children's museum thesis research

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

DESIGN MANUALCOREEN BECIA ARCH 510 . Fall 2011

EXPLORATION readings/writings . abstract . installation

DEFINITION program precedents . material precedents

ANALYSIS site conditions . program analysis

OPERATIONPERCEPTION

DESIGN program brownsheet . project timeline

SUMMARY project goals . competition . overview

TABLE OF CONTENTS


DISCUSSING ISSUES

Modernity In my graduate thesis project, a chil-

dren’s center or museum, an emphasis on ‘learning through doing’ seems relevant. Children often see and understand the world through the senses; they want to touch an ob-ject, put it in their mouth, see the contrasting color, or hear directly the sound it is making. Investigating the implementation of diff erent moral techniques such as description through color or the breakdown and structure of textures, as each relates to diff ering emotions, comfort levels, or learning and excitement, could allow for a further layering of informa-tion. For example, an exhibit could use color to convey diff erent emotions for visitors to decode. These things could be abstracted in a similar way that Modern art abstracts con-cepts or events, leaving learning and personal interpretation open-ended. Adding these moral techniques within both the process and fi nal product of design would add facets of

information to help a concept grow and gain complexity.

TimeToday, evidence is coming out linking

the speed of instant gratifi cation to changing learning habits in today’s young adults and children. They are becoming accustomed to seeing vast amounts of information at one time, all of which are just glimpses into a variety of subjects rather than valuable com-prehensive studies. When you remove the technologies that enable this pace to occur, young people and others often feel lost and disconnected to their peers, unable to reach themsuperfi cially at every second. Research can be done to discover new ways of teach-ing and learning that both acknowledge this instant-gratifi cation method of processing information and explore avenues of adapting it in ways that allow children to better fi lter through the fl uff and discover the critical con-cepts worth retaining. For example, one could

“If you really want to under-stand a culture, don’t look to the things people argue about but, instead, try to understand the things they take for granted”

-Prof. Lawrence LessigMassiive Change ; p. 70

look into ways that environments providing a high degree of stimulation to the senses aff ect learning, or diff erent methods of learning and teaching that become more eff ective within these environments. This accelerated pace of society is changing the way humans interact and live; our environments, especially those catering to the youngest, most impressionable generations, must adapt to these changes in order to continue to provide healthy and productive habitats for learning and social interaction.

Space Programs like a children’s museum

are given a prime opportunity to experiment with ways in which an environment aff ects or engages its younger populations. Kids are often very interested and intrigued by ele-ments of our built environment that an adult pays little or no attention to. This may stem from a child’s constant process of scaling down environments that were built according to the proportions of adults much larger than themselves. This diff erence in perception has been felt by anyone who has visited a room as a child, thinking it was infi nite, only to return to a small, unremarkable space when they are much older. Or vice versa, the cramped closet under the stairs at one point felt cozy and comfortable, providing a “secret” hideaway that was just the right size. Engagement of environments encourages various means of social and intellectual learning that can be key to human development, but with current technologies, children can choose to engage in virtual environments instead, consequently

missing many of the interactive benefi ts. A children’s museum should seek out ways to recapture individuals’ attention to their surroundings. This could be done in a variety of ways. Maybe the material quality of the fl oor changes from something hard like concrete into something pliable, like soft rub-ber, causing one’s weight to shift. Or the light-ing in a hallway could brighten or dim as a person walked through it, allowing further in-teraction and attention. Scales of doorframes or openings could be made larger or smaller to accentuate the transition from room to room. By implementing these strategies to highlight unique qualities in our surroundings, the museum could make a conscious state-ment that living in one’s present surroundings still remains relevant and benefi cial.

