SCHEME DEVELOPMENT:
Once I was certain with my chosen concept, I started to develop my designs further, but before I was able to start SketchUp development, I went to visit the host site which provided me with the additional knowledge. This helped me to understand the space available and the spacial movement and connections which can take place within it. Like I mentioned in my previous blog post I was unable to visit the site multiple times due to Covid-19 and the restrictions which were put in place.
One thing which surprised me from visiting the space was that the shipping containers were a lot smaller than I had initially anticipated. However, the host site space was relatively large which provided me with the opportunity to use a selection of shipping containers arranged in a variety of different ways.
My first instinct was to arrange the containers in a circular or semi-circle formation which would imitate the design of an amphitheatre which would perfectly portray the performance within the space. However, one disadvantage was that because the containers were rectangular in shape my ability to create a circular formation on the site with the audience still having the ability to see the performance was limited. From this I decided to create a modern twist on the shape of the performance space, incorporating containers stacked on top of each other to create different stages and producing a triangular layout which would link to the pyramid structures used within the ‘AIDA’ opera. Although the formation did not form the circular shape required for the amphitheatre, I decided to incorporate this in a different way with arched structures carved out of the left-over container material. By doing this I am encouraging shadows in the shape of arches to be displayed all around the site, giving the illusion of an amphitheatre structure.
The process of researching my chosen performance and my ability to use its qualities to produce high standard designs has helped me develop as a designer. It also reassures me that I can be thrown into the deep end with a concept but still produce high quality visuals and design schemes for my clients. During the development process of this project, I have really enjoyed experimenting with the shipping containers within Sketchup as they can be placed in a variety of different positions which is incredibly exciting. Alongside this, I have developed my design quality and confidence within Sketchup which will inevitably help me in the future when I am given commissions to do for future clients. If I was to do this section of the design process again I would try to use software’s such as revit rather than sketchup to understand the way it works.
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