pens.and.cocktail.napkins: Shelter Bus Charette

When I was in lifeguard training, we were always told that our number one priority when entering the water to make a rescue, was our own personal safety; putting one more person in a desperate situation doesn't help anyone. This is the approach I used with this design. In order to be of the most help to disaster victims. My clients, four construction workers, should place their own welfare as top priority. If they ensure that they get adequate rest, hygiene, and mental rejuvenation, they will in turn be of greater help to the people they are supporting. My design allows for these necessities by making use of specific zones, complete separation of work and relaxation areas, as well as soft and neutral blue and grey tones, to help my clients feel at ease and peaceful while inside this bus. This quality and approach allows the clients to be higher impact factors on the community they are aiding, and thus increasing the function of the shelter bus design.

As a precedent I used the Exaltis Tower in Paris France, designed by Arquitectonica Interiors. The curvy shapes and lines really pull you into the space and lead you from one zone to the next. This is a quality I incorporated in my design. The entrance way has flooring of heavy duty tile to serve as a "mud room" of sorts. The curved lines sprout from the seams in the tile work, unifying the space and leading occupants to the far end of the bus, and through the steps of rejuvenation; Cleansing, Relaxation, Eating, and Sleeping.

This is my bubble adjacency diagram for the main zones associated with the bus, following the important tasks of daily activity.

Scheme diagram showing volume of traffic in specific areas, as well as use of these areas whether public or private.

The bathroom wall is curved allowing it to follow the curvilinear lines of the walls and floor. This marries form with color scheme. It also allows for the sliding door pictured here.