Form & Content A 2006 Dutch Coca-Cola ad displays various strategies for visual language that cor-relate very well with my graduate thesis proj-ect. The visual language of a Children’s Mu-seum could also be conveyed by picking an object or process, like the vending machine, that is in reality very simple, and abstract it, giving a whimsical explanation for the way it works. For example, I could display a camera, or a microwave, (two objects whose processes can be explained easily through fact), and depict their processes of capturing an image or cooking food in a manner less factual, but maybe equally plausible in a child’s mind. I have heard the saying that a child comes up with one thousand solutions for every prob-lem, while an adult only thinks of one. To a

child, the camera could capture an image through the use of mirrors, light, and fi lm, or a small character could be painting the picture you see through the lens onto a tiny canvas. Whether through fi lm, pictures, or a physi-cal modeled piece, these ideas of whimsical processes, imagination, and creativity could be conveyed through visual manipulation of everyday objects. By taking advantage of adults’ tendencies to be inattentive to simple mechanical processes, I can display to them a more imaginative way of explaining the world around them, unlocking that childhood cre-ativity.

Massive ChangeA parallel can be drawn between the

restrictions placed on innovation by copyright laws, and the restrictions placed on creativ-ity by societal perceptions. For example, the inventor of a cup may have intended it to be used as a temporary receptacle for holding a drink, yet maybe the form is also suitable for use as a planter or a hat. Alas, no; our society states that a cup is for drinking. Slowly but surely children learn to dispose of alterna-tive, creative ideas for objects in favor of that object’s original intended use. That creative knack for innovation found ever-present in young peoples’ minds becomes stifl ed to a point where it becomes diffi cult to access. By taking everyday objects and Wplacing them in alternative use settings, people may once again realize that a cup could be more than a drink holder. Individuals may relive the libera-tion of childhood creativity, revealing its im-portance in our living and learning processes.


WHAT IS A CUP?

The exploration through this installa-tion was intended to inform potential issues and design intentions pertinent to the cre-ation of a Children’s Museum. By looking into the way children perceive and interact with the world, learning environments can adapt to better fi t their developing needs. Addition-ally, interviews conducted with two University of Idaho professors of Psychology with back-grounds in Early Childhood Development,

Jaime Nekich and Benjamin Barton, helped provide insight and information regarding young children’s brains, how they learn, and why they play pretend. As humans grow, they experience a change in perceptions of space as a result of increased learning, cognition, and experi-ence. Often, this change results in a shift from the whimsical, imaginative world common to many children’s brains into a more rational and linear view. An open-minded approach to problem solving is often natural for children because they lack complex cognitive, prob-lem-solving skills as well as life experiences. As a result, children will often apply a trial and er-ror, concrete method to fi gure out a solution; if you don’t know if something works or how it works, try it out. In this way, many potential “solutions” are explored for any given prob-lem, even if the majority do not end up being successful. Therefore, a child may eventually fi nd out the intended use of an object through instruction or trail-and-error, but may fi rst use

“ An open-minded approach to problem solving is often natural for children because they lack complex cognitive, problem-solving skills as well as life experiences. . .”

-Prof. Jaime Nekich

that object for a variety of other things in the process. My installation will attempt to convey these diff erences in perception by overlaying a fanciful lens upon one every day, banal ob-ject: a plastic cup. Various images will depict this cup performing a variety of tasks other than its predominant one as a drinking device. These images will thereby create a visual inter-pretation of potential results of the trial and error process used to understand a cup. Thus, observers of the gallery can see that even the everyday objects in our world may be viewed in a plethora of ways, inciting creative solu-tions to the problems we face, and reinforcing the idea that creativity may be learned and explored at any age, you just have to work at it.


PRECEDENTSBahrain Children’s Museum

These graphics illustrate plans for the future Bahrain Children’s Museum. Like many Children’s Museums, the plan is organized around a central orientation zone, located at the front entry of the building, that links exhibit spaces, multi-purpose rooms, and central circulation paths for public visitors. The building’s facade was developed through experimentation with folding and cutting pa-per chain crafts, which are common childhood activities. Implementation of natural lighting within the building’s interior allows for a more open atmosphere that connects to the exte-rior context. Color is used to further facilitate wayfi nding and organization of museum spaces, and a predominately white facade is used to represent both the purity of a child-hood mind, and an idea of a “blank slate” to inscribe new ideas upon.

