

so for my buffet i went with the same approach something simple but provided enough use. there are drawers located for silverware and a sink like indention for drinks that allow ice to surround them like a cooler.

this sketch image is the overall idea of my dinning space.  there are baywindows to bring in the natural light as well as skylights in the ceiling which are not shown here but is hinted in the wall section.  the stairs lead to the living space or great room as the double entrance leads into the kitchen.

Floorplan Layout

wall section

wall detail

radiant stages [a place to bathe]

Radiant Stages

My concept comes from the idea of a wheelchair rotating in full circle, the stages of the sun during the day and the idea of when you go to a spa you generally want to come back refreshed and radiant. But also I want focus on the sun and nature, the idea of spas using natural oils and herbs or nature in general to sooth the body, along with the warming rays of the sun.



Brand

I have always been fascinated by the Spanish culture, but I couldn’t find anything about bathing but they have a tradition. In the Spanish culture after a big meal, generally comes a nap before they go back to work and I have heard that time is really not an issue for them. So the idea for my spa becomes a place of rest where time is lost and this idea of rest and relaxation becomes the main event.

The idea of my spa is to come in and relax among nature. Usually spa treatments are done with botanicals, river rocks, and natural oils to sooth muscles or radiate the skin. I want all clients to feel like time has stopped and all you are required to do is relax and take in your surroundings.

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Floor Plan

wall sections

Perspectives

this perspective shows the individual jet bathes and the massage tables in the other room.  the space dosent have a sense of lighting but i imagined tracking lighting that focused on the picture graphics.  so the rooms would essentially be dark but, sense the rooms are saturated with color the reaction would be a pale luminescent that would light the entire room.  the idea is to focus on your surroundings so i wanted the graphics to be whimsical abstractions of nature that entice  the mind and the free forms would relax the mind.  the light surfaces on the ground is sand, sand is a natural exfoliant for the skin.  sense people restricted to a wheel chair for mobility will be in the space i have created this broadwalk so to speak to guide you through the space.
sense this idea of a wheel chair turning is important to my concept there are large spaces  and walk ways for this. the ramp id located in the pool for easy access.  the pool is enriched with botanicals to nourish the skin along with more sand in have of the pool.  i imagine there would be seating so that the people in wheel chairs could also put there feet in the sand.  the lounge chairs provide for perfect sun bathing for any individual. there are also water walls located on the exterior walls that allow for rinsing after leaving the pools.