The Commonwealth Institute: The New Design Museum

Concept models

The Commonwealth Institute: The New Design Museum

Concept models

My concept is to create social seating that will draw the visitors eyes up, to the original ceiling within the new architecture.

When doing my research I found that most people stay longer when viewing a piece of design when seated. The features of the seating will also determine the duration of time spent on the seating to view the design.

To types of regularly seen social, seating are sociofugal and sociopetal. One means that your are forced to face other people which encourages social interaction, which will create a different atmosphere to the other. Sociofugal, this is seating that faces you away from others. This will cause people to observe more and concentrate on their surroundings.

Also the comfort of the seating can be determined by certain factors; For example the depth of the seat, the texture, the materials, the height, amount of support and the angles of the seating.

The angles of seating is something that I intend to use as a design focus point, as this angle will be able to direct peoples views upwards. This will put the viewer in a reclined position, however I still want to make the space fell secure enough for the viewers to stay. Also, as the museum is an educational space for all ages, I want to make sure that the seating is suited for all ages.

The Commonwealth Institute: The New Design Museum

Sociopetal (facing eachothers)Sociofugal (facing away)

Concept models

The Commonwealth Institute: The New Design Museum

Concept models

Workshop model: (Left) This model was a creation made from the use of tension around a angular form that is currently being exhibited in the Design Museum. Our model that we created was aimed to highlight the angular nature of the piece. Also the intention was to create an environment, by enclosing the space this you can manipulate the lighting, the acoustics and the movement of traffic. I will look at using this method within my design, and push it to create an intense atmospheric experience.

The Commonwealth Institute: The New Design Museum

Concept models

Seating surround: This will increase the security of the space, making the visitors feel secure enough to lay back and relax.The use of misted materials to create this wall will give the people inside and out of the space vision without and clear definition of the two.