ORIENTATION SPACE

EXTERIOR VIEW


PRECEDENTSExploratorium; San Fran, CA

The Exploratorium is located in San Francisco, California. It is one of the oldest children’s museums in existence, and is well-known for developing a hands-on learning approach. This museum also has a central ori-entation space that functions dually as a wide circulation avenue. This orientation space also bleeds into the exhibit spaces that make up the majority of the fl oorplan. Additionally, the Exploratorium has an in-house exhibit construction and testing area where exhibits are designed and repaired. This element of the program was unique to the Exploratorium when fi rst built, but recently other Children’s Museums have been adding exhibit design spaces to their programs.

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

The Exploratorium is housed in a former warehouse, allowing for a large, open fl oorplan that is split into structural bays. Large skylights allow for natural lighting into the exhibit spaces, but dark interior fi nishes and a lack of other windows make it neces-sary for artifi cial lighting to remain on at all times. Additionally, when inside the museum, the fl ow of exhibits feels somewhat unorga-nized. There is little eff ort to defi ne spaces based on the category of exhibits one is ex-periencing and therefore hard to connect the knowledge learned from one exhibit to the next. Also, there are few spaces for parents to sit and observe children from a distance while the kids play, making the museum experience potentially exhausting.

CAFE SKYLIGHTS EXHIBIT WORKSHOP

ORIENTAITON SPACE


PRECEDENTSMateriality & Wayfinding

The idea of reusing materials relates well the the design of this Children’s Museum, tying in concepts originally developed within the art installation at the start of the semes-ter. By re-using objects like recycled wood, washing mashing doors, and books, whimsi-cal environments may be created our of these materials that expand our defi nitions of what these things can represent, as well as promote sustainable building practices. Interactive fa-cades can also be used to encourage learning and participation among visitors.

INTERACTIVE FACADE

MATERIAL PRECEDENTS

WAYFINDING Additionally, wayfi nding through sym-bols and color remains key to the design of a children’s museum as much of the clientel is unable to read.


SITE CONDITIONS

Boise, IDSUMMER

SUN

WINTER

SUN

NCURCULATION SUN

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61

45

62

64

63

70

69

6867

5120

42

3

34

49

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24

33

55

21

30

45 1

46

36

52

35

5

38

5611

719

16

53

50 9

18

15

1213

32

22

17

6

57

14

44

10

8

41

40

39

43

31

59

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58

INJECTION WELL

INJECTION WELL

PRODUCTION WELL

9TH

5TH

8TH

FRONT

15TH

MAIN

IDAHO

STATE

11TH

3RD

MYRTLE

JEFFERSON

RIVER OL

4TH

GROVE

BROAD

1ST

ELM

RE

PARK

7TH

HO

KRALL

GRAND

LOGAN

STRA

UG

HA

N

MILLER17TH

FAIRVIEW

MCKINL

COLLINS

AS

BR

UC

E

2ND

SPA

AVENUE H

GARRI

SON

FULTON

ROBB

INS

18TH

LEE

ND

12TH

3RD

AVE

NU

E C

AVENUE E

BANNOCK

BORAH

SCOUT

AVE

NU

E B

FERGU

FLORA

LENZ

FLUME

REDWOOD

COO

PER

FORT

TH

18TH

2ND

17TH

LOGAN

GROVE

LEE

S

10TH

4TH

6TH

LEWIS

14TH

8TH

HAYS

12TH

LEW

FRANKLIN

WASHINGTON

17TH

BANNOCK

Located just outside of downtown Boise’s central urban core, this currently unde-veloped site stands adjacent to a major pub-lic park, Julia Davis, which houses the city’s main museum core in which the Art, Natural History, Black History, and Zoo are located. Additionally, the main public library branch, Anne Frank memorial, public greenbelt path-way, and Boise State University stand nearby. Opportunities for consolidated urban park-ing, connection to natural geothermal power, heightened public exposure, and easy trans-portation access make this site highly desire-able for a Children’s Museum location.

