Design Journey

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Research

( Site Analysis)

Using site analysis, we researched on the different aspects of the location of the theatre to find out more on their culture, people as well as design considerations to be taken such as to create a sustainable design.

Location & Vicinity

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Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso capital city of Burkina Faso and also the home of the country’s administration and economic centers.

Railway Station in Bobo-Dioulasso built during the colonial era. Still remains in operation.

Market in Gorom Gorom, Burkina Faso

Tiebele, Burkina Faso due to the poverty in the area, are built entirely from straw and mud but they are decorated with character and pride

Temperature

Average annual maximum temperature is 35 degree celsius
Average annual minimum temperature is 22 degree celsius
April is the warmest month
December the coolest month

Rainfall

Two distinct seasons ( Dry, Rainy season)
Dry season (October to May)
Rainy season (May/June - September)
Receive 600 to 900 millimetre of water

Humidity

August is the most humid month
January to February is the least humid

Wind Direction

January 2000 - 2020

North - 17%
North East - 17%
East - 10%
South East - 6%

South 18%
South West - 18%
West - 11%
North West - 4%

Orientation

The site is mainly surrounded by barren land, with urban area and farm land surrounding it.

History Of Site

Previously known as Upper Volta, Burkina Faso was part of French West Africa from 1890s to 1960 when it then became independent.

Evidence of Neolithic culture have been found in the north of Burkina Faso.

Between the 11th to 13th century, the earliest known inhabitants of the country are the Mossi, Bobo, Lobi and the Gurnusi. In the 15th century CE, the Gurma and Mossi kingdoms were established, in the eastern and central areas, respectively. These kingdoms were strong enough to resist against conquest by other Afrian empires such as the Mali and Songhay empires, They had valuable commercial links with major western African trading powers, including the Dyula, the Hausa, and the Asante.

The country changed its name to Burkina Faso in 1984

Architecture Vernacular

Gurunsi Earth Houses Material Used:

Bricks made of sun-dried mix of clay, soil, straw [reduce cracking] and c ow droppings (moistened to smoothen surface)
Straw: To cover top from the rain
Coloured mud and chalk to illustrate the ancient tribe's culture, religion and beliefs

Passive Design Strategies:

Small openings located closer to the ground: assist in comfortable interior temperature (hot weather, allow ventilation and cooler air in)
For some houses: straw roofs to allow little sunlight in
Mud bricks have a low impact on the environment and offer better insulation than steel and concrete structures
Thick layers of mud are used to withstand rainstorms and extreme temperatures
Walls are short: Provide buttressing support and offer places to sit and work

Demographics

Arts & Culture:

Burkina Faso is a leader in African art and culture and hosts the largest craft market in Africa.
The culture of Burkina Faso in West Africa is also called the Burkinabé culture.
The Bobo, one of the ethnic groups in Burkina Faso make large butterfly masks, painted in stripes of red, white and black which are used to invoke the deity Do in fertility ceremonies. The Mossi are known for their antelope masks. The Lobi carve wood.
Two key elements of culture in Burkina Faso (a country once known as Upper Volta) are its indigenous masks and dancing. The masks used in this region of the western Sahel are made for rites of sacrifice to gods and animal spirits in the villages. Native dance, on the other hand, is employed to demonstrate the villagers' desire for blessings by the spirits.
Theatre of Burkina Faso combines traditional Burkinabé performance with the colonial influences and post-colonial efforts to educate rural people to produce a distinctive national theatre. Traditional ritual ceremonies of the many ethnic groups in Burkina Faso have long involved dancing with masks

Diversity Of Races, Religions & Ethnic Groups

Has up to 60 ethnic groups
The Mossi people originated in Burkina Faso
The Bobo are an ethnic group living primarily in Burkina Faso
Majority speaks French
Their main religions are Islam & Roman Catholic
General Age Statistics : More than 65% of the population is under the age of 25, and the population is growing at 3% annually.
Cutural groups: Belongs to two Major African Cultural Groups, the Gur ( Voltaic ) and the Mandé .(Mandé Descended from ancient central Saharan people, the Mandé are an identifiable language family, with associated peoples spread throughout West Africa. They are known as having been early producers of woven textiles, by a process known as strip-weaving.)
About 12000 Europeans resides in Burkina Faso, Majority being French.
Population as of 2019 : 18 million (Burkina Faso is a small sub-Saharan African country with a population of 18 million. Often described as one of the world's poorest countries, the most recent reports estimate that roughly 40 percent of Burkinabè live below the poverty line.)

S.W.O.T

STRENGTH

Leader in cultures and arts in africa
Compared to surroundings (apart from the farm) has more vegetation
Plants surrounding the theatre act as sound barriers
Loud character in current architecture
Wind can pass through from North-west direction because there is no blockage

Opportunities

Would to use architecture to showcase traditional dance that the dancer perform
Majority is young people
Open site

Weakness

surrounding buildings are short so no sun shading
High humidity throughout the year

Threats

Raining season during May to September

Anchor 1

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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Space Planning

Bubble Diagram

Using what we have learnt in school, we used bubble diagrams to determine the hierarchy of spaces as well as where they should be connected to for convenience before deciding the arrangement of the different spaces.

All of us did separate drawings of bubble diagram before meeting to help generate the best layout through the combination at the end of our discussion, the images above are my layouts.

Through the combined ideas, the final layout of our spaces were placed in the best layout we can think of where we continued to move forward and design according to this rough plan.

Anchor 2

Design Concept

The concept ideas to help decide the overall shape and design.

Stage 1

Existing site is currently lacking in unity and linkage. Hence we wanted to create a form that rounds up everything together.

Stage 2

Creating a central area where people can come together and connect with one another

Stage 3

Adding a canopy layer which helps link the different blocks together, as well as allowing more interesting outdoor spaces

Stage 4

Creating sustainable architecture. By adding trees and greenery to counter wind, rain , sun.

At this stage, using the ideas and concept of linkage and connection we came up with a canopy layer to link the different spaces together and by using the previous space planning we have done to shape it around the plan itself.

Sustainable strategies are also used and was part of the process in determining our roof design such that air can flow through the spaces easily.

Anchor 3

Moodboards

Before we m moved on to creating the 3D model or the overall detailed floor plan, we took the approach of creating a moodboard to take inspiration of possible ideas for our spaces for the mood and ambiance we would like to create.

Anchor 4

Design Development

( Detailed Floor Plan )

While my teammates Javan & Nicholas worked on the 3D model and sections for the project, Charlene, Andrea and I moved on to drawing detailed floor plan layouts with furniture plans for the different spaces of the buildings.

Level 1

Level 2

The initial plans were not complete and, the arrangement of spaces were not perfect, toilets were missing and the single room bedrooms were not suitable for the space. We also found a lot of other issue such as misalignment of spaces, and the issue of our stage design having problems of trapping water during poor weather conditions. Hence, we made huge changes to it and have a completely new plan and layout.

UPDATEDGLPROPPLAN270620-OVERALL PLAN 1.j