Final design

Aim:

The aim of this project is to re-think retail to consider how we ‘shop’, where we ‘shop’ and when we ‘shop’ in context to new developments in virtual and physical retail environments. This project examines the themes of ihi and wehi associated with the creative process. It addresses the intangible resonance within creative practices and acknowledges that design is so much more than the sum of its component physical parts.

Context:

Ihi and wehi are complimentary terms associated with emotional and psychological behaviour. Ihi can be described as an individual’s essential force, charisma, power or charm – which emanates throughout the creative process. Wehi, on the other hand, highlights the internalised feelings that occur in response to ihi. Sometimes the terms dread or awe are commonly used to describe wehi. In this context, wehi is taken to mean the emotional response on the part of the observer. 

Project:

In this project, I had to question the experiences of shopping and think of ways to rethink a physical retail environment in relation to emerging trends of online shopping environments. Fashion is in a constant state of flux, ever-changing but often cyclical in nature. A non gender specific, Androgynous clothing line is an innovative notion, allowing for a wider customer demographic. My design explores the reoccurring theme of intertwining - fabrics, materials and genders. The space is designed to reflect this idea, the clothing style and the industrial appearance of Tory Street. Lighting is used to convey Ihi & Wehi. Artificial LED strip lighting navigates customers through the store, changing in colour and intensity for promotions and to reflect, mood and atmosphere in connection with the seasonal change in stock. These qualities create a new experience, and are intended to evoke an emotional response from the observer.

A simplified bracket system as a structural grid

The design is defined by a structural grid, working as a clothing rack and an installation piece to integrate the lighting system.

Level one and two floor plan and reflective ceiling plan

Sectional perspective aa

Front street elevation

Exterior perspective from street

Coloured LEDs integrated into grid installation

LED strip lighting navigating customers through the space

Interior perspectives

Poster development

Initial layout of poster - recognising things that need to be changed and rearranged.

Presenting poster to the class - identifying key features that need to be worked on before the official hand in.

Final poster with all changes complete.

SketchUp development: adding materials

Experimenting with shadows and lighting in indigo renderer (not rendered to a high quality).

Research

Materiality

     Hollowcore polished concrete flooring
     http://www.bison.co.uk/products/hollow-core-floors

A Hollowcore slab offers the ideal structural section by reducing deadweight while providing the maximum structural efficiency within the slab depth. Precast floors are available with a variety of factory-formed notches, slots and reinforcement arrangements which offer various design approaches.

     Timber

     http://www.boral.com.au/TimberFlooring/sustainability.asp

Timber, as a building material, is good choice as it is a natural and renewable resource. Not only does timber store carbon through its life cycle but it is recyclable. The production and processing of timber products uses less energy than most other building materials, in turn resulting in fewer emissions into the atmosphere. I will use a white painted timber for the grid installation, as a clean surface area will allow for the LED strip lighting to be the most effective. 

Lighting systems

     Skylights
     http://www.heavenlyskylights.com.au/Why-Install-A-Skylight/

Benefits of Skylights:

- Reduce electricity bill costs

- Gives more light than a wall window

- Increase the value of your property

- Natural light decreases eye strain

- Good lighting improves your mood

Skylights save money on electricity bills and reduce the harmful effect on the environment of excessive use of natural resources including fossil fuels. Skylights are economical, environmentally friendly and a sustainable way of allowing natural light inside. Traditional windows on walls doesn't allow as much light in as a well-placed skylight. Skylights filter light from a high point in the ceiling, disperse light evenly and consistently, decreasing shadows, and providing ideal work environments. I have used skylights in the retail store to allow for as much natural lighting in the space as possible - an ideal approach when dealing with clothing.

LED strip lighting

LED strip lighting is a type of light that is made up of a series of LEDs set into a strip that is then affixed to a surface. They are used to illuminate objects, products and surfaces, both indoor and outdoor. LED strip lights are the standard white light but are also available in configurations that change the lighting colours according to the program they are running on. They are available in different lengths and in different light outputs. LED strip lights come in a range of standard lengths that you can join together to create a lighting section that is as long as the user requires. LED strip lighting should be affixed to a clean, dry surface. Many strip lights come with an adhesive backing to make the process easier. LED strip lighting is versatile and durable. It is great for decorative lighting applications, and if it is installed in the right place, it’s also excellent task lighting. 

