Design Challenge: 9th Grade Commons
Project Description
This project as a whole was pretty enjoyable, but it also came with its challenges. For this design challenge, each freshman was to devise an idea for how they thought the 9th Grade Commons space should look if it were to undergo a transformation. Not only were we to sketch a design, but we also had to include 4 out of 6 possible geometric concepts in our blueprint, which included: measuring angles, different-shaped polygons, complementary, supplementary, and vertical angles, types of triangles, transformations, and parallel lines with angles and a transversal. These concepts could be represented in any manner that we preferred; as long as they were labeled and were depicted accurately through measurement and inspiration from real problems. Our first step of the project was to sketch a basic design of what we wanted the Commons to look like without measuring or including geometric concepts. Along with this step, we also had to jot down some fixtures such as furniture, lighting, etc. that we wanted to place in the room of our reimagined area. Next, we transferred our original sketch to a model with the dimensions/layout of the Commons already labeled, which would lead us to the critique process from one student and one teacher. With this in mind, we wrote down some changes we would like to make on our next draft, talked about how we were going to incorporate the geometry concepts in our design, and then began to work on our final copy. It took me approximately eight hours in one day on my finished product, but I was really happy with it in the end. While the project may seem to reaching its end, it was not over quite yet. The actual "design challenge" portion of its name had to kick in, which meant that we had to present our proposal in front of our class and a panel of teachers and parents. After preparing a short 60 to 90-second speech, we displayed our design to our audience and tried to convince them to choose our plan. Even though my design was not chosen, I was satisfied with my final draft and I worked as hard as I could during the entire process.
The HOHAM I feel I used the best was intellectual curiosity because I was always exploring ways in which I could improve my drafts and creative ways that I could apply the geometric concepts to my drawing.
The four geometric concepts I incorporated in my design were: measured angles (different types of angles), different shaped polygons, transformations (ALL: reflections, rotations, and translations), and types of triangles (ALL: equilateral, isosceles, scalene, acute and obtuse). My protractor was my best friend for measuring angles, and I used my previous knowledge of angle measurements to help me. For example, with my rotating doors, I noted that two pairs of vertical angles must add up to 360º, so I made sure that those angles matched up with this requirement. I knew that triangles added to 180º in interior angles, so I made sure that each right triangle was either a 90º-60º-30º triangle or a 90º-45º-45º triangle. While these two figures were fairly simple to account for degrees, I did have to do some research for the other polygons. I found that a pentagon’s interior angles add to 540º, a hexagon’s interior angles add to 720º, and an octagon's interior angles add to 1080º. This was a nice guidance tool when I measured my coffee tables and the rugs that were shaped in the form of some of these polygons. One viewing my design could find these angles almost everywhere, for they are located by each and every measurable figure in the room. The second geometric concept I decided to use in my design was different shaped polygons. As mentioned earlier, they are included through the use of squares to hexagons to octagons, etc. The next geometric concept I was able to accommodate in my proposal was transformations. I utilized reflection in the conference room with a line dividing the two tables and the rug into a duo of halves, and this would allow the space to give a group of more than three students to work and two groups of three students or less to work. I embraced the concept of rotation by turning the pentagonal rug 90º in one direction so that I could have a mixture of styles in how my rugs looked, and how the seating arrangement differed. This would increase the amount of seating, too, replacing empty space that would have been glaring in a room filled with an assortment of unique features. Lastly, I represented the concept of translation with the two long rugs in the rightmost hallway, moving the triangles up and down in a consistent fashion. The triangles added to the rug’s pattern, which was key in making the hallway “pop” more. The final geometric concept I chose to incorporate in my blueprint was types of triangles. This category contained equilateral, isosceles, scalene, acute and obtuse triangles. For equilateral triangles, I made a pattern of these shapes for the bench seating next to the cubicles outside of Room 138 and the HTHNC Commons, and I did this by making sure each angle had a 60º measure and each side was of equivalence. One could find the isosceles triangles as the translated figures on the two long rugs in the hallway, which have two identical angles each and two side lengths of equal measure. There is a scalene triangle that has a primary purpose of separating the rotating doors from a wall of 90º, (which was prohibited), which could be found in the upper left half of the sketch. There are acute triangles in a space between the Charging Lounge, (located on the rightmost part of the upper half of the picture), and the wall. To top it all off, there is an obtuse triangle that serves as a barrier between a wall and the Commons space on the southwest portion of the wing, and it is primarily a wall extension.
