Self and Design Evaluation

Scope of project

The scope of this project was to design and model a freestanding emergency medical clinic to meet the 2008-2009 school year TSA Architectural Model competition requirements. It entails the students to develop architectural plans, construct a model depicting the plans, and follow up with a portfolio of all information researched or obtained through experience along the way. Developing the architectural plans included choosing a site to build, creating a floor plan, foundation plan, exterior wall section, roof pitch, landscape plan, finished room, window, and door schedule, mathematical and scientific analysis of all materials and concepts used, a cross section, and a 3D view of at least one finished interior room. To get started on all of this work background information on an EMC was researched. A free standing emergency medical clinic is a facility that is open to the public for immediate medical attention if a hospital is not within the area, or if the ailment is not serious. The EMC is not dependant on a hospital or other facility, but is completely self-sufficient. The facility is usually located in a business district along a main road so that it is easily accessible.The EMC is capable of handling small ailments such as strep throat or a sprained ankle, to serious trauma demanding immediate medical attention. With this information our group was able to divide the work and come up with several final solutions to complete all plans. 

Your role

My role in working on this project was to do all of the basic construction of the building. This entailed coming up with a foundation plan, exterior wall section, with all materials for the structure chosen, and a roof pitch. All materials needed to be able to support the building and comply with building codes in the area, which was Asbury Park, New Jersey. My developmental work was researching building materials and procedures for construction, retaining this knowledge and using it to make all the building plans. After this was complete we started building the model. For this I cut the windows and doors out of the model walls, glued all window panes and doors in place, helped build the ambulatory drop off area overhang, and helped with the façade of the model. Because of the 1/8” is 1’ scale of the model showing any building construction would have been close to impossible. Instead I presented a visual using my drawings and just showing overall dimensions with the model. 

Description of solution

The final solution for the construction of the project can be seen on the exterior wall section. Starting with the foundation, a footing is the first step to putting a building up. The footing must be below the frost line which in central New Jersey is about 3 feet. The footing will be 12" tall by 24" wide and 24" long. On top of this cinder blocks will be used as the foundation wall and be built up to ground level. Standard 8" by 8" by 12" cinder blocks will be used. Because the foundation wall is centered on the footing there is enough room to place 4" thick bricks as the facade up to 3 feet on the exterior wall. From there stucco will be used up to the very top of the wall at the parapet. Behind the facade a vapor barrier must be put up and weep holes must be drilled into the wall to ensure moisture cannot expand behind the facade and have the whole face of the building fall off. For the building floor a 4" concrete slab will be laid down on top of 2" rigid insulation, which will also be on top of a vapor barrier, and welded wire mesh, and because the soil in Asbury Park is so sandy and compact it will not need to be supported by built up pea gravel. There will be steel studs with dimensions 2" by 4" by 12" for the interior wall framing. They will also line the top and bottom of the wall so the studs will only be about 9' 8" in height. In between studs Batt insulation will be used to insulate the whole building, and continue through the floor to about 2’ down on the footing. The ceiling is a height of 10' and the ceiling tiles will be placed at this height. About 12" above that the steel truss will begin and continue along the structure at a height of 18". It will be bolted into the concrete block wall on top of a steel or wood plate. Steel decking is then laid down across the whole roof, with 2" rigid insulation on top of that, followed by a vapor barrier and then gravel and tar will be built up. This layering will create the flat roof on the structure. Steel studs and plates, insulation board, and a cant strip will be used to complete the builing and construction of the walls, roof, parapet, and facade. 

Discrepancies between original and final

Only a few minor discrepancies can be seen between the original and final solutions. Most of the problems were with materials unnecessarily used or excluded. Materials unnecessarily used included pea gravel to build up under the concrete slab floor  or the steel “I” beam running along the building to support the roof truss. Another discrepancy was how the original used brick all the way up the building as the facade. The final solution had brick only until a height of 3’, then the remaining height of the building was stucco. Some materials excluded from the original design were a vapor barrier and welded wire mesh for under the slab floor, a vapor barrier in the walls running along the building, weep holes to keep water from getting trapped behind the facade, a steel plate at the top of the foundation wall to bolt the truss on top of, and extra insulation extending to 2’ below ground. In the original wood studs were used for interior wall framing but after a suggestion, they were changed to steel studs. Between the original and final solution only a few small changes were made, otherwise all plans were reviewed and approved.