EXISTING BUILDINGS ON GEOTHERMAL POWER

BOISE PUBLIC LIBRARY

NATURAL HISTORYMUSEUM

ART MUSEUM

OUTDOOR BANDSHELL DISCOVERY

SCIENCE CENTER

JULIA DAVIS PARK

SITE

STATE COURTHOUSE

DOWNTOWN CORE

BOISE STATEUNIVERSITY

SPRING/SUMMER

WINDS

FALL/WINTER

WINDS

N

Parking Overlay Z(Effective 8/28/06)

Key

P1-

P2-

P3-

VIEW #1VIEW #1

VIEW #2VIEW #2

VIEW #3VIEW #3 VIEW#3

VIEW#1VIEW#2

SE down Broadway Ave

NW temporary buildingsNE down Myrtle St

CULTURAL CONTEXT

WIND

PARKING


SITE CONDITIONS

Boise, ID

The site area is zoned as Residential Offi ce. A Winco Foods is located in the same zoning plot. A Children’s Museum is classifi ed as a Social Center under the City of Boise Zon-ing code and is permitted in the Residential Offi ce plot, but must be approved by a com-mision. The R-0 Zone is intended to provide for higher density residential and offi ce uses with an emphasis on high quality urban de-sign and pedestrian orientation. The building must be setback 20 feet from both streets, and parking must be setback 10 feet.

MUSEUMBRIDGEPARK

SITE SECTION-PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

DOWNTOWN BOISE ZONING MAP

BOISE CENSUS DATA

•Population: 205,671•Population growth (2000-2010): 10.7%•Persons under age 5: 6.4%•Persons under age 18: 22.7%•Persons per household: 2.36

WIND


SPATIAL ADJACENCIES There are various important spatial adjacencies to consider when planning a Chil-dren’s Museum. Firstly, the lobby space must be front and center, with an intruiging view to the interior of the museum. Secondly, it is benefi cial to have a “heart space” for wayfi nd-ing and circulation throughout the exhibits. This space can house experiments as well, but mainly works to orient visitors who are con-stantly traversing from room to room. Group spaces such as the theater, cafe, and museum shop benefi t from a central orientation, and the shop should be located to catch potential buyers on their way out. Finally, administra-tive spaces should be separate from the public areas for privacy and security.

LOBBY

TICKET

BOOTH

COAT

CHECK

THEATER

MUSEUM

SHOP

CAFE

INFO

PUBLIC

BATHROOM

EXHIBIT SPACEEXHIBIT SPACE

EXHIBIT SPACE EXHIBIT SPACE

EXHIBIT

SPACE

HEART SPACE(ORIENTATION)

