Paying It Forward With Agathians Sheter Report

7/28/2019 Paying It Forward With Agathians Sheter Report

1/32

ESD Project 2 Paying it forward

GREEN

CANOPY

DESIGN

CHANGE

Ang Weddy 0312728Chong Kah Weng 0312617David Koo Mei Da 0311181Eleanor Ng Cui Shan 0302936Eunice Quah Xuet-Wyne 0302968Nikki Wong Tyan Mun 0303281Oh Keng Yee 0312501Tan Woan Tyng 0312725Wong Ai Ling 0303742


2/32

2

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 3-61.1 Project .................................................................................................... 31.2 Community ............................................................................................ 41.3 Environment ....................................................................................... 5-6

2. DESIGN .................................................................................................. 7-202.1Progress ............................................................................................... 7-8

2.2 Concept ................................................................................................ 9-12 2.3 Materials ....................................................................................... 13-15 2.4 Costing ................................................................................................ 16 2.5 Schedule ............................................................................................. 17

2.6 Environmental Impact& Sustainability ............ ............. ............ ........... 18-20

3. INSTALLATION ............. ............ ............ ............. ............. ............ ......... 21-293.1 Trial. ................................................................................................... 21

3.2Installation Part I ................................................................................. 21-24 3.3 Installation Part II ................................................................................ 25-26 3.4 Transplant ............. ............. ............ ............. ............ ............ ............. ... 27-28

3.5 Problems ........... ............. ............ ............. ............. ............ ............ ...... 29

4. CONCLUSION ............ ............. ............ ............. ............. ............ ........... 30-31

5. REFERENCES .......................................................................................... 32


3/32

3

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1 PROJECT

Architecture is the art or practice of designing and constructingbuildings. In this particular subject and assignment, environmental

sustainable design , us students had the chance to put our skills and

creativity to use and to improve the lives of the less fortunate. We are all

about to find out that architecture is much more than providing a shelter to

people, it is much more than that. We were rather enthusiastic about this

assignment as we have the opportunity to work with the community, for the

community. In order to do so, we picked an orphanage, the Agathian s

Shelter and surveyed the site for flaws and things they may lack. To test

ourselves on our knowledge of sustainable architecture, we were only

allowed to use recyclable or environmental friendly materials and even so,

it had to minimal. Quoted by Mies Van Der Rohe Less is more. While,

the change may not be drastic, the benefits and improvement will be

obvious. We have a mission, and that is to improve the lives of the little

children with a little creativity and attention to their wants and needs.


4/32

4

1.2 COMMUNITY

Fig.1. Agathians shelter signage Fig.2. Children at the orphanage

Address : No.22, Jalan Kelah 8/6, Seksyen 8, Petaling Jaya 46050Selangor

Person-in-charge : Mr. Sivabalan

The non-profit body we chose was Agathians shelter , an orphanage.It

currently houses 42 boys ranging from 4 years old to 20 years old. Their

main purpose was to provide a Home for these children and to take care

of their basic needs. These children are from different backgrounds,

namely: poverty, single mothers, abused, broken families, and street

children, thus they are very much lacking of love. The person in-charge,

Mr. Siva expresses that the shelter now still requires help financially or

provisions-wise.


5/32

5

1.3 ENVIRONMENT

Fig. 3. Location of the shelter

Agathians Shelter is located right beside a traffic-packed highway. Due

to its location, the shelter becomes extremely hot during the afternoon.

Dust from the highway also pollutes the environment. The shelter is

mainly concrete and there is barely any greenery on site. The site we

chose for our installation is the play area. The play area is facing the

highway directly and it does not have a roof for shelter.


6/32

6

Fig. 4 Floor plan of the shelter

Fig.5. View of play area Fig.6 View of vents from V

H

vents


7/32

7

2. DESIGN

2.1 PROGRESS

1 st Idea

Proposal:Initially, we intended to build a green house where the children

would be able to cultivate their own vegetables. The green house would

provide greenery to the space and involve the children at the same time.

Reason for change: However, Mr. Siva rejected this idea, as the younger boys

would pluck the plants instead of cultivating them.