This project as a whole was pretty enjoyable, but it also came with its challenges. For this design challenge, each freshman was to devise an idea for how they thought the 9th Grade Commons space should look if it were to undergo a transformation. Not only were we to sketch a design, but we also had to include 4 out of 6 possible geometric concepts in our blueprint, which included: measuring angles, different-shaped polygons, complementary, supplementary, and vertical angles, types of triangles, transformations, and parallel lines with angles and a transversal. These concepts could be represented in any manner that we preferred; as long as they were labeled and were depicted accurately through measurement and inspiration from real problems. Our first step of the project was to sketch a basic design of what we wanted the Commons to look like without measuring or including geometric concepts. Along with this step, we also had to jot down some fixtures such as furniture, lighting, etc. that we wanted to place in the room of our reimagined area. Next, we transferred our original sketch to a model with the dimensions/layout of the Commons already labeled, which would lead us to the critique process from one student and one teacher. With this in mind, we wrote down some changes we would like to make on our next draft, talked about how we were going to incorporate the geometry concepts in our design, and then began to work on our final copy. It took me approximately eight hours in one day on my finished product, but I was really happy with it in the end. While the project may seem to reaching its end, it was not over quite yet. The actual "design challenge" portion of its name had to kick in, which meant that we had to present our proposal in front of our class and a panel of teachers and parents. After preparing a short 60 to 90-second speech, we displayed our design to our audience and tried to convince them to choose our plan. Even though my design was not chosen, I was satisfied with my final draft and I worked as hard as I could during the entire process.
The HOHAM I feel I used the best was intellectual curiosity because I was always exploring ways in which I could improve my drafts and creative ways that I could apply the geometric concepts to my drawing.
The four geometric concepts I incorporated in my design were: measured angles (different types of angles), different shaped polygons, transformations (ALL: reflections, rotations, and translations), and types of triangles (ALL: equilateral, isosceles, scalene, acute and obtuse). My protractor was my best friend for measuring angles, and I used my previous knowledge of angle measurements to help me. For example, with my rotating doors, I noted that two pairs of vertical angles must add up to 360º, so I made sure that those angles matched up with this requirement. I knew that triangles added to 180º in interior angles, so I made sure that each right triangle was either a 90º-60º-30º triangle or a 90º-45º-45º triangle. While these two figures were fairly simple to account for degrees, I did have to do some research for the other polygons. I found that a pentagon’s interior angles add to 540º, a hexagon’s interior angles add to 720º, and an octagon's interior angles add to 1080º. This was a nice guidance tool when I measured my coffee tables and the rugs that were shaped in the form of some of these polygons. One viewing my design could find these angles almost everywhere, for they are located by each and every measurable figure in the room. The second geometric concept I decided to use in my design was different shaped polygons. As mentioned earlier, they are included through the use of squares to hexagons to octagons, etc. The next geometric concept I was able to accommodate in my proposal was transformations. I utilized reflection in the conference room with a line dividing the two tables and the rug into a duo of halves, and this would allow the space to give a group of more than three students to work and two groups of three students or less to work. I embraced the concept of rotation by turning the pentagonal rug 90º in one direction so that I could have a mixture of styles in how my rugs looked, and how the seating arrangement differed. This would increase the amount of seating, too, replacing empty space that would have been glaring in a room filled with an assortment of unique features. Lastly, I represented the concept of translation with the two long rugs in the rightmost hallway, moving the triangles up and down in a consistent fashion. The triangles added to the rug’s pattern, which was key in making the hallway “pop” more. The final geometric concept I chose to incorporate in my blueprint was types of triangles. This category contained equilateral, isosceles, scalene, acute and obtuse triangles. For equilateral triangles, I made a pattern of these shapes for the bench seating next to the cubicles outside of Room 138 and the HTHNC Commons, and I did this by making sure each angle had a 60º measure and each side was of equivalence. One could find the isosceles triangles as the translated figures on the two long rugs in the hallway, which have two identical angles each and two side lengths of equal measure. There is a scalene triangle that has a primary purpose of separating the rotating doors from a wall of 90º, (which was prohibited), which could be found in the upper left half of the sketch. There are acute triangles in a space between the Charging Lounge, (located on the rightmost part of the upper half of the picture), and the wall. To top it all off, there is an obtuse triangle that serves as a barrier between a wall and the Commons space on the southwest portion of the wing, and it is primarily a wall extension.