ADMINISTRATION

ADMIN

SUPPORT

LOBBY

TICKET

BOOTH

COAT

CHECK

THEATER

MUSEUM

SHOP

CAFE

INFO

PUBLIC

BATHROOM



EXHIBIT

SPACE

ADMINISTRATION

ADMIN

SUPPORT


ENTRY

LOBBY

TICKET

BOOTH

COAT

CHECK

THEATER

MUSEUM

SHOP

CAFE

INFO

PUBLIC

BATHROOM



EXHIBIT

SPACE

ADMINISTRATION

ADMIN

SUPPORT


EXIT

LOBBY

TICKET

BOOTH

COAT

CHECK

THEATER

MUSEUM

SHOP

CAFE

INFO

PUBLIC

BATHROOM



EXHIBIT

SPACE

ADMINISTRATION

ADMIN

SUPPORT


PUBLIC SPACES

LOBBY

TICKET

BOOTH

COAT

CHECK

THEATER

MUSEUM

SHOP

CAFE

INFO

PUBLIC

BATHROOM



EXHIBIT

SPACE

ADMINISTRATION

ADMIN

SUPPORT


PRIVATE

LOBBY

TICKET

BOOTH

COAT

CHECK

THEATER

MUSEUM

SHOP

CAFE

INFO

PUBLIC

BATHROOM



EXHIBIT

SPACE

ADMINISTRATION

ADMIN

SUPPORT


MIXED PUBLIC & PRIVATE Overlapping spaces between exhibits have potential to create engaging and interest-

ing environments that combine two areas of study. For example, one exhibit space could

focus on social science experiments while another focuses on biological experiments. In the overlapping areas, other experiments that

combine the two fi elds could be placed to encourage interdisciplinary learning.

DESIGN program brownsheet . project timeline

PROGRAM BROWNSHEET

1

store

2 3 4 5

6

7

8 9

10111213

14

1 Exhibit Spaces: 18,000 sq. ft. 2 Exhibit Preparation: 3,000 sq. ft. 3 Cafe: 1,000 sq. ft. 4 Theater/Auditorium: 3,000 sq. ft. 5 Museum Store: 1,500 sq. ft. 6 Administration: 4,000 sq. ft. 7 Staff Support 2,000 sq. ft. 8 Coat Room: 800 sq. ft. 9 Lobby/Info Desk: 650 sq. ft. TOTAL: 49,560 sq. ft.

SITE AREA: 78,000 sq. ft.

10 Multi-purpose Room: 900 sq. ft. 11 Restrooms: 950 sq. ft. 12 Outdoor Exhibit: 2,500 sq. ft. 13 Storage: 3,000 sq. ft. 14 Circulation (@ 20%): 8,260 sq. ft.

DESIGN TIMELINE

(Jan. 12-31) Week 1-3: Schematic design & Spatial confi guration with the site; Concept development, Plan development.PRODUCTION: abstract model explora-tions to address form, plans and sections development

(Feb. 1-18) Week 4-6:Floorplans, Sections & PerspectivesPRODUCTION: abstract model explora-tions to address form

(Feb. 19-Mar. 3) Week 7-8: Begin Materiality & Facade developmentPRODUCTION: photoshop collage exer-cizes to experiment with juxtaposition of re-used & recycled materials against one another

(Mar. 4-10) Week 9: Prepare for & Mid-crit presentationsPRODUCTION: begin refi nement of struc-tural system explorations

(Mar. 11-24) Week 10-11: Facade & Structure detailingPRODUCTION: detail connection explora-tion with regard to material and effi cient steel connections

(Mar. 25-Apr.7) Week 12-13:Further developmentPRODUCTION: refi ne & make changes based on feedback from Mid-crit, com-plete digital model and begin fi nal board renderings

(Apr. 8-21) Week 14-15:Begin fi nal graphics, board layoutPRODUCTION: refi ne perspectives and other board graphics; revisit initial dia-gramming exercises for display on boards

(Apr. 23-27) Week 16:Thesis PresentationsPRODUCTION: Set up presentation and art installation

(Semester Remainder): PRODUCTION: Compile Work into Design booklet & submit

SUMMARY project goals . competition . overview

DESIGN GOALS

• Provide an interactive learning en-vironment for children that houses a va-riety of focuses including: art, science, technology, and social interaction

•Provide a central focus on sustainabili-ty and ideas of adaptive re-use through material quality of the building, siting, and interactive exhibits.

•Provides the visitors to see new forms and functions that old things may take

•Allow for an environment of learn-ing for adults as well as children; allow adults to step back into a child’s world

This project will be entered into the ACSA Steel Design Competition upon comple-tion.

•Could be done through exaggeration of color, scale, texture to enhance feel-ings of whimsy