Makeshift Shelter Experience

On January 20, 2010 students in Suzanne Cabrera and Stephanie Brooker’s IAR 202-01 studio course were issued their first assignment. “Makeshift shelter” was the title of the project. Students in groups of four and five had to create a shelter out of found objects. There were five groups total. Every group was assigned a specific room theme. Ours was to be constructed as a study. The combined installations, would to create a makeshift community including a sleeping, study, socializing, snacking, and sketching room. One goal was to have students really understand the process of designing as a group. Everyone considered all the parameters they had to meet, processed the ways in which they could be achieved, then designed by physically constructing the installation. In addition, because of the recent earthquake in Haiti, students strived to create an awareness of similar community dwellings. This project enabled every student to have key learning experiences of self, others, change, timing, and design techniques.

My group was given the objective to build a “makeshift study”. All group members contributed stronger in some areas than others. When it was time to focus on the limited five materials, I rummaged for cardboard, plastic sheeting, fabric, paper, and some type of structural supports. Ultimately, I found plenty of everything. The most helpful item was a collection of pvc angle strips, which were used as columns and beams. I worked on the fabrication and construction of the interior and exterior of the shelter. I was the first to snap photos. As a result, I became the official photographer. I put in long hours to finish interior decorative items and the final assembling of the exterior elements.

Tracey ignited the idea of creating a more organic structure, which led to the final overall shape and form of the interior, its objects, and the exterior. Ino got his hands dirty, initially collecting materials, then helping to fabricate the exterior, while also working on the floor plans. Kalani brained stormed on ideas for the desktop, helped with exterior and final construction, and created a beautiful storyboard. Most members jumped in and took leadership over certain parts of the project.
The most difficult situation we encountered was the change in the project parameters. Initially, we were told the shelter could be built from any found objects. However, on the next day of class, the instructors limited us to five materials. The days before this, we had already collected various materials that inspired us. The restrictions made us focus on what items we could find the most of, that gave us various capabilities to design with, and that maintained structural integrity. We found such attributes with cardboard, paper, plastic sheeting, fabric, and pvc beams. This same situation was problematic with our binders. As a result, because of the items we had the most of, we narrowed those down to screws and tape.

The last limitation was on the size. We should have asked about this early on, especially our group. We had already developed so many ideas around a particular shape, but it did not fit within those size parameters. All the other spaces allotted were primarily square, while ours needed to be rectangular. Though at the time it seemed limiting, in the end, it was one of the best suggestions we were given. This change sparked our imaginations for a shelter which was more “outside of the box”. We developed shapes and exterior forms that seemed more inviting to the occupant. Everyone settled on an organic undulating exterior shape. All of what we initially considered road blocks, contributed to our creative ways of construction, making our presentations more unified and imaginative. I believe this was to our greatest benefit.
The sketchbooks and modeling were ideal for visualizing the final project.

Each group member was able to get their points across by documenting their thoughts on paper. When explanation wasn’t enough, we turned to our sketchbooks to draw out our thoughts so others could comprehend them. The book also allowed us to make sure everyone was on the same page regarding the design of the overall project and what it should convey. There were times when even though we all agreed on using organic shapes, once someone’s idea was drawn, it did not reflect that concept. The sketchbook made it easy to troubleshoot any problems before they occurred. The model was extra important. The modeling process helped some members understand how the final structure would successfully be built. The sketchbook and model were key tools in the development and execution of our ideas and final installation.

Overall, I feel that I and my group members obtained key learning experiences of self, others, change, timing, and design techniques. Some of these seemed like roadblocks. However, what we took away was that they were all important factors of fully developing our ideas. Our experiences, design, and problem solving skills were, all enhanced by the tools and restrictions of the project. Based on all the knowledge we’ve obtained, if we had to do it all over again, it would only be more dynamic.