2nd Idea

Proposal: As a response to the shade problem,

we proposed to build a bamboo pavilion (ref.

to fig. 7.) with creepers at the corner of the play

area. We wanted to make use of the corner

space so that it does not affect the children s

activities. At the same time, the canopy would

serve as mini seating area for the other children when they play.

Fig. 7. Bamboo pavilion

Reason for change: The coverage for the pavilion is too small as it only

covers a small area. Use of bamboo is too expensive.

3 rd idea

Proposal: We opted to build a canopy shading the play area by using fishinglines as an economical alternative. The fishing lines will act as the skeletal

structure for the creepers. The lines will be tied to the pole and existing

railings for support.

Reason for change: Drilling the pole into the concrete floor would be too

expensive.


8/32

8

Fig.8. Initial plans for canopy

4 th Idea (FINAL)

Proposal: The basis for the 4 th design is the same as the third. However, we

omitted the pole and only made used of the existing railings instead. We also

increased more fishing lines for more coverage.


9/32

9

2.2CONCEPT

The main concept behind the whole design is the modular form of a

triangle . This is because we have identified that the three main reasons why

the kids become a part of the shelter. These different children s backgrounds

are the basis, which forms the Agathians Shelter. We believe that the strength

of the triangle is strong enough to withstand any kind of harm that comes to it,

very much like the community form in Agathians Shelter. With the triangular

form as well, we would like to expose the kids to the nurturing and kind people

out there who are always willing to lend a helping hand and that not all hope is

lost.

o Basic shape

Basic necessities, basic requirement, basic form of life

o 3 on-site supporting systems that the fishing lines can be

attached to for the canopy

Hand rail at the car park

Barrier at the entranceVentilation hole from the library wall

Family ProblemsAbandoned / Neglected

Orphans

AgathiansShelter


10/32

1

0

Reasons for Building Canopy and Planting Creeping Plants

The main reason why we decided to build a green canopy for theshelter is due to the scorching sun that the area receives during the daytime

especially the afternoon and evenings. The area selected for the installation

is also where the children of the shelter play occasionally have self-defense

and break-dancing classes. The canopy will act as a barrier to reduce the

amount of sunlight penetrating to the children s activities ground.

Another reason why we decided on the canopy was due to the amountof dust that the shelter accumulates everyday as a result of it being situated

beside the Federal Highway. We believe that by planting greenery on the

canopy we can somehow improve the air quality of the shelter if not

significantly at least a little. We also want to break the concrete jungle that is

the current Agathians Shelter, as most of the building material present there is

only concrete. We believe there by adding greenery we will improve the whole

outlook of the shelter and provide a greener and healthier environment for

the kids.

As the builders of tomorrow, we believe in educating the younger

generation about the importance of incorporating nature within a built

environment. We hope to have passed this message to the kids of the shelter

that although we a moving very fast towards a very developed country, we

should not neglect the vitality of greenery and try to incorporate and maintain

as much as we can for a healthier environment.


11/32

1

1

Fig. 9. Fishing line connection to vertical bar (V), horizontal bar (H) and vents.

V

H


12/32

1

2

Fig. 10. Plan of canopyvents


13/32

1

3

2.3 MATERIALS

Material Description

Fishing lines (150lbs,200lbs)

Made of nylon, polyvinylidene fluoride

(PVShading DF or fluorocarbon),

polyethylene, Dacron, Dyneema

(UHMWPE)

Monofilament

Single strand

Weightless

Ability to stretch under load

Refractive index, less visible under

certain angle

Clearer sight for others to

visit and observe the

activities of the children

High specific heat capacity

Hard to deform plastically

Poor heat conductor evenunder hot and scorchingsun

Aluminum Sleeve Used to fasten the fishing lines.


14/32

1

4

Wire meshUsed to cover the ventilation holes

Twist tie Used to secure creepers to fishing line

Flower pots Used for plant transplant

Rectangular shape saves space and

maximizes area for growth.