Successes and failures

Several successes and failures resulted from this project. I believe the overall design was a success, including all plans that had to be drawn up for construction, but also the building as a whole. The final solution turned out as expected, with the exception of minor details. Correct materials, measurements, and procedures were used after much research was conducted and knowledge about construction was gained. It was also important that I comply with Asbury Park building codes and TSA Architectural Model requirements. I followed both guidelines and did not run into any problems with either. 

I think the failures of this project were somewhat complicated. The failures had more to do with the steps of completing the project than the actual work produced. Teamwork was a huge issue because there was little discussion other than what was the minimum and we could not agree on many things. Another problem was communication between the group and the teachers. Several times we were told one thing, did it, then told something completely different. It seemed as though the expectations were changed many times and this began to get confusing. A small failure was how certain materials were excluded from the plans, but they happened to be minor problems, easily fixed. Time management tended to pose a problem during this project. There was much work to get done, and I often fell behind schedule. Of course with anything there is successes and failures, but from both much knowledge can be gained.

Knowledge gained from failures

One thing I learned from my failures, that I feel is extremely important, is to establish good communication skills between anyone you may be working with. By being able to talk about and agree on things, it mitigates the chances of future problems with the project. Researching the information properly and obtaining all knowledge before beginning work is another step towards success. The small problem with the plans missing materials could have been avoided by looking more carefully at the construction materials and plans of building a structure. Also with the time management, from now on when I have a schedule I will always stick to it. Managing my time was a key to my success last marking period. This project would have been much easier had that been the case for the whole year. Something will always be gained from your failures whether it is knowledge that can be used for a specific instance or knowledge that can be used to solve many problems.

Additional learning

Starting this project proved to be very difficult because of the lack of experience with anything related to architecture. Because I consider myself to be creative, coming up with design solutions was not hard to do. Parts of the project dealing with construction were where I really needed to research. I have not previously worked on any construction project so I was literally starting from basics. Once I looked into building development it became easier to understand the concept of construction and choosing the right materials. When my understanding for this subject broadened, I was able to successfully complete the construction drawings, including the foundation plan, exterior wall section, cross section, and roof pitch. This also included any design or construction procedures I would be using to present the information I used for the project. Before any research about architecture or construction, I was unaware of the amount of work involved in designing and building a structure, especially an EMC. This project also sharpened my computer drawing program skills, such as CAD and Google sketch up.

I was also unfamiliar with the exact need for an emergency medical clinic. Through researching for background information I learned of what importance it can be in a community, why it is usually used, who can access it, when it is open for business, where it is located, and how it is considered freestanding. It was important to obtain this knowledge before continuing with any type of brainstorming or alternate solutions. Many different things were learned by working on this project because of the many different aspects to look into. 

Design flaws/ Suggestions for improvement

Several flaws existed in this design. When the drawings were reviewed a few things were noted about the materials. Some were used unnecessarily, while others were needed and not used at all. After looking at the cross section, it is clear that it was not detailed enough. As far as my part of the model, there was one instance when the measurements were off for the walls but that was quickly fixed, and can be avoided in the future by paying more attention to measuring and cutting model materials. Since these are really the only flaws in the whole design and modeling process, the only improvements that might be suggested are to research more carefully for materials, include more developmental work for construction and plans, and use knowledge gained to improve and display the final solution a little better. 

How project helped improve:

Problem solving skills

This project taught me how to start from the beginning and work my way through to the finished product, making sure I hit every step of the way. I was able to learn the basics first and apply what I learned to the more complicated parts of the project. 

Communication skills

This project taught me that teamwork is very important when working on a group project. As a group, we needed to communicate to come up with several solutions. Together we used logistics to choose the best solution as our final solution to start designing and planning the finished product. The drawings also had to be able to communicate with the audience observing them. The labels and renderings had to be clear and represent only what was being used.

Another important aspect of communication with this project is the presentations. Each marking period the presentations are critical. They teach us, as students, to keep things on task and brief. This means including all necessary and important information, while talking about only what is asked of you.  On the contrary, a formal written document explaining the work must have every little detail included. This type of document is elaborate and concise. These communication skills are so vital that they are possibly used for the rest of our lives.

Organizational skills

Organization was key in working on this project. The weblog keeps all information organized and up-to-date. In order to succeed with this project you had to be able to be consistent, logical, keep things together, and keep all work in order. When you are organized, time management is easier. 

Conclusion

After testing was performed the project is basically complete. From this project I learned an enormous amount of new things about architecture, construction, research, emergency medical clinics, computer drawing programs, and building codes and inspections. I was also able to improve my problem solving, communication, and organization skills which I know will be useful for many projects or situations in the future.