The Design Brief stage

The Design Brief is necessary when the client is not clear what the brief should be. This is not as extraordinary as it sounds; often clients are aware that new space needs to be provided or existing space rearranged but the problem may be so complex, and the number of people that need to be consulted so large, that the client is not in a position to analyse this.

This is an area where the designer can provide a service in space planning (sometimes called 'interior architecture') which clients are often unaware exists. This helps the client to determine his/her needs in detail and to set the parameters for the whole project that may follow.

This can be a relatively simple exercise, e.g. examining how an existing building can be adapted to a new use, or a complex process, consulting exhaustively with the client's key staff, utilising adjacency theory to provide a detailed analysis of the client's requirements, developing this into planning diagrams from which floor plans can be developed.

All About Detail Architecture

With all advances in technology, as architects, we all still rely strongly on our ability to sketch. Therefore the most traditional tool of them all is the architect's pencil.
 

Traditional detailing and the contemporary use or adaptation today are still as important as they were in yesteryear. With all buildings, their success or failure often comes down to the smallest details. It is incredibly difficult to describe these in words alone, therefore we fall on our skill of drawing to convey this. These detail, however small, are extremely important to the outcome of every project.

Local Architectural Character, including Prevalent Forms and Materials

The traditional Balinese house is usually a compound housing two or three generations of the same family in a village grouping called a banjar. Each compound is a microcosm of the universe with realms for the gods, man, and the impure spirits. Balinese homes are not architect designed, rather villagers build their own homes, or a community will pool their resources for a structure built under the direction of a master builder and/or a carpenter. The norm is a post and beam structural system with either wood or bamboo non-load bearing infill panels. Traditionally, rather than nails, mortis and tenon joints and wooden pegs are used. The roofs are a thatch material that can be made of coconut or sugar palm leaves, alang alang grass or rice straw.

Evolution of Design Concepts

The Green School creates a sustainable campus straddling both sides of the Ayung River in Sibang Kaja, Bali. The campus is situated in a lush jungle with native plants and trees along with sustainable organic gardens. The campus is powered by a number of alternative energy sources including bamboo sawdust hot water and cooking system and a hydro-powered vortex generator and solar panels. Campus buildings include: classrooms, gym, assembly spaces, classrooms, faculty housing, offices, cafes, and bathrooms. On the Green School campus are a range of inspiring architecturally significant spaces from large multi-storey communal spaces to much smaller classroom spaces. Bamboo is a local sustainable material used in innovative and experimental ways demonstrating its architectural possibilities. The result is a holistic green community with a strong educational mandate that seeks to inspire students to be more curious, more engaged and more passionate about our environment and our planet.

‘We are building Green School to create a new paradigm for learning. We want children to
cultivate physical sensibilities that will enable them to adapt and be capable in the world. We
want children to develop spiritual awareness and emotional intuition, and to encourage them
to be in awe of life's possibilities.’ (John and Cynthia Hardy)