My Process
My design for the 9th Grade Commons features a variety of work spaces for different types of learners to create a more productivity-enhancing, diverse space. In the right hallway, there will be cubicles for students who usually become distracted while trying to focus on their tasks outside of the classroom. The seating is an additional bonus in this area, for the current arrangement only calls for a couple couches and a few chairs. In my proposed design, there are six sofas, three different components involving bench seating, and a total of ten leather office chairs split between the conference room and the cubicles. This comfort factor will help to avoid the issue of having limited places for pupils to sit. The final leg of my design was mentioned briefly above, which is the conference room. This will provide project groups with the opportunity to work together privately without others coming up to them to discuss irrelevant matters. There is an immense amount of unique fixtures in my design for the 9th Grade Commons. By Room 134, the simple exit door becomes a rotating door with vertical angles of 106º and 74º, which allows for up to four freshmen to exit the building at the same time without pushing or shoving. Adjacent to that in the right corner of the main area, there are two couches of three feet by six feet with coffee tables for more lounge-like seating. One could also find these couches on the five-sided rugs in the lower half of the space, which are approximately six feet wide by 12 feet long. Similarly, there is more group seating in the form of benches extending from the wall across from the leftmost teachers’ office, outside of Room 132, and outside of the walls separating Room 138 and the HTHNC Commons from the hallway. The last portion of the seating fixtures are the office chairs, which could be found in the four cubicles on the rightmost part of the space, and around the conference table in the center of the space. For miscellaneous items, there are an array of rugs which range in size, including the long duo (4.5’ by 24’) outside of Room 126, the pentagonal rugs that accommodate a series of couches, one rug under the conference table, and another in the wing above and below Room 132 and Room 129 respectively. In the conference area, there are two dividers separating the north and south halves of the conference area from the rest of the space, and there are four dividers giving the cubicles a chance to breathe some fresh air in an isolated manner. To top it all off, there are four dual electric outlets in the charging lounge, and the Closet was transformed into a stairwell leading down to my Secret Room of Requirement, which is a sports facility for High Tech High North County Athletics.