I will use LED strip lighting in my retail store by fixating them onto the grid installation. They will be used for navigation purposes - to direct customers through the space, to illuminate the clothing, and to be used for promotions or events taking place - for example, the LED colours may change depending on seasonal change in stock (a method to harmonise the space with the product).

     Halogen lighting

     http://www.primelocation.com/guides/home-design-and-style/how-to-light-your-home/

Halogen lighting uses a tungsten filament, but it is encased inside a much smaller quartz envelope. Because the envelope is so close to the filament, it would melt if it were made from glass. The gas inside the envelope is also different, it consists of a gas from the halogen group. These gases have a very interesting property: They combine with tungsten vapour. If the temperature is high enough, the halogen gas will combine with tungsten atoms as they evaporate and redeposit them on the filament. This recyclingprocess lets the filament last a lot longer. In addition, it is now possible to run the filament hotter, meaning you get more light per unit of energy. You still get a lot of heat, though; and because the quartz envelope is so close to the filament, it is extremely hot compared to a normal light bulb.­­

The pure white light halogens emit makes them ideal for certain fixtures and situations. 

- For reading and other exacting tasks, the bright light reduces eyestrain.

- For display lighting, where you want to highlight artwork, photos, crystal or architectural features, the white focused light makes colors appear more vibrant. Halogen spotlights allow pinpoint focus. - - Using standard bulbs for general lighting in the same room heightens the effect of halogens even more.

- For outdoor use, halogen floodlights cast a brighter, easier-to-see-by light. And since they last twice as long as standard bulbs, you won't need to struggle to reach hard-to-access outdoor fixtures as often. - They're 10 to 20 percent more energy efficient and cheaper to operate. They burn brighter longer (a halogen bulb will still be cranking out 94 percent of its original light output near the end of its life, while a standard bulb diminishes to a measly 82 percent).

Skylights and LED strip lighting will be the main source of lighting in the space. However, I will use
Halogen lighting fixtures on the ceiling to lighten up darker spaces in the store - staircase and changing rooms. Halogen is cheap and can be bought with different sized beams. This lighting source emits a white light so will not discolour clothing. The mirrors inside the changing rooms will help to bounce light around to prevent any shadows on people.

SketchUp development

Creating a staircase up to a second floor for storage and staff. Raising the counter space to divide staff space from the public area.

Adding more rod structures to the space - providing clothing racks and changing rooms.

Lighting box

My lighting box is made to capture light from the outside and shine through the holes to cast shadows on the interior walls. The pattern was created from the shadows on the installation piece in the SketchUp model. I applied the pattern to two surfaces of the corflute, to offer a conceptual representation of light sources inside the shop - natural light entering through the windows at the entrance, and artificial lighting hitting the installation from the opposite direction.  I used the rabbet joint to connect the plywood and strand board together and I cut slits into the timber to slide the corflute in place - I found that these techniques gave a neat, clean finish.

Lighting box development

My initial concept was to replicate the grid structure on the box. I explored the different lighting effects in SketchUp, and was able to separate the light from the dark, and use this to further develop my ideas. 

Taking light elements from the installation piece and applying the shadow patterns to the lighting box. I exported a scene from my SketchUp model and placed it into Photoshop where I adjusted the levels to heighten the contrast. I then moved this .dwg file into Illustrator to select the outlines of the pattern only. 

I will laser cut these lines onto the material provided. I generated a series of prototypes to get an idea of materiality. I wanted to explore - what materials I will cut into, how many sides of the box I will cut, what shadows and lighting effects will be seen on each material.

     4 x plywood / strand board with 2 x laser cut corflute

    2 x plywood / strand board with 4 x laser cut corflute

    1 x laser cut plywood / strand board with 5 x corflute

I decided to build the first prototype. I chose to use corflute for two walls only because they are opaque. I wanted to limit the light entering through the walls to get the full effect of the light entering through the holes. As the light moves around the outside, they will enter through the laser cut patterns. This will be more effective as the light patterns will be more prominent in a darker space. Thereby it is important to use the plywood and strand board as much as possible because a solid material and will block out light.