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About my final presentation:

My design project is called Whakawhitinga. This is the Maori term for translucency which is the idea I am going for in this design. For my concept, I was inspired by the legend of Uenuku, the god of rainbows. This inspired me to include colourful features in my design symbolising the existence of the rainbow god Uenuku in the Grey Lynn Library. This inspired me to design the library using round circular shapes, inspired by both the rainbow and koru patterns you see as you walk into the existing library  creating a unique visual and experience of the atmosphere for the people visiting.

I first created a colourful acrylic glass installation as you enter the entrance of the library, beginning to bring in the colours and shapes of my concept. I’m hoping to bring more brightness and colour into this design, making the library feel more welcoming and attractive, starting from the entrance.

In my design, I am mainly wishing to bring in more natural lighting, also called ambient lighting. I designed a wall filled will acrylic circle glasses that is places on the left side of the entrance. The translucent glasses and wall will seperate the two study spaces and provide privacy between the two areas. The colour transmission and reflections of the glass makes the construction elements such as the coloured glasses more attractive and unique. The reflections and shadows can also give off a rainbow like effect.

The design of the first study area is suitable if you have a group of people you want to study with. There are more seating and wider tables provided here. They are also closed off to give each group privacy. 

As you walk into the second study area, you see a different layout of tables. I designed this so people coming to the library to study also has an option of individual study and group study. This specific study area is more suitable for an individual workspace. You then come across the kids rooms. I designed two rooms with different purposes. The first kids room is more suitable for hands on playing around whereas the second is more suitable for storytime and younger kids. 

For my design, I connected the two buildings with panels that has Maori designs. This was inspired by the koru patterns in the existing library. I chose to stick with wooden materials for this panel because as wood ages, u get to see the patterns of grains and sometimes it sparks a sense of mysteriousness to what it’s been through and I wanted to create that sort of experience. I created curved bookshelves and seating areas. This gives you a sense of feeing as if you are walking into and through the rainbows. In the library building itself, I created 2 meeting rooms. The use of circular and round shapes with a hint of acrylic glasses help link the study area and the library itself together.

Overall I am hoping to leave an unique experience for the people visiting the library. Im hoping with the story of Uenuku behind the colours and the use of of shapes inspired by the koru patterns can help keep the culture and traditions of the place and also allow the people visiting to engage and understand the importance of appreciating the culture. 

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Poplar library:

The poplar library is located in Kids Republic in Beijing, China. This is composed of an event room on the first floor and a picture book store on the second floor. The event room on the first floor is a rainbow space connected by 12 colored rings with different perimeters. The gaps on the floors, walls and ceilings are seen as an illumination or display case, the gaps on the floors are also used as stages or auditoriums. The carpets in the rooms allows the children to sit and lie down on the floor freely. 

As you walk up the stairs, you enter a world of picture books on the second floor. The seven coloured ribbons starts from the hall and goes up along the stairs. This 100-meter-long coloured ribbon winds and twists until it transforms into an armrest for the stairs. It then gradually transforms back to the first floor.

The coloured ribbons then starts to twists and wind again and the places within its reach becomes a bookshelf, table, gate, checkout counter and ceiling, and finally returns back to an armrest for the stairs.

The overall design and concept to this library immediately became my inspiration for my design project. I linked this with the legend of Uenuku, connecting the Maori culture to this interesting concept and coming up with a concept and design of my own.

Story:

This is a library located in Beijing China. I have personally visited here back in 2013 when I visited the country during the holidays. I really enjoyed the use of colours and shapes. The coloured ribbons surrounding the space and circling around the space cultivates the children’s curiosity. Activities like story telling sessions and animation shows are periodically held here. The front covers of the books all had a rich and bright colour, creating a bright and cheerful space. No orderly bookshelves are found here. People can sit in their favoured spots and enjoy their time here. Different sizes of holes are designed on the surrounding bookshelves, making them not only windows to pass internal and external information, but also reading spaces for the children. There is no separation for the children between reading and playing in this library. This is what I loved the most, as this place provides a lot of freedom with no restrictions, allowing the kids to explore and enjoy reading under this playful atmosphere.

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This is a beautiful fashion retail done by Japanese architects Keiichiro Sako and Takeshi Ishizaka of SAKO Architects. 

Information about materials: Floor: cement mortar, white tile, white marble finish Ceiling: stainless steel compound board mirror finish Wall: lumber core back, plaster board water paint finish Net: steel rod, styrofoam, glass fiber, epoxy resin, water paint finish Furniture: Almost all furniture is made by the same material and method as “net”

This design allowed me to come up with a meeting room that is a little bit more different to the other rooms in the library. This is because I wanted to maintain an interesting aspect to this library, allowing the people visiting to discover something new everytime so that their experience in this library doesn't become too boring.

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How to carve wood:

There are four main types of wood carving: whittling, relief carving, carving in the round, and chip carving.