My design for the 9th Grade Commons features a variety of work spaces for different types of learners to create a more productivity-enhancing, diverse space. In the right hallway, there will be cubicles for students who usually become distracted while trying to focus on their tasks outside of the classroom. The seating is an additional bonus in this area, for the current arrangement only calls for a couple couches and a few chairs. In my proposed design, there are six sofas, three different components involving bench seating, and a total of ten leather office chairs split between the conference room and the cubicles. This comfort factor will help to avoid the issue of having limited places for pupils to sit. The final leg of my design was mentioned briefly above, which is the conference room. This will provide project groups with the opportunity to work together privately without others coming up to them to discuss irrelevant matters. There is an immense amount of unique fixtures in my design for the 9th Grade Commons. By Room 134, the simple exit door becomes a rotating door with vertical angles of 106º and 74º, which allows for up to four freshmen to exit the building at the same time without pushing or shoving. Adjacent to that in the right corner of the main area, there are two couches of three feet by six feet with coffee tables for more lounge-like seating. One could also find these couches on the five-sided rugs in the lower half of the space, which are approximately six feet wide by 12 feet long. Similarly, there is more group seating in the form of benches extending from the wall across from the leftmost teachers’ office, outside of Room 132, and outside of the walls separating Room 138 and the HTHNC Commons from the hallway. The last portion of the seating fixtures are the office chairs, which could be found in the four cubicles on the rightmost part of the space, and around the conference table in the center of the space. For miscellaneous items, there are an array of rugs which range in size, including the long duo (4.5’ by 24’) outside of Room 126, the pentagonal rugs that accommodate a series of couches, one rug under the conference table, and another in the wing above and below Room 132 and Room 129 respectively. In the conference area, there are two dividers separating the north and south halves of the conference area from the rest of the space, and there are four dividers giving the cubicles a chance to breathe some fresh air in an isolated manner. To top it all off, there are four dual electric outlets in the charging lounge, and the Closet was transformed into a stairwell leading down to my Secret Room of Requirement, which is a sports facility for High Tech High North County Athletics.
1. Initial Sketch
I was able to come up with my initial idea based on the issues we face as a 9th grade with our current Commons space. Observing the activity in the space for a few days, I noted that way too many pupils would stop their work to chat with a friend or two, which was not a nice complement to productivity. There were at least six people on each two-person couch, and it did not seem like a functioning area at all. To spruce it up, I wanted to include as much seating as I possibly could without cramming the Commons, and I had to add a unique element of creativity to make the mood more lively, which I was able to achieve through the variety of rugs I chose, the charging lounge, and the conference area.
I was able to come up with my initial idea based on the issues we face as a 9th grade with our current Commons space. Observing the activity in the space for a few days, I noted that way too many pupils would stop their work to chat with a friend or two, which was not a nice complement to productivity. There were at least six people on each two-person couch, and it did not seem like a functioning area at all. To spruce it up, I wanted to include as much seating as I possibly could without cramming the Commons, and I had to add a unique element of creativity to make the mood more lively, which I was able to achieve through the variety of rugs I chose, the charging lounge, and the conference area.
2. Rough Draft
Since my Initial Sketch was now complete, it was now time for me to scale my drawing so that its measurements were accurate. The scale for this draft was 1/4" = 2 feet, which meant that for every 2 feet of an object in real life, there would be a one box-long line or measurement on the drawing. This could also be applied to the one inch conversion, which was eight feet. This could be found proportionally, and once I had both of these scale equations in mind, I was on my way. From my Initial Sketch to my Rough Draft, I made quite a few changes. I added a pentagonal rug equipped with two couches and a coffee table in the lower half of the drawing, I measured all of the side lengths of the room and each angle, I divided the conference table into two smaller surfaces, and some of the wall extensions were shifted to be more aesthetically-pleasing.
Since my Initial Sketch was now complete, it was now time for me to scale my drawing so that its measurements were accurate. The scale for this draft was 1/4" = 2 feet, which meant that for every 2 feet of an object in real life, there would be a one box-long line or measurement on the drawing. This could also be applied to the one inch conversion, which was eight feet. This could be found proportionally, and once I had both of these scale equations in mind, I was on my way. From my Initial Sketch to my Rough Draft, I made quite a few changes. I added a pentagonal rug equipped with two couches and a coffee table in the lower half of the drawing, I measured all of the side lengths of the room and each angle, I divided the conference table into two smaller surfaces, and some of the wall extensions were shifted to be more aesthetically-pleasing.
3. Final Draft
After finishing my first draft, I seeked feedback from my peers and a professional, and they were able to give me extremely helpful comments to improve on my initial drawing. Erick M. stated that the triangles were not as obvious as the other geometric components in my design, so I decided to include more of those three-sided figures in the shape of the walls. To address Ms. Dvora’s feedback of needing more polygons, including lines of reflections and rotating figures, and labeling fixtures, I spent a lot of time enhancing the quality of work. After my final draft was complete, I had triangular wall extensions, squared tables, pentagonal rugs, hexagonal and octagonal coffee tables, and trapezoidal bench seating. In addition, I split the conference room into two separate sections that could be adjoined if needed, and I rotated the pentagonal rug. I also made sure I was diligent about making sure each one of the fixtures I wanted in my design were labeled accordingly.