15/32

1

5

Morning glory

Flowering plant

Soft

Durable

Require strong sunlight

Ivy Evergreen

Easy maintenance

Aggressive spread


16/32

1

6

2.4 COSTING

Material PricePlants (1 s purchase)

- 3 pots of morning glory- 1 packet of fertilizer - 1 packet of red soil- 1 packet of black soil

RM 61.00RM 18.00 eachRM 4.00RM 1.50RM 1.50

Hardware- Zinc Washer - 6 ft PVC Pipe

RM 7.70RM 1.70RM 1.00 per ft

Main Component- 10 * 150 lbs Fishing Line - 10 * 200 lbs Fishing Line - 3 * Fasteners

RM 73.00RM 3.00 per packRM 3.30 per packRM 10 for 3 packs

Plants (2 n purchase)- 1 pot of morning glory- 2 pots of ivy- 3 long pots- 2 packets of soil

RM 97.00RM 12.00RM 20.00RM 45.00RM 20.00

TOTAL RM 248.70


17/32

1

7

2.5 SCHEDULE


18/32

1

8

2.6 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT & SUSTAINABILTY

Fig. 11 Embodied energy of materials

The overall embodied energy of our materials (plastic, aluminum) is comparatively lower thanour previous proposals (steel, timber).

Fig. 12. Life cycle of plastic


19/32

1

9

Previous FinalBeam

- Expensive for supporting elementssuch as steel beams

Bamboo- Hard to find in West

Malaysia, or need tobe imported fromEast Malaysia, or other countries

Concrete Filling-

Easy to handle inliquid form, but hardto mold after itsolidified

Materials Fishing Line- Easy to obtain

from local shops- Easy to handle

Aluminum Sleeves- Fasten all types

of fishing line

Expensive- Formwork needed

for concrete filling- Bamboo to be

imported from other places

- Raw materials for the manufacture of steel beams

Costing Cheap- Low cost for the

manufacture of fishing lines

- Only twoaluminum pipes

are needed tofasten eachsingle fishingline

Beam- High- Raw materials

Bamboo- Low- No additional works

are needed

Embodied Energy Fishing Line- Medium- Type of

polyamide

Long Period- Beam does not

corrode or rustunder high humidity

- Strength of concretewont be affected bysurroundingchanges

Life Cycle Short Period- Nylon fishing

line might brittleunder prolongedsun exposure


20/32

2

0

Nylon fishing lines are recyclable, thus making them a sustainable choice of material.Table 2: Comparison of materials

Although the previous proposal lasts longer than the final proposal, he

final proposal is much sustainable in a sense that its cheaper , does not alter

the current site,requires less manpower and time , and has a larger

impact on the community.

Greater - Hole is dug for the

beam installation- Additional

formworks areneeded for theconcrete filling of beam into theground

Man Power Less- Less tools are

needed for installation

Made of non recyclablematerials

Recyclable Made of recyclablematerials

- AluminumSleeve

9 m 2 Coverage Area 60 m 2

Yes- Bamboos are heavy

and have low center of gravity and havethe tendency to falldown despite of

strong supportingsystem

Affects to Site No- Fishing lines are

light enoughthus their weightof the fishinglines are

considerednegligible

Yes- Extra beam has to

be added to theground

Alteration to Current Site No- Fishing lines are

fastened againstthe existingstructures


21/32

2

1

3. INSTALLATION

3.1 TRIAL INSTALLATION

The trail was aimed to test the strength of the material selected, which

was the fishing line. Then we were worried that the extreme weather would

weaken the integrity of the material. We also tried out methods to get the

fishing lines across from one point to another. The trail was also aimed at

proving our calculations to get a maximum coverage area for the canopy.


22/32

2

2

3.2 INSTALLATION PART I (Skeletal Structure)

During the first part of the installation, we installed the fishing line (notcomplete) and placed some of the plants.

Tools:

Fishing linesAluminum SleevePenknifeScissorsPendulum

Step 1: Label the both railings andventilation holes.

Step 2: Peel of the mesh at theventilation holes.

Step 4: Throw the fishing line out of ventilation hole A.

Step 3: Tie the keys to the fishingline


23/32

2

3

Step 6: Throw the fishing linefrom below to the vertical area.

Step 5: Grab the fishing linethrown from above.

Step 7: Tie the fishing line to V58 . Step 8: Throw the same fishingline down again.

Step 9: Throw the fishing up to thehorizontal area.

Step 10: Tie the fishing line at H43with timber tying knot.