Whittling - Whittling is an old carving style primarily done with the use of a stiff-handled whittling knife. The knife leaves behind sharp, angular strokes, and the finished pieces are usually small and three-dimensional.

Relief - Relief carving is the art of carving figures into a flat wooden panel. The image appears three-dimensional from the front, but the back remains flat. You'll need a variety of hand tools to complete a relief carving.

Carving- Carving in the round is probably the most life-like technique. You'll use a variety of tools to create this type of carved sculpture, and the finished piece will be three-dimensional, with softer, more natural lines.

Chip- Chip carving primarily relies on the use of knives, chisels, and hammers. You'll chip away at the wood little by little to create three-dimensional patterns on a wood board, but the back of the piece will remain flat.

As a general rule, the wood you use should be somewhat soft.It is recommended to purchase labelled, higher quality wood from a craft store or wood supplier instead of getting it from a generic lumber pile. 

Woods like Basswood, butternut, and white pine are among the best woods to use as they are soft and easy to carve with. Mahogany and black walnut both have medium grains and are somewhat difficult to carve since these woods are a little harder. 

Cherry, sugar maple, and white oak are all very hard to carve due to their level of hardness. Cherry and sugar maple have fine grains, but white oak has a medium to coarse grain. 

The knife you choose must be sharp, easy to grip, and rigid. Retractable blades are often unsafe since they can collapse under pressure, so a standard pocket knife may not work well. Chip carving knifes are recommended. The blade is roughly 1.5 inches (3.5 cm) long, and the handle is long enough to sit comfortably in your hand.

Should also make sure the design is sketched onto the wood first to prevent mistakes and secure the wood. Always make your cuts along the grain instead of working against it. Cutting up against the grain will cause the wood to splinter. Use gouges and chisels if needed to scoop up the excess wood. 

If you're satisfied with your work and want to preserve the carving, you'll need to apply a wood finish that can protect the surface from moisture, oils, dirt, and other debris. Paste wax is relatively clear and allows the natural colour of the wood to come through. Danish oil can tint the colour of the wood slightly, but it tends to be more durable. Urethane and polyurethane sprays are the most durable finishes and generally last for long periods.

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Panels:

Using patterned panels and the koru patterned mural from the existing building to create a panel that separates the two existing areas of the building. The patterned area will be translucent glass. 

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Uenuku (god of rainbows):

Uenuku (Uenuku-Kopako) is the god of rainbows and a prominent ancestor in the Maori tradition. Māori believed that the rainbow's appearance represented an omen. It was said that if a Taua appeared under the arch of the rainbow, it would be defeated in battle, and likewise, if they appeared to either side of the rainbow, they would be victorious. In Ngati Porou and Ngai Tahu stories, Uenuku was the Ariki of Hawaiki with 71 sons, all from different wives. Uenuku is also particularly special to the Tainui Maori, who are said to have brought his spirit over from Hawaiki inside of a stone, and then transferred it into the carving of Te Uenuku.

This inspired me to include colourful features in my design symbolising the existence of the rainbow god Uenuku in the Grey Lynn Library. This won't only keep the culture and tradition but it can also allow the people visiting to engage and understand the importance of appreciating the culture.

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Accessibility:

When looking at the premises, we should think about how people enter and exit the premises and consider how accessible the entrances are for people using wheelchairs or other supports, such as for people who have trouble hearing, and for the blind and partially sighted people. 

Once considered how people will get in, you then need to think about how people will find their way around the premises and how you will manage and take account of any individual’s needs such as checking if there is provision for accessible toilet facilities, and identifying any fixtures or fittings, furniture, equipment or materials that could cause difficulty for disabled people with different impairments such as lighting levels, colour contrasts, the width of doors, handrails, types of flooring and hearing loops etc.

To make a premises more accessible for everyone, we can consider installing grab rails and ramps into the building, attaching wireless doorbells to support people that need extra assistance, installation of sliding doors, induction loops and widening doorways for wheelchair access.

Handrails - Most premises will include rails for stairs, but it’s also worth considering including handrails on each wall of your building. This will make it more reassuring for people with mobility-related disabilities, and can help to ensure that the users can always feel safe and confident when moving around the premises. 

Lifts - A lift should be installed if possible if your premises is more than 2 levels as taking the stairs are just not an option for some people. Installing a lift can ensure that full access to the entire building is available to all users.

Textured flooring - Texture flooring provides a grip for wheelchair users. Shiny flooring gives off a nice aesthetic but it is inconvenient for certain users. It poses a significant slipping risk which can become quite dangerous, it is also important to avoid shiny, slippery flooring close to your entrance, due to the risk posed by a wheelchair user entering with wet wheels on rainy weathers.

Wider doorways - Narrow doorways are incredibly problematic for wheelchair users, it can become very difficult to manoeuvre a wheelchair through the doorways. Widening doorways or installing slide open doors can help prevent these problems. It is suggested that doorways should be at least 32” wide from door jamb to door jamb.

