Concept Statement
Biohome Concept Statement
People affected by biochemical components, specifically radiation, zinc, and lead being released into the air, soil and most importantly water because of an Earthquake is a disaster where people could be forced to live in a temporary or emergency shelter. The focus for these shelters will be to accommodate the physical, psychological and sociological needs for people in search of housing. An emphasis on maintaining a sense of self, social and cultural identity will be the mantra. The inspiration for our design came from the incident in Picher, Oklahoma which was formerly a major national center for lead and zinc mining but became dangerously contaminated by the zinc and lead in 1996 which prompted a mandatory evacuation of the entire township.
The goal for the relief housing is to develop a spa-like environment in order to make people feel rejuvenated, relaxed but mostly comfortable while they undergo a major loss and or protection from environmental threat. The biohazard symbol was chosen as inspiration for this project as it is a recognized icon to help ensure environmental safety through awareness. This universal symbol consisting of three interlocking circles creates the perimeter of a triangle. The symbol itself was created so it could be flipped and moved in any direction and could be recognized from any angle. This relief housing project has made reference to this symbol throughout its development. The triangle shape is seen as strong, balanced and masculine while the circle implies cohesiveness, safety, comfort, connectedness and a warm feminine feel.
The overall floor plan of the community will resemble that of healthy lung tissue; that is to say, the nine pods containing six individual units will represent the alveoli and the connecting hallways will represent the bronchioles as they breathe clean air and life into the community. These “bronchioles” will work to help connect the peoples of the pods and ultimately
People affected by biochemical components, specifically radiation, zinc, and lead being released into the air, soil and most importantly water because of an Earthquake is a disaster where people could be forced to live in a temporary or emergency shelter. The focus for these shelters will be to accommodate the physical, psychological and sociological needs for people in search of housing. An emphasis on maintaining a sense of self, social and cultural identity will be the mantra. The inspiration for our design came from the incident in Picher, Oklahoma which was formerly a major national center for lead and zinc mining but became dangerously contaminated by the zinc and lead in 1996 which prompted a mandatory evacuation of the entire township.
The goal for the relief housing is to develop a spa-like environment in order to make people feel rejuvenated, relaxed but mostly comfortable while they undergo a major loss and or protection from environmental threat. The biohazard symbol was chosen as inspiration for this project as it is a recognized icon to help ensure environmental safety through awareness. This universal symbol consisting of three interlocking circles creates the perimeter of a triangle. The symbol itself was created so it could be flipped and moved in any direction and could be recognized from any angle. This relief housing project has made reference to this symbol throughout its development. The triangle shape is seen as strong, balanced and masculine while the circle implies cohesiveness, safety, comfort, connectedness and a warm feminine feel.
The overall floor plan of the community will resemble that of healthy lung tissue; that is to say, the nine pods containing six individual units will represent the alveoli and the connecting hallways will represent the bronchioles as they breathe clean air and life into the community. These “bronchioles” will work to help connect the peoples of the pods and ultimately