24/32

2

4

Step 10: Repeat step 3-5, exceptthe fishing line is thrown directly toH1. The fishing line is securedwith sleeve

Step 11: Tie the fishing line towindow rail and fixed in place with

Step12: Repeat step 3 to 11(refer to fig.9 and 10)

Step13: Place the plants onto canopyand secure with cable tie.


25/32

2

5

3.3 INSTALLATION PART II

For part II of the installation, we finished tying the remaining lines and clear the site of debris.

Tools:ShovelWire meshFishing lines Fishing linesAluminum SleevePenknifeScissorsPendulum

Step 1: Cut the wire mesh Step 2: Nail the wire mesh to the wall

Step 3: Clear out the site


26/32

2

6

Step 4: Untangle the plants. End result


27/32

2

7

3.4 TRANSPLANT

We bought more plants (Ivy) and transplanted them into the rectangular potsso that they have more space for growth.

Tools & Materials

PotsShovelSoil

Step 1: Remove the plant from the pot Step 2: Loosen out the plants

Step 3: Pour the soil into the pot Step 4: Transplant the stalks .


28/32

2

8

Step 5: Curl the plants onto the railing Step 6: Water the plants

Step 7: Sweep the soil residue End result


29/32

2

9

3.5 PROBLEMS:

Problem: Lack of fishing lineDuring our official installation, we ran out of the 200lbs fishing line due to

miscalculation. The shop where we purchased it from did not have enough of the 200lbs as well.

Solution: We had to use both fishing lines of 200lbs and 150lbs.

Problem: Lack of weightWe were lacking of a weight to be tied to the fishing line, which was to bethrown down.

Solution: We opt to use our group member s keys as the weights temporarily.Later in the afternoon, we bought pendulum.

Problem: Time constraintWe were not able finish the whole installation in a day, as we can t tie theremaining lines at night

Solution: We came back one week later to finish the whole structure.

Problem: Withering plants

The plants were withering as the children accidentally stepped on them theother day.Solution: Pluck the withered stems and untangle them so that there is morespace for growth. We also bought 2 extra pots of Ivy which are more durable.

Problem: Lack of suitable soilThe soil outside the shelter consist of gravel, sand and rocks which is notfertile for growth

Solution: Buy a long horizontal pot and transplant the plants into it.


30/32

3

0

4 . CONCLUSION

At the end of this project,

it is found that we had

not only made the site a

better place but all of us

had genuine fun and had

a few priceless moments

with the children. In

terms of education, we

learnt to address current environmental issues and ways to solve it, while

doing it as a team. While doing so, we also had the chance to interact with the

children and as they warmed up to us, they started showing interest in our

little project and opted to help. Even though most of them ended up distracting

us from doing work, it was all part of the fun and what made everything more

heartwarming. Kids will be kids and they are just curious beings. Some of

them even followed our footsteps and started gardening on their own after

seeing us do the same, as part of our project. Unintentionally, we had instilled

green awareness among the children. Other than teaching ourselves and

giving them a green canopy, we also gave them some knowledge. That

shows how involved we were in the project and children, as they are involved

with ours. It showed that as an architect, we had to be very involved to

understand the needs of our clients. All of us gained something in a way and it

was an eye-opening experience. When the project was done, the kids started

to truly understand what we had in store for them and they were thankful.Which really enlightened us on the actual role and responsibility as an

architect towards the community, it was truly rewarding to see our clients

satisfied.


31/32

3

1

BEFORE

AFTER

SIMULATION (1 year later)


32/32

3

2

5. REFERENCES

Albert D. Taylor. (2001). The Complete Garden: List Of Plants Adapted For Transplanting At Specific Seasons Of The Year. Murdoch Books.

Inotherm. (2013). Embodied Energy . [online]. Available athttp://www.recovery-insulation.co.uk/embodied-energy/ (Accessed 25June 2013).

H,Anne. (1996). Morning Glories and Moonflowers: A Guide to Climbing,Trailing, and Cascading Plants. Simon & Schuster.

Peter,Q.Rose. (1996). The Gardener's Guide to Growing Ivies. Timber Press.
http://www.recovery-insulation.co.uk/embodied-energy/http://www.recovery-insulation.co.uk/embodied-energy/http://www.recovery-insulation.co.uk/embodied-energy/

Documents

Paying It Forward With Agathians Sheter Report