After finishing my first draft, I seeked feedback from my peers and a professional, and they were able to give me extremely helpful comments to improve on my initial drawing. Erick M. stated that the triangles were not as obvious as the other geometric components in my design, so I decided to include more of those three-sided figures in the shape of the walls. To address Ms. Dvora’s feedback of needing more polygons, including lines of reflections and rotating figures, and labeling fixtures, I spent a lot of time enhancing the quality of work. After my final draft was complete, I had triangular wall extensions, squared tables, pentagonal rugs, hexagonal and octagonal coffee tables, and trapezoidal bench seating. In addition, I split the conference room into two separate sections that could be adjoined if needed, and I rotated the pentagonal rug. I also made sure I was diligent about making sure each one of the fixtures I wanted in my design were labeled accordingly.
Project Reflection
My design is the best design for the 9th Grade Commons because of its multi-dimensional environment that it brings to the 9th grade like no other wing on the campus of HTHNC. It also highlights the issues of having too little work space, too much noise, and too many distractions. The cubicles will keep students who often talk to their friends outside the classroom on-task, the conference tables will give groups the opportunity to discuss matters in isolation from other groups, and the couches add more overall seating in the Commons. (Critique-related responses can be found above). For this project as a whole, I really enjoyed the freedom we were given as far as creativity went. Our design did not necessarily have to be completely relevant to school, and a budget was not taken into consideration. Sure, we needed to remove or add to the basic two couches in the space, but it did not have to be totally beneficial to the welfare of the 9th grade. This is what allowed many students to build a Starbucks, a fish tank, or make underground elevators traveling below the surface of the school. In addition, I liked the Design Pitch aspect of the project, and this definitely boosted my interest in marketing. Since I want to potentially go into this field in the future and since I am a very competitive person, this portion of the assignment definitely suited me. If I could change one thing about my experience with this project, I may have expanded my thinking to be more outside-the-box. I was watching many students presenting extremely unique ideas, and I was questioning the creativity of my own. While it may not be the most artistic, I designed it to be satisfying to the needs of the current Commons space, and I definitely included some interesting features such as the Charging Lounge, the rotating doors and the conference area. My design could be implemented in reality, and I am really proud of what I was able to do under the parameters we had to follow.
My design is the best design for the 9th Grade Commons because of its multi-dimensional environment that it brings to the 9th grade like no other wing on the campus of HTHNC. It also highlights the issues of having too little work space, too much noise, and too many distractions. The cubicles will keep students who often talk to their friends outside the classroom on-task, the conference tables will give groups the opportunity to discuss matters in isolation from other groups, and the couches add more overall seating in the Commons. (Critique-related responses can be found above). For this project as a whole, I really enjoyed the freedom we were given as far as creativity went. Our design did not necessarily have to be completely relevant to school, and a budget was not taken into consideration. Sure, we needed to remove or add to the basic two couches in the space, but it did not have to be totally beneficial to the welfare of the 9th grade. This is what allowed many students to build a Starbucks, a fish tank, or make underground elevators traveling below the surface of the school. In addition, I liked the Design Pitch aspect of the project, and this definitely boosted my interest in marketing. Since I want to potentially go into this field in the future and since I am a very competitive person, this portion of the assignment definitely suited me. If I could change one thing about my experience with this project, I may have expanded my thinking to be more outside-the-box. I was watching many students presenting extremely unique ideas, and I was questioning the creativity of my own. While it may not be the most artistic, I designed it to be satisfying to the needs of the current Commons space, and I definitely included some interesting features such as the Charging Lounge, the rotating doors and the conference area. My design could be implemented in reality, and I am really proud of what I was able to do under the parameters we had to follow.