Bathing experience presentation notes:
Pepeha:
Ko Pukematekeo te māunga
Ko Waitakere te awa
Nō Tamaki Makaurau ahau
Ko Sara tōku ingoa
My intention for the basement level of the Dadley buildings was to create a place that feels like you’ve entered into a secret oasis in the heart of the city where you are transported away from the hustle and bustle and immersed in a natural environment.
My design emulates a natural rock pool with staggered levels drawing you deeper into the pool allowing space to sit, swim and dive. The main pool is the temperature of the spring it has come from. Within the pool there are two smaller pools which are heated providing more than one option for the bathers experience.
The open exterior wall brings the outside forest into the space creating spaciousness and enhances the concept of nature bathing allowing the bather to experience the outside whilst still being in an indoor bath. The effect this has on your senses also enhances this concept. You can smell the earth, hear the bird song and see the foliage sway in the wind.
The entrance is subtle and unobtrusive creating a satisfying contrast as you enter into the luxe pool space. Creates the feeling that this is a secret sacred place to escape to.
I have implicated the principles of Kotahitanga, Kaitiakitanga and Wairuatanga into my design by heating the pool using solar power installed on the exterior of the building, pumping in water from the Waihorotiu Stream and collecting rainwater from the building to supply the pool and using a natural filtration system of Sphagnum Moss. In the construction of this space everything that can be sourced second hand will be used e.g. recycled wood to build the lockers and refreshments bar, recycled rocks and concrete in the flooring etc.
To the right of the entrance is a refreshments bar that will be stocked with eco friendly refreshments. Any waste that the bar creates will be compostable so can be buried in the forest to feed the plants and biodegrade.
In front of the lockers is a rock formation seating area to rest on when transitioning from the lockers to the pool or vice versa.
I will rely mainly on natural light filtering in through the forest to make the space feel like a natural forest bath.
Everything in the space will be made from natural materials achieving a positive environmental impact and a natural atmosphere making the space a perfect place to escape and relax.
The feedback I got on my presentation was i need to walk the group through my design and be more interactive with my model rather than relying on my notes. I also need a sturdier model so its easy to inspect and pass around and it wont fall apart.
I also found that as I tilted the full model to show the group, the forest slid off the block. We will need to find a way of securing it in place as we present to stop this from happening in the final presentation. Im thinking something along the lines of velcro would do the trick.
I also think I need to speak more to the ideas of my design rather than what can be seen in the model.
Spatial Fabrication 