ENV. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
PROJECT 1. PAYING IT FORWARD (EXPLORING THE SENSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS FUTURE DESIGNER
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Objectives of Project
The objectives of this assignment are as follows:
1. To increase awareness of current environmental issues locally
2. To induce creativity in attempting to explore the current environmental circumstances
3. To allow students to explore the opportunity to work with the community and for the community
4. To create awareness of the importance of creating and environmentally sustainable product/design/services
5. To be able to understand and explain the principles of sustainability from environmental and social perspective
Learning Outcomes of this Project
Explore the concept of environmental and ecological sustainability
1. Produce a complete documentation of the entire project from proposal up to completion
2. Produce a multi media presentation on the issue and process taken to resolve the issue
3. To be able to demonstrate problem-solving skills
4. Recognise role and responsibility of an architect towards environment and society.
5. Exemplify creativity in attempting to explore the current environmental circumstances
Reflection:
The site that we are chosen is St. Barnabas Homes. What we did there is creating a motivational corner (mural painting)at both boy's floor and girl's floor, improve garden environment and painting the old playground equipment.
During our first visit, we saw that the shelter home is already fulfilled, and we barely saw anything else we can do to repair or rebuilt. We saw two corridors at the girls’ and boys’ place that we thought was very empty and useless. Our first idea was to create a playing space for them, until Mr. George said that what the kids need weren’t the things that they want; what they need is a motivation, something to motivate them to study, to be creative and to dream high.
Else from the corridors, we saw the playground equipment was untreated well such as the rusty see saw and monkey bar. We were worried that it could affect the kids’ safety. So we decided to repaint and refurnished the playground equipment.
We were struggling a lot throughout the process, a lot of our basic idea got rejected and it demotivates us all over again. But somehow the encouragements from the kids motivate us, and we finally realize that what we were doing was for the kids’ sake and not for the marks. And so we all agreed to give in all our best for this project despite all the hardships and struggles. We came out with creative spaces, a board surrounding a mural painting. We are very sure this idea could help improve the kids’ creativity and innovation. The proposed mural paintings were a painting of Noah’s ark and a painting of Jesus with the kids. The reason we chose these pictures because Noah’s ark, like the story of how his ark saves them from the flood tragedy, St. Barnabas house is seen as an ark that carries and saves all of the abandon kids from the darkness of the world. On the other side, the painting of Jesus and the kids was a symbol of a warm-hearted welcome given by Jesus to every kid who lives there. It shows that Jesus will always take care of them and will never abandon them, so does St. Barnabas house. The very meaning of every painting represents the vision and mission of St. Barnabas, and we are glad that they accept it with all their heart.