Lower counters/desks - In most premises, there will be a counter of some sort. In our case it’ll be a library counter for issuing and returning books. For some users especially wheelchair users, high countertops are extremely inconvenient. My aim is to design a space that it user friendly and easily accessible for everyone.

Designated parking spaces - It is important to include at least on bigger parking space specifically for people with disabilities if your premises includes a parking lot.

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Difference between glass and acrylic glass and how they are made:

Glass:

Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent amorphous solid. It is a natural substance, where the liquid becomes solid without having the usual freezing point. The main ingredient of almost all glass is silicaw. This may be sand, quartz crystals or flint. However, because pure silica turns to molten glass only at 3100 degrees Fahrenheit, it is used exclusively to make special heat resistant glasses. For most glasses, such as stained glasses too, a flux (soda ash), and a stabilizer (limestone), are added to the silica. The mixture is then melted at a lower temperature at about 2700 degrees Fahrenheit. The ingredients gradually decompose as they are heated. This gives off gases forming a bubbling liquid. There are many ways of shaping this liquid. These include: pressing, blowing, drawing, floating, casting and rolling. The possible finals shapes are endless. Most stained glass are made into sheets from a blown bubble of molten glass. The bubble is either molded and split, formed into a cylinder or spun. The final cooling, or annealing, is a crucial part of the manufacture of glass. As a liquid, glass tends to cool rapidly on the outside. This creates tensions, which can easily cause the glass to shatter. The cooling process therefore has to be controlled and gradual.

Acrylic plastic/glass:

Acrylic plastic/glass is a family of plastic materials that contain derivatives of acrylic acid. Acrylic plastic is a strong, highly transparent material that gives it a very wide range of applications. Acrylic plastic is made in powder form with suspension polymerization and in sheets. Liquid is pumped into a mould made from two sheets of glass. The mould is then submerged into warm water. The process of polymerization then takes place. The monomer is then suspended in a solution of water and catalyst is then added. This will cause the polymers to form between the monomer droplets. The acrylic plastic then gets poured into a mold. There are usually two separate procedures based on the thickness of the acrylic plastic sheets. Continuous bulk polymerization is best for sheets that are thinner than 0.06 inches. Batch cell bulk polymerisation is better when the sheets are from 0.06 inches to 6 inches thick. The mixtures are then mixed and contracted.

Difference:

Acrylic weighs less than half that of glass. Acrylics are also a lot more stronger than glass (10-20 times) and thus more resistant to strokes. Acrylics are a better insulator compared to glass. They are used heavily in skylights and doors to coolers. Glass is a lot more scratch resistant. A scratch-resistant coating can be applied onto Acrylic sheets for extra protection, but they are not nearly as scratch-resistant as glass. Light transmission wise, Glass has 90% light transmission, whereas acrylic has 92%.

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Kids playrooms:

I have incorporated 2 kids rooms in my design. One for more practical work and the other for more of a story time use.

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Study areas:

Different designs and layout of the two study areas. One for group study and the other for individual work.

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Contemporary glass tops with variety of textures and finishes:

These types of glass table tops are unique, stylish, durable, and non-porous. They can be designed as a dining room table, coffee table, end table, console table, or office desks. 

Using glass as your table top material has its benefits, such as the fact that all glass are non-porous materials, meaning you don’t have to worry about small spills as long as it is not sinked in for hours at a time. Easy clean up is always a positive.

Glass countertop tables are an important feature. They convey different types of effect and mood during different times of the day. With the natural light flowing during the day time, it will reflect off the coloured glass and the textures will be reflected onto the ground/walls. Whereas during nighttime, it’ll convey a similar effect but from the artificial lights rather than the natural lighting. This creates a different mood to the atmosphere.

This is the type of effect I would like to create in my design for my seating areas where there will be coffee tables. This connects to my ideas of glass designs yet can still create an interesting experience for the users visiting the library.

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Furniture design: 

I designed this curved seating area to either be placed at the back if the library itself or in the study area. The curved shape to it connects to the overall design of my library. This kind of shape and arrangement also provides privacy to the users as it creates a barrier between each seats, allowing the users to feel more comfortable.

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Skylights:

Skylights are often used more in designing a commercial space. This saves energy, lowers costs, and reduces environmental impacts. This would be beneficial for my design as I’m hoping to focus more on allowing natural lighting to pass through the coloured glass, giving a nice coloured shadow through the space. 

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Coloured glass inserts:

This type of glass is suitable if you don't want any visibility, yet still have more light flow into a space. It will allow natural light to shine into the space, without invading your privacy. They are also suitable for separating two spaces without a heavy wall.

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Decorative glass panels:

Decorative glass panels are designed to captivate the imagination and to tantalize the senses, creating a unique and mesmerising effect in a space. This is suitable for my design and the patterns on the glass panels can symbolise something meaningful. In my case, the use of Maori patterns to symbolise the cultural aesthetics of the library. This can be done by using a single panel or a row of multiple panels forming an entire wall, either separating a single pattern I like or creating a sequence of multiple patterns.